bl.necroscope2-第71章

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　〃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　physically　hearing；　Kyle's　gasp　of　horror。　Then　the　head　of　INTESP　got　hold　of　his　emotions；　even　if　Bodescu's　plans　to　e　over　here　hadn't　been　foiled；　still　it　would　have　been　too　late　for　him。
　〃By　the　time　we've　finished　over　here；〃　he　grimly　told　Roberts；　〃there'll　be　nothing　left　for　him　anyway。　And　by　the　time　you've　finished　over　there。。。　he　won't　be　able　to　go　anywhere。〃　Then　he　told　Roberts　in　detail　exactly　what　he　wanted　done。　It　took　him　a　good　fifteen　minutes　to　make　sure　he　covered　everything。
　〃When？〃　Roberts　asked　him　when　he　was　finished。
　Kyle　was　cautious。　〃Are　you　part　of　the　surveillance　team？　I　mean；　do　you　physically　go　out　to　the　house　and　watch　him？〃
　〃No。　I　co…ordinate。　I'm　always　here　at　the　HO。　But　I　do　want　to　be　in　on　the　kill。〃
　〃Very　well；　I'll　tell　you　when　it's　to　be；〃　said　Kyle。　〃But　you're　not　to　pass　it　on　to　the　others！　Not　until　as　close　as　possible　to　zero　hour　itself。　I　don't　want　Bodescu　picking　it　out　of　someone's　mind。〃
　〃That　makes　sense。　Wait…〃　Roberts　sent　Clarke　into　the　next　room；　out　of　earshot。　〃OK；　when？〃
　〃Tomorrow…in　daylight。　Let's　settle　for　5。00　P。M。　your　time。　By　then　we'll　have　done　our　bit；　just　an　hour　or　so　earlier。　There　are　certain　obvious　reasons　why　daylight　will　be　best；　and　on　your　side　of　the　job　one　not　so　obvious　reason。　When　Harkley　goes　up；　it'll　make　a　big　blaze。　You'll　need　to　make　sure　local　fire　services　don't　get　there　too　soon　and　put　it　out。　If　it　was　at　night；　the　flames　would　be　visible　for　miles。　Anyway；　that's　for　you　to　work　on。　But　the　last　thing　you　want　is　outside　interference；　OK？〃
　〃Got　it；〃　said　Roberts。
　〃That's　it；　then；〃　said　Kyle。　〃We　probably　won't　be　talking　again　until　it's　all　finished。　So　good　luck！〃
　〃Good　luck；〃　Roberts　answered；　letting　Kyle's　face　fade　in　his　mind　as　he　replaced　the　receiver　in　its　cradle。
　
　Most　of　Monday　found　Harry　Keogh　trying　without　success　to　break　the　magnetic　attraction　of　his　son's　psyche。　There　was　no　way。　The　child　fought　him；　clung　to　both　Harry　and　the　waking　world　alike　with　an　incredible　tenacity；　would　not　go　to　sleep。　Brenda　Keogh　marked　the　baby's　fever；　thought　to　call　a　doctor；　then　changed　her　mind；　but　she　determined　that　if　the　baby　stayed　as　bad　tempered　through　the　night；　and　if　in　the　morning　his　temperature　was　still　on　the　high　side；　then　she'd　get　advice。
　She　couldn't　know　that　Harry　Jnr's　fever　resulted　from　the　mental　contest　he　waged　with　his　father；　a　fight　the　infant　was　winning　hands　down。　But　Harry　Snr　knew　it　well　enough。　The　baby's　will…and　his　strength…both　were　enormous！　The　child's　mind　was　a　black　hole　whose　gravity　must　surely　pull　Harry　in　entirely。　And　Harry　had　discovered　something：　that　indeed　a　mind　without　a　body　can　grow　weary；　and　just　like　flesh　be　worn　down。　So　that　when　he　could　no　longer　fight　he　gave　in　and　retreated　into　himself；　glad　that　for　now　his　vain　striving　and　struggling　were　over。
　Like　a　game　fish　on　the　end　of　a　line；　he　allowed　himself　to　be　reeled　in；　close　to　the　boat。　But　he　knew　he　must　fight　again　when　he　sensed　the　gaff　poised　to　strike。　Incorporeal；　it　would　be　Harry's　last　chance　to　retain　an　individual　identity。　That　was　why　he　would　fight；　for　the　continuation　of　his　existence；　but　he　couldn't　help　wondering：　what　did　all　of　this　mean　to　his　son？　Why　did　Harry　jnr　want　him？　Was　it　simply　the　terrific　greed　of　any　healthy　infant；　or　was　it　something　else　entirely？
　As　for　the　baby　himself：　he　recognised　his　father's　partial　surrender；　accepted　the　fact　that　for　now　the　fight　was　over。　And　he　had　no　means　by　which　to　tell　this　fantastic　adult　that　it　wasn't　a　fight　at　all；　not　really；　but　simply　a　desperate　desire　to　know；　to　learn。　Father　and　son；　two　minds　in　one　small；　fragile…defenceless？…body；　both　of　them　took　the　wele　opportunity　to　sleep。
　And　at　5。00　P。M。　when　Brenda　Keogh　looked　in　on　her　baby　son；　she　was　pleased　to　note　that　he　lay　still　and　at　peace　in　his　cot；　and　that　his　temperature　was　down　again　。
