jamesclavell.noblehouse-第46章

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s　ill…advised。　And　very　ill…advised　to　go　along　with　the　fatuous　political　Yalta　agreement　of　an　ailing　Roosevelt；　the　inpetent　Attlee　to　allow　Stalin　to　gorge　most　of　Europe；　when　it　was　militarily　clear　to　even　the　most　stupid　politician　or　hidebound　general　that　it　was　contrary　to　our　absolute　national　interest；　ours　and　the　United　States　to　hold　back。　I　think　Roosevelt　hated　us　really；　and　our　British　Empire。〃
　The　little　man　steepled　his　fingers　and　beamed。　〃I'm　afraid　there's　one　big　disadvantage　in　employing　me；　Mr。　Dunross。　I'm　entirely　pro…British；　anti…munist；　and　particularly　anti…KGB；　which　is　the　main　instrument　of　Soviet　foreign　policy；　which　is　openly　and　forever　mitted　to　our　destruction；　so　some　of　my　more　peppery　forecasts　you　can　discount；　if　you　wish。　I'm　entirely　against　a　left…wing　dominated　Labour　Party　and　I　will　constantly　remind　anyone　who　will　listen　that　the　anthem　of　the　Labour　Party's　'The　Red　Flag。'　〃　Alan　Medford　Grant　smiled　in　his　pixy　way。　〃It's　best　you　know　where　you　stand　in　the　beginning。　I'm　royalist；　loyalist　and　believe　in　the　British　parliamentary　way。　I'll　never　knowingly　give　you　false　information　though　my　evaluations　will　be　slanted。　May　I　ask　what　your　politics　are？〃
　〃We　have　none　in　Hong　Kong；　Mr。　Grant。　We　don't　vote；　there　are　no　elections　…　we're　a　colony；　particularly　a　free…port　colony；　not　a　democracy。　The　Crown　rules　…　actually　the　governor　rules　despotically　for　the　Crown。　He　has　a　legislative　council　but　it's　a　rubber…stamp　council　and　the　historic　policy　is　laissez…faire。　Wisely　he　leaves　things　alone。　He　listens　to　the　business　munity；　makes　social　changes　very　cautiously　and　leaves　everyone　to　make　money　or　not　make　money；　to　build；　expand；　go　broke；　to　go　or　to　e；　to　dream　or　to　stay　awake；　to　live　or　to　die　as　best　you　can。　And　the　maximum　tax　is　15　percent　but　only　on　money　earned　in　Hong　Kong。　We　don't　have　politics　here；　don't　want　politics　here　…　neither　does　China　want　us　to　have　any　here。　They're　for　the　status　quo　too。　My　personal　politics？　I'm　royalist；　I'm　for　freedom；　for　free…booting　and　free　trade。　I'm　a　Scotsman；　I'm　for　Struan's；　I'm　for　laissez…faire　in　Hong　Kong　and　freedom　throughout　the　world。〃
　〃I　think　we　understand　one　another。　Good。　I've　never　worked　for　an　individual　before　…　only　the　government。　This　will　be　a　new　experience　for　me。　I　hope　I　will　satisfy　you。〃　Grant　paused　and　thought　a　moment。　〃Like　Suez　in　'56？〃　The　lines　beside　the　little　man's　eyes　crinkled。　〃Very　well；　plan　that　the　Panama　Canal　will　be　lost　to　America。〃
　〃That's　ridiculous！〃
　〃Oh　don't　look　so　shocked；　Mr。　Dunross！　It's　too　easy。　Give　it　ten　or　fifteen　years　of　enemy　spadework　and　lots　of　liberal　talk　in　America；　ably　assisted　by　do…gooders　who　believe　in　the　benevolence　of　human　nature；　add　to　all　this　a　modest　amount　of　calculated　Panamanian　agitation；　students　and　so　on　…　preferably；　ah；　always　students　…　artfully　and　secretly　assisted　by　a　few　highly　trained；　patient；　professional　agitators　and　oh　so　secret　KGB　expertise；　finance　and　a　long…range　plan　…　ergo；　in　due　course　the　canal　could　be　out　of　U。S。　hands　into　the　enemy's。〃
　〃They'd　never　stand　for　it。〃
　〃You're　right；　Mr。　Dunross；　but　they　will　sit　for　it。　What　could　be　a　better　garrotte　in　time　of　hostilities；　or　even　crisis；　against　your　main；　openly　stated　capitalistic　enemy　than　to　be　able　to　inhibit　the　Panama　Canal　or　rock　it　a　little？　One　ship　sunk　in　any　one　of　a　hundred　spots；　or　a　lock　wrecked；　could　dam　up　the　canal　for　years。〃
　Dunross　remembered　how　he　had　poured　two　more　drinks　before　answering；　and　then　he　had　said；　〃You're　seriously　suggesting　we　should　make　contingency　plans　against　that。〃
　〃Yes；〃　the　little　man　said　with　his　extraordinary　innocence。　〃I'm　very　serious　about　my　job；　Mr。　Dunross。　My　job；　the　one　I've　chosen　for　me；　is　to　seek　out；　to　uncover　and　evaluate　enemy　moves。　I'm　not　anti…Russian　or　anti…Chinese　or　anti…East　German　or　anti　any　of　that　bloc　…　on　the　absolute　contrary　I　want　desperately　to　help　them。　I'm　convinced　that　we're　in　a　state　of　war；　that　the　enemy　of　all　the　people　is　the　munist　Party　member；　whether　British；　Soviet；　Chinese；　Hungarian；　American；　Irish　。。。　even　Martian　。。。　and　all　are　linked　in　one　way　or　another；　that　the　KGB；　like　it　or　not；　is　in　the　center　of　their　web。〃　He　sipped　the　drink　Dunross　had　just　refilled　for　him。　〃This　is　marvelous　whiskey；　Mr。　Dunross。〃
