rl.thebourneultimatum-第138部分

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　The　searchlight　beams　of　the　two　circling　helicopters　centered　on　the　boat　as　the　lead　aircraft　dropped　to　the　beach；　the　rotors　swirling　up　the　sand；　producing　an　outline　of　a　threshold　for　its　landing。　Four　men　leaped　out；　their　weapons　trained　on　the　drifting　speedboat　as　the　inhabitants　of　Villa　Eighteen　stood　by　the　railing；　staring　in　astonishment　at　the　unbelievable　scene　below。
　〃Pritchard！〃　yelled　St。　Jacques。　〃Bring　me　the　binoculars！〃
　〃They're　in　my　hands；　Mr。　Saint　Jay…oh；　there　they　are。〃　The　assistant　manager　rushed　out　with　the　powerful　magnifiers　and　handed　them　to　his　employer。　〃I　managed　to　clean　the　lenses；　sir！〃
　〃What　do　you　see？〃　asked　Bourne　sharply。
　〃I　don't　know。　Two　men。〃
　〃Some　army！〃　said　Conklin。
　〃Give　them　to　me；〃　ordered　Jason；　grabbing　the　binoculars　from　his　brother…in…law。
　〃What　is　it；　David？〃　shouted　Marie；　seeing　the　shock　on　her　husband's　face。
　〃It's　Krupkin；〃　he　said。
　Dimitri　Krupkin　sat　at　the　white　wrought…iron　table；　his　face　pale…and　it　was　his　full　face；　as　his　chin　beard　had　been　removed…and　refused　to　speak　to　anyone　until　he　had　finished　his　third　brandy。　Like　Panov；　Conklin　and　David　Webb；　he　was　clearly　a　hurt　man；　a　wounded　man；　a　man　in　considerable　physical　pain；　which；　like　the　others；　he　did　not　care　to　dwell　upon；　as　what　lay　ahead　was　infinitely　better　than　what　he　had　left　behind。　His　decidedly　inferior　clothes　seemed　to　annoy　him　whenever　he　glanced　down　at　them；　but　he　shrugged　continually　in　silence；　the　shrugs　conveying　the　fact　that　soon　he　would　be　back　in　sartorial　splendor。　His　first　words　were　to　the　elderly　Brendan　Prefontaine　as　he　appraised　the　former　judge's　intricately　laced　peach　guayabera　above　the　royal…blue　trousers。　〃I　like　that　outfit；〃　he　said　admiringly。　〃Very　tropical　and　in　good　taste　for　the　climate。〃
　〃Thank　you。〃
　Introductions　were　made；　and　the　instant　they　were　over；　a　barrage　of　questions　was　hurled　at　the　Soviet。　He　held　up　both　hands；　as　a　pope　might　from　his　balcony　in　St。　Peter's　Square；　and　spoke。　〃I　will　not　bore　you　or　disturb　you　with　the　trivial　details　of　my　flight　from　Mother　Russia；　other　than　to　say　I'm　aghast　at　the　high　price　of　corruption　and　will　neither　forget　nor　forgive　the　filthy　acmodations　I　was　forced　to　endure　for　the　exorbitant　sums　of　money　I　spent。　。。。　That　said；　thank　God　for　Credit　Suisse　and　those　lovely　green　coupons　they　issue。〃
　〃Just　tell　us　what　happened；〃　said　Marie。
　〃You；　dear　lady；　are　even　lovelier　than　I　had　imagined。　Had　we　met　in　Paris　I　would　have　whisked　you　away　from　this　Dickensian　ragamuffin　you　call　a　husband。　My；　look　at　your　hair…glorious！〃
　〃He　probably　couldn't　tell　you　what　color　it　is；〃　said　Marie；　smiling。　〃You'll　be　the　threat　I　hold　over　his　peasant　head。〃
　〃Still；　for　his　age　he's　remarkably　petent。〃
　〃That's　because　I　feed　him　a　lot　of　pills；　all　kinds　of　pills；　Dimitri。　Now　tell　us；　what　happened？〃
　〃What　happened？　They　found　me　out；　that's　what　happened！　They　confiscated　my　lovely　house　in　Geneva！　It's　now　an　adjunct　to　the　Soviet　embassy。　The　loss　is　heartbreaking！〃
　〃I　think　my　wife's　talking　about　the　peasant　me；〃　said　Webb。　〃You　were　in　the　hospital　in　Moscow　and　you　found　out　what　someone　intended　for　me…namely；　my　execution。　Then　you　told　Benjamin　to　get　me　out　of　Novgorod。〃
