rl.thebourneultimatum-第85部分

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　〃Me？　。。。　You　know　who　I　am？〃
　〃All　Paris…the　Jackal's　Paris…knows　who　you　are；　Monsieur　Bourne。　Not　by　sight；　I　grant　you；　but　they　know　you　are　here　and　they　know　you're　tracking　Carlos。〃
　〃And　you're　part　of　that　Paris？〃
　〃I　am。〃
　〃Good　Christ；　lady；　he　killed　your　sister！〃
　〃I'm　aware　of　that。〃
　〃Still　you　work　for　him？〃
　〃There　are　times　when　a　person's　choices　are　considerably　reduced。　Say；　to　live　or　to　die。　Until　six　years　ago　when　Les　Classiques　changed　ownership；　it　was　vital　to　the　monseigneur。　I　took　Jacqui's　place…〃
　〃Just　like　that？〃
　〃It　wasn't　difficult。　I　was　younger；　and　more　to　the　point　I　looked　younger。〃　The　lines　in　the　middle…aged　Lavier's　face　cracked　with　a　brief　pensive　smile。　〃My　sister　always　said　it　came　with　living　on　the　Mediterranean。　。。。　At　any　rate；　cosmetic　surgery　is　monplace　in　the　world　of　haute　couture。　Jacqui　supposedly　went　to　Switzerland　for　a　face…lift　。。。　and　I　returned　to　Paris　after　eight　weeks　of　preparation。〃
　〃How　could　you？　Knowing　what　you　knew；　how　the　hell　could　you？〃
　〃I　did　not　know　earlier　what　I　learned　later；　by　which　time　it　was　irrelevant。　By　then　I　had　the　choice　I　just　mentioned。　To　live　or　to　die。〃
　〃It　never　occurred　to　you　to　go　to　the　police　or　the　Sыreté？〃
　〃Regarding　Carlos？〃　The　woman　looked　at　Bourne　as　if　rebuking　a　foolish　child。　〃As　the　British　say　in　Cap　Ferrat；　surely　you　jest。〃
　〃So　you　blithely　went　into　the　killing　game？〃
　〃Not　consciously。　I　was　gradually　led　into　it；　my　education　slow；　piecemeal。　。。。　In　the　beginning　I　was　told　Jacqueline　had　died　in　a　boating　accident　with　her　lover　of　the　month　and　that　I　would　be　enormously　well　paid　to　carry　on　in　her　place。　Les　Classiques　was　far　more　than　a　grand　salon…〃
　〃Far　more；〃　agreed　Jason；　interrupting；　〃It　was　the　drop　for　France's　most　highly　classified　military　and　intelligence　secrets　funneled　to　the　Jackal　by　his　woman；　a　celebrated　general's　wife。〃
　〃I　was　not　aware　of　that　until　long　after　the　general　killed　her。　Villiers　was　his　name；　I　believe。〃
　〃It　was。〃　Jason　looked　across　the　path　at　the　still　dark　waters　of　a　pond；　white　lilies　floating　in　clusters。　Images　came　back　to　him。　〃I'm　the　one　who　found　him；　found　them。　Villiers　was　in　a　high…backed　chair；　a　gun　in　his　hand；　his　wife　lying　on　the　bed；　naked；　bleeding；　dead。　He　was　going　to　kill　himself。　It　was　a　proper　execution　for　a　traitor；　he　said；　for　his　devotion　to　his　wife　had　blinded　his　judgment　and　in　that　blindness　he　had　betrayed　his　beloved　France。　。。。　I　convinced　him　there　was　another　way；　it　almost　worked…thirteen　years　ago。　In　a　strange　house　on　Seventy…first　Street　in　New　York。〃
　〃I　don't　know　what　happened　in　New　York；　but　General　Villiers　left　instructions　that　after　his　death　what　happened　in　Paris　was　to　be　made　part　of　the　public　record。　When　he　died　and　the　truth　was　known；　it　was　said　that　Carlos　went　mad　with　fury；　killing　several　high…ranking　military　manders　simply　because　they　were　generals。〃
　〃It's　all　an　old　story；〃　interrupted　Bourne　sharply。　〃This　is　now；　thirteen　years　later。　What　happens　now？〃
　〃I　don't　know；　monsieur。　My　choices　are　zero；　aren't　they？　One　or　the　other　of　you　will　kill　me；　I　suppose。〃
　〃Maybe　not。　Help　me　take　him　and　you're　free　of　both　of　us。　You　can　go　back　to　the　Mediterranean　and　live　in　peace。　You　won't　even　have　to　disappear…you　merely　return　to　wherever　it　is　after　a　number　of　profitable　years　in　Paris。〃
