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！
〃Of course。 'When the Dragons belch 。。。' You were punning on the legendary Five Dragons？〃
〃Yes。〃
Now Brian Kwok's handsome face settled into a mold … cold black eyes in his golden skin； his square chin almost beardless。 〃Tang…po's one of them？〃
〃I don't know； not for certain。 I've always thought he was； though I've nothing to go on。 No； I'm not certain； Brian。 Is he？〃
〃I don't know。〃
〃Well； it doesn't matter if he is or isn't。 The word'll get to one of them； which is all I'm concerned about。 Personally I'm pretty certain the Five Dragons exist； that they're five Chinese divisional sergeants； perhaps even station sergeants； who run all the illegal street gambling of Hong Kong … and probably； possibly； some protection rackets； a few dance halls and girls … five out of eleven。 Five senior sergeants out of eleven possibilities。 Eh？〃
〃I'd say the Five Dragons're real； Robert … perhaps there are more； perhaps less； but all street gambling's run by police。〃
〃Probably run by Chinese members of our Royal Police Force； lad；〃 Armstrong said； correcting him。 〃We've still no proof； none … and we've been chasing that will o' the wisp for years。 I doubt if we'll ever be able to prove it。〃 He grinned。 〃Maybe you will when you're made assistant missioner。〃
〃e off it； for God's sake； Robert。〃
〃Christ； you're only thirty…nine； you've done the special bigwig Staff College course and you're a super already。 A hundred to ten says you'll end up with that rank。〃
〃Done。〃
〃I should have made it a hundred thousand；〃 Armstrong said； pretending sourness。 〃Then you wouldn't have taken it。〃
〃Try me。〃
〃I won't。 I can't afford to lose that amount of tootie … you might get killed or something； this year or next； or resign … but if you don't you're in for the big slot before you retire； presuming you want to go the distance。〃
〃Both of us。〃
〃Not me … I'm too mad dog English。〃 Armstrong clapped him on the back happily。 〃That'll be a great day。 But you won't close down the Dragons either … even if you'll be able to prove it； which I doubt。〃
〃No？〃
〃No。 I don't care about the gambling。 All Chinese want to gamble and if some Chinese police sergeants run illegal street gambling it'll be mostly clean and mostly fair though bloody illegal。 If they don't run it； triads will； and then the splinter groups of rotten little bastards we so carefully keep apart will join together again into one big tong and then we'll really have a real problem。 You know me； lad； I'm not one to rock any boats； that's why I won't make assistant missioner。 I like the status quo。 The Dragons run the gambling so we keep the triads splintered … and just so long as the police always stick together and are absolutely the strongest triad in Hong Kong； we'll always have peace in the streets； a well…ordered population and almost no crime； violent crime。〃
Brian Kwok studied him。 〃You really believe that； don't you？〃
〃Yes。 In a funny sort of a way； right now the Dragons are one of our strongest supports。 Let's face it； Brian； only Chinese can govern Chinese。 The status quo's good for them too … violent crime's bad for them。 So we get help when we need it … sometimes； probably … help that we foreign devils couldn't get any other way。 I'm not in favor of their corruption or of breaking the law； not at all … or bribery or all the other shitty things we have to do； or informers； but what police force in the world could operate without dirty hands sometimes and snotty little bastard informers？ So the evil the Dragons represent fills a need here； I think。 Hong Kong's China and China's a special case。 Just so long as it's just illegal gambling I don't care never mind。 Me； if it was left up to me I'd make gambling legal tonight but I'd break anyone for any protection racket； any dance hall protection or girls or whatever。 I can't stand pimps as you know。 Gambling's different。 How can you stop a Chinese gambling？ You can't。 So make it legal and everyone's happy。 How many years have the Hong Kong police been advising that and every year we're turned down。 Twenty that I know of。 But oh no and why？ Macao！ Simple as that。 Dear old Portuguese Macao feeds off illegal gambling and gold smuggling and that's what keeps them alive and we can't afford； we； the UK； we can't afford to have our old ally go down the spout。〃
