rl.thebourneultimatum-第65部分

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ould　be　infinitely　preferable。〃
　〃Yeah；　well；　like　I　say；　we're　working　on　that；　but　it'll　take　time。　This　is　now；　immediato。　He'll　be　in　Pennsylvania　in　a　couple　of　hours。　You　want　to　deal？　You　and　me？〃
　〃Over　what？　Something　you　don't　have　and　may　never　get？〃
　〃Hey；　e　on；　what　do　you　think　I　am？〃
　〃I'm　sure　you　don't　want　to　hear　that…〃
　〃Cut　the　crap。　Say　in　a　day　or　so；　maybe　a　week；　we　meet；　and　I　give　you　a　list　of　names　I　think　you　might　be　interested　in；　all　of　which　we　got　information　on…let's　say　information　not　readily　available。　You　pick　one　or　two　or　maybe　none；　what　can　you　lose？　We're　talkin'　spitballs　anyway；　'cause　the　deal's　between　you　and　me　only。　No　one　else　is　involved　except　my　specialist　and　his　assistant　who　don't　know　you　and　you　don't　know　them。〃
　〃A　side　arrangement；　as　it　were？〃
　〃Not　as　it　were；　like　it　is。　Depending　on　the　information；　I'll　figure　out　the　charge。　It　may　only　be　a　thou　or　two；　or　it　may　go　to　twenty；　or　it　may　be　gratis；　who　knows？　I'd　be　fair　because　I　want　your　business；　capisce？〃
　〃It's　very　interesting。〃
　〃You　know　what　my　specialist　says？　He　says　we　could　start　our　own　cottage　industry；　he　called　it。　Snatch　a　dozen　shrinks；　all　with　heavy　government　connections；　like　in　the　Senate　or　even　the　White　House…〃
　〃I　understand　fully；〃　interrupted　the　attorney；　getting　to　his　feet；　〃but　my　time's　up。　。。。　Bring　me　a　list；　Louis。〃　The　guest　walked　toward　the　short　marble　foyer。
　〃No　fancy　attaché　case；　Signor　Avvocato？〃　said　the　capo；　rising　from　the　couch。
　〃And　upset　the　not　so　delicate　mechanisms　in　your　doorway？〃
　〃Hey；　it's　a　violent　world　out　there。〃
　〃I　wouldn't　know　about　that。〃
　The　Wall　Street　attorney　left；　and　at　the　sound　of　the　closing　door；　Louis　rushed　across　the　room　to　the　inlaid　Queen　Anne　desk　and　virtually　pounced　on　the　ivory　French　telephone…as　usual；　tipping　over　the　tall　thin　instrument　twice　before　securing　the　stem　with　one　hand　while　dialing　with　the　other。　〃Fucking　swish　horn！〃　he　mumbled。　〃Goddamned　fairy　decorator！　。。。　Mario？〃
　〃Hello；　Lou；〃　said　the　pleasant　voice　in　New　Rochelle。　〃I'll　bet　you　called　to　wish　Anthony　a　happy　birthday；　huh？〃
　〃Who？〃
　〃My　kid；　Anthony。　He's　fifteen　today；　did　you　forget？　The　whole　family's　out　in　the　garden　and　we　miss　you；　Cousin。　And　hey；　Lou；　what　a　garden　this　year。　I'm　a　real　artist。〃
　〃You　also　may　be　something　else。〃
　〃What？〃
　〃Buy　Anthony　a　present　and　send　me　the　bill。　At　fifteen；　maybe　a　broad。　He's　ready　for　manhood。〃
　〃Lou；　you're　too　much。　There　are　other　things…〃
　〃There's　only　one　thing　now；　Mario；　and　I　want　the　truth　from　your　lips　or　I'll　carve　them　out　of　your　face！〃
　There　was　a　brief　pause　from　New　Rochelle　before　the　pleasant…sounding　executioner　spoke。　〃I　don't　deserve　to　be　talked　to　that　way；　cugino。〃
　〃Maybe；　maybe　not。　There　was　a　book　taken　from　that　general's　place　in　Manassas；　a　very　valuable　book。〃
　〃They　found　out　it　was　missing；　huh？〃
　〃Holy　shit！　You　got　it？〃
　〃I　had　it；　Lou。　It　was　going　to　be　a　present　to　you；　but　I　lost　it。〃
　〃You　lost　it？　What　the　fuck　did　you　do；　leave　it　in　a　'taxi'？〃
　〃No；　I　was　running　for　my　life；　that　maniac　with　the　flares；　what's　his　name；　Webb；　unloading　at　me　in　the　driveway。　He　grazed　me　and　I　fell　and　the　lousy　book　flew　out　of　my　hand…just　as　the　police　car　arrived。　He　picked　it　up　and　I　ran　like　hell　for　the　fence。〃
