jamesclavell.noblehouse-第65章

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　The　circle　of　light　fell　on　the　picture　over　the　mantelpiece。　He　went　closer。　Dirk　Struan　seemed　to　be　watching　him；　the　slight　smile　taunting。　Now　the　light　moved　to　the　edges　of　the　frame。　His　hand　reached　out　delicately　and　he　tried　it；　first　one　side　and　then　the　other。　Silently　the　picture　moved　away　from　the　wall。
　The　man　sighed。
　He　peered　at　the　lock　closely　then　took　out　a　small　bunch　of　skeleton　keys。　He　selected　one　and　tried　it　but　it　would　not　turn。　Another。　Another　failure。　Another　and　another；　then　there　was　a　slight　click　and　the　key　almost　turned；　almost　but　not　quite。　The　rest　of　the　keys　failed　too。
　Irritably　he　tried　the　almost…key　again　but　it　would　not　work　the　lock。
　Expertly　his　fingers　traced　the　edges　of　the　safe　but　he　could　find　no　secret　catch　or　switch。　Again　he　tried　the　almost…key；　this　way　and　that；　gently　or　firmly；　but　it　would　not　turn。
　Again　he　hesitated。　After　a　moment　he　pushed　the　painting　carefully　back　into　place；　the　eyes　mocking　him　now；　and　went　to　the　desk。　There　were　two　phones　on　it。　He　picked　up　the　phone　that　he　knew　had　no　other　extensions　within　the　house　and　dialed。
　The　ringing　tone　went　on　monotonously；　then　stopped。　〃Yes？〃　a　man's　voice　said　in　English。
　〃Mr。　Lop…sing　please；〃　he　said　softly；　beginning　the　code。
　〃There's　no　Lop…ting　here。　Sorry；　you　have　a　wrong　number。〃
　This　code　response　was　what　he　wanted　to　hear。　He　continued；　〃I　want　to　leave　a　message。〃
　〃Sorry；　you　have　a　wrong　number。　Look　in　your　phone　book。〃
　Again　the　correct　response；　the　final　one。　〃This　is　Lim；〃　he　whispered；　using　his　cover　name。　〃Arthur　please。　Urgent。〃
　〃Just　a　moment。〃
　He　heard　the　phone　being　passed　and　the　dry　cough　he　recognized　at　once。　〃Yes；　Lim？　Did　you　find　the　safe？〃
　〃Yes；〃　he　said。　〃It's　behind　the　painting　over　the　fireplace　but　none　of　the　keys　fit。　I'll　need　special　equip…　〃　He　stopped　suddenly。　Voices　were　approaching。　He　hung　up　gently。　A　quick；　nervous　check　that　everything　was　in　place　and　he　switched　off　the　flashlight　and　hurried　for　the　balcony　that　ran　the　length　of　the　north　face。　The　moonlight　illuminated　him　for　an　instant。　It　was　Wine　Waiter　Feng。　Then　he　vanished；　his　black　waiter's　clothes　melding　perfectly　with　the　darkness。
　The　door　opened。　Dunross　came　in　followed　by　Brian　Kwok。　He　switched　on　the　lights。　At　once　the　room　became　warm　and　friendly。　〃We　won't　be　disturbed　here；〃　he　said。　〃Make　yourself　at　home。〃
　〃Thanks。〃　This　was　the　first　time　Brian　Kwok　had　been　invited　upstairs。
　Both　men　were　carrying　brandy　snifters　and　they　went　over　to　the　cool　of　the　windows；　the　slight　breeze　moving　the　gossamer　curtains；　and　sat　in　the　high…backed　easy　chairs　facing　one　another。　Brian　Kwok　was　looking　at　the　painting；　its　own　light　perfectly　placed。　〃Smashing　portrait。〃
　〃Yes。〃　Dunross　glanced　over　and　froze。　The　painting　was　imperceptibly　out　of　place。　No　one　else　would　have　noticed　it。
　〃Something's　the　matter；　Ian？〃
　〃No。　No　nothing；〃　Dunross　said；　recovering　his　senses　that　had　instinctively　reached　out；　probing　the　room　for　an　alien　presence。　Now　he　turned　his　full　attention　back　to　the　Chinese　superintendent；　but　he　wondered　deeply　who　had　touched　the　painting　and　why。　〃What's　on　your　mind？〃
　〃Two　things。　First；　your　freighter；　Eastern　Cloud。〃
　Dunross　was　startled。　〃Oh？〃　This　was　one　of　Struan's　many　coastal　tramps　that　plied　the　trade　routes　of　Asia。　Eastern　Cloud　was　a　ten　thousand　tonner　on　the　highly　lucrative　Hong　Kong；　Bangkok；　Singapore；　Calcutta；　Madras；　Bombay　route；　with　a　sometimes　stop　at　Rangoon　in　Burma　…　all　manner　of　Hong　Kong　manufactured　goods　outward　bound；　and　all　manner　of　Indian；　Malayan；　Thai　and　Burmese　raw　materials；　silks；　gems；　teak；　jute；　foodstuffs；　inbound。　Six　months　ago　she　had　been　impounded　by　Indian　authorities　in　Calcutta　after　a　sudden　customs　search　had　discovered　36；000　taels　of　smugglers'　gold　in　one　of　the　bunkers。　A　little　over　one　ton。
　〃The　gold's　one　thing；　your　Excellency；　that's　nothing　to　do　with　us；〃　Dunross　had　said　to　the　consul　general　of　India　in　Hong　Kong；　〃but　to　impound　our　ship's　something　else！〃
