jamesclavell.noblehouse-第149部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　〃And　the　bank　runs？　They're　not　serious　either？〃
　〃They're　serious。〃　Dunross　was　choosing　his　words　carefully。　He　knew　the　anti…Hong　Kong　lobby　in　Parliament　was　strong　and　many　members　of　all　three　parties　were　against　its　colonial　status；　against　its　nonvoting　status　and　freewheeling　nature　…　and　most　of　all　envious　of　its　almost　tax…free　basis。　Never　mind；　he　thought。　Since　1841　we've　survived　hostile　Parliaments；　fire；　typhoon；　pestilence；　plague；　embargo；　depression；　occupation　and　the　periodic　convulsions　that　China　goes　through；　and　somehow　we　always　will。
　〃The　run's　on　the　Ho…Pak；　one　of　our　Chinese　banks；〃　Dunross　said。
　〃It's　the　largest；　isn't　it？〃　Grey　said。
　〃No。　But　it's　large。　We're　all　hoping　it'll　weather　the　problem。〃
　〃If　it　goes　broke；　what　about　all　the　depositors'　money？〃
　〃Unfortunately　they　lose　it；〃　Dunross　said；　backed　into　a　corner。
　〃You　need　English　banking　laws。〃
　〃No；　we've　found　our　system　operates　very　well。　How　did　you　find　China？〃　Dunross　asked。
　Before　Sir　Charles　could　answer；　Grey　said；　〃Our　majority　view　is　that　they're　dangerous；　hostile；　should　be　locked　up　and　the　Hong　Kong　border　sealed。　They're　openly　mitted　to　being　a　world　irritant　and　their　brand　of　munism　is　merely　an　excuse　for　dictatorship　and　exploitation　of　their　masses。〃
　Dunross　and　the　other　Hong　Kong　yan　blanched　as　Sir　Charles　said　sharply；　〃e　now；　Robin；　that's　only　your　view　and　the　m…　the；　er；　and　McLean's。　I　found　just　the　opposite。　I　think　China's　very　sincere　in　trying　to　deal　with　the　problems　of　China；　which　are　hideous；　monumental　and　I　think　insoluble。〃
　〃Thank　God　there's　going　to　be　big　trouble　there；〃　Grey　said　with　a　sneer。　〃Even　the　Russians　knew　it；　why　else　would　they　get　out？〃
　〃Because　they're　enemies；　they　share　a　mon　five　thousand　miles　of　border；〃　Dunross　said　trying　to　hold　in　his　anger。　〃They've　always　distrusted　each　other。　Because　China's　invader　has　always　e　out　of　the　West；　and　Russia's　always　out　of　the　East。　Possession　of　China's　always　been　Russia's　obsession　and　preoccupation。〃
　〃e　now；　Mr。　Dunross；〃　Broadhurst　began。　〃You　exaggerate；　surely。〃
　〃It's　to　Russia's　advantage　to　have　China　weak　and　divided；　and　Hong　Kong　disrupted。　Russia　requires　China　weak　as　a　cornerstone　of　its　foreign　policy。〃
　〃At　least　Russia's　civilized；〃　Grey　said。　〃Red　China's　fanatic；　dangerous　and　heathen　and　should　be　cut　off；　particularly　from　here。〃
　〃Ridiculous！〃　Dunross　said　tightly。　〃China　has　the　oldest　civilization　on　earth。　China　desperately　wants　to　be　friends　with　the　West。　China's　Chinese　first　and　munist　second。〃
　〃Hong　Kong　and　you　'traders'　are　keeping　the　munists　in　power。〃
　〃Rubbish！　Mao　Tse…tung　and　Chou　En…lai　don't　need　us　or　the　Soviets　to　stay　in　Peking！〃
　Hugh　Guthrie　said；　〃As　far　as　I'm　concerned　Red　China　and　Soviet　Russia're　equally　dangerous。〃
　〃There's　no　parison！〃　Grey　said。　〃In　Moscow　they　eat　with　knives　and　forks　and　understand　food！　In　China　we　had　nothing　but　rotten　food；　rotten　hotels　and　lots　of　double…talk。〃
　〃I　really　don't　understand　you　at　all；　old　boy；〃　Sir　Charles　said　irritably。　〃You　fought　like　hell　to　get　on　this　mittee；　you're　supposed　to　be　interested　in　Asian　affairs　and　you've　done　nothing　but　plain。〃
　〃Being　critical's　not　plaining；　Sir　Charles。　Bluntly；　I'm　for　giving　Red　China　no　help　at　all。　None。　And　when　I　get　back　I'm　offering　a　motion　to　change　Hong　Kong's　status　entirely：　to　embargo　everything　from　and　to　munist　China；　to　hold　immediate　and　proper　elections　here；　introduce　proper　taxes；　proper　unionism　and　proper　British　social　justice！〃
　Dunross's　chin　jutted。　〃Then　you'll　destroy　our　position　in　Asia！〃
　〃Of　all　the　tai…pans；　yes；　the　people　no！　Russia　was　right　about　China。〃
　〃I'm　talking　about　the　Free　World！　Christ　almighty；　it　should　be　clear　to　everyone　…　Soviet　Russia's　mitted　to　hegemony；　to　world　domination　and　our　destruction。　China　isn't；〃　Dunross　said。
　〃You're　wrong；　Ian。　You　can't　see　the　wood　for　the　trees；〃　Grey　said。
　〃Listen！　If　Russia　。。。〃
