jamesclavell.noblehouse-第98章

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　〃The　Ho…Pak　will　bring　the　market　down。　If　we　buy　in　quantity　Thursday　just　before　closing；　we'll　make　a　fortune。〃
　〃When　do　you　announce　the　Par…Con　deal？〃
　Dunross　hesitated。　Then　he　said；　〃Friday；　after　the　market　closes。〃
　〃Good。　I'm　with　you；　Ian。　Fifteen　million。　Fifteen　instead　of　ten。　You'll　sell　the　Ho…Pak　short　tomorrow？〃
　〃Of　course。　Lando；　do　you　know　who's　behind　the　run　on　the　Ho…Pak？〃
　〃No。　But　Richard　is　overextended；　and　he　hasn't　been　too　wise。　People　talk；　Chinese　always　distrust　any　bank；　and　they　react　to　rumors。　I　think　the　bank　will　crash。〃
　〃Christ！〃
　〃Joss。〃　Mata's　fingers　stopped　drumming。　〃I　want　to　triple　our　gold　imports。〃
　Dunross　stared　at　him。　〃Why？　You're　up　to　capacity　now。　If　you　push　them　too　fast　they'll　make　mistakes　and　your　seizure　rate　will　go　up。　At　the　moment　you've　balanced　everything　perfectly。〃
　〃Yes；　but　Four　Fingers　and　others　assure　us　they　can　make　some　substantial　bulk　shipments　safely。〃
　〃No　need　to　push　them　…　or　your　market。　No　need　at　all。〃
　〃Ian；　listen　to　me　a　moment。　There's　trouble　in　Indonesia；　trouble　in　China；　India；　Tibet；　Malaya；　Singapore；　ferment　in　the　Philippines　and　now　the　Americans　are　going　into　Southeast　Asia　which　will　be　marvelous　for　us　and　dreadful　for　them。　Inflation　will　soar　and　then；　as　usual；　every　sensible　businessman　in　Asia；　particularly　Chinese　businessmen；　will　want　to　get　out　of　paper　money　and　into　gold。　We　should　be　ready　to　service　that　demand。〃
　〃What've　you　heard；　Lando？。〃
　〃Lots　of　curious　things；　tai…pan。　For　example；　that　certain　top　U。S。　generals　want　a　full…scale　confrontation　with　the　munists。　Vietnam's　chosen。〃
　〃But　the　Americans'll　never　win　there。　China　can't　let　them；　any　more　than　they　could　in　Korea。　Any　history　book　will　tell　them　China　always　crosses　her　borders　to　protect　her　buffer　zones　when　any　invader　approaches。〃
　〃Even　so；　the　confrontation　will　take　place。〃
　Dunross　studied　Lando　Mata　whose　enormous　wealth　and　longtime　involvement　in　the　honorable　profession　of　trading；　as　he　described　it；　gave　him　vast　entrée　into　the　most　secretive　of　places。　〃What　else　have　you　heard；　Lando？〃
　〃The　CIA　has　had　its　budget　doubled。〃
　〃That　has　to　be　classified。　No　one　could　know　that。〃
　〃Yes。　But　I　know。　Their　security's　appalling。　Ian；　the　CIA's　into　everything　in　Southeast　Asia。　I　believe　some　of　their　misguided　zealots　are　even　trying　to　wheedle　into　the　opium　trade　in　the　Golden　Triangle　for　the　benefit　of　their　friendly　Mekong　hill　tribes　…　to　encourage　them　to　fight　the　Viet　Cong。〃
　〃Christ！〃
　〃Yes。　Our　brethren　in　Taiwan　are　furious。　And　there's　a　growing　abundance　of　U。S。　Government　money　pouring　into　airfields；　harbors；　roads。　In　Okinawa；　Taiwan　and　particularly　in　South　Vietnam。　Certain　highly　connected　political　families　are　helping　to　supply　the　cement　and　steel　on　very　favorable　terms。〃
　〃Who？〃
　〃Who　makes　cement？　Perhaps　in　。。。　say　in　New　England？〃
　〃Good　sweet　Christ；　are　you　sure？〃
　Mata　smiled　humorlessly。　〃I　even　heard　that　part　of　a　very　large　government　loan　to　South　Vietnam　was　expended　on　a　nonexistent　airfield　that's　still　impenetrable　jungle。　Oh　yes；　Ian；　the　pickings　are　already　huge。　So　please　order　triple　shipments　from　tomorrow。　We　institute　our　new　hydrofoil　services　next　month　…　that'll　cut　the　time　to　Macao　from　three　hours　to　seventy…five　minutes。〃
　〃Wouldn't　the　Catalina　still　be　safer？〃
　〃No。　I　don't　think　so。　The　hydrofoils　can　carry　much　more　gold　and　can　outrun　anything　in　these　waters　…　we'll　have　constant　radar　munications；　the　best；　so　we　can　outrun　any　pirates。〃
　After　a　pause；　Dunross　said；　〃So　much　gold　could　attract　all　sorts　of　villains。　Perhaps　even　international　crooks。〃
　Mata　smiled　his　thin　smile。　〃Let　them　e。　They'll　never　leave。　We've　long　arms　in　Asia。〃　His　fingers　began　drumming　again。　〃Ian；　we're　old　friends；　I　would　like　some　advice。〃
　〃Glad　to　…　anything。〃
　〃Do　you　believe　in　change？〃
　〃Business　change？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃It　depends；　Lando；〃　Dunross　answered　at　once。　〃The　Noble　House's　changed　little　in　almost　a　century　and　a　half；　in　other　ways　it's　changed　vastly。〃　He　watched　the　older　man；　and　he　waited。
