alistairmaclean.seawitch-第4节

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ficient　police　sergeants；　only　they　had　been　too　efficient；　much　given　to　arresting　the　wrong　people；　such　as　crooked　politicians　and　equally　crooked　wealthy　businessmen　who　had　previously　labored　under　the　misapprehension　that　they　were　above　the　law。　They　were　fired；　not　to　put　too　fine　a　point　on　it；　for　their　total　incorruptibility。
　Of　the　two；　Michael　Mitchell　was　the　taller；　the　broader　and　the　less　good…looking。　With　slightly　craggy　face；　ruffled　dark　hair　and　blue　chin；　he　could　never　have　made　it　as　a　matinee　idol。　John　Roomer；　with　his　brown　hair　and　trimmed　brown　mustache；　was　altogether　better…looking。　Both　were　shrewd；　intelligent　and　highly　experienced。　Roomer　was　the　intuitive　one；　Mitchell　the　one　long　on　action。　Apart　from　being　charming；　both　men　were　astute　and　highly　resourceful。　And　they　were　possessed　of　one　other　not　inconsiderable　quality：　both　were　deadly　marksmen。
　Two　years　previously　they　had　set　up　their　own　private　investigative　practice；　and　in　that　brief　space　of　time　had　established　such　a　reputation　that　people　in　real　trouble　now　made　a　practice　of　going　to　them　instead　of　to　the　police；　a　fact　that　hardly　endeared　them　to　the　local　law。　They　lived　near　Lord　Worth's　estate；　where　they　were　frequent　and　wele　visitors。　That　they　did　not　e　for　the　exclusive　pleasure　of　his　pany　Lord　Worth　was　well　aware。　Nor；　he　knew；　were　they　even　in　the　slightest　way　interested　in　his　money；　a　fact　that　Lord　Worth
　found　astonishing；　as　he　had　never　previously　encountered　anyone　who　wasn't　thus　interested。　What　they　were　interested　in；　and　deeply　so；　were　Marina　and　Melinda。
　The　door　opened　and　Lord　Worth's　butler；　Jenkins…English；　of　course；　as　were　the　two　footmen…made　his　usual　soundless　entrance；　approached　the　head　of　the　table　and　murmured　discreetly　hi　Lord　Worth's　ear。　Lord　Worth　nodded　and　rose。
　〃Excuse　me；　girls；　gentlemen。　Visitors。　Fra　sure　you　can　get　along　together　quite　well　without　me。〃　He　made　his　way　to　his　study；　entered　and　closed　the　door　behind　him…a　very　special　padded　door　that；　when　shut；　rendered　the　room　pletely　soundproof。
　The　study；　in　its　own　way…Lord　Worth　was　no　sybarite　but　he　liked　his　creature　forts　as　well　as　the　next　man…was　as　sumptuous　as　the　dining　room：　oak；　leather；　a　wholly　unnecessary　log　fire　burning　in　one　corner；　all　straight　from　the　best　English　baronial　mansions。　The　walls　were　lined　with　thousands　of　books；　many　of　which　Lord　Worth　had　actually　read；　a　fact　that　must　have　caused　great　distress　to　his　illiterate　ancestors；　who　had　despised　degeneracy　above　all　else。
　A　tall　bronzed　man　with　aquiline　features　and　gray　hair　rose　to　his　feet。　Both　men　smiled　and　shook　hands　warmly。
　Lord　Worth　said；　〃Corral；　my　dear　chap！　How　very　nice　to　see　you　again。　It's　been　quite　some　time。〃
　〃My　pleasure；　Lord　Worth。'　Nothing　recently　that　would　have　interested　you。〃
　〃But　now？〃
　〃Now　is　something　else　again。〃
