tc.redrabbit-第10节

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。　Victoria　Station。　He　opened　the　partment　door　like　a　native　and　stepped　out　on　the　platform。　The　station　was　a　series　of　steel　arches　with　embedded　glass　panes；　long　since　blackened　by　the　stack　gasses　of　steam　trains　long　departed。。。　But　nobody　had　ever　cleaned　the　glass。　Or　was　it　just　air　pollution　that　did　it？
　　　There　was　no　telling。　Jack　followed　the　rest　of　the　people　to　the　brick　wall　that　seemed　to　mark　the　station's　waiting/arrival　area。　Sure　enough；　there　were　the　usual　collection　of　magazine　stands　and　small　stores。　He　could　see　the　way　out　and　found　himself　in　the　open　air；　fumbling　in　his　pocket　for　his　Chichester　map　of　London。　Westminster　Bridge　Road。　It　was　too　far　to　walk；　so　he　hailed　a　cab。
　　　From　the　cab；　Ryan　looked　around；　his　head　swiveling；　just　like　the　tourist　he　wasn't　quite　anymore。　And　there　it　was。
　　　Century　House；　so　named　because　it　was　100　Westminster　Bridge　Road；　was　what　Jack　took　to　be　a　typical　interwar　structure　of　fair　height　and　a　stone　facade　that　was。。。　peeling　off？　The　edifice　was　covered　with　an　orange　plastic　netting　that　was　manifestly　intended　to　keep　the　facade　from　falling　onto　pedestrians。　Oops。　Maybe　somebody　was　ripping　through　the　building；　looking　for　Russian　bugs？　Nobody　had　warned　him　about　that　at　Langley。　Just　up　the　road　was　Westminster　Bridge；　and　across　that　were　the　Houses　of　Parliament。　Well；　it　was　in　a　nice　neighborhood；　anyway。　Jack　trotted　up　the　stone　steps　to　the　double　door　and　made　his　way　inside　for　all　of　ten　feet；　where　he　found　an　entry…control　desk　manned　by　someone　in　a　sort　of　cop　uniform。
　　　〃Can　I　help　you；　sir？〃　the　guard　asked。　The　Brits　always　said　such　things　as　though　they　really　wanted　to　help　you。　Jack　wondered　if　there　might　be　a　pistol　just　out　of　view。　If　not　there；　then　not　too　far　away。　There　had　to　be　security　here。
　　　〃Hi；　I'm　Jack　Ryan。　I'm　starting　work　here。〃
　　　Instant　smile　and　recognition：　〃Ah；　Sir　John。　Wele　to　Century　House。　Please　let　me　call　upstairs。〃　Which　he　did。　〃Someone's　on　his　way　down；　sir。　Please　have　a　seat。〃
　　　Jack　barely　had　a　chance　to　feel　the　seat　when　someone　familiar　came　through　the　revolving　door。
　　　〃Jack！〃　he　called　out。
　　　〃Sir　Basil。〃　Ryan　rose　to　take　his　extended　hand。
　　　〃Didn't　expect　you　until　tomorrow。〃
　　　〃I'm　letting　Cathy　get　everything　unpacked。　She　doesn't　trust　me　to　do　it　anyway。〃
　　　〃Yes；　we　men　do　have　our　limitations；　don't　we？〃　Sir　Basil　Charleston　was　pushing　fifty；　tall　and　imperially　thin；　as　the　poet　had　once　called　it；　with　brown　hair　not　yet　going　gray。　His　eyes　were　hazel　and　bright…looking；　and　he　wore　a　suit　that　wasn't　cheap；　gray　wool　with　a　broad　white　pinstripe；　looking　to　all　the　world　like　a　very　prosperous　London　merchant　banker。　In　fact；　his　family　had　been　in　that　line　of　work；　but　he'd　found　it　confining；　and　opted　instead　to　use　his　Cambridge　education　in　the　service　of　his　country；　first　as　a　field　intelligence　officer；　and　later　as　an　administrator。　Jack　knew　that　James　Greer　liked　and　respected　him；　as　did　Judge　Moore。　He'd　met　Charleston　himself　a　year　earlier；　soon　after　being　shot；　then　he'd　learned　that　Sir　Basil　admired　his　invention　of　the　Canary　Trap；　which　had　been　his　path　to　high…level　notice　at　Langley。　Basil　had　evidently　used　it　to　plug　a　few　annoying　leaks。　〃e　along；　Jack。　We　need　to　get　you　properly　outfitted。〃　He　didn't　mean　Jack's　suit；　which　was　Savile　Row　and　as　expensive　as　his　own。　No；　this　meant　a　trip　to　personnel。