　At　length　Mata　said；　〃In　a　few　weeks　the　Macao　Government　is　obliged　to　put　the　gambling　concession　up　for　bids　again。　。。。〃　Instantly　Dunross's　attention　zeroed。　All　big　business　in　Macao　was　conducted　on　monopoly　lines；　the　monopoly　going　to　the　person　or　pany　that　offered　the　most　taxes　per　year　for　the　privilege。　〃。。。　This's　the　fifth　year。　Every　five　years　our　department　asks　for　closed　bids。　The　auction's　open　to　anyone　but；　in　practice；　we　scrutinize　very　particularly　those　who　are　invited　to　bid。〃　The　silence　hung　a　moment；　then　Mata　continued；　〃My　old　associate；　Smuggler　Mo's　already　dead。　His　offspring're　mostly　profligate　or　more　interested　in　the　Western　world；　gambling　in　southern　France　or　playing　golf；　than　in　the　health　and　future　of　the　syndicate。　For　the　Mo　it's　the　age…old　destiny：　one…in…ten…thousand　coolie　strikes　gold；　harbors　money；　invests　in　land；　saves　money；　bees　rich；　buys　young　concubines　who　use　him　up　quickly。　Second　generation　discontented；　spend　money；　mortgage　land　to　buy　face　and　ladies'　favors。　Third　generation　sell　land；　go　bankrupt　for　same　favors。　Fourth　generation　coolie。〃　His　voice　was　calm；　even　gentle。　〃My　old　friend's　dead　and　I've　no　feeling　for　his　sons；　or　their　sons。　They're　rich；　hugely　rich　because　of　me；　and　they'll　find　their　own　level；　good；　bad　or　very　bad。　As　to　Tightfist　。。。〃　Again　his　fingers　stopped。　〃Tightfist's　dying。〃
　Dunross　was　startled。　〃But　I　saw　him　only　a　week　or　so　ago　and　he　looked　healthy；　frail　as　always；　but　full　of　his　usual　piss　and　vinegar。〃
　〃He's　dying；　Ian。　I　know　because　I　was　his　interpreter　with　the　Portuguese　specialists。　He　didn't　want　to　trust　any　of　his　sons　…　that's　what　he　told　me。　It　took　me　months　to　get　him　to　go　to　see　them　but　both　doctors　were　quite　sure：　cancer　of　the　colon。　His　system's　riddled　with　it。　They　gave　him　a　month；　two　months　。。。　this　was　a　week　ago。〃　Mata　smiled。　〃Old　Tightfist　just　swore　at　them；　told　them　they　were　wrong　and　fools　and　that　he'd　never　pay　for　a　wrong　diagnosis。〃　The　lithe　Portuguese　laughed　without　humor。　〃He's　worth　over　600　million　U。S。　but　he'll　never　pay　that　doctor　bill；　or　do　anything　but　continue　to　drink　foul…smelling；　foul…tasting　Chinese　herbal　brews　and　smoke　his　occasional　opium　pipe。　He　just　won't　accept　a　Western；　a　quai　loh　diagnosis　…　you　know　him。　You　know　him　very　well；　eh？〃
　〃Yes。〃　When　Dunross　was　on　his　school　holidays　his　father　would　send　him　to　work　for　certain　old　friends。　Tightfist　Tung　had　been　one　of　them　and　Dunross　remembered　the　hideous　summer　he　had　spent　sweating　in　the　filthy　basement　of　the　syndicate　bank　in　Macao；　trying　to　please　his　mentor　and　not　to　weep　with　rage　at　the　thought　of　what　he　had　to　endure　while　all　his　friends　were　out　playing。　But　now　he　was　glad　for　that　summer。　Tightfist　had　taught　him　much　about　money　…　the　value　of　it；　how　to　make　it；　hold　on　to　it；　about　usury；　greed　and　the　normal　Chinese　lending　rate；　in　good　times；　of　2　percent　a　month。
　〃Take　twice　as　much　collateral　as　you　need　but　if　he　has　none　then　look　at　the　eyes　of　the　borrower！〃　Tightfist　would　scream　at　him。　〃No　collateral；　then　of　course　charge　a　bigger　interest。　Now　think；　can　you　trust　him？　Can　he　repay　the　money？　Is　he　a　worker　or　a　drone？　Look　at　him；　fool；　he's　your　collateral！　How　much　of　my　hard…earned　money　does　he　want？　Is　he　a　hard　worker？　If　he　is；　what's　2　percent　a　month　to　him　…　or　4？　Nothing。　But　it's　my　money　that'll　make　the　fornicator　rich　if　it's　his　joss　to　be　rich。　The　man　himself's　all　the　collateral　you　ever　need！　Lend　a　rich　man's　son　anything　if　he's　borrowing　against　his　heritage　and　you　have　the　father's　chop　…　it'll　all　be　thrown　away　on　singsong　girls　but　never　mind；　it's　his　money　not　yours！　How　do　you　bee　rich？　You　save！　You　save　money；　buy　land　with　one　third；　lend　one　third　and　keep　one　third　in　cash。　Lend　only　to　civilized　persons　and　never　trust　a　quai　loh　。。。〃　he　would　cackle。
　Dunross　remembered　well　the　old　man　with　his　stony　eyes；　hardly　any　teeth　…　an　illiterate　who　could　read　but　three　characters　and　could　write　but　th