jamesclavell.noblehouse-第342章

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　〃Oh；　oh　hello；　Superintendent。　How；　how're　things？〃
　〃Fine。　I'll　see　you　through。〃
　〃Oh　that's　kind　of　you。〃
　〃I　was　damned　sorry　to　hear　about　Mr。　Bartlett。〃
　〃Yes。　Yes；　thank　you。〃
　They　walked　on。　He　knew　better　than　to　talk。　What　was　there　to　say？　Pity；　he　thought；　liking　her；　admiring　her　courage；　proved　at　the　fire；　proved　on　the　slope；　proved　now；　keeping　her　voice　firm　when　all　of　her　is　torn　up。
　There　were　no　customs　outwardbound。　The　Immigration　officer　stamped　her　passport　and　handed　it　back　with　untoward　politeness。　〃Please　have　a　safe　journey　and　return　soon。〃　The　death　of　Bartlett　had　been　headlines；　among　the　sixty…seven。
　Along　corridors　to　the　VIP　lounge。　Armstrong　opened　the　door　for　her。　To　his　surprise　and　her　astonishment　Dunross　was　there。　The　glass　door　to　Gate　16　and　the　tarmac　was　open；　Yankee　2　just　beyond。
　〃Oh。　Oh　hello；　Ian；〃　she　said。　〃But　I　didn't　want　you　to　s…　〃
　〃Had　to；　Casey。　Sorry。　I've　a　little　unfinished　business　with　you　and　I　had　to　meet　a　plane。　My　cousin's　ing　back　from　Taiwan　…　he　went　to　fix　the　factory　sites　pending　your　approval。〃　Dunross　glanced　at　Armstrong。　〃Evening；　Robert。　How're　things？〃
　〃Same；　same　as　usual。〃　Armstrong　put　out　his　hand　to　Casey　and　smiled　wearily。　〃I'll　leave　you　now。　Have　a　safe　trip。　Everything's　cleared　as　soon　as　you're　aboard。〃
　〃Thank　you；　Superintendent。　I　wish　。。。　thank　you。〃
　Armstrong　nodded　to　Dunross　and　began　to　leave。
　〃Robert；　did　that　consignment　get　delivered　to　Lo　Wu？〃
　He　pretended　to　think。　〃Yes；　yes　I　believe　it　did。〃　He　saw　the　relief。
　〃Thanks。　Can　you　hang　on　a　moment？　I'd　like　to　hear　about　it。〃
　〃Certainly；〃　Armstrong　replied。　〃I'll　be　outside。〃
　When　they　were　alone　Dunross　handed　her　a　thin　envelope。　〃This　is　a　cashier's　check　for　750；000　U。S。　I　bought　Struan's　for　you　at　9。50　and　sold　at　28。〃
　〃What？〃
　〃Well　I；　er；　I　bought　in　for　us　first　thing　…　at　9。50　as　I　promised　I　would。　Your　part　of　the　deal　was　three　quarters　of　a　million。　Struan's　made　millions。　I　made　millions；　so　did　Phillip　and　Dianne；　I　let　them　in　early　too。〃
　She　could　not　take　it　in。　〃Sorry；　I　don't　understand。〃
　He　smiled　and　repeated　what　he　had　said；　then　added；　〃There's　also　another　check　…　for　a　quarter　of　a　million　dollars　U。S。　against　your　share　of　the　General　Stores　takeover。〃
　She　gasped。　〃I　don't　believe　you。〃
　A　smile　went　over　him　fleetingly。　〃Yes。　In　thirty　days　another　three　quarters　of　a　million　will　be　on　call。　In　sixty　days　we　could　advance　another　half　million　if　need　be。〃
　Behind　her；　in　the　cockpit　of　Yankee　2；　Jannelli　fired　the　first　jet　engine。　It　shrieked　into　life。
　〃Is　that　enough　to　tide　you　over？〃　he　asked。
　Her　mouth　worked　but　no　sound　came　out；　then；　〃A　quarter　million？〃
　〃Yes。　Actually　it　es　to　a　million　…　these　two　checks。　By　the　way；　don't　forget　you're　tai…pan　of　Par…Con　now。　That's　Linc's　real　gift　to　you。　Tai…pan。　The　money's　unimportant。〃　He　grinned　at　her　and　gave　her　a　brusque　hug。　〃Good　luck；　Casey。　See　you　in　thirty　days。　Eh？〃　The　second　engine　shrieked　into　life。
　〃A　million　U。S。？〃
