jamesclavell.noblehouse-第205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！


ways；　going　to　London；　the　capital　of　the　greatest　empire　the　world　has　ever　seen；　knowing　it　was　going　to　be　humbled　and　laid　waste　someday；　but　then　in　1937；　still　in　its　last　flowering。
　Two　years　there。　Hating　the　English　school　and　the　English　boys　。。。　Chinkee　Chinkee　Chinaman　sitting　on　his　tail　。。。　but　hiding　it　and　hiding　his　tears；　his　new　Brotherhood　teachers　helping　him；　guiding　him；　putting　questions　and　answers　into　context；　showing　him　the　wonder　of　dialectic；　of　being　part　of　the　true　real　unquestioned　revolution。　Never　questioning；　never　a　need　to　question。
　Then　the　German　war　and　being　evacuated　with　all　the　other　school　boys　and　girls　to　safety　in　Canada；　all　that　wonderful　time　in　Vancouver；　British　Columbia；　on　the　Pacific　shore；　all　that　immensity；　mountains　and　sea　and　a　thriving　Chinatown　with　good　Ning…tok　cooking　…　and　a　new　branch　of　the　world　Brotherhood　and　more　teachers；　always　someone　wise　to　talk　to；　always　someone　ready　to　explain　and　advise　。。。　not　accepted　by　his　schoolmates　but　still　beating　them　scholastically；　in　the　gym　with　gloves　and　at　their　sports；　being　a　prefect；　playing　cricket　well　and　tennis　well　…　part　of　his　training。　〃Excel；　Chu…toy；　my　son；　excel　and　be　patient　for　the　glory　of　the　Party；　for　the　glory　of　Mao　Tse…tung　who　is　China；〃　the　last　words　his　father　had　said　to　him；　secret　words　engraved　since　he　was　six　…　and　repeated　on　his　deathbed。
　Joining　the　Royal　Canadian　Mounted　Police　had　been　part　of　the　plan。　It　was　easy　to　excel　in　the　RCMP；　assigned　to　Chinatown　and　the　wharves　and　the　byways；　speaking　English　and　Mandarin　and　Cantonese　…　his　Ning…tok　dialect　buried　deep　…　easy　to　bee　a　fine　policeman　in　that　sprawling　beautiful　city　port。　Soon　he　became　unique；　Vancouver's　Chinese　expert；　trusted；　excelling　and　implacably　against　the　crimes　that　the　triad　gangsters　of　Chinatown　fed　off　…　opium；　morphine；　heroin；　prostitution　and　the　ever…constant　illegal　gambling。
　His　work　had　been　mended　by　his　superiors　and　by　Brotherhood　leaders　alike　…　they　equally　against　gang　rule　and　drug　traffic　and　crime；　assisting　him　to　arrest　and　uncover；　their　only　secret　interest　the　inner　workings　of　the　RCMP；　how　the　RCMP　hire　and　fire　and　promote　and　collate　and　investigate　and　watch；　and　who　controls　what；　where　and　how。　Sent　from　Vancouver　to　Ottawa　for　six　months；　loaned　by　a　grateful　chief　of　police　to　assist　in　an　undercover　investigation　of　a　Chinese　drug　ring　there；　making　new　important　Canadian　contacts　and　Brotherhood　contacts；　learning　more　and　more　and　breaking　the　ring　and　getting　promotion。　Easy　to　control　crime　and　get　promotion　if　you　work　and　if　you　have　secret　friends　by　the　hundreds；　with　secret　eyes　everywhere。
　Then　the　war　ending　and　applying　for　a　transfer　for　the　Hong　Kong　Police　…　the　final　part　of　the　plan。
　But　not　wanting　to　go；　not　wanting　to　leave；　loving　Canada；　and　loving　her。　Jeannette。　Jeannette　deBois。　She　was　nineteen；　French…Canadian　from　Montreal；　speaking　French　and　English；　her　parents　French…Canadians　of　many　generations　and　them　liking　him　and　not　disapproving；　not　against　him　because　he　was　the　Chinois；　as　they　jokingly　called　him。　He　was　twenty…one　then；　already　known　as　mandant　material　with　a　great　career　ahead　of　him；　marriage　ahead；　a　year　or　so　ahead　。。。
　Brian　Kwok　shifted　on　the　mattress　in　misery。　His　skin　felt　clammy　and　the　dark　was　pressing　down。　He　closed　his　leaden　eyelids　and　let　his　mind　roam　back　to　her　and　that　time；　that　bad　time　in　his　life。　He　remembered　how　he　had　argued　with　the　Brotherhood；　the　leader；　saying　he　could　serve　better　in　Canada　than　in　Hong　Kong　where　he　would　be　only　one　of　many。　Here　in　Canada　he　was　unique。　In　a　few　years　he　would　be　in　Vancouver's　police　hierarchy。
　But　all　his　arguments　had　failed。　Sadly　he　knew　that　they　were　right。　He　knew　that　if　he　had　stayed；　eventually　he　would　have　gone　over　to　the　other　side；　would　have　broken　with　the　Party。　There　were　too　many　unanswered　questions　now；　thanks　to　reading　RMCQ　reports　on　the　Soviets；　the　KGB；　the　gulags；　too　many　friends；　Canadian　and　Nationalist；　now。　Hong　Kong　and　China　were　remote；　his　past　remote。　Jeannette　was　here；　loving　her　and　their　life；　his　souped…up　car　and　prestige　among　his　peers；　seeing　them　as　equals；　no　longer　barbarians。
