tc.patriotgames-第22节

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ivilian　police；　Ryan　knew；　backed　up　by　a　lot　of　electronic　hardware。　But　there　would　be　some　surprises　hidden　away；　too。　After　the　scares　in　the　past；　and　this　latest　incident；　he　imagined　that　this　place　was　as　secure　as　the　White　House　　or　even　better；　given　greater　space　in　and　around　the　buildings。
　　　　It　was　too　dark　to　make　out　many　details；　but　the　Rolls　pulled　through　an　archway　into　the　building's　courtyard；　then　under　a　canopy；　where　a　sentry　snapped　to　present…arms　in　the　crisp　three…count　movement　the　Brits　used。　As　the　car　stopped；　a　footman　in　livery　pulled　the　door　open。
　　　　Getting　out　was　the　reverse　of　getting　in。　Ryan　turned　counterclockwise；　stepped　out　backwards；　and　pulled　his　arm　out　behind。　The　footman　grabbed　his　arm　to　help。　Jack　didn't　want　the　help；　but　this　wasn't　a　good　time　to　object。
　　　　〃You'll　need　a　little　practice　on　that；〃　the　Duke　observed。
　　　　〃I　think　you're　right；　sir。〃　Jack　followed　him　to　the　door；　where　another　servant　did　his　duty。
　　　　〃Tell　me。　Jack　　the　first　time　we　visited　you；　you　seemed　far　more　intimidated　by　the　presence　of　the　Queen　than　of　me。　Why　is　that？〃　
　　　　〃Well；　sir；　you　used　to　be　a　naval　officer；　right？〃　
　　　　〃Of　course。〃　The　Duke　turned　and　looked　rather　curious。
　　　　Ryan　grinned。　〃Sir；　I　work　at　Annapolis。　The　Academy　crawls　with　naval　officers；　and　remember　I　used　to　be　a　Marine。　If　I　let　myself　get　intimidated　by　every　swabbie　who　crossed　my　path；　the　Corps　would　e　and　take　my　sword　back。〃　
　　　　〃You　cheeky　bugger！〃　They　both　had　a　laugh。
　　　　Ryan　had　expected　to　be　impressed　by　the　Palace。　Even　so；　it　was　all　he　could　manage　to　keep　from　being　overwhelmed。　Half　the　world　had　once　been　run　from　this　house；　and　in　addition　to　what　the　Royal　Family　had　acquired　over　the　centuries　had　e　gifts　from　all　over　the　world。　Everywhere　he　looked　the　wide　corridors　were　decorated　with　too　many　masterpieces　of　painting　and　sculpture　to　count。　The　walls　were　mainly　covered　with　ivory…colored　silk　brocaded　with　gold　thread。　The　carpets；　of　course；　were　imperial　scarlet　over　marble　or　parquet　hardwood。　The　money　manager　that　Jack　had　once　been　tried　to　calculate　the　value　of　it　all。　He　overloaded　after　about　ten　seconds。　The　paintings　alone　were　so　valuable　that　any　attempt　to　sell　them　off　would　distort　the　world　market　in　fine　art。　The　gilt　frames　alone　。　。　。　Ryan　shook　his　head；　wishing　he　had　the　time　to　examine　every　painting。　You　could　live　here　five　years　and　not　have　time　to　appreciate　it　all。　He　almost　fell　behind；　but　managed　to　control　his　gawking　and　kept　pace　with　the　older　man。　Ryan's　disfiture　was　growing。　To　the　Duke　this　was　home　　perhaps　one　so　large　as　to　be　something　of　a　nuisance；　but　nonetheless　home；　routine。　The　Rubens　masterpieces　on　the　wall　were　part　of　the　scenery；　as　familiar　to　him　as　the　photographs　of　wife　and　kids　on　any　man's　office　desk。　To　Ryan　the　impact　of　where　he　was；　an　impact　made　all　the　more　crushing　by　the　trappings　of　wealth　and　power；　made　him　want　to　shrink　away　to　nothingness。　It　was　one　thing　to　take　his　chance　on　the　street　　the　Marines；　after　all；　had　prepared　and　trained　him　for　that　　but　。　。　。　this。
