jamesclavell.noblehouse-第142部分

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　Paul　Choy　knew　that　among　his　father's　cash　and　assets　transferred　from　the　Ho…Pak　to　the　Victoria　had　been　many　stock　certificates　and　a　list　of　securities　held　by　various　stockbrokers。　One　was　for　150；000　Struan　shares。　Jesus；　he　thought；　if　I'm　right　the　old　man　might　get　dumped。　If　Gornt　presses　the　raid　the　old　man　could　get　caught。
　〃Good　idea；　Ishwar。　I'll　call　you　back！〃　At　once　he　had　phoned　his　father　but　he　could　not　reach　him。　He　left　messages　wherever　he　could　and　began　to　wait。　His　anxiety　grew。　Just　before　ten　he　heard　Gornt's　secretary　answer　the　phone。　〃Yes？　。。。　Oh；　one　moment　please。　。。。　Mr。　Gornt？　A　person…to…person　call　from　Zurich。　。。。　You're　through。〃
　Once　more　he　had　tried　to　reach　his　father；　wanting　to　give　him　the　urgent　news。　Then　Gornt　had　sent　for　him。　〃Mr。　Choy；　would　you　please　run　this　over　to　my　solicitor　at　once。〃　He　handed　over　a　sealed　envelope。　〃Give　it　to　him　personally。〃
　〃Yes　sir。〃
　So　he　had　left　the　office。　At　every　phone　he　had　stopped　and　tried　to　reach　his　father。　Then　he　had　delivered　the　note；　personally；　watching　the　solicitor's　face　carefully。　He　saw　glee。　〃Is　there　a　reply；　sir？〃　he　asked　politely。
　〃Just　say　everything　will　be　done　as　ordered。〃　It　was　a　few　minutes　past　ten。
　Outside　the　office　door　and　going　down　in　the　elevator　Paul　Choy　had　weighed　the　pluses　and　the　minuses。　His　stomach　twisting　uneasily；　he　stopped　at　the　nearest　phone。　〃Ishwar？　Say；　I've　an　urgent　order　from　my　uncle。　He　wants　to　sell　his　Struan　stock。　150；000　shares。〃
　〃Ah；　wise　wise；　there　are　terrible　rumors　speeding　around。〃
　〃I　suggested　you　and　Soorjani's　should　do　it　for　him。　150；000　shares。　He　asks　can　you　do　it　instantly？　Can　you　do　that？〃
　〃Like　a　bird　on　the　wing。　For　the　Esteemed　Four　Fingers　we　will　go　forth　like　Rothschilds！　Where　are　the　shares？〃
　〃In　the　vault。〃
　〃I　will　need　his　chop　at　once。〃
　〃I'm　going　to　get　it　now　but　he　said　to　sell　at　once。　He　said　to　sell　in　small　blocks　so　as　not　to　shock　the　market。　He　wants　the　very　best　price。　You'll　sell　at　once？〃
　〃Yes；　never　fear；　at　once。　And　we　will　get　the　best　price！〃
　〃Good。　And　most　important；　he　said　to　keep　this　secret。〃
　〃Verily；　Young　Master；　you　may　trust　us　implicitly。　And　the　stock　that　you　yourself　wished　to　sell　short？〃
　〃Oh　that　。。。　well　that'll　have　to　wait　。。。　until　I've　credit　heya？〃
　〃Wise　very　wise。〃
　Paul　Choy　shivered。　His　heart　was　pounding　now　in　the　silence　and　he　watched　his　father's　cigarette；　not　the　angry　face；　knowing　those　cold　black　eyes　were　boring　into　him；　deciding　his　fate。　He　remembered　how　he　had　almost　shouted　with　excitement　when　the　stock　had　begun　to　fall　almost　immediately；　monitoring　it　moment　by　moment；　then　ordering　Soorjani　to　buy　back　in　just　before　close　and　feeling　light…headed　and　in　euphoria。　At　once　he　had　phoned　his　girl；　spending　nearly　30　of　his　valuable　U。S。　dollars　telling　her　how　fantastic　his　day　had　been　and　how　much　he　missed　her。　She　said　how　much　she　missed　him　too　and　when　was　he　ing　back　to　Honolulu？　Her　name　was　Mika　Kasunari　and　she　was　sansei；　third…generation　American　of　Japanese　descent。　Her　parents　hated　him　because　he　was　Chinese；　as　he　knew　his　father　would　hate　her　because　she　was　Japanese　except　they　were　both　American；　both　of　them；　and　they　had　met　and　fallen　in　love　at　school。
　〃Very　soon；　honey；〃　he　had　promised　her　ecstatically；　'〃guaranteed　by　Christmas！　After　today　my　uncle'll　surely　give　me　a　bonus。　。。。〃
　The　work　that　Gornt　gave　him　for　the　rest　of　the　day　he　breezed　through。　Late　in　the　afternoon　Goodweather　Poon　had　phoned　to　say　his　father　would　see　him　in　Aberdeen　at　7：30　P。M。　Before　he　went　there　he　had　collected　Soorjani's　check　made　out　to　his　father。　615；000　HK　less　brokerage。
　Elated；　he　had　e　to　Aberdeen　and　given　him　the　check；　and　when　he　told　him　what　he　had　done　he　was　aghast　at　the　extent　of　his　father's　rage。　The　tirade　had　been　interrupted　by　Phillip　Chen's　phone　call。
　〃I'm　deeply　sorry　I've　offended　you；　Hon…　〃
　〃So　my　chop　is　yours；　my　wealth　is　yours　heya？〃　Four　Finger　Wu　shouted　suddenly。
