Chapter 38 Wang Chen - 9

George Taalas was convinced that it would be absurd to think that Reb Klimrod had actually committed suicide in the events of Waco and some of the others in which Diego Haas refused to participate. "Losing the only woman he loved, he fell into hell. He was in so much pain that he ran all over the world, challenging the god of death who had taken his aestivation - imagine Reb as such a person , naturally quite romantic." "However, that is measuring an extraordinary person by the yardstick of an ordinary person." "He's the richest man on earth ever. In the mid-sixties, he owned and personally managed a fortune worth seven to eight billion dollars, which at the time equaled or even surpassed Ludwig's He and Getty's combined property. However, he is far from reaching his peak in this direction."

"No. If there was any romanticism, it was elsewhere, and on an entirely different level. His confrontation with the Rattlesnake was typical of his whole way of life. It was nothing more than an anecdote. To understand this, one need only recall when he and Diego Haas first met and broke up in 1947, when he plunged into the world's largest, most mysterious and dangerous jungle and emerged alive and if that is not enough to say what he was, recall how he made his fortune from nothing; and yet, while possessing inconceivably great wealth, he remained anonymous to the end." "The man Reb Klimrod must be measured against a much larger scale than all of this. I can see this all the more clearly through his last earth-shattering feat..."

In September 1964, Francisco Santana came to New York.This was the first time he had met David Setiniaz, who had only ever heard his name.Two of Santana's assistants arrived before him. They came separately and did not know each other. Everyone thought they were carrying out a secret mission alone. Obviously, Santana was also using Ray to his subordinates. The strict isolation system that Bo Klimrod cherishes very much. The Mexican himself did not want to go to the office of Setiniaz in East Fifty-eighth.One morning he made a phone call, identifying himself in an agreed code word and politely asking, in fluent and impeccable English, if he could drive to the hotel where he was staying. once.

Prior to this, Setiniaz had learned all about Santana from a report sent to him by the mysterious Jethro, especially the fact that Santana's status in Leiber's cadre team was getting higher and higher.Santana's team has done a lot to bring some of Klimrod's new major expansion plans to fruition.Setiniaz was curious, so he readily agreed.Besides, it wasn't often that he had the opportunity to leave the firm to negotiate work elsewhere. "I know very little about you," Santana said, "beyond what Reber told me; and he just said that I should report everything to you, without reservation. May I ask a question?"

"You can ask questions anytime," Setienaz replied, genuinely amused.This is not the first time that Reber's emissaries (regardless of status) have shown hesitation before confiding in him. "Who are you?" Santana asked. "A lawyer," Setiniaz said, "like you. Nothing more, nothing less." He expected that there were a series of questions on the tip of the Mexican's tongue, eager to express: who are you, why should I report to you in detail?Who is Reb Klimrod?Is he someone else's agent?If yes, who is the agent for?Who can stand above Reber, and who can such a person be?Is there anyone in the world who can give orders to Leiber?

This last point, in particular, afflicts all who come to see Setiniaz. They tended to have a fanatical affection for Klimrod, to think that only they kept Reber's secret in their hearts, and to be outraged to discover that another was equally involved.However, none of these people had a comprehensive understanding of Leiber.What each of them has is just a small part of a huge and complex machine that only Setiniaz can put together. What about the chest?After all, in 1964 he had no idea of ​​what was taking shape in South America. If Setiniaz was elated by the fact that he occupied this special position, there was a word in George Taras that would bring him back to reality on both feet.The villainous Taras had suggested that somewhere in the world, perhaps even in New York City, there might be another Setiniaz who was just as elated, perhaps assembling that complicated giant machine...

"My job is to keep good records, that's all. Let's say I'm a clerk," Setiniaz told Santana. The Mexican sternly studied Setiniaz with dark eyes.In the end he seemed to soften a bit.He asked Setiniaz if he had seen the file sent to East Fifty-eighth Street by one of Santana's assistants.Setiniaz said he had seen it. "It's a great business," said Santana, almost grudgingly. "The Dallas operation alone means more than $100 million." "It's really great," Seitiniaz agreed, trying to look emotive, but in his head he thought: It's fair to say that right now I, who is supposed to have no sense of humor, are playing Reb. character of.

