rl.thebourneultimatum-第141节
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drawl and its familiar 〃you…alls〃； from the gentle nasality of the Midwest to the loud abrasiveness of the large Eastern cities with the inevitable 〃know what I mean？〃 tacked on to conversational sentences； whether questions or statements。 It was all incredible。 It was not simply beyond belief； it made the true suspension of disbelief frighteningly viable。
He had been briefed on the flight from Vnokova by a late…middle…aged Novgorod graduate who had been urgently summoned from his Moscow apartment by Krupkin。 The small； bald man was not only garrulously instructive； but in his own way mesmerizing。 If anyone had ever told Jason Bourne that he was going to be briefed in depth by a Soviet espionage agent whose English was so laced with the Deep South that it sonorously floated out of his mouth with the essence of magnolias； he would have deemed the information preposterous。
〃Good Lawd； Ah do miss those barbecues； especially the ribs。 You know who grilled 'em best？ That black fellow who I believed was such a good friend until he exposed me。 Can you imagine？ I thought he was one of those radicals。 He turned out to be a boy from Dartmouth workin' for the FBI。 A lawyer； no less。 。。。 Hell； the exchange was made at Aeroflot in New York and we still write each other。〃
〃Adolescent games；〃 had mumbled Bourne。
〃Games？ 。。。 Oh yes； he was a mighty fine coach。〃
〃Coach？〃
〃Sure 'nuff。 A few of us started a Little League in East Point。 That's right outside Atlanta。〃
Incredible。
〃May we concentrate on Novgorod； please？〃
〃Sutt'nly。 Dimitri may have told you； I'm semi…retired； but my pension requires that I spend five days a month there as a tak govorya…a 'trainer；' as you would say。〃
〃I didn't understand what he meant。〃
〃Ah'll explain。〃 The strange man whose voice belonged to the old Confederacy had been thorough。
Each pound at Novgorod was divided into three classes of personnel： the trainers； the candidates and operations。 The last category included the KGB staff； guards and maintenance。 The practical implementation of the Novgorod process was simple in structure。 A pound's staff created the daily training schedules for each individual section； and the trainers； both permanent and part…time retirees； mandeered all individual and group activities while the candidates carried them out； using only the language of the pound and the dialects of the specific areas in which they were located。 No Russian was permitted； the rule was tested frequently by the trainers who would suddenly bark orders or insults in the native language； which the candidates could not acknowledge understanding。
〃When you say assignments；〃 Bourne had asked； 〃what do you mean？〃
〃Situations； mah friend。 Jest about anything you might think of。 Like ordering lunch or dinner； or buying clothes； or fillin' the tank of your car； requesting a specific gasoline 。。。 leaded or unleaded and the degrees of octane…all of which we don't know a thing about here。 Then； of course； there are the more dramatic events often unscheduled so as to test the candidates' reactions。 Say； an automobile accident necessitating conversations with 'American' police and the resulting insurance forms that must be filled out…you can give yourself away if you appear too ignorant。〃
The little things； the insignificant things…they were vital。 A back door at the Kubinka Armory。 〃What else？〃
〃So many inconsequential things that a person might not consider significant； but they can be。 Say； being mugged in a city street at night…what should you do； what shouldn't you do？ Remember； many of our candidates； and all of the younger ones； are trained in self…defense； but depending upon the circumstances； it may not be advisable to use those skills。 Questions of background could be raised。 Discretion； always discretion。 。。。 For me； as an experienced part…time tak govorya； of course； I've always preferred the more imaginative situations which we are permitted to implement whenever we care to as long as they fall within the guidelines of environmental penetration。〃
〃What does that mean？〃
〃Learn always； but never appear to be learning。 For example； a favorite of mine is to approach several candidates； say； at a bar in some 'location' near a military testing ground。 I pretend to be a disgruntled government worker or perhaps an inebriated defense contractor…obviously someone with access to information…and start ladlin' out classified material of recognized value。〃
〃Just for curiosity；〃 Bourne had interrupted； 〃under those circumstances how should candidates react？〃