　〃No；　Honored　Father；〃　he　gasped；　〃but　the　information　was　so　good　and　I　wanted　to　protect　your　stock　as　well　as　make　money　for　you。〃
　〃But　not　for　you　heya？〃
　〃No；　Honored　Father。　It　was　for　you。　To　make　you　money；　and　help　repay　all　the　money　you　invested　in　me　。。。　they　were　your　shares　and　it's　your　money。　I　tried　to　ca…　〃
　〃That's　no　fornicating　excuse！　You　e　with　me！〃
　Shakily　Paul　Choy　got　up　and　followed　the　old　man　onto　the　deck。　Four　Finger　Wu　cursed　his　bodyguard　away　and　pointed　a　stubby　finger　at　the　befouled　muddy　waters　in　the　harbor。　〃If　you　weren't　my　son；〃　he　hissed；　〃if　you　weren't　my　son　you'd　be　feeding　the　fish　there；　your　feet　in　a　chain；　this　very　moment。〃
　〃Yes；　Father。〃
　〃If　you　ever　again　use　my　name；　my　chop；　my　anything　without　my　approval　you're　a　dead　man。〃
　〃Yes；　Father；〃　Paul　Choy　muttered；　petrified；　realizing　that　his　father　had　the　means；　the　will　and　the　authority　to　put　that　threat　into　effect　without　fear　of　retaliation。　〃Sorry；　Father。　I　swear　I'll　never　do　that　again。〃
　〃Good。　If　you'd　lost　one　bronze　cash　you'd　be　there　now。　It's　only　because　you　fornicating　won　that　you're　alive　now。〃
　〃Yes；　Father。〃
　Four　Finger　Wu　glared　at　his　son　and　continued　to　hide　his　delight　at　the　huge　windfall。　615；000　HK　less　a　few　dollars。　Unbelievable！　All　with　a　few　phone　calls　and　inside　knowledge；　he　was　thinking。　That's　as　miraculous　as　having　ten　tons　of　opium　leap　ashore　over　the　heads　of　the　Customs　boat！　The　boy's　paid　for　his　education　twenty　times　over　and　he's　here　hardly　three　weeks。　How　clever　。。。　but　also　how　dangerous！
　He　shivered　at　the　thought　of　other　minions　making　decisions　themselves。　Dew　neh　loh　moh　then　I　would　be　in　their　power　and　surely　in　jail　for　their　mistakes　and　not　my　own。　And　yet；　he　told　himself　helplessly；　this　is　the　way　barbarians　act　in　business。　Number　Seven　Son　is　trained　as　a　barbarian。　All　gods　bear　witness；　I　did　not　wish　to　create　a　viper！
　He　looked　at　his　son；　not　understanding　him；　hating　his　direct　way　of　speaking；　the　barbarian　way　and　not　in　innuendo　and　obliquely　like　a　civilized　person。
　And　yet　。。。　and　yet　better　than　600；000　HK　in　one　day。　If　I　had　talked　to　him　beforehand　I　would　never　have　agreed　and　I　would　have　lost　all　that　profit！　Ayeeyah！　Yes；　my　stock　would　be　down　all　that　fortune　in　one　day　。。。　oh　oh　oh！
　He　groped　for　a　box　and　sat　down；　his　heart　thumping　at　that　awful　thought。
　His　eyes　were　watching　his　son。　What　to　do　about　him？　he　asked　himself。　He　could　feel　the　weight　of　the　check　in　his　pocket。　It　seemed　unbelievable　that　his　son　could　make　that　amount　of　money　for　him　in　a　few　hours；　without　moving　the　stock　from　its　hiding　place。
　〃Explain　to　me　why　that　black…faced　foreign　devil　with　the　foul　name　owes　me　so　much　money！〃
　Paul　Choy　explained　the　mechanics　patiently；　desperate　to　please。
　The　old　man　thought　about　that。　〃Then　tomorrow　I　should　do　the　same　and　make　the　same？〃
　〃No；　Honored　Father。　You　take　your　gains　and　keep　them。　Today　was　almost　a　certainty。　It　was　a　sudden　attack；　a　raid。　We　do　not　know　how　the　Noble　House　will　react　tomorrow；　or　if　Gornt　really　intends　to　continue　the　raid。　He　can　buy　back　in　and　be　way　ahead　too。　It　would　be　dangerous　to　follow　Gornt　tomorrow；　very　dangerous。〃
　Four　Finger　Wu　threw　his　cigarette　away。　〃Then　what　should　I　do　tomorrow？〃
　〃Wait。　The　foreign　devil　market's　nervous　and　in　the　hands　of　foreign　devils。　I　counsel　you　to　wait　and　see　what　happens　with　the　Ho…Pak　and　the　Victoria。　May　I　use　your　name　to　ask　the　foreign　devil　Gornt　about　the　Ho…Pak？〃
　〃What？〃
　Patiently　Paul　Choy　refreshed　his　father's　memory　about　the　bank　run　and　possible　stock　manipulation。
　〃Ah；　yes；　I　understand；〃　the　old　man　said　loftily。　Paul　Choy　said　nothing；　knowing　he　did　not。　〃Then　we　。。。　then　I　just　wait？〃
　〃Yes；　Honored　Father。〃
　Four　Fingers　pulled　out　the　check　distastefully。　〃And　this　fornicating　piece　of　paper？　What　about　this？〃
　〃Convert　it　into　gold；　Honored　Father。　The　price　hardly　varies　at　all。　I　could　talk　to　Ishwar　Soorjani；　if　you　wish。　He　deals　in　foreign　exchange。〃
　〃And　where　would　I　keep　the　gold？〃　It　was　one　thing