jamesclavell.noblehouse-第63章

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lance　anywhere；〃　she　said。　〃He's　quite　a　man；　isn't　he？〃
　〃We　think　so；〃　Kathren　replied　with　a　ready　smile。　She　was　thirty…eight；　attractive；　her　Scots　accent　pleasing；　her　flowered　silk　dress　long　and　cool。　〃This　water　shortage's　a　bore；　isn't　it？〃
　〃Yes。　Must　be　very　difficult　with　children。〃
　〃No；　chérie；　the　children；　they　just　love　it；〃　Susanne　deVille　called　out。　She　was　in　her　late　forties；　chic；　her　French　accent　slight。　〃How　can　you　insist　they　bathe　every　night？〃
　〃My　two　are　the　same。〃　Kathren　smiled。　〃It　bothers　us　parents；　but　it　doesn't　seem　to　bother　them。　It's　a　bore　though；　trying　to　run　a　house。〃
　Penelope　said；　〃God；　I　hate　it！　This　summer's　been　ghastly。　You're　lucky　tonight；　usually　we'd　be　dripping！〃　She　was　checking　her　makeup　in　the　mirror。　〃I　can't　wait　till　next　month。　Kathren；　did　I　tell　you　we're　going　home　for　a　couple　of　weeks　leave　…　at　least　I　am。　Ian's　promised　to　e　too　but　you　never　know　with　him。〃
　〃He　needs　a　holiday；〃　Kathren　said　and　Casey　noticed　shadows　in　her　eyes　and　care　rings　under　her　makeup。　〃Are　you　going　to　Ayr？〃
　〃Yes；　and　London　for　a　week。〃
　〃Lucky　you。　How　long　are　you　staying　in　Hong　Kong；　Casey？〃
　〃I　don't　know。　It　all　depends　on　what　Par…Con　does。〃
　〃Yes。　Andrew　said　you　had　a　meeting　all　day　with　them。〃
　〃I　don't　think　they　went　much　for　having　to　talk　business　with　a　woman。〃
　〃That　is　the　understatement；〃　Susanne　deVille　said　with　a　laugh；　lifting　her　skirts　to　pull　down　her　blouse。　〃Of　course　my　Jacques　is　half　French　so　he　understands　that　women　are　in　the　business。　But　the　English　。。。〃　Her　eyebrows　soared。
　〃The　tai…pan　didn't　seem　to　mind；〃　Casey　said；　〃but　then　I　haven't　had　any　real　dealings　with　him　yet。〃
　〃But　you　have　with　Quillan　Gornt；〃　Kathren　said；　and　Casey；　very　much　on　guard　even　in　the　privacy　of　the　ladies'　room；　heard　the　undercurrent　in　her　voice。
　〃No；〃　she　replied。　〃I　haven't　…　not　before　tonight　…　but　my　boss　has。〃
　Just　before　dinner　she　had　had　time　to　tell　Bartlett　the　story　of　Gornt's　father　and　Colin　Dunross。
　〃Jesus！　No　wonder　Adryon　went　cross…eyed！〃　Bartlett　had　said。　〃And　in　the　billiard　room　too。〃　He　had　thought　a　moment　then　he　had　shrugged。　〃But　all　that　means　is　that　this　puts　more　pressure　on　Dunross。〃
　〃Maybe。　But　their　enmity　goes　deeper　than　anything　I've　experienced；　Linc。　It　could　easily　backfire。〃
　〃I　don't　see　how　…　yet。　Gornt　was　just　opening　up　a　flank　like　a　good　general　should。　If　we　hadn't　had　John　Chen's　advance　information；　what　Gornt　said　could've　been　vital　to　us。　Gornt's　got　no　way　of　knowing　we're　ahead　of　him。　So　he's　stepping　up　the　tempo。　We　haven't　even　got　our　big　guns　out　yet　and　they're　both　wooing　us　already。〃
