jamesclavell.noblehouse-第255章

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　of　yourselves　of　course　…　and　bring　your　shore　party　back　right　smartly。　I'm　sure　you'll　have　lots　to　do。　Good　night！〃　he　added　with　startling　suddenness；　got　up　and　went　out　of　the　wardroom；　closing　the　door　behind　him。
　There　was　a　stunned　silence。　Suslev　saw　Malcolm　Sun　get　up　and　leisurely　head　for　the　door。　He　got　up　to　follow　but　stopped　as　the　Chinese　whirled　on　them。
　〃We'll　get　you；　all　of　you！〃　Sun　said　malevolently。
　〃For　what？　We've　done　nothing；〃　Boradinov　gasped。　〃We've　d…　〃
　〃Espionage。　Spying？　You　KGB　think　you're　so　clever；　matyeryebyets！〃
　〃You　get　to　hell　off　my　ship；〃　Suslev　snarled。
　〃We'll　get　you　all　…　I　don't　mean　us　police　。。。〃　Abruptly　Malcolm　Sun　switched　to　fluent　Russian。　〃Get　out　of　our　lands；　hegemonists！　China's　on　the　march！　We　can　lose　fifty　million　soldiers；　a　hundred　and　still　have　double　that　left。　Get　out　while　you've　time！〃
　〃We'll　blast　you　off　the　earth！〃　Suslev　bellowed。　〃We'll　atomize　all　China。　We'll　ta…　〃　He　stopped。　Malcolm　Sun　was　laughing　at　him。
　〃Your　mother's　tit　in　your　atomics！　We've　our　own　atomics　now！　You　start　we　finish。　Atomics；　fists；　ploughshares！〃　Malcolm　Sun's　voice　dropped。　〃Get　out　of　China　while　you've　the　chance。　We're　ing　out　of　the　East　like　Genghis　Khan；　all　of　us；　Mao　Tse…tung；　Chiang　Kai…shek；　me；　my　grandsons；　their　grandsons；　we're　ing　and　we'll　clean　you　off　the　earth　and　take　back　all　our　lands；　all　of　them！〃
　〃Get　off　my　ship！〃　Suslev　felt　his　chest　hurting。　Almost　blind　with　rage；　he　readied　to　hurl　himself　at　his　tormentor；　Boradinov　as　well。
　Unafraid；　Malcolm　Sun　came　back　a　pace。　〃Yeb　tvoyu　mat'　Turd…head！〃　Then　in　English；　〃Hit　me　and　I'll　arrest　you　for　assault　and　impound　your　ship！〃
　With　a　great　effort　the　two　men　stopped。　Choked　with　rage；　Suslev　stuffed　his　fists　into　his　pockets。　〃Please；　you　will　。。。　you　will　leave。　Please。〃
　〃Dew　neh　loh　moh　on　you；　your　mother；　your　father　and　the　whole　of　your　turd…eating　Soviet　hegemonists！〃
　〃You　…　will　…　leave　…　now。''
　Equally　enraged；　Sun　cursed　them　in　Russian　and　shouted　back；　〃We're　ing　out　of　the　East　like　locusts。　。。。〃　Then　there　was　a　sudden　noisy　altercation　outside　on　deck　and　a　slight　dull　boom。　At　once　he　turned　and　went　for　the　door；　the　other　two　rushing　after　him。
　Appalled；　Suslev　saw　that　now　Armstrong　was　standing　at　the　doorway　of　the　radio　room　which　was　next　to　his　cabin。　The　door　was　burst　open；　the　two　frightened　operators　staring　at　the　Englishman；　aghast；　paralyzed　deckhand　guards　nearby。　Already　the　beginning　of　smoke　was　welling　from　the　innards　of　the　radio　equipment。　Red　One　ordered　the　senior　radio　man　to　trigger　the　destruct　on　the　secret　scrambling　device　the　instant　a　hostile　opened　the　door　or　tried　to　break　the　lock。
