jamesclavell.noblehouse-第105部分

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　〃How　many　points　are　we　off？〃
　〃From　this　morning？　Three　points。〃
　Phillip　Chen　gasped　and　almost　dropped　the　phone。　〃What？〃
　〃Yes；〃　Dunross　agreed　pleasantly。　〃Someone's　started　rumors　about　us。　It's　all　over　the　market　that　we're　in　trouble；　that　we　can't　pay　Toda　Shipping　next　week　…　nor　the　Orlin　installment。　I　think　now　we're　being　sold　short。〃
　
　31
　
　2：45　P。M。：
　Gornt　was　sitting　beside　his　stockbroker；　Joseph　Stern；　in　the　exchange　watching　the　big　board　delightedly。　It　was　warm　and　very　humid　in　the　large　room　that　was　packed　and　noisy；　phones　ringing；　sweating　brokers；　Chinese　clerks　and　runners。　Normally　the　exchange　was　calm　and　leisurely。　Today　it　was　not。　Everyone　was　tense　and　concentrating。　And　uneasy。　Many　had　their　coats　off。
　Gornt's　own　stock　was　off　a　point　but　that　did　not　bother　him　a　bit。　Struan's　was　down　3。50　now　and　Ho…Pak　tottering。　Time's　running　out　for　Struan's；　he　thought；　everything's　primed；　everything's　begun。　Bartlett's　money　had　been　put　into　his　Swiss　bank　within　the　hour；　no　strings　…　just　2　million　transferred　from　an　unknown　account　into　his。　Seven　phone　calls　began　the　rumors。　Another　call　to　Japan　confirmed　the　accuracy　of　the　Struan　payment　dates。　Yes；　he　thought；　the　attack's　begun。
　His　attention　went　to　the　Ho…Pak　listing　on　the　board　as　some　more　sell　offerings　were　written　up　by　a　broker。　There　were　no　immediate　buyers。
　Since　he　had　secretly　started　selling　Ho…Pak　short　on　Monday　just　before　the　market　closed　at　three　o'clock　…　long　before　the　run　had　started　in　earnest　…　he　was　millions　ahead。　On　Monday　the　stock　had　sold　at　28。60；　and　now；　even　with　all　the　support　Richard　Kwang　was　giving　it；　it　was　down　to　24。30　…　off　more　points　than　the　stock　had　moved　ever　since　the　bank　was　formed　eleven　years　ago。
　4。30　times　500；000　makes　2；150；000；　Gornt　was　thinking　happily；　all　in　honest…to…God　HK　currency　if　I　wanted　to　buy　back　in　right　now　which　isn't　bad　for　forty…eight　hours　of　labor。　But　I　won't　buy　back　in　yet；　oh　dear　no。　Not　yet。　I'm　sure　now　that　the　stock　will　crash；　if　not　today；　tomorrow；　Thursday。　If　not　then；　Friday　…　Monday　at　the　latest；　for　no　bank　in　the　world　can　sustain　such　a　run。　Then；　when　the　crash　es　I'll　buy　back　in　at　a　few　cents　on　the　dollar　and　make　twenty　times　half　a　million。
　〃Sell　200；000；〃　he　said；　beginning　to　sell　short　openly　now　…　the　other　shares　hidden　carefully　among　his　secret　nominees。
　〃Good　God；　Mr。　Gornt；〃　his　stockbroker　gasped。　〃The　Ho…Pak'll　have　to　put　up　almost　5　million　to　cover。　That'll　rock　the　whole　market。〃
　〃Yes；〃　he　said　jovially。
　〃We'll　have　a　hell　of　a　time　borrowing　the　stock。〃
　〃Then　do　it。〃
　Reluctantly　his　stockbroker　began　to　leave　but　one　of　the　phones　rang。　〃Yes？　Oh　hello；　Daytime　Chang；〃　he　said　in　passable　Cantonese。　〃What　can　I　do　for　you？〃
　〃I　hope　you　can　save　all　my　money；　Honorable　Middleman。　What　is　Noble　House　selling　for？〃
　〃25。30。〃
　There　was　a　screech　of　dismay。　〃Woe　woe　woe；　there's　barely　half　a　dog…bone　hour　of　trading　left；　woe　woe　woe！　Please　sell！　Please　sell　all　Noble　House　panies　at　once；　Noble　House；　Good　Luck　Properties　and　Golden　Ferry；　also　。。。　what's　Second　Great　pany　selling　at？〃
　〃23。30。〃
　〃Ayeeyah；　one　point　off　from　this　morning？　All　gods　bear　witness　to　foul　joss！　Sell。　Please　to　sell　everything　at　once！〃
