rl.thebourneultimatum-第159章

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　〃What　does　that　mean？〃
　〃Learn　always；　but　never　appear　to　be　learning。　For　example；　a　favorite　of　mine　is　to　approach　several　candidates；　say；　at　a　bar　in　some　'location'　near　a　military　testing　ground。　I　pretend　to　be　a　disgruntled　government　worker　or　perhaps　an　inebriated　defense　contractor…obviously　someone　with　access　to　information…and　start　ladlin'　out　classified　material　of　recognized　value。〃
　〃Just　for　curiosity；〃　Bourne　had　interrupted；　〃under　those　circumstances　how　should　candidates　react？〃
　〃Listen　carefully　and　be　prepared　to　write　down　every　salient　fact；　all　the　while　feigning　total　lack　of　interest　and　offering　such　remarks　as〃…here　the　Novgorod　graduate's　Southern　dialect　became　so　rough…mountain　South　that　the　magnolias　were　replaced　by　sour　mash…〃　'Who　gives　a　barrel　a'　hogshit　'bout　that　stuff？'　and　'They　got　any　of　them　whoors　over　there　lak　people　say　they　got？'　or　'Don't　understand　a　fuckin'　word　you're　talkin'　about；　asshole…all　Ah　knows　is　that　you're　borin'　the　holy　be…Jesus　outta　me！'　。。。　that　sort　of　thing。〃
　〃Then　what？〃
　〃Later；　each　man　is　called　in　and　told　to　list　everything　he　learned…fact　by　salient　fact。〃
　〃What　about　passing　along　the　information？　Are　there　training　procedures　for　that？〃
　Jason's　Soviet　instructor　had　stared　at　him　in　silence　for　several　moments　from　the　adjacent　seat　in　the　small　plane。　〃I'm　sorry　you　had　to　ask　the　question；〃　he　said　slowly。　〃I'll　have　to　report　it。〃
　〃I　didn't　have　to　ask　it；　I　was　simply　curious。　Forget　I　asked　it。〃
　〃I　can't　do　that。　I　won't　do　that。〃
　〃Do　you　trust　Krupkin？〃
　〃Of　course　I　do。　He's　brilliant；　a　multilingual　phenomenon。　A　true　hero　of　the　Komitet。〃
　You　don't　know　the　half　of　it；　thought　Bourne；　but　he　said；　with　even　a　trace　of　reverence；　〃Then　report　it　only　to　him。　He'll　tell　you　it　was　just　curiosity。　I　owe　absolutely　nothing　to　my　government；　instead；　it　owes　me。〃
　〃Very　well。　。。。　Speakin'　of　yourself；　let's　get　to　you。　With　Dimitri's　authority　I've　made　arrangements　for　your　visit　to　Novgorod…please　don't　tell　me　your　objective；　it's　not　in　my　purview　any　more　than　the　question　you　asked　is　in　yours。〃
　〃Understood。　The　arrangements？〃
　〃You　will　make　contact　with　a　young　trainer　named　Benjamin　in　the　manner　I　will　describe　in　a　few　moments。　I'll　tell　you　this　much　about　Benjamin　so　you'll　perhaps　understand　his　attitude。　His　parents　were　Komitet　officers　assigned　to　the　consulate　in　Los　Angeles　for　nearly　twenty　years。　He's　basically　American…educated；　his　freshman　and　sophomore　years　at　UCLA；　in　fact；　until　he　and　his　father　were　hurriedly　recalled　to　Moscow　four　years　ago…〃
　〃He　and　his　father？〃
　〃Yes。　His　mother　was　caught　in　an　FBI　sting　operation　at　the　naval　base　in　San　Diego。　She　has　three　more　years　to　serve　in　prison。　There　is　no　clemency　and　no　exchanges　for　a　Russian　'momma。'　〃
　〃Hey；　wait　a　minute。　Then　it　can't　be　all　our　fault。〃
　〃I　didn't　say　it　was；　Ah'm　just　relayin'　the　facts。〃
　〃Understood。　I　make　contact　with　Benjamin。〃
　〃He's　the　only　one　who　knows　who　you　are…not　by　name；　of　course；　you'll　use　the　name　'Archie'…and　he'll　furnish　you　with　the　necessary　clearance　to　go　from　one　pound　to　the　other。〃
　〃Papers？〃
