rl.thebourneultimatum-第128章

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　As　if　by　rote；　both　Conklin　and　the　Russian　immediately　began　examining　the　tables；　ferreting　out　handwritten　notes；　a　number　of　which　were　beside　a　mother…of…pearl　telephone　on　top　of　a　curved；　thick　dark　green　table　of　sorts。
　〃If　this　is　a　desk；〃　said　Alex；　〃where　the　hell　are　the　drawers　or　the　handles？〃
　〃It's　the　newest　thing　from　Leconte；〃　replied　Krupkin。
　〃The　tennis　player？〃　interrupted　Conklin。
　〃No；　Aleksei；　the　furniture　designer。　You　press　in　and　they　shoot　out。〃
　〃You're　kidding。〃
　〃Try　it。〃
　Conklin　did　so　and　a　barely　discernible　drawer　sprang　loose　from　an　all　but　invisible　crack。　〃I'll　be　damned。〃
　Krupkin's　miniaturized　radio　suddenly　erupted　with　two　sharp　beeps　from　inside　his　breast　pocket。　〃It　must　be　Sergei　checking　in；〃　said　Dimitri；　removing　the　instrument。　〃You're　in　place；　rade？〃　he　continued；　speaking　into　the　base　of　the　radio。
　〃More　than　that；〃　came　the　aide's　quiet　voice　acpanied　by　minor　static。　〃The　Lavier　woman　has　just　entered　the　building。〃
　〃The　concierge？〃
　〃Nowhere　in　sight。〃
　〃Good。　Out。　。。。　Aleksei；　get　away　from　there。　Lavier　is　on　her　way　up。〃
　〃You　want　to　hide？〃　asked　Conklin　facetiously；　turning　the　pages　of　a　telephone　notebook。
　〃I'd　rather　not　start　off　with　instant　hostility；　which　will　be　the　case　if　she　sees　you　riffling　through　her　personal　effects。〃
　〃All　right；　all　right。〃　Alex　returned　the　notebook　to　the　drawer　and　closed　it。　〃But　if　she　isn't　going　to　cooperate；　I'm　taking　that　little　black　book。〃
　〃She'll　cooperate；〃　said　Bourne。　〃I　told　you；　she　wants　out；　and　the　only　way　out　for　her　is　with　a　dead　Jackal。　The　money's　secondary…not　inconsequential；　but　getting　out　es　first。〃
　〃Money？〃　asked　Krupkin。　〃What　money？〃
　〃I　offered　to　pay　her　and　I　will。〃
　〃And　I　can　assure　you；　money　is　not　secondary　to　Madame　Lavier；〃　added　the　Russian。
　The　sound　of　a　key　being　inserted　into　a　latch　echoed　throughout　the　living　room。　The　three　men　turned　to　the　door　as　a　startled　Dominique　Lavier　walked　inside。　Her　astonishment；　however；　was　so　brief　as　to　be　fleeting；　there　were　no　cracks　whatsoever　in　her　posure。　Brows　arched　in　the　manner　of　a　regal　mannequin；　she　calmly　replaced　the　key　in　her　beaded　purse；　looked　over　at　the　intruders　and　spoke　in　English。
　〃Well；　Kruppie；　I　might　have　known　you　were　somewhere　in　this　bouillabaisse。〃
　〃Ah；　the　charming　Jacqueline；　or　may　we　drop　the　pretense；　Domie？〃
　〃Kruppie？〃　cried　Alex。　〃Domie？　。。。　Is　this　old　home　week？〃
　〃rade　Krupkin　is　one　of　the　more　advertised　KGB　officers　in　Paris；〃　said　Lavier；　walking　to　the　long；　cubed　red　table　behind　the　white　silk　sofa　and　putting　down　her　purse。　〃Knowing　him　is　de　rigueur　in　certain　circles。〃
　〃It　has　its　advantages；　dear　Domie。　You　can't　imagine　the　disinformation　I'm　fed　in　those　circles　by　the　Quai　d'Orsay；　and　once　having　tasted　it；　knowing　it's　false。　By　the　way；　I　under　stand　you've　met　our　tall　American　friend　and　even　had　certain　negotiations　with　him；　so　I　think　it's　only　proper　I　introduce　you　to　his　colleague。　。。。　Madame；　Monsieur　Aleksei　Konsolikov。〃
　〃I　don't　believe　you。　He's　no　Soviet。　One's　nostrils　bee　attuned　to　the　approach　of　the　unwashed　bear。〃
　〃Ah；　you　destroy　me；　Domie！　But　you're　right；　it　was　a　parental　error　of　judgment。　He　may　therefore　introduce　himself；　if　he　cares　to。〃
　〃The　name's　Conklin；　Alex　Conklin；　Miss　Lavier；　and　I'm　American。　However；　our　mutual　acquaintance　'Kruppie'　is　right　in　one　sense。　My　parents　were　Russian　and　I　speak　it　fluently；　so　he's　at　a　loss　to　mislead　me　when　we're　in　Soviet　pany。〃
　〃I　think　that's　delicious。〃
　〃Well；　it's　at　least　appetizing；　if　you　know　Kruppie。〃
　〃I'm　wounded；　fatally　wounded！〃　exclaimed　Krupkin。　〃But　my　injuries　are　not　essential　to　this　meeting。　You　will　work　with　us；　Domie？〃
　〃I'll　work　with　you；　Kruppie。　My　God；　will　I　work　with　you！　I　ask　only　that　Jason　Bourne　clarifies　his　offer　to　me。　With　Carlos　I'm　a　caged　animal；　but　without　him　I'm　a　near…destitute　aging　courtesan。　I　want　him　to　pay　for　my　sister's　death　and　for　everything　he's　done　to　me；　but　I　don't　care　to　sleep　in　the　gutter。〃
