bl.necroscope2-第41章

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！


　〃We　could　be。〃　Quint　gave　a　sharp　nod。　〃This　one　either　followed　you　here　or　he　knew　in　advance　where　we　were　going　to　meet。〃
　Krakovitch　gave　a　snort。　〃This　getting　out　of　hand。　I　no　good　at　this。　What　now？〃
　Kyle　looked　at　Krakovitch　and　knew　he　wasn't　faking　it。　He　grinned。　〃I'm　no　good　at　it　either。　Listen；　I'm　like　you；　Felix。　I　prognosticate。　I　don't　know　your　word　for　it。　I；　er；　foretell　the　future？　I　occasionally　get　fairly　accurate　pictures　of　how　things　are　going　to　be。　Do　you　understand？〃
　〃Of　course；〃　said　Krakovitch。　〃My　talent　almost　exactly。　Except　I　usually　get　warnings。　So？〃
　〃So　I　saw　us　getting　along　OK　together。　How　about　you？〃
　Krakovitch　heaved　a　sigh　of　relief。　〃I　also；〃　he　shrugged。　〃At　least；　no　bad　warnings。〃　Time　was　running　out　for　the　Russian　and　there　were　things　he　desperately　needed　to　know；　questions　he　must　have　answered。　This　Englishman　might　be　the　only　one　who　could　answer　them。　〃So　what　we　do　about　it？〃
　Quint　said；　〃Wait。〃　He　got　up；　crossed　to　the　bar；　ordered　fresh　drinks。　He　also　spoke　to　the　bartender。　Then　he　came　back　with　drinks　on　a　tray。　〃When　we　get　the　nod　from　the　bloke　behind　the　bar　we　pile　out　of　here　fast；〃　he　said。
　〃Eh？〃　Kyle　was　puzzled。
　〃Taxi；〃　said　Quint；　smiling　tightly。　〃I've　ordered　one。　We'll　go　to。。。　the　airport！　Why　not？　On　the　way　we　can　talk。　At　the　airport　we　find　a　warm；　fortable　place　in　the　arrivals　lounge　and　carry　on　talking。　Even　if　our　pal　over　there　manages　to　follow　us　he　won't　dare　get　too　close。　And　if　he　does　show　up　we'll　take　a　taxi　somewhere　else。〃
　〃Good！〃　said　Krakovitch。
　Five　minutes　later　their　taxi　came　and　all　four　exited　at　speed。　Kyle　was　last　out。　Looking　back；　he　saw　the　KGB　man　e　slowly　to　his　feet；　saw　his　face　twisting　in　anger　and　frustration。
　In　the　taxi　they　talked；　and　at　the　airport。　They　started　talking　at　about　twenty　minutes　before　midnight　and　finished　at　2。30　A。M。　Kyle　did　most　of　it；　aided　by　Quint；　with　Krakovitch　listening　intently　and　only　breaking　in　here　and　there　to　confirm　or　ask　for　an　explanation　of　something　that　had　been　said。
　Kyle　started　with　these　words：
　〃Harry　Keogh　was　our　best。　He　had　talents　no　one　ever　had　before。　A　lot　of　them。　He　told　me　everything　I'm　going　to　tell　you。　If　you　believe　what　I　tell　you；　we　can　help　you　with　some　big　problems　you've　got　in　Russia　and　Romania。　In　helping　you；　we'll　also　be　helping　ourselves；　for　we'll　learn　by　experience。　Now　then；　do　you　want　to　know　about　Borowitz　and　how　he　died？　About　Max　Batu　and　how　he　died？　About　the。。。　the　fossil　men；　who　wrecked　the　Chateau　Bronnitsy　that　night？　I　can　tell　you　all　of　those　things。　More　importantly；　I　can　tell　you　about　Dragosani。　。
　And　nearly　three　hours　later　he　finished　with　these：
　〃So；　Dragosani　was　a　vampire。　And　there　are　more　of　them。　You　have　them；　and　we　have　them。　We　know　where　at　least　one　of　yours　is。　Or　if　not　a　vampire；　something　a　vampire　left　behind。　Which　could　be　just　as　bad。　Whichever；　it　has　to　be　destroyed。　We　can　help　if　you'll　let　us。　Call　it　what　you　like…détente；　while　we　deal　with　a　mutual　threat？　But　if　you　don't　want　our　help；　then　you'll　have　to　do　the　job　yourself。　But　we'd　like　to　help；　because　that　way　we　might　learn　something。　Face　it；　Felix；　this　is　bigger　than　East…West　political　squabbling。　We'd　work　together　if　it　was　plague；　wouldn't　we？　Drug　trafficking？　Ships　in　trouble　at　sea？　Of　course　we　would。　And　I'm　admitting　right　here　and　now；　our　own　problem　back　in　England　might　be　bigger　than　we　know。　The　more　we　learn　from　you；　the　better　our　chances。　The　better　all　of　our　chances。　。
　Krakovitch　had　been　silent　for　a　long　time。　At　last　he　said：　〃You　want　to　e　to　USSR　with　me　and。。。　and　put　this　thing　down？〃
　〃Not　the　USSR…〃　said　Quint。　〃Romania。　That's　still　your　territory。〃
　〃The　two　of　you？　Both　the　leader；　and　a　high…ranking　member　of　your　E…Branch？　Is　that　not　to　be　the　big　risks？〃
　Kyle　shook　his　head。　〃Not　from　you。　At　least　I　don't　think　so。　Anyway；　we　all　have　to　start　trusting　someone　somewhere。　We've　already　started；　so　why　not　go　all　the　way？〃
