jamesclavell.noblehouse-第31部分

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　〃Oh　fine；〃　Casey　said　happily。
　〃Great；〃　Bartlett　said；　equally　pleased；　and　raised　his　can　of　beer。　〃Here's　to　a　successful　conclusion　and　big　profits　…　for　you　and　for　us。〃
　They　drank　the　toast；　the　others　reading　the　danger　signs　in　Dunross；　wondering　what　the　tai…pan's　counterproposal　would　be。
　〃Will　it　take　you　long　to　finalize；　Ian？〃　Bartlett　asked；　and　all　of　them　heard　the　Ian。　Linbar　Struan　winced　openly。
　To　their　astonishment；　Dunross　just　said；　〃No；〃　as　though　the　familiarity　was　quite　ordinary；　adding；　〃I　doubt　if　the　solicitors　will　e　up　with　anything　insurmountable。〃
　〃We're　seeing　them　tomorrow　at　eleven　o'clock；〃　Casey　said。　〃Mr。　deVille；　John　Chen　and　I。　We've　already　gotten　their　advance　go…through　。。。　no　problems　there。〃
　〃Dawson's　very　good　…　particularly　on　U。S。　tax　law。〃
　〃Casey；　maybe　we　should　bring　out　our　tax　guy　from　New　York；〃　Bartlett　said。
　〃Sure；　Linc；　soon　as　we're　set。　And　Forrester。〃　To　Dunross　she　said；　〃He's　head　of　our　foam　division。〃
　〃Good。　And　that's　enough　shoptalk　before　lunch；〃　Dunross　said。　〃House　rules；　Miss　Casey：　no　shop　with　food；　it's　very　bad　for　the　digestion。〃　He　beckoned　Lim。　〃We　won't　wait　for　Master　John。〃
　Instantly　waiters　materialized　and　chairs　were　held　out　and　there　were　typed　place　names　in　silver　holders　and　the　soup　was　ladled。
　The　menu　said　sherry　with　the　soup；　Chablis　with　the　fish　…　or　claret　with　the　roast　beef　and　Yorkshire　pudding　if　you　preferred　it　…　boiled　string　beans　and　boiled　potatoes　and　boiled　carrots。　Sherry　trifle　as　dessert。　Port　with　the　cheese　tray。
　〃How　long　will　you　be　staying；　Mr。　Bartlett？〃　Gavallan　asked。
　〃As　long　as　it　takes。　But　Mr。　Gavallan；　since　it　looks　as　though　we're　going　to　be　in　business　together　a　long　time；　how　about　you　dropping　the　'Mr。'　Bartlett　and　the　'Miss'　Casey　and　calling　us　Linc　and　Casey。〃
　Gavallan　kept　his　eyes　on　Bartlett。　He　would　have　liked　to　have　said；　Well　Mr。　Bartlett；　we　prefer　to　work　up　to　these　things　around　here　…　it's　one　of　the　few　ways　you　tell　your　friends　from　your　acquaintances。　For　us　first　names　are　a　private　thing。　But　as　the　tai…pan　hasn't　objected　to　the　astonishing　〃Ian〃　there's　not　a　thing　I　can　do。　〃Why　not；　Mr。　Bartlett？〃　he　said　blandly。　〃No　need　to　stand　on　ceremony。　Is　there？〃
　Jacques　deVille　and　Struan　and　Dunross　chuckled　inside　at　the　〃Mr。　Bartlett；〃　and　the　way　Gavallan　had　neatly　turned　the　unwanted　acceptance　into　a　put…down　and　a　loss　of　face　that　neither　of　the　Americans　would　ever　understand。
　〃Thanks；　Andrew；〃　Bartlett　said。　Then　he　added；　〃Ian；　may　I　bend　the　rules　and　ask　one　more　question　before　lunch：　Can　you　finalize　by　next　Tuesday；　one　way　or　another？〃
　Instantly　the　currents　in　the　room　reversed。　Lim　and　the　other　servants　hesitated；　shocked。　All　eyes　went　to　Dunross。　Bartlett　thought　he　had　gone　too　far　and　Casey　was　sure　of　it。　She　had　been　watching　Dunross。　His　expression　had　not　changed　but　his　eyes　had。　Everyone　in　the　room　knew　that　the　tai…pan　had　been　called　as　a　man　will　call　another　in　a　poker　game。　Put　up　or　shut　up。　By　next　Tuesday。
　They　waited。　The　silence　seemed　to　hang。　And　hang。
　Then　Dunross　broke　it。　〃I'll　let　you　know　tomorrow；〃　he　said；　his　voice　calm；　and　the　moment　passed　and　everyone　sighed　inwardly　and　the　waiters　continued　and　everyone　relaxed。　Except　Linbar。　He　could　still　feel　the　sweat　on　his　hands　because　he　alone　of　them　knew　the　thread　that　went　through　all　of　the　descendents　of　Dirk　Struan　…　a　strange；　almost　primeval；　sudden　urge　to　violence　…　and　he　had　seen　it　almost　surface　then；　almost　but　not　quite。　This　time　it　had　gone　away。　But　the　knowledge　of　it　and　its　closeness　terrified　him。
　His　own　line　was　descended　from　Robb　Struan；　Dirk　Struan's　half…brother　and　partner；　so　he　had　none　of　Dirk　Struan's　blood　in　his　veins。　He　bitterly　regretted　it　and　loathed　Dunross　even　more　for　making　him　sick　with　envy。
　Hag　Struan　on　you；　Ian　bloody　Dunross；　and　all　your　generations；　he　thought；　and　shuddered　involuntarily　at　the　thought　of　her。
　〃What's　up；　Linbar？〃　Dunross　asked。
