rl.thebourneultimatum-第158章

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　Peter　Holland　picked　up　the　phone　and　touched　the　buttons　on　his　console　for　Charles　Casset's　private　line。
　〃Yes？〃
　〃Charlie；　it's　Peter。〃
　〃I'm　relieved　to　hear　that。〃
　〃Why？〃
　〃Because　all　I'm　getting　on　this　phone　is　trouble　and　confusion。　I　just　got　off　with　our　source　in　Dzerzhinsky　Square　and　he　told　me　the　KGB's　after　blood。〃
　〃The　Tass　release　on　Bourne？〃
　〃Right。　Tass　and　Radio　Moscow　assumed　the　story　was　officially　sanctioned　because　it　was　faxed　by　the　Ministry　of　Information　using　the　proper　immediate…release　codes。　When　the　shit　hit　the　fan；　no　one　owned　up；　and　whoever　programmed　the　codes　can't　be　traced。〃
　〃What　do　you　make　of　it？〃
　〃I'm　not　sure；　but　from　what　I've　learned　about　Dimitri　Krupkin；　it　could　be　his　style。　He's　now　working　with　Alex　and　if　this　isn't　something　out　of　the　Conklin　textbook；　I　don't　know　Saint　Alex。　And　I　do。〃
　〃That　dovetails　with　what　Marie　thinks。〃
　〃Marie？〃
　〃Bourne's　wife。　I　just　spoke　to　her　and　her　argument's　pretty　strong。　She　says　Moscow's　report　is　a　wash　for　all　the　right　reasons。　Her　husband's　alive。〃
　〃I　agree。　Is　that　what　you　called　to　tell　me？〃
　〃No；〃　answered　the　director；　taking　a　deep　breath。　〃I'm　adding　to　your　trouble　and　confusion。〃
　〃I'm　not　relieved　to　hear　that。　What　is　it？〃
　〃The　Paris　telephone　number；　the　link　to　the　Jackal　we　got　from　Henry　Sykes　in　Montserrat　that　reached　a　café　on　the　Marais　waterfront　in　Paris。〃
　〃Where　someone　would　answer　a　call　for　a　blackbird。　I　remember。〃
　〃Someone　did　and　we　followed　him。　You're　not　going　to　like　this。〃
　〃Alex　Conklin　is　about　to　earn　the　prick…of…the…year　award。　He　put　us　on　to　Sykes；　didn't　he？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃Do　tell。〃
　〃The　message　was　delivered　to　the　home　of　the　director　of　the　Deuxième　Bureau。〃
　〃My　God！　We'd　better　turn　that　over　to　the　SED　branch　of　French　intelligence　with　a　restricted　chronology。〃
　〃I'm　not　turning　anything　over　to　anybody　until　we　hear　from　Conklin。　We　owe　him　that　much…I　think。〃
　〃What　the　hell　are　they　doing？〃　shouted　a　frustrated　Casset　over　the　phone。　〃Putting　out　false　death　notices…from　Moscow；　no　less！　What　for？〃
　〃Jason　Bourne's　gone　hunting；〃　said　Peter　Holland。　〃And　when　the　hunt　is　over…if　it's　over　and　if　the　kill　is　made…he's　going　to　have　to　get　out　of　the　woods　before　anyone　turns　on　him。　。。。　I　want　every　station　and　listening　post　on　the　borders　of　the　Soviet　Union　on　full　alert。　Code　name：　Assassin。　Get　him　back。〃
　
　40
　Novgorod。　To　say　it　was　incredible　was　to　obliquely　recognize　the　existence　of　credibility　and　that　was　nearly　impossible。　It　was　the　ultimate　fantasy；　its　optical　illusions　seemingly　more　real　than　reality；　the　phantasmagoria　there　to　be　touched；　felt；　used；　entered　into　and　departed　from；　it　was　a　collective　masterpiece　of　invention　cut　out　of　the　immense　forests　along　the　Volkhov　River。　From　the　moment　Bourne　emerged　from　the　deep　underground　tunnel　below　the　water　with　its　guards；　gates　and　myriad　cameras；　he　was　as　close　to　being　in　a　state　of　shock　while　still　being　able　to　keep　walking；　observing；　absorbing；　thinking。
　The　American　pound；　presumably　like　those　of　the　different　countries；　was　broken　up　into　sections；　built　on　areas　anywhere　from　two　to　five　acres；　each　distinctly　separate　from　the　others。　One　area；　erected　on　the　banks　of　the　river；　might　be　the　heart　of　a　Maine　waterfront　village；　another；　farther　inland；　a　small　Southern　town；　yet　another；　a　busy　metropolitan　city　street。　Each　was　pletely　〃authentic〃　with　the　appropriate　vehicular　traffic；　police；　dress　codes；　shops；　grocery　and　drug　stores；　gas　stations　and　mock　structures　of　buildings…many　of　which　rose　two　stories　high　and　were　so　real　they　had　American　hardware　on　the　doors　and　windows。　Obviously；　as　vital　as　the　physical　appearances　was　language…not　merely　the　fluent　use　of　English　but　the　mastery　of　linguistic　idiosyncrasies；　the　dialects　that　were　characteristic　of　specific　locations。　As　Jason　wandered　from　one　section　to　another　he　heard　all　around　him　the　distinctive　sounds。　From　New　England　Down　East　with　its　〃eeahh〃　to　Texas's　drawl　and　its　familiar　〃you…alls〃；　from　the　gentle　nasality　of　the　Midwest　to　the　loud　abrasiveness　of　the　large　Eastern　cities　with　the　inevitable　〃know　what　I　mean？〃　tacked　on　to　conversational　sentences；　whether　questions　or　statements。　It　was　all　incredible。　It　was　not　simply　beyond　belief；　it　made　the　true　suspension　of　disbelief　frighteningly　viable。
