rl.thebourneultimatum-第26部分

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　〃Le　Coeur　du　Soldat；〃　said　a　flat　male　voice；　martial　music　in　the　background。
　〃I　must　reach　a　blackbird；〃　said　Fontaine　in　French。　〃My　identity　is　Paris　Five。〃
　〃If　such　a　request　is　possible；　where　can　such　a　bird　reach　you？〃
　〃In　the　Caribbean。〃　Fontaine　gave　the　area　code；　the　telephone　number　and　the　extension　to　Villa　Eleven。　He　hung　up　the　phone　and　sat　despondent　on　the　edge　of　the　bed。　In　his　soul　he　knew　that　this　might　be　his　and　his　woman's　last　few　hours　on　earth。　If　so；　he　and　his　woman　could　face　their　God　and　speak　the　truth。　He　had　killed；　no　question　about　that；　but　he　had　never　harmed　or　taken　the　life　of　a　person　who　had　not　mitted　greater　crimes　against　others…with　a　few　minor　exceptions　that　might　be　called　innocent　bystanders　caught　in　the　heat　of　fire　or　in　an　explosion。　All　life　was　pain；　did　not　the　Scriptures　tell　us　that？　。。。　On　the　other　hand；　what　kind　of　God　allowed　such　brutalities？　Merde！　Do　not　think　about　such　things！　They　are　beyond　your　understanding。
　The　telephone　rang　and　Fontaine　grabbed　it；　pulling　it　to　his　ear。　〃This　is　Paris　Five；〃　he　said。
　〃Child　of　God；　what　can　be　so　extreme　that　you　would　use　a　number　you　have　called　only　once　before　in　our　relationship？〃
　〃Your　generosity　has　been　absolute；　monseigneur；　but　I　feel　we　must　redefine　our　contract。〃
　〃In　what　way？〃
　〃My　life　is　yours　to　do　with　as　you　will；　as　mercifully　as　you　will；　but　it　does　not　include　my　woman。〃
　〃What？〃
　〃A　man　is　here；　a　learned　man　from　the　city　of　Boston　who　studies　me　with　curious　eyes；　eyes　that　tell　me　he　has　other　purposes　in　mind。〃
　〃That　arrogant　fool　flew　down　to　Montserrat　himself？　He　knows　nothing！〃
　〃Obviously　he　does；　and　I　beg　you；　I　shall　do　as　you　order　me　to　do；　but　let　us　go　back　to　Paris　。。。　I　beg　of　you。　Let　her　die　in　peace。　I　will　ask　no　more　of　you。〃
　〃You　ask　of　me？　I've　given　you　my　word！〃
　〃Then　why　is　this　learned　man　from　America　here　following　me　with　a　blank　face　and　inquisitive　eyes；　monseigneur？〃
　The　deep；　hollow　roll　of　a　throated　cough　filled　the　silence；　and　then　the　Jackal　spoke。　〃The　great　professor　of　law　has　transgressed；　inserted　himself　where　he　should　not　be。　He's　a　dead　man。〃
　Edith　Gates；　wife　of　the　celebrated　attorney　and　professor　of　law；　silently　opened　the　door　of　the　private　study　in　their　elegant　town　house　on　Louisburg　Square。　Her　husband　sat　motion　less　in　his　heavy　leather　armchair　staring　at　the　crackling　fire；　a　fire　he　insisted　upon　despite　the　warm　Boston　night　outside　and　the　central　air　conditioning　inside。
　As　she　watched　him；　Mrs。　Gates　was　once　again　struck　by　the　painful　realization　that　there　were　。。。　things　。。。　about　her　husband　she　would　never　understand。　Gaps　in　his　life　she　could　never　fill；　leaps　in　his　thinking　she　could　not　prehend。　She　only　knew　that　there　were　times　when　he　felt　a　terrible　pain　and　would　not　share　it；　when　by　sharing　it　he　would　lessen　the　burden　on　himself。　Thirty…three　years　ago　a　passably　attractive　young　woman　of　average　wealth　had　married　an　extremely　tall；　gangling；　brilliant　but　impoverished　law　school　graduate　whose　anxiety　and　eagerness　to　please　had　turned　off　the　major　firms　in　those　days　of　the　cool；　restrained　late　fifties。　The　veneer　of　sophistication　and　the　pursuit　of　security　were　valued　over　a　smoldering；　wandering　first…rate　mind　of　unsure　direction；　especially　a　mind　inside　a　head　of　unkempt　hair　and　a　body　dressed　in　clothes　that　were　cheap　imitations　of　J。　Press　and　Brooks　Brothers；　which　appeared　even　worse　because　his　bank　account　precluded　any　additional　expenses　for　alterations　and　few　discount　stores　carried　his　size。
