bl.necroscope2-第70章

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ffected　his　broad…brimmed　hat　and　sunglasses；　but　his　hatred　of　the　sun…and　its　effect　on　him…were　much　stronger　now。　The　car's　mirrors　irritated　him；　his　reflection　in　the　windows　and　other　bright　surfaces　disturbed　him；　his　vampire　〃awareness〃　was　playing　hell　with　his　nerves。　He　felt　closed　in。　Danger　threatened　and　he　knew　it…but　from　which　quarter？　What　sort　of　danger？
　While　Helen　waited　in　the　car；　three　storeys　up　in　a　municipal　car　park；　he　went　to　a　travel　agency　and　made　inquiries；　then　gave　instructions。　This　took　a　little　time；　for　the　holiday　he　had　chosen　was　outside　the　usual　scope　of　the　agency。　He　wanted　to　spend　a　week　in　Romania。　Yulian　might　simply　have　phoned　one　of　London's　airports　and　made　a　booking；　but　he　preferred　to　let　an　authorised　agency　advise　him　on　restrictions；　visas；　etc。　This　way　there　would　be　no　errors；　no　last　minute　hold…ups。　Also；　Yulian　couldn't　stay　penned　up　in　Harkley　House　forever；　driving　into　town　had　at　least　given　him　a　break　from　routine；　from　his　watchers；　and　from　the　increasing　pressures　of　being　a　creature　alone。　What　was　more；　the　drive　had　let　him　keep　up　appearances：　Helen　was　his　pretty　cousin　down　from　London；　and　he　and　she　were　simply　out　for　a　drive；　enjoying　what　was　left　of　the　good　weather。　So　it　would　appear。
　After　making　his　travel　arrangements　（the　agency　would　ring　him　within　forty…eight　hours　and　let　him　have　all　the　details）　Yulian　took　Helen　for　lunch。　While　she　ate　listlessly　and　tried　desperately　hard　not　to　look　fearful　of　him；　he　sipped　a　glass　of　red　wine　and　smoked　a　cigarette。　He　might　have　tried　a　steak；　rare；　but　food　…ordinary　food…no　longer　appealed。　Instead　he　found　himself　watching　Helen's　throat。　He　was　aware　of　the　danger　in　that；　however；　and　so　concentrated　his　mind　on　the　details　of　his　plan　for　tonight　instead。　Certainly　he　did　not　intend　to　stay　hungry　for　very　long。
　By　1。30　P。M。　they　had　driven　back　to　Harkley；　and　then；　too；　Yulian　had　briefly　picked　up　the　thoughts　of　another　watcher。　He'd　tried　to　infiltrate　the　stranger's　mind　but　it　immediately　shut　him　out。　They　were　clever；　these　watchers！　Furious；　he　raged　inwardly　through　the　afternoon　and　could　scarcely　contain　himself　until　the　fall　of　night。
　
　Peter　Keen　was　a　paratively　recent　recruit　to　INTESP's　team　of　parapsychologists。　A　sporadic　telepath；　（his　talent；　as　yet　untrained；　came　in　uncontrolled；　unannounced　bursts；　and　was　wont　to　depart　just　as　quickly　and　mysteriously）　he'd　been　recruited　after　tipping　off　the　police　on　a　murder…to…be。　He　had　accidentally　scanned　the　mind…the　dark　intention…of　the　would…be　rapist　and　murderer。　When　it　happened　just　as　he'd　said　it　would；　a　high…ranking　policeman；　a　friend　of　the　branch；　had　passed　details　on　to　INTESP。　The　job　in　Devon　was　Keen's　first　field　assignment；　for　until　now　all　of　his　time　had　been　spent　with　his　instructors。
　Yulian　Bodescu　was　under　full　twenty…four　hour　surveillance　now；　and　Keen　had　the　mid…morning　shift；　8。00　A。M。　till　2。00　P。M。　At　1。30　when　the　girl　had　driven　Bodescu　back　through　Harkley's　gates　and　up　to　the　house；　Keen　had　been　only　two　hundred　yards　behind　in　his　red　Capri。　Driving　straight　past　Harkley；　he'd　stopped　at　the　first　telephone　kiosk　and　phoned　headquarters；　passing　on　details　of　Bodescu's　outing。
　At　the　hotel　in　Paignton；　Darcy　Clarke　took　Keen's　call　and　passed　the　telephone　to　the　man　in　charge　of　the　operation；　a　jolly；　fat；　middle…aged　chain…smoking　〃scryer〃　called　Guy　Roberts。　Normally　Roberts　would　be　in　London；　employing　his　scrying　to　track　Russian　submarines；　terrorist　bomb　squads　and　the　like；　but　now　he　was　here　as　head　of　operations；　keeping　his　mental　eye　on　Yulian　Bodescu。
　Roberts　had　found　the　task　not　at　all　to　his　liking　and　far　from　easy。　The　vampire　is　a　solitary　creature　whose　nature　it　is　to　be　secretive。　There　is　that　in　a　vampire's　mental　makeup　which　shields　him　as　effectively　as　the　night　screens　his　physical　being。　Roberts　could　see　Harkley　House　only　as　a　vague；　shadowy　place；　as　a　scene　viewed　through　dense；　weaving　mist。　When　Bodescu　was　there　this　mental　miasma　rolled　that　much　more　densely；　making　it　difficult　for　Roberts　to　pinpoint　any　specific　person　or　object。