　〃It's　Loch　Vey　…　it　es　from　a　small　distillery　near　our　homelands　in　Ayr。　It's　a　Struan　pany。〃
　〃Marvelous！〃　Another　appreciative　sip　of　the　whiskey　and　Dunross　reminded　himself　to　send　Alan　Medford　Grant　a　case　for　Christmas　…　if　the　initial　reports　proved　interesting。
　〃I'm　not　a　fanatic；　Mr。　Dunross；　nor　a　rabble…rouser。　Just　a　sort　of　reporter　and　forecaster。　Some　people　collect　stamps；　I　collect　secrets。　。。。〃
　The　lights　of　a　car　rounding　the　half…hidden　curve　of　the　road　below　distracted　Dunross　momentarily。　He　wandered　over　to　the　window　and　watched　the　car　until　it　had　gone；　enjoying　the　sound　of　the　highly　tuned　engine。　Then　he　sat　in　a　high…winged　chair　and　let　his　mind　drift　again。　Yes；　Mr。　Grant；　you　certainly　collect　secrets；　he　thought；　staggered　as　usual　by　the　scope　of　the　little　man's　knowledge。
　Sevrin　…　Christ　almighty！　If　that's　true　。。。
　How　accurate　are　you　this　time？　How　far　do　I　trust　you　this　time　…　how　far　do　I　gamble？
　In　previous　reports　Grant　had　given　two　projections　that；　so　far；　could　be　proved。　A　year　in　advance；　Grant　had　predicted　that　de　Gaulle　would　veto　Britain's　effort　to　join　the　EEC；　that　the　French　general's　posture　would　be　increasingly　anti…British；　anti…American　and　pro…Soviet；　and　that　de　Gaulle　would；　prompted　by　outside　influences　and　encouraged　by　one　of　his　closest　advisors　…　an　immensely　secret；　covert　KGB　mole　…　mount　a　long…term　attack　on　the　U。S。　economy　by　speculation　in　gold。　Dunross　had　dismissed　this　as　farfetched　and　so　had　lost　a　potential　fortune。
　Recently；　six　months　in　advance；　Grant　had　forecast　the　missile　crisis　in　Cuba；　that　Kennedy　would　slam　down　the　gauntlet；　blockade　Cuba　and　exert　the　necessary　pressure　and　not　buckle　under　the　strain　of　brinkmanship；　that　Khrushchev　would　back　off　under　pressure。　Gambling　that　Grant　was　correct　this　time　…　though　a　Cuban　missile　crisis　had　seemed　highly　unlikely　at　the　time　forecast　…　Dunross　had　made　Struan's　half　a　million　pounds　by　buying　Hawaiian　sugar　futures；　another　600；000　on　the　stock　market；　plus　600；000　for　the　tai…pan's　secret　fund　…　and　cemented　a　long…range　plan　to　invest　in　Hawaiian　sugar　plantations　as　soon　as　he　could　find　the　financial　tool。　And　you've　got　it　now；　he　told　himself　gleefully。　Par…Con。
　〃You've　almost　got　it；〃　he　muttered；　correcting　himself。　How　far　do　I　trust　this　report？　Thus　far　AMG's　mittee's　been　a　gigantic　investment　for　all　his　meanderings；　he　thought。　Yes。　But　it's　almost　like　having　your　own　astrologer。　A　few　accurate　forecasts　don't　mean　they'll　all　be。　Hitler　had　his　own　forecaster。　So　did　Julius　Caesar。　Be　wise；　be　cautious；　he　reminded　himself。　What　to　do？　It's　now　or　never。
　Sevrin。　Alan　Medford　Grant　had　written：　〃Documents　brought　to　us　and　substantiated　by　the　French　spy　Marie　d'Orleans　caught　by　the　S？reté　June　16　indicate　that　the　KGB　Department　V　（Disinformation　…　FAR　EAST）　have　in　situ　a　hitherto　unknown；　deep…cover　espionage　network　throughout　the　Far　East；　code　name　Sevrin。　The　purpose　of　Sevrin　is　clearly　stated　in　the　stolen　Head　Document：
　〃Aim：　To　cripple　revisionist　China　…　formally　acknowledged　by　the　Central　mittee　of　the　USSR　as　the　main　enemy；　second　only　to　capitalist　U。S。A。
　〃Procedure：　The　permanent　obliteration　of　Hong　Kong　as　the　bastion　of　capitalism　in　the　Far　East　and　China's　preeminent　source　of　all　foreign　currency；　foreign　assistance　and　all　technical　and　manufactured　assistance　of　every　kind。
　〃Method：　Long…term　infiltration　of　the　press　and　media；　the　government；　police；　business　and　education　with　friendly　aliens　controlled　by　Center　…　but　only　in　accordance　with　most　special　procedures　throughout　Asia。
　〃Initiation　date：　Immediate。
　〃Duration　of　operation：　Provisionally　thirty　years。
　〃Target　date：　1980…83。
　〃Classification：　Red　One。
　〃Funding：　Maximum。
　〃Approv