rl.thebourneultimatum-第124章

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　〃There　weren't　any。〃
　〃One　never　knows；　sir。〃
　They　sped　through　the　streets　of　Paris　in　the　blinding　afternoon　sun　as　the　pedestrians　sweltered　in　the　summer　heat。　Finally　they　reached　the　Soviet　embassy　on　the　boulevard　Lannes　and　raced　through　the　gates；　the　guards　waving　them　on；　instantly　recognizing　Krupkin's　gray　Citro？n。　They　swung　around　the　cobblestone　courtyard；　stopping　in　front　of　the　imposing　marble　steps　and　the　sculptured　arch　that　formed　the　entrance。
　〃Stay　available；　Sergei；〃　ordered　the　KGB　officer。　〃If　there's　to　be　any　contact　with　the　Sыreté；　you're　selected。〃　Then；　as　if　it　were　an　afterthought；　Krupkin　addressed　the　aide　sitting　next　to　Sergei　in　the　front　seat。　〃No　offense；　young　man；〃　he　added；　〃but　over　the　years　my　old　friend　and　driver　has　bee　highly　resourceful　in　these　situations。　However；　you　also　have　work　to　do。　Process　the　body　of　our　loyal　deceased　rade　for　cremation。　Internal　Operations　will　explain　the　paperwork。〃　With　a　nod　of　his　head；　Dimitri　Krupkin　instructed　Bourne　and　Alex　Conklin　to　get　out　of　the　car。
　Once　inside；　Dimitri　explained　to　the　army　guard　that　he　did　not　care　for　his　guests　to　be　subjected　to　the　metal　detecting　trellises　through　which　all　visitors　to　the　Soviet　embassy　were　expected　to　pass。　As　an　aside；　he　whispered　in　English　to　his　guests。　〃Can　you　imagine　the　alarms　that　would　go　off？　Two　armed　Americans　from　the　savage　CIA　roaming　the　halls　of　this　bastion　of　the　proletariat？　Good　heavens；　I　can　feel　the　cold　of　Siberia　in　my　testicles。〃
　They　walked　through　the　ornate；　richly　decorated　nineteenth…century　lobby　to　a　typical　brass…grilled　French　elevator；　they　entered　and　proceeded　to　the　third　floor。　The　grille　opened　and　Krupkin　continued　as　he　led　the　way　down　a　wide　corridor。　〃We'll　use　an　in…house　conference　room；〃　he　said。　〃You'll　be　the　only　Americans　who　have　ever　seen　it　or　will　ever　see　it；　as　it's　one　of　the　few　offices　without　listening　devices。〃
　〃You　wouldn't　want　to　submit　that　statement　to　a　polygraph；　would　you？〃　asked　Conklin；　chuckling。
　〃Like　you；　Aleksei；　I　learned　long　ago　how　to　fool　those　idiot　machines；　but　even　if　that　were　not　so；　in　this　case　I　would　willingly　submit　it；　for　it's　true。　In　all　honesty；　it's　to　protect　ourselves　from　ourselves。　e　along　now。〃
　The　conference　room　was　the　size　of　an　average　suburban　dining　room　but　with　a　long　heavy　table　and　dark　masculine　furniture；　the　chairs　thick；　unwieldy　and　quite　fortable。　The　walls　were　covered　with　deep　brown　paneling；　the　inevitable　portrait　of　Lenin　centered　ostentatiously　behind　the　head　chair；　beside　which　was　a　low　table　designed　for　the　telephone　console　within　easy　reach。　〃I　know　you're　anxious；〃　said　Krupkin；　going　to　the　console；　〃so　I'll　authorize　an　international　line　for　you。〃　Lifting　the　phone；　touching　a　button；　and　speaking　rapidly　in　Russian；　Dimitri　did　so；　then　hung　up　and　turned　to　the　Americans。　〃You're　assigned　number　twenty…six；　it's　the　last　button　on　the　right；　second　row。〃
　〃Thanks。〃　Conklin　nodded　and　reached　into　his　pocket；　pulling　out　a　scrap　of　paper　and　handing　it　to　the　KGB　officer。　〃I　need　another　favor；　Kruppie。　That's　a　telephone　number　here　in　Paris。　It's　supposed　to　be　a　direct　line　to　the　Jackal；　but　it　didn't　match　the　one　Bourne　was　given　that　did　reach　him。　We　don't　know　where　it　fits　in；　but　wherever　it　is；　it's　tied　to　Carlos。〃
　〃And　you　don't　want　to　call　it　for　fear　of　exposing　your　possession　of　the　number…initial　codes；　that　sort　of　thing。　I　understand；　of　course。　Why　send　out　an　alert　when　it's　unnecessary？　I'll　take　care　of　it。〃　Krupkin　looked　at　Jason；　his　expression　that　of　an　older；　understanding　colleague。　〃Be　of　good　and　firm　heart；　Mr。　Bourne；　as　the　czarists　would　say　facing　no　discernible　harm　whatsoever。　Despite　your　apprehensions；　I　have　enormous　faith　in　Langley's　abilities。　They've　harmed　my　not　insignificant　operations　more　than　I　care　to　dwell　upon。〃
　〃I'm　sure　you've　done　your　share　of　damage　to　them；〃　said　Jason　impatiently；　glancing　at　the　telephone　console。
