johngardner.goldeneye-第15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！


　〃It　certainly　wouldn't　bother　me。〃　Wade　grinned　again。
　
　〃You　know　what's　funny；　James？
　
　Real　funny。　　There　are　people　in　this　very　city　who　think　the　current　administration　stinks。　　People　who　will　not　walk　past　this　place；　because　there　are　some　old　statues　of　Stalin　buried　here；　even　though　he　was　condemned　after　his　death。　　I've　heard　people　say　about　Boris　Yeltsin's　regime；　that　things　were　better　under　Stalin。〃　Bond　shrugged。　〃I've　heard　people　in　England　say　they　were　happier　in　World　War　II　than　they　are　now　under　inpetent　government。　　…　They　say；　〃In　the　war；　we　at　least　knew　where　we　stood。〃　　I　know　what　they　mean。
　
　〃Strange　life；　James。　　Strange　old　life。〃　Wade　flapped　his　hand　at　a　swarm　of　flies　that　were　gathering。
　
　Back　in　the　car；　driving　to　the　hotel；　Bond　dragged　him　back　to　the　subject　of　Janus。
　
　〃You　want　to　hear　what　else　I　know　about　Janus？〃
　〃Zilch；'　you　said。
　
　〃Sure；　well　the　truth　is　that　you　don't　find　this　guy。　　He　finds　you。　The　only　thing　I　can　do　is　point　you　in　the　general　direction　of　his　main　petition。　　Nowadays　they　got　one　of　those　keep…your…friends~close~and~your　enemies…closer　kind　of　things　going。
　
　Jeez；　it　really　is　like　the　old　style　Mafia　here。　　I　sometimes　think　they've　all　seen　Brando　doing　his　Godfather　bit。〃
　〃OK；　who's　Janus'　main　petition？〃
　〃A　real　old　KGB　guy。　　Got　a　bad　limp。　　Right　leg。　Name　of　Zukovsky。〃
　〃Valentin　Dimitreveych　Zukovsky？〃
　〃You　know　the　guy？'　〃I　gave　him　the　limp。
　
　Natalya　risked　the　first　hard　currency　store　she　could　find。
　
　At　least；　she　thought；　I'll　know　if　they　have　the　dogs　really　close　on　my　heels　or　if　it's　only　the　militia；　the　police；　and　the　intelligence　people。
　
　She　had　used　the　public　bathrooms　at　the　Moskovsky　Vokzal　Railway　Station　as　soon　as　she　arrived　and　the　soap　she　had　been　given　was　not　quite　as　bad　as　she　expected；　but　that　was　probably　because　she　had　tipped　the　bath　lady　one　precious　green　dollar。
　
　With　her　body　clean　and　hair　washed；　she　had　eaten　at　the　little　cafeteria　near　the　station　exit。　　The　coffee　was　like　dishwater；　but　at　least　it　was　hot；　and　the　sandwich　of　black　bread　and　goat's　cheese　was　tasty。　　After　the　meagre　meal；　she　had　headed　straight　out　for　the　hard　currency　store。　　She　needed　a　good　thick　skirt；　changes　of　stockings　and　underwear；　a　couple　of　pairs　of　jeans；　some　warm　shirts；　toiletries；　an　airline　carry…on　bag　and　a　large　leather　shoulder　bag。
　
　Natalya　had　no　idea　where　she　was　going　to　spend　the　night；　but　that　could　wait。　　She　had　thought　of　getting　a　train　to　Novgorod；　then　a　local　to　where　her　parents　still　lived　on　the　shore　of　Lake　Ilmen；　but　she　knew　that　it　could　put　her　father　and　mother　at　risk。　　If　they　were　looking　for　her；　the　first　thing　they　would　have　done　was　to　put　a　team　of　surveillance　people　onto　the　house。　　Better　to　stay　away　than　risk　the　rest　of　her　family。
　
