jamesclavell.noblehouse-第31部分

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　〃Yes。　I　agree。　For　that　I　thank　him。　Meanwhile　if　you　don't　like　it　here　go　home　to　Canton　and　sweat　your　balls　off　in　your　munist　paradise　and　dew　neh　loh　moh　on　all　munists　…　and　their　fellow　travelers！〃
　〃You　should　go　there；　see　for　yourself。　It's　propaganda　that　munism's　bad　for　China。　Don't　you　read　the　newspapers？　No　one's　starving　now。〃
　〃What　about　the　twenty…odd　million　who　were　murdered　after　the　takeover？　What　about　all　the　brainwashing？〃
　〃More　propaganda！　Just　because　you've　been　to　English　and　Canadian　public　schools　and　talk　like　a　capitalist　swine　doesn't　mean　you're　one　of　them。　Remember　your　heritage。〃
　〃I　do。　I　remember　it　very　well。〃
　〃Your　father　was　mistaken　to　send　you　away！〃　It　was　mon　knowledge　that　Brian　Kwok　had　been　born　in　Canton　and；　at　the　age　of　six；　sent　to　school　in　Hong　Kong。　He　was　such　a　good　student　that　in　'37；　when　he　was　twelve；　he　had　won　a　scholarship　to　a　fine　public　school　in　England　and　had　gone　there；　and　then　in　'39；　with　the　beginning　of　World　War　II；　the　whole　school　was　evacuated　to　Canada。　In　'42；　at　eighteen；　he　had　graduated　top　of　his　class；　senior　prefect；　and　had　joined　the　Royal　Canadian　Mounted　Police　in　their　plainclothes　branch　in　Vancouver's　huge　Chinatown。　He　spoke　Cantonese；　Mandarin；　sei　yap；　and　had　served　with　distinction。　In　'45　he　had　requested　a　transfer　to　the　Royal　Hong　Kong　Police。　With　the　reluctant　approval　of　the　RCMP；　who　had　wanted　him　to　stay　on；　he　had　returned。　〃You're　wasted　working　for　them；　Brian；〃　Dr。　Meng　continued。　〃You　should　serve　the　masses　and　work　for　the　Party！〃
　〃The　Party　murdered　my　father　and　my　mother　and　most　of　my　family　in　'43！〃
　〃There　was　never　proof　of　that！　Never。　It　was　hearsay。　Perhaps　the　Kuomintang　devils　did　it　…　there　was　chaos　then　in　Canton。　I　was　there；　I　know！　Perhaps　the　Japanese　swine　were　responsible　…　or　triads　…　who　knows？　How　can　you　be　certain？〃
　〃I'm　certain；　by　God。〃
　〃Was　there　a　witness？　No！　You　told　me　that　yourself！〃　Meng's　voice　rasped　and　he　peered　up　at　him　myopically。　〃Ayeeyah；　you're　Chinese；　use　your　education　for　China；　for　the　masses；　not　for　the　capitalist　overlord。〃
　〃Up　yours！〃
　Dr。　Meng　laughed　and　his　glasses　fell　on　to　the　top　of　his　nose。　〃You　wait；　Superintendent　Kar…shun　Kwok。　One　day　your　eyes　will　open。　One　day　you　will　see　the　beauty　of　it　all。〃
　〃Meanwhile　get　me　some　bloody　answers！〃　Brian　Kwok　strode　out　of　the　laboratory　and　went　up　the　corridor　to　the　elevator；　his　shirt　sticking　to　his　back。　I　wish　it　would　rain；　he　thought。
　He　got　into　the　elevator。　Other　policemen　greeted　him　and　he　them。　At　the　third　floor　he　got　out　and　walked　along　the　corridor　to　his　office。　Armstrong　was　waiting　for　him；　idly　reading　a　Chinese　newspaper。　〃Hi；　Robert；〃　he　said；　pleased　to　see　him。　〃What's　new？〃
　〃Nothing。　How　about　you？〃
　Brian　Kwok　told　him　what　Dr。　Meng　had　said。
　〃That　little　bugger　and　his　'could　possiblys'！　The　only　thing　he's　ever　emphatic　about's　a　corpse　…　and　even　then　he'll　have　to　check　a　couple　of　times。〃
　〃Yes　…　or　about　Chairman　Mao。〃
　〃Oh；　he　was　on　that　broken　record　again？〃
　〃Yes。〃　Brian　Kwok　grinned。　〃I　told　him　to　go　back　to　China。〃
　〃He'll　never　leave。〃
　〃I　know。〃　Brian　stared　at　the　pile　of　papers　in　his　in　tray　and　sighed。　Then　he　said；　〃It's　not　like　a　local　to　cut　off　an　ear　so　soon。〃
　〃No；　not　if　it's　a　proper　kidnapping。〃
