jamesclavell.noblehouse-第51章

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s　a　Steaming　Stalk　in　his　Ghastly　Gulley；　or　his　in　another's！〃
　They　laughed　even　more。　〃Hey；〃　one　of　them　called　out；　〃I　heard　his　partner's　young　Foreign　Devil　Stinknose　Pork　Belly　in　the　Public　Works　…　you　know；　the　one　who's　selling　building　permits　that　shouldn't　be！〃
　〃That's　old　news；　Chan；　very　old。　They've　both　moved　on　to　unwiser　pastures。　The　latest　rumor　is　our　vice…consul　devil's　connected　with　a　youth。　。。。〃　Tang…po　added　delicately；　〃Son　of　a　prominent　accountant　who's　also　a　prominent　munist。〃
　〃Eeeee；　that's　not　good；〃　Sergeant　Lee　said；　knowing　at　once　who　the　man　was。
　〃No；〃　Tang…po　agreed。　〃Particularly　as　I　heard　yesterday　the　youth　has　a　secret　flat　around　the　corner。　In　my　district！　And　my　district　has　the　least　crime　of　any。〃
　〃That's　right；〃　they　all　said　proudly。
　〃Should　he　be　spoken　to；　Elder　Brother？〃　Lee　asked。
　〃No；　just　put　under　special　surveillance。　I　want　to　know　all　about　these　two。　Everything。　Even　if　they　belch。〃　Tang…po　sighed。　He　gave　Sergeant　Lee　the　address　and　made　the　work　assignments。　〃Since　you're　all　here；　I've　decided　to　bring　payday　forward　from　tomorrow。〃　He　opened　the　large　bag　that　contained　bank　notes。　Each　man　received　the　equivalent　of　his　police　pay　plus　authorized　expenses。
　300　HK　a　month　salary　with　no　expenses　was　not　enough　for　a　constable　to　feed　even　a　small　family　and　have　a　small　flat；　not　even　a　two…room　apartment　with　one　tap　and　no　sanitation；　and　to　send　one　child　to　school；　or　enough　to　be　able　to　send　a　little　back　to　the　home　village　in　the　Kwantung　to　needy　fathers　and　grandmothers　and　mothers　and　uncles　and　grandfathers；　many　of　whom；　years　upon　years　ago；　had　given　their　life's　saving　to　help　launch　him　on　the　broken　road　to　Hong　Kong。
　Tang…po　had　been　one　of　these。　He　was　very　proud　that　he　had　survived　the　journey　as　a　six…year…old；　alone；　and　had　found　his　relations　and　then；　when　he　was　eighteen；　had　joined　the　police　…　thirty…six　years　ago。　He　had　served　the　Queen　well；　the　police　force　impeccably；　the　Japanese　enemy　during　their　occupation　not　at　all　and　now　was　in　charge　of　a　key　division　in　the　Colony　of　Hong　Kong。　Respected；　rich；　with　one　son　in　college　in　San　Francisco；　another　owning　half　a　restaurant　in　Vancouver；　Canada；　his　family　in　Kwantung　supported　…　and；　most　important；　his　Division　of　Tsim　Sha　Tsui　with　less　unsolved　robberies；　less　unsolved　woundings　and　maimings　and　triad　wars　than　any　other　district　…　and　only　three　murders　in　four　years　and　all　solved　and　the　culprits　caught　and　sentenced；　and　one　of　those　a　foreign　devil　seaman　who'd　killed　another　over　a　dance…hall　girl。　And　almost　no　petty　theft　and　never　a　tourist　foreign　devil　harassed　by　beggars　or　sneak　thieves　and　this　the　largest　tourist　area　with　upward　of　also　300；000　civilized　persons　to　police　and　protect　from　evildoers　and　from　themselves。
　Ayeeyah；　yes；　Tang…po　told　himself。　If　it　wasn't　for　us　those　bone…headed　fornicating　peasants'd　be　at　each　other's　throats；　raging；　looting；　killing；　and　then　the　inevitable　mob　cry　would　go　up：　Kill　the　foreign　devils！　And　they　would　try　and　then　we　would　be　back　in　the　riots　again。　Fornicate　disgustingly　all　wrongdoers　and　unpeaceful　persons！
　〃Now；〃　he　said　affably；　〃we'll　meet　in　three　days。　I've　ordered　a　ten…course　feast　from　Great　Food　Chang's。　Until　then；　let　everyone　put　an　eye　to　the　orifice　of　the　gods　and　get　me　the　answers。　I　want　the　Werewolves　…　and　I　want　John　Chen　back。　Sergeant　Lee；　you　stay　a　moment。　Corporal　Ho；　write　up　the　minutes　and　let　me　have　the　accounts　tomorrow　at　five。〃
　〃Yes；　Honored　Lord。〃
　They　all　trooped　out。　Tang…po　lit　another　cigarette。　So　did　Sergeant　Lee。　Tang…po　coughed。
　〃You　should　quit　smoking；　Elder　Brother。〃
　〃So　should　you！〃　Tang…po　shrugged。　〃Joss！　If　I'm　to　go；　I'm　to　go。　Joss。　Even　so；　for　peace　I've　told　my　Chief　Wife　I've　stopped。　She　nags　and　nags　and　nags。〃
　〃Show　me　one　that　doesn't　and　she'll　turn　out　to　be　a　he　with　a　ghastly　gulley。〃
　They　laughed　together。
