rl.thebourneultimatum-第44部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　〃Among　his　duties　is　chief　military　aide…de…camp。　He's　a　brigadier…〃
　〃We　saw　the　bastard　leave；〃　protested　the　fisherman。　〃From　the　dining　room；　we　all　saw　him　leave！　He　was　with　the　old　Frenchman　and　the　nurse…〃
　〃You　saw　someone　else　leave。　Wearing　sunglasses。〃
　〃Webb　。。。　？〃
　〃Gentlemen！〃　The　governor's　aide　rose　from　the　chair；　wearing　the　ill…fitting　jacket　worn　by　Jason　Bourne　when　he　had　flown　back　to　Tranquility　from　Blackburne　Airport。　〃You　are　wele　guests　on　our　island　but；　as　guests；　you　will　abide　by　the　Crown's　decisions　in　emergencies。　You　will　either　abide　by　them；　or；　as　we　would　do　in　extreme　weather；　we　will　be　forced　to　place　you　in　custody。〃
　〃Hey；　e　on；　Henry。　They're　friends。　。。。〃
　〃Friends　do　not　call　brigadiers　'bastards'…〃
　〃You　might　if　you　were　once　a　busted　corporal；　General；〃　inserted　the　man　of　faith。　〃My　panion　here　didn't　mean　anything。　Long　before　the　whole　damned　Canadian　army　needed　his　pany's　engineers；　he　was　a　screwed…up　infantry　grunt。　His　pany；　incidentally。　He　wasn't　too　bright　in　Korea。〃
　〃Let's　cut　the　crap；〃　said　Webb's　fishing　panion。　〃So　we've　been　in　here　talking　to　Dave；　right？〃
　〃Right。　And　that's　all　I　can　tell　you。〃
　〃It's　enough；　Johnny。　Dave's　in　trouble；　so　what　can　we　do？〃
　〃Nothing…absolutely　nothing　but　what's　on　the　inn's　agenda。　You　all　got　a　copy　delivered　to　your　villas　an　hour　ago。〃
　〃You'd　better　explain；〃　said　the　religious　Canadian。　〃I　never　read　those　goddamn　happy…hour　schedules。〃
　〃The　inn's　having　a　special　buffet；　everything　on　the　house；　and　a　meteorologist　from　the　Leeward　Islands　Weather　Control　will　speak　for　a　few　minutes　on　what　happened　last　night。〃
　〃The　storm？〃　asked　the　fisherman；　the　former　busted　corporal　and　current　owner　of　Canada's　largest　industrial　engineering　pany。　〃A　storm's　a　storm　in　these　islands。　What's　to　explain？〃
　〃Oh；　things　like　why　they　happen　and　why　they're　over　so　quickly；　how　to　behave…the　elimination　of　fear；　basically。〃
　〃You　want　us　all　up　there；　is　that　what　you　mean？〃
　〃Yes；　I　do。〃
　〃That'll　help　Dave？〃
　〃Yes；　it　will。〃
　〃Then　the　whole　place'll　be　up　there。　I　guarantee　it。〃
　〃I　appreciate　that；　but　how　can　you？〃
　〃I'll　circulate　another　happy…hour　notice　that　Angus　MacPherson　McLeod；　chairman　of　All　Canada　Engineering；　will　award　ten　thousand　dollars　to　whoever　asks　the　most　intelligent　question。　How　about　that；　Johnny？　The　rich　always　want　more　for　nothing；　that's　our　profound　weakness。〃
　〃I'll　take　your　word　for　it；〃　mumbled　St。　Jacques。
　〃C'mon；〃　said　McLeod　to　his　religious　friend　from　Toronto。　〃We'll　circulate　with　tears　in　our　eyes　and　spread　the　word。　Then；　you　idiot　colonel…that's　what　you　were；　y'　bastard…in　an　hour　or　so　we'll　shift　gears　and　only　talk　of　ten　thousand　dollars　and　a　free…for…all　dinner。　With　the　beach　and　the　sun；　people's　attention　spans　are　roughly　two　and　a　half　minutes；　in　cold　weather；　no　more　than　four。　Believe　me；　I've　had　it　calculated　by　puter　research。　。。。　You'll　have　a　full　party　tonight；　Johnny。〃　McLeod　turned　and　walked　toward　the　door。
　〃Scotty；〃　cried　the　man　of　faith　following　the　fisherman。　〃You're　going　off　half…cocked　again！　Attention　spans；　two　minutes；　four　minutes；　puter　research…I　don't　believe　a　word　of　it！〃
　〃Really？〃　said　Angus；　his　hand　on　the　knob。　〃You　believe　in　ten　thousand　dollars；　don't　you？〃
　〃I　certainly　do。〃
