tc.thebearandthedragon-第96部分

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；　reached　inside　his　jacket；　and　pulled　out　something　metallic。　Then　the　hand　paused　briefly；　and　as　he　turned　pages　in　the　paper…the　fluttering　of　the　paper　was　a　fine　distraction　to　anyone　who　might　be　watching；　since　the　human　eye　is　always　drawn　to　movement…the　right　hand　slid　down　and　affixed　the　metal　transfer　case　to　the　magnetic　holder；　then　returned　for　the　paper；　all　in　one　smooth　motion；　done　so　quickly　as　to　be　invisible。　Well；　almost；　Yefremov　thought。　He'd　caught　spies　before…four　of　them；　in　fact；　which　explained　his　promotion　to　a　supervisory　position…and　every　one　had　a　thrill　attached　to　it；　because　he　was　chasing　and　catching　the　most　elusive　of　game。　And　this　one　was　Russian…trained；　the　most　elusive　of　all。　He'd　never　bagged　one　of　them　before；　and　there　was　the　extra　thrill　of　catching　not　just　a　spy　but　a　traitor　as　well。　。　。　and　perhaps　a　traitor　guilty　of　murder？　he　wondered。　That　was　another　first。　Never　in　his　experience　had　espionage　involved　the　violation　of　that　law。　No；　an　intelligence　operation　was　about　the　transfer　of　information；　which　was　dangerous　enough。　The　inclusion　of　murder　was　an　additional　hazard　that　was　not　calculated　to　please　a　trained　spy。　It　made　noise；　as　they　said；　and　noise　was　something　a　spy　avoided　as　much　as　a　cat　burglar；　and　for　much　the　same　reason。
　〃Call　Provalov；〃　Yefremov　told　his　subordinate。　Two　reasons　for　that。　First；　he　rather　owed　it　to　the　militia　lieutenant；　who'd　presented　him　with　both　the　case　and　the　subject。　Second；　the　civilian　cop　might　know　something　useful　to　his　part　of　this　case。　They　continued　to　watch　Suvorov/Koniev　for　another　ten　minutes。　Finally；　he　stood　and　walked　back　to　his　car　for　the　drive　back　to　his　apartment；　during　which　he　was　duly　followed　by　the　ever…changing　surveillance　team。　After　the　requisite　fifteen　minutes；　one　of　Yefremov's　people　crossed　the　street　and　retrieved　the　case　from　the　bench。　It　was　the　locked　one　again；　which　told　them　that　the　item　inside　was　perhaps　more　important。　You　had　to　get　past　the　anti…tamper　device　to　keep　the　contents　from　being　destroyed；　but　the　FSS　had　people　well　skilled　in　that；　and　the　key　for　this　transfer　case　had　already　been　struck。　That　was　confirmed　twenty　minutes　later；　when　the　case　was　opened　and　the　contents　extracted；　unfolded；　photographed；　refolded；　reinserted；　and；　finally；　relocked　in　the　container；　which　was　immediately　driven　back　to　the　bench。
　Back　at　FSS　headquarters；　the　decryption　team　typed　the　message　into　a　puter　into　which　the　one…time…pad　had　already　been　inputted。　After　that；　it　was　a　matter　of　mere　seconds　before　the　puter　performed　a　function　not　unlike　sliding　a　document　over　a　printed　template。　The　clear…text　message　was；　agreeably；　in　Russian。　The　content　of　the　message　was　something　else。
　〃Yob　tvoyu　maht！〃　the　technician　breathed；　in　one　of　his　language's　more　repulsive　imprecations：　Fuck　your　mother。　Then　he　handed　the　page　to　one　of　the　supervising　inspectors；　whose　reaction　was　little　different。　Then　he　walked　to　the　phone　and　dialed　Yefremov's　number。
　〃Pavel　Georgeyevich；　you　need　to　see　this。〃
　Provalov　was　there　when　the　chief　of　the　decryption　section　walked　in。　The　printout　was　in　a　manila　folder；　which　the　head　cryppie　handed　over　without　a　word。
　〃Well；　Pasha？〃　the　homicide　investigator　asked。
　〃Well；　we　have　answered　our　first　question。〃
