bl.necroscope2-第42章

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　〃Da；　da！〃　he　gasped　emphatically。　His　throat　made　a　dry　rattle　as　he　added　something　else；　unintelligible　to　the　two　Englishmen。
　Krakovitch　smiled　humourlessly。　〃He　says　we　should　accept　all　the　help　we　can　get；〃　he　translated。　〃Because　we　have　to　kill　these　things…finish　them！　And　I　agreeing　with　him。。。〃　Then　he　told　these　strangest　of　allies　all　that　had　happened　at　the　Chateau　Bronnitsy　after　Harry　Keogh's　war。
　When　he'd　finished　there　was　a　long　silence；　broken　at　last　by　Quint。　〃We're　in　agreement；　then？　That　we'll　act　together　on　this？〃
　Krakovitch　nodded。　He　shrugged；　said　simply；　〃No　alternative。　And　no　time　to　waste。〃
　Quint　turned　to　Kyle。　〃But　how　do　we　go　about　it？〃
　〃As　far　as　possible；〃　Kyle　answered；　〃we　go　the　straightforward　way。　We　get　it　all　right　up　front；　without　any　of　the　usual　…；　The　airport　tannoy　broke　in　on　him；　echoing　tinnily　as　some　sleepy；　unseen　announcer　requested　in　English　that　a　Mr　A。　Kyle　please　take　a　telephone　call　at　the　reception　desk。
　Krakovitch's　face　froze。　Who　would　know　that　Kyle　was　here？
　Kyle　stood　up；　shrugged　apologetically。　This　was　very　embarrassing。　It　could　only　be　〃Brown〃；　and　how　to　explain　that　to　Krakovitch？　Quint；　on　the　other　hand；　was　his　usual　ready…for…anything　self。　Calmly　he　said　to　Krakovitch；　〃Well；　you　have　your　little　bloodhound　following　you　about。　And　now　it　would　seem　that　we　have　one　too。〃
　Krakovitch　gave　a　curt；　sour　nod。　And　with　an　edge　of　〃sarcasm；　echoing　Kyle；　he　said；　〃Without　any　of　the　usual；　eh？　Did　you　know　about　this？〃
　〃it's　none　of　our　doing。〃　Quint　wasn't　exactly　truthful。　We're　in　the　same　boat　as　you。〃
　On　Krakovitch's　orders；　Gulharov　acpanied　Kyle　to　the　reception…cum…enquiries　desk；　leaving　。Quint　and　Krakovitch　alone　together。　〃Maybe　this　is　all　in　our　favour；〃　said　Quint。
　〃Eh？〃　Krakovitch　had　turned　sour　again。　〃We　are　followed；　spied　upon；　overheard；　bugged；　and　you　say　is　favourable？〃
　〃I　meant　you　and　Kyle　both　having　shadows；〃　Quint　explained。　〃It　evens　things　up。　And　maybe　we　can　cancel　out　one　with　the　other。〃
　Krakovitch　was　alarmed。　〃I　not　being　party　to　violence！　Anything　happen　to　that　KGB　dog；　is　possible　I　get　the　troubles。〃
　〃But　if　we　could　arrange　for　him　to　be；　er；　detained　for　a　day　or　two？　I　mean；　unharmed；　you　understand　…pletely　unharmed…just　detained。　。
　〃I　not　know。　。
　〃To　give　you　time　to　clear　our　route　into　Romania。　You　know；　visas；　etcetera？　With　a　bit　of　luck　we'll　be　finished　there　in　just　a　day　or　two。〃
　Krakovitch　slowly　nodded。　〃Maybe…but　positive　guarantee；　no　dirty　work。　He　is　KGB…you　say…but　if　true；　then　he's　Russian　too。　And　I　am　Russian。　If　he　vanish　。　。
　Quint　shook　his　head；　grasped　the　other's　thin　elbow。　〃They　both　vanish！〃　he　said。　〃But　only　for　a　few　days。　Then　we'll　be　out　of　here　and　getting　on　with　the　job。〃
　Again　Krakovitch　gave　his　slow　nod。　〃Maybe…if　it　can　be　arranged　safely。〃
　Kyle　and　Gulharov　returned。　Kyle　was　careful。　〃That　was　somebody　called　Brown；〃　he　said。　〃He's　been　watching　us；　apparently。〃　He　looked　at　Krakovitch。　〃He　says　your　KGB　tail　has　traced　us　and　is　on　his　way　here。　By　the　way；　this　KGB　fellow　is　well　known…his　name　is　Theo　Dolgikh。〃
　
　Krakovitch　shook　his　head；　shrugged；　looked　mystified。　〃I　never　heard　of　him。〃
　〃Did　you　get　Brown's　number？〃　Quint　was　eager。　〃I　mean　can　we　contact　him　again？〃
　Kyle　raised　his　eyebrows。　〃Actually；　yes；〃　he　nodded。　He　said　that　if　things　were　getting　sticky；　he　might　be　able　to　help。　Why　do　you　ask？〃
　Quint　grinned　tightly；　said　to　Krakovitch；　〃rade；　it　might　be　a　good　idea　if　you　were　to　listen　carefully。　Since　you're　a　little　concerned　about　this；　you　can　start　working　on　an　alibi。　For　from　this　point　forward　you're　hand　in　hand　with　the　enemy。　Your　only　consolation　is　that　you'll　be　working　against　a　greater　enemy。〃　The　grin　left　his　face；　and　deadly　serious　he　said；　〃OK；　here's　what　I　suggest。　。
　
