bl.necroscope2-第74节

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ing…point　blocked　their　way；　with　Chernovtsy　and　the　Prut　some　twenty　miles　to　the　north。　By　now　Krakovitch　had　planned　on　being　through　Chernovtsy　and　into　Kolomyya　under　the　old　mountains　the　old　Carpathians　for　the　night；　but。
　〃But！〃　he　raged　now　in　the　paraffin　lamplight　glare　of　the　border　post。　〃But；　but；　but！〃　He　slammed　his　fist　down　on　the　counter…top　which　kept　staff　a　little　apart　from　travellers；　he　spoke；　or　shouted；　in　Russian　so　explosive　that　Quint　and　Gulharov　winced　and　gritted　their　teeth　where　they　sat　in　the　car　outside　the　wooden　chalet…styled　building。　The　border　post　sat　centrally　between　the　ining　and　outgoing　lanes；　with　barrier　arms　extending　on　both　sides。　Uniformed　guards　manned　sentry　boxes；　a　Romanian　for　ining　traffic；　a　Russian　for　outgoing。　The　senior　officer　was；　of　course；　Russian。　And　right　now　he　was　under　pressure　from　Felix　Krakovitch。
　〃Four　hours！〃　Krakovitch　raved。　〃Four　bloody　hours　sitting　here　at　the　end　of　the　world；　waiting　for　you　to　make　up　your　mind！　I've　told　you　who　I　am　and　proved　it。　Are　my　documents　in　order？〃
　The　round…faced；　overweight　Russian　official　shrugged　helplessly。　〃Of　course；　rade；　but　…〃
　〃No；　no；　no！〃　Krakovitch　shouted。　〃No　more　buts；　just　yes　or　no。　And　rade　Gulharov's　documents；　are　they　in　order？〃
　The　Russian　customs　man　bobbed　unfortably　this　way　and　that；　shrugged　again。　〃Yes。〃
　Krakovitch　leaned　over　the　counter；　shoved　his　face　close　to　that　of　the　other。　〃And　do　you　believe　that　I　have　the　ear　of　the　Party　Leader　himself？　Are　you　sure　that　you're　aware　that　if　your　bloody　telephone　was　working；　by　now　I'd　be　speaking　to　Brezhnev　himself　in　Moscow；…and　that　next　week　you'd　be　manning　a　crossing…point　into　Manchuria？〃
　〃If　you　say　so；　rade　Krakovitch；〃　the　other　sighed。　He　struggled　for　words；　a　way　to　begin　a　sentence　with　something　other　than　〃but〃。　〃Alas；　I　am　also　aware　that　the　other　gentleman　in　your　car　is　not　a　Soviet　citizen；　and　that　his　documents　are　not　in　order！　If　I　were　to　let　you　through　without　the　proper　authorisation；　next　week　I　could　well　be　a　lumberjack　in　Omsk！　I　don't　have　the　build　for　it；　rade。〃
　〃What　sort　of　a　bloody　control　point　is　this；　anyway？〃　Krakovitch　was　in　full　flood。　〃No　telephone；　no　electric　light？　I　suppose　we　must　thank　God　you　have　toilets！　Now　listen　to　me　…〃
　〃…I　have　listened；　rade；〃　at　least　the　officer's　guts　weren't　all　sagging　inside　his　belly；　〃to　threats　and　vitriolic　raving；　for　at　least　three…and…a…half　hours；　but　…〃
　〃BUT？〃　Krakovitch　couldn't　believe　it；　this　couldn't　be　happening　to　him。　He　shook　his　fist　at　the　other。　〃Idiot！　I've　counted　eleven　cars　and　twenty…seven　lorries　through　here　towards　Kolomyya　since　our　arrival。　Your　man　out　there　didn't　even　check　the　papers　of　half　of　them！〃
　〃Because　we　know　them。　They　travel　through　here　regularly。　Many　of　them　live　in　or　close　to　Kolomyya。　I　have　explained　this　a　hundred　times。
　〃Think　on　this！〃　Krakovitch　snapped。　〃Tomorrow　you　could　be　explaining　it　to　the　KGB！〃
