rl.thebourneultimatum-第124节

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　〃As　necessary　as　'Hector。'　My　real　name's　Roger　。。。　or　Daniel。　Whatever。〃
　〃Gotcha。〃　St。　Jacques　crossed　to　the　desk　and　picked　up　the　phone。　〃Holland？〃
　〃That　number　your　friend　Sykes　got　is　a　blind；　but　useful。〃
　〃As　my　brother…in…law　would　say；　please　speak　English。〃
　〃It's　the　number　of　a　café　on　the　Marais　waterfront　on　the　Seine。　The　routine　is　to　ask　for　a　blackbird…un　oiseau　noir…and　somebody　shouts　out。　If　the　blackbird's　there；　contact　is　made。　If　he　isn't；　you　try　again。〃
　〃Why　is　it　useful？〃
　〃We'll　try　again…and　again　and　again…with　a　man　inside。〃
　〃What's　happening　otherwise？〃
　〃I　can　only　give　you　a　limited　answer。〃
　〃Goddamn　you！〃
　〃Marie　can　fill　you　in…〃
　〃Marie？〃
　〃She's　on　her　way　home。　She's　mad　as　hell；　but　she's　also　one　relieved　wife　and　mother。〃
　〃Why　is　she　mad？〃
　〃I've　booked　her　low…key　on　several　long　flights　back…〃
　〃For　Christ's　sake；　why？〃　broke　in　the　brother　angrily。　〃You　send　a　goddamned　plane　for　her！　She's　been　more　valuable　to　you　than　anyone　in　your　dumb　Congress　or　your　corkscrew　administration；　and　you　send　planes　for　them　all　over　the　place。　I'm　not　joking；　Holland！〃
　〃I　don't　send　those　planes；〃　replied　the　director　firmly。　〃Others　do。　The　ones　I　send　involve　too　many　questions　and　too　much　curiosity　on　foreign　soil　and　that's　all　I'll　say　about　it。　Her　safety　is　more　important　than　her　fort。〃
　〃We　agree　on　that；　honcho。〃
　The　director　paused；　his　irritation　apparent。　〃You　know　something？　You're　not　really　a　very　pleasant　fellow；　are　you？〃
　〃My　sister　puts　up　with　me；　which　more　than　offsets　your　opinion。　Why　is　she　relieved…as　a　wife　and　mother；　I　think　you　said？〃
　Again　Holland　paused；　not　in　irritation　now；　but　searching　for　the　words。　〃A　disagreeable　incident　took　place；　one　none　of　us　could　predict　or　even　contemplate。〃
　〃Oh；　I　hear　those　famous　fucking　words　from　the　American　establishment！〃　roared　St。　Jacques。　〃What　did　you　miss　this　time？　A　truckload　of　U。S。　missiles　to　the　Ayatollah's　agents　in　Paris？　What　happened？〃
　For　a　third　time；　Peter　Holland　employed　a　moment　of　silence；　although　his　heavy　breathing　was　audible。　〃You　know；　young　man；　I　could　easily　hang　up　the　phone　and　dismiss　your　existence；　which　would　be　quite　beneficial　for　my　blood　pressure。〃
　〃Look；　honcho；　that's　my　sister　out　there；　and　a　guy　she's　married　to　who　I　think　is　pretty　terrific。　Five　years　ago；　you　bastards…I　repeat；　you　bastards…damn　near　killed　them　both　over　in　Hong　Kong　and　points　east。　I　don't　know　all　the　facts　because　they're　too　decent　or　too　dumb　to　talk　about　them；　but　I　know　enough　to　know　I　wouldn't　trust　you　with　a　waiter's　payroll　in　the　islands！〃
　〃Fair　enough；〃　said　Holland；　subdued。　〃Not　that　it　matters；　but　I　wasn't　here　then。〃
　〃It　doesn't　matter。　It's　your　subterranean　system。　You　would　have　done　the　same　thing。〃
　〃Knowing　the　circumstances；　I　might　have。　So　might　you；　if　you　knew　them。　But　that　doesn't　matter；　either。　It's　history。〃
　〃And　now　is　now；〃　broke　in　St。　Jacques。　〃What　happened　in　Paris；　this　'disagreeable　incident'？〃
