jamesclavell.noblehouse-第88章

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sy　today。　I've…　〃
　〃You　just　don't　want　your　poor　Daughter　anymore。　I'll　have　to　throw　myself　in　the　harbor　or　find　another　person　to　cherish　me　oh　oh　oh。　。。。〃
　His　blood　pressure　soared　at　the　sound　of　her　tears。　〃Listen；　Little　Oily　Mouth；　I'll　see　you　this　evening　at　ten。　We'll　have　an　eight…course　feast　at　Wanchai　at　my　fav…　〃
　〃Ten's　too　late　and　I　don't　want　a　feast　I　want　a　steak　and　I　want　to　go　to　the　penthouse　at　the　V　and　A　and　drink　champagne！〃
　His　spirit　groaned　at　the　danger　of　being　seen　and　reported　secretly　to　his　tai…tai。　Oh　oh　oh！　But；　in　front　of　his　friends　and　his　enemies　and　all　Hong　Kong　he　would　gain　enormous　face　to　escort　his　new　mistress　there；　the　young　exotic　rising　star　in　TV's　firmament；　Venus　Poon。
　〃At　ten　I'll　call　f…　〃
　〃Ten's　too　late。　Nine。〃
　Rapidly　he　tried　to　sort　out　all　his　meetings　tonight　to　see　how　he　could　acmodate　her。　〃Listen；　Little　Treasure；　I'll　se…　〃
　〃Ten's　too　late。　Nine。　I　think　I　will　die　now　that　you　don't　care　anymore。〃
　〃Listen。　Your　Father　has　three　meetings　and　I　th…　〃
　〃Oh　my　head　hurts　to　think　you　don't　want　me　anymore　oh　oh　oh。　This　abject　person　will　have　to　slit　her　wrists；　or　。。。。〃　He　heard　the　change　in　her　voice　and　his　stomach　twisted　at　the　threat；　〃Or　answer　the　phone　calls　of　others；　lesser　than　her　revered　Father　of　course；　but　just　as　rich　nonetheless　and　m…　〃
　〃All　right；　Little　Treasure。　At　nine！〃
　〃Oh　you　do　love　me　don't　you！〃　Though　she　was　speaking　Cantonese　Venus　Poon　used　the　English　word　and　his　heart　flipped。　English　was　the　language　of　love　for　modern　Chinese；　there　were　no　romantic　words　in　their　own　language。　〃Tell　me！〃　she　said　imperiously。　〃Tell　me　you　love　me！〃
　He　told　her；　abjectly；　then　hung　up。　The　mealy…mouthed　little　whore；　he　thought　irritably。　But　then；　at　nineteen　she's　a　right　to　be　demanding　and　petulant　and　difficult　if　you're　almost　sixty　and　she　makes　you　feel　twenty　and　the　Imperial　Yang　blissful。　Eeeee；　but　Venus　Poon's　the　best　I've　ever　had。　Expensive　but；　eeee；　she's　got　muscles　in　her　Golden　Gulley　that　only　the　legendary　Emperor　Kung　wrote　about！
　He　felt　his　yang　stir　and　scratched　pleasantly。　I'll　give　that　little　baggage　what　for　tonight。　I'll　buy　an　extra　specially　large　device；　ah　yes；　a　ring　with　bells　on　it。　Oh　oh　oh！　That'll　make　her　wriggle！
　Yes；　but　meanwhile　think　about　tomorrow。　How　to　prepare　for　tomorrow？