　〃But　Daytime　Chang；　the　market's　really　quite　sound　an…　〃
　〃At　once！　Haven't　you　heard　the　rumors？　Noble　House　will　crash！　Eeeee；　sell；　waste　not　a　minute！　Hold　a　moment；　my　associate　Fung…tat　wants　to　talk　to　you　too。〃
　〃Yes；　Third　Toiletmaid　Fung？〃
　〃Just　like　Daytime　Chang；　Honorable　Middleman！　Sell！　Before　I'm　lost！　Sell　and　call　us　back　with　prices　oh　oh　oh！　Please　hurry！〃
　He　put　the　phone　down。　This　was　the　fifth　panic　call　he　had　had　from　old　customers　and　he　did　not　like　it　at　all。　Stupid　to　panic；　he　thought；　checking　his　stock　book。　Between　the　two　of　them；　Daytime　Chang　and　Third　Toiletmaid　Fung　had　invested　over　40；000　HK　in　various　stocks。　If　he　sold　now　they　would　be　ahead；　well　ahead；　but　for　the　Struan　losses　today　which　would　shave　off　most　of　their　profit。
　Joseph　Stern　was　head　of　the　firm　of　Stern　and　Jones　that　had　been　in　Hong　Kong　for　fifty　years。　They　had　bee　stockbrokers　only　since　the　war。　Before　that　they　were　moneylenders；　dealers　in　foreign　exchange　and　ship's　chandlers。　He　was　a　small；　dark…haired　man；　mostly　bald；　in　his　sixties；　and　many　people　thought　he　had　Chinese　blood　in　him　a　few　generations　back。
　He　walked　to　the　front　of　the　board　and　stopped　beside　the　column　that　listed　Golden　Ferry。　He　wrote　down　the　bined　Chang　and　Fung　holdings　in　the　sell　column。　It　was　a　minor　offering。
　〃I'll　buy　at　30　cents　off　listing；〃　a　broker　said。
　〃There's　no　run　on　Golden　Ferry；〃　he　said　sharply。
　〃No；　but　it's　a　Struan　pany。　Yes　or　no？〃
　〃You　know　very　well　Golden　Ferry's　profits　are　up　this　quarter。〃
　〃Tough　titty！　Christ；　isn't　it　bloody　hot？　Don't　you　think　we　could　afford　air　conditioning　in　the　exchange？　Is　it　yes　or　no；　old　chap？〃
　Joseph　Stern　thought　a　moment。　He　did　not　want　to　fuel　the　nervousness。　Only　yesterday　Golden　Ferry　had　soared　a　dollar　because　all　the　business　world　knew　their　annual　meeting　was　next　week；　it　had　been　a　good　year　and　it　was　rumored　there　was　going　to　be　a　stock　split。　But　he　knew　the　first　rule　of　all　exchanges：　yesterday　has　nothing　to　do　with　today。　The　client　had　said；　Sell。
　〃20　cents　off　market？〃　he　asked。
　〃30。　Last　offer。　What　the　hell　do　you　care；　you　still　get　paid。　Is　it　30　off？〃
　〃All　right。〃　Stern　worked　his　way　down　the　board；　selling　most　of　their　stocks　without　trouble　though　each　time　he　had　to　concede　on　price。　With　difficulty　he　borrowed　the　Ho…Pak　stock。　Now　he　stopped　at　the　column　listing　the　bank。　There　were　many　sell　orders。　Most　of　them　were　small　figures。　He　wrote　200；000　at　the　bottom　of　the　list　in　the　sell　column。　A　shock　wave　went　through　the　room。　He　paid　no　attention；　just　looked　at　Forsythe；　who　was　Richard　Kwang's　broker。　Today　he　was　the　only　buyer　of　Ho…Pak。
　〃Is　Quillan　trying　to　wreck　the　Ho…Pak？〃　a　broker　asked。
　〃It's　already　under　siege。　Do　you　want　to　buy　the　shares？〃
　〃Not　on　your　bloody　life！　Are　you　selling　Struan　short　too？〃
　〃No。　No　I'm　not。〃
　〃Christ；　I　don't　like　this　at　all。〃
　〃Keep　calm；　Harry；〃　someone　else　said。　〃The　market's　e　alive　for　once；　that's　all　that　counts。〃
　〃Great　day；　what？〃'　another　broker　said　to　him。　〃Is　the　crash　on？　I'm　totally　liquid　myself；　sold　out　this　morning。　Is　it　going　to　be　a　crash？〃
　〃I　don't　know。〃
　〃Shocking　about　Struan's；　isn't　it？〃
　〃Do　you　believe　all　the　rumors？〃
　〃No；　of　course　not；　but　one　word　to　the　wise　is　sufficient　they　say；　what？〃
　〃I　don't　believe　it。〃
