rl.thebourneultimatum-第115部分

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eighed　by　our　own　concerns。〃　Dimitri　turned　to　the　television　set　and　the　shakily　stationary　picture；　his　eyes　now　filled　with　anger。　〃The　Soviet　intelligence　officer　on　that　screen　is　General　Rodchenko；　second　in　mand　of　the　KGB　and　close　adviser　to　the　premier　of　the　Soviet　Union。　Many　things　may　be　done　in　the　name　of　Russian　interests　and　without　the　premier's　knowledge；　but　in　this　day　and　age　not　in　the　areas　you　describe。　My　God；　the　supreme　mander　of　NATO！　And　never…never…using　the　services　of　Carlos　the　Jackal！　These　embarrassments　are　no　less　than　dangerous　and　frightening　catastrophes。〃
　〃Have　you　got　any　suggestions？〃　asked　Conklin。
　〃A　foolish　question；〃　answered　the　colonel　gruffly。　〃Arrest；　then　the　Lubyanka　。。。　then　silence。〃
　〃There's　a　problem　with　that　solution；〃　said　Alex。　〃The　Central　Intelligence　Agency　knows　Ogilvie's　in　Moscow。〃
　〃So　where　is　the　problem？　We　rid　us　both　of　an　unhealthy　person　and　his　crimes　and　go　about　our　business。〃
　〃It　may　seem　strange　to　you；　but　the　problem　isn't　only　with　the　unhealthy　person　and　his　crimes；　even　where　the　Soviet　Union　is　concerned。　It's　with　the　cover…up…where　Washington's　concerned。〃
　The　Komitet　officer　looked　at　Krupkin　and　spoke　in　Russian。　〃What　is　this　one　talking　about？〃
　〃It's　difficult　for　us　to　understand；〃　answered　Dimitri　in　his　native　language；　〃still；　for　them　it　is　a　problem。　Let　me　try　to　explain。〃
　〃What's　he　saying？〃　asked　Bourne；　annoyed。
　〃I　think　he's　about　to　give　a　civics　lesson；　U。S。　style。〃
　〃Such　lessons　more　often　than　not　fall　on　deaf　ears　in　Washington；〃　interrupted　Krupkin　in　English；　then　immediately　resuming　Russian；　he　addressed　his　KGB　superior。　〃You　see；　rade；　no　one　in　America　would　blame　us　for　taking　advantage　of　this　Ogilvie's　criminal　activities。　They　have　a　proverb　they　repeat　so　frequently　that　it　covers　oceans　of　guilt：　'One　does　not　look　a　gift　horse　in　the　mouth。'　〃
　〃What　has　a　horse's　mouth　got　to　do　with　gifts？　From　its　tail　es　manure　for　the　farms；　from　its　mouth；　only　spittle。〃
　〃It　loses　something　in　the　translation。　。。。　Nevertheless；　this　attorney；　Ogilvie；　obviously　had　a　great　many　government　connections；　officials　who　overlooked　his　questionable　practices　for　large　sums　of　money；　practices　that　entailed　millions　upon　millions　of　dollars。　Laws　were　circumvented；　men　killed；　lies　accepted　as　the　truth；　in　essence；　there　was　considerable　corruption；　and；　as　we　know；　the　Americans　are　obsessed　with　corruption。　They　even　label　every　progressive　acmodation　as　potentially　'corrupt；'　and　there's　nothing　older；　more　knowledgeable　peoples　can　do　about　it。　They　hang　out　their　soiled　linen　for　all　the　world　to　see　like　a　badge　of　honor。〃
　〃Because　it　is；〃　broke　in　Alex；　speaking　English。　〃That's　something　a　lot　of　people　here　wouldn't　understand　because　you　cover　every　acmodation　you　make；　every　crime　you　mit；　every　mouth　you　shut　with　a　basket　of　roses。　。。。　However；　considering　pots　and　kettles　and　odious　parisons；　I'll　dispense　with　a　lecture。　I'm　just　telling　you　that　Ogilvie　has　to　be　sent　back　and　all　the　accounts　settled；　that's　the　'progressive　acmodation'　you　have　to　make。〃
　〃I'm　sure　we'll　take　it　under　advisement。〃
