jamesclavell.noblehouse-第191部分

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　Molly　Finn　turned　to　Grey。　〃Gregor's　a　good　lad　too；　Mr。　Grey。　He's　not　one　of　them　nasties。〃　She　sipped　her　tea。　〃Gregor's　a　good　lad。〃
　〃That's　right；　lass；〃　Finn　said。
　〃Not　too　good；　I　hope；〃　Grey　said　and　they　all　laughed。　〃What　made　you　take　up　residence　here；　Sam？〃
　〃When　we　retired；　Mrs。　Finn　and　me；　we　wanted　to　see　a　bit　of　the　world。　We'd　put　a　bit　of　brass　aside　and　we　cashed　in　a　wee　coop　insurance　policy　we　had；　and　got　a　berth　on　a　freighter　。。。〃
　〃Oh；　my；　we　did　have　a　good　time；〃　Molly　Finn　broke　in。　〃We　went　to　so　many　foreign　parts。　It　were　proper　lovely。　But　when　we　cum　here　Sam　was　a　bit　poorly；　so　we　got　off　and　were　to　pick　up　a　freighter　when　she　cum　back。〃
　〃That's　right；　lass；〃　Sam　said。　〃Then　I　met　a　right　proper　nice　man　and　he　offered　me　a　job。〃　He　beamed　and　rubbed　the　black　pits　in　his　face。　〃I　was　to　be　consultant　to　some　mines　he　was　superintendent　for；　in　some　place　called　Formosa。　We　went　there　once　but　no　need　to　stay　so　we　cum　back　here。　That's　all　there　is　to　it；　Mr。　Grey。　We　make　a　little　brass；　the　beer's　good；　so　Mrs。　Finn　and　me　we　thought　we'd　stay。　The　kids　are　all　growed　up。　。。。〃　He　beamed　again；　showing　his　obviously　false　teeth。　〃We're　Hong　Kongers　now。〃
　They　chatted　pleasantly。　Grey　would　have　been　totally　convinced　by　the　Finns'　cover　story　if　he　had　not　read　his　very　private　dossier　before　he　left　London。　It　was　known　only　to　very　few　that　for　years　Finn　had　been　a　card…carrying　member　of　the　BCP；　the　British　munist　Party。　On　his　retirement　he　had　been　sent　out　to　Hong　Kong　by　one　of　their　secret　inner　mittees；　his　mission　to　be　a　fountain　of　information　about　anything　to　do　with　the　Hong　Kong　bureaucracy　and　legislature。
　In　a　few　minutes　Molly　Finn　stifled　a　yawn。　〃My　my；　I'm　that　tired！　If　thee　will　excuse　me　I　think　I'll　go　to　bed。〃
　Sam　said；　〃Off　thee　go；　lass。〃
　They　talked　a　little　more　about　inconsequential　affairs　then　he　too　yawned。　〃If　thee'll　excuse　me；　I　think　I'll　go　too；〃　adding　hastily；　〃Now　don't　thee　move；　chat　to　thy　heart's　content。　We'll　see　thee　before　thee　leaves　Hong　Kong；　Mr。　Grey　。。。　Gregor。〃
　He　shook　hands　with　them　and　closed　the　bedroom　door　behind　him。　Suslev　went　over　to　the　television　and　turned　it　on　with　a　laugh。　〃Have　you　seen　Hong　Kong　TV？　The　mercials　are　very　funny。〃
　He　adjusted　the　sound　high　enough　so　they　could　talk　yet　not　be　overheard。　〃One　can't　be　too　careful；　eh？〃
　〃I　bring　you　fraternal　greetings　from　London；〃　Grey　said；　his　voice　as　soft。　Since　1947　he　had　been　an　inner…core　munist；　even　more　secretly　than　Finn；　his　identity　only　known　to　half　a　dozen　people　in　England。
　〃And　I　send　them　back。〃　Suslev　jerked　his　thumb　at　the　closed　door。　〃How　much　do　they　know？〃
　〃Only　that　I'm　left…wing　and　potential　Party　material。〃
　〃Excellent。〃　Suslev　relaxed。　Center　had　been　very　clever　to　arrange　this　private　meeting　so　neatly。　Roger　Crosse；　who　knew　nothing　of　his　connection　with　Grey；　had　already　told　him　there　were　no　SI　tails　on　the　MPs。　〃We're　quite　safe　here。　Sam's　very　good。　We　get　copies　of　his　reports　too。　And　he　asks　no　questions。　You　British　are　very　close…mouthed　and　very　efficient；　Mr。　Grey。　I　congratulate　you。〃