　Broadhurst　interrupted　smoothly。　〃Russia's　just　trying　to　solve　her　own　problems；　Mr。　Dunross；　one　of　them's　the　U。S。　containment　policy。　They　just　want　to　be　left　alone　and　not　surrounded　by　highly　emotional　Americans　with　their　overfed　hands　on　nuclear　triggers。〃
　〃Balls！　The　Yanks're　the　only　friends　we've　got；〃　Hugh　Guthrie　said　angrily。　〃As　to　the　Soviets；　what　about　the　Cold　War？　Berlin？　Hungary？　Cuba；　Egypt　。。。　they're　swallowing　us　piecemeal。〃
　Sir　Charles　Pennyworth　sighed。　〃Life's　strange　and　memories　are　so　short。　In　'45；　May　second　it　was；　in　the　evening；　we　joined　up　with　the　Russians　at　Wismar　in　northern　Germany。　I'd　never　been　so　proud　or　happy　in　my　life；　yes；　proud。　We　sang　and　drank　and　cheered　and　toasted　each　other。　Then　my　division　and　all　of　us　in　Europe；　all　the　Allies　had　been　held　back　for　weeks　to　let　the　Russkies　sweep　into　Germany　all　through　the　Balkans；　Czechoslovakia　and　Poland　and　all　the　other　places。　At　the　time　I　didn't　think　much　about　it；　I　was　so　thankful　that　the　war　was　almost　over　at　long　last　and　so　proud　of　our　Russian　allies；　but　you　know；　looking　back；　now　I　know　we　were　betrayed；　we　soldiers　were　betrayed　…　Russian　soldiers　included。　We　got　buggered。　I　don't　really　know　how　it　happened；　still　don't；　but　I　truly　believe　we　were　betrayed；　Julian；　by　our　own　leaders；　your　bloody　Socialists；　along　with　Eisenhower；　Roosevelt　and　his　misguided　advisors。　I　swear　to　God　I　still　don't　know　how　it　happened　but　we　lost　the　war；　we　won　but　we　lost。〃
　〃e　now；　Charles；　you're　quite　wrong。　We　all　won；〃　Broadhurst　said。　〃The　people　of　the　world　won　when　Nazi　Germany　was　sma…　〃　He　stopped；　startled；　as　he　saw　the　look　on　Grey's　face。　〃What's　the　matter；　Robin？〃
　Grey　was　staring　at　the　other　side　of　the　room。　〃Ian！　That　man　over　there　talking　to　the　Chinese　。。。　do　you　know　him？　The　tall　bugger　in　the　blazer。〃
　Equally　astonished；　Dunross　glanced　at　the　other　side　of　the　room。　〃The　sandy…haired　fellow？　You　mean　Marlowe；　Pete…　〃
　〃Peter　bloody　Marlowe！〃　Grey　muttered。　〃What's　。。。　what's　he　doing　in　Hong　Kong？〃
　〃He's　just　visiting。　From　the　States。　He's　a　writer。　I　believe　he's　writing　or　researching　a　book　on　Hong　Kong。〃
　〃Writer；　eh？　Curious。　Is　he　a　friend　of　yours？〃
　〃I　met　him　a　few　days　ago。　Why？〃
　〃That's　his　wife　…　the　girl　next　to　him？〃
　〃Yes。　That's　Fleur　Marlowe；　why？〃
　Grey　did　not　answer。　There　was　a　fleck　of　saliva　at　the　corner　of　his　lips。
　〃What's　his　connection　with　you；　Robin？〃　Broadhurst　asked；　strangely　perturbed。
　With　an　effort　Grey　tore　his　eyes　off　Marlowe。　〃We　were　in　Changi　together；　Julian；　the　Jap　POW　camp。　I　was　provost　marshal　for　the　last　couple　of　years；　in　charge　of　camp　discipline。〃　He　wiped　the　sweat　off　his　top　lip。　〃Marlowe　was　one　of　the　black　marketeers　there。〃
　〃Marlowe？〃　Dunross　was　astounded。
　〃Oh　yes；　Flight　Lieutenant　Marlowe；　the　great　English　gentleman；〃　Grey　said；　his　voice　raw　with　bitterness。　〃Yes。　He　and　his　pal；　an　American　called　King；　Corporal　King；　were　the　main　ones。　Then　there　was　a　fellow　called　Timsen；　an　Aussie。　。。。　But　the　American　was　the　biggest；　he　was　the　King　all　right。　A　Texan。　He　had　colonels　on　his　payroll；　English　gentlemen　all　…　colonels；　majors；　captains。　Marlowe　was　his　interpreter　with　the　Jap　and　Korean　guards　。。。　we　mostly　had　Korean　guards。　They　were　the　worst。　。。。〃　Grey　coughed。　〃Christ；　it's　such　a　short　time　ago。　Marlowe　and　the　King　lived　off　the　fat　of　the　land　…　those　two　buggers　ate　at　least　one　egg　a　day；　while　the　rest　of　us　starved。　You　can't　imagine　how　。。。〃　Again　Grey　wiped　the　sweat　off　his　lip　without　noticing　it。
　〃How　long　were　you　a　POW？〃　Sir　Charles　asked　passionately。
　〃Three　and　a　half　years。〃
　〃Terrible；〃　Hugh　Guthrie　said。　〃My　cousin　bought　it　on　the　Burma　railroad。　Terrible！〃
　〃It　was　all　terrible；〃　Grey　said。　〃But　it　wasn't　so　terrible　for　those　who　sold　out。　On　the　Road　or　at　Changi！〃　He　looked　at　Sir　Charles　and　his　eyes　were　strange　and　bloodshot。　〃It's　the　Marlowes　of　the　world　who　betrayed　us；　the　ordinary　people　without　privileges　of　birth。〃　His　voice　became　even　more　bitter。　〃No　offense　but　now　you're　all　getting　your　euppance　and　about　time。　Christ；　I　need　a　drink。　Excuse　me　a　m