jamesclavell.noblehouse-第265章

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　〃Honestly；　it　was；〃　Sinders　said。　〃I　timed　it　myself。　Really！　Extraordinary。　Most　effective。〃
　Again　Armstrong　felt　his　chest　heave　at　the　thought　of　the　water　above　and　the　table　and　chairs。　He　put　those　thoughts　away　and　concentrated　on　Brian　Kwok；　feeling　that　he　had　let　the　client　ramble　enough　and　it　was　now　time　to　bring　him　back。　〃You　were　saying？　You　passed　over　our　dossiers　to　your　friend　Bucktooth　Lo？〃
　〃Well　no；　it　wasn't　。。。　I'm　tired；　Robert；　tired　。。。　what　ar…　〃
　〃If　you're　tired　I'll　leave！〃　He　got　up　and　saw　the　client　blanch。　〃Next　month　I'll　se…　〃
　〃No　。。。　no　。。。　please　don't　go　。。。　they　。。。　no；　don't　go。　Pleassssssse！〃
　So　he　sat　back；　continuing　the　game；　knowing　it　to　be　unfair；　and　that　with　the　client　so　totally　disoriented　he　could　be　made　to　sign　anything；　say　anything　at　whim。　〃I'll　stay　while　you　talk；　old　friend。　You　were　saying　about　Bucktooth　Lo　…　the　man　in　Princes　Building？　He　was　the　go…between？〃
　〃No　。。。　not　。。。　yes　in　a　way　。。。　Dr。　Meng　。。。　Dr。　Meng　would　pick　up　any　package　that　I　left　。。。　Meng　never　knew　that　I　。。。　that　it　was　me　。。。　the　arrangements　were　by　phone　or　by　letter　。。。　he　would　take　them　to　Lo　who　was　paid　。。。　Bucktooth　Lo　was　paid　to　give　them　to　another　man；　I　don't　know　who　。。。　I　don't　know　。。。〃
　〃Oh　I　think　you　do；　Brian；　I　don't　believe　you　want　me　to　stay。〃
　〃Oh　Christ　I　do　。。。　I　swear　it　。。。　Bucktooth　。。。　Bucktooth　would　know　。。。　or　perhaps　Ng；　Vee　Cee　Ng；　Photographer　Ng；　he's　on　our　side；　he's　on　our　side　Robert　。。。　Ask　him；　he'll　know　。。。　he　was　with　Tsu…yan　importing　thoriums　。。。〃
　〃What're　thoriums？〃
　〃Rare　earths　for　。。。　for　atomics；　for　our　atomics　。。。　oh　yes　we'll　have　our　own　A…bombs　and　H…bombs　in　a　few　months。　。。。〃　Brian　Kwok　went　into　a　paroxysm　of　laughter。　〃The　first　in　a　few　weeks　。。。　our　first　explosion　in　just　a　few　weeks　now　oh　of　course　not　perfect　but　the　first　and　soon　an　H…bomb；　dozens；　Robert；　soon　we'll　have　ours　to　defend　against　those　hegemonists　who　threaten　to　wipe　us　out；　in　a　few　weeks！　Christ；　Robert；　think　of　that！　Chairman　Mao's　done　it；　he　has；　he's　done　it　。。。　yes　and　then　next　year　H…bombs　and　then　Joe；　yes　we'll　get　back　our　lands；　oh　yes；　with　atomics　we　cancel　out　theirs　。。。　we　will；　Joe's　going　to　help；　Joe　Yu's　going　to　。。。　Oh　we'll　stop　them　now；　stop　them　we'll　stop　them　and　take　our　lands　back。〃　His　hand　reached　out　and　he　held　Robert　Armstrong's　arm　but　his　grip　was　weak。　〃Listen；　we're　at　war　already；　us　and　the　Soviets；　Chung　Li　told　me；　he's　my　emergency　。。。　em；　em　contact　。。。　there's　a　war；　a　shooting　war　going　on　right　now。　In　the　north；　divisions；　not　patrols　near　the　Amur　they're　they're　killing　more　Chinese　and　stealing　more　land　but　。。。　but　not　for　long。〃　He　lay　back　weakly　and　began　to　mumble；　his　mind　wandering。
