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第101部分

jamesclavell.noblehouse-第101部分

小说: jamesclavell.noblehouse 字数: 每页4000字

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 〃I don't know。 The word seems to be they will。〃
 〃Damnable! I don't like that at all。 Very bad for our image。 And the Par…Con deal?〃
 〃It looks good。 I hope to have a favorable report for you next week; sir。〃
 〃Excellent。 We could use some big American firms here。〃 He smiled。 〃I understand the girl's a stunner! By the way; the Parliamentary Trade Delegation's due from Peking tomorrow。 I'll entertain them Thursday … you'll e of course。〃
 〃Yes sir。 Will the dinner be stag?〃
 〃Yes; good idea。〃
 〃I'll invite them to the races Saturday … the overflow can go into the bank's box; sir。〃
 〃Good。 Thank you; Ian。 Roger; if you'll spare me a moment。〃
 Dunross got up and shook hands and left。 Though he had e with Crosse in the police car; his own Rolls was waiting for him。 Brian Kwok intercepted him。 〃What's the poop; Ian?〃
 〃I was asked to let your boss tell you;〃 he said。
 〃Fair enough。 Is he going to be long?〃
 〃I don't know。 Everything's all right; Brian。 No need to worry。 I think I dealt with the dilemma correctly。〃
 〃Hope so。 Sorry … bloody business。〃
 〃Yes。〃 Dunross got into the back of the Silver Cloud。 〃Golden Ferry;〃 he said crisply。
 
