dk.nightchills-第14节

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ld　be　watching　twelve　hours　of　sophisticated　subliminals　telling　them　to　obey　without　question　any　order　prefaced　by　a　certain　code　phrase；　and　when　those　three　days　had　passed；　all　twelve　men　would　cease　to　be　merely　hired　hands　and　would　bee　something　quite　like　programmed　robots。
　Outwardly；　they　would　not　appear　to　have　changed。　They　would　look　and　behave　as　they　always　had　done。　Nevertheless；　they　would　obey　any　order　to　lie；　steal；　or　kill　anyone；　obey　without　hesitation；　so　long　as　that　order　was　preceded　by　the　proper　code　phrase。
　〃As　mercenary　soldiers；　they　would　be　professional　killers　to　begin　with；〃　Klinger　said。
　〃That's　true；〃　Dawson　said。　〃But　the　glory　lies　in　their　unconditional；　unquestioning　obedience。　As　hired　mercenaries；　they　would　be　able　to　reject　any　order　or　assignment　that　they
　didn't　like。　But　as　our　programmed　staff；　they　will　do　precisely　what　they　are　told　to　do。〃
　〃There　are　other　advantages；　too；〃　Salsbury　said；　not　unaware　that　Dawson；　now　that　he　was　in　a　proselytizing　mood；　resented　being　nudged　from　the　pulpit。　〃For　one　thing；　you　can　order　a　man　to　kill　and　then　to　erase　all　memory　of　the　murder　from　both　his　conscious　and　subconscious　mind。　He　would　never　be　able　to　testify　against　the　corporation　or　against　us；　and　he　would　pass　any　polygraph　examination。〃
　Klinger's　Neanderthal　face　brightened　a　bit。　He　appreciated　the　importance　of　what　Salsbury　had　said。　〃Even　if　they　used　pentothal　or　hypnotic　regression…he　still　couldn't　remember？〃
　〃Sodium　pentothal　is　much　overrated　as　a　truth　serum；〃　Salsbury　said。　〃As　for　the　other。　。　…　Well；　they　could　put　him　in　a　trance　and　regress　him　to　the　time　of　the　murder。　But　he　would　only　draw　a　blank。　Once　he　has　been　told　to　erase　the　event　from　his　mind；　it　is　beyond　his　recall　just　as　surely　as　obsolete　data　is　beyond　the　recall　of　a　puter　that　has　had　its　memory　banks　wiped　clean。〃
　Having　finished　his　second　brandy；　Klinger　returned　to　the　bar　cart。　This　time　he　filled　a　twelve…ounce　tumbler　with　ice　and　Seven…Up。
　Salsbury　thought；　He's　right　about　that：　any　man　who　doesn't　keep　a　clear　head　here；　tonight；　is　plainly　suicidal。
　To　Dawson；　Klinger　said；　〃Once　we've　got　these　twelve　'robots'　what　do　we　do　with　them？〃
　Because　he　had　spent　the　last　three　months　thinking　about　that　while　he　and　Saisbury　worked　out　the　details　of　their　approach　to　the　general；　Dawson　had　a　quick　answer。　〃We　can　do　anything　we　want　with　them。　Anything　at　all。　But　as　a　first　step…I　thought　we　might　use　them　to　introduce　the　drug　into　the　water　supplies　of　every　major　city　in　Kuwait。　Then　we　could　saturate　that　country　with　a　multimedia　subliminal　campaign　specially　structured　for　the　Arab　psyche；　and　within　a　month　we　could　quietly　seize　control　without　anyone；　even　the　government　of　Kuwait；　knowing　what　we've　done。〃
　〃Take　over　an　entire　country　as　a　first　step？〃　Klinger　asked　incredulously。