〃Robert Armstrong for prime minister！〃
〃Up yours！ But it's true。 The take on illegal gambling's our only slush fund … a lot of it goes to pay our ring of informers。 Where else can we get quick money？ From our grateful government？ Don't make me laugh！ From a few extra tax dollars from the grateful population we protect？ Ha！〃
〃Perhaps。 Perhaps not； Robert。 But it's certainly going to backfire one day。 The payoffs … the loose and uncounted money that 'happens' to be in a station drawer？ Isn't it？〃
〃Yes； but not on me 'cause I'm not in on it； or a taker； and the vast majority aren't either。 British or Chinese。 Meanwhile how do we three hundred and twenty…seven poor foreign devil police officers control eight odd thousand civilized junior officers and coppers； and another three and a half million civilized little bastards who hate our guts never mind。〃
Brian Kwok laughed。 It was an infectious laugh and Armstrong laughed with him and added； 〃Up yours again for getting me going。〃
〃Likewise。 Meanwhile are you going to read that first or am I？〃
Armstrong looked down at the file he held in his hand。 It was thin and contained twelve closely typewritten pages and seemed to be more of a newsletter with topics under different headings。 The contents page read： Part One： The Political and Business Forecast of the United Kingdom。 Part Two： The KGB in Asia。 Part Three： Gold。 Part Four： Recent CIA Developments。
Wearily Armstrong put his feet on the desk and eased himself more fortably in his chair。 Then he changed his mind and passed the file over。 〃Here； you can read it。 You read faster than I do anyway。 I'm tired of reading about disaster。〃
Brian Kwok took it； his impatience barely contained； his heart thumping heavily。 He opened it and began to read。
Armstrong watched him。 He saw his friend's face change immediately and lose color。 That troubled him greatly。 Brian Kwok was not easily shocked。 He saw him read through to the end without ment； then flick back to check a paragraph here and there。 He closed the file slowly。
〃It's that bad；〃 Armstrong said。
〃It's worse。 Some of it … well； if it wasn't signed by A。 Medford Grant； I'd say he was off his rocker。 He claims the CIA have a serious connection with the Mafia； that they're plotting and have plotted to knock off Castro； they're into Vietnam in strength； into drugs and Christ knows what else … here … read it for yourself。〃
〃What about the mole？〃
〃We've a mole all right。〃 Brian reopened the file and found the paragraph。 〃Listen： 'There's no doubt that presently there is a high…level munist agent in the Hong Kong police。 Top…secret documents brought to our side by General Hans Richter … second…in…mand of the East German Department of Internal Security … when he defected to us in March of this year clearly state the agent's code name is 〃Our Friend；〃 that he has been in situ for at least ten； probably fifteen years。 His contact is probably a KGB officer in Hong Kong posing as a visiting friendly businessman from the Iron Curtain countries； possibly as a banker or journalist； or posing as a seaman off one of the Soviet freighters visiting or being repaired in Hong Kong。 Among other documented information we now know 〃Our Friend〃 has provided the enemy with are： All restricted radio channels； all restricted private phone numbers of the governor； chief of police and top echelon of the Hong Kong Government； along with very private dossiers on most of them 。。。' 〃
〃Dossiers？〃 Armstrong interrupted。 〃Are they included？〃
〃No。〃
〃Shit！ Go on； Brian。〃
〃 '。。。 most of them； the classified police battle plans against a munist…provoked insurrection； or a recurrence of the Kowloon riots； copies of all private dossiers of all police officers above the rank of inspector； the names of the chief six Nationalist undercover agents of the Kuomintang operating in Hong Kong under the present authority of General Jen Tang…wa （Appendix A）； a detailed list of Hong Kong's Special Intelligence agents in Kwantung under the general authority of Senior Agent Wu Fong Fong （Appendix B）。' 〃