 Sir Geoffrey was pouring the fine sherry into two exquisite; eggshell porcelain cups。 〃This AMG business is quite frightening; Roger;〃 he said。 〃I'm afraid I'm still not inured to treachery; betrayal and the rotten lengths the enemy will go to … even after all this time。〃 Sir Geoffrey had been in the Diplomatic Corps all of his working life; except for the war years when he was a staff officer in the British Army。 He spoke Russian; Mandarin; French and Italian。 〃Dreadful。〃
 〃Yes sir。〃 Crosse watched him。 〃You're sure you can trust Ian?〃
 〃On Friday you won't need London's clearance to proceed。 You have an Order in Council。 On Friday we take possession。〃
 〃Yes sir。〃 Crosse accepted the porcelain cup; its fragility bothering him。 〃Thank you; sir。〃
 〃I suggest you have two men in the bank vaults at all times; one SI; one CID for safety; and a plainclothes guard on the tai…pan … quietly; of course。〃
 〃I'll arrange about the bank before I leave。 I've already put him under blanket surveillance。〃
 〃You've already done it?〃
 〃On him? Yes sir。 I presumed he'd manipulate the situation to suit his purposes。 Ian's a very tricky fellow。 After all; the tai…pan of the Noble House is never a fool。〃
 〃No。 Health!〃 They touched glasses delicately。 The ring of the pottery was beautiful。 〃This tai…pan's the best I've dealt with。〃
 〃Did Ian mention if he'd reread all the files recently; sir? Last night; for instance?〃
 Sir Geoffrey frowned; rethinking their conversation this morning。 〃I don't think so。 Wait a minute; he did say 。。。 exactly he said; 'When I first read the reports I thought some of AMG's ideas were too farfetched。 But now … and now that he's dead; I've changed my mind 。。。' That could imply he's reread them recently。 Why?〃
 Crosse was examining the paper…thin porcelain cup against the light。 〃I've often heard he's got a remarkable memory。 If the files in the vaults are untouchable 。。。 well; I wouldn't want the KGB tempted to snatch him。〃
 〃Good God; you don't think they'd be that stupid; do you? The tai…pan?〃
 〃It depends what importance they put on the reports; sir;〃 Crosse said dispassionately。 〃Perhaps our surveillance should be relatively open … that should scare them off if they happen to have that in mind。 Would you mention it to him; sir?〃
 〃Certainly。〃 Sir Geoffrey made a note on his pad。 〃Good idea。 Damnable business。 Could the Werewolves 。。。 could there be a link between the smuggled guns and the John Chen kidnapping?〃
 〃I don't know; sir。 Yet。 I've put Armstrong and Brian Kwok on to the case。 If there's a connection they'll find it。〃 He watched the dying sunlight on the pale; powder blue translucence of the porcelain that seemed to enhance the golden sheen of the dry La Ina sherry。 〃Interesting; the play of colors。〃
 〃Yes。 They're T'ang Ying … named after the director of the Emperor's factory in 1736。 Emperor Ch'en Leung actually。〃 Sir Geoffrey looked up at Crosse。 〃A deep…cover spy in my police; in my Colonial Office; my Treasury Department; the naval base; the Victoria; telephone pany; and even the Noble House。 They could paralyze us and create untold mischief between us and the PRC。〃
 〃Yes sir。〃 Crosse peered at the cup。 〃Seems impossible that it should be so thin。 I've never seen such a cup before。〃
 〃You're a collector?〃
 〃No sir。 Afraid I don't know anything about them。〃
 〃These're my favorites; Roger; quite rare。 They're called t'o t'ai … without body。 They're so thin that the glazes; inside and out; seem to touch。〃
 〃I'm almost afraid to hold it。〃
 〃Oh; they're quite strong。 Delicate of course but strong。 Who could be Arthur?〃
 Crosse sighed。 〃There's no clue in this report。 None。 I've read it fifty times。 There must be something in the others; whatever Dunross thinks。〃
 〃Possibly。〃
 The delicate cup seemed to fascinate Crosse。 〃Porcelain's a clay; isn't it?〃
 〃Yes。 But this type is actually made from a mixture of two clays; Roger; kaolin … after the hilly district of Kingtehchen where it's found … and pan tun tse; the so…called little white blocks。 Chinese call these the flesh and the bones of porcelain。〃 Sir Geoffrey walked over to the ornate leather…topped table that served as a bar and brought back the decanter。 It was about eight inches high and quite translucent; almost transparent。 〃The blue's remarkable too。 When the body's quite dry; cobalt in powder form's blown onto the porcelain with a bamboo pipe。 Actually the color's thousands of individual tiny specks of blue。 Then it's glazed and fired … at about 1300 degrees。〃 He put it back on the bar; the touch of the workmanship and the sight of it pleasing him。
 〃Remarkable。〃
 〃There was always an Imperial Edict against their export。 We quai loh were only entitled to articles made out of hua shih; slippery stone; or tun ni … brick mud。〃 He looked at his cup again; as a connoisseur。 〃The genius who made this probably earned 100 dollars a year。〃
 〃Perhaps he was overpaid;〃 Crosse said and the two men smiled with one another。
 〃Perhaps。〃
 〃I'll find Arthur; sir; and the others。 You can depend on it。〃
 〃I'm afraid I have to; Roger。 Both the minister and I agree。 He will have to inform the Prime Minister … and the Chiefs of Staff。〃
 〃Then the information has to go through all sorts of hands and tongues and the enemy'll be bound to find out that we may be on to them。〃
 〃Yes。 So we'll have to work fast。 I bought you four days' grace; Roger。 The minister won't pass anything on for that time。〃
 〃Bought; sir?〃
 〃Figuratively speaking。 In life one acquires and gives IOUs … even in the Diplomatic Corps。〃
 〃Yes sir。 Thank you。〃
 〃Nothing on Bartlett and Miss Casey?〃
 〃No sir。 Rosemont and Langan have asked for up…to…date dossiers。 There seems to be some connection between Bartlett and Banastasio … we're not sure yet what it is。 Both he and Miss Tcholok were in Moscow last month。〃
 〃Ah!〃 Sir Geoffrey replenished the cups。 〃What did you do about that poor fellow Voranski?〃
 〃I sent the body back to his ship; sir。〃 Crosse told him the gist of his meeting with Rosemont and Langan and about the photographs。
 〃That's a stroke of luck! Our cousins are getting quite smart;〃 the governor said。 〃You'd better find those assassins before the KGB do … or the CIA; eh?〃
 〃I have teams around the house now。 As soon as they appear we'll grab them。 We'll hold them inmunicado of course。 I've tightened security all around the Ivanov。 No one else'll slip through the net; I promise you。 No one。〃
 〃Good。 The police missioner said he'd ordered CID to be more alert too。〃 Sir Geoffrey thought a moment。 〃I'll send a minute to the secretary about your not plying with the 1…4a。 American liaison in London's sure to be very upset; but under the circumstances; how could you obey?〃
 〃If I might suggest; it might be better to ask him not to mention we haven't got the files yet; sir。 That information might also get into the wrong hands。 Leave well alone; as long as we can。〃
 〃Yes; I agree。〃 The governor sipped his sherry。 〃There's lots of wisdom in laissez…faire; i

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