"That's not all," Santana continued, "the oil business in Maracaibo and the Caribbean is estimated to have such a large amount, and it may be even larger than this. If you add another 150 million, it is probably relatively large." close to reality." "It's astonishing," Settiniaz said, thinking that it would add up to only three or four percent of Reber's fortune, at least as far as I know.In that sense, those numbers are eclipsed. "Besides," Santana went on, "there's that desalination plant..." Setiniaz knew what the business was about from the start.It first appeared in the file in 1956, shortly after the Second Offensive began.At first, a Panamanian company — also owned by Klimrod — leased 100,000 hectares of uninhabited desert from the Mexican government in three stages.A second company, also not represented by Leiber, installed a complete facility to produce both drinking water and salt.This second company was run by a man named Elias Bernesch, whom Setiniaz discovered was Joel Bernesch's uncle and brother, who had immigrated to the United States.A third company, based in Jersey, builds affordable housing.A fourth company, under the supervision of a Mexican trustee recommended by Santana, engaged in the sale and purchase of land parcels, which were resold parcel by parcel to farmers or Mexican companies.A fifth company, a French company in which Paul Soubise had a large stake, built a port capable of accommodating 150,000 tons of ships.

A sixth company--Francisco Santana became its proprietor by a commission agreement--was responsible for the annual sale of fifteen million tons of table salt. "There are some new developments," Santana said. "I'm going to be here in person and I'll tell you about them as soon as I can see you. There's some new developments about the desalination plant. We've signed contracts to build Contracts for other desalination plants on very favorable terms. There was a Lebanese banker in Beirut named Shahadze who represented us in talks with the Arab sheikhs, and I suggested to Reber that he be rewarded in some way. But it was not the main question.

“We are currently in a negotiation to buy back one of our factories in Mexico. The contract will be signed soon, the price is 60 million US dollars; that is a good price. The problem is not here. A few years Previously, we had signed some agreements concerning table salt with a consortium in the Japanese chemical industry. These agreements have just been renewed; their lawyer is named Han, who is extremely difficult to deal with. He is from Hong Kong. He is stubborn enough to make Anyone crazy. But let's not talk about him now.. I'm going to talk about shipping. This is giving me a bit of a headache. We have a contract with a Liberian company who will exclusively ship the salt, at least this time I am extremely dissatisfied with the terms of the contract."

"What's the difference?" Setienaz asked. "It's all going to be sold to a German consortium anyway." "This Liberian company has taken huge profits from us over the past three years." "Have you discussed this with Reber?" "It's been discussed several times. He admits he made a mistake in signing the first few agreements. He was going to get away with it, but after I insisted, he let me keep the case going. I met The opponents—the Liberian company lawyers—are the Greeks in New York, the Petridis brothers. They're just granite heads. Do you know them?" "The name has been heard," Setiniaz said. "They're pretty famous." While saying this, he was thinking in his heart: "Now Wangchen and Wang Ju are in a fight! When Santana ran to tell Puber that he was going to strangle Nick and Tony to death, I can imagine that Leiber must have no expression. What a melee to watch!" "Cetiniaz," said the Mexican. "Sometimes I don't quite understand Reber. Most of the time he's brilliant, he's brilliant, and I choose my words carefully. But sometimes he disappears altogether, and in case I really need him, I don't know." Where can I find him..." "Has that ever happened? I mean, have you ever needed him and you can't find him?" "Not yet," Santana said. "But that can happen. Besides, I'm