jamesclavell.noblehouse-第68章

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now　she　married　Culum；　Dirk's　only　son？　Well；　Hag　Struan　secretly　plotted　with　the　Victoria　Bank；　which　Tyler　had　started　in　the　1840's　and　with　Cooper…Tillman；　Tyler's　partners　in　the　States。　They　trapped　him　and　brought　down　the　great　house　of　Brock　and　Sons　in　one　gigantic　crash。　He　lost　everything　…　his　shipping　line；　opium　hulks；　property；　warehouses；　stocks；　everything。　He　was　wiped　out。〃
　〃What　happened　to　him？〃
　〃I　don't　know；　no　one　does　for　certain；　but　the　story　is　that　that　same　night；　October　thirty…first；　1863；　old　Tyler　went　to　Aberdeen　…　that's　a　harbor　on　the　other　side　of　Hong　Kong　…　with　his　grandson；　Tom；　who　was　then　twenty…five；　and　six　sailors；　and　they　pirated　an　oceangoing　lorcha　…　that's　a　ship　with　a　Chinese　hull　but　European　rigged　…　and　put　out　to　sea。　He　was　mad　with　rage；　so　they　say；　and　he　hauled　up　the　Brock　pennant　to　the　masthead　and　he　had　pistols　in　his　belt　and　a　bloody　cutlass　in　his　hand　…　they'd　killed　four　men　to　pirate　the　ship。　At　the　neck　of　the　harbor　a　cutter　came　after　him　and　he　blew　it　out　of　the　water　…　in　those　days　almost　all　boats　were　armed　with　cannon　because　of　pirates　…　these　seas　have　always　been　infested　with　pirates　since　time　immemorial。　So　old　Tyler　put　to　sea；　a　good　wind　blowing　from　the　east　and　a　storm　ing。　At　the　mouth　of　Aberdeen　he　started　bellowing　out　curses。　He　cursed　Hag　Struan　and　cursed　the　island；　and　cursed　the　Victoria　Bank　that　had　betrayed　him；　and　the　Coopers　of　Cooper…Tillman；　but　most　of　all　he　cursed　the　tai…pan　who'd　been　dead　more　than　twenty　years。　And　old　Tyler　Brock　swore　revenge。　They　say　he　screamed　out　that　he　was　going　north　to　plunder　and　he　was　going　to　start　again。　He　was　going　to　build　his　House　again　and　then；　'。。。　and　then　I　be　back　by　God　。。。　I　be　back　and　I　be　venged　and　then　I　be　Noble　House　by　God。　。。。　I　be　back。　。。。'　〃
　Bartlett　and　Casey　felt　a　chill　go　down　their　backs　as　Peter　Marlowe　coarsened　his　voice。　Then　he　continued；　〃Tyler　went　north　and　was　never　heard　of　again；　no　trace　of　him　or　the　lorcha　or　his　crew；　ever。　Even　so；　his　presence　is　still　here　…　like　Dirk　Struan's。　You'd　better　remember；　in　any　dealing　with　the　Noble　House　you've　got　to　deal　with　those　two　as　well；　or　their　ghosts。　The　night　Ian　Dunross　took　over　as　tai…pan；　Struan's　lost　their　freighter　flagship；　Lasting　Cloud；　in　a　typhoon。　It　was　a　gigantic　financial　disaster。　She　foundered　off　Formosa　…　Taiwan　…　and　was　lost　with　all　hands　except　one　seaman；　a　young　English　deckhand。　He'd　been　on　the　bridge　and　he　swore　that　they'd　been　lured　onto　the　rocks　by　false　lights　and　that　he　heard　a　maniac　laughing　as　they　went　down。〃
　Casey　shivered　involuntarily。
　Bartlett　noticed　it　and　slipped　his　arm　casually　through　hers　and　she　smiled　at　him。
　He　said；　〃Peter；　people　here　talk　about　people　who've　been　dead　a　hundred　years　as　though　they're　in　the　next　room。〃
　〃Old　Chinese　habit；〃　Peter　Marlowe　replied　at　once。　〃Chinese　believe　the　past　controls　the　future　and　explains　the　present。　Of　course　Hong　Kong's　only　a　hundred　and　twenty　years　old　so　a　man　of　eighty　today'd　。。。　Take　Phillip　Chen；　the　present　pradore；　for　example。　He's　sixty…five　now　…　his　grandfather　was　the　famous　Sir　Gordon　Chen；　Dirk　Struan's　illegitimate　son　who　died　in　1907　at　the　age　of　eighty…six。　So　Phillip　Chen　would　have　been　nine　then。　A　sharp　boy　of　nine'd　remember　all　sorts　of　stories　his　revered　grandfather　would　have　told　him　about　his　father；　the　tai…pan；　and　May…may；　his　famous　mistress。　The　story　is　that　old　Sir　Gordon　Chen　was　one　hell　of　a　character；　truly　an　ancestor。　He　had　two　official　wives；　eight　concubines　of　various　ages；　and　left　the　sprawling　Chen　family　rich；　powerful　and　into　everything。　Ask　Dunross　to　show　you　his　portraits　…　I've　only　seen　copies　but；　my；　he　was　a　handsome　man。　There're　dozens　of　people　alive　here　today　who　knew　him　…　one　of　the　original　great　founders。　And　my　God；　Hag　Struan　died　only　forty…six　years　ago。　Look　over　there。　。。。〃　He　nodded　at　a　wizened　little　man；　thin　as　a　bamboo　and　just　as　strong；　talking　volubly　to　a　young　woman。　〃That's　Vincent　McGore；　tai…pan　of　the　fifth　great　hong；　International　Asian　Trading。　He　worked　for　Sir　Gordon　for　years　and　then　the　Noble　House。〃　He　grinned　suddenly。　〃Legend　says　he　was　Hag　Struan's　lover　when　he　was　eighteen　and　just　off　the　cattle　boat　from　some　Middle　Eastern　port　…　he's　not　really　Scots　at　all。〃