　〃Thank　you。〃
　〃How　was　your　meeting　in　Peking？〃
　Grey　took　out　a　sheaf　of　papers。　〃This's　a　copy　of　our　private　and　public　reports　to　Parliament。　Read　it　before　I　go　…　you'll　get　the　full　report　through　channels。　Briefly；　I　think　the　Chinese　are　totally　hostile　and　revisionist。　Madman　Mao　and　his　henchman　Chou　En…lai　are　implacable　enemies　to　international　munism。　China　is　weak　in　everything　except　the　will　to　fight；　and　they　will　fight　to　protect　their　land　to　the　last。　The　longer　you　wait　the　harder　it　will　be　to　contain　them；　but　so　long　as　they　don't　get　nuclear　weapons　and　long…range　delivery　systems　they'll　never　be　a　threat。〃
　〃Yes。　What　about　trade？　What　did　they　want？〃
　〃Heavy　industries；　oil　cracking　plants；　oil　rigs；　chemical　plants；　steel　mills。〃
　〃How　are　they　going　to　pay？〃
　〃They　said　they've　plenty　of　foreign　exchange。　Hong　Kong　supplies　much　of　it。〃
　〃Did　they　ask　for　arms？〃
　〃No。　Not　directly。　They're　clever　and　we　didn't　always　talk　or　meet　as　a　group。　They　were　well　briefed　about　me　and　Broadhurst　and　we　weren't　liked　…　or　trusted。　Perhaps　they　talked　privately　to　Pennyworth　or　one　of　the　other　Tories　…　though　that　won't've　helped　them。　You　heard　he　died？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃Good　riddance。　He　was　an　enemy。〃　Grey　sipped　his　beer。　〃The　PRC　want　arms；　of　that　I'm　sure。　They're　a　secretive　lot　and　rotten。〃
　〃What's　Julian　Broadhurst　like？〃
　〃An　intellectual　who　thinks　he's　a　Socialist。　He's　the　dregs　but　useful　at　the　moment。　Patrician；　old　school　tie；〃　Grey　said　with　a　sneer。　〃Because　of　that　he'll　be　a　power　in　the　next　Labour　government。〃
　〃Labour　will　get　in　next　time；　Mr。　Grey？〃
　〃No；　I　don't　think　so；　even　though　we're　working　very　hard　to　help　Labour　and　the　Liberals。〃
　Suslev　frowned。　〃Why　support　Liberals？　They're　capitalists。〃
　Grey　laughed　sardonically。　〃You　don't　understand　our　British　system；　Captain　Suslev。　We're　very　lucky；　we've　a　three…party　vote　with　a　two…party　system。　The　Liberals　split　the　vote　in　our　favor。　We　have　to　encourage　them。〃　Happily　he　finished　his　beer　and　got　two　more　from　the　refrigerator。　〃If　it　wasn't　for　the　Liberals；　Labour　would　have　never　got　in；　not　never！　And　never　will　again。〃
　〃I　don't　understand。〃
　〃At　the　best　of　times　the　vote　for　Labour's　only　about　45　percent　of　the　population；　a　little　under　45　percent。　Tory　…　Conservatives　…　are　about　the　same；　usually　a　little　more。　Most　of　the　other　10…odd　percent　vote　Liberal。　If　there　was　no　Liberal　candidate　the　majority'd　vote　with　the　Conservatives。　They're　all　fools；〃　he　said　smugly。　〃The　British　are　stupid；　rade；　the　Liberal　Party's　Labour's　permanent　passport　to　power　…　therefore　ours。　Soon　the　BCP'll　control　the　TUC；　and　so　Labour　pletely　…　secretly　of　course。〃　He　drank　deeply。　〃The　great　British　unwashed　are　stupid；　the　middle　class　stupid；　the　upper　class　stupid　…　it's　almost　no　challenge　anymore。　They're　all　lemmings。　Only　a　very　few　believe　in　democratic　socialism。　Even　so；〃　he　added　with　great　satisfaction；　〃we　pulled　down　their　rotten　Empire　and　pissed　all　over　them　with　Operation　Lion。〃　Operation　Lion　was　formulated　as　soon　as　the　Bolsheviks　had　e　to　power。　Its　purpose；　the　destruction　of　the　British　Empire。　〃In　just　eighteen　years；　since　1945；　the　greatest　empire　the　world　has　ever　seen's　bee　nonexistent。〃