　〃What？〃
　〃It　could　be　a　grudge　and　the　kidnapping　a　cover；〃　Armstrong　said；　his　well…used　face　hardening。　〃I　agree　with　you　and　Dunross。　I　think　they　did　him　in。〃
　〃But　why？〃
　〃Perhaps　John　was　trying　to　escape；　started　a　fight；　and　they　or　he　panicked　and　before　they　or　he　knew　what　was　happening；　they　or　he'd　knifed　him；　or　bonked　him　with　a　blunt　instrument。〃　Armstrong　sighed　and　stretched　to　ease　the　knot　in　his　shoulders。　〃In　any　event；　old　chap；　our　Great　White　Father　wants　this　solved　quickly。　He　honored　me　with　a　call　to　say　the　governor　had　phoned　personally　to　express　his　concern。〃
　Brian　Kwok　cursed　softly。　〃Foul　news　travels　quickly！　Nothing　in　the　press　yet？〃
　〃No；　but　it's　all　over　Hong　Kong　and　we'll　have　a　red　hot　wind　fanning　our　tails　by　morning。　Mr。　Bloody　Werewolf　Esquire　…　assisted　by　the　pox…ridden；　black…hearted；　uncooperative　Hong　Kong　press　…　will；　I　fear；　cause　us　nothing　but　grief　until　we　catch　the　bastard；　or　bastards。〃
　〃But　catch　him　we　will；　oh　yes；　catch　him　we　will！〃
　〃Yes。　How　about　a　beer　…　or　better；　a　very　large　gin　and　tonic？　I　could　use　one。〃
　〃Good　idea。　Your　stomach　off　again？〃
　〃Yes。　Mary　says　it's　all　the　good　thoughts　I　keep　bottled　up。〃　They　laughed　together　and　headed　for　the　door　and　were　in　the　corridor　when　the　phone　rang。
　〃Leave　the　bloody　thing；　don't　answer　it；　it's　only　trouble；〃　Armstrong　said；　knowing　neither　he　nor　Brian　would　ever　leave　it。
　Brian　Kwok　picked　up　the　phone　and　froze。
　It　was　Roger　Crosse；　senior　superintendent；　director　of　Special　Intelligence。　〃Yes　sir？〃
　〃Brian；　would　you　please　e　up　right　away。〃
　〃Yes　sir。〃
　〃Is　Armstrong　with　you？〃
　〃Yes　sir。〃
　〃Bring　him　too。〃　The　phone　clicked　off。
　〃Yes　sir。〃　He　replaced　the　receiver　and　felt　the　sweat　on　his　back。
　〃God　wants　us；　on　the　double。〃
　Armstrong's　heart　jumped　a　beat。　〃Eh？　Me？〃　He　caught　up　with　Brian　who　was　heading　for　the　elevator。　〃What　the　hell　does　he　want　me　for？　I'm　not　in　SI　now。〃
　〃Ours　not　to　reason　why；　ours　just　to　shit　when　he　murmurs。〃
　Brian　Kwok　pressed　the　up　button。　〃What's　up？〃
　〃Got　to　be　important。　The　Mainland　perhaps？〃
　〃Chou　En…lai's　ousted　Mao　and　the　moderates're　in　power？〃
　〃Dreamer！　Mao'll　die　in　office　…　the　Godhead　of　China。〃
　〃The　only　good　thing　you　can　say　about　Mao　is　that　he's　Chinese　first　and　mie　second。　God…cursed　mies！〃
　〃Hey；　Brian；　maybe　the　Soviets　are　hotting　up　the　border　again。　Another　incident？〃
　〃Could　be。　Yes。　War's　ing　…　yes；　war's　ing　between　Russia　and　China。　Mao's　right　in　that　too。〃
　〃The　Soviets　aren't　that　stupid。〃
　〃Don't　bet　on　it；　old　chum。　I've　said　it　before　and　I've　said　it　again；　the　Soviets　are　the　world　enemy。　There'll　be　war　…　you'll　soon　owe　me　a　thousand　dollars；　Robert。〃
　〃I　don't　think　I　want　to　pay　that　bet。　The　killing'll　be　hideous。〃
　〃Yes。　But　it'll　still　happen。　Again　Mao's　right　in　that。　It'll　be　hideous　all　right　…　but　not　catastrophic。〃　Irritably　Brian　Kwok　punched　the　elevator　button　again。　He　looked　up　suddenly。　〃You　don't　think　the　invasion　from　Taiwan's　launched　at　long　last？〃
　〃That　old　chestnut？　That　old　pipe　dream？　e　off　it；　Brian！　Chiang　Kai…shek'll　never　get　off　Taiwan。〃
　〃If　he　doesn't　the　whole　world's　in　the　manure　pile。　If　Mao　gets　thirty　years　to　consolidate　。。。　Christ；　you've　no　idea。　A　billion　automatons？　Chiang　was　so　right　to　go　after　the　mie　bastards　…　they're　the　real　enemy　of　China。　They're　the　plague　of　China。　Christ；　if　they　get　time　to　Pavlov　all　the　kids。〃
