thedestroyer.slavesafari-第4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！


　〃You　are　selling　tales；　Walla？〃　asked　the　elder　brother。
　〃It　is　best　you　do　not　know　what　I　do；〃　said　Walla　wisely。　〃Governments　do　terrible　things　to　people　who　know　things。〃
　〃I　have　often　wondered　why　we　have　governments。　Tribal　chiefs　never　did　terrible　things　to　people　who　knew　things。〃
　〃It　is　the　white　man's　way。〃
　〃If　the　white　man　is　not　here　anymore；　and　if；　as　the　radio　says；　we　are　getting　rid　of　everything　white；　why　cannot　we　get　rid　of　white　governments？〃
　〃Because　the　Hausa　downriver　are　fools；〃　Walla　said。　〃They　want　to　get　rid　of　the　white　man　so　they　can　be　white　men。〃
　〃The　Hausa　have　always　been　fools；〃　said　the　elder　brother。
　In　jeeps　with　massive　supplies；　the　journey　to　Lagos　would　have　taken　a　Busati　army　patrol　a　month。　Walla；　carrying　a　knife　and　no　food；　made　the　journey　on　foot　in　sixteen　days。
　Walla　found　a　neighbor　from　his　village　and　asked　him　for　a　good　place　to　sell　information。
　〃Not　here；〃　said　the　neighbor　who　was　an　assistant　gardener　at　the　Russian　Embassy。　〃They　were　paying　good　last　year　but　this　year　is　terrible。　The　Americans　are　best　again。〃
　〃The　Chinese；　are　they　good？〃　asked　Walla。
　〃Sometimes　they　are　good；　but　often　they　think　it　is　enough　to　tell　you　funny　stories　in　exchange　for　your　information。〃
　Walla　nodded　his　head。　He　had　heard　these　things　of　the　yellow　men　back　in　Busati；　how　they　would　give　a　button　or　a　book　and　think　of　that　as　payment；　and　then　be　surprised　and　angry　when　told　that　was　not　nearly　enough。
　〃Americans　are　the　best　again；〃　said　the　gardener；　〃but　take　only　gold。　Their　paper　is　worth　less　each　day。〃
　〃I　will　take　gold　and　I　will　return　here　and　see　you。　Your　information　has　been　…of　value。〃
　〃See　the　cook　at　the　American　Embassy。　He　will　tell　you　the　price　to　ask。〃
　The　cook　at　the　American　Embassy　promptly　fed　Walla　and　listened　to　his　story；　asking　questions　so　that　Walla　would　be　well…prepared　to　negotiate。
　〃This　Lippincott　disappearing　is　a　good　thing。　Quite　valuable。　But　the　nature　of　the　house　is　even　more　valuable　possibly。　Who　are　these　white　women？〃
　Walla　shrugged。　〃I　do　not　know。〃
　〃Who　frequents　the　house？〃　the　cook　asked。
　〃I　was　told　of　it　by　a　soldier。　He　said　that　Busati　soldiers　who　do　good　things　are　given　leave　to　go　to　the　house　and　do　terrible　things　to　the　women。〃
　〃Does　President　Obode　run　the　house？〃　the　cook　asked。
　〃I　do　not　know。　I　think　not。　I　was　told　that　the　sergeant　who　is　at　the　house　is　a　Loni。〃
　〃A　Loni？　Are　you　sure　he　is　not　a　Hausa？　Hausa　do　those　sort　of　things。〃
　〃I　know　Hausa　from　Loni；〃　said　Walla。　〃He　is　a　Loni。〃
　〃A　Loni　who　is　a　sergeant。　That　is　very　important；〃　the　cook　said。
　〃It　is　worth　gold？〃　Walla　asked。
　The　cook　shook　his　head。　〃The　Americans　do　not　know　Loni　from　Hausa　and　could　not　care　less　that　a　Loni　has　reached　a　sergeant's　rank　in　Busati's　army。　Do　you　have　anything　on　the　women　in　the　house？〃
　〃They　never　e　out　alive。〃
　The　cook　shrugged　a　so…what　shrug。
