rl.thebourneultimatum-第151节

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　〃Did　I　mention　that　Lord　Randolph　of　Gates　made　great　sums　of　money　during　those　lost　but　productive　years？〃
　〃Several　times。　So？〃
　〃Well；　in　recognition　of　the　services　I　rendered　that　undoubtedly　contributed　to　the　removal　of　a　life…threatening　situation　in　which　he　found　himself；　said　threat　emanating　from　Paris；　he　saw　clearly　the　validity　of　pensating　me。　Especially　in　light　of　the　knowledge　I　possess。　。。。　You　know；　after　a　number　of　bloodletting　courtroom　battles；　I　think　he's　going　after　a　judgeship。　Far　higher　than　mine；　I　think。〃
　〃So？〃
　〃So；　if　I　keep　my　own　counsel；　get　out　of　Boston；　and　for　the　sake　of　a　loose　tongue　stay　off　the　sauce；　his　bank　will　forward　me　fifty　thousand　dollars　a　year　for　the　rest　of　my　life。〃
　〃Jesus　Christ！〃
　〃That's　what　I　said　to　myself　when　he　agreed。　I　even　went　to　Mass　for　the　first　time　in　thirty…odd　years。〃
　〃Still；　you　won't　be　able　to　go　home　again。〃
　〃Home？〃　Prefontaine　laughed　softly。　〃Was　it　really？　No　matter；　I　may　have　found　another。　Through　a　gentleman　named　Peter　Holland　at　the　Central　Intelligence　Agency；　I　was　given　an　introduction　to　your　friend　Sir　Henry　Sykes　over　in　Montserrat；　who　in　turn　introduced　me　to　a　retired　London　barrister　named　Jonathan　Lemuel；　originally　a　native　islander。　We're　both　getting　on；　but　neither　of　us　is　ready　for　a　different　sort　of　'home。'　We　may　open　a　consulting　firm；　specialists　in　American　and　UK　laws　where　export　and　import　licensing　is　concerned。　Of　course；　we'll　have　to　do　some　boning　up；　but　we'll　manage。　I　expect　I'll　be　here　for　years。〃
　St。　Jacques　rose　quickly　from　the　table　to　replenish　his　drink；　his　eyes　warily　on　the　former；　disbarred　judge。
　Morris　Panov　walked　slowly；　cautiously　out　of　his　bedroom　and　into　the　sitting　room　of　Villa　Eighteen；　where　Alex　Conklin　sat　in　a　wheelchair。　The　bandages　across　the　psychiatrist's　chest　were　visible　under　the　light　fabric　of　his　white　guayabera；　they　extended　down　his　exposed　left　arm　below　the　elbow。　〃It　took　me　damn　near　twenty　minutes　to　lift　this　useless　appendage　through　the　sleeve！〃　he　plained　angrily　but　without　self…pity。
　〃You　should　have　called　me；〃　said　Alex；　spinning　himself　around　in　the　chair；　away　from　the　telephone。　〃I　can　still　roll　this　thing　pretty　damned　fast。　Of　course；　I　had　a　couple　of　years'　experience　prior　to　my　Quasimodo's　boot。〃
　〃Thank　you；　but　I　prefer　to　dress　myself…as　I　believe　you　preferred　to　walk　by　yourself　once　the　prosthesis　was　fitted。〃
　〃That's　the　first　lesson；　Doctor。　I　expect　there's　something　about　it　in　your　head　books。〃
　〃There　is。　It's　called　dumb；　or；　if　you　like；　obstinate　stupidity。〃
　〃No；　it's　not；〃　countered　the　retired　intelligence　officer；　his　eyes　leveled　with　Panov's　as　the　psychiatrist　lowered　himself　slowly　into　a　chair。
　〃No　。。。　it's　not；〃　agreed　Mo；　returning　Conklin's　look。　〃The　first　lesson　is　independence。　Take　as　much　as　you　can　handle　and　keep　grabbing　for　more。〃
