jamesclavell.noblehouse-第224部分

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l　。。。　between　the　first　tai…pan　of　the　Noble　House　and　the　illustrious　Wu　Kwok？〃
　〃They　meet　at　sea。　They　meet　in　Pearl　River　Estuary　off　Wh…　〃
　〃It　was　near　here；　off　Pok　Liu　Chau；　between　Pok　Liu　Chau　and　Aplichau。〃　The　old　man's　eyes　were　slits　in　his　face。
　〃Then　they　meet　off　Hong　Kong。　The　tai…pan　went　aboard　Wu　Kwok's　flagship。　He　went　alone　and　。。。〃　Dunross　searched　for　the　word。　〃。。。　and　he　negotiate　a；　a　bargain　with　him。〃
　〃Was　the　bargain　written　onto　paper　and　chopped？〃
　〃No。〃
　〃Was　the　bargain　honored？〃
　〃It　is　fornicating　ill…mannered　to　ask　such　question　from　Old　Friend　when　Old　Friend　opposite　knows　answer！〃
　Paul　Choy　jerked　involuntarily　at　the　sudden　venom　and　slashing　cut　of　the　words。　Neither　man　paid　any　attention　to　him。
　〃True；　true；　tai…pan；〃　the　old　man　said；　as　unafraid　as　Dunross。　〃Yes；　the　bargain　was　honored；　though　twisted；　part　was　twisted。　Do　you　know　the　bargain？〃
　〃No；　not　all；〃　Dunross　said　truthfully。　〃Why？〃
　〃The　bargain　was　that　on　each　of　your　twenty　clippers　we　put　one　man　to　train　as　a　captain　…　my　grandfather　was　one　of　these。　Next；　Green…Eyed　Devil　agreed　to　take　three　of　Wu　Kwok's　boys　and　send　them　to　his　land　to　train　them　as　foreign　devils　in　the　best　schools；　everything　like　his　own　sons　would　be　trained。　Next　the　tai　…　〃
　Dunross's　eyes　widened。　〃What？　Who？　Who　are　these　boys？　Who　did　they　bee？〃
　Four　Finger　Wu　just　smiled　crookedly。　〃Next；　Green…Eyed　Devil　agreed　to　get　for　the　illustrious　Wu　Fang　Choi　a　foreign　devil　clipper　ship；　armed　and　rigged　and　beautiful。　Wu　Fang　Choi　paid　for　her　but　the　tai…pan　arranged　for　her　and　called　her　Lotus　Cloud。　But　when　Culum　the　Weak　delivered　her；　almost　two　years　later；　your　fornicating　chief　admiral；　Stride　Orlov；　the　Hunchback；　came　out　of　the　east　like　an　assassin　in　the　night　and　murdered　our　ship　and　Wu　Kwok　with　her。〃
　Dunross　sipped　his　brandy；　waiting；　outwardly　at　ease；　inwardly　his　brain　shocked。　Who　could　those　boys　be？　Was　that　truly　part　of　the　bargain？　There's　nothing　in　Dirk's　diary　or　testament　about　Wu　Kwok's　sons。　Nothing。　Who　co…
　〃Heya？〃
　〃I　know　about　Lotus　Cloud。　Yes。　And　about　men；　captains。　I　think　it　was　nineteen　and　not　twenty　clippers。　But　I　know　nothing　about　three　boys。　About　Lotus　Cloud；　did　my　ancestor　promise　not　to　fight　ship　after　he　had　give　ship？〃
　〃No。　Oh　no；　tai…pan；　no　he　did　not　promise　that。　Green…Eyed　Devil　was　clever；　very　clever。　Wu　Kwok's　death？　Joss。　We　must　all　die。　Joss。　No；　Green…Eyed　Devil　kept　his　bargain。　Culum　the　Weak　kept　the　bargain　too。　Will　you　keep　his　bargain？〃　Four　Finger　Wu　opened　his　fist。
　In　it　was　the　half…coin。
