bl.necroscope2-第84章

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　〃Then　I　shall　simply　telephone　ahead　to　Kolomyya　and　have　a　unit　of　the　nearest　military　force　here　within　the　hour。　How　will　it　feel；　rade；　to　be　a　Russian；　manded　by　some　Russian　army　officer　to　stand　aside；　while　I　and　my　friends　are　escorted　through　your　stupid　little　checkpoint？　And　to　know　that　tomorrow　all　hell　is　going　to　descend　on　you；　because　you　will　have　been　the　focus　of　what　could　well　be　a　serious　international　incident？〃
　At　which　precise　moment；　out　in　the　field　to　the　west　of　the　road　and　back　a　little　way　towards　Siret；　Sergei　Gulharov　stooped　and　picked　up　the　two　uncoupled　halves；　male　and　female；　of　a　heavy　electrical　connection。　Taped　to　the　main　supply　cable　was　a　much　thinner　telephone　wire。　Its　connection；　also　broken；　was　a　simple；　slender　plug…and…socket　affair。　He　connected　the　telephone　cable　first；　then　without　pause　screwed　the　heavier　couplings　together。　There　came　a　sputter　and　crackle　of　current；　a　flash　of　blue　sparks；　and　…The　lights　came　on　in　the　border　post。　Krakovitch；　on　the　point　of　leaving　to　carry　out　his　threat；　stopped　at　the　door；　turned　back　and　saw　the　look　of　confusion　on　the　official's　face。　〃I　suppose；〃　Krakovitch　said；　〃this　means　your　telephone　is　also　working　again？〃
　〃I。。。　I　suppose　so；〃　said　the　other。
　Krakovitch　came　back　to　the　counter。　〃Which　means；〃　his　tone　was　icy；　〃that　from　now　on　we　might　just　start　to　get　somewhere　。　。
　
　1。00A。M。　in　Moscow。
　At　the　Chateau　Bronnitsy；　some　miles　out　of　the　city　along　the　Serpukhov　Road；　Ivan　Gerenko　and　Theo　Dolgikh　stood　at　an　oval　observation　port　of　one…way　glass　and　stared　into　the　room　beyond　at　a　scene　like　something　out　of　a　science　fiction　nightmare。
　Inside　the　〃operating　theatre〃；　Alec　Kyle　lay　unconscious　on　his　back；　strapped　to　a　padded　table。　His　head　was　slightly　elevated　by　means　of　a　rubber　cushion；　and　a　bulky　stainless…steel　helmet　covered　his　head　and　eyes　in　a　half　dome；　leaving　his　nose　and　mouth　free　for　breathing。　Hundreds　of　hair…fine　wires　cased　in　coloured　plastic　sleeves　shimmered　like　a　rainbow　from　the　helmet　to　a　puter　where　three　operators　worked　frantically；　following　thought　sequences　from　beginning　to　end　and　erasing　them　at　the　point　of　resolution。　Inside　the　helmet；　many　tiny　sensor　electrodes　had　been　clamped　to　Kyle's　skull；　others；　along　with　batteries　of　micro…monitors；　were　secured　by　tape　to　his　chest；　wrists；　stomach　and　throat。　Four　more　men；　telepaths；　sat　paired　on　each　side　of　Kyle　on　stainless…steel　chairs；　scribbling　in　notebooks　in　their　laps；　each　with　one　hand　resting　lightly　on　Kyle's　naked　body。　A　master　telepathist…Zek　Foener；　E…Branch's　best…sat　alone　in　one　corner　of　the　room。　Foener　was　a　beautiful　young　woman　in　her　mid…twenties；　an　East　German　recruited　by　Gregor　Borowitz　during　his　last　days　as　head　of　the　branch。　She　sat　with　her　elbows　on　her　knees；　one　hand　to　her　brow；　utterly　motionless；　totally　intent　upon　absorbing　Kyle's　thoughts　as　quickly　as　they　were　stimulated　and　generated。
　Dolgikh　was　full　of　morbid　fascination。　He　had　arrived　with　Kyle　at　the　chateau　about　11。00　A。M。　Their　flight　from　Bucharest　had　been　made　in　a　military　transport　aircraft　to　an　airbase　in　Smolensk；　then　to　the　Chateau　in　E…Branch's　own　helicopter。　All　of　this　had　been　achieved　in　absolute　secrecy；　KGB　cover　had　been　tight　as　a　drum。　Not　even　Brezhnev…especially　Brezhnev…knew　what　was　happening　here。
　At　the　Chateau　Kyle　had　been　injected　with　a　truth　serum…not　to　loosen　his　tongue　but　his　mind…which　had　rendered　him　unconscious。　And　for　the　last　twelve　hours；　with　booster　shots　of　the　serum　at　regular　intervals；　he　had　been　giving　up　all　the　secrets　of　INTESP　to　the　Soviet　espers。　Theo　Dolgikh；　however；　was　a　very　mundane　man。　His　ideas　of　interrogation；　or　〃truth　gathering〃；　were　far　removed　from　anything　he　saw　here。
　〃What　exactly　are　they　doing　to　him？　How　does　this　work；　rade？〃　he　asked。
　Without　looking　at　Dolgikh；　with　his　faded　hazel　eyes　following　every　slightest　movement　in　the　room　beyond　the　screen；　Gerenko　answered；　〃You；　of　all　people；　have　surely　heard　of　brainwashing；　Theo？　Well；　that　is　what　we　are　doing：　washing　Alec　Kyle's　brain。　So　thoroughly；　in　fact；　that　it　will　e　out　of　the　wash　bleached！〃