　The　new　Mrs。　Gates；　however；　had　several　ideas　that　would　improve　the　prospects　of　their　life　together。　Among　them　was　to　lay　aside　an　immediate　law　career…better　none　than　with　an　inferior　firm；　or；　God　forbid；　a　private　practice　with　the　sort　of　clients　he　was　bound　to　attract；　namely；　those　who　could　not　afford　established　attorneys。　Better　to　use　his　natural　endowments；　which　were　his　impressive　height　and　a　quick；　sponge…like　intelligence　that；　bined　with　his　drive；　disposed　of　heavy　academic　workloads　with　ease。　Using　her　modest　trust　fund；　Edith　shaped　the　externals　of　her　man；　buying　the　correct　clothes　and　hiring　a　theatrical　voice　coach　who　instructed　his　student　in　the　ways　of　dramatic　delivery　and　effective　stage　presence。　The　gangling　graduate　soon　took　on　a　Lincolnesque　quality　with　subtle　flashes　of　John　Brown。　Too；　he　was　on　his　way　to　being　a　legal　expert；　remaining　in　the　milieu　of　the　university；　piling　one　degree　upon　another　while　teaching　at　the　graduate　level　until　the　sheer　depth　of　his　expertise　in　specific　areas　was　incontestable。　And　he　found　himself　sought　after　by　the　prominent　firms　that　had　rejected　him　earlier。
　The　strategy　took　nearly　ten　years　before　concrete　results　appeared；　and　while　the　early　returns　were　not　earthshaking；　still　they　represented　progress。　Law　reviews；　first　minor　and　then　major；　began　publishing　his　semi…controversial　articles　as　much　for　their　style　as　for　their　content；　for　the　young　associate　professor　had　a　seductive　way　with　the　written　word；　at　once　riveting　and　arcane；　by　turns　flowery　and　incisive。　But　it　was　his　opinions；　latently　emerging；　that　made　segments　of　the　financial　munity　take　notice。　The　mood　of　the　nation　was　changing；　the　crust　of　the　benevolent　Great　Society　beginning　to　crack；　the　lesions　initiated　with　code　words　coined　by　the　Nixon　boys；　such　as　the　Silent　Majority　and　Bums…on…Welfare　and　the　pejorative　them。　A　meanness　was　rising　out　of　the　ground　and　spreading；　and　it　was　more　than　the　perceptive；　decent　Ford　could　stop；　weakened　as　he　was　by　the　wounds　of　Watergate；　and　too　much　as　well　for　the　brilliant　Carter；　too　consumed　by　minutiae　to　exercise　passionate　leadership。　The　phrase　〃。。。　what　you　can　do　for　your　country〃　was　out　of　fashion；　replaced　by　〃what　I　can　do　for　me。〃
　Dr。　Randolph　Gates　found　a　relentless　wave　on　which　to　ride；　a　mellifluous　voice　with　which　to　speak；　and　a　growing　acerbic　vocabulary　to　match　the　dawning　new　era。　In　his　now　refined　scholarly　opinion…legally；　economically　and　socially…bigger　was　better；　and　more　far　preferable　to　less。　The　laws　that　supported　petition　in　the　marketplace　he　attacked　as　stifling　to　the　larger　agenda　of　industrial　growth　from　which　would　flow　all　manner　of　benefits　for　everyone…well；　practically　everyone。　It　was；　after　all；　a　Darwinian　world　and；　like　it　or　not；　the　fittest　would　always　survive。　The　drums　went　bang　and　the　cymbals　clanged　and　the　financial　manipulators　found　a　champion；　a　legal　scholar　who　lent　respectability　to　their　righteous　dreams　of　merger　and　consolidation；　buy　out；　take　over　and　sell　off；　all　for　the　good　of　the　many；　of　course。