　Armstrong　turned　to　face　Suslev。　〃Ah；　Captain；　so　sorry；　I　stumbled。　So　sorry；〃　he　said　innocently。　〃I　thought　this　was　the　loo。〃
　〃What？〃
　〃The　toilet。　I　stumbled　and　the　door　burst　open。　So　sorry。〃　The　policeman　glanced　back　into　the　radio　room。　〃Good　God！　It　seems　there's　a　fire。　I'll　call　the　fire　brigade　at　once。　Malcolm；　get　th…　〃
　〃No　。。。　no！〃　Suslev　said；　then　snarled　in　Russian　to　Boradinov　and　the　deck　crew；　〃Get　the　fire　out！〃　He　jerked　a　fist　out　of　his　pocket　and　shoved　Boradinov　into　motion。　Unnoticed　by　him　his　cuff　caught　one　of　his　decoded　cables　and　it　fell　onto　the　deck。　Smoke　was　pouring　out　from　behind　one　of　the　plex　radio　panels。　Already　one　of　the　deckhands　had　a　fire　extinguisher。
　〃Dear　oh　dear！　What　could　have　happened？　You're　sure　you　don't　want　assistance？〃　Armstrong　asked。
　〃No；　no　thank　you；〃　Suslev　said；　his　face　mottled　with　rage；　〃thank　you；　Superintendent。　I'll　。。。　I'll　see　you　Sunday。〃
　〃Good　night；　sir。　e　along；　Malcolm。〃　In　the　growing　confusion　Armstrong　headed　for　the　gangway　but　stooped　and　before　Suslev　realized　what　was　happening　picked　up　the　piece　of　paper　and　was　halfway　down　the　gangway；　Malcolm　Sun　following　him。
　Appalled；　Suslev's　hand　went　to　his　pocket。　Forgetting　the　fire　he　rushed　into　his　cabin　to　check　which　cable　was　missing。
　
　Below　on　the　wharf；　uniformed　police　had　long　since　fanned　out；　covering　both　gangways。　Armstrong　was　getting　into　the　back　of　the　car　beside　Sinders。　The　eyes　of　the　chief　of　MI…6　were　dark…rimmed　and　his　suit　a　little　rumpled　but　he　was　icily　alert。　〃Well　done；　you　two！　Yes。　I　imagine　that'll　interrupt　their　munications　for　a　day　or　so。〃
　〃Yes　sir。〃　Armstrong　began　rummaging　in　his　pocket　for　his　lighter；　his　heart　pounding。　Sinders　watched　Malcolm　Sun　get　into　the　driver's　seat。
　〃What's　the　matter？〃　he　asked　thoughtfully；　seeing　his　face。
　〃Nothing；　nothing　really；　sir。〃　Malcolm　Sun　craned　around；　the　sweat　on　his　back；　his　heart　hurting　and　the　sick…sweet　excitement　rage…fear　taste　still　in　his　mouth。　〃When　。。。　when　I　was　conducting　delaying　tactics　for　the　superintendent　I　。。。　they　got　me　going；　those　two　bastards。〃
　〃Oh？　How？〃
　〃Just　。。。　they　started　cursing；　so　I　。。。　I　just　cursed　them　back。〃　Sun　faced　the　front；　settled　himself；　not　wanting　Sinders's　penetrating　eyes　on　his。　〃Just　cursing；〃　he　added；　trying　to　sound　light。
　〃Pity　one　of　them　didn't　hit　you。〃
　〃Yes；　yes　I　was　ready。〃