　〃That's　the　truth。　Heya；　last　week　she　insisted　I　see　a　doctor　and　you　know　what　that　motherless　fornicator　said？　He　said；　you'd　better　give　up　smoking；　old　friend；　or　you'll　be　nothing　but　a　few　cinders　in　a　burial　jar　before　you're　twenty　moons　older　and　then　I　guarantee　your　Chief　Wife'll　be　spending　all　your　money　on　loose　boys　and　your　concubine'll　be　tasting　another's　fruits！〃
　〃The　swine！　Oh　the　swine！〃
　〃Yes。　He　really　frightened　me　…　I　felt　his　words　right　down　in　my　secret　sack！　But　maybe　he　was　speaking　the　truth。〃
　He　took　out　a　handkerchief；　blew　his　nose；　his　breath　wheezing；　cleared　his　throat　noisily　and　spat　into　the　spittoon。　〃Listen；　Younger　Brother；　our　High　Dragon　says　the　time　has　e　to　organize　Smuggler　Yuen；　White　Powder　Lee；　and　his　cousin　Four　Finger　Wu。〃
　Sergeant　Lee　stared　at　him　in　shock。　These　three　men　were　believed　to　be　the　High　Tigers　of　the　opium　trade　in　Hong　Kong。　Importers　and　exporters。　For　local　use　and　also；　rumor　had　it；　for　export　to　the　Golden　Country　where　the　great　money　was。　Opium　brought　in　secretly　and　converted　into　morphine　and　then　into　heroin。　〃Bad；　very　bad。　We've　never　touched　that　trade　before。〃
　〃Yes；〃　Tang…po　said　delicately。
　〃That'd　be　very　dangerous。　Narcotics　Branch　are　very　serious　against　it。　Big　Mountain　of　Dung　himself　is　very　seriously　interested　in　catching　those　three　…　very　fornicating　serious。〃
　Tang…po　stared　at　the　ceiling。　Then　he　said；　〃The　High　Dragon　explained　it　this　way：　A　ton　of　opium　in　the　Golden　Triangle　costs　67；000　U。S。　Changed　into　fornicating　morphine　and　then　into　fornicating　heroin　and　the　pure　heroin　diluted　to　5　percent；　the　usual　strength　on　the　streets　of　the　Golden　Country；　delivered　there　you　have　almost　680　million　worth　in　American　dollars。　From　one　ton　of　opium。〃　Tang…po　coughed　and　lit　another　cigarette。
　The　sweat　began　on　Lee's　back。　〃How　many　tons　could　go　through　those　three　fornicators？〃
　〃We　don't　know。　But　he's　been　told　about　380　tons　a　year　are　grown　in　the　whole　Golden　Triangle　…　Yunnan；　Burma；　Laos　and　Thailand。　Much　of　it　es　here。　They'd　handle　50　tons；　he　said。　He's　certain　of　50　tons。〃
　〃Oh　ko！〃
　〃Yes。〃　Tang…po　was　sweating　too。　〃Our　High　Dragon　says　we　should　invest　in　the　trade　now。　It's　going　to　grow　and　grow。　He　has　a　plan　to　get　Marine　with　us。　。。。〃
　〃Dew　neh　loh　moh；　you　can't　trust　those　seagoing　bastards。〃
　〃That's　what　I　said；　but　he　said　we　need　the　seagoing　bastards　and　we　can　trust　a　selected　few；　who　else　can　snatch　and　intercept　a　token　20　percent　…　even　50　percent　to　appease　Mountain　of　Dung　himself　at　prearranged　moments？〃　Tang…po　spat　deftly　again。　〃If　we　could　get　Marine；　Narcotics　Branch；　and　the　Gang　of　Three；　our　present　h'eung　yau　would　be　like　an　infant's　piddle　in　the　harbor。〃
　There　was　a　serious　silence　in　the　room。
　〃We　would　have　to　recruit　new　members　and　that's　always　dangerous。〃
　〃Yes。〃
　Lee　helped　himself　to　the　teapot　and　poured　some　jasmine　tea；　sweat　running　down　his　back　now；　the　smoke…ladened　air　sultry　and　overbearing。　He　waited。
　〃What　do　you　think；　Younger　Brother？〃
　These　two　men　were　not　related　but　used　the　Chinese　politeness　between　themselves　because　they　had　trusted　each　other　for　more　than　fifteen　years。　Lee　had　saved　his　superior's　life　in　the　riots　of　1956。　He　was　thirty…five　now　and　his　heroism　in　the　riots　had　earned　him　a　police　medal。　He　was　married　and　had　three　children。　He　had　served　sixteen　years　in　the　force　and　his　whole　pay　was　843　HK　a　month。　He　took　the　tram　to　work。　Without　supplementing　his　ine　through　the　Brotherhood；　like　all　of　them；　he　would　have　had　to　walk　or　bicycle；　most　days。　The　tram　took　two　hours。
　〃I　think　the　idea　is　very　bad；〃　he　said。　〃Drugs；　any　drugs；　that's　fornicating　bad　…　yes；　very　bad。　Opium；　that's　bad　though　it's　good　for　old　people　…　the　white　powder；　cocaine；　that's　bad；　but　not　as　bad　as　the　death　squirts。　It'd　be　bad　joss　to　deal　in　the　death　squirts。〃
　〃I　told　him　the　same。〃
　〃Are　you　going　to　obey　him？〃
　〃What's　good　for　one　Brother　should　be　good　for　all；〃　Tang…po　said　thoughtfully；　avoiding　an　answer。
　Again　Lee　waited。　He　did　not　know　how　a　Dragon　was　elected；　or　exactly　how　many　there　were；　or　who　the　High　Dragon　was。　He　only　knew　th