　〃e　off　it；　Peter；〃　Fleur　said。　〃You　just　made　that　up！〃
　〃Do　you　mind；〃　he　said；　but　his　grin　never　left　him。　〃She　was　only　seventy…five　at　the　time。〃
　They　all　laughed。
　〃That's　the　truth？〃　Casey　asked。　〃For　real？〃
　〃Who　knows　what's　truth　and　what's　fiction；　Casey？　That's　what　I　was　told。〃
　〃I　don't　believe　it；〃　Fleur　said　confidently。　〃Peter　makes　up　stories。〃
　〃Where'd　you　find　out　all　this；　Peter？〃　Bartlett　asked。
　〃I　read　some　of　it。　There　are　copies　of　newspapers　that　go　back　to　1870　in　the　Law　Court　library。　Then　there's　the　History　of　the　Law　Courts　of　Hong　Kong。　It's　as　seamy　a　great　book　as　you'll　ever　want　if　you're　interested　in　Hong　Kong。　Christ；　the　things　they　used　to　get　up　to；　so…called　judges　and　colonial　secretaries；　governors　and　policemen；　and　the　tai…pans；　the　highborn　and　the　lowborn。　Graft；　murder；　corruption；　adultery；　piracy；　bribery　。。。　it's　all　there！
　〃And　I　asked　questions。　There　are　dozens　of　old　China　hands　who　love　to　reminisce　about　the　old　days　and　who　know　a　huge　amount　about　Asia　and　Shanghai。　Then　there　are　lots　of　people　who　hate；　or　are　jealous　and　can't　wait　to　pour　a　little　poison　on　a　good　reputation　or　a　bad　one。　Of　course；　you　sift；　you　try　to　sift　the　true　from　the　false　and　that's　very　hard；　if　not　impossible。〃
　For　a　moment　Casey　was　lost　in　thought。　Then　she　said；　〃Peter；　what　was　Changi　like？　Really　like？〃
　His　face　did　not　change　but　his　eyes　did。　〃Changi　was　genesis；　the　place　of　beginning　again。〃　His　tone　made　them　all　chilled　and　she　saw　Fleur　slip　her　hand　into　his　and　in　a　moment　he　came　back。　〃I'm　fine；　darling；〃　he　said。　Silently；　somewhat　embarrassed；　they　walked　out　of　the　path　onto　the　lower　terrace；　Casey　knowing　she　had　intruded。　〃We　should　have　a　drink。　Eh；　Casey？〃　Peter　Marlowe　said　kindly　and　made　it　all　right　again。
　〃Yes。　Thank　you；　Peter。〃
　〃Linc；〃　Peter　Marlowe　said；　〃there's　a　marvelous　strain　of　violence　that　passes　from　generation　to　generation　in　these　buccaneers　…　because　that's　what　they　are。　This　is　a　very　special　place　…　it　breeds　very　special　people。〃　After　a　pause；　he　added　thoughtfully；　〃I　understand　you　may　be　going　into　business　here。　If　I　were　you　I'd　be　very；　very　careful。〃
　
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　11：05　P。M。：
　Dunross；　with　Brian　Kwok　in　tow；　was　heading　for　Roger　Crosse；　chief　of　Special　Intelligence；　who　was　on　the　terrace　chatting　amiably　with　Armstrong　and　the　three　Americans；　Ed　Langan；　mander　John　Mishauer　the　uniformed　naval　officer；　and　Stanley　Rosemont；　a　tall　man　in　his　fifties。　Dunross　did　not　know　that　Langan　was　FBI；　or　that　Mishauer　was　U。S。　Naval　Intelligence；　only　that　they　were　at　the　consulate。　But　he　did　know　that　Rosemont　was　CIA　though　not　his　seniority。　Ladies　were　still　drifting　back　to　their　tables；　or　chattering　away　on　the　terraces　and　in　the　garden。　Men　were　lounging　over　drinks；　and　the　party　was　mellow　like　the　night。　Some　couples　were　dancing　in　the　ballroom　to　sweet　and　slow　music。　Adryon　was　among　them；　and　he　saw　Penelope　stoically　coping　with　Havergill。　He　noticed　Casey　and　Bartlett　in　deep　conversation　with　Peter　and　Fleur　Marlowe；　and　he　would　have　dearly　loved　to　be　overhearing　what　was　being　said。　That　fellow　Marlowe　could　easily　bee　a　bloody　nuisance；　he　thought　in　passing。　He　knows　too　many　secrets　already　and　if　he　was　to　read　our　book　。。。　No　way；　he　thought。　Not　till　hell　freezes！　That's　one　book　he'll　never　read。　How　Alastair　could　be　so　stupid！
　Some　years　ago　Alastair　Struan　had　missioned　a　well…known　writer　to　write　the　history　of　Struan's　to　celebrate　their　125　years　of　trading　and　had　passed　over　old　ledgers　and　trunks　of　old　papers　to　him　unread　and　unsifted。　Within　the　year　the　writer　had　produced　an　inflammatory　tapestry　that　documented　many　happenings　and　transactions　that　were　thought　to　have　been　buried　forever。　In　shock　they　had　thanked　th