jamesclavell.noblehouse-第130部分

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heir　differences　even　if　it　costs　them　their　stupid　lives。〃　He　laughed　and　stared　at　his　glass　blearily；　swirling　the　liquid　around。　DeVille　watched　him；　hating　him；　wanting　to　give　him　the　lie　back；　afraid　to；　knowing　himself　totally　in　Suslev's　power。　Once；　some　years　ago；　he　had　balked　over　sending　some　routine　Struan　figures　to　a　box　number　in　Berlin。　Within　a　day；　a　stranger　had　phoned　him　at　home。　Such　a　call　had　never　happened　before。　It　was　friendly。　But　he　knew。
　DeVille　suppressed　a　shudder　and　kept　his　face　clear　as　Suslev　glanced　up　at　him。
　〃Don't　you　agree；　tovarich？〃　the　KGB　man　said；　beaming。　〃I　swear　I'll　never　understand　the　capitalists。　They　make　enemies　of　four　hundred　million　Arabs　who　have　all　the　world's　real　oil　reserves　one　day　they　will　need　so　desperately。　And　soon　we'll　have　Iran　and　the　Gulf　and　the　Strait　of　Hormuz。　Then　we'll　have　a　hand　on　the　West's　tap；　then　they're　ours　and　no　need　for　war　…　just　execution。〃　Suslev　drained　his　vodka　and　poured　another。
　DeVille　watched　him；　loathing　him　now；　wondering　frantically　about　his　own　role。　Is　it　for　this　that　I　have　been　almost　a　perfect　mole；　for　sixteen　years　keeping　myself　prepared　and　ready；　with　no　suspicion　against　me？　Even　Susanne　suspects　nothing　and　everyone　believes　I'm　anti…munist；　pro…Struan's　which　is　the　arch…capitalistic　creation　in　all　Asia。　Dirk　Struan's　thoughts　permeate　us。　Profit。　Profit　for　the　tai…pan　and　the　Noble　House　and　then　Hong　Kong　in　that　order　and　the　hell　with　everyone　except　the　Crown；　England　and　China。　And　even　if　I　don't　bee　tai…pan；　I　can　still　make　Sevrin　the　wrecker　of　China　that　Suslev　and　Arthur　want　it　to　be。　But　do　I　want　to　now？　Now　that；　for　the　first　time；　I've　really　seen　into　this　。。。　this　monster　and　all　their　hypocrisy？
　〃Stalin；〃　he　said；　almost　wincing　under　Suslev's　gaze。　〃Did　。。。　you　ever　meet　him？〃
　〃I　was　near　him　once。　Ten　feet　away。　He　was　tiny　but　you　could　feel　his　power。　That　was　in　1953　at　a　party　Beria　gave　for　some　senior　KGB　officers。　My　father　was　invited　and　I　was　allowed　to　go　with　him。〃　Suslev　took　another　vodka；　hardly　seeing　him；　swept　by　the　past　and　by　his　family's　involvement　in　the　movement。　〃Stalin　was　there；　Beria；　Malenkov　。。。　Did　you　know　Stalin's　real　name　was　Iosif　Vissarionovich　Dzhugashvili？　He　was　the　son　of　a　shoemaker；　in　Tiflis；　my　home；　destined　for　the　priesthood　but　expelled　from　the　seminary　there。　Strange　strange　strange！〃
　They　touched　glasses。
　〃No　need　for　you　to　be　so　solemn；　rade；〃　he　said；　misreading　deVille。　〃Whatever　your　personal　loss。　You're　part　of　the　future；　part　of　the　march　to　victory！〃　Suslev　drained　his　glass。　〃Stalin　must　have　died　a　happy　man。　We　should　be　so　lucky；　eh？〃
　〃And　Beria？〃
　〃Beria　tried　to　take　power　too　late。　He　failed。　We　in　the　KGB　are　like　Japanese　in　that　we　too　agree　the　only　sin　is　failure。　But　Stalin　。。。　There's　a　story　my　father　tells　that　when　at　Yalta；　for　no　concession；　Roosevelt　agreed　to　give　Stalin　Manchuria　and　the　Kuriles　which　guaranteed　us　dominance　over　China　and　Japan　and　all　Asian　waters；　Stalin　had　a　hemorrhage　choking　back　his　laughter　and　almost　died！〃
　After　a　pause；　deVille　said；　〃And　Solzhenitsyn　and　the　gulags？〃
　〃We're　at　war；　my　friend；　there　are　traitors　within。　Without　terror　how　can　the　few　rule　the　many？　Stalin　knew　that。　He　was　a　truly　great　man。　Even　his　death　served　us。　It　was　brilliant　of　Khrushchev　to　use　him　to　'humanize'　the　USSR。〃