　The　motorcar　was　even　purchased　at　the　same　dealership　in　central　Moscow；　the　sheet　read。　There　is　no　fault　to　be　found　here。　The　men　who　performed　the　mission　are　both　dead　in　St。　P。　Before　I　can　make　another　attempt；　I　need　an　indication　from　you　on　the　timeline；　and　also　on　the　payment　to　my　contractors。
　〃Golovko　was　the　target；　then；〃　Provalov　observed。　And　the　head　of　our　country's　intelligence　service　owes　his　life　to　a　pimp。
　〃So　it　would　appear；〃　Yefremov　agreed。　〃Note　that　he　doesn't　ask　payment　for　himself。　I　would　imagine　he's　somewhat　embarrassed　at　having　missed　his　target　on　the　first　attempt。〃
　〃But　he's　working　for　the　Chinese？〃
　〃So　that　would　appear　as　well；〃　the　FSS　man　observed；　with　an　inward　chill。　Why；　he　asked　himself；　would　the　Chinese　wish　to　do　such　a　thing？　Isn't　that　nearly　an　act　of　war？　He　sat　back　in　his　chair　and　lit　up　a　smoke；　looking　into　the　eyes　of　his　police　colleague。　Neither　man　knew　what　to　say　at　the　moment；　and　both　kept　silent。　It　would　all　soon　be　out　of　and　far　beyond　their　hands。　With　that　decided；　both　men　headed　home　for　dinner。
　
　The　morning　broke　more　brightly　than　usual　in　Beijing。　Mrs。　Yu　had　slept　deeply　and　well；　and　though　she　awoke　with　a　slight　headache；　she　was　grateful　for　Wen's　insistence　on　a　couple　of　drinks　before　retiring。　Then　she　remembered　why　she　was　in　Beijing；　and　any　good　feelings　departed　from　her　mind。　Breakfast　was　mainly　green　tea　and　was　spent　looking　down；　remembering　the　sound　of　her　husband's　voice　in　the　bleak　acceptance　of　the　fact　that　she'd　never　hear　it　again。　He'd　always　been　in　a　good　mood　over　breakfast；　never　forgetting；　as　she　had　just　done；　to　say　grace　over　the　morning　meal　and　thank　God　for　another　day　in　which　to　serve　Him。　No　more。　No　more　would　he　do　that；　she　reminded　herself。　But　she　had　duties　of　her　own　to　perform。
　〃What　can　we　do；　Zhong？〃　she　asked；　when　her　host　appeared。
　〃I　will　go　with　you　to　the　police　post　and　we　will　ask　for　Fa　An's　body；　and　then　I　will　help　you　fly　our　friend　home；　and　we　will　have　a　memorial　prayer　service　at　the…〃
　〃No；　you　can't；　Zhong。　There　are　police　there　to　keep　everyone　out。　They　wouldn't　even　let　me　in；　even　though　I　had　my　papers　in　order。〃
　〃Then　we　will　have　it　outside；　and　they　will　watch　us　pray　for　our　friend；〃　the　restaurateur　told　his　guest　with　gentle　resolve。
　Ten　minutes　later；　she'd　cleaned　up　and　was　ready　to　leave。　The　police　station　was　only　four　blocks　away；　a　simple　building；　ordinary　in　all　respects　except　for　the　sign　over　the　door。
　〃Yes？〃　the　desk　officer　said　when　his　peripheral　vision　noted　the　presence　of　people　by　his　desk。　He　looked　up　from　the　paper　forms　that　had　occupied　his　attention　for　the　past　few　minutes　to　see　a　woman　and　a　man　of　about　the　same　age。
　〃I　am　Yu　Chun；〃　Mrs。　Yu　answered；　seeing　some　recognition　in　the　desk　officer's　eyes　result　from　her　words。
　〃You　are　the　wife　of　Yu　Fa　An？〃　he　asked。
　〃That　is　correct。〃
　〃Your　husband　was　an　enemy　of　the　people；〃　the　cop　said　next；　sure　of　that　but　not　sure　of　much　else　in　this　awkward　case。
　〃I　believe　he　was　not；　but　all　I　ask　is　for　his　body；　so　that　I　might　fly　it　home　for　burial　with　his　family。〃
　〃I　do　not　know　where　his　body　is；〃　the　cop　said。
　〃But　he　was　shot　by　a　policeman；〃　Wen　put　in；　〃and　the　disposal　of　his　body　is　therefore　a　police　matter。　So；　might　you　be　so　kind；　rade；　as　to　call　the　proper　number　so　that　we　can　remove　our　friends　body？〃　His　manners　did　not　allow　anger　on　the　part　of　the　desk　officer。
