tc.redrabbit-第107节

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ith　an　ice　cream　cone　bought　for　the　little　girl；　the　tourist　part　of　the　day　came　to　its　end。　The　Rabbit　family　walked　back　to　the　hotel；　with　the　father　carrying　the　sleeping　child　for　the　last　half　kilometer　or　so。　This　was　the　hardest　part　for　Trent；　for　whom　staying　invisible　on　a　square　mile　of　cobblestone　landing　field　taxed　even　his　professional　skills；　but　the　Rabbit　family　was　not　all　that　attentive；　and　on　getting　back　to　the　Astoria；　he　ducked　into　a　men's　room　to　switch　his　reversible　coat　to　change　at　least　his　outward　colors。　Half　an　hour　later；　the　Zaitzevs　walked　out　again；　but　turned　immediately　to　enter　the　people's　restaurant　just　next　door。　The　food　there　was　wholesome　if　not　especially　exciting　and；　more　to　the　point；　quite　inexpensive。　As　he　watched；　they　piled　their　plates　high　with　the　local　cuisine　and　sat　down　to　devour　it。　They　all　saved　room　for　apple　strudel；　which　in　Budapest　was　just　as　fine　as　a　man　could　eat　in　Vienna；　but　for　about　a　tenth　of　the　price。　Another　forty　minutes；　and　they　looked　thoroughly　tired　and　well　stuffed；　not　even　taking　a　postprandial　walk　around　the　block　to　settle　their　stomachs　before　riding　the　elevator　back　to　the　third　floor　and；　presumably；　their　night's　sleep。　Trent　took　half　an　hour　to　make　sure；　then　caught　a　cab　for　Red　Marty　Park。　He'd　had　a　long　day　and　now　needed　to　write　up　his　report　for　Hudson。
　　　The　Cos　and　Ryan　were　drinking　beer　in　the　canteen　when　he　arrived　back　at　the　embassy。　Introductions　were　made；　and　another　pint　of　beer　secured　for　Trent。
　　　〃Well；　what　do　you　think；　Tom？〃
　　　〃It　certainly　appears　that　they　are　just　what　we've　been　told　to　expect。　The　little　girl…the　father　calls　her　zaichik；　means　'bunny'；　doesn't　it？…seems　a　very　sweet　child。　Other　than　that；　an　ordinary　family　doing　ordinary　things。　He　purchased　three　TV　tape　machines　over　on　Vaci　Street。　The　store　delivered　them　to　the　hotel。　Then　they　went　on　a　bimble。〃
　　　〃A　what？〃
　　　〃A　walkabout；　just　wandering　around　as　tourists　do；〃　Trent　explained。　〃To　the　zoo。　The　little　girl　was　properly　impressed　by　the　animals；　but　most　of　all　by　a　new　red　coat　with　a　black　collar　they　bought　this　morning。　All　in　all；　they　seem　rather　a　pleasant　little　family；〃　the　spook　concluded。
　　　〃Nothing　out　of　the　ordinary？〃　Hudson　asked。
　　　〃Not　a　thing；　Andy；　and　if　there　is　any　coverage　on　them；　I　failed　to　see　it。　The　only　surprise　of　the　day　was　in　the　morning　when　they　walked　right　past　the　embassy　here　on　the　way　to　shopping。　That　was　rather　a　tender　moment；　but　it　seems　to　have　been　entirely　coincidental。　Vaci　Utca　is　the　best　shopping　area　for　Easterners　and　Westerners。　I　expect　the　desk　clerk　told　them　to　take　the　underground　here。〃
　　　〃Pure　vanilla；　eh？〃　Jack　asked；　finishing　his　beer。
　　　〃So　it　would　appear；〃　Trent　replied。
　　　〃Okay；　when　do　we　make　our　move？〃　the　American　asked　next。
　　　〃Well；　that　Rozsa　chap　opens　his　concert　series　tomorrow　night。　Day　after；　then？　We　give　Mrs。　Rabbit　a　chance　to　hear　her　music。　Can　we　get　tickets　for　ourselves？〃　Hudson　asked。