not just referring to the question of where Reber is. Sometimes he handles things so sloppily, like this shipping issue, that it makes one feel as if he doesn't care about money at all." Interest. I'm not complaining. Quite the opposite. But I need to talk to someone about this situation... Setiniaz, is there anything I should know that I don't? I don't believe and can't believe Ray Bob makes mistakes. You laugh at me, but I think he's pretty much infallible. Can you answer my question?" "You know everything you need to know." Setiniaz smiled.He almost laughed out loud, because the people Santana mentioned just now are actually princes: Han, Shahaze, Subis, Ethel Court from a company in Jersey, Petridis Brother, and Santana himself.Even including Elias Bernie, although he is not yet a royal minister, but is only entrusted by Leiber to run a company for him.These people fought each other and everyone thought that the other was "stubborn and difficult to deal with... and Leib, who held the secret like him, saw it all and smiled secretly. The otherwise shrewd Mexican was suddenly bewildered; yet, hadn't Setiniaz himself often felt sleepy in Reber's presence?How similar are the two situations?Thinking of this, Setiniaz no longer finds it ridiculous. "Speaking of Reber, Francesco, I feel the same way as you, he is not an ordinary man." That's how their friendship started. There was another reason why Francisco Santana wanted to meet Setiniaz.On Reber's orders, for the past year Santana has partnered with George Taalas on a special assignment related to low-tax areas.At the beginning of the accumulation of fabulous wealth, it was Taras who, with the assistance of a whole army of international law experts, took on the financial aspects of organization.The whole system is a bit like several pyramids, one next to the other, and each one is in charge of a royal official.Pyramids vary in size, depending on the field to which they belong.The tie to the system was Reber himself; Setiniaz knew of its existence. Because the essence and existence of this system are secret, they greatly exploited the loopholes in the legislation of some countries and regions in the early 1950s.Those places also welcome companies that request secrecy as long as possible and beneficial. Settiniaz has seen in his files a series of enterprises headquartered in Panama, Monaco, Liechtenstein, Jersey, etc. Or Guernsey. From 1962 until 1968, with the weakening or disappearance of colonial rule, some exotic place names were added to this list: Bahamas, Curacao, Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos, Gibraltar, Hong Kong, the Isle of Man, and even a tiny coral island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean called Nauru. And of course, Liberia. Klimrod has established nearly 180 corporate offices in Liberia—including those that have since been dissolved. "David," Taras once said, "I'm getting older. My poor shoulders are beginning to lose the weight of age, and flying around the world is getting worse every year for me. A tiring year. I've asked Reber to find someone who can now work with me and eventually take my place. I don't know who Reber will pick..." This man is Francisco Santana. Setiniaz later said: "He and another guy -- a Dutchman I'll call him de Vries -- did a lot of work. Their task was not to create companies (other than those that Santana ran himself), but to Supervise the establishment of these companies, and in the early stages, be mindful that the chosen low-tax jurisdictions are safe. At least three of the now-known low-tax countries—or islands, as they tend to be—are actually 'invented' by Santana and de Vries. I understand this because I'm in charge of a special budget that Reber named 'Milton', which is a clear reference to John Milton's and Paradise Restored. This budget helps...convince (not to mention 'buy') some of the smaller governments involved. It's not just a bribe. For example, one time a newly formed nation passed Some laws that do what we want, in exchange for one of our shipping lines signing a contract with it." Setiaz invited Santana to have dinner