　〃Ah；　very　so　sorry；　Mr。　Dunross　sah。　The　law　is　the　law　and　the　smuggling　of　gold　into　India　very　serious　indeed　sah　and　the　law　says　any　ship　with　smuggled　goods　aboard　may　be　impounded　and　sold。〃
　〃Yes；　may　be。　Perhaps；　Excellency；　in　this　instance　you　could　prevail　on　the　authorities　。。。〃　But　all　of　his　entreaties　had　been　shuttled　aside　and　attempted　high…level　intercessions　over　the　months；　here；　in　India；　even　in　London；　had　not　helped。　Indian　and　Hong　Kong　police　inquiries　had　produced　no　evidence　against　any　member　of　his　crew　but；　even　so；　Eastern　Cloud　was　still　tied　up　in　Calcutta　harbor。
　〃What　about　Eastern　Cloud？〃　he　asked。
　〃We　think　we　can　persuade　the　Indian　authorities　to　let　her　go。〃
　〃In　return　for　what？〃　Dunross　asked　suspiciously。
　Brian　Kwok　laughed。　〃Nothing。　We　don't　know　who　the　smugglers　are；　but　we　know　who　did　the　informing。〃
　〃Who？〃
　〃Seven　odd　months　ago　you　changed　your　crewing　policy。　Up　to　that　time　Struan's　had　used　exclusively　Cantonese　crew　on　their　ships；　then；　for　some　reason　you　decided　to　employ　Shanghainese。　Right？〃
　〃Yes。〃　Dunross　remembered　that　Tsu…yan；　also　Shanghainese；　had　suggested　it；　saying　that　it　would　do　Struan's　a　lot　of　good　to　extend　help　to　some　of　their　northern　refugees。　〃After　all；　tai…pan；　they're　just　as　good　mariners；〃　Tsu…yan　had　said；　〃and　their　wages　are　very　petitive。〃
　〃So　Struan's　signed　on　a　Shanghainese　crew　into　Eastern　Cloud　…　this　was　the　first　I　believe　…　and　the　Cantonese　crew　that　wasn't　hired　lost　all　face　so　they　plained　to　their　triad　Red　Rod　leader　wh…　〃
　〃e　off　it　for　God's　sake；　our　crews　aren't　triads！〃
　〃I've　said　many　times　the　Chinese　are　great　joiners；　Ian。　All　right；　let's　call　the　triad　with　Red　Rod　rank　their　union　representative　…　though　I　know　you　don't　have　unions　either　…　but　this　bugger　said　in　no　uncertain　terms；　oh　ko　we　really　have　lost　face　because　of　those　northern　louts；　I'll　fix　the　bastards；　and　he　tipped　an　Indian　informer　here　who；　for　a　large　part　of　the　reward；　agreed　of　course　in　advance；　and　passed　on　the　info　to　the　Indian　consulate。〃
　〃What？〃
　Brian　Kwok　beamed。　〃Yes。　The　reward　was　split　twenty…eighty　between　the　Indian　and　the　Cantonese　crew　of　the　Eastern　Cloud　that　should　have　been　…　Cantonese　face　was　regained　and　the　despised　Shanghainese　northern　trash　put　into　a　stinking　Indian　pokey　and　their　face　lost　instead。〃
　〃Oh　Christ！〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃You　have　proof？〃
　〃Oh　yes！　But　let's　just　say　that　our　Indian　friend　is　helping　us　with　future　inquiries；　in　return　for；　er；　services　rendered；　so　we'd　prefer　not　to　name　him。　Your　'union　shop　steward'？　Ah；　one　of　his　names　was　Big　Mouth　Tuk　and　he　was　a　stoker　on　Eastern　Cloud　for　three　odd　years。　Was　because；　alas；　we　won't　see　him　again。　We　caught　him　in　full　14K　regalia　last　week　…　in　very　senior　Red　Rod　regalia　…　courtesy　of　a　friendly　Shanghainese　informer；　the　brother　of　one　of　your　crew　that　languished　in　said　stinky　Indian　pokey。〃
　〃He's　been　deported？〃
　〃Oh　yes；　quick　as　a　wink。　We　really　don't　approve　of　triads。　They　are　criminal　gangs　nowadays　and　into　all　sorts　of　vile　occupations。　He　was　off　to　Taiwan　where　I　believe　he　won't　be　wele　at　all　…　seeing　as　how　the　northern　Shanghainese　Green　Pang　triad　society　and　the　southern　Cantonese　14K　triad　society　are　still　fighting　for　control　of　Hong　Kong。　Big　Mouth　Tuk　was　a　426　all　right…　〃
　〃What's　a　426？〃
　〃Oh；　thought　you　might　know。　All　officials　of　triads　are　known　by　numbers　as　well　as　symbolic　titles　…　the　numbers　always　divisible　by　the　mystical　number　three。　A　leader's　a　489；　which　also　adds　up　to　twenty…one；　which　adds　up　to　three；　and　twenty…one's　also　a　multiple　of　three；　representing　creation；　times　seven；　death；　signifying　rebirth。　A　second　rank's　a　White　Fan；　438；　a　Red　Rod's　a　426。　The　lowest's　a　49。〃
　〃That's　not　divisible　by　three；　for　God's　sake！〃
　〃Yes。　But　four　times　nine　is　thirty…six；　the　number　of　the　secret　blood　oaths。〃　Brian　Kwok　shrugged。　〃You　know　how　potty　we　Chinese　are　over　numbers　and　numerology。　He　was　a　Red　Rod；　a　426；　Ian。　We　caught　him。　So　triads　exist；　or　existed；　on　one　of