　The　leader　had　reminded　him　of　his　past；　that　barbarians　are　only　barbarians；　that　he　was　needed　in　Hong　Kong　where　the　battle　was　just　beginning；　where　Mao　was　still　not　yet　Chairman　Mao；　not　yet　victorious；　still　embattled　with　Chiang　Kai…shek。
　Bitterly　he　had　obeyed；　hating　being　forced；　knowing　he　was　in　their　power　and　obeying　because　of　their　power。　But　then　the　heady　four　years　till　1949；　and　Mao's　incredible；　unbelievable　total　victory。　Then　burrowing　deep　again；　using　his　brilliant　skills　to　fight　the　crime　that　was　anathema　to　him　and　a　disgrace　to　Hong　Kong　and　a　blot　on　the　face　of　China。
　Life　was　very　good　again　now。　He　was　picked　for　high　promotion；　the　British　bound　to　him；　respecting　him　because　he　was　from　a　fine　English　public　school　with　a　fine　upper…class　English　accent　and　an　English　sportsman　like　the　elite　of　the　Empire　before　him。
　And　now　it's　1963　and　I'm　thirty…nine　and　tomorrow　。。。　no；　not　tomorrow；　on　Sunday；　on　Sunday　it's　the　hill　climb　and　on　Saturday　there　are　the　races　and　Noble　Star　…　will　it　be　Noble　Star　or　Gornt's　Pilot　Fish　or　Richard　Kwok's；　no　Richard　Kwang's　Butterscotch　Lass　or　John　Chen's　outsider；　Golden　Lady？　I　think　I'd　put　my　money　on　Golden　Lady　…　every　penny　I　have；　yes；　all　my　life's　savings　and　I'm　also　gambling　the　Porsche　as　well　even　though　that's　stupid　but　I　have　to。　I　have　to　because　Crosse　said　so　and　Robert　agrees　and　they　both　said　I've　got　to　put　up　my　life　as　well　but　Jesus　Christ　now　Golden　Lady's　limping　in　the　paddock　but　the　gamble's　settled　and　now　they're　off　and　running；　e　on　Golden　Lady；　e　on　for　the　love　of　Mao；　don't　mind　the　storm　clouds　and　the　lightning　e　on；　all　my　savings　and　my　life's　riding　on　your　rotten　lousy　god…cursed　oh　Jesus　Chairman　don't　fail　me。　。。。
　He　was　deep　in　dreams　now；　bad　dreams；　drug…assisted　dreams；　and　Happy　Valley　was　the　Valley　of　Death。　His　eyes　did　not　feel　the　lights　e　up　gently　nor　the　door　swing　open。
　It　was　time　to　begin　again。
　Armstrong　looked　down　at　his　friend；　pitying　him。　The　lights　were　carefully　dimmed。　Beside　him　was　Senior　Agent　Malcolm　Sun；　an　SI　guard　and　the　SI　doctor。　Dr。　Dorn　was　a　small；　dapper；　slightly　bald　specialist　with　an　animated；　birdlike　intensity。　He　took　Brian　Kwok's　pulse　and　measured　his　blood　pressure　and　listened　to　his　heartbeat。
　〃The　client's　in　fine　shape；　Superintendent；　physically；〃　he　said　with　a　faint　smile。　〃His　blood　pressure　and　heart　beat're　nicely　up　but　that's　to　be　expected。〃　He　noted　his　readings　on　the　chart；　handed　it　to　Armstrong；　who　glanced　at　his　watch；　wrote　down　the　time　and　signed　the　chart　also。
　〃You　can　carry　on；〃　he　said。
　The　doctor　filled　the　syringe　carefully。　With　great　care　he　gave　Brian　Kwok　the　injection　in　the　rump　with　a　new　needle。　There　was　almost　no　mark；　just　a　tiny　spot　of　blood　that　he　wiped　away。　〃Dinner　time　whenever　you　want；〃　he　said　with　a　smile。
　Armstrong　just　nodded。　The　SI　guard　had　added　a　measure　of　urine　to　the　pail　and　that　was　noted　on　the　chart　as　well。　〃Very　smart　of　him　to　measure　the　level；　didn't　think　he'd　do　that；〃　Malcolm　Sun　mented。　Infrared　rays　made　it　easy　to　monitor　a　client's　most　tiny　movement　from　spyholes　set　into　the　ceiling　lights。　〃Dew　neh　loh　moh；　who'd've　imagined　he'd　be　the　mole？　Smart；　he　always　was　so　fornicating　smart。〃
　〃Let's　hope　the　poor　bugger's　not　too　fornicating　smart；〃　Armstrong　told　him　sourly。　〃The　sooner　he　talks　the　better。　The　Old　Man　won't　give　up　on　him。〃
　The　others　looked　at　him。　The　young　SI　guard　shivered。
　Dr。　Dorn　broke　the　uneasy　silence。　〃Should　we　still　maintain　the　two…hour　cycle；　sir？〃
　Armstrong　glanced　at　his　friend。　The　first　drug　in　the　beer　had　been　about　1：30　this　afternoon。　Since　then；　Brian　Kwok　had　been　on　a　Classification　Two　…　a　chemical　sleep…wake…sleep…wake　schedule。　Every　two　hours。　Wake　up　injections　just　before　4：30　p。m。；　6：30；　8：30；　and　this　would　continue　until　6：30　a。m。　when　the　first　serious　interrogat