　〃I　have　sources；　Jason；　and　errors　are　made　in　high　places　and　I'll　incriminate　no　one　by　using　names。　It　was　simply　wrong。　If　Nuremberg　taught　us　all　nothing　else；　it　was　that　obscene　mands　should　not　be　obeyed。　That　lesson　crosses　borders　and　penetrates　minds。　We　in　Russia　suffered　far；　far　more　than　anyone　in　America　during　the　last　war。　Some　of　us　remember　that；　and　we　will　not　emulate　that　enemy。〃
　〃Well　spoken；〃　said　Prefontaine；　raising　his　glass　of　Perrier　to　the　Soviet。　〃When　everything's　said　and　done；　we're　all　part　of　the　same　thinking；　feeling　human　race；　aren't　we？〃
　〃Well；〃　choked　Krupkin；　swallowing　his　fourth　brandy；　〃beyond　that　very　attractive　if　overused　observation；　there　are　divisions　of　mitment；　Judge。　Not　serious；　of　course；　but　nevertheless　varied。　For　instance；　although　my　house　on　the　lake　in　Geneva　is　no　longer　mine；　my　accounts　in　the　Cayman　Islands　remain　intensely　personal。　Incidentally；　how　far　are　those　islands　from　here？〃
　〃Roughly　twelve　hundred　miles　due　west；〃　replied　St。　Jacques。　〃A　jet　out　of　Antigua　will　get　you　there　in　three　hours　plus。〃
　〃That's　what　I　thought；〃　said　Krupkin。　〃When　we　were　in　the　hospital　in　Moscow；　Alex　frequently　spoke　of　Tranquility　Isle　and　Montserrat；　so　I　checked　the　map　in　the　hospital　library。　Everything　seems　to　be　on　course。　。。。　Incidentally；　the　man　with　the　boat；　he　won't　be　dealt　with　too　harshly；　will　he？　My　outrageously　expensive　ersatz　papers　are　very　much　in　order。〃
　〃His　crime　was　in　his　appearance；　not　in　bringing　you　over　here；〃　answered　St。　Jacques。
　〃I　was　in　a　hurry；　it　goes　with　running　for　your　life。〃
　〃I've　already　explained　to　Government　House　that　you're　an　old　friend　of　my　brother…in…law。〃
　〃Good。　Very　good。〃
　〃What　will　you　do　now；　Dimitri？〃　asked　Marie。
　〃My　options　are　limited；　I'm　afraid。　Our　Russian　bear　not　only　has　more　claws　than　a　centipede　has　legs；　she's　also　puterized　with　a　global　network。　I　shall　have　to　remain　buried　for　quite　some　time　while　I　construct　another　existence。　From　birth；　of　course。〃　Krupkin　turned　to　the　owner　of　Tranquility　Inn。　〃Would　it　be　possible　to　lease　one　of　these　lovely　cottages；　Mr。　St。　Jacques？〃
　〃After　what　you　did　for　David　and　my　sister；　don't　give　it　a　second　thought。　This　house　is　your　house；　Mr。　Krupkin；　all　of　it。〃
　〃How　very　kind。　First；　naturally；　there'll　be　the　trip　to　the　Caymans；　where；　I'm　told；　there　are　excellent　tailors；　then　perhaps　a　clever　little　yacht　and　a　small　charter　business　that　can　be　substantiated　as　having　been　moved　from　Tierra　del　Fuego　or　the　Malvinas；　some　godforsaken　place　where　a　little　money　can　produce　an　identity　and　a　highly　credible　if　obscure　past。　After　these　are　set　in　motion；　there's　a　doctor　in　Buenos　Aires　who　does　wonders　with　fingerprints…quite　painlessly；　I'm　told…and　then　minor　cosmetic　surgery…Rio　has　the　best；　you　know；　far　better　than　New　York…just　enough　to　alter　the　profile　and　perhaps　remove　a　few　years。　。。。　For　the　past　five　days　and　nights；　I've　had　nothing　to　do　but　think　and　plan；　enduring　situations　of　passage　I　would　not　describe　in　front　of　the　lovely　Mrs。　Webb。〃
　〃You　certainly　have　been　thinking；〃　agreed　David's　wife；　impressed。　〃And　please　call　me　Marie。　How　can　I　hold　you　over　the　peasant's　head　if　I'm　Mrs。　Webb？〃
　〃Ah；　the　adorable　Marie！〃
　〃What　about　these　adorable　plans　of　yours？〃　asked　Conklin　pointedly。　〃How　long　will　they　take　to　implement？〃
　〃You　of　all　people　should　ask　that　question？〃　Krupkin's　eyes　were　wide　in　disbelief。
