Джеймс Клавелл / James Clavell - Гайдзин / Gai-Jin [1993, FB2]

"Me, cheri?" She smiled, liking him very much, remembering what her father had said before she had left Hong Kong for Yokohama: "Encourage this Malcolm Struan, but with care, my little cabbage. I have already, discreetly. He would make a marvelous match for you, that's why I advocate this sightseeing trip to Yokohama, unchaperoned, providing he escorts you in one of .his ships. In three days you're eighteen, time you were married. I know he's barely twenty and young for you, but he's smart, the eldest son, he'll inherit the Noble House in a year or so--it's rumored his father, Culum, the tai-pan, is much sicker than the company publicly allow."
"But he's British," she had said thoughtfully. "You hate them, Papa, and say we should hate them. You do, don't you?"' "Yes, little cabbage, but not publicly.
Britain's the richest country in the world, the most powerful, in Asia they're king, and Struan's the Noble House--Richaud Freres are small.
We would benefit immensely if we had their French business. Suggest it to him."
"Oh I couldn't Papa, that would be... I couldn't, Papa."
"You're a woman now, not a child my pet.
Beguile him, then he will suggest it himself. Our future depends on you. Soon Malcolm Struan will be the tai-pan. And you, you could share it all..."
Of course I would adore such a husband, she thought, how wise Papa is! How wonderful to be French, therefore superior. It's easy to like, perhaps even to love this Malcolm with his strange eyes and young old looks. Oh I do so hope he asks me.

McFay frowned, then moved over the semi-deserted promenade along the wharfs and seafront, away from Dmitri who was not in Struan's but traded through Cooper-Tillman, one of the American companies. "Yes?"
Norbert Greyforth dropped his voice.
"What about Hodogaya? You've two ships here, we've three, and between us lots of bully boys, most lads in the merchant fleet'd join us, we've arms enough and we could bring a cannon or two. John Canterbury was a good friend, the Old Man liked him, and I want him revenged. What about it?"
"If Hodogaya was a port I wouldn't hesitate, but we can't raid inland. This isn't China."
"You afraid of that pipsqueak in there?"
"I'm not afraid of anyone," McFay said carefully. "We can't mount a successful raid without regular troops, Norbert, that's not possible. I want revenge more than any."
Greyforth made sure no one was listening.
"Since you brought it up tonight and we don't talk too often, we've heard there's going to be bad trouble here soon."
"The revolt?"
"Yes. Very bad trouble for us. There's been all sorts of signs. Our silk dealers have been acting right smelly the last month or two, upping the price of bulk raw, delaying deliveries, slow on payments and wanting extra credits. I'll bet it's the same with you."
"Yes." It was rare for the two men to talk business.
"Don't know much more than that, except many of the signs are the same as in America that led to civil war. If that happens here it's going to bugger us proper. Without the fleet and troops we're bitched and we can be wiped out."
After a pause, McFay said, "What do you propose?"
"We'll have to wait and see what happens. With Wee Willie's plan I don't hope for much, like you. The Russian was right about what should be done. Meanwhile..." Greyforth nodded out to sea where two of their clippers and merchantmen lay in the roads--clippers still much faster back to England than steamers, paddle-driven or screw-driven ... "we're keeping all our inner ledgers and specie aboard, we've increased our levels of gunpowder, shot, shrapnel and put in an order for two of the brand-new Yankee, 10-barrel Gatling machine guns as soon as they are available."
McFay laughed. "The hell you have--so did we!"
"We heard that too, which is why I made the order, and twice as many of the new rifles than your shipment."
"Who told you, eh? Who's your spy?"
"Old Mother Hubbard," Greyforth said dryly.
"Listen, we all know these inventions, along with metal cartridges, have changed the course of war --that's proved already by the casualties at the battles of Bull Run and Fredericksburg."
"Shocking, yes. Dmitri told me, said the South lost four thousand in one afternoon. Terrible.
So?"
"We could both sell these weapons to the Japanners by the ton, my thought is we agree to not, and together we make bloody sure no other bugger imports them or smuggles them in.
Selling Jappers steamers and the odd cannon's one thing, but not repeaters or machine guns.
Agreed?"
McFay was surprised by the offer. And suspicious. But he kept it off his face, sure that Norbert would never keep the bargain, and shook the offered hand. "Agreed."