thedestroyer.slavesafari-第8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！


somehow　I　think　I'll　figure　out　a　way　to　get　it。〃
　Remo　heard　a　scream　from　outside　and　he　saw　Lippincott　switch　on　an　inter。
　〃It's　all　right；　Miss　Watkins。　No　cause　for　alarm。〃
　〃There's　a　madman　in　your　office；　Mr。　Lippincott。〃
　〃It's　all　right。　First　clear…talking　man　I've　met　since　grandfather　died。〃
　〃I'll　get　the　police。〃
　〃Nonsense。　Get　a　doctor。　We　have　wounded　men　in　here。　We　don't　need　the　police。〃　He　switched　off　the　inter。　〃A　pleasure　meeting　you；　Mr。　Mueller。〃
　〃Same　here；〃　said　Remo。
　〃If　only　these　clowns　knew　how　to　talk　to　people。　That's　the　trouble　with　having　so　much　money。　Everybody　thinks　they　know　what　you　want　and　they　don't　bother　to　find　out　what　you　really　want。　They　do　all　sorts　of　horrid　things　in　your　name。　I　take　it　you're　all　right。〃
　〃I'm　fine；〃　said　Remo。
　〃You　weren't　going　to　destroy　that　Seurat；　were　you？〃
　〃I　was；〃　said　Remo；　returning　the　painting　with　dots。
　〃To　prove　that　money　meant　nothing　to　you；　I　suppose。〃
　〃Yes；〃　said　Remo。
　〃I'll　buy　it　back。〃
　〃No　need；〃　said　Remo。　〃It　wasn't　mine　to　begin　with；〃　and　he　left　Lippincott's　office　feeling　that　if　only　people　made　their　positions　clear；　half　the　problems　in　the　world　could　be　solved　by　reasonable　men；　reasoning　together。
　
　CHAPTER　FOUR　
　When…　Remo　returned　to　the　Berkshires；　upstairs　had　left　a　message。　Chiun；　who　did　not　follow　telephone　codes；　recognized　the　words　〃Aunt　Mildred。〃
　〃Aunt　Mildred　what；　Chiun？〃　asked　Remo。
　〃Aunt　Mildred。　I　do　not　play　your　little　word　games。　If　Dr。　Smith　wishes　to　see　you；　why　doesn't　he　just　say；　'I　wish　to　see　you？'　Instead；　Aunt　Mildred　is　very　sorry　she　cannot　e　or　Aunt　Mildred　will　have　dinner　ready　or　Aunt　Mildred　will　refurnish　the　blue　room。〃
　〃Do　you　remember　which　one？〃'
　〃I　do　not；〃　said　Chiun　imperiously；　as　if　Remo　had　overstepped　his　bounds　by　asking。
　〃I　only　ask　because　one　of　the　things　you　mentioned　means　we　should　run　for　our　lives　and　another　means　that　every　thing　is　hunky　dory。〃
　〃Running　for　one's　life　is　the　surest　way　to　lose　it。〃
　〃That's　not　the　point；　Chiun。　It's　that　they　mean　different　things。〃
　〃They　mean　nothing　to　me。〃
　〃But　they　mean　something　to　me。〃
　〃Then　you　should　be　here　to　answer　the　telephone　instead　of　fulfilling　boasts；〃　answered　Chiun；　thus　closing　the　conversation　to　his　satisfaction。
　Remo　waited　until　early　dawn　for　the　phone　to　ring　again；　but　it　did　not；　and　he　was　about　to　nap　when　he　heard　a　car　pull　up　to　the　driveway。　Just　by　the　slow；　careful　and　neat　way　it　parked；　by　the　careful　opening　of　the　door　so　as　not　to　wear　the　hinges　unduly；　Remo　knew　that　it　was　upstairs；　Dr。　Harold　W。　Smith；　director　of　CURE。　The　message　must　have　been　Aunt　Mildred　will　have　dinner　ready。　That　meant　stay　where　you　are。　Will　contact　in　person。
　〃I　see　Chiun　got　the　message　correct；〃　said　Smith；　not　bothering　to　thank　Remo　for　opening　the　door　or　even　acknowledging　his　greeting。　〃You　really　shouldn't　plain　that　he　can't　relay　codes。　He　did　very　well　this　time。　You're　here。〃
　Smith　wore　a　dark　suit　and　a　white　shirt　and　striped　tie。　With　the　crispness　of　a　mail　clerk　he　walked　onto　the　sun　porch。　The　sun　was　sending　little　red　cracks　into　the　gray　early　morning　sky　over　Lake　Patusick。
　〃I　don't　suppose　you　have　any　coffee；〃　asked　Smith。
　〃Right。　We　don't　have　coffee。　Want　some　cold　duck？〃
　〃Alcohol　this　early？〃
　〃No　alcohol。　Leftover　duck　from　last　night's　dinner。〃
　〃Sounds　awful；〃　Smith　said。
　〃Tastes　worse。〃
　Remo　eyed　Smith　and　the　small　bulge　in　his　left　jacket　pocket　that　looked　like　an　overstuffed　envelope。　He　wondered　how　many　people　played　small　unknowing　roles　in　collecting　what　went　into　that　envelope。。。　a　secretary　who　made　an　extra　ine　by　adding　a　file　in　a　magazine　office　that　said　Remo　Mueller　was　a　writer　who　could　be　counted　on　for　Africa　stories。。。　a　banker　who　a　month　before　had　quietly　opened　a　bank　acc　ount　and　a　line　of　credit　for　a　man　he　had　never　seen；　but　whose　name　was　Remo　Mueller　and　who　came　highly　remended　by　friends。　CURE　was　in　that　envelope；　hundreds　of　people　doing　little　jobs　and　not　knowing　the　overall　picture。
