jamesclavell.noblehouse-第238章

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　〃I　want　you　to　get　on　the　next　plane　to　Johannesburg。　Leave　at　once。　Telex　me　your　flight　and　hotel　and　call　me　as　soon　as　you　arrive　at　the　hotel　in　Johannesburg。　Got　it？〃
　There　was　a　slight　hesitation　and　slightly　less　breeziness。　〃Johannesburg；　South　Africa；　tai…pan？〃
　〃Yes。　The　next　plane　out。〃
　〃I'm　on　my　way。　Anything　else？〃
　〃No。〃
　〃Right　you　are；　tai…pan。　I'm　on　my　way。　'Bye！〃
　Dunross　put　the　phone　down。　Power's　a　marvelous　device；　he　thought　with　great　satisfaction；　but　being　tai…pan's　better。
　Phillip　got　up。　〃I'll　deal　with　that　letter　at　once。〃
　〃Just　a　minute；　Phillip。　I've　another　problem　that　I　need　your　advice　on。〃　He　opened　the　desk　and　brought　out　the　matrix。　Apart　from　himself　and　previous　tai…pans　who　were　still　alive；　only　Phillip　Chen　in　all　the　world　knew　the　secret　of　the　four　coins。　〃Here。　This　was　giv…　〃
　Dunross　stopped；　paralyzed；　totally　unprepared　for　the　effect　the　matrix　had　on　his　pradore。　Phillip　Chen　was　staring　at　it；　his　eyes　almost　popped　from　their　sockets；　his　lips　stretched　back　from　his　teeth。　As　though　in　a　dream；　everything　in　slow　motion；　Phillip　Chen　reached　out　and　took　the　matrix；　his　fingers　trembling；　and　peered　at　it　closely；　mouthing　soundlessly。
　Then　Dunross's　brain　detonated　and　he　realized　the　half…coin　must　have　belonged　to　Phillip　Chen；　that　it　had　been　stolen　from　him。　Of　course；　Dunross　wanted　to　shout。　Sir　Gordon　Chen　must　have　been　given　one　of　the　four　coins　by　Jin…qua！　But　why？　What　was　the　connection　between　the　Chen　family　and　a　Co…hong　Mandarin　that　would　make　Jin…qua　give　the　Eurasian　son　of　Dirk　Struan　so　valuable　a　gift？
　Still　in　slow　motion；　he　saw　the　old　man　raise　his　head　to　squint　up　at　him。　Again　the　mouth　moved。　No　sound。　Then　in　a　strangled　gasp；　〃Bar　。。。　Bartlett　gave　this　。。。　this　to　you　already？〃
　〃Bartlett？〃　Dunross　echoed　incredulously。　〃What　in　the　name　of　Christ's　Bartlett　got　to　d…　〃　He　stopped　as　another　explosion　seemed　to　shatter　his　head　and　more　pieces　of　the　jigsaw　slammed　into　place。　Bartlett's　secret　knowledge！　Knowledge　that　could　only　e　from　one　of　seven　men；　all　of　them　unthinkable；　Phillip　Chen　the　most　unthinkable　of　all！
　Phillip　Chen's　the　traitor！　Phillip　Chen's　working　in　conjunction　with　Bartlett　and　Casey　。。。　it's　Phillip　Chen　who's　sold　us　out　and　passed　over　our　secrets　and　passed　over　the　coin。
　A　blinding　rage　overcame　him。　It　took　all　of　his　training　to　hold　the　fury　bottled。　He　saw　himself　get　up　and　stride　to　the　window　and　stare　out　of　it。　He　did　not　know　how　long　he　stood　there。　But　when　he　turned；　his　mind　was　purged　clean　and　the　vast　error　in　his　logic　now　clear　to　him。
　〃Well？〃　His　voice　was　chilling。
　〃Tai…pan　。。。　tai…pan　。。。〃　the　old　man　began　brokenly；　wringing　his　hands。
　〃Tell　the　truth；　pradore。　Now！〃　The　word　frightened　Phillip。
　〃It　。。。　it　was　John；〃　he　gasped；　tears　spilling。　〃It　wasn't　me　I　sw…　〃
　〃I　know　that！　Hurry　up　for　chrissake！〃
　Phillip　Chen　spewed　out　everything；　how　he　had　taken　his　son's　key　and　opened　his　son's　safety　deposit　box　and　discovered　the　letters　to　and　from　Bartlett　and　the　second　key　and　how；　at　dinner　the　night　of　the　tai…pan's　party；　he　had　suddenly　had　a　premonition　about　his　oh　so　secret　safe　buried　in　the　garden　and　how；　after　digging　it　up；　he　had　discovered　the　worst。　He　even　told　the　tai…pan　about　his　quarrel　with　Dianne　and　how　they　thought　the　coin　might　be　on　John　Chen　somehow；　and　how；　when　the　Werewolf　phoned；　she　suggested　calling　his　cousin；　Four　Finger　Wu；　to　get　his　street　fighters　to　follow　him；　then　to　follow　them。　。。。
　Dunross　gasped　but　Phillip　Chen　did　not　notice　it；　rambling　on　in　tears；　telling　how　he　had　lied　to　the　police　and　had　paid　over　the　ransom　to　the　Werewolf　youths　he　would　never　recognize　again　and　how　the　street　fighters　of　Four　Fingers　who　were　supposed　to　be　guarding　him　had　not　intercepted　the　Werewolves　or　recaptured　John　or　recaptured　his　money。　〃That's　the　truth；　tai…pan；　all　of　it；〃　he　whimpered；　〃there's　no　more　。。。　nothing。　Nothing　until　this　morning　and　my　poor　son's　body　at　Sha　Tin　with　that　filthy　sign　on　his　chest。　。。。〃