　Dunross　took　it　carefully；　his　heart　grinding。　They　watched　him　like　snakes；　both　of　them；　and　he　felt　the　strength　of　their　eyes。　His　fingers　shook　imperceptibly。　It　was　like　the　other　half…coins　that　were　still　in　Dirk's　Bible；　in　the　safe　in　the　Great　House；　two　still　left；　two　gone；　already　redeemed；　Wu　Kwok's　one　of　them。　Fighting　to　control　the　trembling　of　his　fingers；　he　handed　the　coin　back。　Wu　took　it；　careless　that　his　hand　shook。
　〃Perhaps　real；〃　Dunross　said；　his　voice　sounding　strange。　〃Must　check。　Where　get　it？〃
　〃It's　genuine；　of　course　it's　fornicating　genuine。　You　acknowledge　it　as　genuine？〃
　〃No。　Where　get　it？〃
　Four　Fingers　lit　a　cigarette　and　coughed。　He　cleared　his　throat　and　spat。　〃How　many　coins　were　there　at　first？　How　many　did　the　illustrious　Mandarin　Jin…qua　give　Green…Eyed　Devil？〃
　〃I　not　sure。〃
　〃Four。　There　were　four。〃
　〃Ah；　one　to　your　illustrious　ancestor；　Wu　Kwok；　paid　and　honored。　Why　would　great　Jin…qua　give　him　two？　Not　possible　…　so　this　stolen。　From　whom？〃
　The　old　man　flushed　and　Dunross　wondered　if　he　had　gone　too　far。
　〃Stolen　or　not；〃　the　old　man　spat；　〃you　grant　favor。　Heya？〃　Dunross　just　stared　at　him。　〃Heya？　Or　is　the　face　of　Green…Eyed　Devil　no　longer　the　face　of　the　Noble　House？〃
　〃Where　get　it？〃
　Wu　stared　at　him。　He　stubbed　out　the　cigarette　on　the　carpet。　〃Why　should　Green…Eyed　Devil　agree　to　four　coins？　Why？　And　why　would　he　swear　by　his　gods　that　he　and　all　his　heirs　would　honor　his　word；　heya？〃
　〃For　another　favor。〃
　〃Ah；　tai…pan；　yes　for　a　favor。　Do　you　know　what　favor？〃
　Dunross　stared　back　at　him。　〃Honorable　Jin…qua　loaned　the　tai…pan；　my　great…great…grandfather；　forty　lacs　of　silver。〃
　〃Forty　lac　…　4　million。　One　hundred　twenty　years　ago。〃　The　old　man　sighed。　His　eyes　slitted　even　more。　Paul　Choy　was　breathless；　motionless。　〃Was　a　paper　asked　for？　A　debt　paper　chopped　by　your　illustrious　forebear　…　on　the　chop　of　the　Noble　House？〃
　〃No。〃
　〃Forty　lacs　of　silver。　No　paper　no　chop　just　trust！　The　bargain　was　just　a　bargain　between　Old　Friends；　no　chop；　just　trust；　heya？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　The　old　man's　thumbless　hand　snaked　out　palm　upward　and　held　the　half…coin　under　Dunross's　face。　〃One　coin；　grant　favor。　Whoever　asks。　I　ask。〃
　Dunross　sighed。　At　length　he　broke　the　silence。　〃First　I　fit　half　to　half。　Next　make　sure　metal　here　same　metal　there。　Then　you　say　favor。〃　He　went　to　pick　up　the　half…coin　but　the　fist　snapped　closed　and　withdrew　and　Four　Fingers　jerked　his　good　thumb　at　Paul　Choy。　〃Explain；〃　he　said。