　〃Atomics？　Next　year？　I　don't　believe　it；〃　Armstrong　said；　pretending　to　scoff；　his　mind　blown　as　he　listened　to　the　continued　outpouring　that　was　giving　chapter　and　verse　and　names。　Christ；　A…bombs　in　a　few　months？　A　few　months？　The　world's　been　told　that's　ten　years　away。　China　with　A…　and　H…bombs？
　Carefully　he　let　Brian　Kwok　peter　out　and　then　he　said　casually；　〃Who's　Joe？　Joe　Yu？〃
　〃Who？〃
　He　saw　Brian　Kwok　turn　and　stare　at　him；　eyes　strange；　different；　boring　into　him。　Instantly　he　was　on　guard　and　he　prepared。　〃Joe　Yu；〃　he　said　even　more　offhand。
　〃Who？　I　don't　know　any　Joe　Yu　。。。　no。　。。。　What；　what　。。。　what　am　I　doing　here？　What　is　this　place？　What's　happening？　Yu？　Why　。。。　why　should　I　know　him？　Who？〃
　〃No　reason；〃　Armstrong　said；　calming　him。　〃Here；　here's　some　tea；　you　must　be　very　thirsty；　old　chum。〃
　〃Oh　yes　。。。　yes　I　am　。。。　where　。。。　yes　。。。　Christ　what's　happ　。。。　happening？〃
　Armstrong　helped　him　drink。　Then　he　gave　him　another　cigarette　and　further　calmed　him。　In　a　few　moments　Brian　Kwok　was　again　deeply　asleep。　Armstrong　wiped　his　palms　and　his　forehead；　exhausted　too。
　The　door　opened。　Sinders　and　Crosse　came　in。
　〃Very　good；　Robert；〃　Sinders　said　excitedly；　〃very　good　indeed！〃
　〃Yes；〃　Crosse　said。　〃I　felt　he　was　ing　back　too。　Your　timing　was　perfect。〃
　Armstrong　said　nothing；　feeling　soiled。
　〃My　God；〃　Sinders　chortled；　〃this　client's　gold。　The　minister　will　be　delighted。　Atomics　in　a　few　months　and　a　shooting　war　going　on　right　now！　No　wonder　our　Parliamentary　Trade　mission　made　such　marvelous　progress！　Excellent；　Robert；　just　excellent！〃
　〃You　believe　the　client；　sir？〃　Crosse　said。
　〃Absolutely；　don't　you？〃
　〃I　believe　he　was　telling　what　he　knew。　Whether　it's　fact；　that's　another　matter。　Joe　Yu？　Does　Joe　or　Joseph　Yu　mean　anything　to　you？〃　The　others　shook　their　heads。　〃John　Chancellor？〃
　〃No。〃
　〃Chung　Li？〃
　Armstrong　said；　〃There's　a　Chung　Li　who's　a　friend　of　Br…　the　client's；　a　car　enthusiast　…　Shanghainese；　big　industrialist　…　could　be　him。〃
　〃Good。　But　Joe　Yu；　that　triggered　something　in　him。　Could　be　important。〃　Crosse　glanced　at　Sinders。　〃Proceed？〃
　〃Of　course。〃
　
　65
　
　1：45　P。M。：
　A　roar　of　excitement　went　up　from　fifty　thousand　throats　as　the　seven　entries　for　the　first　race；　jockeys　up；　came　up　the　ramp　out　from　under　the　stands　to　prance　and　skitter　to　the　owners'　paddock　where　trainers　and　owners　waited。　The　owners　and　their　wives　were　dressed　in　their　very　best；　many　of　the　wives　laden　and　over…minked；　Mai…ling　Kwang　and　Dianne　Chen　among　them；　conscious　of　the　envious　stares　of　the　multitude　craning　to　see　the　horses　…　and　them。
