rl.thebourneultimatum-第122部分

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perior；　but　then　this　is　a　proletarian　society；　yes？　Simply　follow　the　advice　of　an　extremely　experienced　subordinate。　Have　a　pleasant　day。　。。。　No；　that　is　not　a　threat；　it　is　merely　a　phrase　I　picked　up　in　Paris…American　origin；　I　believe。〃　Krupkin　hung　up　the　phone　and　sighed。　〃There's　something　to　be　said　for　our　vanished；　educated　aristocracy；　I'm　afraid。〃
　〃Don't　say　it　out　loud；〃　observed　Conklin；　nodding　at　the　telephone。　〃I　gather　nothing's　ing　down。〃
　〃Nothing　to　act　upon　immediately　but　something　rather　interesting；　even　fascinating　in　a　macabre　sort　of　way。〃
　〃By　which　you　mean　it　concerns　Carlos；　I　assume。〃
　〃No　one　else。〃　Krupkin　shook　his　head　as　Jason　looked　over　at　him　from　the　window。　〃I　stopped　at　my　office　to　join　the　assault　squad　and　on　my　desk　were　eight　large　manila　envelopes；　only　one　of　which　had　been　opened。　The　police　found　them　in　the　Vavilova　and；　true　to　form；　having　read　the　contents　of　only　one；　wanted　nothing　to　do　with　them。〃
　〃What　were　they？〃　asked　Alex；　chuckling。　〃State　secrets　describing　the　entire　Politburo　as　gay？〃
　〃You're　probably　not　far　off　the　mark；〃　interrupted　Bourne。　〃That　was　the　Jackal's　Moscow　cadre　in　the　Vavilova。　He　was　either　showing　them　the　dirt　he　had　on　them；　or　giving　them　the　dirt　on　others。〃
　〃The　latter　in　this　case；〃　said　Krupkin。　〃A　collection　of　the　most　preposterous　allegations　directed　at　the　ranking　heads　of　our　major　ministries。〃
　〃He's　got　vaults　of　that　garbage。　It's　standard　operating　procedure　for　Carlos；　it's　how　he　buys　his　way　into　circles　he　shouldn't　be　able　to　penetrate。〃
　〃Then　I'm　not　being　clear；　Jason；〃　continued　the　KGB　officer。　〃When　I　say　preposterous；　I　mean　exactly　that…beyond　belief。　Lunacy。〃
　〃He's　almost　always　on　target。　Don't　take　that　judgment　to　the　bank。〃
　〃If　there　were　such　a　bank　I　certainly　would；　and　I'd　negotiate　a　sizable　loan　on　its　efficacy　as　collateral。。　Most　of　the　information　is　the　stuff　of　the　lowest…grade　tabloids…nothing　unusual　there；　of　course…but　along　with　such　nonsense　are　outright　distortions　of　times；　places；　functions　and　even　identities。　For　example；　the　Ministry　of　Transport　is　not　where　a　particular　file　says；　but　a　block　away；　and　a　certain　rade　direktor　is　not　married　to　the　lady　named　but　to　someone　else…the　woman　mentioned　is　their　daughter　and　is　not　in　Moscow　but　rather　in　Cuba；　where　she's　been　for　six　years。　Also；　the　man　listed　as　head　of　Radio　Moscow　and　accused　of　just　about　everything　short　of　having　intercourse　with　dogs；　died　eleven　months　ago　and　was　a　known　closet　orthodox　Catholic；　who　would　have　been　far　happier　as　a　truly　devout　priest。　。。。　These　blatant　falsehoods　I　picked　up　in　a　matter　of　minutes；　time　being　at　a　premium；　but　I'm　sure　there　are　dozens　more。〃
　〃You're　saying　that　a　scam　was　pulled　on　Carlos？〃　said　Conklin。
　〃One　so　garish…albeit　piled　with　extreme　conviction…it　would　be　laughed　out　of　our　most　rigidly　doctrinaire　courts。　Whoever　fed　him　these　melodramatic　'exposés'　wanted　built…in　deniabilities。〃
　〃Rodchenko？〃　asked　Bourne。
