jamesclavell.noblehouse-第91章

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　〃He　won't。〃
　〃Have　you　seen　Phillip　today？〃
　〃Phillip　Chen？　No；　why？〃
　〃Nothing。〃
　〃Why？〃
　〃Bumped　into　him　at　the　track。　He　seemed　。。。　well；　he　looked　awful　and　very　distraught。　He's　taking　John's　。。。　he's　taking　the　kidnapping　very　badly。〃
　〃Wouldn't　you？〃
　〃Yes。　Yes　I　would。　But　I　didn't　think　he　and　his　Number　One　Son　were　that　close。〃
　Dunross　thought　about　Adryon　and　Glenna　and　his　son　Duncan　who　was　fifteen　and　on　holiday　on　a　friend's　sheep　station　in　Australia。　What　would　I　do　if　one　of　them　were　kidnapped？　What　would　I　do　if　a　mutilated　ear　came　through　the　mails　at　me　like　that？
　I'd　go　mad。
　I'd　go　mad　with　rage。　I'd　forget　everything　else　and　I'd　hunt　down　the　kidnappers　and　then；　and　then　my　vengeance　would　last　a　thousand　years。　I'd　。。。
　There　was　a　knock　on　the　door。　〃Yes？　Oh　hello；　Kathy；〃　he　said；　happy　as　always　to　see　his　younger　sister。
　〃Sorry　to　interrupt；　Ian　dear；〃　Kathy　Gavallan　said　in　a　rush　from　the　door　to　his　office；　〃but　Claudia　said　you　had　a　few　minutes　before　your　next　appointment。　Is　it　all　right？〃
　〃　'Course　it's　all　right；〃　he　said　with　a　laugh；　and　put　aside　the　memo　he　was　working　on。
　〃Oh　good；　thanks。〃　She　closed　the　door　and　sat　in　the　high　chair　that　was　near　the　window。
　He　stretched　to　ease　the　ache　in　his　back　and　grinned　at　her。　〃Hey；　I　like　your　hat。〃　It　was　pale　straw　with　a　yellow　band　that　matched　her　cool…looking　silk　dress。　〃What's　up？〃
　〃I've　got　multiple　sclerosis。〃
　He　stared　at　her　blankly。　〃What？〃
　〃That's　what　the　tests　say。　The　doctor　told　me　yesterday　but　yesterday　I　couldn't　tell　you　or　。。。　Today　he　checked　the　tests　with　another　specialist　and　there's　no　mistake。〃　Her　voice　was　calm　and　her　face　calm　and　she　sat　upright　in　the　chair；　looking　prettier　than　he　had　ever　seen　her。　〃I　had　to　tell　someone。　Sorry　to　say　it　so　suddenly。　I　thought　you　could　help　me　make　a　plan；　not　today；　but　when　you've　time；　perhaps　over　the　weekend。　。。。〃　She　saw　his　expression　and　she　laughed　nervously。　〃It's　not　as　bad　as　that。　I　think。〃
　Dunross　sat　back　in　his　big　leather　chair　and　fought　to　get　his　shocked　mind　working。　〃Multiple　。。。　that's　dicey；　isn't　it？〃
　〃Yes。　Yes　it　is。　Apparently　it's　something　that　attacks　your　nervous　system　that　they　can't　cure　yet。　They　don't　know　what　it　is　or　where　or　how　you　。。。　how　you　get　it。〃
　〃We'll　get　other　specialists。　No；　even　better；　you　go　to　England　with　Penn。　There'd　be　specialists　there　or　in　Europe。　There's　got　to　be　some　form　of　cure；　Kathy；　got　to　be！〃
　〃There　isn't；　dear。　But　England　is　a　good　idea。　I'm　。。。　Dr。　Tooley　said　he'd　like　me　to　see　a　Harley　Street　specialist　for　treatment。　I'd　love　to　go　with　Penn。　I'm　not　too　advanced　and　there's　nothing　to　be　too　concerned　about；　if　I'm　careful。〃
　〃Meaning？〃
　〃Meaning　that　if　I　take　care　of　myself；　take　their　medication；　nap　in　the　afternoon　to　stop　getting　tired；　I'll　still　be　able　to　take　care　of　Andrew　and　the　house　and　the　children　and　play　a　little　tennis　and　golf　occasionally；　but　only　one　round　in　the　mornings。　You　see；　they　can　arrest　the　disease　but　they　can't　repair　the　damage　already　done　so　far。　He　said　if　I　don't　take　care　of　myself　and　rest　…　it's　rest　mostly　he　said　…　if　I　don't　rest；　it　will　start　up　again　and　then　each　time　you　go　down　a　plateau。　Yes。　And　then　you　can　never　get　back　up　again。　Do　you　see；　dear？〃
　He　stared　at　her；　keeping　his　agony　for　her　bottled。　His　heart　was　grinding　in　his　chest　and　he　had　eight　plans　for　her　and　he　thought　Oh　Christ　poor　Kathy！　〃Yes。　Well；　thank　God　you　can　rest　all　you　want；〃　he　said；　keeping　his　voice　calm　like　hers。　〃Do　you　mind　if　I　talk　to　Tooley？〃
　〃I　think　that　would　be　all　right。　There's　no　need　to　be　alarmed；　Ian。　He　said　I'd　be　all　right　if　I　took　care　of　myself；　and　I　told　him　I'd　be　ever　so　good　so　he　needn't　have　any　worries　on　that　score。〃　Kathy　was　surprised　that　her　voice　was　calm　and　her　hands　and　fingers　rested　in　her　lap　so　easily；　betraying　none　of　the　horror　she　felt　within。　She　could　almost　feel　the　disease　bugs　or　microbes　or　viruses　seeping　through　her　system；　feeding　on　her　nerves；　eating　them　away　oh　so　slowly；　second　by　second　hour　by　hour　until　there　would　be　more　tingling　and　more　numbness　in　her　fingers　and　her　toes；　then　her　wrists　and　ankles　and　legs　and　and　and　and　and　oh　Jesus　Christ　God　almighty　。。。
