jamesclavell.noblehouse-第227部分

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　A　soft　knock。　〃Honored　Lady？〃
　〃Ah　Chun？〃
　〃Yes。〃　The　door　opened　and　the　old　woman　padded　in。　She　brought　clean　towels。　〃How　long　will　you　be　here？〃
　Lily　Su　hesitated。　By　custom　the　client　in　this　place　of　assignation　paid　for　the　room　for　the　whole　night。　Also　by　custom；　if　the　room　was　vacated　early；　the　management　returned　part　of　the　fee　to　the　girl。　〃All　night；〃　she　said　wanting　to　enjoy　the　luxury；　not　knowing　when　she　would　have　the　opportunity　again。　Perhaps　this　client　will　have　lost　his　bank　and　everything　by　next　week。
　〃Joss；〃　she　said；　then。　〃Please　put　on　the　bath。〃
　Grumbling　the　old　woman　did　as　she　was　told　then　went　away。　Again　Lily　Su　yawned；　happily　listening　to　the　water　gurgling。　She　was　tired　too。　The　day　had　been　exhausting。　And　tonight　her　client　had　talked　more　than　usual　as　she　had　rested　against　him；　trying　to　sleep；　not　listening；　understanding　only　a　word　here　and　there　but　quite　content　for　him　to　talk。　She　knew　from　long　experience　that　this　was　a　form　of　release；　particularly　for　an　old　barbarian。　Very　odd；　she　thought；　all　that　work　and　noise　and　tears　and　money　to　achieve　nothing　but　more　pain；　more　talk　and　more　tears。　〃Never　mind　if　the　yang　is　weak　or　if　they　talk　or　mumble　or　mutter　their　foul…sounding　language　or　weep　in　your　arms。　Barbarians　do　that；〃　her　mama…san　had　explained。　〃Close　your　ears。　And　close　your　nostrils　to　the　foreign　devil　smell　and　the　old　man　smell　and　help　this　one　enjoy　a　moment　of　pleasure。　He's　Hong　Kong　yan；　an　old　friend；　also　he　pays　well；　promptly；　he's　getting　you　quickly　out　of　debt；　and　it's　good　face　to　have　such　a　pillow　patron。　So　be　enthusiastic；　pretend　that　he's　virile　and　give　value　for　his　money。〃
　Lily　Su　knew　she　gave　value　for　money　received。　Yes；　my　joss　is　very　good　and　oh　so　much　better　than　my　poor　sister　and　her　patron。　Poor　Fragrant　Flower　and　Noble　House　Chen　Number　One　Son。　What　tragedy！　What　cruelty！
　She　shivered。　Oh　those　terrible　Werewolves！　Terrible　to　cut　off　his　ear；　terrible　to　murder　him　and　threaten　all　Hong　Kong；　terrible　for　my　poor　elder　sister　to　be　crushed　to　death　by　those　smelly　rotten　dogmeat　fishermen　at　Aberdeen。　Oh　what　joss！
　It　was　only　this　morning　that　she　had　seen　a　newspaper　that　had　printed　a　copy　of　John　Chen's　love　letter；　recognizing　it　at　once。　For　weeks　they　had　laughed　over　it；　she　and　Fragrant　Flower；　that　and　the　other　two　letters　that　Fragrant　Flower　had　left　with　her　for　safekeeping。　〃Such　a　funny　man；　with　almost　no　yang　at　all　and　almost　never　even　a　little　upstanding；〃　her　elder　sister　had　told　her。　〃He　pays　me　just　to　lie　there　for　him　to　kiss；　sometimes　to　dance　without　clothes；　and　always　promise　to　tell　others　how　strong　he　is！　Eeeee；　he　gives　me　money　like　water！　For　eleven　weeks　I　have　been　his　'own　true　love'！　If　this　continues　for　another　eleven　weeks　。。。　perhaps　an　apartment　bought　and　paid　for！〃
　This　afternoon；　fearfully；　she　had　gone　with　her　father　to　East　Aberdeen　Police　Station　to　identify　the　body。　They　said　nothing　about　knowing　who　the　patron　was。　Wisely　her　father　had　said　to　keep　that　secret。　〃Noble　House　Chen　will　surely　prefer　that　secret。　His　face　is　involved　too　…　and　the　face　of　the　new　heir；　what's　his　name；　the　young　one　with　the　foreign　devil　name。　In　a　day　or　two　I'll　phone　Noble　House　Chen　and　sound　him　out。　We　must　wait　a　little。　After　today's　news　of　what　the　Werewolves've　done　to　Number　One　Son；　no　father'd　want　to　negotiate。〃
　Yes；　Father's　smart；　she　thought。　It　isn't　for　nothing　that　his　fellow　workers　call　him　Nine　Carat　Chu。　Thank　all　gods　I　have　those　other　two　letters。
　After　they　had　identified　her　sister's　body；　they　had　filled　out　forms　with　their　real　names　and　real　family　name　Chu　to　claim　her　money；　4；360　HK　in　the　name　of　Wisteria　Su；　3；000　HK　under　Fragrant　Flower　Tak；　all　money　earned　outside　the　Good　Luck　Dance　Hall。　But　the　police　sergeant　had　been　inflexible。　〃Sorry；　but　now　that　we　know　her　real　name　we　have　to　announce　it　so　that　all　her　debtors　can　claim　against　her　estate。〃　Even　a　very　generous　offer　of　25　percent　of　the　money　for　immediate　possession　could　not　get　through　his　rough　manner。　So　they　had　left。