　　　〃Done；〃　Trent　answered。　〃Box　six；　right　side　of　the　theater；　fine　view　of　the　entire　building。　Helps　to　be　a　diplomat；　doesn't　it？〃
　　　〃The　program　is。。。？〃
　　　〃J。　S。　Bach；　the　first　three　Brandenberg　concerti；　then　some　other　opuses　of　his。〃
　　　〃Ought　to　be　pleasant　enough；〃　Ryan　observed。
　　　〃The　local　orchestras　are　actually　quite　good；　Sir　John。〃
　　　〃Andy；　enough　of　that　knighthood　shit；　okay？　My　name　is　Jack。　John　Patrick；　to　be　precise；　but　I've　gone　by　'Jack'　since　I　was　three　years　old。〃
　　　〃It　is　an　honor；　you　know。〃
　　　〃Fine；　and　I　thanked　Her　Majesty　for　it；　but　we　don't　do　that　sort　of　thing　where　I　live；　okay？〃
　　　〃Well；　wearing　a　sword　can　be　inconvenient　when　you　try　to　sit　down；〃　Trent　sympathized。
　　　〃And　caring　for　the　horse　can　be　such　a　bother。〃　Hudson　had　himself　a　good　laugh。　〃Not　to　mention　the　expense　of　jousting。〃
　　　〃Okay；　maybe　I　had　that　ing；〃　Ryan　admitted。　〃I　just　want　to　get　the　Rabbit　the　hell　out　of　Dodge。〃
　　　〃Which　we　shall　do；　Jack；〃　Hudson　assured　him。　〃And　you　will　be　there　to　see　it。〃
　　　〃Everybody's　in　Budapest；〃　Bostock　reported。　〃The　Rabbit　and　his　family　are　staying　in　a　no…tell　motel　called　the　Astoria。〃
　　　〃Isn't　there　a　part　of　New　York　by　that　name？〃　the　DCI　asked。
　　　〃Queens；〃　Greer　confirmed。　〃What　about　the　hotel？〃
　　　〃Evidently；　it　suits　our　purposes；〃　the　Deputy　DDO　informed　them。　〃Basil　says　the　operation　is　nominal　to　this　point。　No　surveillance　on　our　subjects　has　been　spotted。　Everything　looks　entirely　routine。　I　guess　our　cousins　have　a　petent　Station　Chief　in　Budapest。　The　three　bodies　arrived　there　today。　Just　a　matter　of　crossing　the　t's　and　dotting　the　i's。〃
　　　〃Confidence　level？〃　the　DDI　asked。
　　　〃Oh；　say；　seventy…five　percent；　Admiral；〃　Bostock　estimated。　〃Maybe　better。〃
　　　〃What　about　Ryan？〃　Greer　asked　next。
　　　〃No　beefs　from　London　on　how　he's　doing。　I　guess　your　boy　is　handling　himself。〃
　　　〃He's　a　good　kid。　He　ought　to。〃
　　　〃I　wonder　how　unhappy　he　is；〃　Judge　Moore　wondered。
　　　The　other　two　each　had　a　smile　and　a　head　shake　at　that。　Bostock　spoke　first。　Like　all　DO　people；　he　had　his　doubts　about　members　of　the　far　more　numerous　DI。
　　　〃Probably　not　as　fortable　as　he　is　at　his　desk　with　his　fy　swivel　chair。〃
　　　〃He'll　do　fine；　gentlemen；〃　Greer　assured　them；　hoping　he　was　right。
　　　〃I　wonder　what　this　fellow　has　for　us。。。？〃　Moore　breathed。
　　　〃We'll　know　in　a　week；〃　Bostock　assured　them。　He　was　always　the　optimist。　And　three　out　of　four　constituted　betting　odds；　so　long　as　your　own　ass　wasn't　on　the　line。
　　　Judge　Moore　looked　at　his　desk　clock　and　added　six　hours。　People　would　be　asleep　in　Budapest　now；　and　almost　there　in　London。　He　remembered　his　own　adventures　in　the　field；　mostly　posed　of　waiting　for　people　to　show　up　for　meets　or　filling　out　contact　reports　for　the　at…home　bureaucrats　who　still　ran　things　at　CIA。　You　just　couldn't　get　free　of　the　fact　that　the　Agency　was　a　government　operation；　subject　to　all　of　the　same　restrictions　and　inefficiencies　that　attended　that　sad　reality。　But　this　time；　for　this　BEATRIX　operation；　they　were　making　things　happen　speedily　for　once。。。　