jamesclavell.noblehouse-第186部分

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　〃And　the　people　in　the　other　photograph？　Who're　they？〃　This　photograph　was　ancient；　almost　sepia　and　showed　a　self…conscious　couple　in　ill…fitting　wedding　clothes　staring　bleakly　at　the　camera。
　〃Oh　of　course　they're　Father　and　Mother；　Lord。　Don't　you　remember　me　saying　that？　I　told　you　many　times。　That's　Mother　and　Father。　His　name　was　Ting…top　Wu　and　his　tai…tai　my　Mistress　was　Fang…ling。　。。。〃
　〃And　the　cutting？〃
　〃I　don't　know；　Lord；　it　was　just　stuck　to　the　photo　so　I　left　it　there。　Mother　had　stuck　it　there　so　I　left　it。　What　should　I　want　with　foreign　devil　nonsense　or　writing。　。。。〃
　Robert　Armstrong　sighed。　The　yellowed　clipping　was　from　a　Chinese　newspaper　of　Hong　Kong；　dated　July　16；　1937；　that　told　of　three　Chinese　youths　who　had　done　so　well　in　their　term　examinations　that　they　had　been　granted　scholarships　by　the　Hong　Kong　Government　to　an　English　public　school。　Kar…shun　Kwok　was　the　first　named。　Kar…shun　was　Brian　Kwok's　formal　Chinese　name。
　〃You　did　very　well；　Robert；〃　Crosse　said；　watching　him。
　〃Did　I？〃　he　replied　through　the　fog　of　his　misery。
　〃Yes；　very　well。　You　came　to　me　at　once　with　the　evidence；　you've　followed　instructions　perfectly　and　now　our　mole　is　safely　asleep。〃　Crosse　lit　a　cigarette　and　sat　at　the　desk。　〃I'm　glad　you　drank　the　right　beer。　Did　he　suspect　anything？〃
　〃No。　No　I　don't　think　so。〃　Armstrong　tried　to　get　a　hold　on　himself。　〃Would　you　excuse　me；　sir；　please。　I　feel　filthy。　I've　。。。　I've　got　to　get　a　shower。　Sorry。〃
　〃Sit　down　a　minute；　please。　Yes；　you　must　be　tired。　Very　tiring；　these　sort　of　things。〃
　Christ；　Armstrong　wanted　to　shout　in　anguish；　it's　all　impossible！　Impossible　for　Brian　to　be　a　deep…cover　agent　but　it　all　fits。　Why　else　would　he　have　a　pletely　different　name；　different　birth　certificate？　Why　else　such　a　carefully　constructed　cover　story　…　that　his　parents　were　killed　in　Canton　during　the　war；　murdered　by　munists？　Why　else　would　he　risk　sneaking　secretly　back　to　Ning…tok；　risking　everything　so　carefully　constructed　over　thirty　years　unless　his　own　father　was　really　dying？　And　if　those　facts　are　true　then　others　automatically　follow：　That　he　must　have　been　in　continual　contact　with　the　Mainland　to　know　about　his　father's　approaching　death；　that　as　a　superintendent　of　H。K。　Police　he　must　be　totally　persona　grata　with　the　PRC　to　be　allowed　in　secretly　and　allowed　out　secretly　again。　And　if　he　was　persona　grata　then　he　must　be　one　of　them；　groomed　over　the　years；　nurtured　over　the　years。　〃Christ；〃　he　muttered；　〃he'd've　bee　assistant　missioner　easily；　perhaps　even　missioner　。。。！〃
　〃What　do　you　suggest　now；　Robert？〃　Crosse　asked；　his　voice　soft。　Armstrong　tore　his　mind　into　the　present；　his　training　overing　his　anguish。　〃Check　backwards。　We'll　find　the　link。　Yes。　His　father　was　a　tiny　mie　cog　but　a　Ning…tok　cog　nonetheless；　so　the　Hong　Kong　relation　he　was　sent　to　would　be　also。　They'd've　kept　a　tight　rein　on　Brian　in　England；　in　Canada；　here；　wherever　…　so　easy　to　do　that；　so　easy　to　feed　a　hatred　for　quai　lohs；　so　easy　for　a　Chinese　to　hide　such　a　hatred。　Aren't　they　the　most　patient　and　secretive　people　on　earth？　Yes；　you　check　back　and　eventually　you　find　the　link　and　find　the　truth。〃
　〃Robert；　you're　right　again。　But　first　you　begin　his　interrogation。〃
　Armstrong　felt　a　chill　of　horror　rush　into　his　stomach。　〃Yes；〃　he　said。
　〃I'm　delighted　to　tell　you　that　that's　your　honor。〃
　〃No。〃
　〃You'll　oversee　the　interrogation。　No　Chinese　in　this；　just　senior　British　agents。　Except　Wu；　Spectacles　Wu。　Yes；　he'll　be　a　help　…　just　him；　he's　good　that　fellow。〃
　〃I　can't　。。。　I　won't。〃
　Crosse　sighed　and　opened　the　large　manila　envelope　he　had　brought　with　him。　〃What　do　you　think　of　this？〃
　Shakily　Armstrong　took　the　photograph。　It　was　an　eight…by…ten　blowup　of　a　tiny　section　of　the　Ning…tok　photograph；　the　European's　head　that　was　part　of　the　background　beside　the　car。　The　man's　face　was　half　turned　and　blurred；　the　grain　from　the　magnification　dense。　〃I　。。。　I'd　say　he　saw　the　camera　and　turned　or　was　turning　to　avoid　being　photographed。〃