　〃I　see　you're　interested　in　the　envelope。　Your　tickets　to　Busati　and　your　passports　are　in　here　along　with　an　article　under　your　byline。　You　should　read　it。　You　wrote　it。〃
　〃I　read　it；〃　said　Remo。
　〃It　hasn't　been　published　yet。〃
　〃Some　clown　who　works　for　Lippincott　showed　it　to　me。　They　offered　to　hire　me。〃
　〃Excellent。　Beyond　my　fondest　hopes。　Perfect。　We　had　planned　to　get　you　into　Busati　as　a　journalist；　let　the　blame　fall　on　the　magazine。　But　working　for　Lippincott　is　even　better。　For　the　first　time；　Remo；　I　see　operations　proceeding　even　better　than　planned；　which　is　unusual　for　you。〃
　〃I　won't　be　working　for　Lippincott；〃　Remo　said。　〃I　sort　of　explained　to　him　that　I　couldn't。〃
　〃You　met　Laurence　Butler　Lippincott？〃　asked　Smith；　with　a　tinge　of　reverence　in　his　voice　that　Remo　resented。
　〃Yeah。　I　met　Lippincott。　I　threw　a　few　of　his　employees　at　him。〃
　〃You　what？〃
　〃I　told　him　I　didn't　want　to　work　for　him。〃
　〃But　he'd　make　an　excellent　cover。　We　need　someone　to　take　the　heat　if　you　get　messy　in　Busati。〃
　Remo　shrugged。
　〃You　haven't　even　been　mitted　yet；〃　Smith　groused；　〃and　you've　already　created　your　first　foul…up。〃
　〃So；　don't　mit　me；〃　said　Remo　and　left　the　sun…porch　for　the　refrigerator　where　he　grabbed　the　carcass　of　a　cold　duck　and　a　bowl　of　cold　rice　and；　against　previous　warnings　by　Chiun；　ate　even　though　his　mind　was　not　at　peace。　Smith　had　followed　him　into　the　kitchen。
　Remo　tore　off　a　greasy　drumstick　and　began　to　chew　the　mouthful　into　liquid。　The　problem；　Smith　explained；　was　not　just　that　James　Forsythe　Lippincott　was　missing　in　the　Africa　bush。　Those　things　happened。　CURE　wouldn't　bother　to　get　involved　for　that；　not　even　for　a　Lippincott。　No；　a　dangerous　pattern　was　emerging。　Very　dangerous。
　Remo　took　a　little　ball　of　rice　between　his　fingertips　and　placed　it　into　his　mouth。　How　he　would　love　a　hamburger；　he　thought。
　〃A　pattern　that　could　undermine　the　American　people's　faith　in　the　ability　of　its　government　to　protect　them；〃　Smith　said。
　Perhaps　if　he　mixed　the　rice　and　duck　together　in　his　mouth；　thought　Remo；　it　might　taste　better。
　〃The　basis　of　any　government　is　the　protection　it　gives　its　citizens；〃　Smith　said。
　Remo　tried　mixing　a　sliver　of　duck　with　a　few　grains　of　rice。
　〃We　don't　have　final　proof；　but　we　believe　that　someone　is　raiding　America　for　slaves。〃
　Perhaps　if　Remo　washed　down　the　duck　and　the　rice　with　warm　water。　Maybe　that　would　improve　it。
　〃In　the　last　year；　several　wealthy　young　girls　from　branches　of　the　Lippincott　family　have　met　violent　deaths。　Or　at　least　we　thought　they　had。　But　now　we　have　found　out　that　the　girls　did　not　really　die。　In　their　coffins　there　were　other　bodies。　We　believe　someone　is　somehow　smuggling　these　girls　out　of　the　country　to　Africa；　as　slaves。　Sort　of　a　reverse　slavery。〃
　Remo　turned　the　water　faucet　on　hot　and　filled　a　glass。　He　sipped　it　and　that　didn't　help　either。
　〃Reverse　slavery？〃　he　asked。
　〃Yes；〃　Smith　said。　〃Blacks　taking　whites。〃
　〃Doesn't　sound　reverse　to　me；〃　said　Remo。　〃It's　slavery。〃
　〃Correct；〃　Smith　said。　〃It's　just　that　historically；　whites　took　blacks。〃
　〃Only　an　idiot　lives　in　history；〃　said　Remo　repeating　something　Chiun　had　once　told　him　and　which　he　had　never　understood。
　〃Right；〃　Smith　said。　〃It's　really　a　rather　simple　sort　of　operation。　Get　into　Busati；　find　out　what　happened　to　the　missing　Lippincott；　free　the　girls；　and　get　out。〃
　〃Why　not　do　it　through　the　government？〃
　〃We　can't；〃　Smith　said。　〃Our　sources　indicate　that　General　Obode；　the　President　of　Busati；　is　somehow　behind　this。　If　we　try　to　approach　him　directly；　he'll　just　kill　the　girls。　No。　We've　got　to　get　them　freed　first。　Then　our　government　can　deal　with　Obode；　and　he　can't　lie　his　way　out。〃
　〃Can　I　kill　Obode？〃
　Smith　shook　his　head。　〃Too　risky。　He's　a　nut；　but　he's　our　nut。　Killing　him　might　cause　us　real　problems　in　that　part　of　the　world。〃
　〃You　say　your　sources　say　that　Obode's　in　it。　How　good　are　your　sources？〃　Remo　said。
　〃Impeccable；〃　Smith　said。　〃CIA　type　sources。〃
　〃Do　your　sources　know　where　the　girls　a