　〃According　to　Conklin；　there　was　an　ambush　at　a　private　airfield　in　Pontcarré。　It　was　aborted。　Your　brother…in…law　wasn't　hurt　and　neither　was　Alex。　That's　all　I　can　tell　you。〃
　〃It's　all　I　want　to　hear。〃
　〃I　spoke　to　Marie　a　little　while　ago。　She's　in　Marseilles　and　will　be　here　late　tomorrow　morning。　I'll　meet　her　myself　and　we'll　be　driven　out　to　Chesapeake。〃
　〃What　about　David？〃
　〃Who？〃
　〃My　brother…in…law？〃
　〃Oh　。。。　yes；　of　course。　He's　on　his　way　to　Moscow。〃
　〃What？〃
　The　Aeroflot　jetliner　reversed　engines　and　swung　off　the　runway　at　Moscow's　Sheremetyevo　Airport。　The　pilot　taxied　down　the　adjacent　exit　lane；　then　stopped　a　quarter　of　a　mile　from　the　terminal　as　an　announcement　was　made　in　both　Russian　and　French。
　〃There　will　be　a　five…　to　seven…minute　delay　before　disembarkation。　Please　remain　seated。〃
　No　explanation　acpanied　the　information；　and　those　passengers　on　the　flight　from　Paris　who　were　not　Soviet　citizens　returned　to　their　reading　material；　assuming　the　delay　was　caused　by　a　backup　of　departing　aircraft。　However；　those　who　were　citizens；　as　well　as　a　few　others　familiar　with　Soviet　arrival　procedures；　knew　better。　The　curtained…off　front　section　of　the　huge　Ilyushin　jet；　a　small　seating　area　that　was　reserved　for　special　unseen　passengers；　was　in　the　process　of　being　evacuated；　if　not　totally；　at　least　in　part。　The　custom　was　for　an　elevated　platform　with　a　shielded　metal　staircase　to　be　rolled　up　to　the　front　exit　door。　Several　hundred　feet　away　there　was　always　a　government　limousine；　and　while　the　backs　of　those　disembarked　special　passengers　were　briefly　in　view　on　their　way　to　the　vehicles；　flight　attendants　roamed　through　the　aircraft　making　sure　no　cameras　were　in　evidence。　There　never　were。　These　travelers　were　the　property　of　the　KGB；　and　for　reasons　known　only　to　the　Komitet；　they　were　not　to　be　observed　in　Sheremetyevo's　international　terminal。　It　was　the　case　this　late　afternoon　on　the　outskirts　of　Moscow。
　Alex　Conklin　limped　out　of　the　shielded　staircase　followed　by　Bourne；　who　carried　the　two　outsized　flight　bags　that　served　as　their　minimum　luggage。　Dimitri　Krupkin　emerged　from　the　limousine　and　hurried　toward　them　as　the　steps　were　rolled　away　from　the　aircraft　and　the　noise　of　the　huge　jet　engines　began　growing　in　volume。
　〃How　is　your　friend　the　doctor？〃　asked　the　Soviet　intelligence　officer；　shouting　to　be　heard　over　the　roar。
　〃Holding　his　own！〃　yelled　Alex。　〃He　may　not　make　it；　but　he's　fighting　like　hell！〃
　〃It's　your　own　fault；　Aleksei！〃　The　jet　rolled　away　and　Krupkin　lowered　his　voice　accordingly；　still　loud　but　not　shouting。　〃You　should　have　called　Sergei　at　the　embassy。　His　unit　was　prepared　to　escort　you　wherever　you　wished　to　go。〃
　〃Actually；　we　thought　that　if　we　did；　we'd　be　sending　out　an　alert。〃
　〃Better　a　prohibiting　alert　than　inviting　an　assault！〃　countered　the　Russian。　〃Carlos's　men　would　never　have　dared　to　attack　you　under　our　protection。〃
　〃It　wasn't　the　Jackal…the　Jackal；〃　said　Conklin；　abruptly　resuming　a　conversational　tone　as　the　roar　of　the　aircraft　became　a　hum　in　the　distance。