　〃I　know　a　name。　It　was　told　to　me　by　a　fellow　of　our　village　who　worked　at　the　airport。　I　remember　it　because　it　was　like　Lippincott's　name。〃
　〃Her　name　was　Lippincott？〃　the　cook　asked。
　〃No。　Forsythe。　Lippincott　had　a　Forsythe　in　his　name。　My　friend　said　he　saw　her　being　taken　from　a　plane　to　a　car。　She　screamed　who　she　was；　and　then　was　dragged　into　the　car。　She　said　she　was　Cynthia　Forsythe　of　Baltimore。〃
　〃What　did　she　look　like？〃
　〃White；〃　Walla　said。
　〃Yes；　but　what　kind　of　white？　All　whites　do　not　look　alike。〃
　〃I　know　that；〃　said　Walla。　〃Our　friend　said　she　had　hair　of　flame。〃
　The　cook：thought　about　this　and　did　not　respond　immediately。　Instead　he　began　chopping　vegetables　for　dinner。　When　he　had　finished　shredding　long　green　leaves；　he　snapped　his　fingers。
　〃Eighteen　thousand　dollars。　Gold；〃　he　said。
　〃Eighteen　thousand　dollars？〃　asked　Walla；　astounded。
　The　cook　nodded。　〃That　is　what　we　ask　for。　We　settle　for　fifteen。〃　And　he　told　Walla　to　withhold　the　name　of　the　girl　until　he　got　the　money；　but　to　mention　Lippin…cott's　name　quickly　to　make　sure　he　got　the　money。　He　explained　that　the　man　he　would　introduce　Walla　to　was　J。　Gordon　Dalton；　who　was　some　kind　of　a　spy。　He　would　offer　Walla　ten　dollars　or　twenty　dollars；　whereupon　Walla　should　get　up　to　leave；　and　then　Dalton　would　pay　the　fifteen　thousand。
　〃I　knew　a　man　who　had　a　hundred　dollars　once；〃　said　Walla。　〃A　very　rich　man。〃
　〃You　will　be　rich　too；〃　said　the　cook。
　〃I　will　have　to　be。　I　can　no　longer　return　to　Busati。〃
　By　nightfall；　Walla　was　the　richest　man　in　the　history　of　his　village　and　J。　Gordon　Dalton　was　sending　frantic　codes　to　Washington。　A　top　level　officer　unscrambled　the　message：
　JAMES　FORSYTHE　LIPPINCOTT；　BALTIMORE；　MISSING。　BELIEVED　DEAD　IN　BUSATI　BUSH。　FOUL　PLAY　SUSPECTED。　CYNTHIA　FORSYTHE；　BALTIMORE；　HELD　HOSTAGE。　AWAIT　INSTRUCTIONS。　INVESTIGATING。
　Since　Lippincott　was　part　of　the　famous　Lippincott　family　which　numbered　governors；　diplomats；　senators　and　most　important；　bankers；　the　message　went　to　several　department　heads　at　4：00　A。M。　There　was　one　problem　with　Dalton's　message。　Cynthia　Forsythe　could　not　be　a　hostage　in　Busati。　She　had　been　killed　in　an　auto　accident　three　months　earlier。　It　had　made　the　papers　because　she　was　related　to　the　Lippincotts。
　It　was　decided　quietly　to　check　out　the　dead　girl's　body。　By　noon；　from　dental　work　and　a　thumb　print；　the　body　was　identified　as　not；　definitely　not；　the　body　of　Cynthia　Forsythe。
　〃Who　is　it　then？〃　asked　the　State　Department　man。
　〃Who　cares？〃　said　the　FBI　man。　〃It's　not　the　Forsythe　girl。　That　means　she　probably　is　a　hostage　in　Busati。〃
　〃Well；　we're　going　to　have　to　tell　the　White　House；〃　said　State。　〃God　help　anyone　who　runs　afoul　of　the　Lippincotts。　Especially　the　bankers。〃
　'。　Five　reports　on　the　case　were　made　in　the　White　House；　four　of　which　went　to　various　Lippincotts。　The　fifth　was　hand…delivered　to　an　office　in　the　Agriculture　Department　in　Washington；　where　it　was　coded　and　sent　by　scrambler　to　what　the　sender　believed　was　an　office　in　Kansas　City。　But　the　line　went　to　a　sanitarium　in　Rye；　New　York；　and　in　that　sanitarium　a　decision　was　made　that　unknowingly　fulfilled　an　ancient　prediction　made　soon　after　the　Loni　tribe　had　lost　its　empire：