　The　Corral　who　stood　before　Lord　Worth　was　indeed　the　Corral　who；　in　his　capacity　as　representative　of　the　Florida　offshore　leases；　had　been　present　at　the　meeting　of　ten　at　Lake　Tahoe。　Some　years　had　passed　since　he　and　Lord　Worth　had　arrived　at　an　amicable　and　mutually　satisfactory　agreement。　Corral；　widely　regarded　as　Lord　Worth's　most　avowedly　determined　enemy　and　certainly　the　most　vociferous　of　his　critics；　reported　regularly　to　Lord　Worth　on　the　current　activities　and；　more　importantly；　the　projected　plans　of　the　major　panies；　which　didn't　hurt　Lord　Worth　at　all。　Corral；　in　return；　received　an　annual　tax…free　retainer　of　200；000；　which　didn't　hurt　him　very　much　either。
　Lord　Worth　pressed　a　bell　and　within　seconds　Jenkins　entered　bearing　a　silver　tray　with　two　large　brandies。　There　was　no　telepathy　involved；　just　years　of　experience　and　a　long…established　foreknowledge　of　Lord　Worth's　desires。　When　he　left；　both　men　sat。
　Lord　Worth　said：　〃Well；　what　news　from　the　West？〃
　〃The　Cherokee；　I　regret　to　say；　are　after　you。〃
　
　Lord　Worth　sighed　and　said：　〃It　had　to　e　sometime。　Tell　me　all。〃
　Corral　told　him　all。　He　had　a　near…photographic　memory　and　a　gift　for　concise　and　accurate　reportage。　Within　five　minutes　Lord　Worth　knew　all　that　was　worth　knowing　about　the　Lake　Tahoe　meeting。
　Lord　Worth　who；　because　of　the　unfortunate　misunderstanding　that　had　arisen　between　himself　and　Cronkite；　knew　the　latter　as　well　as　any　and　better　than　most；　said　at　the　end　of　Corral's　report：　〃Did　Cronkite　subscribe　to　the　ten's　agreement　to　abjure　any　form　of　violence？〃
　〃No。〃
　〃Not　that　it　would　have　mattered　if　he　had。　Man's　a　total　stranger　to　the　truth。　And　ten　million　dollars'　expenses；　you　tell　me？〃
　〃It　did　seem　a　bit　excessive。〃
　〃Can　you　see　a　massive　outlay　like　that　being　conitant　with　anything　except　violence？〃
　〃No。〃
　〃Do　you　think　the　others　believed　that　there　was　no　connection　between　them？〃
　〃Let　me　put　it　this　way；　sir。　Any　group　of　people　who　can　convince　themselves；　or　appear　to　convince　themselves；　that　any　proposed　action　against　you　is　for　the　betterment　of　mankind　is　also　prepared　to　convince　themselves；　or　appear　to　convince　themselves；　that　the　word　'Cronkite'　is　synonymous　with　peace　on　earth。〃
　
　〃So　their　consciences　are　clear。　If　Cronkite　goes　to　any　excessive　lengths　in　death　and　destruction　to　achieve　their　ends；　they　can　always　throw　up　their　hands　in　horror　and　say；　'Good　God；　we　never　thought　the　man　would　go　that　far。'　Not　that　any　connection　between　them　and　Cronkite　would　ever　have　to　be　established。　What　a　bunch　of　devious；　mealymouthed　hypocrites！〃
　He　paused　for　a　moment。
　〃I　suppose　Cronkite　refused　to　divulge　his　plans？〃
　〃Absolutely。　But　there　is　one　odd　circumstance：　just　as　we　were　leaving；　Cronkite　drew　two　of　the　ten　to　one　side　and　spoke　to　them　privately。　It　would　be　interesting　to　know　why。〃
　〃Any　chance　of　finding　out？〃
　〃A　fair　chance。　Nothing　guaranteed。　But　I'm　sure　Benson　could　find　out…after　all；　it　was　Benson　who　invited　us　all　to　Lake　Tahoe。〃
　〃And　you　think　you　could　persuade　Benson　to　tell　you？〃
　〃A　fair　chance。　Nothing　more。〃
　Lord　Worth　put　on　his　resigned　expression。　〃All　right；　how　much？〃