　〃That　was　just　another　ploy？〃　deVille　asked；　shaken。
　〃That　would　be　a　state　secret。〃　Suslev　swallowed　a　belch。　〃It　doesn't　matter；　Stalin　will　be　returned　to　his　glory　soon。　Now；　what　about　Ottawa？〃
　〃Oh。　I've　been　in　contact　with　Jean…Charles　an…　〃　The　phone　rang　abruptly。　A　single　ring。　Their　eyes　went　to　it；　their　breathing　almost　stopped。　After　twenty…odd　seconds　there　was　a　second　single　ring。　Both　men　relaxed　slightly。　Another　twenty…odd　seconds　and　the　third　ring　became　continuous。　One　ring　meant　〃Danger　leave　immediately〃；　two；　that　the　meeting　was　canceled；　three　that　whoever　was　calling　would　be　there　shortly；　three　being　continuous；　that　it　was　safe　to　talk。　Suslev　picked　up　the　phone。　He　heard　breathing；　then　Arthur　asked　in　his　curious　accent；　〃Is　Mr。　Lop…sing　there？〃
　〃There's　no　Lop…ting　here；　you　have　a　wrong　number；〃　Suslev　said　in　a　different　voice；　concentrating　with　an　effort。
　They　went　through　the　code　carefully；　Suslev　further　reassured　by　Arthur's　slight；　dry　cough。　Then　Arthur　said；　〃I　cannot　meet　tonight。　Would　Friday　at　three　be　convenient？〃　Friday　meant　Thursday　…　tomorrow　…　Wednesday　meant　Tuesday；　and　so　on。　The　three　was　a　code　for　a　meeting　place：　the　Happy　Valley　Racecourse　at　the　dawn　workout。
　Tomorrow　at　dawn！
　〃Yes。〃
　The　phone　clicked　off。　Only　the　dial　tone　remained。
　
　
　THURSDAY
　
　
　39
　
　4：50　A。M。：
　About　an　hour　before　dawn　in　the　pouring　rain　Goodweather　Poon　looked　down　at　the　half…naked　body　of　John　Chen　and　cursed。　He　had　been　through　his　clothes　carefully　and　sifted　through　endless　pounds　of　mud　from　the　grave　that　the　two　youths；　Kin　Pak　and　Dog…eared　Chen；　had　dug。　But　he　had　found　nothing　…　no　coins　or　parts　of　coins　or　jewelry；　nothing。　And　Four　Finger　Wu　had　said　earlier；　〃You　find　that　half…coin；　Goodweather　Poon！〃　Then　the　old　man　had　given　him　further　instructions　and　Goodweather　Poon　was　very　pleased　because　that　relieved　him　of　any　responsibility　and　he　could　then　make　no　mistake。
　He　had　ordered　Dog…eared　Chen　and　Kin　Pak　to　carry　the　body　downstairs　and　had　threatened　Smallpox　Kin；　who　nursed　his　mutilated　hand；　that　if　the　youth　moaned　once　more　he　would　slice　out　his　tongue。　They　had　left　Father　Kin's　body　in　an　alley。　Then　Goodweather　Poon　had　sought　out　the　King　of　the　Beggars　of　Kowloon　City　who　was　a　distant　cousin　of　Four　Finger　Wu。　All　beggars　were　members　of　the　Beggars'　Guild　and　there　was　one　king　in　Hong　Kong；　one　in　Kowloon　and　one　in　Kowloon　City。　In　olden　days　begging　was　a　lucrative　profession；　but　now；　due　to　stiff　prison　sentences　and　fines　and　plenty　of　well…paying　jobs；　it　was　not。
　〃You　see；　Honored　Beggar　King；　this　acquaintance　of　ours　has　just　died；〃　Goodweather　Poon　explained　patiently　to　the　distinguished　old　man。　〃He　has　no　relations；　so　he's　been　put　out　in　Flowersellers'　Alley。　My　High　Dragon　would　certainly　appreciate　a　little　help。　Perhaps　you　could　arrange　a　quiet　burial？〃　He　negotiated　politely　then　paid　the　agreed　price　and　went　off　to　their　taxi　and　car　that　waited　outside　the　city　limits；　happy　that　now　the　body　would　vanish　forever　without　a　trace。　Kin　Pak　was　already　in　the　taxi's　front　seat。　He　got　in　beside　him。　〃Guide　us　to　John　Chen；〃　he　ordered。　〃And　be　quick！〃
　〃Take　the　Sha　Tin　Road；〃　Kin　Pak　said　importantly　to　the　driver。　Dog…eared　Chen　was　cowering　in　the　backseat　with　more　of　Goodweather　Poon's　fighters。　Smallpox　Kin　and　the　others　followed　in　the　car。