〃Jesus！〃 Armstrong gasped。 〃We'd better get old Fong Fong and his lads out right smartly。〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Is Wu Tat…sing on the list？〃
Kwok checked the appendix。 〃Yes。 Listen； this section ends： '。。。 It is the conclusion of your mittee that until this traitor is eliminated； the internal security of Hong Kong is hazardous。 Why this information has not yet been passed on to the police themselves we do not yet know。 We presume this ties in with the current political Soviet infiltration of UK administration on all levels which enables the Philbys to exist； and permits such information as this to be buried； or toned down； or misrepresented （which was the material for Study 4/1962）。 We would suggest this report … or portions of it； should be leaked at once to the governor or the missioner of police； Hong Kong； if you consider them trustworthy。' 〃 Brian Kwok looked up； his mind rocking。 〃There's a couple of other pieces here； Christ； the political situation in the UK and then there's Sevrin。 。。。 Read it。〃 He shook his head helplessly。 〃Christ； if this's true 。。。 we're in it up to our necks。 God in Heaven！〃
Armstrong swore softly。 〃Who？ Who could the spy be？ Got to be high up。 Who？〃
After a great silence； Brian said； 〃The only one 。。。 the only one who could know all of this's Crosse himself。〃
〃Oh e on for chrissake！〃
〃Think about it； Robert。 He knew Philby。 Didn't he go to Cambridge also？ Both have similar backgrounds； they're the same age group； both were in Intelligence during the war … like Burgess and Maclean。 If Philby could get away with it for all those years； why not Crosse？〃
〃Impossible！〃
〃Who else but him？ Hasn't he been in MI…6 all his life？ Didn't he do a tour here in the early fifties and wasn't he brought back here to set up our SI as a separate branch of SB five years ago？ Hasn't he been director ever since？〃
〃That proves nothing。〃
〃Oh？〃
There was a long silence。 Armstrong was watching his friend closely。 He knew him too well not to know when he was serious。 〃What've you got？〃 he asked uneasily。
〃Say Crosse is homosexual。〃
〃You're plain bonkers；〃 Armstrong exploded。 〃He's married and 。。。 and he may be an evil son of a bitch but there's never been a smell of anything like that； never。〃
〃Yes； but he's got no children； his wife's almost permanently in England and when she's here they have separate rooms。〃
〃How do you know？〃
〃The amah would know so if I wanted to know it'd be easy to find out。〃
〃That proves nothing。 Lots of people have separate rooms。 You're wrong about Crosse。〃
〃Say I could give you proof？〃
〃What proof？〃
〃Where does he always go for part of his leave？ The Cameron Highlands in Malaya。 Say he had a friend there； a young Malayan； a known deviate。〃
〃I'd need photos and we both know photos can be easily doctored；〃 Armstrong said harshly。 〃I'd need tape recordings and we both know those can be doctored too。 The youth himself？ That proves nothing … it's the oldest trick in the book to produce false testimony and false witnesses。 There's never been a hint 。。。 and even if he's AC…DC； that proves nothing … not all deviates are traitors。〃
〃No。 But all deviates lay themselves open to blackmail。 And if he is； he'd be highly suspect。 Highly suspect。 Right？〃
Armstrong looked around uneasily。 〃I don't even like talking about it here； he could have this place tapped。〃
〃And if he has？〃
〃If he has and if it's true he can fry us so quickly your head would spin。 He can fry us anyway。〃
〃Perhaps … but if he is the one then he'll know we're on to him and if he's not he'll laugh at us and I'm out of SI。 In any event； Robert； he can't fry every Chinese in the force。〃
Armstrong stared at him。 〃What's that supposed to mean？〃
〃Perhaps there's a file on him。 Perhaps every Chinese above the rank of corporal's read it。〃
〃What？〃
〃e on； Robert； you know Chinese are