jamesclavell.noblehouse-第150节

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　〃Vietnam？〃
　〃Of　course　Vietnam。〃
　Suslev　chuckled。　〃Those　poor　fools　don't　know　what　they've　been　sucked　into。　They　still　think　they　can　fight　a　jungle　war　with　Korean　or　World　War　Two　tactics。〃
　〃They're　not　all　fools；〃　Crosse　said。　〃Rosemont's　good；　very　good。　By　the　way；　they　know　about　the　Iman　Air　Base。〃
　Suslev　cursed　softly　and　leaned　on　one　hand；　casually　keeping　it　near　his　mouth　to　prevent　any　lip…reading。
　〃。。。　Iman　and　almost　all　about　Petropavlovsk；　the　new　sub　base　at　Korsakov　on　Sakhalin。　。。。〃
　Suslev　cursed　again。　〃How　do　they　do　it？〃
　〃Traitors。〃　Crosse　smiled　thinly。
　〃Why　are　you　a　double　agent；　Roger？〃
　〃Why　do　you　ask　me　that　every　time　we　meet？〃
　Suslev　sighed。　He　had　specific　orders　not　to　probe　Crosse　and　to　help　him　every　way　he　could。　And　although　he　was　KGB　controller　of　all　Far　Eastern　espionage　activities；　it　was　only　last　year　that　even　he　had　been　allowed　into　the　secret　of　Crosse's　identity。　Crosse；　in　KGB　files；　had　the　highest　secret　classification；　an　importance　on　the　level　of　a　Philby。　But　even　Philby　didn't　know　that　Crosse　had　been　working　for　the　KGB　for　the　last　seven　years。
　〃I　ask　because　I'm　curious；〃　he　said。
　〃Aren't　your　orders　not　to　be　curious；　rade？〃
　Suslev　laughed。　〃Neither　of　us　obeys　orders　all　the　time；　no？　Center　enjoyed　your　last　report　so　much　I've　been　told　to　tell　you　your　Swiss　account　will　be　credited　with　an　extra　bonus　of　50；000　on　the　fifteenth　of　next　month。〃
　〃Good。　Thank　you。　But　it's　not　a　bonus；　it's　payment　for　value　received。〃
　〃What　does　SI　know　about　the　visiting　delegation　of　Parliament？〃
　Crosse　told　him　what　he　had　told　the　governor。　〃Why　the　question？〃
　〃Routine　check。　Three　are　potentially　very　influential　…　Guthrie；　Broadhurst　and　Grey。〃　Suslev　offered　a　cigarette。　〃We're　maneuvering　Grey　and　Broadhurst　into　our　World　Peace　Council。　Their　anti…Chinese　sentiments　help　us。　Roger；　would　you　please　put　a　tail　on　Guthrie。　Perhaps　he　has　some　bad　habits。　If　he　was　promised；　perhaps　photographed　with　a　Wanchai　girl；　it　might　be　useful　later；　eh？〃
　Crosse　nodded。　〃I'll　see　what　can　be　done。〃
　〃Can　you　find　the　scum　who　murdered　poor　Voranski？〃
　〃Eventually。〃　Crosse　watched　him。　〃He　must　have　been　marked　for　some　time。　And　that's　ominous　for　all　of　us。〃
　〃Were　they　Kuomintang？　Or　Mao's　bandits？〃
　〃I　don't　know。〃　Crosse　smiled　sardonically。　〃Russia　isn't　very　popular　with　any　Chinese。〃
　〃Their　leaders　are　traitors　to　munism。　We　should　smash　them　before　they　get　too　strong。〃
　〃Is　that　policy？〃
　〃Since　Genghis　Khan。〃　Suslev　laughed。　〃But　now　。。。　now　we　have　to　be　a　little　patient。　You　needn't　be。〃　He　jerked　a　thumb　backward　at　Brian　Kwok。　〃Why　not　discredit　that　matyeryebyets！　I　don't　like　him　at　all。〃
　〃Young　Brian's　very　good。　I　need　good　people。　Inform　Center　that　Sinders；　of　MI…6；　arrives　tomorrow　from　London　to　take　delivery　of　the　AMG　papers。　Both　MI…6　and　the　CIA　suspect　AMG　was　murdered。　Was　he？〃
　〃I　don't　know。　He　should　have　been；　years　ago。　How　will　you　get　a　copy？〃