　Practice　makes　perfect；　however；　and　the　longer　Roberts　stayed　with　it　the　clearer　his　pictures　were　ing。　He　could　now　state　for　certain；　for　instance；　that　Harkley　House　was　occupied　by　only　four　people：
　Bodescu；　his　mother；　his　aunt　and　her　daughter。　But　there　was　something　else　there；　too。　Two　somethings；　in　fact。　One　of　them　was　Bodescu's　dog；　but　obscured　by　the　same　aura；　which　was　very　strange。　And　the　other　was…simply　〃the　Other〃。　Like　Yulian　himself；　Roberts　thought　of　it　only　that　way。　But　whatever　it　was…in　all　likelihood　the　thing　in　the　cellars　which　Alec　Kyle　had　warned　about…it　was　certainly　there　and　it　was　alive　。
　〃Roberts　here；〃　the　scryer　spoke　into　the　telephone。　〃What　is　it；　Peter？〃
　Keen　passed　his　message。
　〃Travel　agency？〃　Roberts　frowned。　〃Yes；　we'll　get　on　to　it　at　once。　Your　relief？　He's　on　his　way　right　now。　Trevor　Jordan；　yes。　See　you　later；　Peter。〃　Roberts　put　down　the　telephone　and　picked　up　a　directory。　Moments　later　he　was　phoning　the　travel　agency　in　Torquay；　whose　name　and　address　Keen　had　given　him。
　When　he　got　an　answer；　Roberts　held　a　handkerchief　to　his　mouth；　contrived　a　young　voice。　〃Hello？　Er；　hello？〃
　〃Hello？〃　came　back　the　answer。　〃Sunsea　Travel；　here　…who's　calling；　please？〃　It　was　a　male　voice；　deep　and　smooth。
　〃Seem　to　have　a　bad　line；〃　Roberts　replied；　keeping　his　voice　to　a　medium　pitch。　〃Can　you　hear　me？　I　was　in；　oh；　an　hour　ago。　Mr　Bodescu？〃
　〃Ah；　yes；　sir！〃　The　booking　agent　raised　his　voice。　〃Your　Romanian　inquiry。　Bucharest；　any　time　in　the　next　two　weeks。　Right？〃　Roberts　gave　a　start；　made　an　effort　to　keep　his　muffled　voice　even。　〃Er；　Romania；　yes；　that's　right。〃　He　thought　fast…furiously　fast。　〃Er；　look；　I'm　sorry　to　be　a　nuisance；　but　…〃
　〃Yes？〃
　〃Well；　I've　decided　I　can't　make　it　after　all。　Maybe　next　year；　eh？〃
　〃Ah！〃　There　was　some　disappointment　in　the　other's　tone。　〃Well；　that's　the　way　it　goes。　Thanks　for　calling；　sir。　So　you're　definitely　cancelling；　right？〃
　〃Yes。〃　Roberts　jiggled　the　phone　a　bit。　〃I'm　afraid　I　have　to。。。　Damn　bad　line；　this！　Anyway；　something's　e　up；　and　…；　〃Well；　don't　worry　about　it；　Mr　Bodescu；〃　the　travel　agent　cut　him　off。　〃It　happens　all　the　time。　And　anyway；　I　haven't　yet　found　the　time　to　make　any　real　inquiries。　So　no　harm　done。　But　do　let　me　know　if　you　change　your　mind　again；　won't　you？〃
　〃Oh；　indeed！　I　will；　I　will。　Most　helpful　of　you。　Sorry　to　have　been　such　a　nuisance。〃
　〃Not　at　all；　sir。　Bye　now。〃
　〃Er；　goodbye！〃　Roberts　put　the　phone　down。
　Darcy　Clarke；　who　had　been　party　to　this　exchange；　said；　〃Sheer　genius！　Well　done；　Chief！〃
　Roberts　looked　up　but　didn't　smile。　〃Romania！〃　he　repeated；　ominously。　〃Things　are　hotting　up；　Darcy。　I'll　be　glad　when　Kyle　gets　his　call　through。　He's　two　hours　overdue。〃
　At　that　very　moment　the　phone　rang　again。
　Clarke　inclined　his　head　knowingly。　〃Now　that's　what　I　call　a　talent。　If　it　doesn't　happen…make　it！〃
　Roberts　pictured　Romania　in　his　mind's　eye…his　own　interpretation；　for　he'd　never　been　there…then　superimposed　an　image　of　Alec　Kyle　over　a　rugged　Romanian　countryside。　He　closed　his　eyes　and　Kyle's　picture　came　up　in　photographic…no；　live…detail。
　〃Roberts　here。〃
　〃Guy？〃　Kyle's　voice　came　back；　crisp　with　static。　〃Listen；　I　intended　to　route　this　through　London；　John　Grieve；　but　I　couldn't　get　him。〃　Roberts　knew　what　he　meant：　obviously　he　would　have　liked　the　call　to　be　one　hundred　per　cent　secure。
　〃I　can't　help　you　there；〃　he　answered。　〃There's　no　one　that　special　around　right　now。　Are　there　problems；　then？〃
　〃Shouldn't　think　so。〃　In　the　eye　of　Roberts's　mind；　Kyle　was　frowning。　〃We　lacked　a　bit　of　privacy　in　Genoa；　but　that　cleared　up。　As　for　why　I'm　late：　it's　like　contacting　Mars　getting　through　from　here！　Talk　about　antiquated　systems。　If　I　didn't　have　local　help。。。　anyway；　have　you　got　anything　for　me？〃
　〃Can　we　talk　straight？〃
　〃We'll　have　to。〃
　Roberts　quickly　brought　him　up　to　date；　finishing　with　Bodescu's　thwarted　trip　to　Romania。　In　his　mind's　eye　he　saw；　as　well　as　p