　〃Disappear？〃　asked　Lavier；　studying　the　haggard　face　of　her　captor。　〃As　in　the　word　'vanish'？〃
　〃No　need　for　that。　Carlos　can't　reach　you　because　he'll　be　dead。〃
　〃Yes；　I　understand　that　part。　It's　the　disappearance　that　interests　me　along　with　the　'profitable'　years。　Does　this　profit　e　from　you？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃I　see。　。。。　Is　that　what　you　offered　Santos？　A　profitable　disappearance？〃
　It　was　as　if　the　words　were　hard　flesh　and　had　slapped　him　across　the　face。　Jason　looked　at　his　prisoner。　〃So　it　was　Santos；　after　all；〃　he　said　softly。　〃The　Lefebvre　was　a　trap。　Christ；　he's　good。〃
　〃He's　dead；　Le　Coeur　du　Soldat　cleaned　out　and　closed　down。〃
　〃What？〃　Stunned；　Bourne　again　stared　at　the　Lavier　woman。　〃That　was　his　reward　for　cornering　me？〃
　〃No；　for　betraying　Carlos。〃
　〃I　don't　understand。〃
　〃The　monseigneur　has　eyes　everywhere；　I'm　sure　that's　no　surprise　to　you。　Santos；　the　total　recluse；　was　observed　sending　several　heavy　boxes　out　with　his　main　food　supplier；　and　yester　day　morning　he　did　not　clip　and　water　his　precious　garden；　a　summer　ritual　as　predictable　as　the　sun。　A　man　was　sent　to　the　supplier's　warehouse　and　opened　the　boxes…〃
　〃Books；〃　broke　in　Jason　quietly。
　〃Placed　in　storage　until　further　instructions；〃　pleted　Dominique　Lavier。　〃Santos's　departure　was　to　be　swift　and　secret。〃
　〃And　Carlos　knew　there　was　no　one　in　Moscow　giving　out　a　telephone　number。〃
　〃I　beg　your　pardon？〃
　〃Nothing。　。。。　What　kind　of　man　was　Santos？〃
　〃I　never　knew　him；　never　even　saw　him。　I've　only　heard　the　downstairs　rumors；　which　weren't　many。〃
　〃I　haven't　time　for　many。　What　were　they？〃
　〃Apparently　he　was　a　very　large　man…〃
　〃I　know　that；〃　interrupted　Jason　impatiently。　〃And　from　the　books　we　both　know　that　he　was　well　read；　probably　well　educated；　if　his　speech　was　indicative。　Where　did　he　e　from　and　why　did　he　work　for　the　Jackal？〃
　〃They　say　he　was　Cuban　and　fought　in　Fidel's　revolution；　that　he　was　a　deep　thinker；　as　well　as　a　law　student　with　Castro；　and　once　a　great　athlete。　Then；　of　course；　as　in　all　revolutions；　the　internal　strife　sours　the　victories…at　least　that's　what　my　old　friends　from　the　May　Day　barricades　tell　me。〃
　〃Translation；　please？〃
　〃Fidel　was　jealous　of　the　leaders　of　certain　cadres；　especially　Che　Guevara　and　the　man　you　knew　as　Santos。　Where　Castro　was　larger　than　life；　those　two　were　larger　than　he　was；　and　Fidel　could　not　tolerate　the　petition。　Che　was　sent　on　a　mission　that　ended　his　life；　and　trumped　up　counterrevolutionary　charges　were　brought　against　Santos。　He　was　within　an　hour　of　being　executed　when　Carlos　and　his　men　broke　into　the　prison　and　spirited　him　away。〃
　〃Spirited？　Dressed　as　priests；　no　doubt。〃
　〃I　have　no　doubts。　The　Church　with　all　its　medieval　lunacies　once　held　sway　over　Cuba。〃
　〃You　sound　bitter。〃
　〃I'm　a　woman；　the　Pontiff　is　not；　he's　merely　medieval。〃
　〃Judgment　decreed。　。。。　So　Santos　joined　forces　with　Carlos；　two　disillusioned　Marxists　in　search　of　their　personal　cause…or　maybe　their　own　personal　Hollywood。〃
　〃That's　beyond　me；　monsieur；　but　if　I　vaguely　understand　you；　the　fantasy　belongs　to　the　brilliant　Carlos；　the　bitter　disillusion　was　Santos's　fate。　He　owed　his　life　to　the　Jackal；　so　why　not　give　it？　What　was　left　for　him？　。。。　Until　you　came　along。〃
　〃That's　all　I　need。　Thanks。　I　just　wanted　a　few　gaps　filled　in。〃
　〃Gaps？〃