　She　took　a　little　tissue　out　of　her　purse　and　gently　dabbed　beside　her　nose　and　forehead。　〃It's　awfully　humid　today；　isn't　it？〃
　〃Yes。　Kathy；　why　is　it　so　sudden？〃
　〃Well　it　isn't　dear；　not　really。　They　just　couldn't　diagnose　it。　That's　what　all　the　tests　were　for。〃　It　had　begun　as　a　slight　dizziness　and　headaches　about　six　months　ago。　She'd　noticed　it　most　when　she　was　playing　golf。　She　would　be　standing　over　her　ball；　steadying　herself；　but　her　eyes　would　go　dizzy　and　she　could　not　focus　and　the　ball　would　split　and　bee　two　and　three　and　two　again　and　they　would　never　stay　still。　Andrew　had　laughed　and　told　her　to　see　an　optician。　But　it　wasn't　glasses；　and　aspirins　did　not　help；　nor　stronger　pills。　Then　dear　old　Tooley；　their　family　doctor　forever；　had　sent　her　to　Matilda　Hospital　on　the　Peak　for　tests　and　more　tests　and　brain　scans　in　case　there　was　a　tumor　but　they　had　shown　nothing；　nor　had　all　the　other　tests。　Only　the　awful　spinal　tap　gave　a　clue。　Other　tests　confirmed　it。　Yesterday。　Oh　sweet　Jesus　was　it　only　yesterday　they　condemned　me　to　the　wheelchair；　at　length　to　bee　a　helpless　slobbering　thing？
　〃You've　told　Andrew？〃
　〃No　dear；〃　she　said；　pulled　once　more　back　from　the　brink。　〃I　haven't　told　him　yet。　I　couldn't；　not　yet。　Poor　dear　Andrew　does　get　into　a　tizzy　so　easily。　I'll　tell　him　tonight。　I　couldn't　tell　him　before　I　told　you。　I　had　to　tell　you　first。　We　always　used　to　tell　you　everything　first；　didn't　we？　Lechie；　Scotty　and　I？　You　always　used　to　know　first。　。。。〃　She　was　remembering　when　they　were　all　young；　all　the　lovely　happy　times　here　in　Hong　Kong　and　in　Ayr　at　Castle　Avisyard；　at　their　lovely　old　rambling　house　on　the　crest　of　the　hill　amid　the　heather；　overlooking　the　sea　…　Christmas　and　Easter　and　the　long　summer　holidays；　she　and　Ian　…　and　Lechie；　the　oldest；　and　Scott；　her　twin　brother　…　such　happy　days　when　Father　wasn't　there；　all　of　them　terrified　of　their　father　except　Ian　who　was　always　their　spokesman；　always　their　protector；　who　always　took　the　punishments　…　no　supper　tonight；　and　write　five　hundred　times　I　will　not　argue　anymore；　a　child's　place　is　to　be　seen　and　not　heard　…　who　took　all　the　beatings　and　never　plained。　Oh　poor　Lechie　and　Scotty　。。。
　〃Oh　Ian；〃　she　said；　her　tears　welling　suddenly；　〃I'm　so　sorry。〃　Then　she　felt　his　arms　wrap　around　her　and　she　felt　safe　at　last　and　the　nightmare　softened。　But　she　knew　it　would　never　go　away。　Not　now。　Never。　Nor　would　her　brothers　e　back；　except　in　her　dreams；　nor　would　her　darling　Johnny。　〃It's　all　right；　Ian；〃　she　said　through　her　tears。　〃It's　not　for　me；　not　me　really。　I　was　just　thinking　about　Lechie　and　Scotty　and　home　at　Ayr　when　we　were　small；　and　my　Johnny；　and　I　was　oh　ever　so　sad　for　all　of　them。　。。。〃
　Lechie　was　the　first　to　die。　Second　Lieutenant；　Highland　Light　Infantry。　He　was　lost　in　1940　in　France。　Nothing　was　ever　found　of　him。　One　moment　he　had　been　there　beside　the　road；　and　then　he　was　gone；　the　air　filled　with　acrid　smoke　from　the　barrage　that　the　Nazi　panzers　had　laid　down　on　the　little　stone　bridge　over　the　stream　on　the　way　to　Dunkirk。　For　all　the　war　years　they　had　all　lived　in　the　hope　that　Lechie　was　now　a　POW　in　some　good　prison　camp　…　not　one　of　those　terrible　ones。　And　after　the　war；　the　months　of　searching　but　never　a　sign；　never　a　witness；　not　even　the　littlest　sign　and　then　they；　the　family；　and　at　length　Father　had　laid　Lechie's　ghost　to　rest。
　Scott　had　been　sixteen　in　'39　and　he'd　gone　to　Canada　for　safety；　there　to　finish　schooling；　and　then；　already　a　pilot；　the　day　he　was　eighteen；　in　spite　of　Father's　howling　protests；　he　had　joined　the　Canadian　Air　Force；　wanting　blood　vengeance　for　Lechie。　And　he　had　got　his　wings　at　once　and　joined　a　bomber　squadron　and　had　e　over　well　in　time　for　D　Day。　Gleefully　he　had　blown　many　a　town　to　pieces　and　many　a　city　to　pieces　until　February　14；　1945；　now　Squadron　Leader；　DFC　and　Bar；　in