　〃There's　a　good　side；　too；〃　said　Alex；　smiling　and　adjusting　the　bandage　around　his　throat。　〃It　gets　easier；　not　harder。　You　learn　new　tricks　every　day；　it's　surprising　what　our　little　gray　cells　e　up　with。〃
　〃Do　tell？　I　must　explore　that　field　one　day。　。。。　I　heard　you　on　the　phone；　who　was　it？〃
　〃Holland。　The　wires　have　been　burning　on　all　the　back　channels　between　Moscow　and　Washington；　every　covert　phone　on　both　sides　damn　near　paralyzed　thinking　there　could　be　a　leak　and　theirs　would　be　held　responsible。〃
　〃Medusa？〃
　〃You　never　heard　that　name；　I　never　heard　that　name；　and　nobody　we　know　has　ever　heard　it。　There's　been　enough　bloodletting　in　the　international　marketplace…to　say　nothing　of　a　few　buckets　of　real　blood　spilled…to　call　into　question　the　sanity　of　both　governments'　controlling　institutions；　which　were　obviously　blind　or　just　plain　stupid。〃
　〃How　about　just　plain　guilty？〃　asked　Panov。
　〃Too　few　at　the　top　to　warrant　the　destruction　of　the　whole…that's　the　verdict　of　Langley　and　Dzerzhinsky　Square。　The　chief　pin…stripers　at　the　State　Department　in　the　Kremlin's　Council　of　Ministers　agree。　Nothing　can　be　served　by　pursuing　or　exposing　the　extent　of　the　malfeasance…how　do　you　like　that；　malfeasance？　Murder；　assassination；　kidnapping；　extortion　and　large…scale　corruption　using　organized　crime　on　both　sides　of　the　Atlantic　are　now　conveniently　slotted　as　'malfeasance'！　They　say　it's　better　to　salvage　what　we　can　as　quietly　and　as　expeditiously　as　possible。〃
　〃That's　obscene。〃
　〃That's　reality；　Doctor。　You're　about　to　witness　one　of　the　biggest　cover…ups　in　modern　history；　certainly　among　powerful　sovereign　nations。　。。。　And　the　real　obscenity　is　that　they're　probably　right。　If　Medusa　were　exposed　to　the　fullest…and　it　would　be　fully　exposed　if　it　was　exposed　at　all…the　people　in　their　righteous　indignation　would　throw　the　bastards　out…many　of　them　the　wrong　bastards；　tainted　only　by　association。　That　sort　of　thing　produces　vacuums　in　high　places；　and　these　are　not　the　times　for　vacuums　of　any　kind。　Better　the　Satans　you　know　than　the　ones　you　don't　who　e　later。〃
　〃So　what's　going　to　happen？〃
　〃Trade　off；〃　said　Conklin　pensively。　〃The　scope　of　Medusa's　operations　is　so　far…ranging　geographically　and　structurally　that　it's　almost　impossible　to　unravel。　Moscow's　sending　Ogilvie　back　with　a　team　of　financial　analysts；　and　with　our　own　people　they'll　start　the　process　of　dismantling。　Eventually　Holland　foresees　a　quiet；　unannounced　economic　minisummit；　calling　together　various　financial　ministers　of　the　NATO　and　Eastern　bloc　countries。　Wherever　Medusa's　assets　can　be　self…sustaining　or　absorbed　by　their　individual　economies；　that'll　be　the　case　with　restrictive　covenants　on　all　parties。　The　main　point　is　to　prevent　financial　panics　through　mass　factory　closings　and　wholesale　pany　collapses。〃
　〃Thus　burying　Medusa；〃　offered　Panov。　〃It's　again　history；　unwritten　and　unacknowledged；　the　way　it　was　from　the　beginning。〃
　〃Above　all；　that；〃　conceded　Alex。　〃By　omission　and　mission　there's　enough　sleaze　to　go　around　for　everybody。〃
　〃What　about　men　like　Burton　on　the　Joint　Chiefs；　and　Atkinson　in　London？〃