　〃I　can't　think　of　anyone　else。　Grigorie…I　say　'Grigorie'　but　I　never　called　him　that　to　his　face；　it　was　always　'General'…was　a　consummate　strategist；　the　ultimate　survivor；　as　well　as　a　deeply　mitted　Marxist。　Control　was　his　byword；　his　addiction；　really；　and　if　he　could　control　the　infamous　Jackal　for　the　Motherland's　interests；　what　a　profound　exhilaration　for　the　old　man。　Yet　the　Jackal　killed　him　with　those　symbolic　bullets　in　his　throat。　Was　it　betrayal；　or　was　it　carelessness　on　Rodchenko's　part　at　having　been　discovered？　Which？　We'll　never　know。〃　The　telephone　rang　and　Krupkin's　hand　shot　down；　picking　it　up。　〃Da？〃　Shifting　to　Russian；　Dimitri　gestured　for　Conklin　to　restrap　the　prosthetic　boot　as　he　spoke。　〃Now　listen　to　me　very　carefully；　rade。　The　police　are　to　make　no　moves…above　all；　they　are　to　remain　out　of　sight。　Call　in　one　of　our　unmarked　vehicles　to　replace　the　patrol　car；　am　I　clear？　。。。　Good。　We'll　use　the　Moray　frequency。〃
　〃Breakthrough？〃　asked　Bourne；　stepping　away　from　the　window　as　Dimitri　slammed　down　the　phone。
　〃Maximum！〃　replied　Krupkin。　〃The　car　was　spotted　on　the　Nemchinovka　road　heading　toward　Odintsovo。〃
　〃That　doesn't　mean　anything　to　me。　What's　in　Odintsovo；　or　whatever　it's　called？〃
　〃I　don't　know　specifically；　but　I　must　assume　he　does。　Remember；　he　knows　Moscow　and　its　environs。　Odintsovo　is　what　you　might　call　an　industrial　suburb　about　thirty…five　minutes　from　the　city…〃
　〃Goddamn　it！〃　yelled　Alex；　struggling　with　the　Velcro　straps　of　his　boot。
　〃Let　me　do　that；〃　said　Jason；　his　tone　of　voice　brooking　no　objection　as　he　knelt　down　and　swiftly　manipulated　the　thick　strips　of　coarse　cloth。　〃Why　is　Carlos　still　using　the　Dzerzhinsky　car？〃　continued　Bourne；　addressing　Krupkin。　〃It's　not　like　him　to　take　that　kind　of　risk。〃
　〃It　is　if　he　has　no　choice。　He　has　to　know　that　all　Moscow　taxis　are　a　silent　arm　of　the　state；　and　he　is；　after　all；　severely　wounded　and　undoubtedly　now　without　a　gun　or　he　would　have　used　it　on　you。　He's　in　no　condition　to　threaten　a　driver　or　steal　an　automobile。　。。。　Besides；　he　reached　the　Nemchinovka　road　quickly；　that　the　car　was　even　seen　is　pure　chance。　The　road　is　not　well　traveled；　which　I　assume　he　also　knows。〃
　〃Let's　get　out　of　here！〃　cried　Conklin；　annoyed　by　both　Jason's　attention　and　his　own　infirmity。　He　stood　up；　wavered；　angrily　rejected　Krupkin's　hand；　and　started　for　the　door。　〃We　can　talk　in　the　car。　We're　wasting　time。〃
　〃Moray；　e　in；　please；〃　said　Krupkin　in　Russian；　sitting　beside　the　assault　squad　driver　in　the　front　seat；　the　microphone　at　his　lips；　his　hand　on　the　frequency　dial　of　the　vehicle's　radio。　〃Moray；　respond；　if　I'm　reaching　you。〃
　〃What　the　hell's　he　talking　about？〃　asked　Bourne；　in　the　backseat　with　Alex。
　〃He's　trying　to　make　contact　with　the　unmarked　KGB　patrol　following　Carlos。　He　keeps　switching　from　one　ultrahigh　frequency　to　another。　It's　the　Moray　code。〃
　〃The　what？〃
　〃It's　an　eel；　Jason；〃　replied　Krupkin；　glancing　over　the　seat。　〃Of　the　Muraenidae　family　with　pore…like　gills　and　capable　of　descending　to　great　depths。　Certain　species　can　be　quite　deadly。〃
　〃Thank　you；　Peter　Lorre；〃　said　Bourne。
　〃Very　good；〃　laughed　the　KGB　man。　〃But　you'll　admit　it's　aptly　descriptive。　Very　few　radios　can　either　send　it　or　receive　it。〃
　〃When　did　you　steal　it　from　us？〃
　〃Oh；　not　you；　not　you　at　all。　From　the　British；　truthfully。　As　usual；　London　is　very　quiet　about　these　things；　but　they're　far　ahead　of　you　and　the　Japanese　in　certain　areas。　It's　that　damned　MI…Six。　They　dine　in　their　clubs　in　Knightsbridge；　smoke　their　odious　pipes；　play　the　innocents；　and　send　us　defectors　trained　at　the　Old　Vic。〃
　〃They've　had　their　gaps；〃　said　Conklin　defensively。