　〃Webb's　got　it？〃
　〃I　guess　so。〃
　〃Christ　on　a　trampoline　。。。　！〃
　〃Anything　else；　Lou？　We're　about　to　light　the　candles　on　the　cake。〃
　〃Yeah；　Mario；　I　may　need　you　in　Washington…a　big　cannoli　without　a　foot　but　with　a　book。〃
　〃Hey；　wait　a　minute；　cugino；　you　know　my　rules。　Always　a　month　between　business　trips。　What　did　Manassas　take？　Six　weeks？　And　last　May　in　Key　West；　three；　almost　four　weeks？　I　can't　call；　I　can't　write　a　postcard…no；　Lou；　always　a　month。　I　got　responsibilities　to　Angie　and　the　children。　I'm　not　going　to　be　an　absentee　parent；　they've　got　to　have　a　role　model；　you　know　what　I　mean？〃
　〃I　got　Ozzie　Nelson　for　a　fuckin'　cousin！〃　Louis　slammed　down　the　phone；　and　instantly　grabbed　it　as　it　crashed　over　on　the　desk；　its　delicate　ivory　stem　displaying　a　crack。　〃The　best　hit　man　in　the　business　and　he's　a　freak；〃　mumbled　the　capo　supremo　as　he　dialed　frantically。　When　the　line　was　picked　up；　the　anxiety　and　the　anger　disappeared　from　his　voice；　it　was　not　apparent　but　it　had　not　gone　away。　〃Hello；　Frankie　baby；　how's　my　closest　friend？〃
　〃Oh；　hi；　Lou；〃　came　the　floating；　but　hesitant；　languorous　tones　from　an　expensive　apartment　in　Greenwich　Village。　〃Can　I　call　you　back　in　two　minutes？　I'm　just　putting　my　mother　into　a　cab　to　take　her　back　to　Jersey。　Okay？〃
　〃Sure；　kid。　Two　minutes。〃　Mother？　The　whore！　Il　pinguino！　Louis　walked　to　his　mirrored　marble　bar　with　the　pink　angels　flying　over　the　Lalique　inset　above　the　whisky　bottles。　He　poured　himself　a　drink　and　took　several　calming　swallows。　The　bar　phone　rang。　〃Yeah？〃　he　said；　carefully　picking　up　the　fragile　crystal　instrument。
　〃It's　me；　Lou。　Frankie。　I　said　good…bye　to　Mama。〃
　〃That's　a　good　boy；　Frankie。　Never　forget　your　mama。〃
　〃Oh；　I　never　do；　Lou。　You　taught　me　that。　You　told　me　you　gave　your　mama　the　biggest　funeral　they　ever　saw　in　East　Hartford。〃
　〃Yeah；　I　bought　the　fuckin'　church；　man。〃
　〃Real　nice；　real　nice。〃
　〃Now　let's　get　to　something　else　real　nice；　okay？　It's　been　one　of　those　days；　Frankie；　lots　of　turmoil；　you　know　what　I　mean？〃
　〃Sure；　Lou。〃
　〃So　I　got　an　itch。　I　gotta　get　some　relief。　e　on　over　here；　Frankie。〃
　〃As　fast　as　a　cab　can　take　me；　Lou。〃
　Prostituto！　It　would　be　Frankie　the　Big　Mouth's　last　service　for　him。
　Out　on　the　street　the　well…dressed　attorney　walked　two　blocks　south　and　a　block　east　to　his　waiting　limousine　parked　beneath　the　canopy　of　another　impressive　residence　in　Brooklyn　Heights。　His　stocky　chauffeur　of　middle　years　was　talking　pleasantly　with　the　uniformed　doorman；　whom　he　had　generously　tipped　by　now。　Spotting　his　employer；　the　driver　walked　rapidly　to　the　limousine's　rear　door　and　opened　it。　Several　minutes　later　they　were　in　traffic　heading　for　the　bridge。
　In　the　quiet　of　the　backseat；　the　lawyer　undid　his　alligator　belt；　pressed　the　upper　and　lower　rims　of　the　buckle；　and　a　small　cartridge　fell　out　between　his　legs。　He　picked　it　up　and　refastened　the　belt。
　Holding　the　cartridge　up　to　the　filtered　light　from　the　window；　he　studied　the　miniaturized　voice…activated　recording　device。　It　was　an　extraordinary　machine；　tiny　enough　and　with　an　acrylic　mechanism　that　permitted　it　to　fly　through　the　most　sophisticated　detectors。　The　attorney　leaned　forward　in　his　seat　and　spoke　to　the　driver。　〃William？〃
　〃Yes；　sir。〃　The　chauffeur　glanced　up　at　his　rearview　mirror　and　saw　his　employer's　outstretched　hand；　he　reached　back。