　Call　your　High　Dragon　friend。　Divisional　Sergeant　Tang…po　at　Tsim　Sha　Tsui　and　enlist　his　help　to　see　that　his　branch　and　all　branches　in　Kowloon　are　well　policed。　Phone　Blacs　and　Cousin　Tung　of　the　huge　Tung　Po　Bank　and　Cousin　Smiler　Ching　and　Havergill　to　arrange　extra　cash　against　the　Ho…Pak's　securities　and　holdings。　Ah　yes；　phone　your　very　good　friend　Joe　Jacobson；　VP　of　the　Chicago　Federal　and　International　Merchant　Bank　…　his　bank's　got　assets　of　four　billion　and　he　owes　you　lots　of　favors。　Lots。　There're　lots　of　quai　loh　who're　deeply　in　your　debt；　and　civilized　people。　Call　them　all！
　Abruptly　Richard　Kwang　came　out　of　his　reverie　as　he　remembered　the　tai…pan's　summons。　His　soul　twisted。　Nelson　Trading's　deposits　in　bullion　and　cash　were　huge。　Oh　ko　if　Nels…　
　The　phone　jangled　irritably。　〃Uncle；　Mr。　Haply's　on　the　line。〃
　〃Hello；　Mr。　Haply；　how　nice　to　talk　to　you。　Sorry　I　was　engaged　before。〃
　〃That's　all　right；　Mr。　Kwang。　I　just　wanted　to　check　a　couple　of　facts　if　I　may。　First；　the　riot　at　Aberdeen。　The　police　w…　〃
　〃Hardly　a　riot；　Mr。　Haply。　A　few　noisy；　impatient　people；　that's　all；〃　he　said；　despising　Haply's　Canadian…American　accent；　and　the　need　to　be　polite。
　〃I'm　looking　at　some　photos　right　now；　Mr。　Kwang；　the　ones　that're　in　this　afternoon's　Times　…　it　looks　like　a　riot　all　right。〃
　The　banker　squirmed　in　his　chair　and　fought　to　keep　his　voice　calm。　〃Oh　…　oh　well　I　wasn't　there　so　。。。　I'll　have　to　talk　to　Mr。　Sung。〃
　〃I　did；　Mr。　Kwang。　At　3：30。　Spent　half　an　hour　with　him。　He　said　if　it　hadn't　been　for　the　police　they'd've　torn　the　place　apart。〃　There　was　a　hesitation。　〃You're　right　to　play　it　down；　but；　say；　I'm　trying　to　help；　and　I　can't　without　the　facts；　so　if　you'll　level　with　me　。。。　How　many　folks　wanted　their　money　out　at　Lan　Tao？〃
　Richard　Kwang　said；　〃18；〃　halving　the　real　figure。
　〃Our　guy　said　36。　82　at　Sha　Tin。　How　about　Mong　Kok？〃
　〃A　cupful。〃
　〃My　guy　said　48；　and　there　was　a　good　100　left　at　closing。　How　about　Tsim　Sha　Tsui？〃
　〃I　haven't　got　the　figures　yet；　Mr。　Haply；〃　Richard　Kwang　said　smoothly；　consumed　with　anxiety；　hating　the　staccato　questioning。
　〃All　the　evening　editions're　heavy　with　the　Ho…Pak　run。　Some're　even　using　the　word。〃
　〃Oh　ko。　。。。〃
　〃Yeah。　I'd　say　you'd　better　get　ready　for　a　real　hot　day　tomorrow；　Mr。　Kwang。　I'd　say　your　opposition's　very　well　organized。　Everything's　too　pat　to　be　a　coincidence。〃
　〃I　certainly　appreciate　your　interest。〃　Then　Richard　Kwang　added　delicately；　〃If　there's　anything　I　can　do　。。。〃
　Again　the　irritating　laugh。　〃Have　any　of　your　big　depositors　pulled　out　today？〃
　Richard　Kwang　hesitated　a　fraction　of　a　moment　and　he　heard　Haply　jump　into　the　breach。　〃Of　course　I　know　about　Four　Finger　Wu。　I　meant　the　big　British　hongs。〃
　〃No；　Mr。　Haply；　not　yet。〃
　〃There's　a　strong　rumor　that　Hong　Kong　and　Lan　Tao　Farms's　going　to　change　banks。〃
　Richard　Kwang　felt　that　barb　in　his　Secret　Sack。　〃Let's　hope　it's　not　true；　Mr。　Haply。　Who're　the　tai…pans　and　what　big　bank　or　banks？　Is　it　the　Victoria　or　Blacs？〃