　〃That　knowledge　keeps　me　going。〃
　〃Thanks；　Kruppie；〃　said　Alex。　〃In　your　words；　you're　a　fine　old　enemy。〃
　〃Again；　shame　on　your　parents！　If　they　had　stayed　in　Mother　Russia；　just　think。　By　now　you　and　I　would　be　running　the　Komitet。〃
　〃And　have　two　lakefront　houses？〃
　〃Are　you　crazy；　Aleksei？　We　would　own　the　entire　Lake　Geneva！〃　Krupkin　turned　and　walked　to　the　door；　letting　himself　out　with　quiet　laughter。
　〃It's　all　a　damned　game　with　you　people；　isn't　it？〃　said　Bourne。
　〃Up　to　a　point；〃　agreed　Alex；　〃but　not　when　stolen　information　can　lead　to　the　loss　of　life…on　both　sides；　incidentally。　That's　when　the　weapons　e　out　and　the　games　are　over。〃
　〃Reach　Langley；〃　said　Jason　abruptly；　nodding　at　the　console。　〃Holland's　got　some　explaining　to　do。〃
　〃Reaching　Langley　wouldn't　help…〃
　〃What？〃
　〃It's　too　early；　it's　barely　seven　o'clock　in　the　States；　but　not　to　worry；　I　can　bypass。〃　Conklin　again　reached　into　a　pocket　and　withdrew　a　small　notebook。
　〃Bypass？〃　cried　Bourne。　〃What　kind　of　double　talk　is　that？　I'm　close　to　the　edge；　Alex；　those　are　my　children　over　there！〃
　〃Relax；　all　it　means　is　that　I've　got　his　unlisted　home　number。〃　Conklin　sat　down　and　picked　up　the　phone；　he　dialed。
　〃Bypass；'　for　Christ's　sake。　You　relics　of　outmoded　ciphers　can't　use　the　English　language。　Bypass！〃
　〃Sorry；　Professor；　it's　habit。　。。。　Peter？　It's　Alex。　Open　your　eyes　and　wake　up；　sailor。　We've　got　plications。〃
　〃I　don't　have　to　wake　up；〃　said　the　voice　from　Fairfax；　Virginia。　〃I　just　got　back　from　a　five…mile　jog。〃
　〃Oh；　you　people　with　feet　think　you're　so　smart。〃
　〃Jesus；　I'm　sorry；　Alex。　。。。　I　didn't　mean…〃
　〃Of　course　you　didn't；　Ensign　Holland；　but　we've　got　a　problem。〃
　〃Which　means　at　least　you've　made　contact。　You　reached　Bourne。〃
　〃He's　standing　over　my　shoulder　and　we're　calling　from　the　Soviet　embassy　in　Paris。〃
　〃What？　Holy　shit！〃
　〃Not　holy；　just　Casset；　remember？〃
　〃Oh；　yes；　I　forgot。　。。。　What　about　his　wife？〃
　〃Mo　Panov's　with　her。　The　good　doctor's　covering　the　medical　bases；　for　which　I'm　grateful。〃
　〃So　am　I。　Any　other　progress？〃
　〃Nothing　you　want　to　hear；　but　you're　going　to　hear　it　loud　and　clear。〃
　〃What　are　you　talking　about？〃
　〃The　Jackal　knows　about　the　Tannenbaum　estate。〃
　〃You're　nuts！〃　shouted　the　director　of　the　Central　Intelligence　Agency　so　loudly　that　there　was　a　metallic　ring　on　the　transoceanic　line。　〃Nobody　knows！　Only　Charlie　Casset　and　myself。　We　built　up　a　chrono　with　false　names　and　Central　American　bios　so　far　removed　from　Paris　that　no　one　could　make　a　connection。　Also；　there　was　no　mention　of　the　Tannenbaum　place　in　the　orders！　S'　help　me；　Alex；　it　was　airtight　because　we　wouldn't　let　anyone　else　handle　it！〃
　〃Facts　are　facts；　Peter。　My　friend　got　a　note　saying　the　trees　of　Tannenbaum　would　burn；　the　children　with　them。〃
　〃Son　of　a　bitch！〃　yelled　Holland。　〃Stay　on　the　line；〃　he　ordered。　〃I'll　call　St。　Jacques　over　there；　then　max…security　and　have　them　moved　this　morning。　Stay　on　the　line！〃　Conklin　looked　up　at　Bourne；　the　telephone　between　them；　the　words　heard　by　both　men。
　〃If　there's　a　leak；　and　there　is　a　leak；　it　can't　e　from　Langley；〃　said　Alex。
　〃It　has　to！　He　hasn't　looked　deep　enough。〃
　〃Where　does　he　look？〃
　〃Christ；　you're　the　experts。　The　helicopter　that　flew　them　out；　the　crew；　the　people　who　cleared　an　American　aircraft　flying　into　UK　territory。　My　God！　Carlos　bought　the　lousy　Crown　governor　of　Montserrat　and　his　head　drug　chief。　What's　to　prevent　him　from　owning　the　munications　between　our　military　and　Plymouth？〃
　〃But　you　heard　him；〃　insisted　Conklin。　〃The　names　were　fake；　the　chronologies　oriented　to　Central　America；　and　above　all；　no　one　on　the　relay　flights　knew　about　the　Tannenbaum　estate。　No　one。　。。。　We've　got　a　gap。〃
　〃Please　spare　me　that　crypto…jargon。〃
　〃It's　not　cryptic　at　all。　A　gap's　a　space　that　hasn't　been　filled…〃
　〃Alex？〃　The　angry　voice　of　Peter　Holland　was　back　on　the　line。
　〃Yes；　Peter？〃
　〃We're　moving　them　out；　and　I　won't　even　tell　you　where　they're　going。　St。　Jacques's　pissed　off　because　Mrs。　Cooper　and　the　kids　are　settled；　but　I　told　him　he's　got　an　hour。〃
　〃I　want　to　talk　to　Johnny；〃　said　B