　On　Saturday　morning　at　8。30　Kyle　phoned　Krakovitch　at　his　and　Gulharov's　hotel。　The　latter　answered　the　call；　grunted；　fetched　Krakovitch　who　came　grumbling　to　the　phone。　He　was　just　out　of　bed；　could　Kyle　call　later？　While　this　brief　show　was　going　on；　downstairs　in　the　Genovese's　lobby；　Quint　was　talking　to　Brown。　At　9。15　Kyle　phoned　Krakovitch　again　and　arranged　a　second　meeting：　they　would　meet　outside　Frankie's　Franchise　in　an　hour's　time　and　go　on　from　there。
　There　was　nothing　new　in　this　arrangement；　it　was　part　of　the　plan　worked　out　the　night　before：　Kyle　suspected　that　the　phone　in　his　room　was　now　bugged　and　he　simply　wanted　to　give　Theo　Dolgikh　plenty　of　advance　notice。　If　Kyle's　phone　wasn't　bugged；　then　Krakovitch's　surely　was；　which　could　only　work　out　the　same。　Anyway；　the　psychic　sixth　senses　of　both　Kyle　and　Quint　were　playing　up　a　little；　which　told　them　that　something　was　brewing。
　Sure　enough；　when　they　left　the　Geriovese　just　before　10。00　A。M。　and　headed　for　the　docks；　they　had　a　tail。
　
　Dolgikh　was　keeping　well　back；　but　it　could　only　be　him。　Kyle　and　Quint　had　to　admire　his　tenacity；　for　despite　his　rough　night　he　was　still　very　much　the　master…spy；　now　his　attire　was　that　of　the　shipyard　worker；　dark…blue　coveralls　and　a　heavy　bag　of　tools；　and　the　blue…black　stubble　of　twenty…four　hours'　growth　on　his　round；　intense　face。
　〃He　must　have　a　hell　of　a　wardrobe；　this　lad；〃　said　Kyle　as　he　and　Quint　approached　the　narrow；　still　slumbering　streets　of　Genoa's　dockland。　〃I'd　hate　to　have　to　carry　his　luggage！〃
　Quint　shook　his　head。　〃No；〃　he　answered；　〃I　shouldn't　think　so。　They'll　probably　have　a　safe　house　here　and　there's　bound　to　be　one　of　their　ships　in　the　harbour。　Whichever；　when　he　requires　a　change　of　clothing；　they'll　be　the　ones　who'll　fix　it　for　him。〃
　Kyle　squinted　at　him　out　of　the　corner　of　his　eye。　〃You　know；〃　he　said。　〃I'm　sure　you'd　have　been　better　off　in　M15。　You　have　a　bent　for　it。〃
　〃It　might　make　an　interesting　hobby。〃　Quint　grinned。　〃Mundane　spying；　that　is…but　I'm　happy　where　I　am。　The　real　talent's　with　INTESP。　Now　if　our　man　Dolgikh　were　an　esper；　then　we　could　be　in　real　trouble。〃
　Kyle　gave　his　panion　a　sharp　glance；　then　relaxed。　〃But　he　isn't　or　we'd　have　spotted　him　without　Brown's　assistance。　No；　he's　simply　one　of　their　surveillance　types；　and　pretty　good　at　his　job。　I've　been　thinking　of　him　as　something　big；　but　this　is　probably　the　biggest　assignment　he's　ever　had。〃
　〃Which；〃　Quint　grimly　added；　〃with　any　luck；　is　just　about　to　terminate　a　mite　ingloriously。　But　I　wouldn't　be　too　sure　he's　small　fry；　if　I　were　you。　After　all；　he　was　big　enough　to　show　up　on　Brown's　firm's　puter。〃
　
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　Carl　Quint　was　right：　Theo　Dolgikh　was　not　small　fry；　not　in　any　sense　of　the　word。　Indeed；　it　was　a　measure　of　Yuri　Andropov's　〃respect〃　for　the　Soviet　E…Branch　that　he'd　put　Dolgikh　on　the　job。　For　Leonid　Brezhnev　would　likely　give　Andropov　a　hard　time　if　Krakovitch　were　to　report　to　him　that　the　KGB　were　interfering　again。
　Dolgikh　was　in　his　early　thirties；　a　native　Siberian　bred　of　a　long　line　of　Komsomol　lumberjacks。　He　was　the　plete　munist　for　whom　little　else　existed　but　Party　and　State。　He　had　trained；　and　later　done　some　teaching；　in　Berlin；　Bulgaria；　Palestine　and　Libya。　He　was　an　expert　in　weapons　（especially　Western　Bloc　weapons）；　also　in　terrorism；　sabotage；　interrogation　and　surveillance；　as　well　as　Russian；　he　could　speak　a　broken　Italian；　decent　German　and　English。　But　his　real　forte…indeed　his　penchant…lay　in　the　field　of　murder。　For　Theo　Dolgikh　was　a　cold…blooded　killer。
　Because　of　his　pressed　build；　Dolgikh　might　seem　at　a　distance　short　and　stubby。　In　fact　he　was　five…ten　and　weighed　in　at　almost　sixteen　stone。　Heavy…boned；　heavjowled　under　a　moon　face　that　supported　a　mop　of　uneven　jet…black　hair；　Dolgikh　was　〃heavy〃　in　all　departments。　His　Japanese　instructor　at　the　KGB　School　of　Martial　Arts　in　Moscow　used　to　say：
　〃rade；　you　are　too　heavy　for　this　game。　Because　of　your　bulk；　you　lack　speed　and　agility。　Sumo　wrestling　would　be　more　your　style。　On　the　other　hand；　very　little　of　your　weight　is　fat；　and　muscle　is　most　useful。　Since　teaching　you　the　disciplines　of　self…defence　is　probably　a　great　waste　of　time；　I　shall　therefore　concentrate　my　instruction　on　ways　of　killing；　for　w