　〃Have　you　decided　yet　which　one　to　go　with？〃
　〃No。　What's　your　hunch？〃
　〃I　haven't　got　one。　Yet。　They're　both　formidable。　Linc；　do　you　think　John　Chen　was　kidnapped　because　he　was　feeding　us　information？〃
　〃I　don't　know。　Why？〃
　〃Before　Gornt　arrived　I　was　intercepted　by　Superintendent　Armstrong。　He　questioned　me　about　what　John　Chen　had　said　last　night；　what　we'd　talked　about；　exactly　what　was　said。　I　told　him　everything　I　could　remember　…　except　I　never　mentioned　I　was　to　take　delivery　of　'it。'　Since　I　still　don't　know　what　'it'　is。〃
　〃It's　nothing　illegal；　Casey。〃
　〃I　don't　like　not　knowing。　Not　now。　It's　getting　。。。　I'm　getting　out　of　my　depth；　the　guns；　this　brutal　kidnapping　and　the　police　so　insistent。〃
　〃It's　nothing　illegal。　Leave　it　at　that。　Did　Armstrong　say　there　was　a　connection？〃
　〃He　volunteered　nothing。　He's　a　strong；　silent　English　gentleman　police　officer　and　as　smart　and　well　trained　as　anything　I've　seen　in　the　movies。　I'm　sure　he　was　sure　I　was　hiding　something。〃　She　hesitated。　〃Linc；　what's　John　Chen　got　that's　so　important　to　us？〃
　She　remembered　how　he　had　studied　her；　his　eyes　deep　and　blue　and　quizzical　and　laughing。
　〃A　coin；〃　he　had　said　calmly。
　〃What？〃　she　had　asked；　astounded。
　〃Yes。　Actually　half　a　coin。〃
　〃But　Linc；　what's　a　coi…　〃
　〃That's　all　I'm　telling　you　now；　Casey；　but　you　tell　me　does　Armstrong　figure　there's　some　connection　between　Chen's　kidnapping　and　the　guns？〃
　〃I　don't　know。〃　She　had　shrugged。　〃I　don't　think　so；　Linc。　I　couldn't　even　give　you　odds。　He's　too　cagey　that　one。〃　Again　she　had　hesitated。　〃Linc；　have　you　made　a　deal；　any　deal　with　Gornt？〃
　〃No。　Nothing　firm。　Gornt　just　wants　Struan　out　and　wants　to　join　with　us　to　smash　them。　I　said　we'd　discuss　it　Tuesday。　Over　dinner。〃
　〃What're　you　going　to　tell　the　tai…pan　after　dinner？〃
　〃Depends　on　his　questions。　He'll　know　it's　good　strategy　to　probe　enemy　defenses。〃
　Casey　had　begun　to　wonder　who's　the　enemy；　feeling　very　alien　even　here　among　all　the　other　ladies。　She　had　felt　only　hostility　except　from　these　two；　Penelope　and　Kathren　Gavallan　…　and　a　woman　she　had　met　earlier　in　the　line　for　the　toilet。
　〃Hello；〃　the　woman　had　said　softly。　〃I　hear　you're　a　stranger　here　too。〃
　〃Yes；　yes　I　am；〃　Casey　had　said；　awed　by　her　beauty。
　〃I'm　Fleur　Marlowe。　Peter　Marlowe's　my　husband。　He's　a　writer。　I　think　you　look　super！〃
　〃Thanks。　So　do　you。　Have　you　just　arrived　too？〃
　〃No。　We've　been　here　for　three　months　and　two　days　but　this　is　the　first　really　English　party　we've　been　to；〃　Fleur　said；　her　English　not　as　clipped　as　the　others。　〃Most　of　the　time　we're　with　Chinese　or　by　ourselves。　We've　a　flat　in　the　Old　V　and　A　annex。　God；〃　she　added；　looking　at　the　toilet　door　ahead。　〃I　wish　she'd　hurry　up　…　my　back　teeth　are　floating。〃
