rl.thebourneultimatum-第96部分

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　〃Probably；〃　said　Jason　as　both　men　in　unison　looked　back　at　Marie　and　Panov。　〃She's　talking　about　me；　you　know　that；　don't　you？〃
　〃Why　not？　She's　concerned　and　he's　concerned。〃
　〃I　hate　to　think　how　many　more　concerns　I'll　give　them　both。　You；　too；　I　imagine。〃
　〃What　are　you　trying　to　tell　me；　David？〃
　〃Just　that。　Forget　David。　David　Webb　doesn't　exist；　not　here；　not　now。　He's　an　act　I　put　on　for　his　wife；　and　I　do　it　badly。　I　want　her　to　go　back　to　the　States；　to　her　children。〃
　〃Her　children？　She　won't　do　it。　She　came　over　to　find　you　and　she　found　you。　She　remembers　Paris　thirteen　years　ago　and　she　won't　leave　you。　Without　her　then　you　wouldn't　be　alive　today。〃
　〃She's　an　impediment。　She　has　to　go。　I'll　find　a　way。〃
　Alex　looked　up　at　the　cold　eyes　of　the　creation　once　known　as　the　Chameleon　and　spoke　quietly。　〃You're　a　fifty…year…old　man；　Jason。　This　isn't　Paris　thirteen　years　ago　or　Saigon　years　before　that。　It's　now；　and　you　need　all　the　help　you　can　get。　If　she　thinks　she　can　provide　a　measure　of　it；　I　for　one　believe　her。〃
　Bourne　snapped　his　head　down　at　Conklin。　〃I'll　be　the　judge　of　who　believes　what。〃
　〃That's　a　touch　extreme；　pal。〃
　〃You　know　what　I　mean；〃　said　Jason；　softening　his　tone。　〃I　don't　want　to　have　happen　here　what　happened　in　Hong　Kong。　That　can't　be　a　problem　for　you。〃
　〃Maybe　not。　。。。　Look；　let's　get　out　of　here。　Our　driver　knows　a　little　country　restaurant　in　Epernon；　about　six　miles　from　here；　where　we　can　talk。　We've　got　several　things　to　go　over。〃
　〃Tell　me；〃　said　Bourne。　〃Why　Panov？　Why　did　you　bring　Mo　with　you？〃
　〃Because　if　I　hadn't　he　would　have　put　strychnine　in　my　flu　shot。〃
　〃What　the　hell　does　that　mean？〃
　〃Exactly　what　it　says。　He's　a　part　of　us；　and　you　know　it　better　than　Marie　or　myself。〃
　〃Something　happened　to　him；　didn't　it？　Something　happened　to　him　because　of　me。〃
　〃It's　over　with　and　he's　back；　that's　all　you　have　to　know　now。〃
　〃It　was　Medusa；　wasn't　it？〃
　〃Yes；　but　I　repeat；　he's　back；　and　outside　of　being　a　little　tired；　he's　okay。〃
　〃Little　。。。　？　Which　reminds　me。　A　little　country　restaurant　six　miles　from　here；　isn't　that　what　your　driver　said？〃
　〃Yes；　he　knows　Paris　and　everything　around　it　thoroughly。〃
　〃Who　is　he？〃
　〃A　French　Algerian　who's　worked　for　the　Agency　for　years。　Charlie　Casset　recruited　him　for　us。　He's　tough；　knowledgeable　and　very　well　paid　for　both。　Above　all；　he　can　be　trusted。〃
　〃I　suppose　that's　good　enough。〃
　〃Don't　suppose；　accept　it。〃
　They　sat　in　a　booth　at　the　rear　of　the　small　country　inn；　plete　with　a　worn　canopy；　hard　pine　banquettes　and　perfectly　acceptable　wine。　The　owner；　an　expansive；　florid　fat　man；　proclaimed　the　cuisine　to　be　extraordinary；　but　since　no　one　could　summon　hunger；　Bourne　paid　for　four　entrées　just　to　keep　the　proprietor　happy。　It　did。　The　owner　sent　over　two　large　carafes　of　good　vin　ordinaire　along　with　a　bottle　of　mineral　water；　and　stayed　away　from　the　table。
　〃All　right；　Mo；〃　said　Jason；　〃you　won't　tell　me　what　happened；　or　who　did　it；　but　you're　still　the　same　functioning；　overbearing；　verbose　medicine　man　with　a　chicken　in　his　mouth　we've　known　for　thirteen　years；　am　I　correct？〃
　〃Correct；　you　schizophrenic　escapee　from　Bellevue。　And　in　case　you　think　I'm　being　heroic；　let　me　make　it　absolutely　clear　that　I'm　here　only　to　protect　my　nonmedical　civil　rights。　My　paramount　interest　is　with　my　adorable　Marie；　who　I　trust　you'll　notice　is　sitting　beside　me；　not　you。　I　positively　salivate　thinking　about　her　meat　loaf。〃
