rl.thebourneidentity-第37节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　'What　are　the　arrangements？'
　'I　could　lose　my　position；　Monsieur！'
　'You　could　lose　your　life；'　said　Jason；　disturbed　that　the　words　came　so　easily　to　him。
　I'm　not　as　privileged　as　you　think。'
　'Nor　as　ignorant　as　you'd　like　me　to　believe；'　said　Bourne；　his　eyes　wandering　over　the　banker　across　the　table。　'Your　type　is　everywhere；　d'Amacourt。　It's　in　your　clothes；　the　way　you　wear　your　hair；　even　your　walk；　you　strut　too　much。　A　man　like　you　doesn't　get　to　be　the　vice…president　of　the　Valois　bank　without　asking　questions；　you　cover　yourself。　You　don't　make　a　smelly　move　unless　you　can　save　your　own　ass。　Now；　tell　me　what　those　arrangements　were。　You're　not　important　to　me；　am　I　being　clear？〃
　D'Amacourt　struck　a　match　and　held　it　beneath　his　cigarette　while　staring　at　Jason。　'You　don't　have　to　threaten　me；　Monsieur。　You're　a　very　rich　man。　Why　not　pay　me？'　The　banker　smiled　nervously。　'You're　quite　right　incidentally。　I　did　ask　a　question　or　two。　Paris　is　not　Zurich。　A　man　of　my　station　must　have　words　if　not　answers。〃
　Bourne　leaned　back；　revolving　his　glass；　the　clicking　of　the　ice　cubes　obviously　annoying　d'Amacourt。　'Name　a　reasonable　price；'　he　said　finally；　'and　we'll　discuss　it。'
　〃I'm　a　reasonable　man。　Let　the　decision　be　based　on　value；　and　let　it　be　yours。　Bankers　the　world　over　are　pensated　by　grateful　clients　they　have　advised。　I　would　like　to　think　of　you　as　a　client。〃
　I'm　sure　you　would。'　Bourne　smiled；　shaking　his　head　at　the　man's　sheer　nerve。　'So　we　slide　from　bribe　to　gratuity。　pensation　for　personal　advice　and　service。〃
　D'Amacourt　shrugged。　'I　accept　the　definition　and；　if　ever　asked；　would　repeat　your　words。〃
　'The　arrangements？〃
　'Acpanying　the　transfer　of　our　funds　from　Zurich　was　une　fiche　plus　confidentielle。'
　'Une　fiche？'　broke　in　Jason；　recalling　the　moment　in　Apfel's　office　at　the　Gemeinschaft　when　Koenig　came　in　saying　the　words。　'I　heard　it　once　before。　What　is　it？'
　'A　dated　term；　actually。　It　es　from　the　middle　nineteenth　century　when　it　was　a　mon　practice　for　the　great　banking　houses　…　primarily　the　Rothschilds　…　to　keep　track　of　the　international　flow　of　money。'
　Thank　you。　Now　what　is　it　specifically？〃
　'Separate　sealed　instructions　to　be　opened　and　followed　when　the　account　in　question　is　called　up。'
　'〃Called　up〃？'
　'Funds　removed　or　deposited。〃
　'Suppose　I'd　just　gone　to　a　teller；　presented　a　bank　book；　and　asked　for　money？〃
　'A　double　asterisk　would　have　appeared　on　the　transaction　puter。　You　would　have　been　sent　to　me。'
　'I　was　sent　to　you　anyway。　The　operator　gave　me　your　office。〃
　'Irrelevant　chance。　There　are　two　other　officers　in　the　Foreign　Services　Department。　Had　you　been　connected　to　either　one；　the　fiche　would　have　dictated　that　you　still　be　sent　to　me。　I　am　the　senior　executive。
　'I　see。'　But　Bourne　was　not　sure　that　he　did　see。　There　was　a　gap　in　the　sequence；　a　space　needed　filling。　'Wait　a　minute。　You　didn't　know　anything　about　a　fiche　when　you　had　the　account　brought　to　your　office。〃