　〃Not　good　enough；〃　said　Conklin。　〃Let's　put　it　this　way。　Beyond　accountability；　there's　simply　too　much　known…or　will　be　in　a　matter　of　days…about　his　enterprise；　including　the　connection　to　Teagarten's　death；　for　you　to　keep　him　here。　Not　only　Washington；　but　the　entire　European　munity　would　dump　on　you。　Talk　of　embarrassments；　this　is　a　beaut；　to　say　nothing　about　the　effects　on　trade；　or　your　imports　and　exports…〃
　〃You've　made　your　point；　Aleksei；〃　interrupted　Krupkin。　〃Assuming　this　acmodation　can　be　made；　will　it　be　clear　that　Moscow　cooperated　fully　in　bringing　this　American　criminal　back　to　American　justice？〃
　〃We　obviously　couldn't　do　it　without　you。　As　the　temporary　field　officer　of　record；　I'll　swear　to　it　before　both　intelligence　mittees　of　Congress；　if　need　be。〃
　〃And　that　we　had　nothing…absolutely　nothing　to　do　with　the　killings　you　mentioned；　specifically　the　assassination　of　the　supreme　mander　of　NATO。〃
　〃Absolutely　clear。　It　was　one　of　the　major　reasons　for　your　cooperation。　Your　government　was　horrified　by　the　assassination。〃
　Krupkin　looked　hard　at　Alex；　his　voice　lower　but　stronger　for　it。　He　turned　slowly；　his　eyes　briefly　on　the　television　screen；　then　back　to　Conklin。　〃General　Rodchenko？〃　he　said。　〃What　shall　we　do　with　General　Rodchenko？〃
　〃What　you　do　with　General　Rodchenko　is　your　business；〃　replied　Alex　quietly。　〃Neither　Bourne　nor　I　ever　heard　the　name。〃
　〃Da；〃　said　Krupkin；　nodding；　again　slowly。　〃And　what　you　do　with　the　Jackal　in　Soviet　territory　is　your　business；　Aleksei。　However；　be　assured　we　shall　cooperate　to　the　fullest　degree。〃
　〃How　do　we　begin？〃　asked　Jason　impatiently。
　〃First　things　first。〃　Dimitri　looked　over　at　the　KGB　missar。　〃rade；　have　you　understood　what　we've　said？〃
　〃Enough　so；　Krupkin；〃　replied　the　heavyset　peasant…colonel；　walking　to　a　telephone　on　an　inlaid　marble　table　against　the　wall。　He　picked　up　the　phone　and　dialed；　his　call　was　answered　immediately。　〃It　is　I；〃　said　the　missar　in　Russian。　〃The　third　man　in　tape　seven　with　Rodchenko　and　the　priest；　the　one　New　York　identified　as　the　American　named　Ogilvie。　As　of　now　he　is　to　be　placed　under　our　surveillance　and　he　is　not　to　leave　Moscow。〃　The　colonel　suddenly　arched　his　thick　brows；　his　face　growing　red。　〃That　order　is　countermanded！　He　is　no　longer　the　responsibility　of　Diplomatic　Relations；　he　is　now　the　sole　property　of　the　KGB。　。。。　A　reason？　Use　your　skull；　potato　head！　Tell　them　we　are　convinced　he　is　an　American　double　agent　whom　those　fools　did　not　uncover。　Then　the　usual　garbage：　harboring　enemies　of　the　state　due　to　laxness；　their　exalted　positions　once　again　protected　by　the　Komitet…that　sort　of　thing。　Also；　you　might　mention　that　they　should　not　look　a　gift　horse　in　the　mouth。　。。。　I　don't　understand　any　more　than　you　do；　rade；　but　those　butterflies　over　there　in　their　tight…fitting　suits　probably　will。　Alert　the　airports。〃　The　missar　hung　up。
　〃He　did　it；〃　said　Conklin；　turning　to　Bourne。　〃Ogilvie　stays　in　Moscow。〃
　〃I　don't　give　a　goddamn　about　Ogilvie！〃　exploded　Jason；　his　voice　intense；　his　jaw　pulsating。　〃I'm　here　for　Carlos！〃
　〃The　priest？〃　asked　the　colonel；　walking　away　from　the　table。
　〃That's　exactly　who　I　mean。〃
　〃Is　simple。　We　put　General　Rodchenko　on　a　very　long　rope　that　he　cannot　see　or　feel。　You　will　be　at　the　other　end。　He　will　meet　his　Jackal　priest　again。〃
　〃That's　all　I　ask；〃　said　Jason　Bourne。