　〃Name　your　price；〃　said　Jason。
　〃Write　it　down；〃　clarified　Conklin；　glancing　at　Krupkin。　〃Let　me　see；〃　said　Lavier；　walking　around　the　sofa　and　crossing　to　the　Leconte　desk。　〃I'm　within　a　few　years　of　sixty…from　one　direction　or　another；　it's　immaterial…and　without　the　Jackal；　and　the　absence　of　some　other　fatal　disease；　I　will　have　perhaps　fifteen　to　twenty　years。〃　She　bent　down　over　the　desk　and　wrote　a　figure　on　a　notepad；　tore　it　off；　then　stood　up　and　looked　at　the　tall　American。　〃For　you；　Mr。　Bourne；　and　I'd　rather　not　argue。　I　believe　it's　fair。〃
　Jason　took　the　paper　and　read　the　amount：　1；000；000。00；　American。　〃It's　fair；〃　said　Bourne；　handing　the　note　back　to　Lavier。　〃Add　how　and　where　you　want　it　paid　and　I'll　make　the　arrangements　when　we　leave　here。　The　money　will　be　there　in　the　morning。〃
　The　aging　courtesan　looked　into　Bourne's　eyes。　〃I　believe　you；〃　she　said；　again　bending　over　the　desk　and　writing　out　her　instructions。　She　rose　and　gave　the　paper　back　to　Jason。　〃The　deal　is　made；　monsieur；　and　may　God　grant　us　the　kill。　If　he　does　not；　we　are　dead。〃
　〃You're　speaking　as　a　Magdalen　sister？〃
　〃I'm　speaking　as　a　sister　who's　terrified；　no　more　and　certainly　no　less。〃
　Bourne　nodded。　〃I've　several　questions；〃　he　said。　〃Do　you　want　to　sit　down？〃
　〃Oui。　With　a　cigarette。〃　Lavier　crossed　to　the　sofa　and；　sinking　into　the　cushions；　reached　for　her　purse　on　the　red　table。　She　took　out　a　pack　of　cigarettes；　extracted　one　and　picked　up　a　gold　lighter　from　the　coffee　table。　〃Such　a　filthy　habit　but　at　times　so　damned　necessary；〃　she　said；　snapping　the　flame　and　inhaling　deeply。　〃Your　questions；　monsieur？〃
　〃What　happened　at　the　Meurice？　How　did　it　happen？〃
　〃The　woman　happened…I　assume　it　was　your　woman…that　was　my　understanding。　As　we　agreed；　you　and　your　friend　from　Deuxième　were　positioned　so　that　when　Carlos　arrived　to　trap　you；　you　would　kill　him。　For　reasons　no　one　can　fathom；　your　woman　screamed　as　you　crossed　the　Rivoli…the　rest　you　saw　for　yourself。　。。。　How　could　you　have　told　me　to　take　a　room　at　the　Meurice　knowing　she　was　there？〃
　〃That's　easy　to　answer。　I　didn't　know　she　was　there。　Where　do　we　stand　now？〃
　〃Carlos　still　trusts　me。　He　blames　everything　on　the　woman；　your　wife；　I'm　told；　and　has　no　reason　to　hold　me　responsible。　After　all；　you　were　there；　which　proves　my　allegiance。　Were　it　not　for　the　Deuxième　officer；　you'd　be　dead。〃
　Again　Bourne　nodded。　〃How　can　you　reach　him？〃
　〃I　cannot　myself。　I　never　have；　nor　have　I　cared　to。　He　prefers　it　that　way；　and　as　I　told　you；　the　checks　arrive　on　time；　so　I　have　no　reason　to。〃
　〃But　you　send　him　messages；〃　pressed　Jason。　〃I　heard　you。〃
　〃Yes；　I　do；　but　never　directly。　I　call　several　old　men　at　cheap　cafés…the　names　and　numbers　vary　weekly　and　quite　a　few　have　no　idea　what　I'm　talking　about；　but　for　those　that　do；　they　call　others　immediately；　and　they　call　others　beyond　themselves。　Somehow　the　messages　get　through。　Very　quickly；　I　might　add。〃
　〃What　did　I　tell　you？〃　said　Krupkin　emphatically。　〃All　the　relays　end　with　false　names　and　filthy　cafés。　Stone　walls！〃
　〃Still；　the　messages　get　through；〃　said　Alex　Conklin；　repeating　Lavier's　words。
　〃Yet　Kruppie's　correct。〃　The　aging　but　still　striking　woman　dragged　heavily；　nervously　on　her　cigarette。　〃The　routings　are　convoluted　to　the　point　of　being　untraceable。〃
　〃I　don't　care　about　that；〃　said　Alex；　squinting　at　nothing　the　others　could　see。　〃They　also　reach　Carlos　quickly；　you　made　that　clear。〃
　〃It's　true。〃
　Conklin　widened　his　eyes　and　fixed　them　on　Lavier。　〃I　want　you　to　send　the　most　urgent　message　you've　ever　relayed　to　the　Jackal。　You　must　talk　to　him　directly。　It's　an　emergency　that　you　can　entrust　to　no　one　but　Carlos　himself。〃
　〃About　what？〃　erupted　Krupkin。　〃What　could　be　so　urgent　that　the　Jackal　will　ply？　Like　our　Mr。　Bourne；　he　is　obsessed　with　traps；　and　under　the　circumstances；　any　direct　munication　smells　of　one！〃
　Alex　shook　his　head　and　limped　to　a　side　window；　squinting　again；　deep　in　thought；　his　intense　eyes　reflecting　his　concentration。　Then　gradually；　slowly；　his　eyes　opened。　He　gazed