　'Why　did　I　ask　for　it？'　interrupted　d'Amacourt；　anticipating　the　question。　'Be　reasonable；　monsieur。　Put　yourself　in　my　place。　A　man　calls　and　identifies　himself；　then　says　he　is　〃talking　about　millions　of　francs〃。　Millions。　Would　you　not　be　anxious　to　be　of　service？　Bend　a　rule　here　and　there？'
　Looking　at　the　seedily　elegant　banker；　Jason　realized　it　was　the　most　unstartling　thing　he　had　said。　'The　instructions。　What　were　they？'
　'To　begin　with　a　telephone　number；　unlisted；　of　course。　It　was　to　be　called；　all　information　relayed。'
　'Do　you　remember　the　number？〃
　'I　make　it　a　point　to　mit　such　things　to　memory。〃
　I'll　bet　you　do。　What　is　it？'
　'I　must　protect　myself。　Monsieur。　How　else　could　you　have　got　it？　I　pose　the　question。。。　how　do　you　say　it？。。。　rhetorically。'
　'Which　means　you　have　the　answer。　How　did　I　get　it？　If　it　ever　es　up。'
　〃In　Zurich。　You　paid　a　very　high　price　for　someone　to
　break　not　only　the　strictest　regulation　on　the　Bahnhofstrasse；　but　also　the　laws　of　Switzerland。'
　'I've　got　just　the　man；'　said　Bourne；　the　face　of　Koenig　ing　into　focus。　'He's　already　mitted　the　crime。'
　'At　the　Gemeinschaft？　Are　you　joking？
　'Not　one　bit　His　name　is　Koenig；　his　desk　is　on　the　first　floor。'
　I'll　remember　that'
　I'm　sure　you　will。　The　number？'　D'Amacourt　gave　it　to　him。　Jason　wrote　it　on　a　paper　napkin。　'How　do　I　know　this　is　accurate？'
　'You　have　a　reasonable　guarantee。　I　have　not　been　paid。'
　'Good　enough。'
　'And　as　long　as　value　is　intrinsic　to　our　discussion；　I　should　tell　you　that　it　is　the　second　telephone　number；　the　first　was　cancelled。'
　'Explain　that'
　D'Amacourt　leaned　forward。　'A　Photostat　of　the　original　fiche　arrived　with　the　accounts…courier。　It　was　sealed　in　a　black　case；　accepted　and　signed　for　by　the　senior　keeper…of…records。　The　card　inside　was　validated　by　a　partner　of　the　Gemeinschaft；　countersigned　by　the　usual　Swiss　notary；　the　instructions　were　simple；　quite　clear。　In　all　matters　pertaining　to　the　account　of　Jason　C。　Bourne；　a　transatlantic　call　to　the　United　States　was　to　be　placed　immediately；　the　details　relayed。。。　Here　the　card　was　altered；　the　number　in　New　York　deleted；　one　in　Paris　inserted　and　initialled。'
　'New　York？'　interrupted　Bourne。　'How　do　you　know　it　was　New　York？'
　'The　telephone　area　code　was　parenthetically　included；　spaced　in　front　of　the　number　itself；　it　remained　intact　It　was　two…one…two。　As　first　vice…president；　Foreign　Services；　I　place　such　calls　daily。'
　The　alteration　was　pretty　sloppy。'
　'Possibly。　It　could　have　been　made　in　haste；　or　not　thoroughly　understood。　On　the　other　hand；　there　was　no　way　to　delete　the　body　of　the　instructions　without　renotarization。　A　minor　risk　considering　the　number　of　telephones　in　New　York。　At　any　rate；　the　substitution　gave　me　the　latitude　to　ask　a　question　or　two。　Change　is　a　banker's　anathema。！　D'Amacourt　fingered　his　glass。
　'Care　for　another？〃　asked　Jason。
　'No；　thank　you。　It　would　prolong　our　discussion。'
　'You're　the　one　who　stopped。〃
　I'm　thinking；　Monsieur。　Perhaps　you　should　have　in　mind　a　vague　figure　before　I　proceed。〃
