rl.thebourneultimatum-第131章

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plement　it。
　The　greetings　were　abrupt。　Sulikov　offered　nothing　but　a　stiff；　cold　handshake　and　a　stiffly　upholstered　armchair。　He　stood　in　front　of　the　suite's　narrow　mantel　of　white　marble　as　though　it　were　a　classroom　blackboard；　his　hands　clasped　behind　him；　an　agitated　professor　about　to　question　and　lecture　simultaneously　an　annoying；　disputatious　graduate　student。
　〃To　our　business；〃　said　the　Russian　curtly。　〃You　are　aware　of　Admiral　Peter　Holland？〃
　〃Yes；　of　course。　He's　the　director　of　the　Central　Intelligence　Agency。　Why　do　you　ask？〃
　〃Is　he　one　of　you？〃
　〃No。〃
　〃Are　you　quite　sure？〃
　〃Of　course　I　am。〃
　〃Is　it　possible　he　became　one　of　you　without　your　knowledge？〃
　〃Certainly　not；　I　don't　even　know　the　man。　And　if　this　is　some　kind　of　amateurish　interrogatory；　Soviet　style；　practice　on　someone　else。〃
　〃Ohh；　the　fine　expensive　American　attorney　objects　to　being　asked　simple　questions？〃
　〃I　object　to　being　insulted。　You　made　an　astonishing　statement　over　the　phone。　I'd　like　it　explained；　so　please　get　to　it。〃
　〃I'll　get　to　it；　Counselor；　believe　me；　I'll　get　to　it；　but　in　my　own　fashion。　We　Russians　protect　our　flanks；　it's　a　lesson　we　learned　from　the　tragedy　and　the　triumph　of　Stalingrad…an　experience　you　Americans　never　had　to　endure。〃
　〃I　came　from　another　war；　as　you　well　know；〃　said　Ogilvie　coolly；　〃but　if　the　history　books　are　accurate；　you　had　some　help　from　your　Russian　winter。〃
　〃That's　difficult　to　explain　to　thousands　upon　thousands　of　frozen　Russian　corpses。〃
　〃Granted；　and　you　have　both　my　condolences　and　my　congratulations；　but　it's　not　the　explanation…or　even　the　lack　of　one…that　I　requested。〃
　〃I'm　only　trying　to　explain　a　truism；　young　man。　As　has　been　said；　it's　the　painful　lessons　of　history　we　don't　know　about　that　we　are　bound　to　repeat。　。。。　You　see；　we　do　protect　our　flanks；　and　if　some　of　us　in　the　diplomatic　arena　suspect　that　we　have　been　duped　into　international　embarrassment；　we　reinforce　those　flanks。　It's　a　simple　lesson　for　one　so　erudite　as　yourself；　Counselor。〃
　〃And　so　obvious；　it's　trivial。　What　about　Admiral　Holland？〃
　〃In　a　moment。　。。。　First；　let　me　ask　you　about　a　man　named　Alexander　Conklin。〃
　Bryce　Ogilvie　bolted　forward　in　the　chair；　stunned。　〃Where　did　you　get　that　name？〃　he　asked；　barely　audible。
　〃There's　more。　。。。　Someone　called　Panov；　Mortimer　or　Moishe　Panov；　a　Jewish　physician；　we　believe。　And　finally；　Counselor；　a　man　and　a　woman　we　assume　are　the　assassin　Jason　Bourne　and　his　wife。〃
　〃My　God！〃　exclaimed　Ogilvie；　his　body　angled　and　tense；　his　eyes　wide。　〃What　have　these　people　got　to　do　with　us？〃
　〃That's　what　we　have　to　know；〃　answered　Sulikov；　staring　at　the　Wall　Street　lawyer。　〃You're　obviously　aware　of　each　one；　aren't　you？〃
　〃Well；　yes…no！〃　protested　Ogilvie；　his　face　flushed；　his　words　spilling　over　one　another。　〃It's　an　entirely　different　situation。　It　has　nothing　to　do　with　our　business…a　business　we've　poured　millions　into；　developed　for　twenty　years！〃
　〃And　made　millions　in　return；　Counselor；　may　I　be　permitted　to　remind　you　of　that？〃
　〃Venture　capital　in　the　international　markets！〃　cried　the　attorney。　〃That's　no　crime　in　this　country。　Money　flows　across　the　oceans　with　the　touch　of　a　puter　button。　No　crime！〃
　〃Really？〃　The　Soviet　consul　general　arched　his　brows。　〃I　thought　you　were　a　better　attorney　than　that　statement　suggests。　You've　been　buying　up　panies　all　over　Europe　through　mergers　and　acquisitions　using　surrogate　and　misleading　corporate　entities。　The　firms　you　acquire　represent　sources　of　supply；　often　in　the　same　markets；　and　you　subsequently　determine　prices　between　former　petitors。　I　believe　that's　called　collusion　and　restraint　of　trade；　legal　terms　that　we　in　the　Soviet　Union　have　no　problems　with；　as　the　state　sets　prices。〃
　〃There's　no　evidence　whatsoever　to　support　such　charges！〃　declared　Ogilvie。
　〃Of　course　not；　as　long　as　there　are　liars　and　unscrupulous　lawyers　to　bribe　and　advise　the　liars。　It's　a　labyrinthine　enterprise；　brilliantly　executed；　and　we've　both　profited　from　it。　You've　sold　us　anything　we've　wanted　or　needed　for　years；　including　every　major　item　on　your　government's　restricted　lists　under　so　many　names　our　puters　broke　down　trying　to　keep　track　of　them。〃
