cc.fireice-第48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！


y　garden。　You　should　have　plenty　of　time　to　absorb　this。　We　can　talk　about　it　on　my　return。　Jenna　will　keep　you　well　supplied　with　tea　or　something　stronger　if　you　wish。　Just　ring　this　little　bell。〃
　
　Zavala　watched　Dodson's　battered　truck　jounce　down　the　driveway。　He　was　surprised　Dodson　had　entrusted　the　manuscript　to　a　plete　stranger。　On　second　thought；　Jenna　looked　capable　of　restraining　him　if　he　made　one　step　toward　his　rental　car　with　packet　in　hand。　He　untied　the　thick　black　ribbon　that　bound　the　pages　of　lined　pale　yellow　paper　and　riffled　through　the　manuscript。　The　letters　were　gracefully　executed　by　someone　who　had　studied　penmanship；　but　the　strokes　were　thick　and　wild；　slanting　forward；　as　if　the　writer　was　in　a　great　hurry。　Attached　was　evidently　an　English　translation　of　the　transcript。
　
　The　first　page　contained　a　short　paragraph：　〃This　is　the　journal　of　Major　Peter　Yakelev；　captain　in　the　tsar's　Royal　Cossacks　Guard。　I　swear　to　God　on　my　oath　as　an　officer　that　all　I'm　about　to　tell　you　is　true。　〃　Zavala　turned　a　page。　〃Odessa；　1918。　As　I　sit　in　my　humble　room　writing　with　fingers　crippled　by　frostbite；　I　think　of　all　I　have　endured　in　the　past　weeks。　Bolshevik　treachery；　unspeakable　cold　and　starvation　have　killed　most　of　my　sontia；　the　band　of　loyal　Cossacks　originally　one　hundred　strong；　only　a　handful　of　brave　men　remain。　But　the　history　of　this　valiant　band　will　be　written　in　blood；　as　saviors　of　Mother　Russia；　guardians　of　the　flame　of　Peter　the　Great。　Our　own　privations　are　nothing　pared　to　those　suffered　by　the　gracious　lady　and　her　four　daughters　who；　by　the　grace　of　God；　have　e　into　our　care。　God　save　the　tsar！　Within　hours　we　leave　our　country　forever　and　will　set　sail　across　the　sea　to　Constantinople。　This　is　the　end　of　one　story　and　the　beginning　of　anothr：　。　。　。　〃
　
　Zavala　became　totally　engrossed　in　the　pages。　The　captain　tended　toward　rhetorical　flourishes；　but　he　told　a　pelling　story　that　took　Zavala　away　from　the　sunlight　playing　on　the　English　countryside　to　the　bleak　Russian　winter。　Blizzards　howled　across　the　steppes；　death　lurked　in　the　dark　forest；　and　treachery　lay　in　wait　in　the　humblest　shack。　He　almost　shivered　with　cold　as　he　read　of　the　hardships　the　captain　and　his　men　endured　as　they　traveled　through　a　dangerous　and　unforgiving　land　toward　the　sea。　A　shadow　fell　across　the　pages。　Zavala　looked　up　and　saw　Dodson　standing　there；　a　bemused　smile　on　his　face。
　
　〃Fascinating；　isn't　it？〃
　
　Zavala　rubbed　his　eyes；　then　checked　his　watch。　Two　hours　had　passed。　〃It's　incredible。　What　does　it　all　mean？〃
　
　The　Englishman　picked　up　the　bell　and　rang　it。　〃Teatime。〃
　
　The　housekeeper　brought　out　a　steaming　teapot　and　a　tray　of　cucumber　sandwiches　and　scones。　Dodson　poured　their　cups　full；　then　leaned　back　in　his　chair　and　tented　his　fingers。
　
　〃My　grandfather　was　undersecretary　in　King　George's　Foreign　Office　in　1917。　He　and　the　king　had　been　drinking　and　womanizing　panions　in　their　youth。　He　was　well　acquainted　with　all　the　royal　heads　of　Europe；　including　Tsar　Nicholas；　who　was　George's　cousin。　Nicholas　was　a　short；　slight　man；　although　his　ancestors　had　been　a　race　of　giants；　and　his　limitations　went　beyond　the　physical。　My　father　used　to　say　that　Nick　wasn't　a　bad　sort　but　a　bit　of　a　dim　bulb。〃
　
　〃That　description　could　fit　half　the　political　leaders　in　the　world　today。〃