　〃Take　this　over　to　the　house　and　put　it　on　a　cassette；　will　you；　please？〃
　〃Right；　Major。〃
　The　Manhattan　lawyer　reclined　in　the　seat；　smiling　to　himself。　Louis　would　give　him　anything　he　wanted　from　now　on。　A　capo　did　not　make　side　arrangements　where　the　family　was　concerned；　to　say　nothing　of　acknowledging　certain　sexual　preferences。
　Morris　Panov　sat　blindfolded　in　the　front　seat　of　the　sedan　with　his　guard；　his　hands　loosely；　almost　courteously　bound；　as　if　the　capo　subordinato　felt　he　was　following　unnecessary　orders。　They　had　been　driving　for　about　thirty　minutes　in　silence　when　the　guard　spoke。
　〃What's　a　perry…oh…dentist？〃　he　asked。
　〃An　oral　surgeon；　a　doctor　trained　to　operate　inside　patients'　mouths　on　problems　relating　to　teeth　and　gum　tissue。〃　Silence。　Then　seven　minutes　later：　〃What　kind　of　problems？〃
　〃Any　number　of　them；　from　infections　to　scraping　the　roots　to　more　plicated　surgery　usually　in　tandem　with　an　oncologist。〃
　Silence。　Four　minutes　later：　〃What　was　that　last…the　tandy…uncle　stuff？〃
　〃Oral　cancer。　If　it's　caught　in　time；　it　can　be　arrested　with　minor　bone　removal。　。。。　If　not；　the　entire　jaw　might　have　to　go。〃　Panov　could　feel　the　car　briefly　swerve　as　the　driver　momentarily　lost　control。
　Silence。　A　minute　and　a　half　later：　〃The　whole　fuckin'　jaw？　Half　the　face？〃
　〃It's　either　that　or　the　whole　of　the　patient's　life。〃　Thirty　seconds　later：　〃You　think　I　could　have　something　like　that？〃
　〃I'm　a　doctor；　not　an　alarmist。　I　merely　noted　a　symptom；　I　did　not　make　a　diagnosis。〃
　〃So　bullshit！　So　make　a　dagassnossis！〃
　〃I'm　not　qualified。〃
　〃Bullshit！　You're　a　doctor；　ain't　you？　I　mean　a　real　doctor；　not　a　fasullo　who　says　he　is　but　ain't　got　no　shingle　that's　legit。〃
　〃If　you　mean　medical　school；　yes；　I'm　that　kind　of　doctor。〃
　〃So　look　at　me！〃
　〃I　can't。　I'm　blindfolded。〃　Panov　suddenly　felt　the　guard's　thick　strong　hand　clawing　at　his　head；　yanking　the　kerchief　off　him。　The　dark　interior　of　the　automobile　answered　a　question　for　Mo：　How　could　anyone　travel　in　a　car　with　a　blindfolded　passenger？　In　that　car　it　was　no　problem；　except　for　the　windshield；　the　windows　were　not　merely　tinted；　they　were　damn　near　opaque；　which　meant　from　the　outside　they　were　opaque。　No　one　could　see　inside。
　〃Go　on；　look！〃　The　capo　subordinato；　his　eyes　on　the　road；　tilted　his　large　head　grotesquely　toward　Panov；　his　thick　lips　were　parted　and　his　teeth　bared　like　those　of　a　child　playing　monster　in　the　mirror；　he　shouted　again。　〃So　tell　me　what　you　see！〃
　〃It's　too　dark　in　here；〃　replied　Mo；　seeing　essentially　what　he　wanted　to　see　in　the　front　window；　they　were　on　a　country　road；　so　narrow　and　so　country　the　next　step　lower　was　dirt。　Wherever　he　was　being　taken；　he　was　being　driven　there　by　an　extremely　circuitous　route。
　〃Open　the　fuckin'　window！〃　yelled　the　guard；　his　head　still　twisted；　his　eyes　still　on　the　road；　his　gaping　mouth　approaching　a　caricature　of　Orca；　the　about…to…vomit　whale。　〃Don't　hold　nothin'　back。　I'll　break　every　goddamn　finger　in　that　prick's　hands！　He　can　do　his　fuckin'　surgery　with　his　elbows！　。。。　I　told　that　stupid　sister　of　mine　he　was　no　fuckin'　good；　that　fairy。　Always　readin'　books；　no　action　on　the　street；　y'know　what　I　mean？〃
　〃If　you'll　stop　shouting　for　a　few　seconds；　I　can　get　a　closer　look；〃　said　Panov；　having　lowered　the　window　at　his　side；　seeing　nothing　but　trees　and　the　coarse　underbrush　of　a　distinctly　backcountry　road；　one　he　doubted　was　on　t