　He　had　been　briefed　on　the　flight　from　Vnokova　by　a　late…middle…aged　Novgorod　graduate　who　had　been　urgently　summoned　from　his　Moscow　apartment　by　Krupkin。　The　small；　bald　man　was　not　only　garrulously　instructive；　but　in　his　own　way　mesmerizing。　If　anyone　had　ever　told　Jason　Bourne　that　he　was　going　to　be　briefed　in　depth　by　a　Soviet　espionage　agent　whose　English　was　so　laced　with　the　Deep　South　that　it　sonorously　floated　out　of　his　mouth　with　the　essence　of　magnolias；　he　would　have　deemed　the　information　preposterous。
　〃Good　Lawd；　Ah　do　miss　those　barbecues；　especially　the　ribs。　You　know　who　grilled　'em　best？　That　black　fellow　who　I　believed　was　such　a　good　friend　until　he　exposed　me。　Can　you　imagine？　I　thought　he　was　one　of　those　radicals。　He　turned　out　to　be　a　boy　from　Dartmouth　workin'　for　the　FBI。　A　lawyer；　no　less。　。。。　Hell；　the　exchange　was　made　at　Aeroflot　in　New　York　and　we　still　write　each　other。〃
　〃Adolescent　games；〃　had　mumbled　Bourne。
　〃Games？　。。。　Oh　yes；　he　was　a　mighty　fine　coach。〃
　〃Coach？〃
　〃Sure　'nuff。　A　few　of　us　started　a　Little　League　in　East　Point。　That's　right　outside　Atlanta。〃
　Incredible。
　〃May　we　concentrate　on　Novgorod；　please？〃
　〃Sutt'nly。　Dimitri　may　have　told　you；　I'm　semi…retired；　but　my　pension　requires　that　I　spend　five　days　a　month　there　as　a　tak　govorya…a　'trainer；'　as　you　would　say。〃
　〃I　didn't　understand　what　he　meant。〃
　〃Ah'll　explain。〃　The　strange　man　whose　voice　belonged　to　the　old　Confederacy　had　been　thorough。
　Each　pound　at　Novgorod　was　divided　into　three　classes　of　personnel：　the　trainers；　the　candidates　and　operations。　The　last　category　included　the　KGB　staff；　guards　and　maintenance。　The　practical　implementation　of　the　Novgorod　process　was　simple　in　structure。　A　pound's　staff　created　the　daily　training　schedules　for　each　individual　section；　and　the　trainers；　both　permanent　and　part…time　retirees；　mandeered　all　individual　and　group　activities　while　the　candidates　carried　them　out；　using　only　the　language　of　the　pound　and　the　dialects　of　the　specific　areas　in　which　they　were　located。　No　Russian　was　permitted；　the　rule　was　tested　frequently　by　the　trainers　who　would　suddenly　bark　orders　or　insults　in　the　native　language；　which　the　candidates　could　not　acknowledge　understanding。
　〃When　you　say　assignments；〃　Bourne　had　asked；　〃what　do　you　mean？〃
　〃Situations；　mah　friend。　Jest　about　anything　you　might　think　of。　Like　ordering　lunch　or　dinner；　or　buying　clothes；　or　fillin'　the　tank　of　your　car；　requesting　a　specific　gasoline　。。。　leaded　or　unleaded　and　the　degrees　of　octane…all　of　which　we　don't　know　a　thing　about　here。　Then；　of　course；　there　are　the　more　dramatic　events　often　unscheduled　so　as　to　test　the　candidates'　reactions。　Say；　an　automobile　accident　necessitating　conversations　with　'American'　police　and　the　resulting　insurance　forms　that　must　be　filled　out…you　can　give　yourself　away　if　you　appear　too　ignorant。〃
　The　little　things；　the　insignificant　things…they　were　vital。　A　back　door　at　the　Kubinka　Armory。　〃What　else？〃
　〃So　many　inconsequential　things　that　a　person　might　not　consider　significant；　but　they　can　be。　Say；　being　mugged　in　a　city　street　at　night…what　should　you　do；　what　shouldn't　you　do？　Remember；　many　of　our　candidates；　and　all　of　the　younger　ones；　are　trained　in　self…defense；　but　depending　upon　the　circumstances；　it　may　not　be　advisable　to　use　those　skills。　Questions　of　background　could　be　raised。　Discretion；　always　discretion。　。。。　For　me；　as　an　experienced　part…time　tak　govorya；　of　course；　I've　always　preferred　the　more　imaginative　situations　which　we　are　permitted　to　implement　whenever　we　care　to　as　long　as　they　fall　within　the　guidelines　of　environmental　penetration。〃
　〃What　does　that　mean？〃
　〃Learn　always；　but　never　appear　to　be　learning。　For　ex