　Sinders　glanced　at　Armstrong　briefly　as　the　big　man　clicked　the　lighter　on；　lit　a　cigarette　and；　under　the　light　of　the　flame；　peered　at　the　paper。　Sinders　glanced　up　at　the　ship　above。　Once　more　Suslev　was　standing　at　the　head　of　the　gangway　staring　down　at　them。　〃He　looks　very　angry　indeed。　Good。〃　The　flicker　of　a　smile　went　over　him。　〃Very　good。〃　With　Sir　Geoffrey's　approval　he　had　ordered　the　sudden　arrival　and　attempt　to　disrupt　the　Ivanov's　munications　…　and　placency　…　to　put　pressure　on　Arthur　and　the　Sevrin　moles；　hoping　to　flush　them　out。　〃And　our　police　mole；〃　Sir　Geoffrey　had　added　grimly。　〃It's　impossible　that　Brian　Kwok's　the　spy　mentioned　in　the　AMG　papers。　Eh？〃
　〃I　agree；〃　he　had　said。
　Armstrong　clicked　the　lighter　off。　In　the　semidarkness　of　the　car　he　hesitated。　〃You'd　better　get　the　detail　organized；　Malcolm。　No　need　to　waste　any　more　time　here。　All　right；　Mr。　Sinders？〃
　〃Yes。　Yes　we　can　go　now。〃
　Obediently　Malcolm　Sun　left。　Armstrong　was　watching　Suslev　on　the　deck。　〃You；　er；　you　read　Russian；　don't　you　sir？〃
　〃Yes；　yes　I　do。　Why？〃
　Carefully　Armstrong　passed　over　the　paper；　holding　it　by　the　edges。　〃This　fell　out　of　Suslev's　pocket。〃
　Equally　carefully　Sinders　took　the　paper　but　his　eyes　never　left　Armstrong's。　〃You　don't　trust　senior　agent；　Sun？〃　he　asked　softly。
　〃Yes。　Oh　yes。　But　Chinese　are　Chinese　and　it's　in　Russian。　I　don't　read　Russian。〃
　Sinders　frowned。　After　a　moment　he　nodded。　Armstrong　lit　the　flame　for　him。　The　older　man　scanned　the　paper　twice　and　sighed。　〃It's　a　weather　report；　Robert。　Sorry。　Unless　it's　in　code；　it's　just　a　meteorological　report。〃　Carefully　he　folded　the　paper　in　its　original　creases。　〃The　fingerprints　might　be　valuable。　Perhaps　it's　code。　Just　for　safety　I'll　pass　it　on　to　our　cipher　fellows。〃
　Sinders　settled　back　more　fortably　in　the　car。　The　paper　had　read：　〃Advise　Arthur　that；　following　his　request　for　a　Priority　One　on　the　traitor　Metkin；　an　immediate　intercept　was　ordered　for　Bombay。　Second；　the　meeting　with　the　American　is　brought　forward　to　Sunday。　Third　and　final；　the　AMG　files　continue　to　be　Priority　One。　Maximum　effort　must　be　made　by　Sevrin　to　achieve　success。　Center。〃
　Now　which　American！　Sinders　asked　himself　patiently；　and　is　it　Arthur's　meeting　or　whose？　Captain　Suslev？　Is　he　as　innocent　as　he　appears？　Which　American？　Bartlett；　Tcholok；　Banastasio　or　who？　Peter　Marlowe　…　Anglo…American…Know…all　writer　with　his　curious　theories？
　Did　Bartlett　or　Tcholok　make　contact　with　Center　in　June　in　Moscow　when　they　were　there；　with　or　without　Peter　Marlowe；　who　also　happened　to　be　there　when　a　highly　secret　meeting　of　foreign　agents　was　taking　place？
　Or　is　the　American　not　a　visitor　at　all　but　someone　who　lives　here　in　Hong　Kong？
　Is　it　Rosemont？　Or　Langan？　Both　would　be　perfect。
　So　much　to　wonder　about。
　Like　who's　the　fourth　man？　Who's　the　VVIP　above　Philby？　Where　will　those　threads　lead？　Into　Burke's　Peerage？　Perhaps　to　some　castle；　or　even　a　palace？
　Who's　this　mysterious　Mrs。　Gresserhoff　who　took　Kiernan's　second　call　and　t