　Ivan　Gerenko　was　slight；　and　so　small　as　to　be　almost　childlike　in　stature；　but　his　wrinkled　skin；　faded　eyes　and　generally　sallow　appearance　were　those　of　an　old　man。　And　yet　he　was　only　thirty…seven。　A　rare　disease　had　stunted　him　physically；　aged　him　prematurely；　and　a　contrary　Nature　had　made　up　the　deficiency　by　giving　him　a　supplementary　〃talent〃。　He　was　a　〃deflector〃。
　Like　Darcy　Clarke　in　many　ways；　he　was　the　opposite　of　accident…prone。　But　where　Clarke's　talent　avoided　danger；　Gerenko　actually　deflected　it。　A　well…aimed　blow　would　not　strike　him；　the　shaft　of　an　axe　would　break　before　the　blade　could　touch　his　flesh。　The　advantage　was　enormous；　immeasurable：　he　feared　nothing　and　was　almost　scornful　of　physical　danger。　And　it　accounted　for　his　totally　disdainful　manner　where　people　such　as　Theo　Dolgikh　were　concerned。　Why　should　he　afford　them　any　sort　of　respect？　They　might　dislike　him；　but　they　could　never　hurt　him。　No　man　was　capable　of　bringing　physical　harm　to　Ivan　Gerenko。
　〃Brainwashing？〃　Dolgikh　repeated　him。　〃I　had　thought　some　sort　of　interrogation；　surely？〃
　〃Both；〃　Gerenko　nodded；　talking　rather　to　himself　than　by　way　of　answering　Dolgikh。　〃We　use　science；　psychology；　parapsychology。　The　three　Ts：　technology；　terror；　telepathy。　The　drug　we've　put　in　his　blood　stimulates　memory。　It　works　by　making　him　feel　alone…utterly　alone。　He　feels　that　no　one　else　exists　in　all　the　universe…even　his　own　existence　is　in　doubt！　He　wants　to　〃talk〃　about　all　of　his　experiences；　everything　he　ever　did　or　saw　or　said；　because　that　way　he　will　know　that　he　is　real；　that　he　has　existence。　But　if　he　physically　tried　to　do　it　at　the　speed　his　mind　is　working；　he　would　rapidly　dehydrate　and　burn　himself　out；　especially　if　he　were　awake；　conscious。　Also；　we　are　not　interested　in　the　accumulation　of　all　of　that　information；　we　do　not　wish　to　know　〃everything〃。　His　life　in　general　holds　little　of　interest　to　us；　but　of　course　we　are　pletely　fascinated　with　details　of　his　work　for　INTESP。〃
　Dolgikh　shook　his　head　in　bewilderment。　〃You　are　stealing　his　thoughts？〃
　〃Oh　yes！　It's　an　idea　we　borrowed　from　Boris　Dragosani。　He　was　a　necromancer：　he　could　steal　the　thoughts　of　the　dead！　We　can　only　do　it　to　the　living；　but　when　we're　finished　they're　as　good　as　dead。。。〃
　〃But。。。　I　mean；　how？〃　The　concept　was　over　Dolgikh's　head。
　Gerenko　glanced　at　him；　just　a　glance；　a　twitch　of　the　eyes　in　his　wizened　head。　〃I　can't　explain　〃how〃…not　to　you…only　〃what〃。　When　he　touches　upon　a　mundane　matter；　the　entire　subject　is　drawn　from　him　swiftly…and　erased。　This　saves　time；　for　he　can't　return　to　that　subject　again。　But　when　we　are　interested　in　his　subject；　then　the　telepaths　absorb　the　content　of　his　thoughts　as　best　they　can。　If　what　they　learn　is　difficult　to　remember　or　understand；　they　make　a　note；　a　jotting　which　can　be　studied　later。　And　as　soon　as　that　line　of　inquiry　is　exhausted；　then　that　subject；　too；　is　erased。〃
　Dolgikh　had　taken　most　of　this　in；　but　his　interest　now　centred　on　Zek　F？ener。　〃That　girl；　she　is　very　beautiful。〃　His　gaze　was　openly　lecherous。　〃Now　if　only　she　were　a　subject　for　interrogation。　My　sort　of　interrogation；　of　course。〃　He　gave　a　coarse　chuckle。
　At　that　exact　moment　the　girl　looked　up。　Her　bright　blue　eyes　blazed　with　fury。　She　looked　directly　at　the　oneway　glass；　as　if。　。
　〃Ah！〃　said　Dolgikh；　the　word　a　small　gasp。　〃Impossible！　She　looks　through　the　glass　at　us！〃
　
　
　〃No；〃　Gerenko　shook　his　head。　〃She　thinks　through　it　…at　you；　if　I'm　not　mistaken！〃
　Foener　stood　up；　strode　purposefully　to　a　side　door　and　left　the　room；　emerging　into　the　rubber…floored　corridor　where　the　observers　stood。　She　came　straight　up　to　them；　glanced　once　at　Dolgikh　and　showed　him　her　perfect；　sharp　white　teeth；　then　turned　to　Gerenko。　〃Ivan；　take　this。。。　this　ape　away　from　here。　He's　inside　my　radius；　and　his　mind's　like　a　sewer！〃
　〃Of　course；　my　dear；〃　Gerenko　smiled　and　nodded　his　wrinkled　walnut　head。　He　turned　away；　taking