　〃More　threats。〃　The　other　gave　another　shrug。　〃One　stops　worrying。〃
　〃Total　inefficiency！〃　Krakovitch　snarled。　〃Three　hours　ago　you　said　that　the　telephones　would　be　working　in　a　few　minutes。　Likewise　two　hours　ago；　and　one　hour　ago　…and　the　time　now　is　fast　approaching　one　in　the　morning！〃
　〃I　know　the　time；　rade。　There　is　a　fault　in　the　electricity　supply。　It　is　being　dealt　with。　What　more　can　I　say？〃　He　sat　down　on　a　padded　chair　behind　the　counter。
　Krakovitch　almost　leaped　over　the　counter　to　get　at　him。　〃Don't　you　dare　sit　down！　Not　while　I　am　on　my　feet！〃
　The　other　wiped　his　forehead；　stood　up　again；　prepared　himself　for　another　tirade　。　。
　Outside　in　the　car；　Sergei　Gulharov　had　restlessly　turned　this　way　and　that；　peering　first　out　of　one　window；　then　another。　Carl　Quint　sensed　problems；　trouble；　danger　ahead。　In　fact　he'd　been　on　edge　since　seeing　Kyle　off　at　the　airport　in　Bucharest。　But　worrying　about　it　would　get　him　nowhere；　and　anyway　he　felt　too　banged…about　to　pursue　it。　If　anything；　not　being　allowed　to　drivebeing　obliged　to　simply　sit　there；　with　the　drab　countryside　slipping　endlessly　by　outside…had　made　him　more　weary　yet。　Now　he　felt　that　he　could　sleep　for　a　week；　and　it　might　as　well　be　here　as　anywhere。
　Gulharov's　attention　had　now　fastened　on　something　outside　the　car。　He　grew　still；　thoughtful。　Quint　looked　at　him：　〃silent　Sergei〃；　as　he　and　Kyle　had　privately　named　him。　It　wasn't　his　fault　he　spoke　no　English；　in　fact　he　did　speak　it；　but　very　little；　and　with　many　errors。　Now　he　answered　Quint's　glance；　nodded　his　short…cropped　head；　and　pointed　through　the　open　window　of　the　car　at　something。　〃Look；〃　he　softly　said。　Quint　looked。
　Silhouetted　against　a　low；　distant　haze　of　blue　light　…the　lights　of　Kolomyya；　Quint　supposed…black　cables　snaked　between　poles　over　the　border　check　point；　with　one　section　of　cable　descending　into　the　building　itself。　The　power　supply。　Now　Gulharov　turned　and　pointed　off　to　the　west；　where　the　cable　ran　back　in　the　direction　of　Suet。　A　hundred　yards　away；　the　loop　of　cable　between　two　of　the　poles　dipped　right　down　under　the　night　horizon。　It　had　been　grounded。
　〃Excusing；〃　said　Gulharov。　He　eased　himself　out　of　the　car；　walked　back　along　the　central　reservation；　and　disappeared　into　darkness。　Quint　considered　going　after　him；　but　decided　against　it。　He　felt　very　vulnerable；　and　outside　the　car　would　feel　even　more　so。　At　least　the　car's　interior　was　familiar　to　him。　He　tuned　himself　again　to　Krakovitch's　raving；　ing　loud　and　clear　through　the　night　from　the　border　post。　Quint　couldn't　understand　what　was　being　said；　but　someone　was　getting　a　hard　time　。　。
　〃An　end　to　all　foolishness！〃　Krakovitch　shouted。　〃Now　I　will　tell　you　what　I　am　going　to　do。　I　shall　drive　back　into　Siret　to　the　police　station　and　phone　Moscow　from　there。〃
　〃Good；〃　said　the　fat　official。　〃And　providing　that　Moscow　can　send　the　correct　documentation　for　the　Englishman；　down　the　telephone　wire；　then　I　shall　let　you　through！〃
　〃Dolt！〃　Krakovitch　sneered。　〃You；　of　course；　shall　e　with　me　to　Siret；　where　you'll　receive　your　instructions　direct　from　the　Kremlin！〃