　Krakovitch　nodded。　〃And　afterwards；　I　perhaps　e　with　you？　See　what　kind　problem　you　have？〃
　〃If　you　wish。〃
　Krakovitch　pondered　it。　〃You　tell　me　a　lot；〃　he　said。　〃And　you　solve　some　big　problems　for　me；　maybe。　But　you　not　say　where　exactly　this　thing　in　Romania。〃
　〃If　you　want　to　go　it　alone；〃　said　Kyle；　〃I　will　tell　you。　Not　exactly；　for　I　don't　know　exactly；　but　close　enough　that　you'll　be　able　to　find　it。　Working　together　we　might　do　it　a　lot　faster；　that's　all。〃
　〃Also；〃　Krakovitch　was　still　thinking　it　out；　〃you　not　say　how　you　knowing　all　of　this。　Hard　to　accept　all　I　hear　without　I　know　how　you　know。〃
　〃Harry　Keogh　told　me；〃　said　Kyle。
　〃Keogh　is　dead　a　long　time　now；〃　said　Krakovitch。
　〃Yes；〃　Quint　cut　in；　〃but　he　told　us　everything　right　up　to　the　time　he　died。〃
　〃Ah？〃　Krakovitch　drew　breath　sharply。　〃He　was　that　good？　Such　talent　in　a　telepath　must　be。。。　very　rare。〃
　〃Unique！〃　said　Kyle。
　〃And　your　lot　killed　him！〃　Quint　accused。
　Krakovitch　quickly　turned　to　him。　〃Dragosani　killed　him。　And　he　killed　Dragosani…almost。〃
　It　was　Kyle's　turn　to　gasp。　〃Almost？　Are　you　saying　that　…〃
　Krakovitch　held　up　a　hand。　〃I　finish　the　job　Keogh　started；〃　he　said。　〃I　tell　you　about　that。　But　first：　you　say　Keogh　in　contact　right　until　the　end？〃
　Kyle　wanted　to　say；　he　still　is！　But　that　was　a　secret　best　kept。　〃Yes；〃　he　answered。
　〃Then　you　can　describe　what　happen　that　night？〃
　〃In　detail；〃　said　Kyle。　〃Would　that　satisfy　you　that　the　rest　of　what　I've　said　is　the　truth？〃
　Krakovitch　slowly　nodded。
　〃They　came　out　of　the　night　and　the　falling　snow；〃　Kyle　began。　〃Zombies；　men　dead　for　four　hundred　years；　and　Harry　their　leader。　Bullets　couldn't　stop　them；　for　they　were　already　dead。　Cut　them　down　with　machine…gun　fire；　and　the　bits　kept　right　on　ing。　They　got　into　your　defensive　positions；　your　pillboxes。　They　pulled　the　pins　on　grenades；　fought　with　their　old　rusty　weapons；　their　swords　and　axes。　They　were　Tartars；　fearless；　and　made　more　fearless　by　the　fact　that　they　couldn't　die　twice。　Keogh　wasn't　just　a　telepath；　amongst　his　other　talents；　he　could　also　teleport！　He　did…right　into　Dragosani's　control　room。　He　took　a　couple　of　his　Tartars　with　him。　That　was　where　he　and　Dragosani　had　it　out；　while　in　the　rest　of　the　Chateau　…〃
　〃…In　the　rest　of　the　Chateau；〃　Krakovitch　took　up　the　story；　his　face　deathly　white；　〃it　was。。。　hell！　I　was　there。
　
　I　lived　through　it。　A　few　others　with　me。　The　rest　died　…horribly！　Keogh　was。。。　some　kind　of　monster。　He　could　call　up　the　dead！〃
　〃Not　as　big　a　monster　as　Dragosani；〃　said　Kyle。　〃But　you　were　going　to　tell　me　what　happened　after　Keogh　died。　How　you　finished　off　the　job　he　started。　What　did　you　mean　by　that？〃
　〃Dragosani　was　a　vampire；〃　Krakovitch　nodded；　almost　to　himself。　〃Yes；　you　are　right；　of　course。〃　He　got　a　grip　of　himself。　〃Look；　Sergei　here　was　with　me　when　we　clean　up　what　was　left　of　Dragosani。　Let　me　show　you　what　happen　when　I　remind　him　about　that…and　when　I　tell　to　him　there　are　more　of　them。〃　He　turned　to　his　silent　panion；　spoke　to　him　rapidly　in　Russian。
　They　were　sitting　at　a　scruffy　bar　lit　by　flickering　neon　in　the　airport's　almost　deserted　night　arrivals　lounge。　The　barman　had　gone　off　duty　two　hours　earlier　and　their　glasses　had　stood　empty　ever　since。　Gulharov's　reaction　to　what　Krakovitch　told　him　was　immediate　and　vehement。　He　went　white　and　drew　back　from　his　boss；　almost　falling　from　his　barstool。　And　as　Krakovitch　finished　speaking；　so　he　slammed　his　empty　beer　glass　down　on　the　bar。
　〃Nyet；　nyet！〃　he　gasped　his　denial；　his　face　working　with　a　strange　mixture　of　fury　and　loathing。　And　then；　his　voice　gradually　rising　and　growing　shrill；　he　began　a　diatribe　in　Russian　which　would　soon　attract　attention。
　Krakovitch　gripped　his　arm　and　shook　him；　and　Gulharov's　jabbering　faded　into　silence。　〃Now　I　ask　him　if　we　accepting　your　help；〃　Krakovitch　informed。　He　spoke　to　the　younger　man　again；　and　this　time　Gulharov　nodded　twice；　rapidly；　and　his　colour　began　to　return　to　normal。
　〃Da；　da！〃　he　gasped　emphatically。　His　throat　made　a　dry　rattle　as　he　added　something　else；　unintelligible　to　t