　Armstrong　said　mildly；　〃Anyone'd　think　you're　a　running　dog　Nationalist。　Simmer　down；　lad；　everything's　lousy　in　the　world　which　is　now　and　ever　shall　be　normal　…　but　you；　capitalist　dog；　you　can　go　racing　Saturday；　hill　climbing　Sunday　and　there're　lots　of　birds　ready　to　be　plucked。　Eh？〃
　〃Sorry。〃　They　got　into　the　elevator。　〃That　little　bastard　Meng　caught　me　off　balance；〃　Brian　said；　stabbing　the　top…floor　button。
　Armstrong　switched　to　Cantonese。　〃Thy　mother　on　your　sorry；　Brother。　〃
　〃And　thine　was　stuffed　by　a　vagrant　monkey　with　one　testicle　in　a　pail　of　pig's　nightsoil。〃
　Armstrong　beamed。　〃That's　not　bad；　Brian；〃　he　said　in　English。　〃Not　bad　at　all。〃
　The　elevator　stopped。　They　walked　along　the　drab　corridor。　At　the　door　they　prepared　themselves。　Brian　knocked　gently。
　〃e　in。〃
　Roger　Crosse　was　in　his　fifties；　a　thin　tall　man　with　pale　blue　eyes　and　fair　thinning　hair　and　small；　long…fingered　hands。　His　desk　was　meticulous；　like　his　civilian　clothes　…　his　office　Spartan。　He　motioned　to　chairs。　They　sat。　He　continued　to　read　a　file。　At　length　he　closed　it　carefully　and　set　it　in　front　of　him。　The　cover　was　drab；　interoffice　and　ordinary。　〃An　American　millionaire　arrives　with　smuggled　guns；　an　ex…drug　peddling；　very　suspect　Shanghainese　millionaire　flees　to　Taiwan；　and　now　a　VIP　kidnapping　with；　God　help　us；　Werewolves　and　a　mutilated　ear。　All　in　nineteen…odd　hours。　Where's　the　connection？〃
　Armstrong　broke　the　silence。　〃Should　there　be　one；　sir？〃
　〃Shouldn't　there？〃
　〃Sorry　sir；　I　don't　know。　Yet。〃
　〃That's　very　boring；　Robert；　very　boring　indeed。〃
　〃Yes　sir。〃
　〃Tedious　in　fact；　particularly　as　the　powers　that　be　have　already　begun　to　breathe　heavily　down　my　neck。　And　when　that　happens　。。。〃　He　smiled　at　them　and　both　suppressed　a　shudder。　〃Of　course　Robert；　I　did　warn　you　yesterday　that　important　names　might　be　involved。〃
　〃Yes　sir。〃
　〃Now　Brian；　we're　grooming　you　for　high　office。　Don't　you　think　you　could　take　your　mind　off　horse　racing；　car　racing　and　almost　anything　in　skirts　and　apply　some　of　your　undoubted　talents　to　solving　this　modest　conundrum。〃
　〃Yes　sir。〃
　〃Please　do。　Very　quickly。　You're　assigned　to　the　case　with　Robert　because　it　might　require　your　expertise　…　for　the　next　few　days。　I　want　this　out　of　the　way　very　very　quickly　indeed　because　we've　a　slight　problem。　One　of　our　American　friends　in　the　consulate　called　me　last　night。　Privately。〃　He　motioned　at　the　file。　〃This　is　the　result。　With　his　tip　we　intercepted　the　original　in　the　bleak　hours　…　of　course　this's　a　copy；　the　original　was　naturally　returned　and　the　。。。〃　He　hesitated；　choosing　the　correct　word；　〃。。。　the　courier；　an　amateur　by　the　way；　left　undisturbed。　It's　a　report；　a　sort　of　newsletter　with　different　headings。　They're　all　rather　interesting。　Yes。　One's　headed；　'The　KGB　in　Asia。'　It　claims　that　they've　a　deep…cover　spy　ring　I've　never　even　heard　of　before；　code　name　'Sevrin；'　with　high…level　hostiles　in　key　positions　in　government；　police；　business　…　at　the　tai…pan　level　…　throughout　Southeast　Asia；　particularly　here　in　Hong　Kong。〃
　The　air　hissed　out　of　Brian　Kwok's　mouth。
　〃Quite；〃　Crosse　said　agreeably。　〃If　it's　true。〃
　〃You　think　it　is；　sir？〃　Armstrong　said。
　〃Really；　Robert；　perhaps　you're　in　need　of　early　retirement　on　medical　grounds：　softening　of　the　brain。　If　I　wasn't　perturbed　do　you　think　I'd　endure　the　unhappy　pleasure