with him the next day, and the Mexican gladly accepted.It goes without saying that they were about the same age, both in their early forties, and that they had the same views on a number of things.Both of them are very serious and meticulous, and they are meticulous in everything they do.Be discreet.For example, David doesn't dislike Nick Petridis, although Nick's imagination is as rich as a Greek pirate, and David doesn't dislike Paul Soubis, and the two can converse fluently in French , but Soubis' sarcasm annoyed him very much, only Santana's rigor was very agreeable to David. This seemed natural to Georges Tarras; he once said: "The Paddle has as little sense of humor as you, David, and you both have the airs of accountants. You hit each other well... ..." Soon after Santana left New York, he had one of his assistants send Setiniaz a new file concerning a transaction in which Santana himself played only a minor role.He had been called to discuss the purchase of an estate in Jamaica, but did not know what it would be used for.It was in fact part of a larger operation; under the charge of two royal courtiers, Philip Vandenberg and Ethel Court, to establish two hotel systems in the Caribbean islands.Vandenberg and Court didn't know each other, each was in charge of a system, and they competed with each other, all of which were arranged by Klimrod. Santana included a letter in the case file, inviting Setiniaz to live with him for a while at his home; Santana's home is in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico. They exchanged several more letters, and in the spring of 1965, the Setiniaz family—then already had five children—finally made the trip to Mexico.They spent two weeks in Santana's rather modest home and visited some Mayan temples because of the proximity to water.Santana is happy to declare that he himself has some Mayan blood. It was not until ten days later that Santana asked the following question. "David, you probably won't answer me, but one thing really confuses me: what does Reb want these eight million Caribbean pines for?" "What did you say?" Setiniaz asked blankly. "Caribbean pine. Just like the kind you see around us. The exact Latin name is Pinus Carybea." "How many trees did you just say?" "Eight million." Setiniaz's astonishment was not artificial, he managed to maintain his calm appearance.Of course Santana misunderstood that he was pretending to be confused. "I'm sorry," he said with a broad smile. "I really shouldn't ask you that question. I can see that I'm embarrassing you. Let's never bring it up again. Let's see 'Senault' instead. It's a pretty big deal." The cenote is very interesting. Our ancestors used to throw living people into it, but first adorned the victim with jewels. It's not a bad way to die like this..." Setiniaz pondered: What exactly is Leib trying to do with eight million Caribbean pine trees? This mystery made Setiniaz almost restless.On his return to New York, he pored over his case files as if he were doing something wrong.At that time, there were already more than 1,200 company files in his place.In fact, all of them are Klimrod companies.The computer in 1965 was at an early stage, but it was still able to show that there was never a mention in its memory of any transactions related to "Caribbean Pines", not even a shadow of it. Setiniaz tried another entry: "tree." Now he found out, and was reminded that Reber had big stakes in forestry in Norway, Sweden and Finland.Moreover, one of his Canadian companies, in partnership with a completely unknown Argentinian company (at least not by Settniaz), signed a contract with Nikita Khzenshev's Soviet Union in 1963. A large number of contracts on forest products; the following year, 1964, after Khrushchev stepped down, these contracts were renewed again with the help of Paul Subis, and it seems that there was no meeting. what trouble. Two identical dossiers concerning this transaction were sent to Setniaz in accordance with Leiber's double supervision system: one was sent by Subis, the other by a black Swiss dog. It's not over yet.Four years ago a French-Italian forestry company