jamesclavell.noblehouse-第284章

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nce　of　confid…　〃
　〃And　a　very　dangerous　precedent！　I　don't　think　your　idea's　as　important　as　you　imagine！〃
　It　was　only　when　Havergill　had　seen　the　enormous　and　immediate　gain　in　confidence　after　Dunross's　dramatic　announcement　that　he　had　reconsidered。　Never　mind；　Johnjohn　thought　wearily；　we're　all　gainers。　The　bank；　Hong　Kong；　the　Ho…Pak。　Certainly　we'll　do　very　well　for　their　investors；　stockholders　and　backers；　far　better　than　Richard！　When　I'm　tai…pan　I'll　use　the　Ho…Pak　as　a　pattern　for　future　bail…outs。　With　our　new　management　the　Ho…Pak　will　be　a　marvelous　asset。　Like　any　one　of　a　dozen　enterprises。　Even　like　Struan's！
　Johnjohn's　tiredness　vanished。　His　smile　broadened。　Oh　hurry　up；　Monday　…　when　the　market　opens！
　
　In　the　Struan　box　Peter　Marlowe　was　gloomily　leaning　on　the　rail；　watching　the　crowds　below。　Rain　cascaded　off　the　jutting　overhang　protecting　the　boxes。　The　three　cantilever　balconies　of　the　members　and　nonvoting　members　were　not　so　protected。　Bedraggled　horses　were　being　led　down　the　ramps；　bedraggled　grooms　joining　the　bedraggled　thousands　streaming　away。
　〃What's　up；　Peter？〃　Casey　asked。
　〃Oh　nothing。〃
　〃Not　Fleur；　no　problem　there　I　hope？〃
　〃No。〃
　〃Was　it　Grey？　I　saw　you　both　having　at　it。〃
　〃No；　no　it　wasn't　Grey；　though　he's　a　pain；　ill…mannered　and　stridently　anti…everything　of　value。〃　Marlowe　smiled　curiously。　〃We　were　just　discussing　the　weather。〃
　〃Sure。　You　were　looking　depressed　as　hell　just　then。　You　lost　the　fifth？〃
　〃Yes；　but　it　wasn't　that。　I'm　ahead；　well　ahead　on　the　day。〃　The　tall　man　hesitated　then　motioned　at　the　boxes　and　all　around。　〃It's　just　that　I　was　thinking　that　there're　fifty　thousand…odd　Chinese　here　and　another　three　or　four　million　out　there；　and　each　one's　got　a　vast　heritage；　marvelous　secrets；　and　fantastic　stories　to　tell；　to　say　nothing　of　the　twenty…odd　thousand　Europeans；　high　and　low；　the　tai…pans；　the　pirates；　freebooters；　accountants；　shopkeepers；　government　people　here　…　why　did　they　choose　Hong　Kong　too？　And　I　know　that　however　much　I　try；　however　much　I　read　or　listen　or　ask；　I'll　never　really　know　very　much　about　Hong　Kong　Chinese　or　about　Hong　Kong。　Never。　I'll　only　ever　scratch　the　surface。〃
　She　laughed。　〃It's　the　same　everywhere。〃
　〃Oh　no；　no　it　isn't。　This's　the　potpourri　of　Asia。　Take　that　guy　…　the　one　in　the　third　box　over　…　the　rotund　Chinese。　He's　a　millionaire　many　times　over。　His　wife's　a　kleptomaniac　so　whenever　she　goes　out　he　has　his　people　follow　her　secretly　and　every　time　she　steals　something；　his　fellows　pay　for　it。　All　the　stores　know　her　and　him　and　it's　all　very　civilized　…　where　else　in　the　world　would　you　do　that？　His　father　was　a　coolie　and　his　father　a　highwayman　and　his　a　Mandarin　and　his　a　peasant。　One　of　the　men　near　him's　another　multimillionaire；　opium　and　illegal　stuff　into　China；　and　his　wife's　。。。　ah　well；　that's　another　story。〃