　How　dearly　the　other　would　have　loved　to　tell　him　that　he　had　already　received　his　instructions　from　Moscow；　but。。。　he'd　been　warned　against　that。　Instead　he　slowly　shook　his　head。　〃Unfortunately；　rade；　I　cannot　leave　my　post。　Dereliction　of　duty　is　a　very　serious　matter。　Nothing　you　or　anyone　else　could　say　could　force　me　from　my　place　of　duty。〃
　Krakovitch　saw　from　the　official's　red　face　that　he'd　pushed　him　too　far。　Now　he　would　probably　be　more　stubborn　than　ever；　even　to　the　point　of　deliberate　obstruction。
　That　was　a　thought　which　made　Krakovitch　frown。　For　what　if　all　of　this　trouble　had　been　〃deliberate　obstruction〃　right　from　the　start？　Was　that　possible？　〃Then　the　solution　is　simple；〃　he　said。　〃I　assume　that　Siret　does　have　a　twenty…four　hour　police　station…with　telephones　that　work？〃
　His　opponent　chewed　his　lip。　〃Of　course；〃　he　finally　answered。
　〃Then　I　shall　simply　telephone　ahead　to　Kolomyya　and　have　a　unit　of　the　nearest　military　force　here　within　the　hour。　How　will　it　feel；　rade；　to　be　a　Russian；　manded　by　some　Russian　army　officer　to　stand　aside；　while　I　and　my　friends　are　escorted　through　your　stupid　little　checkpoint？　And　to　know　that　tomorrow　all　hell　is　going　to　descend　on　you；　because　you　will　have　been　the　focus　of　what　could　well　be　a　serious　international　incident？〃
　At　which　precise　moment；　out　in　the　field　to　the　west　of　the　road　and　back　a　little　way　towards　Siret；　Sergei　Gulharov　stooped　and　picked　up　the　two　uncoupled　halves；　male　and　female；　of　a　heavy　electrical　connection。　Taped　to　the　main　supply　cable　was　a　much　thinner　telephone　wire。　Its　connection；　also　broken；　was　a　simple；　slender　plug…and…socket　affair。　He　connected　the　telephone　cable　first；　then　without　pause　screwed　the　heavier　couplings　together。　There　came　a　sputter　and　crackle　of　current；　a　flash　of　blue　sparks；　and　…The　lights　came　on　in　the　border　post。　Krakovitch；　on　the　point　of　leaving　to　carry　out　his　threat；　stopped　at　the　door；　turned　back　and　saw　the　look　of　confusion　on　the　official's　face。　〃I　suppose；〃　Krakovitch　said；　〃this　means　your　telephone　is　also　working　again？〃
　〃I。。。　I　suppose　so；〃　said　the　other。
　Krakovitch　came　back　to　the　counter。　〃Which　means；〃　his　tone　was　icy；　〃that　from　now　on　we　might　just　start　to　get　somewhere　。　。
　
　1。00A。M。　in　Moscow。
　At　the　Chateau　Bronnitsy；　some　miles　out　of　the　city　along　the　Serpukhov　Road；　Ivan　Gerenko　and　Theo　Dolgikh　stood　at　an　oval　observation　port　of　one…way　glass　and　stared　into　the　room　beyond　at　a　scene　like　something　out　of　a　science　fiction　nightmare。
　Inside　the　〃operating　theatre〃；　Alec　Kyle　lay　unconscious　on　his　back；　strapped　to　a　padded　table。　His　head　was　slightly　elevated　by　means　of　a　rubber　cushion；　and　a　bulky　stainless…steel　helmet　covered　his　head　and　eyes　in　a　half　dome；　leaving　his　nose　and　mouth　free　for　breathing。　Hundreds　of　hair…fine　wires　cased　in　coloured　plastic　sleeves　shimmered　like　a　rainbow　from　the　helmet　to　a　puter　where　three　operators　worked　frantically；　following　thought　sequences　from　beginning　to　end　and　erasing　them　at　the　point　of　resolu