　〃Of　course　it　wasn't　him…he's　here。　It　was　his　goons　following　orders。〃
　〃Not　his　goons；　not　his　orders。〃
　〃What　are　you　talking　about？〃
　〃We'll　go　into　it　later。　Let's　get　out　of　here。〃
　〃Wait。〃　Krupkin　arched　his　brows。　〃We'll　talk　first…and　first；　wele　to　Mother　Russia。　Second；　it　would　be　most　appreciated　if　you　would　refrain　from　discussing　certain　aspects　of　my　life…style　while　in　the　service　of　my　government　in　the　hostile；　war…mongering　West　with　anyone　you　might　meet。〃
　〃You　know；　Kruppie；　one　of　these　days　they'll　catch　up　with　you。〃
　〃Never。　They　adore　me；　for　I　feed　the　Komitet　more　useful　gossip　about　the　upper　ranks　of　the　debauched；　so…called　free　world　than　any　other　officer　in　a　foreign　post。　I　also　entertain　my　superiors　in　that　same　debauched　world　far　better　than　any　other　officer　anywhere。　Now；　if　we　corner　the　Jackal　here　in　Moscow；　I'll　no　doubt　be　made　a　member　of　the　Politburo；　hero　status。〃
　〃Then　you　can　really　steal。〃
　〃Why　not？　They　all　do。〃
　〃If　you　don't　mind；〃　interrupted　Bourne　curtly；　lowering　the　two　flight　bags　to　the　ground。　〃What's　happened？　Have　you　made　any　progress　in　Dzerzhinsky　Square？〃
　〃It's　not　inconsiderable　for　less　than　thirty　hours。　We've　narrowed　down　Carlos's　mole　to　thirteen　possibles；　all　of　whom　speak　French　fluently。　They're　under　total　surveillance；　human　and　electronic；　we　know　exactly　where　they　are　every　minute；　also　who　they　meet　and　who　they　talk　to　over　the　telephone。　。。。　I'm　working　with　two　ranking　missars；　neither　of　whom　can　remotely　speak　French…they　can't　even　speak　literate　Russian；　but　that's　the　way　it　is　sometimes。　The　point　is　they're　both　failsafe　and　dedicated；　they'd　rather　be　instrumental　in　capturing　the　Jackal　than　re…fight　the　Nazi。　They've　been　very　cooperative　in　mounting　surveillance。〃
　〃Your　surveillance　is　rotten　and　you　know　it；〃　said　Alex。　〃They　fall　over　toilet　seats　in　the　women's　room　when　they're　chasing　a　guy。〃
　〃Not　this　time；　for　I　chose　them　myself；〃　insisted　Krupkin。　〃Outside　of　four　of　our　own　people；　each　trained　in　Novgorod；　they're　defectors　from　the　UK；　America；　France　and　South　Africa…all　with　intelligence　backgrounds　who　could　lose　their　dachas　if　they　screw　up；　as　you　Westerners　say。　I　really　would　like　to　be　appointed　to　the　Presidium；　perhaps　even　the　Central　mittee。　I　might　be　posted　to　Washington　or　New　York。〃
　〃Where　you　could　really　steal；〃　said　Conklin。
　〃You're　wicked；　Aleksei；　very；　very　wicked。　Still；　after　a　vodka　or　six；　remind　me　to　tell　you　about　some　real　estate　our　chargé　d'affaires　picked　up　in　Virginia　two　years　ago。　For　a　song；　and　financed　by　his　lover's　bank　in　Richmond。　Now　a　developer　wants　the　property　at　ten　times　the　price！　。。。　e；　the　car。〃
　〃I　don't　believe　this　conversation；〃　said　Bourne；　picking　up　the　flight　bags。
　〃Wele　to　the　real　world　of　high…tech　intelligence；〃　explained　Conklin；　laughing　quietly。　〃At　least　from　one　point　of　view。〃
　〃From　all　points　of　view；〃　continued　Krupkin　as　they　started　toward　the　limousine。　〃However；　we　will　dispense　with　this　convers