　Helplessly　Dunross　was　trying　to　collect　his　wits。　He　had　not　known　that　Four　Fingers　was　Phillip's　cousin；　nor　could　he　fathom　how　the　old　seaman　could　have　got　the　coin　…　unless　he　was　the　chief　Werewolf　or　in　league　with　them；　or　in　league　with　John　Chen　who　had　masterminded　a　supposed　kidnapping　to　squeeze　money　out　of　the　father　he　hated　and　then　Four　Fingers　and　John　Chen　had　quarreled　or　。。。　or　what？　〃How　did　John　know　our　secrets；　get　all　those　secrets　to　pass　them　over　to　Bartlett　…　how　the　House's　structured？　Eh？〃
　〃I　don't　know；〃　the　old　man　lied。
　〃You　must　have　told　John　…　there's　only　you；　Alastair；　my　father；　Sir　Ross；　Gavallan；　deVille　or　me　who　know；　and　of　those；　only　the　first　four　know　the　structure！〃
　〃I　didn't　tell　him　…　I　swear　I　didn't。〃
　Dunross's　blinding　rage　began　to　swell　again　but　once　more　he　held　it　into　place。
　Be　logical；　he　told　himself。　Phillip's　more　Chinese　than　European。　Deal　with　him　as　a　Chinese！　Where's　the　link？　The　missing　part　of　the　jigsaw？
　While　he　was　trying　to　work　out　the　problem；　his　eyes　bored　into　the　old　man。　He　waited；　knowing　that　silence　too　was　a　vast　weapon；　in　defense　or　attack。　What's　the　answer？　Phillip　would　never　tell　John　anything　that　secret；　therefore　。。。
　〃Jesus　Christ！〃　he　burst　out　at　the　sudden　thought。　〃You've　been　keeping　records！　Private　records！　That's　how　John　found　out！　From　your　safe！　Eh？〃
　Petrified　by　the　tai…pan's　devil　rage；　Phillip　blurted　out　before　he　could　stop　himself；　〃Yes　。。。　yes　。。。　I　had　to　agree　。。。〃　He　stopped；　fighting　for　control。
　〃Had　to？　Why？　e　on　goddamnit！〃
　〃Because　。。。　because　my　father；　before　he　。。。　he　passed　the　House　over　to　me　and　the　coin　to　me　。。。　made　me　swear　to　keep　。。。　to　record　the　private　dealings　of　。。。　of　the　Noble　House　to　protect　the　House　of　Chen。　It　was　just　that；　tai…pan；　never　to　use　against　you　or　the　House；　just　a　protection。　。。。〃
　Dunross　stared　at　him；　hating　him；　hating　John　Chen　for　selling　Struan's　out；　hating　his　mentor　Chen…chen　for　the　first　time　in　his　life；　sick　with　rage　at　so　many　betrayals。　Then　he　remembered　one　of　Chen…chen's　admonitions　years　ago　when　Dunross　was　almost　weeping　with　anger　at　the　unfair　way　his　father　and　Alastair　were　treating　him：　〃Don't　get　angry；　young　Ian；　get　even。　I　told　Culum　the　same　thing；　and　the　Hag　when　they　were　equally　young　…　Culum　never　listened　but　the　Hag　did。　That's　the　civilized　way：　Don't　get　angry；　get　even！　〃So　Bartlett　has　our　structure；　our　balance　sheets。　What　else's　he　got？〃
　Phillip　Chen　just　shivered　and　stared　back　blankly。
　〃e　on　for　chrissake；　Phillip；　think！　We've　all　got　skeletons；　a　lot　of　skeletons！　So've　you；　the　Hag；　Chen…chen；　Shitee　T'Chung；　Dianne　。。。　for　chrissake；　how　much　more's　documented　that　John　could　have　passed　over？〃　A　wave　of　nausea　went　through　him　as　he　remembered　his　theory　about　the　connection　between　Banastasio；　Bartlett；　Par…Con；　the　Mafia　and　the　guns。　Christ；　if　our　secrets　get　into　the　wrong　hands！　〃Eh？〃
　〃I　don't　know；　I　don't　know　。。。　What；　what　did　Bartlett　ask？　For　the　coin？〃　Then　Phillip　cried　out；　〃It's　mine；　it　belongs　to　me！〃
　He　saw　the　uncontrollable　trembling　of　Phillip's　hands　and　a　sudden　tinge　of　gray　in　his　face。　There　was　brandy　and　whiskey　in　decanters　on　the　sideboard　and　Dunross　fetched　some　brandy　and　gave　it　to　him。　Gratefully　the　old　man　drank；　choking　a　little。　〃Than　。。。　thank　you。〃
　〃Go　home　and　fetch　everything　and　th…　〃　Dunross　stopped　and　stabbed　an　inter　button。　〃Andrew？〃
　〃Yes；　tai…pan？〃　Gavallan　said。
　〃Would　you　e　up　a　second？　I　want　you　to　go　home　with　Phillip；　he's　not　feeling　too　well　and　there're　some　papers　to　bring　back。〃
　〃On　my　way。〃
　Dunross's　eyes　had　never　left　Phillip's。
　〃Tai…pan；　what　did；　did　Bar…　〃
　〃Stay　away　from　them　on　your　life！　And　give　Andrew　everything　…　John's　letters；　Bartlett's　letters；　everything；〃　he　said；　his　voice　chilling。
　〃Tai…pan　。。。〃
　〃Everything。〃　His　head　ached；　he　had　so　much　rage　in　him。　He　was　going　to　add；　I'll　decide　about　you　and　the　House　of　Chen　over　the　weekend。　But　he　did　not　say　it。　〃Don't　get　mad；　get　even〃　kept　ringing　in　his　ear