　〃I　think　I'd　better；〃　broke　in　Alex。
　〃You；　who　were　instrumental　in　building　the　dossier　of　the　greatest　impersonator　the　international　world　of　terrorism　has　ever　known？　The　inparable　Jason　Bourne？〃
　〃If　that　includes　me；〃　said　Webb；　〃I'm　out。　I'm　heavy　into　interior　decorating。〃
　〃How　long；　Kruppie？〃
　〃For　heaven's　sake；　man；　you　were　training　a　recruit　for　an　assignment；　a　single　mission。　I'm　altering　a　life！〃
　〃How　long？〃
　〃You　tell　me；　Alex。　It's　my　life　we're　talking　about　now…as　worthless　as　that　life　may　be　in　the　geopolitical　scheme　of　things…it's　still　my　life。〃
　〃Whatever　he　needs；〃　interrupted　David　Webb；　the　unseen　image　of　Jason　Bourne　looking　over　his　wounded　shoulder。
　〃Two　years　to　do　it　well；　three　years　to　do　it　better；〃　said　Dimitri　Krupkin。
　〃They're　yours；〃　said　Marie。
　〃Pritchard；〃　said　St。　Jacques；　angling　his　head。　〃Fix　my　drink；　if　you　please。〃
　
　Epilogue
　
　They　walked　along　the　moonlit　beach；　alternately　touching　and　not　touching；　the　embarrassment　of　intimacy　intermittently　intruding　as　if　a　world　that　had　separated　them　had　not　let　them　escape　its　terrible　orbit；　constantly　pulling　them　into　its　fiery　nucleus。
　〃You　carried　a　gun；〃　said　Marie　softly。　〃I　had　no　idea　you　had　one。　I　hate　guns。〃
　〃So　do　I。　I'm　not　sure　I　knew　I　had　one；　either。　It　was　just　there。〃
　〃Reflex？　pulsion？〃
　〃Both；　I　guess。　It　didn't　matter；　I　didn't　use　it。〃
　〃But　you　wanted　to；　didn't　you？〃
　〃Again；　I'm　not　sure。　If　you　and　the　children　were　threatened；　of　course　I　would；　but　I　don't　think　I'd　fire　indiscriminately。〃
　〃Are　you　sure；　David？　Would　the　appearance　of　danger　to　us　make　you　pick　up　a　gun　and　shoot　at　shadows？〃
　〃No；　I　don't　shoot　at　shadows。〃
　Footsteps。　In　the　sand！　Waves　lapping　over　the　unmistakable　intrusion　of　a　human　being；　breaks　in　the　flow　of　the　natural　rhythm…sounds　Jason　Bourne　knew　from　a　hundred　beaches！　He　spun　around；　violently　propelling　Marie　off　her　feet；　sending　her　out　of　the　line　of　fire　as　he　crouched；　his　weapon　in　his　hand。
　〃Please　don't　kill　me；　David；〃　said　Morris　Panov；　the　beam　of　his　flashlight　illuminating　the　area。　〃It　simply　wouldn't　make　sense。〃
　〃Jesus；　Mo！〃　cried　Webb。　〃What　were　you　doing。〃
　〃Trying　to　find　you；　that's　all。　。。。　Would　you　please　help　Marie？〃
　Webb　did　so；　pulling　his　wife　to　her　feet；　both　half　blinded　by　the　flashlight。　〃My　God；　you're　the　mole！〃　cried　Jason　Bourne；　raising　his　weapon。　〃You　knew　every　move　I　was　making！〃
　〃I'm　what？〃　roared　the　psychiatrist；　throwing　down　his　flashlight。　〃If　you　believe　that；　gun　me　down；　you　son　of　a　bitch！〃
　〃I　don't　know；　Mo。　I　don't　know　anything　anymore　。。。　！〃　David's　head　arched　back　in　pain。
　〃Then　cry　your　heart　out；　you　bastard！　Cry　like　you've　never　cried　before！　Jason　Bourne　is　dead；　cremated　in　Moscow；　and　that's　the　way　it　is！　You　either　accept　that　or　I　don't　want　a　goddamned　thing　to　do　with　you　anymore！　Have　you　got　that；　you　arrogant；　brilliant　creation！　You　did　it；　and　it's　over！〃
　Webb　fell　to　his　knees；　the　tears　welling　in　his　eyes；　trembling　and　trying　not　to　make　a　sound。
　〃We're　going　to　be　okay；　Mo；〃　said　Marie；　kneeling　beside　her　husband；　holding　him。
　〃I　know　that；〃　acknowledged　Panov；　nodding　in　the　glow　of　the　grounded　flashlight。　〃Two　lives　in　one　mind；　none　of　us　can　know　what　it's　like。　But　it's　over　now。　It's　really　over。〃



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