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！
〃No； here on Cat Street。 At Wong Chun Kit's； he ga… 〃
The door flew open and a girl barreled in。 She was tall and slim and oh so fair and she said in a breathless rush； 〃I hope it's all right I invited a date tonight and I just had the call that he's ing and he'll be late but I thought it'd be okay。 He's cool。 And very trick。〃
〃For the love of God； Adryon；〃 Dunross said mildly； 〃how many times do I have to ask you to knock before you charge in here and would you kindly talk English？ What the hell's trick？〃
〃Good； great； cool； trick。 Sorry； Father； but you really are rather square because cool and trick are very in； even in Hong Kong。 See you soon； have to dash； after the party I'm going out … I'll be late so don't… 〃
〃Wait a min… 〃
〃That's my blouse； my new blouse；〃 Penelope burst out。 〃Adryon； you take it off this minute！ I've told you fifty times to stay the hell out of my wardrobe。〃
〃Oh； Mother；〃 Adryon said as sharply； 〃you don't need it； can't I borrow it for this evening？〃 Her tone changed。 〃Please？ Pretty please？ Father； talk to her。〃 She switched to perfect amah Cantonese； 〃Honorable Father 。。。 please help your Number One Daughter to achieve the unachievable or I shall weep weep weep oh ko 。。。〃 Then back into English in the same breath； 〃Mother 。。。 you don't need it and I'll look after it； truly。 Please？〃
〃No。〃
〃e on； pretty please； I'll look after it； I promise。〃
〃No。〃
〃Mother！〃
〃Well if you pr… 〃
〃Oh thanks。〃 The girl beamed and turned and rushed out and the door slammed behind her。
〃Jesus bloody Christ；〃 Dunross said sourly； 〃why the hell does a door always happen to slam behind her！〃
〃Well at least it's not deliberate now。〃 Penelope sighed。 〃I don't think I could go through that siege again。〃
〃Nor me。 Thank God Glenna's reasonable。〃
〃It's purely temporary； Ian。 She takes after her father； that one； like Adryon。〃
〃Huh！ I don't have a filthy temper；〃 he said sharply。 〃And since we're on the subject I hope to God Adryon has found someone decent to date instead of the usual shower！ Who is this she's bringing？〃
〃I don't know； Ian。 This is the first I've heard of it too。〃
〃They're always bloody awful！ Her taste in men's appalling。 。。。 Remember that melon…headed berk with the neolithic arms that she was 'madly in love with' ？ Christ Jesus； she was barely fifteen an… 〃
〃She was almost sixteen。〃
〃What was his name？ Ah yes； Byron。 Byron for chrissake！〃
〃You really shouldn't have threatened to blow his head off； Ian。 It was just puppy love。〃
〃It was gorilla bloody love； by God；〃 Dunross said even more sourly。 〃He was a bloody gorilla。 。。。 You remember that other one； the one before bloody Byron … the psychiatric bastard 。。。 what was his name？〃
〃Victor。 Yes； Victor Hopper。 He was the one 。。。 oh yes； I remember； he was the one who asked if it was all right if he slept with Adryon。〃
〃He what？〃
〃Oh yes。〃 She smiled up at him so innocently。 〃I didn't tell you at the time 。。。 thought I'd better not。〃
〃He what？〃
〃Don't get yourself all worked up； Ian。 That's at least four years ago。 I told him no； not at the moment； Adryon's only fourteen； but yes； certainly； when she was twenty…one。 That was another that died on the vine。〃
〃Jesus Christ！ He asked you if he co… 〃
〃At least he asked； Ian！ That was something。 It's all so very ordinary。〃 She got up and poured more champagne into his glass； and some for herself。 〃You've only got another ten years or so of purgatory； then there'll be the grandchildren。 Happy anniversary and the best of British to you！〃 She laughed and touched his glass and drank and smiled at him。
〃You're right again；〃 he said and smiled back； liking her very much。 So many years； good years。 I've been lucky； he thought。 Yes。 I was blessed that first day。 It was at his RAF station at Biggin Hill； a warm； sunny August morning in 1940 during the Battle of Britain and she was a WAAF and newly posted there。 It was his eighth day at war； his third mission that day and first kill。 His Spitfire was latticed with bullet holes； parts of his wing gone； his tail section tattooed。 By all the rules of joss； he should be dead but he wasn't and the Messerschmitt was and her pilot was and he was home and safe and blood raging； drunk with fear and shame and relief that he had e back and the youth he had seen in the other cockpit； the enemy； had burned screaming as he spiraled。
〃Hello； sir；〃 Penelope Grey had said。 〃Wele home sir。 Here。〃 She had given him a cup of hot sweet tea and she had said nothing else though she should have begun debriefing him at once … she was in Signals。 She said nothing but smiled and gave him time to e out of the skies of death into life again。 He had not thanked her； just drank the tea and it was the best he had ever had。