　〃No　proof。〃　insisted　the　Wall　Street　attorney　emphatically。
　〃I'm　not　interested　in　such　proof；　Counselor。　I'm　only　interested　in　the　names　I　mentioned　to　you。　In　order；　they　are　Admiral　Holland；　Alexander　Conklin；　Dr。　Panov　and；　lastly；　Jason　Bourne　and　his　wife。　Please　tell　me　about　them。〃
　〃Why？〃　pleaded　Ogilvie。　〃I've　just　explained　they　have　nothing　to　do　with　you　and　me；　nothing　to　do　with　our　arrangements！〃
　〃We　think　they　might　have；　so　why　not　start　with　Admiral　Holland？〃
　〃Oh；　for　God's　sake　。。。　！〃　The　agitated　lawyer　shook　his　head　back　and　forth；　stammered　several　times　and　let　the　words　rush　out。　〃Holland…all　right；　you'll　see。　。。。　We　recruited　a　man　at　the　CIA；　an　analyst　named　DeSole　who　panicked　and　wanted　to　sever　his　relations　with　us。　Naturally；　we　couldn't　permit　that；　so　we　had　him　eliminated…professionally　eliminated…as　we　were　forced　to　do　with　several　others　who　we　believed　were　dangerously　unstable。　Holland　may　have　had　his　suspicions　and　probably　speculated　on　foul　play；　but　he　couldn't　do　any　more　than　speculate…the　professionals　we　employed　left　no　traces；　they　never　do。〃
　〃Very　well；〃　said　Sulikov；　holding　his　place　by　the　mantel　and　gazing　down　at　the　nervous　Ogilvie。　〃Next；　Alexander　Conklin。〃
　〃He's　a　former　CIA　station　chief　and　tied　in　with　Panov；　a　psychiatrist…they're　both　connected　to　the　man　they　call　Jason　Bourne　and　his　wife。　They　go　back　years；　to　Saigon；　in　fact。　You　see；　we　had　been　penetrated；　several　of　our　people　were　reached　and　threatened；　and　DeSole　came　to　the　conclusion　that　this　Bourne；　with　Conklin's　help；　was　the　one　responsible　for　the　penetration。〃
　〃How　could　he　do　that？〃
　〃I　don't　know。　I　only　know　that　he　has　to　be　eliminated　and　our　professionals　have　accepted　the　contract…contracts。　They　all　have　to　go。〃
　〃You　mentioned　Saigon。〃
　〃Bourne　was　part　of　the　old　Medusa；〃　admitted　Ogilvie　quietly。　〃And　like　most　of　that　crowd　in　the　field；　a　thieving　misfit。　。。。　It　could　be　something　as　simple　as　his　having　recognized　someone　from　twenty　years　ago。　The　story　DeSole　heard　was　that　this　trash　Bourne…that's　not　his　real　name；　incidentally…was　actually　trained　by　the　Agency　to　pose　as　an　international　assassin　for　the　purpose　of　drawing　out　a　killer　they　call　the　Jackal。　Ultimately；　the　strategy　failed　and　Bourne　was　pensioned　off…gold…watch　time。　'Thanks　for　trying；　old　sport；　but　it's　over　now。'　Obviously；　he　wanted　a　great　deal　more　than　that；　so　he　came　after　us。　。。。　You　can　see　now；　can't　you？　The　two　issues　are　pletely　separate；　there's　no　linkage。　One　has　nothing　to　do　with　the　other。〃
　The　Russian　unclasped　his　hands　and　took　a　step　forward　away　from　the　mantel。　His　expression　was　more　one　of　concern　than　of　alarm。　〃Can　you　really　be　so　blind；　or　is　your　vision　so　tunneled　that　you　see　nothing　but　your　enterprise？〃
　〃I　reject　your　insult　out　of　hand。　What　the　hell　are　you　talking　about？〃
　〃The　connection　is　there　because　it　was　engineered；　created　for　one　purpose　only。　You　were　merely　a　by…product；　a　side　issue　that　suddenly　became　immensely　important　to　the　authorities。〃
　〃I　don't　。。。　understand；〃　whispered　Ogilvie；　his　face　growing　pale。
　〃You　just　said　'a　killer　they　call　the　Jackal；'　and　before　that　you　alluded　to　Bourne　as　a　relatively　insignificant　rogue　agent　trained　to　pose　as　an　assassin；　a　strategy　that　failed；　so　he　was　pensioned　off…'gold…watch　time；'　I　believe　you　said。〃
　〃It's　what　I　was　told…〃
　〃And　what　else　were　you　told　about　Carlos　the　Jackal？　About　the　man　who　uses　the　name　Jason　Bourne？　What　do　you　know　about　them？〃
　〃Very　little；　frankly。　Two　aging　killers；　scum　who've　been　stalking　each　other　for　years。　Again；　frankly；　who　gives　a　damn？　My　only　concern　is　the　plete　confidentiality　of　our　organization…which　you've　seen　fit　to　question。〃
　〃You　still　don't　see；　do　you？〃
　〃See　what；　for　God's　sake？〃
　〃Bourne　may　not　be　the　lowly　scum　you　think　he　is；　not　when　you　consider　his　associates。〃
　〃Please　be　cle