　〃Oh　nothing；　tai…pan；〃　he　said；　almost　jumping　out　of　his　skin。　〃Nothing　…　just　a　sudden　thought。　Sorry。〃
　〃What　thought？〃
　〃I　was　just　thinking　about　Hag　Struan。〃
　Dunross's　spoon　hesitated　in　midair　and　the　others　stared　at　him。　〃That's　not　exactly　good　for　your　digestion。〃
　〃No　sir。〃
　Bartlett　glanced　at　Linbar；　then　at　Dunross。　〃Who's　Hag　Struan？〃
　〃A　skeleton；〃　Dunross　said　with　a　dry　laugh；　〃We've　lots　of　skeletons　in　our　family。〃
　〃Who　hasn't？〃　Casey　said。
　〃Hag　Struan　was　our　eternal　bogeyman　…　still　is。〃
　〃Not　now；　tai…pan；　surely；〃　Gavallan　said。　〃She's　been　dead　for　almost　fifty　years。〃
　〃Maybe　she'll　die　out　with　us；　with　Linbar；　Kathy　and　me；　with　our　generation；　but　I　doubt　it。〃　Dunross　looked　at　Linbar　strangely。　〃Will　Hag　Struan　get　out　of　her　coffin　tonight　and　gobble　us　up？〃
　〃I　swear　to　God　I　don't　like　even　joking　about　her　like　that；　tai…pan。〃
　〃The　pox　on　Hag　Struan；〃　Dunross　said。　〃If　she　was　alive　I'd　say　it　to　her　face。〃
　〃I　think　you　would。　Yes；〃　Gavallan　laughed　suddenly。　〃That　I'd　like　to　have　seen。〃
　〃So　would　I。〃　Dunross　laughed　with　him；　then　he　saw　Casey's　expression。　〃Ah；　just　bravado；　Casey。　Hag　Struan　was　a　fiend　from　hell　if　you　believe　half　the　legends。　She　was　Culum　Struan's　wife　…　he　was　Dirk　Struan's　son　…　our　founder's　son。　Her　maiden　name　was　Tess；　Tess　Brock　and　she　was　the　daughter　of　Dirk's　hated　enemy；　Tyler　Brock。　Culum　and　Tess　eloped　in　1841；　so　the　story　goes。　She　was　sweet　sixteen　and　a　beauty；　and　he　heir　to　the　Noble　House。　It　was　rather　like　Romeo　and　Juliet　…　except　they　lived　and　it　made　no　difference　whatsoever　to　the　blood　feud　of　Dirk　against　Tyler　or　the　Struans　versus　the　Brocks；　it　just　heightened　and　plicated　it。　She　was　born　Tess　Brock　in　1825　and　died　Hag　Struan　in　1917；　aged　ninety…two；　toothless；　hairless；　besotten；　vicious　and　dreadful　to　her　very　last　day。　Life's　strange；　heya？〃
　〃Yes。　Unbelievable　sometimes；〃　Casey　said　thoughtfully。　〃Why　is　it　people　change　so　much　growing　old　…　get　so　sour　and　bitter？　Particularly　women？〃
　Fashion；　Dunross　could　have　answered　at　once；　and　because　men　and　women　age　differently。　It's　unfair　…　but　an　immortal　fact。　A　woman　sees　the　lines　beginning　and　the　sagging　beginning　and　the　skin　no　longer　so　fresh　and　firm　but　her　man's　still　fine　and　sought　after　and　then　she　sees　the　young　dolly　birds　and　she's　petrified　she'll　lose　him　to　them　and　eventually　she　will　because　he'll　bee　bored　with　her　carping　and　the　self…fed　agony　of　the　self…mutilation　…　and　too；　because　of　his　built…in　uncontrollable　urge　toward　youth。　。。。
　〃Ayeeyah；　there's　no　aphrodisiac　in　the　world　like　youth；〃　old　Chen…Chen　…　Phillip　Chen's　father　…　Ian's　mentor　would　always　say。　〃None；　young　Ian；　there's　none。　None　none　none。　Listen　to　me。　The　yang　needs　the　yin　juices；　but　young　juices；　oh　yes　they　should　be　young；　the　juices　young　to　extend　your　life　and　nourish　the　yang　…　oh　oh　oh！　Remember；　the　older　your　Male　Stalk　bees　the　more　it　needs　youth　and　change　and　young　enthusiasm　to　perform　exuberantly；　and　the　more　the　merrier！　But　also　remember　that　the　Beauteous　Box　that　nests　between　all　their　thighs；　peerless　though　it　is；　delectable；　delicious；　unearthly；　oh　so　sweet　and　oh　so　satisfying　as　it　also　is；　beware！　Ha！　It's　also　a　trap；　ambush；　torture　chamber　and　your　coffin！〃　Then　the　old；　old　man　would　chuckle　and　his　belly　would　jump　up　and　down　and　the　tears　would　run　down　his　face。　〃Oh　the　gods　are　marvelous；　are　they　not？　They　grant　us　heaven　on　earth　but　it's　living　hell　when　you　can't　get　your　one…eyed　monk　to　raise　his　head　to　enter　paradise。　Joss；　my　child！　That's　our　joss　…　to　crave　the　Greedy　Gulley　until　she　eats　you　up；　but　oh　oh　oh　。。。〃
　It　must　be　very　difficult　for　women；　particularly　Americans；　Dunross　thought；　this　trauma　of　growing　old；　the　inevitability　of　it　happening　so　early；　too　early　…　worse　in　America　than　anywhere　else　on　earth。
　Why　should　I　tell　you　a　truth　you　must　already　know　in　your　bones；　Dunross　asked　himself。　Or　say　further　that　American　fashion　demands　you　try　to　grasp　an　eternal　youth　neither　God　nor　devil　nor　surgeon　can　give　you。　You　can't　be　twenty…five　when　you're　thirty