　〃Oh；　how　I　do　love　you；　Mo；〃　said　David　Webb's　wife；　squeezing　Panov's　arm。
　〃Let　me　count　the　ways；〃　responded　the　doctor；　kissing　her　cheek。
　〃I'm　here；〃　said　Conklin。　〃My　name　is　Alex　and　I　have　a　couple　of　things　to　talk　about　and　they　don't　include　meat　loaf。　。。。　Although　I　should　tell　you；　Marie；　I　told　Peter　Holland　yesterday　that　it　was　terrific。〃
　〃What's　with　my　damned　meat　loaf？〃
　〃It's　the　red　sauce；〃　interjected　Panov。
　〃May　we　get　to　what　we're　here　for；〃　said　Jason　Bourne；　his　voice　a　monotone。
　〃Sorry；　darling。〃
　〃We'll　be　working　with　the　Soviets。〃　Conklin　spoke　quickly；　his　rush　of　words　countering　the　immediate　reaction　from　Bourne　and　Marie。　〃It's　all　right；　I　know　the　contact；　I've　known　him　for　years；　but　Washington　doesn't　know　I　know　him。　His　name　is　Krupkin；　Dimitri　Krupkin；　and　as　I　told　Mo；　he　can　be　bought　for　five　pieces　of　silver。〃
　〃Give　him　thirty…one；〃　interrupted　Bourne；　〃to　make　sure　he's　on　our　side。〃
　〃I　figured　you'd　say　that。　Do　you　have　a　ceiling？〃
　〃None。〃
　〃Not　so　fast；〃　said　Marie。　〃What's　a　negotiable　starting　point？〃
　〃Our　economist　speaks；〃　proclaimed　Panov；　drinking　his　wine。
　〃Considering　his　position　in　the　Paris　KGB；　I'd　say　around　fifty　thousand；　American。〃
　〃Offer　him　thirty…five　and　escalate　to　seventy…five　under　pressure。　Up　to　a　hundred；　if　necessary；　of　course。〃
　〃For　Christ's　sake；〃　cried　Jason；　controlling　his　voice。　〃We're　talking　about　us；　about　the　Jackal。　Give　him　anything　he　wants！〃
　〃Too　easily　bought；　too　easily　turned　to　another　source。　To　a　counteroffer。〃
　〃Is　she　right？〃　asked　Bourne；　staring　at　Conklin。
　〃Normally；　of　course；　but　in　this　case　it　would　have　to　be　the　equivalent　of　a　workable　diamond　mine。　No　one　wants　Carlos　in　the　dead　file　more　than　the　Soviets；　and　the　man　who　brings　in　his　corpse　will　be　the　hero　of　the　Kremlin。　Remember；　he　was　trained　at　Novgorod。　Moscow　never　forgets　that。〃
　〃Then　do　as　she　says；　only　buy　him；〃　said　Jason。
　〃I　understand。〃　Conklin　leaned　forward；　turning　his　glass　of　water。　〃I'll　call　him　tonight；　pay　phone　to　pay　phone；　and　get　it　settled。　Then　I'll　arrange　a　meeting　tomorrow；　maybe　lunch　somewhere　outside　of　Paris。　Very　early；　before　the　regulars　e　in。〃
　〃Why　not　here？〃　asked　Bourne。　〃You　can't　get　much　more　remote　and　I'll　know　the　way。〃
　〃Why　not？〃　agreed　Alex。　〃I'll　talk　to　the　owner。　But　not　the　four　of　us；　just…Jason　and　me。〃
　〃I　assumed　that；〃　said　Bourne　coldly。　〃Marie's　not　to　be　involved。　She's　not　to　be　seen　or　heard；　is　that　clear？〃
　〃David；　really…〃
　〃Yes；　really。〃
　〃I'll　go　over　and　stay　with　her；〃　interrupted　Panov　quickly。　〃Meat　loaf？〃　he　added；　obviously　to　lessen　the　tension。
　〃I　don't　have　a　kitchen；　but　there's　a　lovely　restaurant　that　serves　fresh　trout。〃
　〃One　sacrifices；〃　sighed　the　psychiatrist。
　〃I　think　you　should　eat　in　the　room。〃　Bourne's　voice　was　now　adamant。
　〃I　will　not　be　a　prisoner；〃　said　Marie　quietly；　her　gaze　fixed　on　her　husband。　〃Nobody　knows　who　we　are　or　where　we　are；　and　I　submit　that　someone　who　locks　herself　in　her　room　and　is　never　seen　draws　far　more　attention　than　a　perfectly　normal　Frenchwoman　who　goes　about　her　normal　business　of　living。〃