　〃No　more　than　messengers　and　fronts；　they're　out　for　reasons　of　health；　and　believe　me；　they　understand。〃
　Panov　winced　as　he　adjusted　his　unfortable　wounded　body　in　the　chair。　〃It　hardly　pensates　for　his　crimes；　but　the　Jackal　served　a　purpose　of　sorts；　didn't　he？　If　you　hadn't　been　hunting　him；　you　wouldn't　have　found　Medusa。〃
　〃The　coincidence　of　evil；　Mo；〃　said　Conklin。　〃I'm　not　about　to　remend　a　posthumous　medal。〃
　〃I'd　say　it's　more　than　coincidence；〃　interrupted　Panov；　shaking　his　head。　〃In　the　final　analysis；　David　was　right。　Whether　forced　or　leaped　upon；　a　connection　was　there　after　all。　Someone　in　Medusa　had　a　killer　or　killers　using　the　name　of　'Jason　Bourne'　assassinate　a　high…visibility　target　in　the　Jackal's　own　backyard；　that　someone　knew　what　he　was　doing。〃
　〃You　mean　Teagarten；　of　course。〃
　〃Yes。　Since　Bourne　was　on　Medusa's　death　list；　our　pathetic　turncoat；　DeSole；　had　to　tell　them　about　the　Treadstone　operation；　perhaps　not　by　name　but　its　essentials。　When　they　learned　that　Jason…David…was　in　Paris；　they　used　the　original　scenario：　Bourne　against　the　Jackal。　By　killing　Teagarten　the　way　they　did；　they　accurately　assumed　they　were　enlisting　the　most　deadly　partner　they　could　find　to　hunt　down　and　kill　David。〃
　〃We　know　that。　So？〃
　〃Don't　you　see；　Alex？　When　you　think　about　it；　Brussels　was　the　beginning　of　the　end；　and　at　the　end；　David　used　that　false　accusation　to　tell　Marie　he　was　still　alive；　to　tell　Peter　Holland　that　he　was　still　alive。　The　map　circling　Anderlecht　in　red。〃
　〃He　gave　hope；　that's　all。　Hope　isn't　something　I　put　much　trust　in；　Mo。〃
　〃He　did　more　than　give　hope。　That　message　made　Holland　prepare　every　station　in　Europe　to　expect　Jason　Bourne；　assassin；　and　to　use　every　extreme　to　get　him　back　here。〃
　〃It　worked。　Sometimes　that　kind　of　thing　doesn't。〃
　〃It　worked　because　weeks　ago　a　man　called　Jason　Bourne　knew　that　to　catch　Carlos　there　had　to　be　a　link　between　himself　and　the　Jackal；　a　long…forgotten　connection　that　had　to　be　brought　to　the　surface。　He　did　it；　you　did　it！〃
　〃In　a　hell　of　a　roundabout　way；〃　admitted　Conklin。　〃We　were　reaching；　that's　all。　Possibilities；　probabilities；　abstractions…it's　all　we　had　to　work　with。〃
　〃Abstractions？〃　asked　Panov　gently。　〃That's　such　an　erroneously　passive　term。　Have　you　any　idea　what　thunder　in　the　mind　abstractions　provoke？〃
　〃I　don't　even　know　what　you're　talking　about。〃
　〃Those　gray　cells；　Alex。　They　go　crazy；　spinning　around　like　infinitesimal　Ping…Pong　balls　trying　to　find　tiny　tunnels　to　explode　through；　drawn　by　their　own　inherent　pulsions。〃
　〃You've　lost　me。〃
　〃You　said　it　yourself；　the　coincidence　of　evil。　But　I'd　suggest　another　conductor…the　magnet　of　evil。　That's　what　you　and　David　created；　and　within　that　magnetic　field　was　Medusa。〃
　Conklin　spun　around　in　the　chair　and　wheeled　himself　toward　the　balcony　and　the　descending　orange　glow　on　the　horizon　beyond　the　deep…green　out　islands　of　Montserrat。　〃I　wish　everything　was　as　simple　as　you　put　it；　Mo；〃　he　said　rapidly。　〃I'm　afraid　it's　not。〃
　〃You'll　have　to　be　clearer。〃
　〃Krupkin's　a　dead　man。〃
　〃What？〃
　〃I　mourn　him　as　a　fri