rl.thebourneultimatum-第40节

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　〃On　the　big　island…〃
　〃Montserrat？〃
　〃Yes…〃
　〃Where？　。。。　My　name's　Conklin。　He　wants　to　talk　to　me…he　has　to　talk　to　me。　Please！〃
　〃A　big　wind　came　up　from　Basse…Terre　and　all　flights　are　canceled　until　morning。〃
　〃A　what？〃
　〃A　tropical　depression…〃
　〃Oh；　a　storm。〃
　〃We　prefer　a　TD；　sir。　Mr。　St。　Jacques　left　a　telephone　number　in　Plymouth。〃
　〃What's　your　name？〃　interrupted　Alex　suddenly。　The　clerk　replied　Pritchard　and　Conklin　continued：　〃I'm　going　to　ask　you　a　very　delicate　question；　Mr。　Pritchard。　It's　important　that　you　have　the　right　answer；　but　if　it's　the　wrong　one　you　must　do　as　I　tell　you。　Mr。　St。　Jacques　will　confirm　everything　I　say　when　I　reach　him；　however；　I　can't　waste　time　now。　Do　you　understand　me？〃
　〃What　is　your　question？〃　asked　the　clerk　with　dignity。　〃I'm　not　a　child；　mon。〃
　〃I'm　sorry；　I　didn't　mean　to…〃
　〃The　question；　Mr。　Conklin。　You're　in　a　hurry。〃
　〃Yes；　of　course。　。。。　Mr。　St。　Jacques's　sister　and　her　children；　are　they　in　a　safe　place？　Did　Mr。　St。　Jacques　take　certain　precautions？〃
　〃Such　as　armed　guards　about　the　villa　and　our　usual　men　down　on　the　beach？〃　said　the　clerk。　〃The　answer　is　yes。〃
　〃It's　the　right　answer。〃　Alex　took　a　deep　breath；　his　breathing　still　erratic。　〃Now；　what's　the　number　where　I　can　reach　Mr。　St。　Jacques？〃
　The　clerk　gave　it　to　Conklin；　then　added；　〃Many　phones　are　out；　sir。　It　might　be　well　if　you　left　a　number　here。　The　wind　is　still　strong；　but　Mr。　Saint　Jay　will　no　doubt　e　over　with　the　first　light　if　he　can。〃
　〃Certainly。〃　Alex　rattled　off　the　number　of　the　sterile　telephone　in　the　Vienna　apartment　and　had　the　man　in　Montserrat　repeat　it。　〃That's　it；〃　said　Conklin。　〃I'll　try　Plymouth　now。〃
　〃The　spelling　of　your　name；　please。　It　is　C…o…n…c…h…〃
　〃C…o…n…k；〃　broke　in　Alex；　snapping　off　the　line　and　instantly　dialing　the　number　in　the　town　of　Plymouth；　the　capital　of　Montserrat。　Once　again　a　startled；　drowsy　voice　answered；　it　was　a　barely　coherent　greeting。　〃Who's　this？〃　asked　Conklin　impatiently。
　〃Who　the　hell　is　this…are　you？〃　replied　an　angry　English　man。
　〃I'm　trying　to　reach　John　St。　Jacques。　It's　an　emergency；　and　I　was　given　this　number　by　the　desk　at　Tranquility　Inn。〃
　〃Good　Lord；　their　phones　are　intact　。。。　？〃
　〃Obviously。　Please；　is　John　there？〃
　〃Yes；　yes；　of　course。　He's　across　the　hall；　I'll　fetch　him。　Who　shall　I　say…〃
　〃　'Alex'　is　good　enough。〃
　〃Just　'Alex'？〃
　〃Hurry；　please！〃　Twenty　seconds　later　the　voice　of　John　St。　Jacques　filled　the　line。
　〃Conklin？　Is　that　you？〃
　〃Listen　to　me。　They　know　Marie　and　the　children　flew　into　Montserrat。〃
　〃We　heard　that　someone　was　asking　questions　over　at　the　airport　about　a　woman　and　two　kids…〃
　〃Then　that's　why　you　moved　them　from　the　house　to　the　inn。〃
　〃That's　right。〃
　〃Who　was　asking　questions？〃
　〃We　don't　know。　It　was　done　by　telephone。　。。。　I　didn't　want　to　leave　them；　even　for　a　few　hours；　but　I　had　a　mand　appearance　at　Government　House；　and　by　the　time　that　son…of…a…bitch　Crown　governor　showed　up；　the　storm　hit。〃