　〃Perhaps　it's　Chinese。　Sorry；　I　can't　divulge　a　news　source。　But　you'd　better　get　organized　…　it　sure　as　hell　looks　as　though　the　big　guys　are　after　you。〃
　
　21
　
　4：25　P。M。：
　〃They　don't　sleep　together；　tai…pan；〃　Claudia　Chen　said。
　〃Eh？〃　Dunross　looked　up　absently　from　the　stack　of　papers　he　was　going　through。
　〃No。　At　least　they　didn't　last　night。〃
　〃Who？〃
　〃Bartlett　and　your　Cirrannousshee。〃
　Dunross　stopped　working。　〃Oh？〃
　〃Yes。　Separate　rooms；　separate　beds；　breakfast　together　in　the　main　room　…　both　neat　and　tidy　and　dressed　in　modest　robes　which　is　interesting　because　neither　wears　anything　in　bed。〃
　〃They　don't？〃
　〃No；　at　least　they　didn't　last　night。〃
　Dunross　grinned　and　she　was　glad　that　her　news　pleased　him。　It　was　his　first　real　smile　of　the　day。　Since　she　had　arrived　at　8：00　a。m。　he　had　been　working　like　a　man　possessed；　rushing　out　for　meetings；　hurrying　back　again：　the　police；　Phillip　Chen；　the　governor；　twice　to　the　bank；　once　to　the　penthouse　to　meet　whom　she　did　not　know。　No　time　for　lunch　and；　so　the　doorman　had　told　her；　the　tai…pan　had　arrived　with　the　dawn。
　She　had　seen　the　weight　on　his　spirit　today；　the　weight　that　sooner　or　later　bowed　all　tai…pans　…　and　sometimes　broke　them。　She　had　seen　Ian's　father　withered　away　by　the　enormous　shipping　losses　of　the　war　years；　the　catastrophic　loss　of　Hong　Kong；　of　his　sons　and　nephews　…　bad　joss　piling　on　bad　joss。　It　was　the　loss　of　Mainland　China　that　had　finally　crushed　him。　She　had　seen　how　Suez　had　broken　Alastair　Struan；　how　that　tai…pan　had　never　recovered　from　that　debacle　and　how　bad　joss　had　piled　on　bad　joss　for　him　until　the　Gornt…mounted　run　on　their　stock　had　shattered　him。
　It　must　be　a　terrible　strain；　she　thought。　All　our　people　to　worry　about　and　our　House；　all　our　enemies；　all　the　unexpected　catastrophes　of　nature　and　of　man　that　seem　to　be　ever　present　…　and　all　the　sins　and　piracies　and　devil's　work　of　the　past　that　are　waiting　to　burst　forth　from　our　own　Pandora's　box　as　they　do　from　time　to　time。　It's　a　pity　the　tai…pans　aren't　Chinese；　she　thought。　Then　the　sins　of　the　past　would　be　so　much　gossamer。
　〃What　makes　you　sure；　Claudia？〃
　〃No　sleep　things　for　either　…　pajamas　or　filmy　things。〃　She　beamed。
　〃How　do　you　know？〃
　〃Please；　tai…pan；　I　can't　divulge　my　sources！〃
　〃What　else　do　you　know？〃
　〃Ah！〃　she　said；　then　blandly　changed　the　conversation。　〃The　Nelson　Trading　board　meeting's　in　half　an　hour。　You　wanted　to　be　reminded。　Can　I　have　a　few　minutes　beforehand？〃
　〃Yes。　In　a　quarter　of　an　hour。　Now；〃　he　said　with　a　finality　she　knew　too　well。　〃What　else　do　you　know？〃
　She　sighed；　then　importantly　consulted　her　notepad。　〃She's　never　been　married。　Oh；　lots　of　suitors　but　none　have　lasted；　tai…pan。　In　fact；　according　to　rum