only　because　this　Rabbit　person　said　that　government　munications　were　promised。　Not　because　he'd　said　he　had　information　about　an　innocent　life　that　might　be　lost。　The　government　had　its　priorities；　and　they　did　not　always　correspond　to　the　needs　of　a　rational　world。　He　was　Director　of　Central　Intelligence；　supposedly…and　by　federal　law…in　mand　of　the　entire　intelligence…gathering　and　analysis　operations　of　the　government　of　the　United　States　of　America。　But　getting　this　bureaucracy　to　operate　efficiently　was　the　functional　equivalent　of　beaching　a　whale　and　manding　it　to　fly。　You　could　scream　all　you　wanted；　but　you　couldn't　fight　gravity。　Government　was　a　thing　made　by　men；　and　so　it　ought　to　be　possible　for　men　to　change　it；　but　in　practice　that　just　didn't　happen。　So；　three　chances　out　of　four；　they'd　get　their　Russian　out　and　get　to　debrief　him　in　a　fortable　safe　house　in　the　Virginia　hills；　pick　his　brain　clean；　and　maybe　they'd　find　out　some　important　and　useful　things；　but　the　game　wouldn't　change　and　neither；　probably；　would　CIA。
　　　〃Anything　we　need　to　say　to　Basil？〃
　　　〃Nothing　es　to　mind；　sir；〃　Bostock　answered。　〃We　just　sit　as　still　as　we　can　and　wait　for　his　people　to　carry　out　the　mission。〃　〃Right；〃　Judge　Moore　conceded。
　　　Despite　the　three　pints　of　dark　British　beer；　Ryan　did　not　sleep　well。　He　couldn't　think　of　anything　that　he　might　be　missing。　Hudson　and　his　crew　seemed　petent　enough；　and　the　Rabbit　family　had　looked　ordinary　enough　on　the　street　the　previous　morning。　There　were　three　people；　one　of　whom　really　wanted　out　of　the　USSR；　which　struck　Ryan　as　something　entirely　reasonable。。。　though　the　Russians　were　some　of　the　most　rabidly　patriotic　people　in　all　the　world。　But　every　rule　had　exceptions；　and　evidently　this　man　had　a　conscience　and　felt　the　need　to　stop。。。　something。　Whatever　it　was；　Jack　didn't　know；　and　he　knew　better　than　to　guess。　Speculation　wasn't　analysis；　and　good　analysis　was　what　they　paid　him　his　meager　salary　for。
　　　It　would　be　interesting　to　find　out。　Ryan　had　never　spoken　directly　with　a　defector。　He'd　read　over　their　stuff；　and　had　sent　written　questions　to　some　of　them　to　get　answers　to　specific　inquiries；　but　he'd　never　actually　looked　one　in　the　eye　and　watched　his　face　when　he　answered。　As　in　playing　cards；　it　was　the　only　way　to　read　the　other　guy。　He　didn't　have　the　ability　at　it　that　his　wife　had…there　was　something　to　be　said　for　medical　training…but　neither　was　he　a　three…year…old　who'd　believe　anything。　No；　he　wanted　to　see　this　guy；　talk　to　him；　and　pick　his　brain　apart；　just　to　evaluate　the　reliability　of　what　he　said。　The　Rabbit　could　be　a　plant；　after　all。　KGB　had　done　that　in　the　past；　Ryan　had　heard。　There'd　been　one　defector　who'd　e　out　after　the　assassination　of　John　Kennedy　who'd　proclaimed　to　the　very　heavens　that　KGB　had　taken　no　part　in　that　act。　It　was；　in　fact；　sufficient　to　make　the　Agency　wonder　if　maybe　KGB　had　done　precisely　that。　KGB　could　be　tricky；　but　like　all　clever；　tricky　people；　they　inevitably　overplayed　their　hand　sooner　or　later…and　the　later　they　did　it；　the　worse　th