〃I got a Messerschmitt；〃 he had said when he could talk； his voice trembling like his knees。 He could not remember unsnapping his harness or getting out of his cockpit or climbing into the truck with the other survivors。 〃It was a 109。〃
〃Yes sir； Squadron Leader Miller has already confirmed the kill and he says to please get ready； you're to scramble any minute again。 You're to take Poppa Mike Kilo this time。 Thank you for the kill； sir； that's one less of those devils 。。。 oh how I wish I could go up with you to help you all kill those monsters。 。。。〃
But they weren't monsters； he thought； at least the first pilot and first plane that he had killed had not been … just a youth like himself； perhaps the same age； who had burned screaming； died screaming； a flaming falling leaf； and this afternoon or tomorrow or soon it would be his turn … too many of them； the enemy； too few of us。
〃Did Tommy get back； Tom Lane？〃
〃No sir； sorry sir。 He 。。。 the squadron leader said Flight Lieutenant Lane was jumped over Dover。〃
〃I'm petrified of burning； going down；〃 he had said。
〃Oh you won't； sir； not you。 They won't shoot you down。 I know。 You won't； sir； no； not you。 They'll never get you； never never never；〃 she had said； pale blue eyes； fair hair and fair of face； not quite eighteen but strong； very strong and very confident。
He had believed her and her faith had carried him through four more months of missions … sometimes five missions each day … and more kills and though she was wrong and later he was blown out of the sky； he lived and burned only a little。 And then； when he came out of the hospital； grounded forever； they had married。
〃Doesn't seem like twenty years；〃 he said； holding in his happiness。
〃Plus two before；〃 she said； holding in her happiness。
〃Plus two be… 〃
The door opened。 Penelope sighed as Ah Tat stalked into the room； talking Cantonese fifty to the dozen； 〃Ayeeyah； my Son； but aren't you ready yet； our honored guests will be here any moment and your tie's not tied and that motherless foreigner from North Kwantung brought unnecessarily into our house to cook tonight 。。。 that smelly offspring of a one…dollar strumpet from North Kwantung where all the best thieves and worst whores e from who fancies himself a cook 。。。 ha！ 。。。 This man and his equally despicable foreign staff is befouling our kitchen and stealing our peace。 Oh ko；〃 the tiny wizened old woman continued without a breath as her clawlike fingers reached up automatically and deftly tied his tie； 〃and that's not all！ Number Two Daughter 。。。 Number Two Daughter just won't put on the dress that Honorable First Wife has chosen for her and her rage is flying to Java！ Eeeee； this family！ Here； my Son；〃 she took the telex envelope out of her pocket and handed it to Dunross； 〃here's another barbarian message bringing more congratulations for this happy day that your poor old Mother had to carry up the stairs herself on her poor old legs because the other good…for…nothing servants are good for nothing and bone idle。 。。。〃 She paused momentarily for breath。
〃Thank you； Mother；〃 he said politely。
〃In your Honorable Father's day； the servants worked and knew what to do and your old Mother didn't have to endure dirty strangers in our Great House！〃 She walked out muttering more curses on the caterers。 〃Now don't you be late； my Son； otherwise 。。。〃 She was still talking after she'd closed the door。
〃What's up with her？〃 Penelope asked wearily。
〃She's rattling on about the caterers； doesn't like strangers … you know what she's like。〃 He opened the envelope。 In it was the folded telex。
〃What was she saying about Glenna？〃 his wife asked； having recognized yee…chat； Second Daughter； though her Cantonese was minimal。
〃Just that she was having a fit about the dress you picked for her。〃
〃What's wrong with it？〃
〃Ah Tat didn't say。 Look； Penn； perhaps Glenna should just go to bed … it's almost past her bedtime now and sh… 〃
〃Dreamer！ No chance till hell freezes over。 Even Hag Struan wouldn't keep Glenna from her first grown…up as she calls it！ You did agree Ian； you agreed； I didn't； you did！〃
〃Yes； but don't you th… 〃
〃No。 She's quite old enough。 After all she's thirteen going on thirty。〃 Penelope calmly finished her champagne。 〃Even so I shall now deal with that young lady never mind。〃 She got up。 Then she saw his face。 He was staring at the telex。
〃What's the matter？〃
〃One of our people's bee