　The　two　vehicles　went　northwest　into　the　New　Territories　on　the　Sha　Tin　…　Tai　Po　road　that　curled　through　villages　and　resettlement　areas　and　shantytowns　of　squatters；　through　the　mountain　pass；　skirting　the　railway　that　headed　north　for　the　border；　past　rich　market　gardens　heavy　with　the　smell　of　dung。　Just　before　the　fishing　village　of　Sha　Tin　with　the　sea　on　their　right；　they　turned　left　off　the　main　road　onto　a　side　road；　the　surface　broken　and　puddled。　In　a　glade　of　trees　they　stopped　and　got　out。
　It　was　warm　in　the　rain；　the　land　sweet…smelling。　Kin　Pak　took　the　shovel　and　led　the　way　into　the　undergrowth。　Goodweather　Poon　held　the　flashlight　as　Kin　Pak；　Dog…eared　Chen　and　Smallpox　Kin　searched。　It　was　difficult　in　the　darkness　for　them　to　find　the　exact　place。　Twice　they　had　begun　to　dig；　before　Kin　Pak　remembered　their　father　had　marked　the　spot　with　a　crescent　rock。　Cursing　and　soaked；　at　length　they　found　the　rock　and　began　to　dig。　The　earth　was　parched　under　the　surface。　Soon　they　had　unearthed　the　corpse　which　was　wrapped　in　a　blanket。　The　smell　was　heavy。　Though　Goodweather　Poon　had　made　them　strip　the　body　and　had　searched　diligently；　nothing　was　to　be　found。
　〃You　sent　everything　else　to　Noble　House　Chen？〃　he　asked　again；　rain　on　his　face；　his　clothes　soaking。
　〃Yes；〃　the　young　Kin　Pak　said　truculently。　〃How　many　fornicating　times　do　I　have　to　tell　you？〃　He　was　very　weary；　his　clothes　sodden；　and　he　was　sure　he　was　going　to　die。
　〃All　of　you　take　your　manure…infested　clothes　off。　Shoes　socks　everything。　I　want　to　go　through　your　pockets。〃。
　They　obeyed。　Kin　Pak　wore　a　string　around　his　neck　with　a　cheap　circle　of　jade　on　it。　Almost　everyone　in　China　wore　a　piece　of　jade　for　good　luck；　because　everyone　knew　if　an　evil　god　caused　you　to　stumble；　the　spirit　of　jade　would　get　between　you　and　the　evil　and　take　the　brunt　of　the　fall　from　you　and　shatter；　saving　you　from　shattering。　And　if　it　didn't；　then　the　Jade　God　was　regretfully　sleeping　and　that　was　your　joss　never　mind。
　Goodweather　Poon　found　nothing　in　Kin　Pak's　pockets。　He　threw　the　clothes　back　at　him。　By　now　he　was　soaked　too　and　very　irritable。　〃You　can　dress；　and　dress　the　corpse　again。　And　hurry　it　up！〃
　Dog…eared　Chen　had　almost　400　HK　and　a　jade　bracelet　of　good　quality。　One　of　the　men　took　the　jade　and　Poon　pocketed　the　money　and　turned　on　Smallpox　Kin。　All　their　eyes　popped　as　they　saw　the　big　roll　of　notes　he　found　in　the　youth's　pants　pocket。
　Goodweather　Poon　shielded　it　carefully　from　the　rain。　〃Where　in　the　name　of　Heavenly　Whore　did　you　get　all　this？〃
　He　told　them　about　shaking　down　the　lucky　ones　outside　the　Ho…Pak　and　they　laughed　and　plimented　him　on　his　sagacity。　〃Very　good；　very　clever；〃　Poon　said。　〃You're　a　good　businessman。　Put　your　clothes　on。　What　was　the　old　woman's　name？〃
　〃She　called　herself　Ah　Tam。〃　Smallpox　Kin　wiped　the　rain　out　of　his　eyes；　his　toes　twisting　into　the　mud；　his　mutilated　hand　on　fire　now　and　aching　very　much。　〃I'll　take　you　to　her　if　you　want。〃
　〃Hey；　I　need　the　fornicating　light　here！〃　Kin　Pak　called　out。　He　was　on　his　hands　and　knees；　fighting　John　Chen's　clothes　into　place。　〃Can't　someone　give　me　a　hand？〃
　〃Help　him！〃
　Dog…eared　Chen　and　Smallpox　Kin　hurried　to　help　as　Goodweather　Poon　directed　the　circle　of　light　back　on　the　corpse。　The　body　was　swollen　and　puffy；　the　rain　washing　the　dirt　away。　The　back　of　J