　〃You　watch；　that's　my　market　research。　。。。　That's　also　why　I　own　the　pany。　And　now　I　intend　to　summon　those　tears　to　my　eyes；　it's　another　reason　I　own　the　pany。〃
　In　a　dark　storage　room　on　the　third　floor　of　Tranquility　Inn's　main　plex；　Bourne；　who　had　shed　the　military　tunic；　and　the　old　Frenchman　sat　on　two　stools　in　front　of　a　window　overlooking　the　east　and　west　paths　of　the　shoreline　resort。　The　villas　below　extended　out　on　both　sides　of　the　stone　steps　leading　down　to　the　beach　and　the　dock。　Each　man　held　a　pair　of　powerful　binoculars　to　his　eyes；　scanning　the　people　walking　back　and　forth　on　the　paths　and　up　and　down　the　rock　staircase。　A　handheld　radio　with　the　hotel's　private　frequency　was　on　the　sill　in　front　of　Jason。
　〃He's　near　us；〃　said　Fontaine　softly。
　〃What？〃　shot　out　Bourne；　yanking　the　glasses　from　his　face　and　turning　to　the　old　man。　〃Where？　Tell　me　where！〃
　〃He's　not　in　our　vision；　monsieur；　but　he　is　near　us。〃
　〃What　do　you　mean？〃
　〃I　can　feel　it。　Like　an　animal　that　senses　the　approach　of　distant　thunder。　It's　inside　of　you；　it's　the　fear。〃
　〃That's　not　very　clear。〃
　〃It　is　to　me。　Perhaps　you　wouldn't　understand。　The　Jackal's　challenger；　the　man　of　many　appearances；　the　Chameleon…the　killer　known　as　Jason　Bourne…was　not　given　to　fear；　we　are　told；　only　a　great　bravado　that　came　from　his　strength。〃
　Jason　smiled　grimly；　in　contradiction。　〃Then　you　were　told　a　lie；〃　he　said　softly。　〃A　part　of　that　man　lives　with　a　kind　of　raw　fear　few　people　have　ever　experienced。〃
　〃I　find　that　hard　to　believe；　monsieur…〃
　〃Believe。　I'm　he。〃
　〃Are　you；　Mr。　Webb？　It's　not　difficult　to　piece　things　together。　Do　you　force　yourself　to　assume　your　other　self　because　of　this　fear？〃
　David　Webb　stared　at　the　old　man。　〃For　God's　sake；　what　choice　do　I　have？〃
　〃You　could　disappear　for　a　time；　you　and　your　family。　You　could　live　peacefully；　in　plete　security；　your　government　would　see　to　it。〃
　〃He'd　e　after　me…after　us…wherever　we　were。〃
　〃For　how　long？　A　year？　Eighteen　months？　Certainly　less　than　two　years。　He's　a　sick　man；　all　Paris…my　Paris…knows　it。　Considering　the　enormous　expense　and　plexity　of　the　current　situation…these　events　designed　to　trap　you…I　would　suggest　that　it's　Carlos's　last　attempt。　Leave；　monsieur。　Join　your　wife　in　Basse…Terre　and　then　fly　thousands　of　miles　away　while　you　can。　Let　him　go　back　to　Paris　and　die　in　frustration。　Is　it　not　enough？〃
　〃No。　He'd　e　after　me；　after　us！　It's　got　to　be　settled　here；　now。〃
　〃I　will　soon　join　my　woman；　if　such　is　to　be；　so　I　can　disagree　with　certain　people；　men　like　you；　for　instance；　Monsieur　le　Chameleon；　whom　I　would　have　automatically　agreed　with　before。　I　do　so　now。　I　think　you　can　go　far　away。　I　think　you　know　that　you　can　put　the　Jackal　in　a　side　pocket　and　get　on　with　your　life；　altered　only　slightly　for　a　while；　but　you　won't　do　it。　Something　inside　stops　you；　you　cannot　permit　yourself　a　strategic　retreat；　no　less　honorable　for　its　avoidance　of　violence。　Your　family　is　safe　but　others　may　die；　but　even　that　doesn't　stop　you。　You　have　to　win…〃
　〃I　think　that's　enough　psychobabble；〃　interrupted　Bourne；　bringing　the　binoculars　again　to　his　eyes；　concentrating　on　the　scene　below　beyond　the　windows。