　〃Terror　from　the　East　shall　join　with　terror　from　the　West；　and　woe　to　the　enslavers　of　the　Loni　when　the　destroyer　of　worlds　walks　along　the　Busati。〃
　
　CHAPTER　THREE　
　His　name　Was　Remo　and　his　life　was　being　made　miserable　by　a　television　programming　decision。
　〃Because　of　our　coverage　of　the　Senate1　investigation　into　Watergate；　As　the　Planet　Revolves　and　Dr。　Lawrence　Walters；　Psychiatrist…at…Large　will　not　be　shown　today；〃　the　announcer　had　said。
　When　Remo　heard　that；　he　uttered　his　first　prayer　since　childhood。　〃Lord；　have　mercy　on　us　all。〃
　The　wisp　of　an　Oriental　who　had　sat　placid　in　his　golden　kimono　before　the　color　television　set；　let　out　a　sound　Remo　had　heard　him　use　but　once　before；　and　then　only　in　his　sleep。
　〃Yaaawk；〃　said　Chiun；　the　Master　of　Sinanju；　his　wisp　of　a　white　beard　shaking　in　disbelief。　It　was　if　someone　had　hit　the　old　man　a　body　blow…that　is；　if　there　was　a　man　who　walked　the　earth　who　could　do　that；　which　Remo　doubted　very　much。
　〃Why　is　this？　Why　is　this？〃　demanded　Chiun。
　〃Not　me；　Little　Father。　Not　me。　I　didn't　do　it。〃
　〃Your　government　did　it。〃
　〃No；　no。　The　television　people　did　it。　They　thought　that　more　people　would　want　to　watch　the　Senate　investigation　than　the　soap　operas。〃
　Chiun　pointed　a　long　bony　finger　at　the　set　The　long　fingernail　seemed　to　quiver。
　〃Who　would　want　to　watch　those　ugly　white　men　when　they　can　see　the　beauty　and　the　rhythm　and　the　grace　of　true　drama？〃
　〃Well；　they　have　polls；　Chiun。　And　they　question　people　about　what　they　like　and　don't　like　and　I　guess　they　figured　more　people　would　want　to　watch　the　investigations　than　your　serials。〃
　〃They　did　not　ask　me；〃　said　Chiun。　〃No　one　asked　me。　Who　asked　me？　If　they　asked　me；　I　would　say　let　the　beauty　of　the　drama　remain。　Beauty　is　rare　but　investigations　you　have　with　you　always。　Where　is　this　person　who　does　the　questioning？　I　would　speak　with　him　for　surely　he　would　be　interested　in　my　opinion　also。〃
　〃You're　not　going　to　kill　a　pollster；　Little　Father；〃　said　Remo。
　〃Kill？〃　said　Chiun；　as　if　Remo　had　broached　the　subject　to　a　Carmelite　nun；　instead　of　the　most　deadly　assassin　in　existence。
　〃Those　things　do　tend　to　happen；　Chiun；　when　someone　gets　in　the　way　of　your　daytime　shows。　Or　are　you　forgetting　Washington　and　those　FBI　men；　or　New　York　and　all　those　Mafiosi？　You　remember。　They　turned　off　your　programs。　Chicago　and　the　union　thugs。　Remember？　Remember　who　had　to　get　rid　of　the　bodies？　Do　you　forget　those　little　things；　Little　Father？〃
　〃I　remember　beauty　being　interrupted　and　an　old　man；　who　has　given　the　best　years　of　all　his　skills　to　an　ingrate；　being　reprimanded　for　attempting　to　enjoy　a　moment　of　beauty。〃
　〃You　have　a　very　selective　memory。〃
　〃In　a　country　that　fails　to　appreciate　beauty；　a　memory　which　forgets　ugliness　is　a　necessity。〃
　And　that　had　begun　the　renewed　personal　supervision　of　Remo's　training　by　the　Master　of　Sinanju。　No　longer　could　Remo　do　his　exercises　alone。　Depriv