　　　　Get　off　it；　Jack；　he　told　himself。　They're　a　royal　family；　but　they're　not　your　royal　family。　This　didn't　work。　They　were　a　royal　family。　That　was　enough　to　lacerate　most　of　his　ego。
　　　　〃Here　we　are；〃　the　Duke　said　after　turning　right　through　an　open　door。　〃This　is　the　Music　Room。〃
　　　　It　was　about　the　size　of　the　living/dining　room　in　Ryan's　house；　the　only　thing　he　had　seen　thus　far　that　could　be　so　pared　with　any　part　of　his　300；000　home　on　Peregrine　Cliff。　The　ceiling　was　higher　here；　domed　with　gold…leaf　trim。　There　were　about　thirty　people；　Ryan　judged；　and　the　moment　they　entered　all　conversation　stopped。　Everyone　turned　to　stare　at　Ryan　　Jack　was　sure　they'd　seen　the　Duke　before　　and　his　grotesque　cast。　He　had　a　terrible　urge　to　slink　away。　He　needed　a　drink。
　　　　〃If　you'll　excuse　me　for　a　moment。　Jack；　I　must　be　off。　Back　in　a　few　minutes。〃
　　　　Thanks　a　lot；　Ryan　thought　as　he　nodded　politely。　Now　what　do　I　do？
　　　　〃Good　evening；　Sir　John；〃　said　a　man　in　the　uniform　of　a　vice　admiral　of　the　Royal　Navy。　Ryan　tried　not　to　let　his　relief　show。　Of　course；　he'd　been　handed　off　to　another　custodian。　He　realized　belatedly　that　lots　of　people　came　here　for　the　first　time。　Some　would　need　a　little　support　while　they　got　used　to　the　idea　of　being　in　a　palace；　and　there　would　be　a　procedure　to　take　care　of　them。　Jack　took　a　closer　look　at　the　man's　face　as　they　shook　hands。　There　was　something　familiar　about　it。　〃I'm　Basil　Charleston。〃　
　　　　Aha！　〃Good　evening；　sir。〃　His　first　week　at　Langley　he'd　seen　the　man；　and　his　CIA　escort　had　casually　noted　that　this　was　〃B。C。〃　or　just　〃C；〃　the　chief　of　the　British　Secret　Intelligence　Service；　once　known　as　MI…6。　What　are　you　doing　here？
　　　　〃You　must　be　thirsty。〃　Another　man　arrived　with　a　glass　of　champagne。　〃Hello。　I'm　Bill　Holmes。〃
　　　　〃You　gentlemen　work　together？〃　Ryan　sipped　at　the　bubbling　wine。
　　　　〃Judge　Moore　told　me　you　were　a　clever　chap；〃　Charleston　observed。
　　　　〃Excuse　me？　Judge　who？〃
　　　　〃Nicely　done；　Doctor　Ryan；〃　Holmes　smiled　as　he　finished　off　his　glass。　〃I　understand　that　you　used　to　play　football　　the　American　kind；　that　is。　You　were　on　the　junior　varsity　team；　weren't　you？〃
　　　　〃Varsity　and　junior　varsity；　but　only　in　high　school。　I　wasn't　big　enough　for　college　ball；〃　Ryan　said；　trying　to　mask　his　uneasiness。　〃Junior　Varsity〃　was　the　project　name　under　which　he'd　been　called　in　to　consult　with　CIA。
　　　　〃And　you　wouldn't　happen　to　know　anything　about　the　chap　who　wrote　Agents　and　Agencies'！〃　Charleston　smiled。　Jack　went　rigid。
　　　　〃Admiral；　I　cannot　talk　about　that　without　〃　
　　　　〃Copy　number　sixteen　is　sitting　on　my　desk。　The　good　judge　told　me　to　tell　you　that　you　were　free　to　talk　about　the　'smoking　word…processor。'　〃
　　　　Ryan　let　out　a　breath。　The　phrase　must　have　e　originally　from　James　Greer。　When　Jack　had　made　the　Canary　Trap　proposal　to　the　Deputy　Director；　Intelligence；　Admiral　James　Greer　had　made　a　joke　about　it；　using　those　words。　Ryan　was　free　to　talk。　Probably。　His　CIA　security　briefing　had　not　exactly　covered　this　situation。