　〃I　don't　know。　I'm　fairly　certain　Sinders'll　let　me　read　them　before　he　goes　back。〃
　〃And　if　he　doesn't？〃
　Crosse　shrugged；　〃We'll　get　to　look　at　them　one　way　or　another。〃
　〃Dunross？〃
　〃Only　as　a　last　resort。　He's　too　valuable　where　he　is　and　I'd　rather　have　him　where　I　can　see　him。　What　about　Travkin？〃
　〃Your　information　was　invaluable。　Everything　checked。〃　Suslev　told　him　the　substance　of　their　meeting；　adding；　〃Now　he'll　be　our　dog　forever。　He'll　do　anything　we　want。　Anything。　I　think　he'd　kill　Dunross　if　necessary。〃
　〃Good。　How　much　of　what　you　told　him　was　true？〃
　Suslev　smiled。　〃Not　much。〃
　〃Is　his　wife　alive？〃
　〃Oh　yes；　tovarich；　she's　alive。〃
　〃But　not　in　her　own　dacha？〃
　〃Now　she　is。〃
　〃And　before？〃
　Suslev　shrugged。　〃I　told　him　what　I　was　told　to　tell　him。〃
　Crosse　lit　a　cigarette。　〃What　do　you　know　about　Iran？〃
　Again　Suslev　looked　at　him　sharply。　〃Quite　a　lot。　It's　one　of　our　eight　remaining　great　targets　and　there's　a　big　operation　going　on　right　now。〃
　〃The　Ninety…second　U。S。　Airborne's　on　the　Soviet…Iranian　border　right　now！〃
　Suslev　gaped　at　him。　〃What？〃
　Crosse　related　all　that　Rosemont　had　told　him　about　Dry　Run　and　when　he　came　to　the　part　about　the　U。S。　forces　having　nuclear　arms　Suslev　whitened　palpably。　〃Mother　of　God！　Those　god…cursed　Americans'll　make　a　mistake　one　day　and　then　we'll　never　be　able　to　extricate　ourselves！　They're　fools　to　deploy　such　weapons。〃
　〃Can　you　bat　them？〃
　〃Of　course　not；　not　yet；〃　Suslev　said　irritably。　〃The　core　of　our　strategy's　never　to　have　a　direct　clash　until　America's　totally　isolated　and　there's　no　doubt　about　final　victory。　A　direct　clash　would　be　suicide　now。　I'll　get　on　to　Center　at　once。〃
　〃Impress　on　them　the　Americans　consider　it　just　a　dry　run。　Get　Center　to　take　your　forces　away　and　cool　everything。　Do　it　at　once　or　there　will　be　trouble。　Don't　give　the　U。S。　forces　any　provocation。　In　a　few　days　the　Americans　will　go　away。　Don't　leak　the　invasion　to　your　inward　spies　in　Washington。　Let　it　e　first　from　your　people　in　the　CIA。〃
　〃The　Ninety…second's　really　there？　That　seems　impossible。〃
　〃You'd　better　get　your　armies　more　airborne；　more　mobile　with　more　firepower。〃
　Suslev　grunted。　〃The　energies　and　resources　of　three　hundred　million　Russians　are　channeled　to　solve　that　problem；　tovarich。　If　we　have　twenty　years　。。。　just　twenty　more　years。〃
　〃Then？〃
　〃In　the　eighties　we　rule　the　world。〃
　〃I'll　be　dead　long　since。〃
　〃Not　you。　You'll　rule　whatever　province　or　country　you　want。　England？〃
　〃Sorry；　the　weather　there's　dreadful。　Except　for　one　or　two　days　a　year；　most　years；　when　it's　the　most　beautiful　place　on　earth。〃
　〃Ah；　you　should　see　my　home　in　Georgia　and　the　country　around　Tiflis。〃　Suslev's　eyes　were　sparkling。　〃That's　Eden。〃
　Crosse　was　watching　everywhere　as　they　talked。　He　knew　they　could　not　be　overheard。　Brian　Kwok　was　sitting　in　the　stand　waiting；　half…asleep。　Rosemont　and　the　others　were　studying　him　covertly。　Down　by　the　winner's　circle　Jacques　deVille　was　strolling　casually　with　Jason　Plumm。
　〃Have　you　talked　to　Jason　yet？〃
　〃Of　course；　while　we　were　in　the　stands。〃