　〃Except　for　Hong　Kong。〃
　〃Soon　that　will　go　too。〃
　〃I　cannot　tell　you　how　important　my　superiors　consider　your　work；〃　Suslev　said　with　pretended　open　admiration。　〃You　and　all　our　fraternal　British　brothers。〃　His　orders　were　to　be　deferential　to　this　man；　to　debrief　him　on　his　Chinese　mission；　to　pass　on　instructions　as　requests。　And　to　flatter　him。　He　had　read　Grey's　dossier　and　the　Finns'。　Robin　Grey　had　a　Beria…KGB　classification　4/22/a：　〃An　important　British　traitor　paying　lip　service　to　Marxist…Leninist　ideals。　He　is　to　be　used　but　never　trusted；　and；　should　the　British　munist　Party　ever　reach　power；　is　subject　to　immediate　liquidation。〃
　Suslev　watched　Grey。　Neither　Grey　nor　the　Finns　knew　his　real　position；　only　that　he　was　a　minor　member　of　the　Vladivostok　munist　Party　…　which　was　also　on　his　SI　dossier。
　〃You　have　some　information　for　me？〃　Grey　asked。
　〃Yes；　tovarich；　and　also；　with　your　permission；　a　few　questions。　I　was　told　to　ask　about　your　implementation　of　Directive　72/Prague。〃　This　highly　secret　directive　put　top　priority　on　infiltrating　covert；　hard…core　experts　into　positions　as　shop　stewards；　in　every　car…manufacturing　plant　throughout　the　U。S。　and　the　West　…　the　motor　industry；　because　of　its　countless　allied　industries；　being　the　core　of　any　capitalist　society。
　〃We're　full　speed　ahead；〃　Grey　told　him　enthusiastically。　〃Wildcat　strikes　are　the　way　of　the　future。　With　wildcats　we　can　get　around　union　hierarchies　without　disrupting　existing　unionism。　Our　unions're　fragmented。　Deliberately。　Fifty　men　can　be　a　separate　union　and　that　union　can　dominate　thousands　…　and　so　long　as　there's　never　a　secret　ballot；　the　few　will　always　rule　the　many！〃　He　laughed。　〃We're　ahead　of　schedule；　and　now　we've　fraternal　brothers　in　Canada；　New　Zealand；　Rhodesia；　Australia　…　particularly　Australia。　Within　a　few　years　we'll　have　trained　agitators　in　every　key　machine…shop　union　in　the　English…speaking　world。　A　Brit　will　lead　the　workers　wherever　there's　a　strike　…　Sydney；　Vancouver；　Johannesburg；　Wellington。　It'll　be　a　Brit！〃
　〃And　you're　one　of　the　leaders；　tovarich！　How　marvelous！〃　Suslev　let　him　continue；　leading　him　on；　disgusted　that　it　was　so　easy　to　flatter　him。　How　dreadful　traitors　are；　he　told　himself。　〃Soon　you'll　have　the　democratic　paradise　you　seek　and　there'll　be　peace　on　earth。〃
　〃It　won't　be　long；〃　Grey　said　fervently。　〃We've　cut　the　armed　services　and　we'll　cut　them　even　more　next　year。　War's　over　forever。　The　bomb's　done　that。　It's　only　the　rotten　Americans　and　their　arms　race　who　stand　in　the　way　but　soon　we'll　force　even　them　to　lay　down　their　arms　and　we'll　all　be　equal。〃
　〃Did　you　know　America's　secretly　arming　the　Japanese？〃
　〃Eh？〃　Grey　stared　at　him。
　〃Oh；　didn't　you　know？〃　Suslev　was　well　aware　of