　〃No　argument　there。　Nicholas　was　even　more　inept　than　most；　totally　unsuited　by　intelligence　and　temperament　for　the　job。　Yet　he　had　absolute　authority　over　a　hundred　and　thirty　million　people。　He　was　entitled　to　the　revenue　from　a　million　square　miles　of　Crown　lands　and　gold　mines。　Technically　speaking；　he　was　the　richest　man　in　the　world。　He　owned　eight　magnificent　palaces　and　was　worth　an　estimated　eight　to　ten　billion　dollars。　In　addition；　he　was　the　head　of　the　church　and；　in　the　eyes　of　the　peasantry；　one　step　removed　from　God。〃
　〃That　would　have　been　a　crushing　responsibility　for　anyone。〃
　〃Quite　so。　He　couldn't　govern　worth　a　damn；　hated　being　tsar　except　for　the　chance　to　play　soldier；　and　would　have　preferred　living　out　his　days　in　an　English　country　house　like　this　one。　Unfortunately；　it　wasn't　to　be。〃
　〃The　Russian　Revolution　came　along。〃
　〃Precisely。　You　probably　know　much　of　what　I'm　about　to　say；　but　let　me　pull　it　all　together　for　you。　The　conservatives　in　his　court　wanted　him　out　even　before　the　revolution。　They　worried　that　Russia's　battering　in　World　War　I　would　trigger　an　uprising；　and　they　hated　the　mad　monk　Rasputin　because　he　had　his　hooks　into　the　tsarina。　There　were　demonstrations；　food　shortages；　rampant　inflation；　strikes；　refugees　and　anger　over　the　millions　of　young　Russians　killed　in　this　senseless　war。　Like　the　autocrat　he　was；　Nicholas　overreacted　to　the　protests；　his　troops　turned　against　him　and　he　abdicated　after　being　told　it　was　in　the　best　interests　of　the　country。　The　Provisional　Government　arrested　him；　and　he　and　his　family　were　kept　prisoner　in　their　palace　outside　Saint　Petersburg。　The　Provisional　Government　was　overthrown　by　the　well…organized　Bolsheviks　under　Lenin；　and　Russia　began　its　long；　tragic　experiment　with　Marxism。〃
　〃So　Lenin　and　the　munists　inherited　the　tsar　and　his　family。〃
　〃That's　a　good　way　of　putting　it。　Lenin　had　the　royal　family　and　some　servants　and　retainers　moved　to　a　mansion　in　Ekaterinburg；　a　gold…mining　center　in　the　Urals。　And　there；　in　July　of　1918；　they　were　supposedly　all　shot　and　bayoneted。　Lenin　was　under　pressure　from　his　hard…liners；　who　wanted　the　entire　family　eliminated；　and　his　people　were　talking　to　the　Germans；　who　insisted　on　the　safety　of　the　women；　but　regarded　the　death　of　the　tsar　as　an　internal　Russian　affair。　Lenin　ordered　the　limited　killings；　then　shifted　the　blame　from　his　people　to　leftist　revolutionaries。　The　story　was　generally　accepted。〃
　〃What　was　your　father's　role　at　the　time？〃
　〃The　king　had　ordered　him　to　keep　a　close　watch　on　events。　King　George　and　the　tsar　were　cousins；　after　all。　My　father　dispatched　a　trusted　Russian…speaking　agent　named　Albert　Grimley　to　determine　what　had　happened。　You　might　say　Grimley　was　the　James　Bond　of　his　day。　He　arrived　in　Ekaterinburg　shortly　after　the　White　Army　chased　the　munists　out　and　talked　to　the　army　officer　investigating　the　murders。　He　found　bullet　holes　and　blood　…　but　no　bodies。　The　officer　confided　to　Grimley　that　at　most　only　two　of　the　Romanovs　had　been　murdered：　the　tsar　and　his　son；　who　was　heir　to　the　throne。　The　officer's　superiors　suppressed　his　findings。〃
　〃Why　would　they　do　that？〃
　〃The　Whites　were　manded　by　a　reactionary　monarchist　general　on　a　divine　mission　to　save　Russia　from　ruin。
　
　He　wanted　the　public　to　believe　that　the　Bolsheviks　murdered　women　and　children。　The　family　were　more　valuable　to　his　cause　as　martyrs　than　as　living　people。〃