　〃My　thought　too。　Do　you　recognize　him？〃
　Armstrong　peered　at　the　face；　trying　to　clear　his　head。　〃No。〃
　〃Voranski？　Our　dead　Soviet　friend？〃
　〃Perhaps。　No；　no　I　don't　think　so。〃
　〃How　about　Dunross；　Ian　Dunross？〃
　More　shaken；　Armstrong　took　it　to　the　light。　〃Possible　but　。。。　improbable。　If　。。。　if　it's　Dunross　then　。。。　you　think　he's　the　Sevrin　plant？　Impossible。〃
　〃Improbable；　not　impossible。　He's　very　good　friends　with　Brian。〃　Crosse　took　the　photo　back　and　looked　at　it。　〃Whoever　he　is　he's　familiar；　what　you　can　see　of　him；　but　I　can't　place　the　man　or　where　I've　seen　him。　Yet。　Well；　never　mind。　Brian　will　remember。　Yes。〃　His　voice　became　silky。　〃Oh；　don't　worry；　Robert；　I'll　set　Brian　up　for　you　but　you're　the　one　for　the　coup　de　grace。　I　want　to　know　who　this　fellow　is　very　quickly；　in　fact　I　want　to　know　everything　Brian　knows　very；　very　quickly。〃
　〃No。　Get　someone　els…　〃
　〃Oh　Robert；　don't　be　so　bloody　boring！　Chu…toy　Wu；　alias　Brian　Kar…shun　Kwok；　is　an　enemy　mole　who's　eluded　us　for　years；　that's　all。〃　Crosse's　voice　cut　into　Armstrong。　〃By　the　way；　you're　on　the　16/2　tonight　at　6　30　and　you're　also　seconded　to　SI。　I've　already　talked　to　the　missioner。〃
　〃No；　and　I　can't　interrog…　〃
　〃Oh　but　my　dear　fellow　you　can　and　you　will。　You're　the　only　one　who　can；　Brian's　far　too　clever　to　be　caught　like　an　amateur。　Of　course　I'm　as　astounded　he's　the　mole　as　you　are；　as　the　governor　was！〃
　〃Please。　I　don…　〃
　〃He　betrayed　Fong…fong；　another　friend　of　yours；　eh？　He　must　have　leaked　the　AMG　papers。　It　must　be　he　who's　furnished　all　our　dossiers　to　the　enemy　and　all　the　other　information。　God　knows　what　knowledge　he's　had　access　to　on　the　General　Staff　Course　and　all　the　other　courses。〃　Crosse　puffed　his　cigarette；　his　face　ordinary。　〃In　SI　he　has　the　highest　security　clearances　and　I　certainly　agree　he　was　being　groomed　for　high　office　…　I　was　even　going　to　make　him　my　number　two！　So　we'd　better　find　out　very　quickly　everything　about　him。　Curious；　we　were　looking　for　a　Soviet　mole　and　it　turns　out　we　have　a　PRC　one　instead。〃　He　stubbed　out　the　cigarette。　〃I've　ordered　a　Classification　One　interrogation　on　him　to　begin　at　once。〃
　The　color　drained　out　of　Armstrong's　face　and　he　stared　at　Crosse；　hating　him　openly。　〃You're　a　bastard；　a　fucking　rotten　bastard。〃
　Crosse　laughed　gently。　〃True。〃
　〃Are　you　a　fag　too？〃
　〃Perhaps。　Perhaps　only　occasionally　and　only　when　it　pleases　me。　Perhaps。〃　Crosse　watched　him　calmly。　〃e　now；　Robert；　do　you　really　think　I　could　be　blackmailed？　Me？　Blackmailed？　Really；　Robert；　don't　you　understand　life？　I　hear　homosexuality　is　quite　normal；　even　in　high　places。〃
　〃Is　it？〃
　〃Nowadays；　yes；　quite　normal；　almost　fashionable；　for　some。　Oh　yes；　yes　it　is；　my　dear　fellow；　and　it's　practiced；　from　time　to　time；　by　a　most　catholic　grouping　of　VIPs　everywhere。　Even　in　Moscow。〃　Crosse　lit　another　cigarette。　〃Of　course；　one　should　be　discreet；　selective　and　preferably　unmitted；　but　a　penchant　for　the　peculiar　could　have　all　sorts　of　advantages　in　our　profession。　Couldn't　it？〃
　〃So　you　justify　any　sort　of　evil；　any　sort　of　shit；　murder；　cheating；　lying　in　the　name　of　the　bloody　SI　…　is　that　it？〃
　〃Robert；　I　justify　nothing；　I　know　you're　distraught　but　I　think　that's　enough　of　that。〃
　〃You　can't　force　me　into　SI。　I'll　resign。〃
　Crosse　laughed　scornfully。　〃But　my　dear　fellow；　what　about　all　your　debts？　What　about　the　40；000　by　Monday？〃　He　got　up；　his　eyes　granite。　His　voice　was　hardly　changed　but　now　there　was　a　vicious　edge　to　it。　〃We're　both　over　twenty…one；　Robert。　Break　him；　and　do　it　very　quickly。〃
　
　45
　
　3：00　P。M。：
　The　closing　bell　of　the　Stock　Exchange　rang　but　the　sound　was　drowned　in　the　fetid　pandemonium　of　massed　brokers　desperately　trying　to　plete　their　final　transactions。
　For　Struan's；　the　day　had　been　disastrous。　Huge　amounts　of　stock　had　been　shoved　onto　the　market　to　be　bought　tentatively；　then　hurled　back　again　as　rumors　fed　on　more　rumors　and　more　stock　was　offered。　The　share　price　plummeted　from　24。70　to　17。50　and　there　were　still　300；000　shares　on　offer　in　the　sell　column。　All　bank　shares　were　down；　the　market　was　reeling。