　　　The　presence　of　C；　as　the　job　title　went；　made　it　painless。　They　already　had　a　set　of　Ryan's　fingerprints　from　Langley；　and　it　was　mainly　a　matter　of　getting　his　picture　taken　and　inserted　in　his　pass…card；　which　would　allow　him　through　all　the　electronic　gates；　just　like　the　ones　at　the　CIA。　They　checked　it　through　a　dummy　gate　and　saw　that　it　worked。　Then　it　was　up　in　the　executive　elevator　to　Sir　Basil's　capacious　corner　office。
　　　It　was　better　than　the　long；　narrow　room　that　Judge　Moore　made　do　with。　A　decent　view　of　the　river　and　the　Palace　of　Westminster。　The　DG　waved　Jack　into　a　leather　chair；
　　　〃So；　any　first　impressions？〃　Charleston　asked。
　　　〃Pretty　painless　so　far。　Cathy　hasn't　been　to　the　hospital　yet；　but　Bernie…her　boss　at　Hopkins…says　that　the　boss…doc　there　is　a　good　guy。〃
　　　〃Yes；　Hammersmith　has　a　good　reputation；　and　Dr。　Byrd　is　regarded　as　the　best　eye　surgeon　in　Britain。　Never　met　him；　but　I'm　told　he's　a　fine　chap。　Fisherman；　loves　to　take　salmon　out　of　the　rivers　in　Scotland；　married；　three　sons；　eldest　is　a　leftenant　in　the　Coldstream　Guards。〃
　　　〃You　had　him　checked　out？〃　Jack　asked　incredulously。
　　　〃One　cannot　be　too　careful；　Jack。　Some　of　your　distant　cousins　across　the　Irish　Sea　are　not　overly　fond　of　you；　you　know。〃
　　　〃Is　that　a　problem？〃
　　　Charleston　shook　his　head。　〃Most　unlikely。　When　you　helped　to　bring　down　the　ULA；　you　probably　saved　a　few　lives　in　the　PIRA。　That's　still　sorting　itself　out；　but　that　is　mainly　a　job　for　the　Security　Service。　We　don't　really　have　much　business　with　them…at　least　nothing　that　will　concern　you　directly。〃　Which　led　to　Jack's　next　question。
　　　〃Yes；　Sir　Basil…what　exactly　is　my　job　to　be　here？〃
　　　〃Didn't　James　tell　you？〃　Charleston　asked。
　　　〃Not　exactly。　He　likes　his　surprises；　I've　learned。〃
　　　〃Well；　the　Joint　Working　Group　mainly　focuses　on　our　Soviet　friends。　We　have　some　good　sources。　So　do　your　chaps。　The　idea　is　to　share　information　in　order　to　improve　our　overall　picture。〃
　　　〃Information。　Not　sources；〃　Ryan　observed。
　　　Charleston　smiled　understandingly。　〃One　must　protect　those；　as　you　know。〃
　　　Jack　did　know　about　that。　In　fact；　he　was　allowed　to　know　damned　little　about　CIA's　sources。　Those　were　the　most　closely　guarded　secrets　in　the　Agency；　and　doubtless　here　as　well。　Sources　were　real　people；　and　a　slip　of　the　tongue　would　get　them　killed。　Intelligence　services　valued　sources　more　for　their　information　than　for　their　lives…the　intelligence　business　was　a　business；　after　all…but　sooner　or　later　you　started　worrying　about　them　and　their　families　and　their　personal　characteristics。　Mainly　booze；　Ryan　thought。　Especially　for　the　Russians。　The　ordinary　Soviet　citizen　drank　enough　to　qualify　him　as　an　alcoholic　in　America。
