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！
snores and secrecy are because the rotten Peelers are after you and they've sneaked in and bugged his flat。〃
〃Peelers？〃
〃That's the cockney nickname for police。 It came from Sir Robert Peel； Prime Minister of England； who founded the first police force。 Cockneys've always hated Peelers and Ugly Ernie would delight in outwitting them。 Just be pro…Royal Navy and he's your dog until death。 。。。〃
Suslev smiled。 Clinker's not a bad man； he thought； just a bore。
He sipped his beer as he wandered back into the living room。 The afternoon paper was there。 It was the Guardian Extra； the headlines screaming； MOB MURDERS FRAGRANT FLOWER； and a good photograph of the riot。 He sat in an armchair and read quickly。
Then his sharp ears heard the elevator stop。 He went to the table beside the door and slid the loaded automatic with its silencer from under it。 He pocketed the gun and peered through the spy hole。
The doorbell was muted。 He opened it and smiled。 〃e in； old friend。〃 He embraced Jacques deVille warmly。 〃It's been a long time。〃
〃Yes； yes it has； rade；〃 deVille said as warmly。 The last time he had seen Suslev was in Singapore； five years before； at a secret meeting arranged by Arthur just after deVille had been induced to join Sevrin。 He and Suslev had met just as secretly the first time in the great port of Lyons in France in June '41； just days before Nazi Germany invaded Soviet Russia when the two countries were outwardly still allies。 At that time deVille was in the Maquis and Suslev second…in…mand and secret political missar of a Soviet submarine that was ostensibly in for a refit from patrol in the Atlantic； It was then that deVille was asked if he would like to carry on the real war； the war against the capitalist enemy as a secret agent after the fascists had been destroyed。
He had agreed with all his heart。
It had been easy for Suslev to subvert him。 Because of deVille's potential after the war； the KGB had secretly had him betrayed to the Gestapo； then rescued from a Gestapo prison death by munist guerrillas。 The guerrillas had given him false proof that he had been betrayed by one of his own men for money。 DeVille was thirty…two then and； like many； infatuated with socialism and with some of the teachings of Marx and Lenin。 He had never joined the French munist Party but now； because of Sevrin； he was an honorary captain in the KGB Soviet Security Force。
〃You seem tired； Frederick；〃 Suslev said； using deVille's cover name。 〃Tell me what's wrong。〃
〃Just a family problem。〃
〃Tell me。〃
Suslev listened intently to deVille's sad story about his son…in…law and daughter。 Since their meeting in 1941 Suslev had been deVille's controller。 In 1947 he had ordered him out to Hong Kong to join Struan's。 Before the war deVille and his father had owned a highly successful import…export business with close ties to Struan's … as well as family ties … so the change had been easy and wele。 DeVille's secret assignment was to bee a member of the Inner Court and； at length； tai…pan。
〃Where's your daughter now？〃 he asked passionately。
DeVille told him。
〃And the driver of the other car？〃 Suslev mitted the name and address to memory。 〃I'll see that he's dealt with。〃
〃No；〃 deVille said at once。 〃It 。。。 it was an accident。 We cannot punish a man for an accident。〃
〃He was drunk。 There is no excuse for drunk driving。 In any event you are important to us。 We take care of our own。 I will deal with him。〃
DeVille knew there was no point in arguing。 A gust of rain battered the windows。 〃Merde； but the rain's good。 The temperature must be down five degrees。 Will it last？〃
〃The storm front's reported to be big。〃
DeVille watched globules running down the pane； wondering why he had been summoned。 〃How are things with you？〃
〃Very good。 Drink？〃 Suslev went to the mirrored bar。 〃There's good vodka。〃
〃Vodka's fine； please。 But a short one。〃
〃If Dunross retired are you the next tai…pan？〃
〃I would think it's between four of us： Gavallan； David Mac…Struan； myself and Linbar Struan。〃
〃In that order？〃
〃I don't know。 Except Linbar's probably last。 Thanks。〃 DeVille accepted his drink。 They toasted each other。 〃I'd bet on Gavallan。〃
〃Who's this MacStruan？〃
〃A distant cousin。 He's done his five years as a China Trader。 At the moment he's heading up our expansion into Canada … we're trying to diversify and get into wood fibers； copper； all the Canadian minerals； mostly out of British Columbia。〃
〃How good is he？〃
〃Very good。 Very tough。 A very dirty fighter。 Thirty…eight； ex…lieutenant； Paratroopers。 His left hand was almost ripped off over Burma by a tangle in the shrouds of his parachute。 He just tied a tourniquet around it and carried on fighting。 That earned him a Military Cross。 If I was tai…pan I'd choose him。〃 DeVille shrugged。 〃By our pany law only the tai…pan can appoint his successor。 He can do it anytime； even in his will if he wants。 Whatever way it's done it's binding on the Noble House。〃
Suslev watched him。 〃Has Dunross made a will？〃
〃Ian's very efficient。〃
A silence gathered。
〃Another vodka？〃
〃Non； merci。 I'll stay with this one。 Is Arthur joining us？〃
〃Yes。 How could we tip the scales for you？〃
DeVille hesitated； then shrugged。
Suslev poured himself another drink。 〃It would be easy to discredit this MacStruan and the others。 Yes。 Easy to eliminate them。〃 Suslev turned and looked at him。 〃Even Dunross。〃
〃No。 That's not the solution。〃
〃Is there another one？〃
〃Being patient。〃 DeVille smiled but his eyes were very tired and shadows lurked there。 〃I would not like to be the cause of 。。。 of his removal or that of the others。〃
Suslev laughed。 〃It's not necessary to kill to eliminate！ Are we barbarians？ Of course not。〃 He was watching his protégé closely。 DeVille needs toughening； he was thinking。 〃Tell me about the American； Bartlett； and the Struan…Par…Con deal。〃
DeVille told him all he knew。 〃Bartlett's money will give us everything we need。〃
〃Can this Gornt effect a takeover？〃
〃Yes and no。 And possibly。 He's tough and he truly hates us。 It's a long…term rival… 〃
〃Yes； I know。〃 Suslev was surprised deVille kept repeating information he already had been given。 It's a bad sign； he thought； and glanced at his watch。 〃Our friend's twenty…five minutes late。 That's unusual。〃 Both men were too seasoned to worry。 Meetings such as this could never be pletely firm because no one could ever control the unexpected happening。
〃Did you hear about the fire in Aberdeen？〃 deVille asked at the sudden thought。
〃What fire？〃
〃There was a bulletin over the wireless just before I came up。〃 DeVille and his wife had apartment 20 on the sixth floor。 〃The Floating Dragon restaurant at Aberdeen burned down。 Perhaps Arthur was there。〃
〃Did you see him？〃 Suslev was suddenly concerned。
〃No。 But I could easily have missed him。 I left well before dinner。〃
Suslev sipped his vodka thoughtfully。 〃Has he told you yet who the others are in Sevrin？〃
〃No。 I asked him； judiciously； as you ordered； but he nev… 〃
〃Order？ I don't order you； tovarich； I just suggest。〃
〃Of course。 All he said was； 'We'll all meet in due course。' 〃
〃We'll both know