　〃I　know。　I　talked　to　the　desk　and　got　this　number。〃
　〃That's　one　consolation；　the　phones　are　still　working。　In　weather　like　this　they　usually　don't；　which　is　why　we　suck　up　to　the　Crown。〃
　〃I　understand　you've　got　guards…〃
　〃You're　goddamned　right！〃　cried　St。　Jacques。　〃The　trouble　is　I　don't　know　what　to　look　for　except　strangers　in　boats　or　on　the　beach；　and　if　they　don't　stop　and　identify　themselves　satisfactorily；　my　orders　are　to　shoot！〃
　〃I　may　be　able　to　help…〃
　〃Go　ahead！〃
　〃We　got　a　break…don't　ask　how；　it's　from　outer　space　but　that　doesn't　matter；　it's　real。　The　man　who　traced　Marie　to　Montserrat　used　a　judge　who　had　contacts；　presumably　in　the　islands。〃
　〃A　judge？〃　exploded　the　owner　of　Tranquility　Inn。　〃My　God；　he's　there！　Christ；　he's　there！　I'll　kill　that　scum　bastard…〃
　〃Stop　it；　Johnny！　Get　hold　of　yourself…who's　there？〃
　〃A　judge；　and　he　insisted　on　using　a　different　name！　I　didn't　think　anything　about　it…a　couple　of　whack…a…doo　old　men　with　similar　names…〃
　〃Old　men？　。。。　Slow　down；　Johnny；　this　is　important。　What　two　old　men？〃
　〃The　one　you're　talking　about　is　from　Boston…〃
　〃Yes！〃　confirmed　Alex　emphatically。
　〃The　other　flew　in　from　Paris…〃
　〃Paris？　Jesus　Christ！　The　old　men　of　Paris！〃
　〃What　。。。　？〃
　〃The　Jackal！　Carlos　has　his　old　men　in　place！〃
　〃Now；　you　slow　down；　Alex；〃　said　St。　Jacques；　his　breathing　audible。　〃Now　you　be　clearer。〃
　〃There's　no　time；　Johnny。　Carlos　has　an　army…his　army…of　old　men　who'll　die　for　him；　kill　for　him。　There　won't　be　any　strangers　on　the　beach；　they're　already　there！　Can　you　get　back　to　the　island？〃
　〃Somehow；　yes！　I'll　call　my　people　over　there。　Both　those　pieces　of　garbage　will　be　thrown　into　the　cisterns！〃
　〃Hurry；　John！〃
　（　（　（
　St。　Jacques　pressed　down　the　small　bar　of　the　old　telephone；　released　it；　and　heard　the　forever…pulsating　dial　tone。　He　spun　the　numbers　for　the　inn　on　Tranquility　Isle。
　〃We　are　sorry；〃　said　the　recorded　voice。　〃Due　to　weather　conditions　the　lines　are　down　to　the　area　you　are　calling。　Government　is　working　very　hard　to　restore　munications。　Please　try　your　call　later。　Have　a　good　day。〃
　John　St。　Jacques　slammed　the　phone　down　with　such　force　that　he　broke　it　in　two。　〃A　boat！〃　he　screamed。　〃Get　me　a　drug　boat！〃
　〃You're　crazy；〃　objected　the　aide　to　the　Crown　governor　across　the　room。　〃In　these　swells？〃
　〃A　sea　streak；　Henry！〃　said　the　devoted　brother；　reaching　into　his　belt　and　slowly　pulling　out　an　automatic。　〃Or　I'll　be　forced　to　do　something　I　don't　even　want　to　think　about；　but　I'll　get　a　boat。〃
　〃I　simply　can't　believe　this；　chap。〃
　〃Neither　can　I；　Henry。　。。。　I　mean　it；　though。〃
　Jean　Pierre　Fontaine's　nurse　sat　at　her　dressing　table　in　front　of　the　mirror　and　adjusted　her　tightly　knotted　blond　hair　under　the　black　rain　hat。　She　looked　at　her　watch；　recalling　every　word　of　the　most　unusual　telephone　call　she　had　received　several　hours　ago　from　Argenteuil　in　France；　from　the　great　man　who　made　all　things　possible。
　〃There　is　an　American　attorney　who　calls　himself　a　judge　staying　near　you。〃
　〃I　know　of　no　such　person；　monseigneur。〃