　　　〃No　problem　there；　sir。　I　do　not　know　the　name　or　identity　of　one　CIA　source　over　there。　Not　one；〃　Ryan　emphasized。　It　wasn't　quite　true。　He　hadn't　been　told；　but　you　could　guess　a　lot　from　the　character　of　the　information　transmitted　and　the　way　he/she　quoted　people…they　were　usually　〃he；〃　but　Ryan　wondered　about　a　few　of　the　sources。　It　was　an　intriguing　game　that　all　analysts　played；　invariably　in　the　confines　of　their　own　minds；　though　Ryan　had　speculated　a　few　times　with　his　personal　boss；　Admiral　Jim　Greer。　Usually；　the　DDO　had　warned　him　not　to　speculate　too　loudly；　but　the　way　he'd　blinked　twice　had　told　Ryan　more　than　he'd　wanted　to　convey。　Well；　they'd　hired　him　for　his　analytical　ability；　Ryan　knew。　They　didn't　really　want　him　to　turn　it　off。　When　the　information　transmitted　got　a　little　kinky；　it　told　you　that　something　had　happened　to　the　source；　like　being　caught；　or　going　nuts。　〃The　admiral　is　interested　in　one　thing；　though。。。〃
　　　〃What's　that？〃　the　DG　asked。
　　　〃Poland。　It　looks　to　us　as　though　it's　ing　a　little　unglued；　and　we're　wondering　how　far；　how　fast；　and　what　it'll　do…the　effects；　I　mean。〃
　　　〃So　are　we；　Jack。〃　A　thoughtful　nod。　People…especially　reporters　in　their　Fleet　Street　pubs…were　speculating　a　lot　about　that。　And　reporters　also　had　good　sources；　in　some　areas　as　good　as　his　own。　〃What　does　James　think？〃
　　　〃It　reminds　both　of　us　of　something　that　happened　in　the　1930s。〃　Ryan　leaned　back　in　the　chair　and　relaxed。　〃The　United　Auto　Workers。　When　they　organized　Ford；　there　was　trouble。　Big　time。　Ford　even　hired　thugs　to　work　the　union　organizers　over。　I　remember　seeing　photos　of…who　was　it？〃　Jack　paused　for　a　moment's　thought。　〃Walter　Reuther？　Something　like　that。　It　was　in　Life　magazine　back　then。　The　thugs　were　talking　to　him　and　a　few　of　his　guys…the　first　few　pictures　show　them　smiling　at　each　other　like　men　do　right　before　the　gloves　e　off…and　then　a　brawl　started。　You　have　to　wonder　about　Ford's　management…letting　something　like　that　happen　in　front　of　reporters　is　bad　enough；　but　reporters　with　cameras？　Damn；　that's　big…league　dumb。〃
　　　〃The　Court　of　Public　Opinion。　Yes；〃　Charleston　agreed。　〃It　is　quite　real；　and　modern　technology　has　made　it　even　more　so；　and；　yes；　that　is　troubling　to　our　friends　across　the　wire。　You　know；　this　CNN　news　network　that　just　started　up　on　your　side　of　the　ocean。　It　just　might　change　the　world。　Information　has　its　own　way　of　circulating。　Rumors　are　bad　enough。　You　cannot　stop　them；　and　they　have　a　way　of　acquiring　a　life　of　their　own…〃
　　　〃But　a　picture　really　is　worth　a　thousand　words；　isn't　it？〃
　　　〃I　wonder　who　first　said　that。　Whoever　he　was；　he　was　no　one's　fool。　It's　even　more　true　for　a　moving　picture。〃
　　　〃I　presume　we're　using　that。。。〃
　　　〃Your　chaps　are　reticent　about　doing　so。　I　am　less　so。　It's　easy　enough　to　have　an　embassy　functionary　have　a　pint　with　some　reporter　and　maybe　drop　the　odd　hint　in　the　course　of　a　conversation。　One　thing　about　reporters；　they　are　not　ungracious　if　you　give　them　the　odd　decent　story。〃