　Either　side　of　the　soggy　grass　paddock　and　winner's　circle；　the　packed　mass　of　the　crowds　went　down　to　the　white　sparkling　rails　and　the　perfectly　kept　turf　of　the　encircling　track。　The　winning　post　was　opposite　and　beside　it；　on　the　other　side　of　the　track；　was　the　huge　totalizator　that　would　carry　the　names　of　the　horses　and　jockeys　and　odds；　race　by　race。　The　totalizator　was　owned　and　operated　by　the　Turf　Club；　as　was　the　course。　There　were　no　legal　bookmakers　here　or　outside　or　any　legal　off…course　betting　places。　This　was　the　only　legal　form　of　betting　in　the　Colony。
　The　sky　was　dark　and　forbidding。　Earlier　there　had　been　a　few　sprinkles　but　now　the　air　was　clear。
　Behind　the　paddock　and　winner's　circle；　on　this　level；　were　the　jockeys'　changing　rooms　and　the　offices　of　the　officials　…　food　concessions　and　the　first　banks　of　betting　windows。　Above　them　were　the　stands；　four　terraced　tiers；　each　cantilevered　floor　with　its　own　bank　of　betting　windows。　The　first　tier　was　for　nonvoting　members；　next　for　voting　members；　and　the　two　top　floors　set　aside　for　the　private　boxes　and　radio　room。　Each　box　had　its　own　private　kitchen。　Each　of　the　ten　annually　elected　stewards　had　a　box　and　then　there　were　some　permanent　ones：　first　his　Excellency　the　governor；　patron　of　the　club；　then　the　mander…in…chief；　one　each　for　Blacs　and　the　Victoria。　And　last；　Struan's。　Struan's　was　in　the　best　position；　exactly　opposite　the　winning　post。
　〃Why's　that；　tai…pan？〃　Casey　asked。
　〃Because　Dirk　Struan　began　the　Turf　Club；　set　the　rules；　brought　out　a　famous　racing　expert；　Sir　Roger　Blore；　to　be　the　first　secretary　of　the　club。　He　put　up　all　the　money　for　the　first　meeting；　money　for　the　stands；　money　to　import　the　first　batch　of　horses　from　India　and　helped　persuade　the　first　plenipotentiary；　Sir　William　Longstaff；　to　deed　the　land　to　the　Turf　Club　in　perpetuity。〃
　〃e　now；　tai…pan；〃　Donald　McBride；　the　track　steward　for　this　meeting；　said　jovially；　〃tell　it　as　it　happened；　eh？　You　say　Dirk　'helped　persuade'？　Didn't　Dirk　just　'order'　Longstaff　to　do　it？〃
　Dunross　laughed　with　the　others　still　seated　at　the　table　he　had　hosted；　Casey；　Hiro　Toda　and　McBride；　who　had　just　arrived　to　visit。　There　was　a　bar　and　three　round　tables　in　the　box；　each　seating　twelve　fortably。　〃I　prefer　my　version；〃　he　said。　〃In　any　event；　Casey；　the　legend　is　that　Dirk　was　voted　this　position　by　popular　acclaim　when　the　first　stands　were　built。〃
　〃That's　not　true　either；　Casey；〃　Willie　Tusk　called　out　from　the　next　table。　〃Didn't　old　Tyler　Brock　demand　the　position　as　the　right　of　Brock　and　Sons？　Didn't　he　challenge　Dirk　to　put　up　the　position　on　a　race；　man　to　man；　at　the　first　meeting？〃
　〃No；　that's　just　a　story。〃
　〃Did　those　two　race；　tai…pan？〃　Casey　asked。
　〃They　were　going　to。　But　the　typhoon　came　too　s