　〃That's　it；　isn't　it？〃　said　the　Frenchman；　studying　Le　Chameleon；　his　binoculars　still　at　his　side。　〃They　trained　you　too　well；　instilled　in　you　too　pletely　the　person　you　had　to　bee。　Jason　Bourne　against　Carlos　the　Jackal　and　Bourne　must　win；　it's　imperative　that　he　win。　。。。　Two　aging　lions；　each　pitted　against　the　other　years　ago；　both　with　a　burning　hatred　created　by　far…off　strategists　who　had　no　idea　what　the　consequences　would　be。　How　many　have　lost　their　lives　because　they　crossed　your　converging　paths？　How　many　unknowing　men　and　women　have　been　killed…〃
　〃Shut　up！〃　cried　Jason　as　flashing　images　of　Paris；　even　peripherally　of　Hong　Kong；　Macao　and　Beijing…and　most　recently　last　night　in　Manassas；　Virginia…assaulted　his　fragmented　inner　screen。　So　much　death！
　Suddenly；　abruptly；　the　door　of　the　dark　storage　room　opened　and　Judge　Brendan　Prefontaine　walked　rapidly；　breathlessly　inside。　〃He's　here；〃　said　the　Bostonian。　〃One　of　St。　Jacques's　patrols；　a　three…man　unit　a　mile　down　the　east　shoreline；　couldn't　be　reached　by　radio。　St。　Jacques　sent　a　guard　to　find　them　and　he　just　returned…then　ran　away　himself。　All　three　were　killed；　each　man　with　a　bullet　in　his　throat。〃
　〃The　Jackal！〃　exclaimed　the　Frenchman。　〃It　is　his　carte　de　visite…his　calling　card。　He　announces　his　arrival。〃
　
　16
　The　midafternoon　sun　was　suspended；　immobile；　burning　the　sky　and　the　land；　a　ringed　globe　of　fire　intent　only　on　scorching　everything　beneath　it。　And　the　alleged　〃puterized　research〃　offered　by　the　Canadian　industrialist　Angus　McLeod　appeared　to　be　confirmed。　Although　a　number　of　seaplanes　flew　in　to　take　frightened　couples　away；　the　collective　attention　span　of　average　people　after　a　disturbing　event；　if　certainly　longer　than　two　and　a　half　to　four　minutes；　was　certainly　not　more　than　a　few　hours。　A　horrible　thing　had　happened　during　the　predawn　storm；　an　act　of　terrible　vengeance；　as　they　understood　it。　It　involved　a　single　man　with　a　vendetta　against　old　enemies；　a　killer　who　had　long　since　fled　from　the　island。　With　the　removal　of　the　ugly　coffins；　as　well　as　the　beached；　damaged　speedboat；　and　the　soothing　words　over　the　government　radio　along　with　the　intermittent；　unobtrusive　appearances　of　the　armed　guards；　a　sense　of　normalcy　returned…not　total；　of　course；　for　there　was　a　mourning　figure　among　them；　but　he　was　out　of　sight　and；　they　were　told；　would　soon　leave。　And　despite　the　depth　of　the　horrors；　as　the　rumors　had　them…naturally　exaggerated　out　of　all　proportion　by　the　hypersuperstitious　island　natives…the　horrors　were　not　theirs。　It　was　an　act　of　violence　pletely　unrelated　to　them；　and；　after　all；　life　had　to　go　on。　Seven　couples　remained　at　the　inn。
　〃Christ；　we're　paying　six　hundred　dollars　a　day…〃
　〃No　one's　after　us…〃
　〃Shit；　man；　next　week　it's　back　to　the　modities　grind；　so　we're　going　to　enjoy…〃
　〃No　sweat；　Shirley；　they're　not　giving　out　names；　they　promised　me…〃
　With　the　burning；　immobile　afternoon　sun；　a　small　soiled　plot　of　the　vast　Caribbean　playground　came　back　to　its　own　particular　ambience；　death　receding　with　each　application　of　Bain　de　Soleil　and　another　rum　punch。　Nothing　was　quite　as　it　had　been；　but　the　blue…green　waters　lapped　on　the　beach；　enticing　the　few　bathers　to　walk　into　them；　immersing　their　bodies　in　the　cool　liquid　rhythm　of　wet　constancy。　A　progressively　less　tentative　peace　returned　to　Tranquility　Isle。
　〃There！〃　cried　the　hero　of　France。
　〃Where？〃　shouted　Bourne。
　〃The　four　priests。　Walking　down　the　path　in　a　line。〃
　〃They're　black。〃
　〃Color　means　nothing。〃
　〃He　was　a　priest　when　I　saw　him　in　Paris；　at　Neuilly…sur…Seine。〃
　Fontaine　lowered　the　bino