　〃Nothing。　Money　won't　buy　Benson。〃　Corral　shook　his　head　hi　disbelief。　〃Extraordinary；　in　this　day　and　age；　but　Benson　is　not　a　mercenary　man。　But　he　does　owe　me　some　favors；　one　of　them　being　that；　without　me；　he　wouldn't　be　the　president　of　the　oil　pany　that　he　is　now。〃　Corral　paused。　〃I'm　surprised　you　haven't　asked　me　the　identities　of　the　two　men　Cronkite　took　aside。〃
　〃So　am　I。〃
　〃Borosoff　of　the　Soviet　Union　and　Patinos　of　Venezuela。〃　Lord　Worth　appeared　to　lapse　into　a　trance。　〃That　mean　anything　to　you？〃
　Lord　Worth　bestirred　himself。　〃Yes。　Units　of　the　Russian　Navy　are　making　a　so…called　'goodwill　tour'　of　the　Caribbean。　They　are；　inevitably；　based　in　Cuba。　Of　the　ten；　those　are　the　only　two　that　could　bring　swift…ah…naval　intervention　to　bear　against　the　Seawitch。〃　He　shook　his　head。　〃Diabolical。　Utterly　diabolical。〃
　〃My　way　of　thinking　too；　sir。　There's　no　knowing。　But　I'll　check　as　soon　as　possible　and　hope　to　get　results；〃
　〃And　I　shall　take　immediate　precautions。〃　Both　men　rose。　〃Corral；　we　shall　have　to　give　serious　consideration　to　the　question　of　increasing　this　paltry　retainer　of　yours。〃
　〃We　try　to　be　of　service；　Lord　Worth。〃
　Lord　Worth's　private　radio　room　bore　more　than　a　passing　resemblance　to　the　flight　deck　of　his　private　707。　The　variety　of　knobs；　switches；　buttons　and　dials　was　bewildering。　Lord　Worth　seemed　perfectly　at　home　with　them　all；　and　proceeded　to　make　a　number　of　calls。
　The　first　were　to　his　four　helicopter　pilots；　instructing　them　to　have　his　two　largest　helicopters…never　a　man　to　do　things　by　halves；　Lord　Worth　owned　no　fewer　than　six　of　these　machines…ready　at　his　own　private　airfield　shortly　before　dawn。　The　next　four　were　to　people　of　whose　existence　his　fellow　directors　were　totally　unaware。　The　first　of　these　calls　was　to　Cuba；　the　second　to　Venezuela。　Lord　Worth's　worldwide　range　of　contacts…employees；　rather…was　vast。　The　instructions　to　both　were　simple　and　explicit。　A　constant　monitoring　watch　was　to　be　kept　on　the　naval　bases　in　both　countries；　and　any　sudden　departures　of　any　naval　vessels；　and　their　type；　was　to　be　reported　to　him　immediately。
　The　third；　to　a　person　who　lived　not　too　many　miles　away；　was　addressed　to　a　certain　Giuseppe　Palermo；　whose　name　sounded　as　if　he　might　be　a　member　of　the　Mafia；　but　who　definitely　wasn't：　the　Mafia　Palermo　despised　as　a　mollycoddling　organization　which　had　bee　so　ludicrously　gentle　in　its　methods　of　persuasion　as　to　be　in　imminent　danger　of　being　respectable。　The　next　call　was　to　Baton　Rouge　in　Louisiana；　where　lived　a　person　who　called　himself　only　〃Conde〃　and　whose　main　claim　to　fame　lay　in　the　fact　that　he　was　the　highest…ranking　naval　officer　to　have　been　court…martialed　and　dishonorably　discharged　since　World　War　。　He；　like　the　others；　received　very　explicit　instructions。　Not　only　was　Lord　Worth　a　master　organizer；　but　the　efficiency　he　displayed　was　matched　only　by　his　speed　in　operation。
　The　noble　Lord；　who　would　have　stoutly　maintained…if　anyone　had　the　temerity　to　accuse　him；　which　no　one　ever　had…that　he　was　no　criminal；　was　about　to　bee　j