　General　Grigorie　Rodchenko　sat　at　a　window　table　in　the　Lastochka　restaurant　by　the　Krymsky　Bridge　on　the　Moskva　River。　It　was　his　favorite　place　for　a　midnight　dinner；　the　lights　on　the　bridge　and　on　the　slow…moving　boats　in　the　water　were　relaxing　to　the　eye　and　therefore　to　the　metabolism。　He　needed　the　calming　atmosphere；　for　during　the　past　two　days　things　had　been　so　unsettling。　Had　he　been　right　or　had　he　been　wrong？　Had　his　instincts　been　correct　or　far　off　the　mark？　He　could　not　know　at　the　moment；　but　those　same　instincts　had　enabled　him　to　survive　the　mad　Stalin　as　a　youth；　the　blustering　Khrushchev　in　middle　age；　and　the　inept　Brezhnev　a　few　years　later。　Now　there　was　yet　a　new　Russia　under　Gorbachev；　a　new　Soviet　Union；　in　fact；　and　his　old　age　weled　it。　Perhaps　things　would　relax　a　bit　and　long…standing　enmities　fade　into　a　once　hostile　horizon。　Still；　horizons　did　not　really　change；　they　were　always　horizons；　distant；　flat；　fired　with　color　or　darkness；　but　still　distant；　flat　and　unreachable。
　He　was　a　survivor；　Rodchenko　understood　that；　and　a　survivor　protected　himself　on　as　many　points　of　the　pass　as　he　could　read。　He　also　insinuated　himself　into　as　many　degrees　of　that　pass　as　possible。　Therefore；　he　had　labored　diligently　to　bee　a　trusted　mouth　to　the　chairman；　he　was　an　expert　at　gathering　information　for　the　Komitet；　he　was　the　initial　conduit　to　the　American　enterprise　known　to　him　alone　in　Moscow　as　Medusa；　through　which　extraordinary　shipments；　had　been　made　throughout　Russia　and　the　bloc　nations。　On　the　other　hand；　he　was　also　a　liaison　to　the　monseigneur　in　Paris；　Carlos　the　Jackal；　whom　he　had　either　persuaded　or　bought　off　from　contracts　that　might　point　to　the　Soviet　Union。　He　had　been　the　ultimate　bureaucrat；　working　behind　the　scenes　on　the　international　stage；　seeking　neither　applause　nor　celebrity；　merely　survival。　Then　why　had　he　done　what　he　did？　Was　it　mere　impetuousness　born　of　weariness　and　fear　and　the　sense　of　a　plague…on…both…your…houses？　No；　it　was　a　logical　extension　of　events；　consistent　with　the　needs　of　his　country　and；　above　all；　the　absolute　necessity　that　Moscow　disassociate　itself　from　both　Medusa　and　the　Jackal。
　According　to　the　consul　general　in　New　York；　Bryce　Ogilvie　was　finished　in　America。　The　consul's　suggestion　was　to　find　him　asylum　somewhere　and；　in　exchange；　gradually　absorb　his　myriad　assets　in　Europe。　What　worried　the　consul　general　in　New　York　was　not　Ogilvie's　financial　manipulations　that　broke　more　laws　than　there　were　courts　to　prosecute；　but　rather　the　killings；　which　as　far　as　the　consul　could　determine　were　widespread　and　included　the　murder　of　high　U。S。　government　officials　and；　unless　he　was　grossly　mistaken；　the　assassination　of　the　supreme　mander　of　NATO。　pounding　this　chain　of　horrors　was　New　York's　opinion　that　in　order　to　save　a　number　of　his　panies　from　confiscation；　Ogilvie　might　have　ordered　additional　killings　in　Europe；　primarily　of　those　few　powerful　executives　in　various　firms　who　understood　the　plex　international　linkages　that　led　back　to　a　great　law　firm　and　the　unspoken　code　name　Medusa。　Should　those　contracted　murders　take　place　while　Ogilvie　was　in　Moscow；　questions　might　arise　that　Moscow　could　not　tolerate。　Therefore；　get　him　in　and　out　of　the　Soviet　Union　as　fast　as　possible；　a　remendation　more　easily　made　than　acplished。
　Suddenly；　Rodchenko　reflected；　into　this　danse　macabre　had　e　the　paranoid　monseigneur　from　Paris。　It　was　imperative　they　meet　immediately！　Carlos　had　fairly　screamed　his　demand　over　the　arranged　public　telephone　munication　they　employed；　but　every　precaution　had　to　be　taken。　The　Jackal；　as　always；　demanded