　〃What　happened　to　the　women？〃
　〃It's　all　in　Grimley's　report。　He　suggested　that　the　Bolsheviks　moved　the　tsarina　and　the　four　girls　before　the　male　Romanovs　were　disposed　of。　The　munists　were　in　military　trouble；　and　Lenin　may　have　wanted　the　family　as　bargaining　chips　in　case　he　got　himself　into　a　hash。　Some　researchers　think　the　tsarina　and　her　daughters　were　taken　to　a　city　called　Perm；　and　stayed　there　until　Perm　came　under　attack　by　the　Whites。　Witnesses　say　the　family　was　moved　out　with　treasure　and　gold　bullion　that　the　munists　had　accumulated；　and　they　and　their　treasure　supposedly　vanished　from　the　official　record　on　a　train　trip　to　Moscow。　The　Soviets　clamped　the　lid　down　on　all　further　information。　It　would　have　tarnished　Lenin's　halo　if　it　got　out　that　he　was　dealing　with　the　Germans　over　the　fate　of　the　Romanovs。〃
　〃What　happened　to　the　Romanov　treasure？〃
　〃Only　a　small　fraction　of　it　was　ever　found。〃
　〃Your　father　reported　his　agent's　findings　to　the　king？〃
　〃He　filed　a　report　saying　that　the　mother　and　girls　were　probably　alive　and　asked　for　help　in　putting　together　a　rescue　scheme。　King　George　washed　his　hands　of　the　affair；　although　he　and　Nicholas　were　related。　Remember　that　the　hated　kaiser　was　cousin　to　George　and　Nicholas　as　well。　Family　loyalty　only　went　so　far　among　the　royals。　The　king　was　afraid　that　he'd　stir　up　the　British　left　if　he　gave　the　women　asylum。　The　tsarina　was　German　by　birth；　and　Germany　was　the　enemy。〃
　〃So　no　attempt　was　made　to　rescue　them。〃
　〃A　rescue　scheme　was　hatched　by　some　Englishmen；　but　it　didn't　go　anywhere　because　the　family　was　moved。　There　were　a　couple　of　attempts　by　Cossacks；　supported　by　Germans　who　wanted　a　restoration　of　Russia's　imperial　house。　The　kaiser　may　have　felt　guilty　about　inflicting　Lenin　on　the　tsar　to　take　pressure　off　the　Eastern　Front。　The　most　interesting　plot　was　a　scheme　to　kidnap　the　family　and　spirit　them　through　German…occupied　Ukraine；　then　across　the　Black　Sea　in　a　neutral　ship。〃
　〃Why　did　it　fail？〃
　〃It　didn't；　actually。〃
　〃They　were　rescued？〃
　〃Yes；　but　not　by　the　Germans。　The　Cossacks　didn't　trust　Germany。　Somewhere　along　the　way；　possibly　during　that　trek　to　Moscow；　the　intrepid　band　of　Cossacks　who　had　failed　to　save　them　once　before　managed　to　kidnap　the　family　and　fought　their　way　to　the　Black　Sea。〃
　
　Zavala　picked　up　the　manuscript。　〃Major　Yakelev？〃
　
　Dodson　smiled。　〃The　Cossack　officer　must　have　been　extremely　resourceful　and　determined。　Yakelev　is　vague　about　exactly　how　the　women　came　under　his　protection。　He　was　saving　that　for　when　he　got　out　of　Russia。　The　journal　was　to　be　published　when　the　Romanovs　made　their　appearance　in　Europe。　This　manuscript　was　to　go　to　Europe　by　a　neutral　ship　and　would　garner　them　the　instant　sympathy　of　the　world。　It　came　into　the　possession　of　my　grandfather；　and　when　the　family　failed　to　arrive；　he　kept　it　for　want　of　anything　better　to　do。〃
　〃Do　you　have　any　idea　who　might　have　sunk　the　ship？〃
　〃This　is　where　it　gets　dicey；〃　Dodson　said；　with　a　frown。
　
　〃Especially　in　light　of　what　you　said　about　the　ship　having　been　sunk　by　gunfire。〃　He　took　a　deep　breath。　〃As　my　father　recounts　it　in　his　papers；　the　family　were　to　be　taken　secretly　to　Turkey；　where　a　German　U…boat　would　be　waiting　to　spirit　them　out　of　the　country。　Turkey　was　allied　with　Germany。　Britain　was　told　of　the　plan　and　agreed　not　to　attack