　Preaching　again；　striding　back　and　forth　between　Salsbury　and　the　general；　gesturing　expansively；　Dawson　said；　〃The　population　of　Kuwait　is　less　than　eight　hundred　thousand。　The　greatest　part　of　that　is　concentrated　in　a　few　urban　areas；　chiefly　in　Hawaii　and　the　capital　city。　Furthermore；　all　of　the　members　of　the　government　and　virtually　all　of　the　wealthy　reside　in　those　metropolitan　centers。　The　handful　of　super…rich　families　who　own　desert　enclaves　get　their　water　by　truck　from　the　cities。　In　short；　we　could　take　control　of　everyone　of　influence　within　the　country…giving　us　a　behind…the…scenes　managerial　dictatorship　over　the　Kuwait　oil　reserves；　which　pose　twenty　percent　of　the　entire　world　supply。　That　done；　Kuwait　would　bee　our　base　of　operations；　from　which　we　could　subvert　Saudi　Arabia；　Iraq；　Yemen；　and　every　other　oil…exporting　nation　in　the　Mid…East。〃
　〃We　could　smash　the　OPEC　cartel；〃　Klinger　said　thoughtfully。
　〃Or　strengthen　it；〃　Dawson　said。　〃Or　alternately　weaken　and　strengthen　it　in　order　to　cause　major　fluctuations　in　the　value　of　oil　stocks。　Indeed；　we　could　affect　the　entire　stock　market。　And　because　we'd　know　about　each　fluctuation　well　in　advance；　we　could　take　rare　advantage　of　it。　Within　a　year　of　assuming　control　of　a　half…dozen　Mid…Eastern　countries；　we　should　be　able　to　siphon　one　and　a　half　billion　dollars　into　the　corporation　in　Liechtenstein。　Thereafter；　it　will　be　a　matter　of　no　more　than　five　or　six　years　until　everything；　quite　literally　everything；　is　ours。〃
　〃It　sounds…crazy；　mad；〃　Klinger　said。
　Dawson　frowned。　〃Mad？〃
　〃Incredible；　unbelievable；　impossible；〃　the　general　said；　clarifying　his　first　statement　when　he　saw　that　it　disturbed　Dawson。
　〃There　was　a　time　when　heavier…than…air　flight　seemed　impossible；〃　Salsbury　said。　〃The　nuclear　bomb　seemed　incredible　to　many　people　even　after　it　was　dropped　on　Japan。　And　in　1961；　when　Kennedy　launched　the　Apollo　Space　Program；　very　few　Americans　believed　that　a　man　would　ever　walk　on　the　moon。〃
　They　stared　at　one　another。
　The　silence　in　the　room　was　so　perfect　that　each　tiny　wave　breaking　against　the　boat　dock；　although　it　was　little　more　than　a　gentle　ripple　and　was　muffled　by　the　window；　sounded　like　an　ocean　surf。　At　least　it　did　to　Salsbury；　it　reverberated　within　his　nearly　fevered　mind。
　Finally　Dawson　said；　〃Ernst？　Will　you　help　us　get　those　magnetic　tapes？〃
　Klinger　looked　at　Dawson　for　a　long　moment；　then　at　Salsbury。　A　shudder　either　of　fear　or　pleasure；　Ogden　could　not　be　certain　which…passed　through　him。　He　said；　〃I'll　help。〃
　Ogden　sighed。
　〃Champagne？〃　Dawson　asked。　〃It's　a　bit　crude　after　brandy。　But　I　believe　that　we　should　raise　a　toast　to　one　another　and　to　the　project。〃
　Fifteen　minutes　later；　after　a　servant　had　brought　a　chilled　bottle　of　Mo？t　et　Chandon　and　he　had　uncorked　it；　after　the　three　of　them　had　toasted　success；　Klinger　smiled　at　Dawson　and　said；　〃What　if　I'd　been　terrified　of　this　drug？　What　if　I'd　thought　your　offer　was　more　than　I　could　handle？〃
　〃I　know　you　well；　Ernst；〃　Dawson　said。　〃Perhaps　better　than　you　think　I　do。　I'd　be　surprised　if　there　was　anything　that　you　couldn't　handle。〃
　〃But　suppose　I'd　balked；　for　whatever　reason。　Suppose　I　hadn't　wanted　to　e　in　with　you。〃