sold 51 percent of its shares to a typical Klimrod company based in Panama. Setiniaz became more and more attracted, so he continued to investigate further.Suddenly, a name appeared in the file: Jaime Rochas.Setiniaz knew nothing about the man.Rochas was manager of the Argentine company that had signed a contract with the Soviet Union.He is also legal and financial advisor to the Panamanian company that also has interests in African forests.It was also this Rochas who signed at least a dozen contracts in Canada. These are the typical characteristics of a royal courtier.However, regarding this person, Setiniaz did not receive a "top secret. Personal addressee" report, nor did he send a personal file marked with the word "special" in red. Generally speaking, this means that the person is of little importance.But here, the contradiction is stark.Setiniaz thought to himself: "I can't believe that Leiber would be so negligent, so..." He was the only one left in the office because of a power outage. 71 He decided to continue checking. (He always waited until everyone else had left to start such investigations, so it took him weeks.) He began searching for anything related to Jaime Rochas.The name appears fourteen more times and is associated with fourteen other companies.Apparently, this Rochas has been to many places. Besides the Soviet Union, Scandinavia and Africa, he has also been present in Indonesia, Indochina and China; he has also participated in major operations in South America, especially in Venezuela.Most of his activities were more or less related to agriculture, or in the field of arboriculture, but on two occasions he was also involved in other businesses: once in kaolin, what kind of business it was. Clearly, the other time was the purchase of an entire batch of paper mills in France.This man's tracks often intersect with those of other princely officials: Han in China and Indochina, Subis and Shah in France and the Middle East, Santana in Venezuela, and Kaute in Africa. Intersect, intersect Gozchenak in Scandinavia.But this person has been hiding.It was only through Francisco Santana's accidental reference to the eight million trees that Setiniaz was able to discover the one name, Jaime Rochas, within a system of more than 35,000 names. He felt as if he had bumped into something huge by accident. The summer of 1965 passed, and Klimrod never showed up.The same goes for autumn and winter.As far as Setiniaz knew, Reber had been to New York three times in 1966.Many new companies appeared that year, and Setiniaz recorded more than fifteen hundred.Almost every day, a black dog sent a new case file. During this period, Setiniaz's organizational skills were truly tested.He couldn't go on vacation and had to increase his staff.Although the computer is used more than before, the office space is still getting smaller and smaller, and he even considers moving elsewhere.But Reber disagreed. "It's not necessary, David. We've just crossed the crest. Things will level off in the future." Because of his busy work, Setiniaz worked for nearly fifteen hours a day, and had no time to think about Jaime Rochas.In fact, the Argentinian's name has not been mentioned anywhere recently, as if he no longer worked for Klimrod.After all, maybe this is the answer. Setiniaz later said: "I was having the kind of thoughts that all of Reber's lieutenants usually have. I said to myself, 'If he wants me to know about this, he himself will...' So I didn't say anything. "After that, in October 1967, it happened." Setiniaz was called to meet at Hunter Lane in an upscale Brooklyn neighborhood.It was an elegant brownstone building built in the nineteenth century, and the windows had a magnificent view of Manhattan. "Avery Dannon." The surname sounded Irish, and "Avery" could be used by both sexes. Hunter Lane was a forest road, and Avery Dennon was a young woman, tall, brown-haired, and very pretty.You could tell she was a painter.When Setiniaz arrived, she was holding a paintbrush in her hand, and she was wearing a smock that was splashed with colorful colors, which was pretty.She came forward and greeted Setiniaz