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！
or shut up。 By next Tuesday。
They waited。 The silence seemed to hang。 And hang。
Then Dunross broke it。 〃I'll let you know tomorrow；〃 he said； his voice calm； and the moment passed and everyone sighed inwardly and the waiters continued and everyone relaxed。 Except Linbar。 He could still feel the sweat on his hands because he alone of them knew the thread that went through all of the descendents of Dirk Struan … a strange； almost primeval； sudden urge to violence … and he had seen it almost surface then； almost but not quite。 This time it had gone away。 But the knowledge of it and its closeness terrified him。
His own line was descended from Robb Struan； Dirk Struan's half…brother and partner； so he had none of Dirk Struan's blood in his veins。 He bitterly regretted it and loathed Dunross even more for making him sick with envy。
Hag Struan on you； Ian bloody Dunross； and all your generations； he thought； and shuddered involuntarily at the thought of her。
〃What's up； Linbar？〃 Dunross asked。
〃Oh nothing； tai…pan；〃 he said； almost jumping out of his skin。 〃Nothing … just a sudden thought。 Sorry。〃
〃What thought？〃
〃I was just thinking about Hag Struan。〃
Dunross's spoon hesitated in midair and the others stared at him。 〃That's not exactly good for your digestion。〃
〃No sir。〃
Bartlett glanced at Linbar； then at Dunross。 〃Who's Hag Struan？〃
〃A skeleton；〃 Dunross said with a dry laugh； 〃We've lots of skeletons in our family。〃
〃Who hasn't？〃 Casey said。
〃Hag Struan was our eternal bogeyman … still is。〃
〃Not now； tai…pan； surely；〃 Gavallan said。 〃She's been dead for almost fifty years。〃
〃Maybe she'll die out with us； with Linbar； Kathy and me； with our generation； but I doubt it。〃 Dunross looked at Linbar strangely。 〃Will Hag Struan get out of her coffin tonight and gobble us up？〃
〃I swear to God I don't like even joking about her like that； tai…pan。〃
〃The pox on Hag Struan；〃 Dunross said。 〃If she was alive I'd say it to her face。〃
〃I think you would。 Yes；〃 Gavallan laughed suddenly。 〃That I'd like to have seen。〃
〃So would I。〃 Dunross laughed with him； then he saw Casey's expression。 〃Ah； just bravado； Casey。 Hag Struan was a fiend from hell if you believe half the legends。 She was Culum Struan's wife … he was Dirk Struan's son … our founder's son。 Her maiden name was Tess； Tess Brock and she was the daughter of Dirk's hated enemy； Tyler Brock。 Culum and Tess eloped in 1841； so the story goes。 She was sweet sixteen and a beauty； and he heir to the Noble House。 It was rather like Romeo and Juliet … except they lived and it made no difference whatsoever to the blood feud of Dirk against Tyler or the Struans versus the Brocks； it just heightened and plicated it。 She was born Tess Brock in 1825 and died Hag Struan in 1917； aged ninety…two； toothless； hairless； besotten； vicious and dreadful to her very last day。 Life's strange； heya？〃
〃Yes。 Unbelievable sometimes；〃 Casey said thoughtfully。 〃Why is it people change so much growing old … get so sour and bitter？ Particularly women？〃
Fashion； Dunross could have answered at once； and because men and women age differently。 It's unfair … but an immortal fact。 A woman sees the lines beginning and the sagging beginning and the skin no longer so fresh and firm but her man's still fine and sought after and then she sees the young dolly birds and she's petrified she'll lose him to them and eventually she will because he'll bee bored with her carping and the self…fed agony of the self…mutilation … and too； because of his built…in uncontrollable urge toward youth。 。。。
〃Ayeeyah； there's no aphrodisiac in the world like youth；〃 old Chen…Chen … Phillip Chen's father … Ian's mentor would always say。 〃None； young Ian； there's none。 None none none。 Listen to me。 The yang needs the yin juices； but young juices； oh yes they should be young； the juices young to extend your life and nourish the yang … oh oh oh！ Remember； the older your Male Stalk bees the more it needs youth and change and young enthusiasm to perform exuberantly； and the more the merrier！ But also remember that the Beauteous Box that nests between all their thighs； peerless though it is； delectable； delicious； unearthly； oh so sweet and oh so satisfying as it also is； beware！ Ha！ It's also a trap； ambush； torture chamber and your coffin！〃 Then the old； old man would chuckle and his belly would jump up and down and the tears would run down his face。 〃Oh the gods are marvelous； are they not？ They grant us heaven on earth but it's living hell when you can't get your one…eyed monk to raise his head to enter paradise。 Joss； my child！ That's our joss … to crave the Greedy Gulley until she eats you up； but oh oh oh 。。。〃