　In　the　women's　crowded　changing　room；　she　put　on　new　clothes。　　Her　fur　coat；　hat；　gloves　and　the　leather　boots　were　acceptable；　but　she　carefully　checked　her　papers；　moving　them　into　the　shoulder　bag；　together　with　things　she　would　need。　　The　remainder　of　her　clothes；　including　those　she　had　been　wearing；　went　into　the　carry…on。　　As　she　was　checking　her　papers；　she　remembered　the　official…looking　document　she　had　been　given　over　a　year　ago　when　she　had　gone　on　special　assignment　to　collect　puter　hardware。　　Until　now；　she　had　forgotten　its　existence。　　This　could　be　useful。　　She　tied　her　hair　back　into　a　severe　bun　and　looked　at　the　general　effect。　　It　would　work；　she　thought；　as　she　was　jostled　by　a　couple　of　other　women　in　front　of　the　one　long　mirror。　　This　pair　was　safe　enough　…　fat　officials'　wives　out　on　a　spending　spree。　　They　had　eyed　her　too　closely　to　be　surveillance　people；　and　she　had　caught　the　jealous　look　one　of　them　had　flashed　at　her　when　she　stood　half　naked；　revealing　her　slim　firm　figure。
　
　Out　on　the　streets　again；　in　the　Gostiny　Dvor　arcade　the　Merchants'　Arcade；　St。　Petersburg's　main　shopping　area　…　she　window…shopped　until　she　found　a　store　selling　puters。　　The　window…dressing　did　not　bode　well。　　Out　of　date　IBM's　and　Apple　Macs；　with　tiny　hard　drives；　obsolete　chips　and　a　minimum　of　RAM　took　pride　of　place。
　
　Natalya　breathed　deeply　and　walked　into　the　store。
　
　Out　of　the　corner　of　her　eye　she　saw　the　manager　looking　her　over　and　not　putting　her　very　high　on　the　food　chain。　　He　hesitated　as　she　looked　at　the　primitive　machines；　then；　as　she　moved　a　pace　towards　the　door；　he　came　up　to　her　and　asked　〃Yes？〃　in　a　tone　he　almost　certainly　reserved　for　menials。
　
　She　wrinkled　her　nose；　as　though　indicating　that　both　the　manager　and　the　wares　on　show　were　giving　off　the　scent　of　spoiled　fish。　　〃Are　these　all　you　have？〃　she　asked。
　
　Sarcastically；　the　manager　raised　his　eyebrows。　　〃How　many　do　you　want？'　She　dug　her　hand　into　the　big　shoulder　bag；　consulted　the　influential…looking　document。　　〃Well；　twenty…four　for　the　American　school；　eleven　for　the　Swedish。　　They　must　be　IBM　patible；　with　at　least　500　megabite　hard　drives；　CD…ROM　and　14…4　modems。　　We　have　to　keep　them　in　line　with　the　ones　they　already　use。
　
　The　manager's　attitude　switched　from　disdainful　to　fawning。　　〃We　are　talking　hard　currency　here；　yes？〃
　〃What　other　kind　is　there？〃
　〃If　madam　requires　a　demonstration。。
　
　〃Madam　requires　one　demonstration　model；　and　a　quiet　place　to　test　it　for　an　hour　or　so。
　
　〃Of　course。〃　He　snapped　his　fingers　at　a　junior　salesman　and　together　they　led　her　through　to　the　back　of　the　store　where　an　up…to…date　486　was　set　up　on　a　spacious　desk。
　
　〃Just　leave　me　alone。　　The　order　will　depend　on　what　I　find　here。
　
　I　need　peace；'　booting　up　the　machine　as　she　spoke。
　
　Almost　before　they　were　out　of　the　room；　her　fingers　started　to　fly　over　the　keys。　　She　was　on…line　and　typing　in　TO　madvlad@mosup。math。edu　…　URGENT　YOU　CALL　NATALYA　@　3422…589836。
　
　Then　she　waited。　　If　Boris　had　lived　following　the　disaster；　he　would　have　managed　to　get　access　to　a　puter　by　now。　　He　was　not　a　whole　man　unless　he　was　surfing　or　listening　out。
　
　Nothing。
　
　The　minutes　ticked　away；　and　with　them　the　optimism。
　
　Her　puter　beeped　and　there　he　was；　on　screen　…　or　at　least　a　wild　cartoon　graphic　of　him。　　The　screen　cleared　and　the　message　ribboned　out　…　THOUGHT　YOU　WERE　DEAD。
　
　She　smiled　and　could　have　wept　with　happiness　as　she　replied　OURUMOV　KILLED　EVERYONE。　　FIRED　〃PETYA'　AND　TOOK　GOLDENEYE。
　
　It　took　a　couple　of　minutes；　but　the　answer　slid　back　onto　the　screen　…　YOU　AREN'T　SAFE。　　TRUST　NOBODY。　　MEET　ME　TOMORROW　SIX　PM　CHURCH　OF　OUR　LADY　OF　SMOLENSK。
　
　She　had　a　day　to　wait。　　Now　all　she　had　to　do　was　find　somewhere　to　sleep　without　being　wakened　by　some　cop　putting　handcuffs　on　her　wrists。