　Randolph　Gates　was　summoned；　and　he　ran　into　their　arms　with　alacrity；　stunning　one　courtroom　after　another　with　his　elocutionary　gymnastics。　He　had　made　it；　but　Edith　Gates　was　not　sure　what　it　all　meant。　She　had　envisioned　a　fortable　living；　naturally；　but　not　millions；　not　the　private　jets　flying　all　over　the　world；　from　Palm　Springs　to　the　South　of　France。　Nor　was　she　fortable　when　her　husband's　articles　and　lectures　were　used　to　support　causes　that　struck　her　as　unrelated　or　patently　unfair；　he　waved　her　arguments　aside；　stating　that　the　cases　in　point　were　legitimate　intellectual　parallels。　Above　everything；　she　had　not　shared　a　bed　or　a　bedroom　with　her　husband　in　over　six　years。
　She　walked　into　the　study；　abruptly　stopping　as　he　gasped；　swerving　his　head　around；　his　eyes　glazed　and　filled　with　alarm。
　〃I'm　sorry；　I　didn't　mean　to　startle　you。〃
　〃You　always　knock。　Why　didn't　you　knock？　You　know　how　it　is　when　I'm　concentrating。〃
　〃I　said　I'm　sorry。　Something's　on　my　mind　and　I　wasn't　thinking。〃
　〃That's　a　contradiction。〃
　〃Thinking　about　knocking；　I　mean。〃
　〃What's　on　your　mind；〃　asked　the　celebrated　attorney　as　if　he　doubted　his　wife　had　one。
　〃Please　don't　be　clever　with　me。〃
　〃What　is　it；　Edith？〃
　〃Where　were　you　last　night？〃
　Gates　arched　his　brows　in　mock　surprise。　〃My　God；　are　you　suspicious？　I　told　you　where　I　was。　At　the　Ritz。　In　conference　with　someone　I　knew　years　ago；　someone　I　did　not　care　to　have　at　my　house。　If；　at　your　age；　you　want　confirmation；　call　the　Ritz。〃
　Edith　Gates　was　silent　for　a　moment；　she　simply　looked　at　her　husband。　〃My　dear；〃　she　said；　〃I　don't　give　a　damn　if　you　had　an　assignation　with　the　most　voluptuous　whore　in　the　bat　Zone。　Somebody　would　probably　have　to　give　her　a　few　drinks　to　restore　her　confidence。〃
　〃Not　bad；　bitch。〃
　〃In　that　department　you're　not　exactly　a　stud；　bastard。〃
　〃Is　there　a　point　to　this　colloquy？〃
　〃I　think　so。　About　an　hour　ago；　just　before　you　came　home　from　your　office；　a　man　was　at　the　door。　Denise　was　doing　the　silver；　so　I　answered　it。　I　must　say　he　looked　impressive；　his　clothes　were　terribly　expensive　and　his　car　was　a　black　Porsche…〃
　〃And？〃　broke　in　Gates；　lurching　forward　in　the　chair；　his　eyes　suddenly　wide；　rigid。
　〃He　said　to　tell　you　that　le　grand　professeur　owed　him　twenty　thousand　dollars　and　'he'　wasn't　where　he　was　supposed　to　be　last　night；　which　I　assumed　was　the　Ritz。〃
　〃It　wasn't。　Something　came　up。　。。。　Oh；　Christ；　he　doesn't　understand。　What　did　you　say？〃
　〃I　didn't　like　his　language　or　his　attitude。　I　told　him　I　hadn't　the　vaguest　idea　where　you　were。　He　knew　I　was　lying；　but　there　wasn't　anything　he　could　do。〃
　〃Good。　Lying's　something　he　knows　about。〃
　〃I　can't　imagine　that　twenty　thousand　is　such　a　problem　for　you…〃
　〃It's　not　the　money；　it's　the　method　of　payment。〃
　〃For　what？〃
　〃Nothing。〃
　〃I　believe　that's　what　you　call　a　contradiction；　Randy。〃
　〃Shut　up！〃
　The　telephone　rang。　Gates　lunged　up　from　the　chair　and　stared　at　it。　He　made　no　move　to　go　to　the　desk；　instead；　he　spoke　in　a　guttural　voice　to　his　wife。　〃Whoever　it　is；　you　tell　him　I'm　not　here。　。。。　I'm　away；　out　of　town…you　don't　know　when　I'll　be　back。〃
　Edith　walked　over　to　the　phone。　〃It's　your　very　private　line；〃　she　said　as　she　picked　it　up　on　the　third　ring。　〃The　Gates　residence；〃　began　Edith；　a　ploy　she　had　used　for　years；　her　friends　knew　who　it　was；　others　did　not　matter　to　her　any　longer。　〃Yes。　。。。　Yes？　I'm　sorry；　he's　away　and　we　don't　kno