　Bourne　studied　the　man。　'It　could　be　five；'　he　said。
　'Five　what？〃
　'Five　figures。'
　'I　shall　proceed。　I　spoke　to　a　woman。。。〃
　'A　woman？　How　did　you　begin？〃
　Truthfully。　I　was　the　vice…president　of　the　Valois；　and　was　following　instructions　from　the　Gemeinschaft　in　Zurich。　What　else　was　there　to　say？〃
　'Go　on。〃
　'I　said　I　had　been　in　munication　with　a　man　claiming　to　be　Jason　Bourne。　She　asked　me　how　recently；　to　which　I　replied　a　few　minutes。　She　was　then　most　anxious　to　know　the　substance　of　our　conversation。　It　was　at　this　point　that　I　voiced　my　own　concerns。　The　fiche　specifically　stated　that　a　call　should　be　made　to　New　York；　not　Paris。　Naturally；　she　said　it　was　not　my　concern；　and　that　the　change　was　authorized　by　signature；　and　did　I　care　for　Zurich　to　be　informed　that　an　officer　of　the　Valois　refused　to　follow　the　Gemeinschaft　instructions？〃
　'Hold　it；'　interrupted　Jason。　'Who　was　she？〃
　'I　have　no　idea。〃
　'You　mean　you　were　talking　all　this　time　and　she　didn't　tell　you？　You　didn't　ask？'
　That　is　the　nature　of　the　fiche。　If　a　name　is　proffered；　well　and　good。　If　it　is　not；　one　does　not　inquire。'
　'You　didn't　hesitate　to　ask　about　the　telephone　number。'
　'Merely　a　device；　I　wanted　information。　You　transferred　four　million　francs；　a　sizeable　amount；　and　were；　therefore；　a　powerful　client　with；　perhaps；　more　powerful　strings　attached　to　him。。。　One　balks；　then　agrees；　then　balks　again　only　to　agree　again；　that　is　the　way　one　learns　things。　Especially　if　the　party　one　is　talking　to　displays　anxiety。　I　can　assure　you；　she　did。〃
　'What　did　you　learn？'
　That　you　should　be　considered　a　dangerous　man。'
　'In　what　way？'
　The　definition　was　left　open。　But　the　fact　that　the　term　was　used　was　enough　for　me　to　ask　why　the　Surete　was　not　involved。　Her　reply　was　extremely　interesting。　〃He　is　beyond　the　Surete；　beyond　Interpol；〃　she　said。'
　'What　did　that　tell　you？'
　That　it　was　a　highly　plicated　matter　with　any　number　of　possibilities；　all　best'　left　private。　Since　our　talk　began；　however；　it　now　tells　me　something　else。'
　'What's　that？'
　That　you　really　should　pay　me　well　for　I　must　be　extremely　cautious。　Those　who　look　for　you　are　also；　perhaps；　beyond　the　Surete；　beyond　Interpol。'
　'We'll　get　to　that。　You　told　this　woman　I　was　on　my　way　to　your　office？'
　'Within　the　quarter…hour。　She　asked　me　to　remain　on　the　telephone　for　a　few　moments；　that　she　would　be　right　back。　Obviously　she　made　another　call。　She　returned　with　her　final　instructions。　You　were　to　be　detained　in　my　office　until　a　man　came　to　my　secretary　inquiring　about　a　matter　from　Zurich。　And　when　you　left　you　were　to　be　identified　by　a　nod　or　a　gesture；　there　could　be　no　error。　The　man　came；　of　course；　and；　of　course；　you　never　arrived；　so　he　waited　by　the　tellers'　cages　with　an　associate。　When　you　phoned　and　said　you　were　on　your　way　to　London；　I　left　my　office　to　find　the　man。　My　secretary　pointed　him　out　and　I　told　him。　The　rest　you　know。'
　'Didn't　it　strike　you　as　odd　that　I　had　to　be　identified？'
　'Not　so　odd　as　intemperate。　A　fiche　is　one　thing　…　telephone　calls；　faceless　mu