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第95章

jamesclavell.noblehouse-第95章

小说: jamesclavell.noblehouse 字数: 每页3500字

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K…a…month fees。 Fees for what? You'd better 。。。 Where do you think you're going?〃
 Meekly he sat down again。 〃I … I was … I want to go to the bathroom。〃
 〃Huh! Whenever we have a discussion you want the bathroom! You're just ashamed of the way you treat me and guilty。 。。。〃 Then; seeing him about to explode back at her; she switched abruptly; her voice crooningly gentle。 〃Poor Phillip! Poor boy! Why were you so angry? Who's hurt you?〃
 So he told her; and once he began the telling he felt better and his anguish and fear and fury started to melt away。 Women are clever and cunning in these things; he told himself confidently; rushing on。 He told her about opening John's safety deposit in the bank; about the letters to Linc Bartlett and about finding a duplicate key to his own safe in their bedroom。 〃I brought all the letters back;〃 he said; almost in tears; 〃they're upstairs; you can read them for yourself。 My own son! He's betrayed us!〃
 〃My God; Phillip;〃 she gasped; 〃if the tai…pan found out you and Father Chen…chen were keeping 。。。 if he knew he'd ruin us!〃
 〃Yes; yes I know! That's why I've been so upset! By the rules of Dirk's legacy he has the right and the means。 We'd be ruined。 But; but that's not all。 John knew where our secret safe was in the garden an… 〃
 〃Wat?〃
 〃Yes; and he dug it up。〃 He told her about the coin。
 〃Ayeeyah!〃 She stared at him in absolute shock; half her mind filled with terror; the other half with ecstasy; for now; whether John came back or not; he had destroyed himself。 John would never inherit now! My Kevin's Number One Son now and future pradore to the Noble House! Then her fears drowned her excitement and she muttered; aghast; 〃If there's still a House of Chen。〃
 〃What? What did you say?〃
 〃Nothing; never mind。 Wait a moment; Phillip; let me think。 Oh the rotten boy! How could John do this to us; we who have cherished him all his life! You 。。。 you'd better go to the bank。 Get 300;000 out … in case you need to barter more。 We must get John back at all costs。 Would he keep the coin with him; on him; or would it be in his other safety deposit box?〃
 〃It'd be in the box … or hidden at his flat in Sinclair Towers。〃
 Her face closed。 〃How can we search that place with her in residence? That wife of his? That strumpet Barbara! If she suspects we're after something 。。。〃 Her mind caught a vagrant thread。 〃Phillip; does it mean; whoever presents the coin gets whatever they want?〃
 〃Yes。〃
 〃Eeeeee! What power!〃
 〃Yes。〃
 Now her mind was working cleanly。 〃Phillip;〃 she said; in control again; everything else forgotten; 〃we need all the help we can get。 Phone your cousin Four Fingers 。。。〃 He looked at her; startled; then began to smile。 〃。。。 arrange with him to have some of his street fighters follow you secretly to protect you when you pay over the ransom; then to follow the Werewolf to his lair and to rescue John whatever the cost。 Whatever you do don't tell him about the coin … just that you want help to rescue poor John。 That's it。 We must get poor John back at all costs。〃
 〃Yes;〃 he replied; much happier now。 〃Four Fingers is the perfect choice。 He owes us a favor or two。 I know where I can reach him this afternoon。〃
 〃Good。 Off you go to the bank; but give me the key to the safe。 I'll cancel my hairdressing appointment and I'll read John's papers at once。〃
 〃Very good。〃 He got up immediately。 〃The key's upstairs;〃 he said; lying; and hurried out; not wanting her prying into the safe。 There were a number of things there he did not want her to know about。 I'd better hide them somewhere else; he thought uneasily; just in case。 His euphoria evaporated and his overwhelming anxiety returned。 Oh my poor son; he told himself near tears。 Whatever possessed you? I was a good father to you and you'll always be my heir and I've loved you like I loved your mother。 Poor Jennifer; poor little thing; dying birthing my first…born son。 O all gods: let me get my poor son back again; safe again; whatever he's done; let us extract ourselves from all this madness; and I'll endow a new temple for all of you equally!
 The safe was behind the brass bedstead。 He pulled it away from the wall; opened the safe and took out all of John's papers; then his very private deeds; letters and promissory notes which he stuffed into his coat pocket and went downstairs again。
 〃Here are John's letters;〃 he said。 〃I thought I'd save you the trouble of moving the bed。〃
 She noticed the bulge in his coat pocket but said nothing。
 〃I'll be back by 5:30 p。m。 sharp。〃
 〃Good。 Drive carefully;〃 she said absently; her whole being concentrated on a single problem … how to get the coin for Kevin and herself。 Secretly。
 The phone rang。 Phillip Chen stopped at the front door as she picked it up。 〃Weyyyy?〃 Her eyes glazed。 〃Oh hello; tai…pan; how're you today?〃 Phillip Chen blanched。
 〃Just fine thank you;〃 Dunross said。 〃Is Phillip there?〃
 〃Yes; yes just a minute。〃 She could hear many voices behind Dunross's voice and she thought she heard an undercurrent of covered urgency which increased her dread。 〃Phillip; it's for you;〃 she said; trying to keep the nervousness out of her voice。 〃The tai…pan!〃 She held up the phone; motioning him silently to keep the earpiece a little away from his ear so she could hear too。
 〃Yes; tai…pan?〃
 〃Hello; Phillip。 What're your plans this afternoon?〃
 〃Nothing particular。 I was just leaving to go to the bank; why?〃
 〃Before you do that; drop by the exchange。 The market's gone mad。 The run on the Ho…Pak's Colony…wide now and the stock's teetering even though Richard's supporting it for all he's worth。 Any moment it'll crash。 The run's spilling over to lots of other banks; I hear … the Ching Prosperity; even the Vic 。。。〃 Phillip Chen and his wife glanced at each other; perturbed。 〃I heard the Vic's got problems at Aberdeen and at Central。 Everything's down; all our blue chips: the V and A; Kowloon Investments; Hong Kong Power; Rothwell…Gornt; Asian Properties; H。K。L。F。; Zong Securities; Solomon Textiles; us 。。。 everyone。〃
 〃How many points are we off?〃
 〃From this morning? Three points。〃
 Phillip Chen gasped and almost dropped the phone。 〃What?〃
 〃Yes;〃 Dunross agreed pleasantly。 〃Someone's started rumors about us。 It's all over the market that we're in trouble; that we can't pay Toda Shipping next week … nor the Orlin installment。 I think now we're being sold short。〃
 