　〃Good。〃
　〃What　did　he　say　about　deVille？〃
　〃That　he　doubted；　too；　if　Jacques'd　ever　be　chosen　as　tai…pan。　After　my　meeting　last　night　I　agree　…　he's　obviously　too　weak；　or　his　resolve's　softened。〃　Suslev　added；　〃It　often　happens　with　deep…cover　assets　who　have　nothing　active　to　do　but　wait。　That's　the　hardest　of　all　jobs。〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃He's　a　good　man　but　I'm　afraid　he　won't　achieve　his　assignment。〃
　〃What　do　you　plan　for　him？〃
　〃I　haven't　decided。〃
　〃Convert　him　from　an　inward　spy　to　a　doomed　spy？〃
　〃Only　if　you　or　the　others　of　Sevrin　are　threatened。〃　For　the　benefit　of　any　watchers　Suslev　tipped　the　flask　to　his　lips　and　offered　it　to　Crosse　who　shook　his　head。　Both　knew　the　flask　contained　only　water。　Suslev　dropped　his　voice。　〃I　have　an　idea。　We're　increasing　our　effort　in　Canada。　Clearly　the　French　Separatist　Movement　is　a　tremendous　opportunity　for　us。　If　Quebec　was　to　split　from　Canada　it　would　send　the　whole　North　American　continent　reeling　into　a　pletely　new　power　structure。　I　was　thinking　that　it　would　be　perfect　if　deVille　took　over　Struan's　in　Canada。　Eh？〃
　Crosse　smiled。　〃Very　good。　Very　very　good。　I　like　Jacques　too。　It　would　be　a　pity　to　waste　him。　Yes；　that　would　be　very　clever。〃
　〃It's　even　better　than　that；　Roger。　He　has　some　very　important　French…Canadian　friends　from　his　Paris　days　just　after　the　war；　all　openly　separatist；　all　left…wing　inclined。　A　few　of　them　are　being　a　prominent　national　political　force　in　Canada。〃
　〃You'd　get　him　to　drop　his　deep　cover？〃
　〃No。　Jacques　could　give　the　separatist　issue　a　push　without　jeopardizing　himself。　As　head　of　an　important　branch　of　Struan's　。。。　and　if　one　of　his　special　friends　became　foreign　minister　or　prime　minister；　eh？〃
　〃Is　that　possible？〃
　〃It's　possible。〃
　Crosse　whistled。　〃If　Canada　swung　away　from　the　U。S。　that　would　be　a　coup　of　coups。〃
　〃Yes。〃
　After　a　pause；　Crosse　said；　〃Once　upon　a　time　a　Chinese　sage　was　asked　by　a　friend　to　bless　his　newly　born　son。　His　benediction　was；　'Let's　pray　he　lives　in　interesting　times。'　Well；　Gregor　Petrovitch　Suslev　whose　real　name　is　Petr　Oleg　Mzytryk；　we　certainly　live　in　interesting　times。　Don't　we？〃
　Suslev　was　staring　at　him　in　shock。　〃Who　told　you　my　name？〃
　〃Your　superiors。〃　Crosse　watched　him；　his　eyes　suddenly　pitiless。　〃You　know　me；　I　know　you。　That's　fair；　isn't　it？〃
　〃Of　。。。　of　course。　I　。。。〃　The　man's　laugh　was　forced。　〃I　haven't　used　that　name　for　so　long　I'd　。。。　I'd　almost　forgotten　it。〃　He　looked　back　at　the　eyes；　fighting　for　control。　〃What's　the　matter？　Why　are　you　so　edgy；　eh？〃
　〃AMG。　I　think　we　should　close　this　meeting　for　now。　Our　cover's　that　I　tried　to　subvert　you　but　you　refused。　Let's　meet　tomorrow　at　seven。〃　Seven　was　the　code　number　for　the　apartment　next　to　Ginny　Fu's　in　Mong　Kok。　〃Late。　Eleven　o'clock。〃
　〃Ten　is　better。〃
　Crosse　motioned　carefully　toward　Rosemont　and　the　others。　〃Before　you　go　I　need　something　for　them。〃
　〃All　right。　Tomorrow　I'll　ha…　〃
　〃It　must　be　now。〃　Crosse　hardened。　〃Something　special　…　in　case　I　can't　get　a　look　at　Sinders's　copy；