　The　rotten　dogmeat　foreign　devil　slave；　she　thought　disgustedly。　Nothing　will　be　left　after　the　dance　hall　collects　their　debts。　Nothing。　Ayeeyah！
　But　never　mind；　she　told　herself　as　she　lay　down　in　the　bath　with　glorious　contentment。　Never　mind；　the　secret　of　the　letters　will　be　worth　a　fortune　to　Noble　House　Chen。
　And　Noble　House　Chen　has　more　red　notes　than　a　cat　has　hairs。
　
　Casey　was　curled　up　in　the　window　of　her　bedroom；　the　lights　out　except　for　a　small　reading　lamp　over　the　bed。　She　was　staring　gloomily　down　at　the　street　five　stories　below。　Even　this　late；　almost　1：30　a。m。；　the　street　was　still　snarled　with　traffic。　The　sky　was　low　and　misty；　no　moon；　making　the　lights　from　the　huge　neon　signs　and　columns　of　Chinese　characters　more　dazzling；　reds　and　blues　and　greens　that　reflected　in　the　puddles　and　turned　ugliness　into　fairyland。　The　window　was　open；　the　air　cool　and　she　could　see　couples　darting　between　buses　and　trucks　and　taxis。　Many　of　the　couples　were　heading　for　the　foyer　of　the　new　Royal　Netherlands　Hotel　and　a　late…night　snack　at　the　European　coffee　shop　where　she　had　had　a　nightcap　coffee　with　Captain　Jannelli；　their　pilot。
　Everyone　eats　so　much　here；　she　thought　idly。　Jesus；　and　so　many　people　here；　so　much　work　to　provide；　so　few　jobs；　so　few　at　the　top；　one　at　the　top　of　each　pile；　always　a　man；　everyone　struggling　to　get　there；　to　stay　there　。。。　but　for　what？　The　new　car　the　new　house　the　new　ensemble　the　new　refrigerator　the　new　gimmick　or　whatever。
　Life's　one　long　bill。　Never　enough　of　the　green　stuff　to　cope　with　the　everyday　bills　let　alone　a　private　yacht　or　private　condo　on　the　shores　of　Acapulco　or　the　C？te　d'Azur；　and　the　means　to　get　there　…　even　tourist。
　I　hate　going　tourist。　First's　worth　it；　worth　it　to　me。　Private　jet's　better；　much　better　but　I　won't　think　about　Linc。　。。。
　She　had　taken　Seymour　Steigler　to　dinner　upstairs　and　they　had　settled　all　the　business　problems；　most　of　them　legal　problems　he　kept　bringing　up。
　〃We　gotta　make　it　watertight。　Can't　be　too　cautious　with　foreigners；　Casey；〃　he　kept　on　saying。　〃They　don't　play　the　game　according　to　good　old　Yankee　rules。〃
　As　soon　as　dinner　was　finished　she　had　feigned　a　load　of　work　and　left　him。　Her　work　was　all　done　so　she　curled　up　in　a　chair　and　began　to　read；　speed…read。　Fortune；　Business　Week；　The　Wall　Street　Journal　and　several　specialized　business　magazines。　Then　she　had　studied　another　Cantonese　lesson；　leaving　the　book　till　last。　The　book　was　Peter　Marlowe's　novel；　Changi。　She　had　found　the　dog…eared　paperback　in　one　of　the　dozens　of　street　bookstalls　in　an　alley　just　north　of　the　hotel　yesterday　morning。　It　had　given　her　great　pleasure　bargaining　for　it。　The　first　asking　price　was　22　HK。　Casey　had　bargained　her　down　to　7。55　HK；　barely　1。50　U。S。　Delighted　with　herself　and　with　her　find　she　had　continued　window…shopping。　Nearby　was　a　modern　bookshop；　the　windows　stuffed　with　picture　books　on　Hong　Kong　and　China。　Inside　on　a　rack　were　three　more　paperbacks　of　Changi。　New；　they　cost　5。75　HK。
　At　once　Casey　had　cursed　the　old　woman　street　seller　for　cheating　her。　But　then　the　old　hag　wasn't　cheating　you　at　all；　she　had　reminded　herself。　She　outtraded　you。　After　all；　only　a　moment　ago　you　were　chortling　because　you'd　trimmed　her　profit　to　nothing　and　God　knows　these　people　need　profit。
　Casey　watched　the　street　and　the　traffic　on　Nathan　Road　below。　This　morning　she　had　walked　up　Nathan　Road　to　Boundary　Road；　a　mile　and　a　half　or　so。　It　was　on　her　list　of　things　to　see。　It　was　a　road　like　any　other；　snarled；　busy；　gaudy　with　street　signs；　except　that　everything　north　of　Boundary　Road　to　the　border　would　revert　to　China　in　1997。　Everything。　In　1898　the　British　had　taken　a　ninety…nine…year　lease　on　the　land　that　extended　from　Boundary　Road　to　the　Sham　Chun　River　where　the　new　border　was　to　be；　along　with　a　number　of　nearby　islands。　〃Wasn't　that　stupid；　Peter？〃　she　had　asked　Marlowe；　meeting　him　by　chance　in　the　hotel　foyer　at　teatime。
　〃Now　it　is；〃　he　said　thoughtfully。　〃Then？　Well；　who　knows