〃Listen carefully and be prepared to write down every salient fact； all the while feigning total lack of interest and offering such remarks as〃…here the Novgorod graduate's Southern dialect became so rough…mountain South that the magnolias were replaced by sour mash…〃 'Who gives a barrel a' hogshit 'bout that stuff？' and 'They got any of them whoors over there lak people say they got？' or 'Don't understand a fuckin' word you're talkin' about； asshole…all Ah knows is that you're borin' the holy be…Jesus outta me！' 。。。 that sort of thing。〃
〃Then what？〃
〃Later； each man is called in and told to list everything he learned…fact by salient fact。〃
〃What about passing along the information？ Are there training procedures for that？〃
Jason's Soviet instructor had stared at him in silence for several moments from the adjacent seat in the small plane。 〃I'm sorry you had to ask the question；〃 he said slowly。 〃I'll have to report it。〃
〃I didn't have to ask it； I was simply curious。 Forget I asked it。〃
〃I can't do that。 I won't do that。〃
〃Do you trust Krupkin？〃
〃Of course I do。 He's brilliant； a multilingual phenomenon。 A true hero of the Komitet。〃
You don't know the half of it； thought Bourne； but he said； with even a trace of reverence； 〃Then report it only to him。 He'll tell you it was just curiosity。 I owe absolutely nothing to my government； instead； it owes me。〃
〃Very well。 。。。 Speakin' of yourself； let's get to you。 With Dimitri's authority I've made arrangements for your visit to Novgorod…please don't tell me your objective； it's not in my purview any more than the question you asked is in yours。〃
〃Understood。 The arrangements？〃
〃You will make contact with a young trainer named Benjamin in the manner I will describe in a few moments。 I'll tell you this much about Benjamin so you'll perhaps understand his attitude。 His parents were Komitet officers assigned to the consulate in Los Angeles for nearly twenty years。 He's basically American…educated； his freshman and sophomore years at UCLA； in fact； until he and his father were hurriedly recalled to Moscow four years ago…〃
〃He and his father？〃
〃Yes。 His mother was caught in an FBI sting operation at the naval base in San Diego。 She has three more years to serve in prison。 There is no clemency and no exchanges for a Russian 'momma。' 〃
〃Hey； wait a minute。 Then it can't be all our fault。〃
〃I didn't say it was； Ah'm just relayin' the facts。〃
〃Understood。 I make contact with Benjamin。〃
〃He's the only one who knows who you are…not by name； of course； you'll use the name 'Archie'…and he'll furnish you with the necessary clearance to go from one pound to the other。〃
〃Papers？〃
〃He'll explain。 He'll also watch you； be with you at all times； and； frankly； he's been in touch with rade Krupkin and knows far more than I do…which is precisely the way this retired Georgia cracker likes it。 。。。 Good huntin'； polecat； if it's huntin' you're after。 Don't rape no wooden Indians。〃
Bourne followed the signs…everything was in English…to the city of Rockledge； Florida； fifteen miles southwest of NASA's Cape Canaveral。 He was to meet Benjamin at a lunch counter in the local Woolworth store； looking for a man in his mid…twenties wearing a red…checkered shirt； with a Budweiser baseball cap on the stool beside him； saving it。 It was the hour； within the time span of minutes： 3：35 in the afternoon。
He saw him。 The sandy…haired； California…educated Russian was seated at the far right end of the counter； the baseball cap on the stool to his left。 There were half a dozen men and women along the row talking to one another and consuming soft drinks and snacks。 Jason approached the empty seat； glanced down at the cap and spoke politely。 〃Is this taken？〃 he asked。
〃I'm waiting for someone；〃 replied the young KGB trainer； his voice neutral； his gray eyes straying up to Bourne's face。
〃I'll find another place。〃
〃She may not get here for another five minutes。〃
〃Hell； I'm just having a quick vanilla Coke。 I'll be out of here by then…〃
〃Sit down；〃 said Benjamin； removing the hat and casually putting it on his head。 A gum…chewing counterman came by and Jason ordered； his drink arrived； and the Komitet trainer continued quietly； his eyes now on the foam of his milk shake； which he sipped through a straw。 〃So you're Archie； like in the ics。〃
〃And you're Benjamin。 Nice to know you。〃
〃We'll both find out if that's a fact； won't we？〃
〃Do we have a problem？〃
〃I want the ground rules clear so there won't be one；〃 said the West Coast…bred Soviet。 〃I don't approve of your being permitted in here。 Regardless of my former address and the way I