　〃Things　I　didn't　know。〃
　〃What　do　we　do　now；　Monsieur　Bourne？　Wasn't　that　your　original　question？〃
　〃What　do　you　want　to　do；　Madame　Lavier？〃
　〃I　know　I　don't　want　to　die。　And　I　am　not　Madame　Lavier　in　the　marital　sense。　The　restrictions　never　appealed　to　me　and　the　benefits　seemed　unnecessary。　For　years　I　was　a　high…priced　call　girl　in　Monte　Carlo；　Nice　and　Cap　Ferrat　until　my　looks　and　my　body　deserted　me。　Still；　I　once　had　friends　from　the　old　days；　intermittent　lovers　who　took　care　of　me　for　old　times'　sake。　Most　are　dead　now；　a　pity；　really。〃
　〃I　thought　you　said　you　were　enormously　well　paid　for　assuming　your　sister's　identity。〃
　〃Oh；　I　was　and　to　a　degree　I　still　am；　for　I'm　still　valuable。　I　move　among　the　elite　of　Paris；　where　gossip　abounds；　and　that's　often　helpful。　I　have　a　beautiful　flat　on　the　avenue　Montaigne。　Antiques；　fine　paintings；　servants；　charge　accounts…everything　a　woman　once　in　high　fashion　should　be　expected　to　have　for　the　circles　she　still　travels　in：　And　money。　Every　month　my　bank　receives　eighty　thousand　francs　from　Geneva…somewhat　more　than　enough　for　me　to　pay　the　bills。　For；　you　see；　I　have　to　pay　them；　no　one　else　can　do　so。〃
　〃So　then　you've　got　money。〃
　〃No；　monsieur。　I　have　a　life…style；　not　money。　That's　the　way　of　the　Jackal。　Except　for　the　old　men；　he　pays　only　for　what　he　gets　in　terms　of　immediate　service。　If　the　money　from　Geneva　does　not　arrive　at　my　bank　on　the　tenth　of　every　month；　I'd　be　thrown　out　in　thirty　days。　But　then　if　Carlos　decided　to　get　rid　of　me；　there　would　be　no　need　for　Geneva。　I'd　be　finished…as　I　am　no　doubt　finished　now。　If　I　returned　to　my　flat　in　the　Montaigne　this　morning；　I'd　never　e　out　。。。　as　my　sister　never　came　out　of　that　church　in　Neuilly…sur…Seine。　At　least　not　alive。〃
　〃You're　convinced　of　that？〃
　〃Of　course。　The　stop　where　I　chained　the　bicycle　was　made　to　receive　instructions　from　one　of　the　old　men。　The　orders　were　precise　and　to　be　precisely　followed。　A　woman　I　know　would　meet　me　in　twenty　minutes　at　a　bakery　in　Saint…Germain　where　we　were　to　exchange　clothes。　She　was　to　proceed　to　the　Magdalen　mission　and　I　was　to　meet　a　courier　from　Athens　in　a　room　at　the　H？tel　Trémoille。〃
　〃The　Magdalen　mission　。。。　？　You　mean　those　women　on　the　bicycles　were　actually　nuns？〃
　〃plete　with　vows　of　chastity　and　poverty；　monsieur。　I　am　a　frequent　visiting　superior　from　the　convent　at　Saint…Malo。〃
　〃And　the　woman　at　the　bakery。　Is　she…？〃
　〃She　falls　from　grace　now　and　then；　but　she's　a　perfectly　splendid　administrator。〃
　〃Jesus；〃　mumbled　Bourne。
　〃He's　frequently　on　their　lips。　。。。　Do　you　see　now　the　hopelessness　of　my　position？〃
　〃I'm　not　sure　I　do。〃
　〃Then　I　am　forced　to　wonder　if　you　really　are　the　Chameleon。　I　was　not　at　the　bakery。　The　meeting　with　the　Greek　courier　never　took　place。　Where　was　I？〃
　〃You　were　delayed。　The　bicycle　chain　broke；　you　got　grazed　by　one　of　those　trucks　on　the　rue　Lecourbe。　Hell；　you　got　mugged。　What's　the　difference？　You　were　delayed。〃
　〃How　long　has　it　been　since　you　rendered　me　unconscious？〃
　Jason　looked　at　his　watch；　now　easily　seen　in　the　bright　morning　sunlight。　〃Something　over　an　hour…plus；　I　think；　perhaps　an　hour　and　a　half。　Considering　how　you　were　dressed；　the　taxi　driver　cruised　around　trying　to　find　a　place　to　park　where　we　could　help　you　to　a　bench　on　the　path　with　as　little　scrutiny　as　possible。　He　was　well　paid　for　his　assistance。〃
　〃An　hour　and　a　half？〃　asked　Lavier　pointedly。