　〃What　story？〃
　He　laughed。　〃Some　wives　have　stories　just　as　fascinating　as　their　husbands；　sometimes　more　so。　One　of　the　wives　you　met　today；　she's　a　nympho　an…　〃
　〃Oh　e　on；　Peter！　It's　like　Fleur　says；　you're　making　it　all　up。〃
　〃Perhaps。　Oh　yes；　but　some　Chinese　ladies　are　just　as　。。。　just　as　predatory　as　any　ladies　on　earth；　on　the　quiet。〃
　〃Chauvinist！　You're　sure？〃
　〃Rumor　has　it　。。。〃　They　laughed　together。　〃Actually　they're　so　much　smarter　than　we　are；　the　Chinese。　I'm　told　the　few　Chinese　married　ladies　here　who　have　a　wandering　eye　usually　prefer　a　European　for　a　lover；　for　safety　…　Chinese　adore　gossip；　love　scandal；　and　it'd　be　rare　to　find　a　Chinese　swinger　who'd　be　able　to　keep　such　a　secret　or　protect　a　lady's　honor。　Rightly；　the　lady　would　be　afraid。　To　be　caught　would　be　very　bad；　very　bad　indeed。　Chinese　law's　quite　strict。〃　He　took　out　a　cigarette。　〃Maybe　that　makes　it　all　the　more　exciting。〃
　〃To　have　a　lover？〃
　He　watched　her；　pondering　what　she　would　say　if　he　told　her　her　nickname　…　whispered　gleefully　to　him　by　four　separate　Chinese　friends。　〃Oh　yes；　ladies　here　get　around；　some　of　them。　Look　over　there；　in　that　box　…　the　fellow　holding　forth　wearing　a　blazer。　He　wears　a　green　hat　…　that's　a　Chinese　expression　meaning　he's　a　cuckold；　that　his　wife's　got　a　lover；　actually　in　her　case　it　was　a　Chinese　friend　of　his。〃
　〃Green　hat？〃
　〃Yes。　Chinese　are　marvelous！　They　have　such　a　terrific　sense　of　humor。　That　fellow　took　out　an　ad　in　one　of　the　Chinese　papers　some　months　ago　that　said；　'I　know　I　wear　a　green　hat　but　the　wife　of　the　man　who　gave　it　to　me　had　two　of　his　sons　by　other　men！'〃
　Casey　stared　at　him。　〃You　mean　he　signed　his　name　to　it？〃
　〃Oh　yes。　It　was　a　pun　on　one　of　his　names；　but　everyone　of　importance　knew　who　it　was。〃
　〃Was　it　true？〃
　Peter　Marlowe　shrugged。　〃It　doesn't　matter。　The　other　fellow's　nose　was　neatly　out　of　joint　and　his　wife　got　hell。〃
　〃That's　not　fair；　not　fair　at　all。〃
　〃In　her　case　it　was。〃
　〃What　did　she　do？〃
　〃Had　two　sons　by　anoth…　〃
　〃Oh　e　on；　Mr。　Storyteller！〃
　〃Hey　look；　there's　Doc　Tooley！〃
　She　searched　the　course　below；　then　saw　him。　〃He　doesn't　look　happy　at　all。〃
　〃I　hope　Travkin's　all　right。　I　heard　Tooley　went　to　examine　him。〃
　〃That　was　some　spill。〃
　〃Yes。　Terrible。〃
　Both　had　been　subjected　to　Tooley's　searching　questions　about　their　health；　knowing　the　specter　of　typhus；　perhaps　cholera；　and　certainly　hepatitis　still　hung　over　them。
　〃Joss！〃　Peter　Marlowe　had　said　firmly。