It must be very difficult for women； particularly Americans； Dunross thought； this trauma of growing old； the inevitability of it happening so early； too early … worse in America than anywhere else on earth。
Why should I tell you a truth you must already know in your bones； Dunross asked himself。 Or say further that American fashion demands you try to grasp an eternal youth neither God nor devil nor surgeon can give you。 You can't be twenty…five when you're thirty…five nor have a thirty…five…year…old youthfulness when you're forty…five； or forty…five when you're fifty…five。 Sorry； I know it's unfair but it's a fact。
Ayeeyah； he thought fervently； thank God … if there is a God … thank all gods great and small I'm a man and not a woman。 I pity you； American lady with the beautiful names。
But Dunross answered simply； 〃I suppose that's because life's no bed of roses and we're fed stupid pap and bad values growing up … not like the Chinese who're so sensible … Christ； how unbelievably sensible they are！ In Hag Struan's case perhaps it was her rotten Brock blood。 I think it was her joss … her fate or luck or unluck。 She and Culum had seven children； four sons and three daughters。 All her sons died violently； two of the 'flux' … probably plague … here in Hong Kong； one was murdered； knifed in Shanghai； and the last was drowned off Ayr in Scotland； where our family lands are。 That'd be enough to send any mother around the bend； that and the hatred and envy that surrounded Culum and her all their lives。 But when you add this to all the problems of living in Asia； the passing over of the Noble House to other people's sons 。。。 well； you can understand。〃 Dunross thought a moment； then added； 〃Legend has it she ruled Culum Struan all his life and tyrannized the Noble House till the day she died … and all tai…pans； all daughters…in…law； all sons…in…law and all the children as well。 Even after she died。 I can remember one English nanny I had； may she burn in hell forever； saying to me； 'You better behave； Master Ian； or I'll conjure up Hag Struan and she'll gobble you up。 。。。' I can't have been more than five or six。〃
〃How terrible；〃 Casey said。
Dunross shrugged。 〃Nannies do that to children。〃
〃Not all of them； thank God；〃 Gavallan said。
〃I never had one who was any good at all。 Or a gan sun who was ever bad。〃
〃What's a gan sun？〃 Casey asked。
〃It means 'near body；' it's the correct name for an amah。 In China pre…'49； children of well…to…do families and most of the old European and Eurasian families out here always had their own 'near body' to look after them … in many cases they kept them all their lives。 Most gan sun take a vow of celibacy。 You can always recognize them by the long queue they wear down their back。 My gan sun's called Ah Tat。 She's a great old bird。 She's still with us；〃 Dunross said。
Gavallan said； 〃Mine was more like a mother to me than my real mother。〃
〃So Hag Struan's your great…grandmother？〃 Casey said to Linbar。
〃Christ no！ No； I'm … I'm not from Dirk Struan's line；〃 he replied and she saw sweat on his forehead that she did not understand。 〃My line es from his half…brother； Robb Struan。 Robb Struan was Dirk's partner。 The tai…pan's descended directly from Dirk； but even so 。。。 none of us're descended from the Hag。〃
〃You're all related？〃 Casey asked； feeling curious tensions in the room。 She saw Linbar hesitate and glance at Dunross as she looked at him。
〃Yes；〃 he said。 〃Andrew's married to my sister； Kathy。 Jacques is a cousin； and Linbar 。。。 Linbar carries our name。〃 Dunross laughed。 〃There're still lots of people in Hong Kong who remember the Hag； Casey。 She always wore a long black dress with a big bustle and a funny hat with a huge moth…eaten feather； everything totally out of fashion； and she'd have a black stick with a silver handle on it with her。 Most times she was carried in a sort of palanquin by four bearers up and down the streets。 She wasn't much more than five foot but round and tough as a coolie's foot。 The Chinese were equally petrified of her。 Her nickname was 'Honorable Old Foreign Devil Mother with the Evil Eye and Dragon's Teeth。' 〃
〃That's right；〃 Gavallan said with a short laugh。 〃My father and grandmother knew her。 They had their own trading pany here and in Shanghai； Casey； but got more or less wiped out in the Great War and joined up with Struan's in '19。 My old man told me that when he was a boy he and his friends used to follow the Hag around the streets and when she got particularly angry she'd take out h