　〃We're　staying　at　the　V　and　A　too。〃
　〃Yes；　I　know。　You　two　are　rather　famous。〃　Fleur　Marlowe　laughed。
　〃Infamous！　I　didn't　know　they　had　apartments　there。〃
　〃They're　not；　really。　Just　two　tiny　bedrooms　and　a　sitting　room。　The　kitchen's　a　cupboard。　Still；　it's　home。　We've　got　a　bath；　running　water；　and　the　loos　flush。〃　Fleur　Marlowe　had　big　gray　eyes　that　tilted　pleasingly　and　long　fair　hair　and　Casey　thought　she　was　about　her　age。
　〃Your　husband's　a　journalist？〃
　〃Author。　Just　one　book。　He　mostly　writes　and　directs　films　in　Hollywood。　That's　what　pays　the　rent。〃
　〃Why're　you　with　Chinese？〃
　〃Oh；　Peter's　interested　in　them。〃　Fleur　Marlowe　had　smiled　and　whispered　conspiratorially；　looking　around　at　the　rest　of　the　women；　〃They're　rather　overpowering　aren't　they　…　more　English　than　the　English。　The　old　school　tie　and　all　that　balls。〃
　Casey　frowned。　〃But　you're　English　too。〃
　〃Yes　and　no。　I'm　English　but　I　e　from　Vancouver；　B。C。　We　live　in　the　States；　Peter　and　I　and　the　kids；　in　good　old　Hollywood；　California。　I　really　don't　know　what　I　am；　half　of　one；　half　of　the　other。〃
　〃We　live　in　L。A。　too；　Linc　and　I。〃
　〃I　think　he's　smashing。　You're　lucky。〃
　〃How　old　are　your　kids？〃
　〃Four　and　eight　…　thank　God　we're　not　water　rationed　yet。〃
　〃How　do　you　like　Hong　Kong？〃
　〃It's　fascinating；　Casey。　Peter's　researching　a　book　here　so　it's　marvelous　for　him。　My　God；　if　half　the　legends　are　true　。。。　the　Struans　and　Dunrosses　and　all　the　others；　and　your　Quillan　Gornt。〃
　〃He's　not　mine。　I　just　met　him　this　evening。〃
　〃You　created　a　minor　earthquake　by　walking　across　the　room　with　him。〃　Fleur　laughed。　〃If　you're　going　to　stay　here；　talk　to　Peter；　he'll　fill　you　in　on　all　sorts　of　scandals。〃　She　nodded　at　Dianne　Chen　who　was　powdering　her　nose　at　one　of　the　mirrors。　〃That's　John　Chen's　stepmother；　Phillip　Chen's　wife。　She's　wife　number　two　…　his　first　wife　died。　She's　Eurasian　and　hated　by　almost　everyone；　but　she's　one　of　the　kindest　persons　I've　ever　known。〃
　〃Why's　she　hated？〃
　〃They're　jealous；　most　of　them。　After　all；　she's　wife　of　the　pradore　of　the　Noble　House。　We　met　her　early　on　and　she　was　terrific　to　me。　It's　。。。　it's　difficult　living　in　Hong　Kong　for　a　woman；　particularly　an　outsider。　Don't　really　know　why　but　she　treated　me　like　family。　She's　been　grand。〃
　〃She's　Eurasian？　She　looks　Chinese。〃
　〃Sometimes　it's　hard　to　tell。　Her　maiden　name's　T'Chung；　so　Peter　says；　her　mother's　Sung。　The　T'Chungs　e　from　one　of　Dirk　Struan's　mistresses　and　the　Sung　line's　equally　illegitimate　from　the　famous　painter；　Aristotle　Quance。　Have　you　heard　of　him？〃
　〃Oh　yes。〃
　〃Lots　of；　er；　our　best　Hong　Kong　families　are；　well；　old　Aristotle　spawned　four　branches　。。。〃
　At　that　moment　the