 31
 
 2:45 P。M。:
 Gornt was sitting beside his stockbroker; Joseph Stern; in the exchange watching the big board delightedly。 It was warm and very humid in the large room that was packed and noisy; phones ringing; sweating brokers; Chinese clerks and runners。 Normally the exchange was calm and leisurely。 Today it was not。 Everyone was tense and concentrating。 And uneasy。 Many had their coats off。
 Gornt's own stock was off a point but that did not bother him a bit。 Struan's was down 3。50 now and Ho…Pak tottering。 Time's running out for Struan's; he thought; everything's primed; everything's begun。 Bartlett's money had been put into his Swiss bank within the hour; no strings … just 2 million transferred from an unknown account into his。 Seven phone calls began the rumors。 Another call to Japan confirmed the accuracy of the Struan payment dates。 Yes; he thought; the attack's begun。
 His attention went to the Ho…Pak listing on the board as some more sell offerings were written up by a broker。 There were no immediate buyers。
 Since he had secretly started selling Ho…Pak short on Monday just before the market closed at three o'clock … long before the run had started in earnest … he was millions ahead。 On Monday the stock had sold at 28。60; and now; even with all the support Richard Kwang was giving it; it was down to 24。30 … off more points than the stock had moved ever since the bank was formed eleven years ago。
 4。30 times 500;000 makes 2;150;000; Gornt was thinking happily; all in honest…to…God HK currency if I wanted to buy back in right now which isn't bad for forty…eight hours of labor。 But I won't buy back in yet; oh dear no。 Not yet。 I'm sure now that the stock will crash; if not today; tomorrow; Thursday。 If not then; Friday … Monday at the latest; for no bank in the world can sustain such a run。 Then; when the crash es I'll buy back in at a few cents on the dollar and make twenty times half a million。
 〃Sell 200;000;〃 he said; beginning to sell short openly now … the other shares hidden carefully among his secret nominees。
 〃Good God; Mr。 Gornt;〃 his stockbroker gasped。 〃The Ho…Pak'll have to put up almost 5 million to cover。 That'll rock the whole market。〃
 〃Yes;〃 he said jovially。
 〃We'll have a hell of a time borrowing the stock。〃
 〃Then do it。〃
 Reluctantly his stockbroker began to leave but one of the phones rang。 〃Yes? Oh hello; Daytime Chang;〃 he said in passable Cantonese。 〃What can I do for you?〃
 〃I hope you can save all my money; Honorable Middleman。 What is Noble House selling for?〃
 〃25。30。〃
 There was a screech of dismay。 〃Woe woe woe; there's barely half a dog…bone hour of trading left; woe woe woe! Please sell! Please sell all Noble House panies at once; Noble House; Good Luck Properties and Golden Ferry; also 。。。 what's Second Great pany selling at?〃
 〃23。30。〃
 〃Ayeeyah; one point off from this morning? All gods bear witness to foul joss! Sell。 Please to sell everything at once!〃
 〃But Daytime Chang; the market's really quite sound an… 〃
 〃At once! Haven't you heard the rumors? Noble House will crash! Eeeee; sell; waste not a minute! Hold a moment; my associate Fung…tat wants to talk to you too。〃
 〃Yes; Third Toiletmaid Fung?〃
 〃Just like Daytime Chang; Honorable Middleman! Sell! Before I'm lost! Sell and call us back with prices oh oh oh! Please hurry!〃
 He put the phone down。 This was the fifth panic call he had had from old customers and he did not like it at all。 Stupid to panic; he thought; checking his stock book。 Between the two of them; Daytime Chang and Third Toiletmaid Fung had invested over 40;000 HK in various stocks。 If he sold now they would be ahead; well ahead; but for the Struan losses today which would shave off most of their profit。
 Joseph Stern was head of the firm of Stern and Jones that had been in Hong Kong for fifty years。 They had bee stockbrokers only since the war。 Before that they were moneylenders; dealers in foreign exchange and ship's chandlers。 He was a small; dark…haired man; mostly bald; in his sixties; and many people thought he had Chinese blood in him a few generations back。
 He walked to the front of the board and stopped beside the column that listed Golden Ferry。 He wrote down the bined Chang and Fung holdings in the sell column。 It was a minor offering。
 〃I'll buy at 30 cents off listing;〃 a broker said。
 〃There's no run on Golden Ferry;〃 he said sharply。
 〃No; but it's a Struan pany。 Yes or no?〃
 〃You know very well Golden Ferry's profits are up this quarter。〃
 〃Tough titty! Christ; isn't it bloody hot? Don't you think we could afford air conditioning in the exchange? Is it yes or no; old chap?〃
 Joseph Stern thought a moment。 He did not want to fuel the nervousness。 Only yesterday Golden Ferry had soared a dollar because all the business world knew their annual meeting was next 

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