　　　　〃Excuse　me；　sir。　Nobody　ever　told　me　that　I　was　free　to　talk　about　that。〃
　　　　Charleston　went　from　jovial　to　serious　for　a　moment。　〃Don't　apologize；　lad。　One　is　supposed　to　take　matters　of　classification　seriously。　That　paper　you　wrote　was　an　excellent　bit　of　detective　work。　One　of　our　problems；　as　someone　doubtless　told　you；　is　that　we　take　in　so　much　information　now　that　the　real　problem　is　making　sense　of　it　all。　Not　easy　to　wade　through　all　the　muck　and　find　the　gleaming　nugget。　For　the　first　time　in　the　business；　your　report　was　first…rate。　What　I　didn't　know　about　was　this　thing　the　Judge　called　the　Canary　Trap。　He　said　you　could　explain　it　better　than　he。〃　Charleston　waved　for　another　glass。　A　footman；　or　some　sort　of　servant；　came　over　with　a　tray。　〃You　know　who　I　am；　of　course。〃
　　　　〃Yes；　Admiral。　I　saw　you　last　July　at　the　Agency。　You　were　getting　out　of　the　executive　elevator　on　the　seventh　floor　when　I　was　ing　out　of　the　DDI's　office；　and　somebody　told　me　who　you　were。〃
　　　　〃Good。　Now　you　know　that　all　of　this　remains　in　the　family。　What　the　devil　is　this　Canary　Trap？〃
　　　　〃Well；　you　know　about　all　the　problems　CIA　has　with　leaks。　When　I　was　finishing　off　the　first　draft　of　the　report；　I　came　up　with　an　idea　to　make　each　one　unique。〃
　　　　〃They've　been　doing　that　for　years；〃　Holmes　noted。　〃All　one　must　do　is　misplace　a　ma　here　and　there。　Easiest　thing　in　the　world。　If　the　newspeople　are　foolish　enough　to　print　a　photograph　of　the　document；　we　can　identify　the　leak。〃
　　　　〃Yes；　sir；　and　the　reporters　who　publish　the　leaks　know　that；　too。　They've　learned　not　to　show　photographs　of　the　documents　they　get　from　their　sources；　haven't　they？〃　Ryan　answered。　〃What　I　came　up　with　was　a　new　twist　on　that。　'Agents　and　Agencies'　has　four　sections。　Each　section　has　a　summary　paragraph。　Each　of　those　is　written　in　a　fairly　dramatic　fashion。〃　
　　　　〃Yes；　I　noticed　that；〃　Charleston　said。　〃Didn't　read　like　a　CIA　document　at　all。　More　like　one　of　ours。　We　use　people　to　write　our　reports；　you　see；　not　puters。　Do　go　on。〃
　　　　〃Each　summary　paragraph　has　six　different　versions；　and　the　mixture　of　those　paragraphs　is　unique　to　each　numbered　copy　of　the　paper。　There　are　over　a　thousand　possible　permutations；　but　only　ninety…six　numbered　copies　of　the　actual　document。　The　reason　the　summary　paragraphs　are　so　　well；　lurid；　I　guess　　is　to　entice　a　reporter　to　quote　them　verbatim　in　the　public　media。　If　he　quotes　something　from　two　or　three　of　those　paragraphs；　we　know　which　copy　he　saw　and；　therefore；　who　leaked　it。　They've　got　an　even　more　refined　version　of　the　trap　working　now。　You　can　do　it　by　puter。　You　use　a　thesaurus　program　to　shuffle　through　synonyms；　and　you　can　make　every　copy　of　the　document　totally　unique。〃　
　　　　〃Did　they　tell　you　if　it　worked？〃　Holmes　asked。
　　　　〃No；　sir。　I　had　nothing　to　do　with　the　security　side　of　the　Agency。〃　And　thank　God　for　that。
　　　　〃Oh；　it　worked。〃　Sir　Basil　paused　for　a　moment。　〃That　idea　is　bloody　simple　　and　bloody　brilliant！　Then　there　was　the　substantive　aspect　of　th