　Dawson　rolled　some　champagne　over　his　tongue；　swallowed；　inhaled　through　his　mouth　to　savor　the　aftertaste；　and　said；　〃Then　you　wouldn't　have　left　this　estate　alive；　Ernst。　I'm　afraid　you'd　have　had　an　accident。〃
　〃Which　you　arranged　for　a　week　ago。〃　〃Nearly　that。〃
　〃I　knew　you　wouldn't　disappoint　me。〃
　〃You　came　with　a　gun？〃　Dawson　asked。　〃A　thirty…two　automatic。〃
　〃It　doesn't　show。〃
　〃It's　taped　to　the　small　of　my　back。〃
　〃You've　practiced　drawing　it？〃
　〃I　can　have　it　in　my　hand　in　less　than　five　seconds。〃
　Dawson　nodded　approval。　〃And　you　would　have　used　me　as　a　shield　to　get　off　the　estate。〃
　〃I　would　have　tried。〃
　They　both　laughed　and　regarded　each　other　with　something　very　near　to　affection。　They　were　delighted　with　themselves。
　Jesus　Christ！　Salsbury　thought。　He　nervously　sipped　his　champagne。
　5
　Friday；　August　19；　1977
　PAUL　AND　MARK　SAT　cross…legged；　side　by　side　on　the　dew…damp　mountain　grass。　They　were　as　still　as　stones。　Even　Mark；　who　loathed　inactivity　and　to　whom　patience　was　an　irritant　rather　than　a　virtue；　did　no　more　than　blink　his　eyes。
　Around　them　lay　a　breath…taking　panorama　of　virtually　unspoiled　land。　On　three　sides　of　their　clearing；　a　dense；　purple…green；　almost　primeval　forest　rose　like　walls。　To　their　right　the　clearing　opened　at　the　head　of　a　narrow　valley；　and　the　town　of　Black　River；　two　miles　away；　shimmered　like　a　patch　of　opalescent　fungus　on　the　emerald　quilt　of　the　wild　land。　The　only　other　scar　of　civilization　was　the　Big　Union　mill；　which　was　barely　visible；　three　miles　on　the　other　side　of　Black　River。　Even　so；　from　this　distance　the　huge　buildings　did　not　resemble　millworks　so　much　as　they　did　the　ramparts；　gates；　and　towers　of　castles。　The　planned　forests　that　supplied　Big　Union；　and　which　were　less　attractive　than　the　natural　woods；　were　out　of　sight　beyond　the　next　mountain。　Blue　sky　and　fast…moving　white　clouds　overhung　what　could　have　passed　for　a　scene　of　Eden　in　a　biblical　film。
　Paul　and　Mark　were　not　interested　in　the　scenery。　Their　attention　was　fixed　on　a　small；　red…brown　squirrel。
　For　the　past　five　days　they　had　been　putting　out　food　for　the　squirrel…dry　roasted　peanuts　and　sectioned　apples…hoping　to　make　friends　with　it　and　gradually　to　domesticate　it。　Day　by
　day　it　crept　closer　to　the　food；　and　yesterday　it　took　a　few　bites　before　succumbing　to　fear　and　scampering　away。
　Now；　as　they　watched；　it　came　forth　from　the　perimeter　of　the　woods；　three　or　four　quick　yet　cautious　steps　at　a　time；　pausing　again　and　again　to　study　the　man　and　boy。　When　it　finally　reached　the　food；　it　picked　up　a　piece　of　the　apple　in　its　tiny　forepaws　and；　sitting　back　on　its　haunches；　began　to　eat。
　When　the　animal　finished　the　first　slice　and　picked　up　another；　Mark　said；　〃He　won't　take　his　eyes　off　us。　Not　even　for　a　second。〃
　As　the　boy　spoke　the　squirrel　became　suddenly　as　still　as　they　were。　It　cocked　its　head　and　fixed　them　with　one　large　brown　eye。
　Paul　had　said　they　could　whisper；　breaking　their　rule　of　silence；　if　the　squirrel　had　gained　courage　since　yesterday