　
　〃Do　you　ever　stop　talking；　Jack？〃　Bond　was　fast　being　irritated　with　Jack　Wade's　constant　patter。
　
　The　Grand　Hotel　Europe　had　provided　Bond　with　a　good　bedroom　and　decent　food。　　There　were　also　extras　which　he　constantly　turned　down。
　
　They　even　called　his　room　on　the　in…house　telephone。　　〃You　want　a　nice　friend　for　the　night？〃　most　of　them　would　say。　　Bond　was　very　polite；　but　eventually　took　the　telephone　off　the　hook。
　
　Wade　had　picked　him　up　in　the　Moskovich　promptly　at　nine。　　They　had　spent　much　of　the　morning　touring　the　city　and　taking　odd　detours；　many　of　which　could　prove　helpful。
　
　〃Do　I　ever　stop　talking；　James？　　Rarely。　　You　needed　the　grand　tour；　so　I'm　giving　it　to　you。　　St。　Petersburg　is　an　excellent　example　of　a　cross…section　of　the　new　Russia。
　
　See；　the　homeless　on　the　streets。。
　
　〃Roughly　matches　that　of　your　own　inner　cities　in　the　States。〃
　〃Oh；　been　to　London　lately；　James？〃
　〃Yes；　and　New　York；　also　DC。　　I　think　you　have　the　edge　on　the　homeless　situation。〃
　〃Look　more　carefully；　friend。　　The　Russian　Federation　has　the　real　edge。　As　well　as　the　homeless　and　hungry；　you　can　see　a　kinda　blurred　mirror　image　of　the　West
　
　The　expensive　cars；　suits；　dresses。　　On　one　level　these　people　have　learned　a　lot。〃
　〃They　do　seem　to　have　learned　about　the　unacceptable　face　of　capitalism；　I'll　give　you　that。〃
　〃They've　also　learned　about　the　unacceptable　crime　of　capitalism。　　It　may　be　bad　in　the　States；　but　here　it　is　really　a　going　concern。　　I　did　tell　you　how　I　got　into　gardening；　didn't　I？〃
　〃Several　times；　Jack。　　Now　how　about　showing　me　what　I　really　came　here　to　see？〃
　〃It's　OK；　James。〃　He　turned　into　a　side…street　in　which　even　Bond　would　hesitate　to　walk　alone　at　night。
　
　〃Very　pretty。〃　He　saw　the　dismal　faces　and　hungry　eyes　staring　from　doorways　and　windows。　　At　the　end　of　the　street；　a　couple　of　whores　made　to　approach　the　car　as　it　slowed　down。　　Jack　Wade　shouted　a　fast　line　of　Russian　abuse　at　them　and　they　jumped　back　quickly。
　
　〃I　know　those　words；'　Bond　smiled。　　〃Only　I　haven't　heard　them　spoken　before。〃
　〃Very　necessary；　James。　　Now　pay　attention；　we're　ing　to　an　interesting　area。　　As　we　make　a　right　here；　take　note　of　the　building　on　your　left。〃　Bond　sat　back；　his　eyes　flicking　towards　the　sign　above　the　doleful…looking　shop；　reading　aloud；　〃Kirov's　Funeral　Parlour。　　I　suppose　you're　going　to　tell　me　this　is　the　dead　centre　of　St。　Petersburg。〃
　〃Very　droll；　James。　　That's　the　place　I　was　telling　you　about。　　Four　o'clock　this　afternoon；　the　hearse　es　in　through　those　big　wooden　doors　next　to　the　shop。　　They　do　the　business　and　the　hearse　is　out　in　ten　minutes。　　I　can　put　the　word　out　if　I　don't　hear　from　you　by　three。〃
　〃Makes　sense。　　Good　insurance　is　hard　to　find。〃
　〃Sure；　hang　on；　we've　got　to　take　a　left　here；　then　your　eyes'll　pop。〃　The　battered　old　car　swung　into　a　broad　alley　and　Bond　saw　a　sight　so　bizarre　he　could　hardly　believe　it。
　
　Several　expensive　cars　were　parked　along　the　street。
　
　Handfuls　of　well…fed；　very　well…dressed；　smooth…looking　Russians　leaned　against　the　cars。　　Less　kempt　men　stood　against　walls；　their　wares　spread　out　at　their　feet。　　In　the　boot　of　every　car；　the　back　of　every　truck；　and　along　the　pavement；　weapons　were　stacked；　grenade　launchers；　hand　guns；　Uzi　and　H&K　sub…machine　guns；　boxes　of　ammunition。
　
　Jack　Wade　grunted；　then　assumed　his　role　of