　
　About　4。30　P。M。　that　same　Monday　afternoon；　in　lonesti：
　Irma　Dobresti　had　just　answered　a　telephone　call　from　Bucharest。　The　telephone　conversation　had　grown　sufficiently　heated　to　cause　the　rest　of　the　party　to　listen　in。　Krakovitch's　face　had　fallen；　telling　Kyle　and　Quint　that　something　was　amiss。　When　Irma　was　through　and　after　she'd　hurled　the　phone　down；　Krakovitch　spoke　up。
　〃Despite　the　fact　that　all　of　this　should　have　been　cleared；　now　there　is　a　problems　from　the　Lands　Ministry。　Some　idiot　is　questioning　our　authority。　You　are　remembering；　this　Romania…not　Russia！　The　land　we　want　to　burn　is　mon　land　and　has　belonged　to　the　people　since　time…how　do　you　say？…immemorial。　If　it　was　just　some　farmer's　property　we　could　buy　him　off；　but　…；　He　shrugged　helplessly。
　〃This　is　correct；〃　Irma　spoke　up。　〃Men　from　the　Ministry；　from　Ploiesti；　will　be　ing　here　to　talk　to　us　later　tonight。　I　don't　knowing　how　this　leaked　out；　but　this　is　officially　their　area　and　under　their；　er；　jurisdiction？　Yes。　It　could　be　big　problems。　Questions　and　answers。　Not　everyone　believe　in　vampires！〃
　〃But　aren't　you　from　the　Ministry？〃　Kyle　was　alarmed。　〃I　mean；　we　have　to　get　the　job　done！〃
　They　had　driven　out　early　that　morning　to　the　spot　where　almost　two　decades　ago　Ilya　Bodescu's　body　had　been　recovered　from　a　tangle　of　undergrowth　and　densely　grown　firs　on　a　steep　south…facing　slope　of　the　cruciform　hills。　And　when　they　had　climbed　higher；　then　they'd　e　across　Thibor's　mausoleum。　There；　where　lichen…covered　slabs　had　leaned　like　menhirs　under　the　motionless　trees；　all　three　psychics…Kyle；　Quint　and　Krakovitch　alike…had　felt　the　still　extant　menace　of　the　place。　They　had　left　quickly。
　Wasting　no　time；　Irma　had　called　up　her　team　of　civil　engineers；　a　foreman　and　five　men；　based　in　Pitesti。　Through　Krakovitch；　Kyle　had　put　a　question　to　the　hardhat　boss。
　〃Are　you　and　your　men　used　to　handling　this　stuff？〃
　〃Thermite？　Oh；　yes。　Sometimes　we　blast；　and　sometimes　we　burn。　I've　worked　for　you　Russians　before；　up　north　in　Berezov。　We　used　it　all　the　time…to　soften　up　the　permafrost。　Can't　see　the　point　of　it　here；　though　。　。
　〃Plague；〃　said　Krakovitch　at　once；　by　way　of　explanation。　It　was　an　invention　of　his　own。　〃We've　e　across　old　records　that　tell　of　a　mass　burial　of　plague　victims　right　here。　Although　it　was　three　hundred　years　ago；　the　soil　deep　down　is　still　likely　to　be　infected。　These　hills　have　been　redesignated　arable　land。　Before　we　let　any　unsuspecting　farmer　start　ploughing　it　up；　or　terracing　the　hillside；　we　want　to　make　sure　it's　safe。　Right　down　to　the　bedrock！〃
　Irma　Dobresti　had　caught　all　of　this。　She　had　raised　an　eyebrow　at　Krakovitch　but　said　nothing。
　〃And　how　did　you　Soviets　get　involved？〃　the　hard…hat　had　wanted　to　know。
　Krakovitch　had　anticipated　that　one。　〃We　dealt　with　a　similar　case　in　Moscow　just　a　year　ago；〃　he　had　answered。　Which　was　more　or　less　the　truth。
　Still　the　hard…hat　had　been　curious。　〃And　the　British？〃　Now　Irma　stepped　in。　〃Because　they　may　have　a　similar　problem　in　England；〃　she　snapped。　〃And　so　they're　here　to　see　how　we　deal　with　it；　right？〃
　The　ganger　hadn't　minded　facing　up　to　Krakovitch；　but　he　wasn't　going　to　go　against　Irma　Dobresti。　〃Where　do　you　want　your　holes？〃　he'd　asked。　〃And　how　deep？〃
　By　just　after　midday　the　preparations　were　pleted。　All　that　remained　was　for　the　detonators　to　be　wired　up　to　a　plunger；　a　ten　minute　job　which　for　safety's　sake　could　wait　until　tomorrow。
　Carl　Quint　had　suggested；　〃We　could　finish　it　now。　。　But　Kyle　had　decided　against　it。　〃We　don't　really　know　what　we're　playing　with　here；〃　he'd　answered。　〃Also；　when　the　job's　done；　I　don't　want　to　hang　about　but　get　straight　on　with　the　next　phase　Faethor's　castle　in　the　Khorvaty。　I　imagine　that　after　we've　burned　this　hillside　there'll　be　all　kinds　of　people　ing　up　here　to　see　what　we've　been　up　to。　So　I'd　prefer　to　be　out　of　it　the　same　day。　This　afternoon　Felix　has　travel　arrangements　to　see　to；　and　I've　a　call　to　make　to　our　friends　in　Devon。　By　the　time　that's　done　t