　〃She's　got　a　point；〃　observed　Alex。　〃If　Carlos　has　his　network　calling　around；　someone　behaving　abnormally　could　be　picked　up。　Besides；　Panov's　from　left　field…pretend　you're　a　doctor　or　something；　Mo。　Nobody'll　believe　it；　but　it'll　add　a　touch　of　class。　For　reasons　that　escape　me；　doctors　are　usually　above　suspicion。〃
　〃Psychopathic　ingrate；〃　mumbled　Panov。
　〃May　we　get　back　to　business？〃　said　Bourne　curtly。
　〃You're　very　rude；　David。〃
　〃I'm　very　impatient；　do　you　mind？〃
　〃Okay；　cool　it；〃　said　Conklin。　〃We're　all　uptight；　but　things　have　got　to　be　clear。　Once　Krupkin's　on　board；　his　first　job　will　be　to　trace　the　number　Gates　gave　Prefontaine　in　Boston。〃
　〃Who　gave　what　where？〃　asked　the　bewildered　psychiatrist。
　〃You　were　out　of　it；　Mo。　Prefontaine's　an　impeached　judge　who　fell　into　a　Jackal　contact。　To　cut　it　short；　the　contact　gave　our　judge　a　number　here　in　Paris　to　reach　the　Jackal；　but　it　didn't　coincide　with　the　one　Jason　already　had。　But　there's　no　question　that　the　contact；　a　lawyer　named　Gates；　reached　Carlos。〃
　〃Randolph　Gates？　Boston's　gift　to　the　boardrooms　of　Genghis　Khan？〃
　〃That's　the　one。〃
　〃Holy　Christ…I'm　sorry；　I　shouldn't　say　that；　I'm　not　a　gentile。　What　the　hell；　I'm　nothing；　but　you'll　admit　it's　a　shock。〃
　〃A　large　one；　and　we　have　to　know　who　owns　that　number　here　in　Paris。　Krupkin　can　find　out　for　us。　It's　corkscrew；　I　grant　you；　but　there　it　is。〃
　〃Corkscrew？〃　asked　Panov。　〃Are　you　now　going　to　produce　a　Rubik's　cube　in　Arabic？　Or；　perhaps；　a　Double…Crostic　from　the　London　Times？　What　in　heaven's　name　is　a　Prefontaine；　judge；　jury　or　otherwise？　It　sounds　like　a　bad　early　wine。〃
　〃It's　a　late；　very　good　vintage；〃　broke　in　Marie。　〃You'd　like　him；　Doctor。　You　could　spend　months　studying　him　because　he's　got　more　brights　than　most　of　us；　and　that　grand　intellect　of　his　is　still　intact　despite　such　inconveniences　as　alcohol；　corruption；　loss　of　family　and　prison。　He's　an　original；　Mo；　and　where　the　majority　of　felons　in　his　league　blame　everyone　but　themselves；　he　doesn't。　He　retains　a　gloriously　ironic　sense　of　humor。　If　the　American　judiciary　had　any　brains…which　on　the　surface　the　Justice　Department　would　seem　to　refute…they'd　put　him　back　on　the　bench。　。。。　He　went　after　the　Jackal's　people　on　principle　first；　because　they　wanted　to　kill　me　and　my　children。　If；　on　the　second　round；　he　makes　a　dollar；　he　deserves　every　penny　and　I'll　see　that　he　gets　it。〃
　〃You're　succinct。　You　like　him。〃
　〃I　adore　him；　as　I　adore　you　and　Alex。　You've　all　taken　such　risks　for　us…〃
　〃May　we　get　back　to　what　we're　here　for？〃　said　the　Chameleon　angrily。　〃The　past　doesn't　interest　me；　tomorrow　does。〃
　〃You're　not　only　rude；　my　dear；　you're　terribly　ungrateful。〃
　〃So　be　it。　Where　were　we？〃
　〃At　the　moment　with　Prefontaine；〃　replied　Alex　sharply；　looking　at　Bourne。　〃But　he　may　not　matter　because　he　probably　won't　survive　Boston。　。。。　I'll　call　you　at　the　inn　at　Barbizon　tomorrow　and　set　up　a　time　for　lunch。　Out　here。　Clock　yourself　on　the　drive　back　so　we're　not　hanging　around　like　mateless　snow　geese。　Also；　if　that　fat　guy's　right　about　his　'cuisine；'　Kruppie　will　love　it　and　tell　everybody　he　discovered　it。〃
　〃Kruppie？〃
　〃Relax。　I　told　you；　we　go　back　a　long　time。〃
　〃And　don't　go　into　it；〃　added　Panov。　〃You　really　don't　want　to　hear　about　Istanbul　and　Amsterdam。　They're　both　a　couple　of　thieves。〃
　〃We　pass；〃　said　Marie。　〃Go　on；　Alex；　what　about　tomorrow？〃
　〃Mo　and　I　will　take　a　taxi　out　to　your　place；　and　your　husband　and　I　will　drive　back　here。　We'll　call　you