　〃Struan's　off　31/2　points　in　one　day；　old　boy；　a　lot　of　people　believe　it；〃　another　broker　said。　〃I　sold　out　my　Struan's　this　morning。　Will　Richard　sustain　the　run？〃
　〃That's　in　the　hands　of　。。。〃　Joseph　Stern　was　going　to　say　God　but　he　knew　that　Richard　Kwang's　future　was　in　the　hands　of　his　depositors　and　that　they　had　already　decided。　〃Joss；〃　he　said　sadly。
　〃Yes。　Thank　God　we　get　our　missions　either　way；　feast　or　famine；　jolly　good；　what？〃
　〃Jolly　good；〃　Stern　echoed；　privately　loathing　the　smug；　self…satisfied　upper…class　English　accent　of　the　exclusive　British　public　schools；　schools　that；　because　he　was　Jewish；　he　had　never　been　able　to　attend。　He　saw　Forsythe　put　the　phone　down　and　look　at　the　board。　Once　more　he　tapped　his　offering。　Forsythe　beckoned　him。　He　walked　through　the　throng；　eyes　watching　him。
　〃Are　you　buying？〃　he　asked。
　〃In　due　course；　Joseph；　old　boy！〃　Forsythe　added　softly。　〃Between　you　and　me；　can't　you　get　Quillan　off　our　backs？　I've　reason　to　believe　he's　in　cahoots　with　that　berk　Southerby。〃
　〃Is　that　a　public　accusation？〃
　〃Oh　e　on；　it's　a　private　opinion；　for　chrissake！　Haven't　you　read　Haply's　column？　Tai…pans　and　a　big　bank　spreading　rumors？　You　know　Richard's　sound。　Richard's　as　sound　as　。。。　as　the　Rothschilds！　You　know　Richard's　got　over　a　billion　in　res…　〃
　〃I　saw　the　crash　of　'29；　old　chap。　There　were　trillions　in　reserve　then　but　even　so　everyone　went　broke。　It's　a　matter　of　cash；　credit　and　liquidity。　And　confidence。　You'll　buy　our　offering；　yes　or　no？〃
　〃Probably。〃
　〃How　long　can　you　keep　this　up？〃
　Forsythe　looked　at　him。　〃Forever。　I'm　just　a　stockbroker。　I　just　follow　orders。　Buy　or　sell　I　make　a　quarter　of　one　percent。〃
　〃If　the　client　pays。〃
　〃He　has　to。　We　have　his　stock；　eh？　We　have　rules。　But　while　I　think　of　it；　go　to　hell。〃
　Stern　laughed。　〃I'm　British；　I'm　going　to　heaven；　didn't　you　know。〃　Uneasily；　he　walked　back　to　his　desk。　〃I　think　he'll　buy　before　the　market　closes。〃
　It　was　a　quarter　to　three。　〃Good；〃　Gornt　said。　〃Now　I　wa…　〃　He　stopped。　They　both　looked　back　as　there　was　an　undercurrent。　Dunross　was　escorting　Casey　and　Linc　Bartlett　to　the　desk　of　Alan　Holdbrook　…　Struan's　in…house　broker　…　on　the　other　side　of　the　hall。
　〃I　thought　he'd　left　for　the　day；〃　Gornt　said　with　a　sneer。
　〃The　tai…pan　never　runs　away　from　trouble。　It's　not　in　his　nature。〃　Stern　watched　them　thoughtfully。　〃They　look　pretty　friendly。　Perhaps　the　rumors　are　all　wrong　and　Ian'll　make　the　Par…Con　deal　and　make　the　payments。〃
　〃He　can't。　That　deal's　going　to　fall　through；〃　Gornt　said。　〃Bartlett's　no　fool。　Bartlett'd　be　mad　to　throw　in　with　that　tottering　empire。〃
　〃I　didn't　even　know　until　a　few　hours　ago　that　Struan's　were　indebted　to　the　Orlin　Bank。　Or　that　the　Toda　payments　were　due　in　a　week　or　so。　Or　the　even　more　nonsensical　rumor　that　the　Vic　won't　support　the　Noble　House。　Lot　of　nonsense。　I　called　Havergill　and　that's　what　he　said。〃
　〃What　else　would　he　say？〃
　After　a　pause；　Stern　said；　〃Curious　that　all　that　news　surfaced　today。〃
　〃Very。　Sell　200；000　Struan's。〃
　Stern's　eyes　widened　and　he　plucked　at　his　bushy　eyebrows。　〃Mr。　Gornt；　don't　you　think　th…　〃
　〃No。　Please　do　as　I　ask。〃
　〃I　think　you're　wrong　this　time。　The　tai…pan's　too　clever。　He'll　get　all　the　support　he　needs。　You'll　get　burned。〃
　〃Times　change。　People　change。　If　Struan's　have　extended　themselves　and　can't　pay　。。。　Well；　my　dear　fellow；　this's　Hong　Kong　and　I　hope　the　buggers　go　to　the　wall。　Make　it　300；000。〃
　〃Sell　at　what　figure；　Mr。　G