　〃More　so　in　their　high…dudgeon　revelations　than　in　reality；　Aleksei。　You've　been　away　too　long。　We've　both　lost　more　than　they　have　in　that　department；　but　they　can　cope　with　public　embarrassment…we　haven't　learned　that　time…honored　trait。　We　bury　our　'gaps；'　as　you　put　it；　we　try　too　hard　for　that　respectability　which　too　often　eludes　us。　Then；　I　suppose；　we're　historically　young　by　parison。〃　Krupkin　again　switched　back　into　Russian。　〃Moray；　e　in；　please！　I'm　reaching　the　end　of　the　spectrum。　Where　are　you；　Moray？〃
　〃Stop　there；　rade！〃　came　the　metallic　voice　over　the　loudspeaker。　〃We're　in　contact。　Can　you　hear　me？〃
　〃You　sound　like　a　castrato　but　I　can　hear　you。〃
　〃This　must　be　rade　Krupkin…〃
　〃Were　you　expecting　the　pope？　Who's　this？〃
　〃Orlov。〃
　〃Good！　You　know　what　you're　doing。〃
　〃I　hope　you　do；　Dimitri。〃
　〃Why　do　you　say　that？〃
　〃Your　insufferable　orders　to　do　nothing；　that's　why。　We're　two　kilometers　away　from　the　building…I　drove　up　through　the　grass　on　a　small　hill…and　we　have　the　vehicle　in　sight。　It's　parked　in　the　lot　and　the　suspect's　inside。〃
　〃What　building？　What　hill？　You　tell　me　nothing。〃
　〃The　Kubinka　Armory。〃
　Hearing　this；　Conklin　bolted　forward　in　the　seat。　〃Oh；　my　God！〃　he　cried。
　〃What　is　it？〃　asked　Bourne。
　〃He　reached　an　armory。〃　Alex　saw　the　frown　of　confusion　on　Jason's　face。　〃Over　here　armories　are　a　hell　of　a　lot　more　than　enclosed　parade　grounds　for　legionnaires　and　reservists。　They're　serious　training　quarters　and　warehouses　for　weapons。〃
　〃He　wasn't　heading　for　Odintsovo；〃　broke　in　Krupkin。　〃The　armory's　farther　south；　on　the　outskirts　of　the　town；　another　four　or　five　kilometers。　He's　been　there　before。〃
　〃Those　places　must　have　tight　security；〃　said　Bourne。　〃He　can't　just　walk　inside。〃
　〃He　already　has；〃　corrected　the　KGB　officer　from　Paris。
　〃I　mean　into　restricted　areas…like　storerooms　filled　with　weapons。〃
　〃That's　what　concerns　me；〃　went　on　Krupkin；　fingering　the　microphone　in　his　hand。　〃Since　he's　been　there　before…and　he　obviously　has…what　does　he　know　about　the　installation　。。。　who　does　he　know？〃
　〃Get　on　a　radio　patch；　call　the　place　and　have　him　stopped；　held！〃　insisted　Jason。
　〃Suppose　I　reach　the　wrong　person；　or　suppose　he　already　has　weapons　and　we　set　him　off？　With　one　phone　call；　one　hostile　confrontation　or　even　the　appearance　of　a　strange　automobile；　there　could　be　wholesale　slaughter　of　several　dozen　men　and　women。　We　saw　what　he　did　at　the　Metropole；　in　the　Vavilova。　He's　lost　all　control；　he's　utterly　mad。〃
　〃Dimitri；〃　came　the　metallic　Soviet　voice　over　the　radio　speaking　Russian。　〃Something's　happening。　The　man　just　came　out　of　a　side　door　with　a　burlap　sack　and　is　heading　for　the　car。　。。。　rade；　I'm　not　sure　it's　the　same　man。　It　probably　is；　but　there's　something　different　about　him。〃
　〃What　do　you　mean？　The　clothes？〃
　〃No；　he's　wearing　a　dark　suit　and　his　right　arm　is　in　a　black　sling　as　before　。。。　yet　he's　moving　more　rapidly；　his　pace　firmer；　his　posture　erect。〃
　〃You're　saying　he　does　not　appear　to　be　wounded；　yes？〃
　〃I　guess　that's　what　I'm　saying；　yes。〃
　〃He　could　be　faking　it；〃　said　Conklin。　〃That　son　of　a　bitch　could　be　taking　his　last　breath　and　convince　you　he's　ready　for　a　marathon。〃
　〃For　what　purpose；　Aleksei？　Why　any　pretense　at　all？〃
　〃I　don't　know；　but　if　your　man　in　that　car　can　see　him；　he　can　see　the　car。　Maybe　he's　just　in　a　hell　of　a　hurry。〃
　〃What's　going　on？〃　asked　Bourne　angrily。
　〃Someone's　e　outside　with　a　bagful　o