　But　the　desk　cop　really　didn't　know　what　number　to　call；　and　so　he　called　someone　inside　the　building；　in　the　large　administration　division。　He　found　this　embarrassing　to　do　with　two　citizens　standing　by　his　desk；　but　there　was　no　avoiding　that。
　〃Yes？〃　a　voice　answered　on　his　third　internal　call。
　〃This　is　Sergeant　Jiang　at　the　desk　in　the　public　lobby。　I　have　Yu　Chun　here；　seeking　the　body　of　her　husband；　Yu　Fa　An。　I　need　to　tell　her　where　to　go。〃
　The　reply　took　a　few　seconds　for　the　man　on　the　other　end　of　the　phone；　who　had　to　remember。。。。　〃Ah；　yes；　tell　her　she　can　go　to　the　Da　Yunhe　River。　His　body　was　cremated　and　the　ashes　dumped　in　the　water　last　evening。〃
　And；　enemy　of　the　people　or　not；　it　would　not　be　a　pleasant　thing　to　tell　his　widow；　who'd　probably　had　feelings　for　him。　Sergeant　Jiang　set　the　phone　down　and　decided　to　give　her　the　news。
　〃The　body　of　Yu　Fa　An　was　cremated　and　the　ashes　scattered　in　the　river；　rade。〃
　〃That　is　cruel！〃　Wen　said　at　once。　Chun　was　too　stunned　to　say　anything　at　the　moment。
　〃I　cannot　help　you　more　than　that；〃　Jiang　told　his　visitors　and　looked　back　down　at　his　paperwork　to　dismiss　them。
　〃Where　is　my　husband？〃　Yu　Chun　managed　to　blurt；　after　thirty　seconds　or　so　of　silence。
　〃Your　husband's　body　was　cremated　and　the　ashes　scattered；〃　Jiang　said；　without　looking　up；　because　he　really　didn't　wish　to　see　her　eyes　under　these　circumstances。　〃I　cannot　help　you　further。　You　may　leave　now。〃
　〃I　want　my　husband　back！〃　she　insisted。
　〃Your　husband　is　dead　and　his　body　has　been　cremated。　Be　gone　now！〃　Sergeant　Jiang　insisted　in　return；　wishing　she'd　just　go　away　and　allow　him　to　get　back　to　his　paperwork。
　〃I　want　my　husband；〃　she　said　louder　now；　causing　a　few　eyes　to　turn　her　way　in　the　lobby。
　〃He　is　gone；　Chun；〃　Wen　Zhong　told　her；　taking　her　arm　and　steering　her　to　the　door。　〃e；　we　will　pray　for　him　outside；〃
　〃But　why　did　they…I　mean；　why　is　he…and　why　did　they…〃　It　had　just　been　too　much　for　one　twenty…four…hour　period。　Despite　the　night's　sleep；　Yu　Chun　was　still　too　disoriented。　Her　husband　of　over　twenty　years　had　vanished；　and　now　she　could　not　even　see　the　urn　containing　his　ashes？　It　was　a　lot　to　absorb　for　a　woman　who'd　never　so　much　as　bumped　into　a　policeman　on　the　street；　who'd　never　done　a　single　thing　to　offend　the　state…except；　perhaps；　to　marry　a　Christian…　but　what　did　that　hurt；　anyway？　Had　either　of　them；　had　any　of　their　congregation　ever　plotted　treason　against　the　state？　No。　Had　any　of　them　so　much　as　violated　the　criminal　or　civil　law？　No。　And　so　why　had　this　misfortune　fallen　upon　her？　She　felt　as　though　she'd　been　struck　by　an　invisible　truck　while　crossing　the　street；　then　had　it　decided　that　her　injuries　were　all　her　fault。　Behind　one　invisible　truck　was　just　another；　and　all　the　more　merciless　at　that。
　There　was　nothing　left　for　her　to　do；　no　recourse；　legal　or　otherwise。　They　couldn't　even　go　into　her　home；　whose　living　room　had　so　often　served　as　their　church；　there　to　pray　for　Yu's　soul　and　entreat　God　for　mercy　and　help。　Instead　they'd　pray　。　。　。　where？　she　wondered。　One　thing　at　a　time。　She　and　Wen　walked　outside；　escaping　the　eyes　of　the　lobby；　which　had　zoomed　in　on　them　with　almost　physical　impact。　The　eyes　and　the　weight　they'd　carried　were　soon　left　behind；　but　the　sun　outside　was　just　one　more　thing　that　intruded　on　what　o