　〃Yes。　I'll　get　Dawson　to　send　you　some　tax　advice。　As　your　profit　is　Hong　Kong　money　I'm　sure　there　are　legitimate　ways　to　avoid　　…　not　evade　…　taxes。〃　Another　engine　howled　awake。
　She　was　staring　at　him；　speechless。　The　door　of　the　VIP　lounge　opened　and　a　tall　man　came　in　breezily。　〃Hello；　Ian！　They　told　me　I　could　find　you　here。〃
　〃Hello；　David。　Casey；　this　is　David　MacStruan；　my　cousin。〃
　Blankly　Casey　looked　at　him；　half…smiled；　but　did　not　really　notice　him。　〃Hello。　But；　Ian；　you　mean　that　…　you　mean　what　you　said？〃
　〃Of　course。〃　The　last　engine　exploded　into　life。　〃You'd　better　go　aboard！　See　you　next　month。〃
　〃What？　Oh。　Oh；　but　I；　yes；　see　you！〃　Dazed；　she　put　the　envelope　in　her　bag；　turned　around　and　left。
　They　watched　her　go　up　the　gangway。　〃So　that's　the　famous　Casey；〃　David　MacStruan　said　thoughtfully。　He　was　as　tall　as　Dunross　but　a　few　years　younger；　redheaded；　with　curious　slanting；　almost　Asian　eyes；　though　green；　his　face　very　used；　most　of　the　three　smaller　fingers　of　his　left　hand　missing　where　the　shrouds　of　his　parachute　had　mashed　them。
　〃Yes。　Yes；　that's　Kamalian　Ciranoush　Tcholok。〃
　〃Smasher！〃
　〃More　than　that。　Think　of　her　as　the　Hag。〃
　MacStruan　whistled。　〃Is　she　that　good？〃
　〃She　could　be；　with　the　right　training。〃
　
　Aboard　the　airplane　Svensen　closed　the　cabin　door；　locked　it。　〃You　want　anything；　Casey？〃　he　asked　kindly；　very　concerned　for　her。
　〃No；〃　she　said　helplessly。　〃Just　leave　me；　Sven。　I'll；　I'll　call　if　I　need　anything。　Okay？〃
　〃Sure。〃　He　closed　the　door。
　Now　she　was　alone。　Numbly　she　buckled　on　her　seat　belt　and　looked　out　of　the　porthole。　Through　her　tears　she　saw　Dunross　and　the　other　man　whose　name　she　did　not　remember　wave。　She　waved　back　but　they　did　not　see　her。
　Clouds　went　over　the　moon。　The　engines　picked　up　tempo；　the　airplane　taxied　away；　lined　up　and　shrieked　into　the　black　sky；　climbing　steeply。　Casey　noticed　none　of　it；　Dunross's　words　still　pounding　in　her　brain；　over　and　over；　taking　her　apart　and　putting　her　back　together　again。
　Tai…pan。　That's　Linc's　real　gift　to　you；　he　had　said。　Tai…pan；　the　money's　unimportant。
　Yes；　yes　that's　true　but　。。。
　But　。。。
　What　was　it　Linc　said　that　time；　that　first　day　at　the　stock　market？　Wasn't　it：　〃If　Gornt　wins；　we　win。　If　Dunross　wins；　we　win。　Either　way　we　bee　the　Noble　House　…　which's　why　we're　here。〃
　The　darkness　lifted　off　her。　Her　mind　cleared。　The　tears　stopped。
　That's　what　he　wanted；　truly　wanted；　she　thought；　her　excitement　growing。　He　wanted　us　to　be　the　Noble　House。　Sure。　Maybe　that's　what　I　can　do　for　him　in　return；　make　that　his　epitaph　…　the　Noble　House。
　〃Oh　Linc；〃　she　said　joyously。　〃It's　worth　a　try。　Isn't　it？〃
　The　jetliner　barreled　into　the　high　clouds；　continuing　its　faultless　departure。　The　night　was　warm　and　very　dark；　the　moon　crescent；　the　wind　kind。
　Below　was　the　Island。
　
　Dunross　came　out　onto　the　Peak　Road　fast；　heading　for　home；　the　traffic　light　and　the　engine　sounding　sweet。　On　a　sudden　impulse　he　changed　direction　and　pulled　up　at　the　Peak　lookout　and　stood　at　the　rail；　alone。
　Hong　Kong　was　a　sea　of　lights。　Over　in　Kowloon　another　jet　took　off　from　the　floodlit　runway。　A　few　stars　came　through　the　high　clouds。
　〃Christ；　it's　so　good　to　be　alive；〃　he　said。
　



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