　〃Joss！〃　she　had　echoed；　trying　not　to　be　worried　about　Linc。　It's　worse　for　a　man；　she　thought；　remembering　what　Tooley　had　said：
　Hepatitis　can　mess　up　your　liver　…　and　your　life；　forever；　if　you're　a　man。
　After　a　moment　she　said；　〃People　here　do　seem　to　be　more　exciting；　Peter。　Is　that　because　of　Asia？〃
　〃Probably。　The　mores　are　so　different。　And　here　in　Hong　Kong　we　collect　the　cream。　I　think　Asia's　the　center　of　the　world　and　Hong　Kong　the　nucleus。〃　Peter　Marlowe　waved　to　someone　in　another　box　who　waved　at　Casey。　〃There's　another　admirer　of　yours。〃
　〃Lando？　He　is　a　fascinating　man。〃
　Casey　had　spent　time　with　him　between　races。
　〃You　must　e　to　Macao；　Miss　Tcholok。　Perhaps　we　could　have　dinner　tomorrow。　Would　7：30　be　convenient？〃　Mata　had　said　with　his　marvelous　old　world　charm　and　Casey　had　got　the　message　very　quickly。
　During　lunch　Dunross　had　warned　her　a　little　about　him。　〃He's　a　good　fellow；　Casey；〃　the　tai…pan　had　said　delicately。　〃But　here；　for　a　quai　loh　stranger；　particularly　someone　as　beautiful　as　you；　on　a　first　trip　to　Asia；　well　it's　sometimes　better　to　remember　that　being　over　eighteen　isn't　always　enough。〃
　〃Got　you；　tai…pan；〃　she　had　told　him　with　a　laugh。　But　this　afternoon　she　had　allowed　herself　to　be　mesmerized　by　Mata；　in　the　safety　of　the　tai…pan's　box。　Alone；　her　defenses　would　be　up　as　she　knew　they　would　be　tomorrow　evening：　〃It　depends；　Lando；〃　she　had　said；　〃dinner　would　be　fine。　It　depends　what　time　I　get　back　from　the　boat　trip　…　I　don't　know　if　it's　weather　permitting　or　not。〃
　〃With　whom　are　you　going？　The　tai…pan？〃
　〃Just　friends。〃
　〃Ah。　Well；　if　not　Sunday；　my　dear；　perhaps　we　could　make　it　Monday。　There　are　a　number　of　business　opportunities　for　you；　here　or　in　Macao；　for　you　and　Mr。　Bartlett　if　you　wish；　and　Par…Con。　May　I　call　you　at　seven　tomorrow　to　see　if　you　are　free？〃
　I　can　deal　with　him；　one　way　or　another；　she　reassured　herself；　the　thought　warming　her；　though　I'll　watch　the　wine　and　maybe　even　the　water　in　case　of　the　old　Mickey　Finn。
　〃Peter；　the　men　here；　the　ones　on　the　make　…　are　they　into　Mickey　Finns？〃
　His　eyes　narrowed。　〃You　mean　Mata？〃
　〃No；　just　generally。〃
　〃I　doubt　if　a　Chinese　or　Eurasian　would　give　one　to　a　quai　loh　if　that's　what　you're　asking。〃　A　frown　creased　him。　〃I'd　say　you'd　have　to　be　fairly　circumspect　though；　with　them　and　with　Europeans。　Of　course；　to　be　blunt；　you'd　be　high　on　their　list。　You　have　what　it　takes　to　send　most　of　them　into　an　orgiastic　faint。〃
　〃Thanks　much！〃　She　leaned　on　the　balcony；　enjoying　the　pliment。　I　wish　Linc　were　here。　Be　patient。　〃Who's　that？〃　she　asked。　〃The　old　man　leering　at　the　young　girl？　Down　on　the　first　balcony。　Look；　he's　got　his　hand　on　her　butt！〃
　〃Ah；　that's　one　of　our　local　pirates　…　Four　Finger　Wu。　The　girl's　Venus　Poon；　a　local　TV　star。　T