with a smile. "He's out, but he'll be right back," she said. "He asks your forgiveness and waits. Would you like to be an angel, would you?" "Angel?" She walks ahead with her hips twirling, ushering the guests into a rather lovely studio.An oil painting on the shelf showed circles and broad strokes through which the outline of a child's face could be seen. "I need an angel. Draw him right in the middle. But your hair is red. I've never heard of an angel with red hair." "I'm not a redhead," Setiniaz said bitterly. "It's a golden brown." "That's a debatable statement. It doesn't matter what color it is, you like good coffee, well-seared steak, mushrooms sautéed with celery, strawberries with whipped cream and Burgundy. We ordered a few cases of 'Yao Chi' He said you love this wine. Lunch will be ready in an hour and a half. Please sit down and take your time. He told me that you are very polite. If you want to make a phone call or take a shower, please do it yourself. I'm going to finish my angel. You're actually kind of like an angel..." She smiled sweetly.The same situation arose: David Setiniaz once again found himself confronted with a person who had no idea what kind of relationship this person had with Reber.The woman referred to Reb not by name but by "he"; and by saying "we're booked...," implying some kind of intimacy between them. "But I don't even know what name Reb uses in front of her?" Setiniaz thought. "I just know they want me to have lunch here, everything is already set up for me, there's even 'yaochi', which is definitely one of my hobbies, and the guy really remembers it!" "I do have to make a phone call," he said. "Cancel another appointment." "Up a flight of stairs is the study room. He said you might need to use the phone, and I have prepared a full tank of martinis for you, which is completely adjusted to your taste." Seteniaz went upstairs and saw a There is almost no furniture in the white room, but there are as many as eight telephones, in addition to a table, two chairs and dozens of books, including English, French, German, Spanish and Italian.There is also an original Yiddish book by Isaac Bashevis Singer (Note: Isaac Bashevis Singer, American Jew, won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1978.), and then Just legal works, including two volumes of Sir Gerald Fitzmaurice's Introduction to International Law, several volumes of Gilman's Handbook of International Law and the Journal of International Trade Law, and in those early days at Harvard Some of the templates that Georges Taras had made him work through a lot. Setiniaz could see that Leiber hadn't given up studying the law. Only then did he notice a green folder prominently placed on the table next to the many telephones.There were words familiar to him on the folder: "Top secret. Deliver to the recipient in person." There were also words he was not so familiar with: Was DJS an acronym for David James Setiniaz?While he was on the phone asking his secretary to reschedule all appointments (until further notice), he reached for the green folder. But he finally didn't bring it over.He hung up the phone, went to the second chair and sat down, picked up a book by Saul Bellow (Note: American writer, parents of Russian-Jewish immigrants, won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1977) to read.A few minutes later, he heard the front door opening and closing, and someone talking, and then the tall figure of Reb appeared quietly at the door. "Sorry I'm late, David. I tried to walk back from Manhattan, but I miscalculated my pace. You should open the folder." What he meant was clear, and since I left it, it was obviously for you to see.Otherwise I made a mistake.But who would have imagined that Reb Klimrod would make a mistake?Once again Setiniaz was upset. "Forgive me, David. I give you a hard time sometimes. Please don't be mad at me." He walked into the room and sat down, still in the posture he was used to: hands in the pockets of his coat, legs straight, chin resting on his chest, eyes blurred, and he said kindly: "Would you like to go now?" Would you like to take a look at the