　〃He　is　there；　nevertheless。　Our　hero　rightfully　plains　of　his　presence；　and　a　call　to　his　home　in　the　city　of　Boston　confirms　that　it　is　he。〃
　〃His　presence　here　is　not　desirable；　then？〃
　〃His　presence　there　is　abominable　to　me。　He　pretends　to　be　in　my　debt…an　enormous　debt；　an　event　that　could　destroy　him…yet　his　actions　tell　me　that　he's　ungrateful；　that　he　intends　to　cancel　his　debt　by　betraying　me；　and　by　betraying　me　he　betrays　you。〃
　〃He's　dead。〃
　〃Exactly。　In　the　past　he's　been　valuable　to　me；　but　the　past　is　over。　Find　him；　kill　him。　Make　his　death　appear　to　be　a　tragic　accident。　。。。　Finally；　since　we　will　not　speak　until　you　are　back　on　Martinique；　are　preparations　plete　for　your　last　act　on　my　behalf？〃
　〃They　are；　monseigneur。　The　two　syringes　were　prepared　by　the　surgeon　at　the　hospital　in　Fort…de…France。　He　sends　you　his　devotion。〃
　〃He　should。　He's　alive；　as　opposed　to　several　dozen　of　his　patients。〃
　〃They　know　nothing　of　his　other　life　in　Martinique。〃
　〃I'm　aware　of　that。　。。。　Administer　the　doses　in　forty…eight　hours；　when　the　chaos　has　begun　to　subside。　Knowing　that　the　hero　was　my　invention…which　I'll　make　sure　they　know…will　put　a　chameleon　to　shame。〃
　〃All　will　be　done。　You'll　be　here　soon？〃
　〃In　time　for　the　shock　waves。　I'm　leaving　within　the　hour　and　will　reach　Antigua　before　it's　noon　in　Montserrat　tomorrow。　All　things　being　on　schedule；　I'll　arrive　in　time　to　observe　the　exquisite　anguish　of　Jason　Bourne　before　I　leave　my　signature；　a　bullet　in　his　throat。　The　Americans　will　then　know　who　has　won。　Adieu。〃
　The　nurse；　like　an　ecstatic　suppliant；　arched　her　neck　in　front　of　the　mirror　remembering　the　mystical　words　of　her　omniscient　lord。　It　was　nearly　time；　she　thought；　opening　the　dresser　drawer　and　picking　out　a　diamond…clustered　wire　garrote　from　among　her　necklaces；　a　gift　from　her　mentor。　It　would　be　so　simple。　She　had　easily　learned　who　the　judge　was　and　where　he　was　staying…the　old；　painfully　thin　man　three　villas　away。　Everything　now　was　precision；　the　〃tragic　accident〃　merely　a　prelude　to　the　horror　that　would　take　place　at　Villa　Twenty　in　less　than　an　hour。　For　all　of　Tranquility's　villas　had　kerosene　lamps　in　the　event　of　electricity　loss　and　generator　malfunction。　A　panicked　old　man　with　loose　bowels；　or　in　plain　fear；　living　through　such　a　storm　as　they　were　experiencing；　might　well　attempt　to　light　a　lamp　for　additional　fort。　How　tragic　that　his　upper　body　would　fall　into　the　flowing　spilled　kerosene；　his　neck　scorched　into　black　tissue；　the　neck　that　had　been　garroted：　Do　it；　insisted　the　echoing　voices　of　her　imagination。　You　must　obey。　Without　Carlos　you　would　have　been　a　headless　corpse　in　Algeria。
　She　would　do　it…she　would　do　it　now。
　The　harsh　downpour　of　the　rain　on　the　roof　and　the　windows；　and　the　whistling；　roaring　wind　outside　were　interrupted　by　a　blinding　streak　of　lightning　followed　by　a　deafening　crack　of　thunder。
　〃Jean　Pierre　Fontaine〃　wept　silently　as　he　knelt　beside　the　bed；　his　face　inches　from　his　woman's；　his　tears　falling　on　the　cold　flesh　of　her　arm。　She　was　dead；　and　the　note　by　her