　〃Excuse　me；　tai…pan；〃　Paul　Choy　said　in　English；　very　uneasily；　hating　the　closeness　of　the　cabin　and　the　devil…borne　currents　in　the　cabin；　all　because　of　a　promise　given　twelve　decades　ago　by　one　pirate　to　another；　both　murdering　cutthroats　if　half　the　stories　were　true；　he　thought。　〃My　uncle　wants　me　to　explain　how　he　wants　to　do　this。〃　He　tried　to　keep　his　voice　level。　〃Of　course　he　understands　you'll　have　reservations　and　want　to　be　a　thousand　percent　sure。　At　the　same　time　he　doesn't　want　to　give　up　possession；　just　at　this　time。　Until　he's　sure；　one　way　or　the　other；　he'd　pr…　〃
　〃You're　saying　he　doesn't　trust　me？〃
　Paul　Choy　flinched　at　the　viciousness　of　the　words。　〃Oh　no；　sir；〃　he　said　quickly　and　translated　what　Dunross　had　said。
　〃Of　course　I　trust　you；〃　Wu　said。　His　smile　was　crooked。　〃But　do　you　trust　me？〃
　〃Oh　yes；　Old　Friend。　I　trust　very　much。　Give　me　coin。　If　real；　I　tai…pan　of　Noble　House　will　grant　your　ask　…　if　possible。〃
　〃Whatever　ask；　whatever；　is　granted！〃　the　old　man　flared。
　〃If　possible。　Yes。　If　real　coin　I　grant　favor；　if　not　real；　I　give　back　the　coin。　Finish。〃
　〃Not　finish。〃　Wu　waved　his　hand　at　Paul　Choy。　〃You　finish；　quickly！〃
　〃My　。。。　my　uncle　suggests　the　following　promise。　You　take　this。〃　The　young　man　brought　out　a　flat　piece　of　beeswax。　Three　separate　imprints　of　the　half…coin　had　been　pressed　into　it。　〃You'll　be　able　to　fit　the　other　half　to　these；　sir。　The　edges're　sharp　enough　for　you　to　be　sure；　almost　sure。　This's　step　one。　If　you're　reasonably　satisfied；　step　two's　we　go　together　to　a　government　assayer　or　the　curator　of　a　museum　and　get　him　to　test　both　coins　in　front　of　us。　Then　we'll　both　know　at　the　same　time。〃　Paul　Choy　was　dripping　with　sweat。　〃That's　what　my　uncle　says。〃
　〃One　side　could　easily　bribe　the　assayist。〃
　〃Sure。　But　before　we　see　him　we　mix　up　the　two　halves。　We'd　know　ours；　you'd　know　yours　…　but　he　wouldn't；　huh？〃
　〃He　could　be　got　at。〃
　〃Sure。　But　if　we　。。。　if　we　do　this　tomorrow　and　if　Wu　Sang　gives　you　his　word　and　you　give　him　your　word　not　to　try　a　setup；　it'd　work。〃　The　young　man　wiped　the　sweat　off　his　face。　〃Jesus；　it's　close　in　here！〃
　Dunross　thought　a　moment。　Then　he　turned　his　cold　eyes　on　Four　Fingers。　〃Yesterday　I　ask　favor；　you　said　no。〃
　〃That　favor　was　different；　tai…pan；〃　the　old　man　replied　at　once；　his　tongue　darting　like　a　snake's。　〃That　was　not　the　same　as　an　ancient　promise　collecting　an　ancient　debt。〃
　〃You　ask　your　friends　concerning　my　ask；　heya？〃
　Wu　lit　another　cigarette。　His　voice　sharpened。　〃Yes。　My　friends　are　worried　about　the　Noble　House。〃
　〃If　no　Noble　House；　no　noble　favor；　heya？〃
　The　silence　thickened。　Dunross　saw　the　cunning　old　eyes　dart　at　Paul　Choy　and　then　back　to　him　again。　He　knew　he　was　entrapped　by　the　coin。　He　would　have　to　pay。　If　it　was　genuine　he　would　have　to　pay；　whether　stolen　or　not。　Stolen　from　whom；　his　mind　was　shouting。　Who　here　would　have　had　one？　Dirk　Struan　never　knew　who　the　others　had　been　given　to。　In　his　testament　he　had　written　that　he　suspected　one　went　to　his　mistress　May…m