folder?" Setiniaz put down Bellow's book and went to the table.There is only one page of typed documents inside the folder.It read: "Setiniaz, David James, born September 2, 1923, in New York, New York. See previous volume for details. From January 1, 1966 to 1966 On December 21, 1967, there is nothing to report during this period, and according to the order, all surveillance will cease at midnight on January 1, 1967." Signed with only one letter J. "Jethro," Reb said. "Diego must have told Taras about him, and Taras must have told you. It goes without saying that he sent you the files about some of my men. He also Will continue to do so." "How long have I been under...surveillance?" "It started at zero o'clock on January 1, 1950. (Note: There are some doubts here. The previous article mentioned that Leiber only arrived in New York in July 1950 and started his business in August. Setiniaz has been under surveillance since January.) But you must be aware of that." "What did he find out about me?" "Nothing was found, which greatly disappointed him. There was nothing of importance. Jethro was convinced that any free man was a criminal who just hadn't been found out. But you and Taras have shaken him greatly. Faith." Setiniaz felt somewhat comforted by the thought that Talas was like him. "Same with Taras," Reber said.His knack for reading other people's minds was irritating. "The monitoring of him is also lifted?" "yes." Reber raised his hand to prevent the other party from speaking. "David, I know you want to ask: When did I tell Jethro to stop monitoring George Taras? I will not answer this question, please don't ask. After all, I first said that I can trust George, and then It is not important to know whether you can trust you, or vice versa. Anyway, you know the current situation. Since you already know that I have sent someone to monitor you for seventeen years, you must ask: Why do I have to revoke the order now? All I can say is: I don't know. It probably comes to a point where one has to trust another completely." "You make me feel bad," Setiniaz said. "Because of my self-questioning? I know. I can't help it." He laughed. "It can be said that I can't help it sometimes." But he quickly stopped smiling, and looked at Setiniaz with hazy eyes again. "Twenty-two years and one hundred and fifty-four days ago, David. Remember?" "Remember." "Do you have a clear memory of that day?" "Of course not as good as your memory." The gray eyes seemed to have darkened a little, and their gaze was glazed over, as if possessed and put into a hypnotized state. "Mon Dieu, mon Dieu, La vis est La, Simple et tranq-uille... (My God, my God. Life is there, simple and peaceful...) David, do you remember the following?" Setiniaz felt himself softening.Gradually, he let emotion get the upper hand. "Cette paisible rameur-la vient de la ville! (The murmur of peace comes from the town...)" "Yes, David." "Dis, quas-tu fait, toi que voila, pleurant sans cesse, dis, quas-tu fait, toi que voila, de ta jeunesse... (Oh, you, what have you done, crying endlessly? Oh you, what have you done with your youth?  …)” silence.Reb nodded.He was smiling, and his manner was extremely sweet and friendly. "I didn't bring up these past events to... engage in emotional blackmail..." He moved his legs, took his hands out of his pockets, and opened his palms, revealing the long scar where the thumb meets the index finger. "I was walking just now, and I was really thinking about that day in May 1945. 'I will never forget that I saved your life.' It was also written by a Frenchman. You do owe me love. I would be dead long ago without you. I haven't forgotten it." "You never forget anything." "It's not always a strength." This statement shows that he is almost suffering from this, which is a bit unimaginable.Another wave of emotion came over Seitiniaz, he thought: That woman downstairs looks a lot like aestivation... The two fell silent again. After a while, Reber stood up and started walking up and down. "Jaime Rochas," he said. "At first I thought: I don't know how long it took you to discover his name. It turned out that it took you less time than I expected. I've been avoiding you ever since I realized you already knew him. I'm not ready. Where did you get your clue? Francisco Santana?" "yes." "When I talked about those eight million trees in front of him, I noticed he was surprised. Then you went to his house in Merida. It was logical that he would mention those trees to you. Big David, there are two people with almost the same name: Jaime Rochas and Ubaldo Rocha, this second one is Brazilian. Don't confuse them. Soon you will know others一些名字：埃默森·科埃略和若热·索克拉特斯，也是巴西人。另外，象恩里克·埃斯卡兰特、吉姆·麦肯齐、让·科尔切斯科、特拉雅诺·达席尔瓦、黄森、乌韦·索别斯基、德尔·哈撒韦、伊莱亚斯·魏茨曼和埃塞尔·魏茨曼、莫里斯·埃弗雷持、玛尔尼·奥克斯——这些人次要些，虽然他们对我来说也极为重要。他们还没有出现在你的任何案卷里。但是我们今天会面，就是要谈这些人。” 他又坐下。灿烂的阳光照耀在东河和曼哈顿上空，给这些钢筋混凝土的建筑群抹上一点儿人情味。 “大卫，过去的几年里，我同时进行着几项业务，你和我知道这些业务总共有多少项，知道它们有时候是多么复杂。如果用钱来计算，我的身价究竞是多少，你可能比我知道得更清楚。在这个意义上，我从来不是贪得无厌的。我对此不感兴趣。” he smiles. “你知道，我这不是装腔作势。” “我能向你提供准确的数字，”塞梯尼亚兹说。“如果你给我一些时间。四个星期，或者五个星期。误差不超过百分之二。” “我一天都不给，大卫。” “你是世界上最富有的人，把别人都抛得老远。” “那很好，”雷伯说时略带几分嘲意，似乎觉得挺可笑，但并不显得无礼。 他伸出大而瘦的一双手，除了伤疤处，皮肤都呈棕褐色。在那时候，塞梯尼亚兹并不知道这伤疤是怎么得来的。雷伯没有戴手表，也没有戒指。 “大卫，过去的几年里，我在做一件十分重要的事情，对于我来说，它比以往我所做过的任何其他事情意义都更为重大。我还没有对你谈过这件事，而且，在明年之前，我也不打算告诉你。这是一项要作很长时期努力的事业，大卫。如果你同意的话，两年以后我带你到那儿去，看看它究竟包括哪些内容……” 塞梯厄亚兹暗自思忖：“他还没有拿定主意要不要告诉我。”他深知雷伯的脾气，从上面那些一句进、一句出的话里，看得出这是雷伯的缓兵之计。 “的确是这佯，”雷伯说。“我还没有拿定主意要不要告诉你。” “既然如此，你就什么也别说。” 两只大手第一次握在一起。 “大卫，我在缔造一个国家。” 雷伯说他已投资八亿美元。但那只是开了个头。他估计至少需要四十亿美元。可能更多，很可能。还有相当一部分问题需要解决。他说“相当一部分”的时候，同几分钟之前说他所开创的事业有“许多项”并且“很复杂”的时候语气完全一样。 那位年轻的女画家来通知，说午餐己准备好。进餐时，他们讨论绘画、书籍和电影，艾利攻击一个名叫尼古拉斯·德·司塔尔（法国著名印象派画家，1955自杀）的人，而雷伯却狂热地为之辩护。可是，一吃完饭，雷伯和大卫就回到楼上那个白色房间里去，把门锁起来。 王说，从一九四九年或一九五〇年以来，他或多或少有这个想法；在那之前并不想，真的不想。也许想法还不那么清楚。他有很长时间没把这件事情想透彻。但是现在他考虑成熟了，或者几乎已经成熟，反正谁也说不准。 “我指的是我的梦想已明确，大卫。至于实现这个梦想，还早着哪。还有一些重大问题需要解决，还要克服许多阻力……然而我是正确的。一个自由人，如果由于这些障碍，由于一些国家或者只是一个国家的干预而不能实现他合理的梦想，那么，这人只能算是在最野蛮的时代浑浑噩噩过日子，一旦出现无论什么样的专制制度，他都得当顺民。你对我是有所了解的，大卫……这难道是我所能接受的吗？” 他一下子变得口若悬河，坐在大卫·塞梯尼亚兹对面滔滔不绝地谈了好几个钟点。而塞梯尼亚兹则被搅得晕头转向，一忽儿相信这个构想行得通（连他也相信起来了），一忽儿又认为荒唐透顶、愚不可及。他一声不吭地听着那个安详的声音一一列举，哪些计划已经完成，哪些正在进行，哪些尚未上马。 最后，塞梯尼亚兹问：“你把这事告诉乔治·塔拉斯没有？” 雷伯笑道： "yes." “还有谁知道？” 沉默，暗淡无神的眼睛突然变得目光如炬，有几秒钟简直凶相毕露。 “除了乔治和你，大卫，在世界的这一部分没有别人知道。除了那里的人，谁也不知道。” “迪耶戈·哈斯呢？”塞梯尼亚兹忍不住问道。 Again there was silence.夜幕在徐徐降落。 “暂时我就说到这里，大卫，”雷伯说。“记住，不是明年，而是后年，我要让你看一些已经相当成型的东西。我非常希望你来参观。随便你什么时候来，比如四月底。只要给里约热内卢的迪耶戈打个电话，对他说你想到伊帕内玛他的家中去住几天就行了。请不要和别人一起来……还有一件事，大卫，今后我要比过去任何时候更加仰仗于你。如果你应允的话。如果你能应允，你将拥有一切必要的权力。估计今后几年我一定相当忙……” 塞梯尼亚兹特地到缅因州去了一趟。 他熟悉塔拉斯夫妇的那座惹人喜爱的小房子，熟悉那里天花板漆成好多种不同红色的房间，战后的最初几年，塞梯尼亚兹到那儿去过，那时他回到哈佛大学继续读书，乔治·塔拉斯仍然是他的教授。 这座房子没有变化，但多了两间屋。 “用来放东西……是啊，放东西！好把所有这些书堆在里边。我真不知道拿它们怎么办才好。” “那就换大一点儿的房子。” 塞梯尼亚兹不知道塔拉斯每年收入多少钱，但是他素知雷伯慷慨，所以想象得出数额一定相当可观。估计这位以前的教授买三四幢房子是不成问题的。 “别说蠢话，塞梯尼亚兹君。对于我来说，还有什么地方比这儿更惬意？再说，我喜欢这里的景色。” 他那犀利的目光透过镜片注视着来客。 “什么事情让你烦恼啦，大卫？” “他把他的构想告诉了我。” “喔！”塔拉斯没有作出其他反应。 沉默片刻之后，他很自然地接着说：“现在是我喝茶时间。你也喝一杯吧？” 塞梯尼亚兹这才意识到只有他的朋友一人在家，他有点儿迷惑不解。 “雪莉好吗？” “她一会儿就回来，”塔拉斯回答． 但是他答话时的神态引起了塞梯尼亚兹的注意。 “没发生什么事吧？” “一些小问题。可怜的雪莉再也不是那么年轻了，不管她自己是怎么想的。不过没什么严重的问题。还是谈别的事吧。” 他作了一个自己给自己解嘲的微笑，就像迪耶戈·哈斯那样。 “谈谈你的情况，不谈雷伯。大卫，凡是雷伯的事情，我无条件支持。你也一样，虽然你以你一贯的勇敢精神进行抵抗。我不想对他做的事情提出异议。对于我来说，一切都很简单：我确信有幸在我的一生中遇到一个天才。一个疯狂的天才也罢，一个天才的狂人也罢，你爱怎么说都可以，反正都一样。总之是一个天才，而且是命定的。我对他怀着世上所有的爱。他所做的一切，不管是什么，他都做得很好。至于我理解不理解，那是无关紧要的，所以我们还是不要讨论这一点。到底什么事情使你如此烦恼？因为雷伯即将赋予你重任？” “这就足够使我今后睡不着觉，”大卫说。 “你已经把一大批最好的律师和专家网罗在自己周围，你有惊人的组织才干。我一直有此感觉，但总是模模糊糊，而雷伯却能够看到这一点；他把赌注押在你身上，他赢了，而且还会赢。在过去的十五年里……” “十七年。” “过去的十七年里，这个王国的全部资料，包括最微末的点点滴滴都在你这里汇总，这是有史以来由一个人创立的最庞大的王国。它的规模究竟有多大，恐怕只有你一个人明白。也许连雷伯自己都讲不清楚，尽管他有异乎寻常的记忆力……你还是不要牛奶吗？” “和以前一样。谢谢。” “……他也不可能把自己所有的成就列出完整的清单。他毕竟是人，虽然我有时候觉得他好象不是这个星球上的居民……白糖放在那个有'桂冠'商标的广口瓶里。不，我并不要，谢谢，我不能再吃糖了。另外……我们还是回到我的书房去吧。我喜欢在炉边喝茶、吃松饼。” 他们离开红色的厨房，到猩红色的书房去，中间经过烟脂红的餐至、酒渣红的大厅和石蜡红的起居室。大卫知道，还有一间玫瑰红的洗衣房、宝石红的藏书室、石榴红的另一间藏书室、番茄红的汽车棚、樱桃红的食品贮藏室和仙客来红的电视室。“那一间的颜色是雪莉心血来潮想出来的。”塔拉斯曾解释过。“仙客来！真是异想天开！” 他们在壁炉前坐下。 “另外，亲爱的大卫，当年你还是我学生的时候，我就对你另眼相看，你认为这究竟是什么原因？是我爱上你了吗？你别觉得肉麻，我这是开玩笑。雷伯对你的看法和我对你的看法一样。索性把话挑明了吧，我们两人——他和我一讨论过这个问题。他有时候征求我的意见，这当然没什么奇怪，有时候他在我面前自言自语谈自己的想法。他并不指望你替他把财富增加许多倍，根本不需要这样做。老实说，即使坐着什么也不于，他的财富也会自行增长，达到喜马拉雅山的高度和规模。我并不反对谨慎，但我不主张过于谨小慎微……你不尝尝这些松饼吗？……信不信由你，雷伯把卡伐诺一家统统接到美国来，安顿在这儿，就因为卡伐诺太太——她是这一家子的灵魂——会做世界上最好吃的松饼。的确如此。你不用对我说他疯了，或者说他的构想是疯狂的；你也不用对我说我同样是个疯子，居然相信他的构想。” 乔治在他坐的那把紫红色大扶手椅内往后一靠。“大卫，我的老弟，我不知道雷伯什么时候能把那颗'卫星'送上天。但是，哪怕我预先知道最后的结果，这档子事总难免一场恶战。让我们为疯狂和梦想干杯，因为，大卫，只有疯狂和梦想才合乎情、顺乎理。”