　〃He'll　explain。　He'll　also　watch　you；　be　with　you　at　all　times；　and；　frankly；　he's　been　in　touch　with　rade　Krupkin　and　knows　far　more　than　I　do…which　is　precisely　the　way　this　retired　Georgia　cracker　likes　it。　。。。　Good　huntin'；　polecat；　if　it's　huntin'　you're　after。　Don't　rape　no　wooden　Indians。〃
　Bourne　followed　the　signs…everything　was　in　English…to　the　city　of　Rockledge；　Florida；　fifteen　miles　southwest　of　NASA's　Cape　Canaveral。　He　was　to　meet　Benjamin　at　a　lunch　counter　in　the　local　Woolworth　store；　looking　for　a　man　in　his　mid…twenties　wearing　a　red…checkered　shirt；　with　a　Budweiser　baseball　cap　on　the　stool　beside　him；　saving　it。　It　was　the　hour；　within　the　time　span　of　minutes：　3：35　in　the　afternoon。
　He　saw　him。　The　sandy…haired；　California…educated　Russian　was　seated　at　the　far　right　end　of　the　counter；　the　baseball　cap　on　the　stool　to　his　left。　There　were　half　a　dozen　men　and　women　along　the　row　talking　to　one　another　and　consuming　soft　drinks　and　snacks。　Jason　approached　the　empty　seat；　glanced　down　at　the　cap　and　spoke　politely。　〃Is　this　taken？〃　he　asked。
　〃I'm　waiting　for　someone；〃　replied　the　young　KGB　trainer；　his　voice　neutral；　his　gray　eyes　straying　up　to　Bourne's　face。
　〃I'll　find　another　place。〃
　〃She　may　not　get　here　for　another　five　minutes。〃
　〃Hell；　I'm　just　having　a　quick　vanilla　Coke。　I'll　be　out　of　here　by　then…〃
　〃Sit　down；〃　said　Benjamin；　removing　the　hat　and　casually　putting　it　on　his　head。　A　gum…chewing　counterman　came　by　and　Jason　ordered；　his　drink　arrived；　and　the　Komitet　trainer　continued　quietly；　his　eyes　now　on　the　foam　of　his　milk　shake；　which　he　sipped　through　a　straw。　〃So　you're　Archie；　like　in　the　ics。〃
　〃And　you're　Benjamin。　Nice　to　know　you。〃
　〃We'll　both　find　out　if　that's　a　fact；　won't　we？〃
　〃Do　we　have　a　problem？〃
　〃I　want　the　ground　rules　clear　so　there　won't　be　one；〃　said　the　West　Coast…bred　Soviet。　〃I　don't　approve　of　your　being　permitted　in　here。　Regardless　of　my　former　address　and　the　way　I　may　sound；　I　haven't　much　use　for　Americans。〃
　〃Listen　to　me；　Ben；〃　interrupted　Bourne；　his　eyes　forcing　the　trainer　to　look　at　him。　〃All　things　considered；　I　don't　approve　of　your　mother　still　being　in　prison；　either；　but　I　didn't　put　her　there。〃
　〃We　free　the　dissidents　and　the　Jews；　but　you　insist　on　keeping　a　fifty…eight…year…old　woman　who　was　at　best　a　simple　courier！〃　whispered　the　Russian；　spitting　out　the　words。
　〃I　don't　know　the　facts　and　I　wouldn't　be　too　quick　to　call　Moscow　the　mercy　capital　of　the　world；　but　if　you　can　help　me…really　help　me…maybe　I　can　help　your　mother。〃
　〃Goddamned　bullshit　promises。　What　the　hell　can　you　do？〃
　〃To　repeat　what　I　said　an　hour　ago　to　a　bald…headed　friend　of　yours　in　the　plane；　I　don't　owe　my　government　a　thing；　but　it　sure　as　hell　owes　me。　Help　me；　Benjamin。〃
　〃I　will　because　I've　been　ordered　to；　not　because　of　your　con。　But　if　you　try　to　learn　things　that　have　nothing　to　do　with　your　purpose　here…you　won't　get　out。　Clear？〃
　〃It's　not　only　clear；　it's　irrelevant　and　unnecessary。　Beyond　normal　astonishment　and　curiosity；　both　of　which　I　will　suppress　to　the　best　of　my　ability；　I　haven't　the　slightest　interest　in　the　objectives　of　Novgorod。　Ultimately；　in　my　opinion；　they　lead　nowhere。　。。。　Although；　I　grant　you；　the　whole　plex　beats　the　hell　out　of　Disneyland。〃
　Benjamin's　involuntary　laugh　through　the　straw　caused　the　foam　on。　his　milk　shake　to　swell　and　burst。　〃Have　you　been　to　Anaheim？〃　he　asked　mischievously。
　〃I　could　never　afford　it。〃
　〃We　had　diplomatic　passes。〃
　〃Christ；　you're　human；　after　all。　e　on；　let's　take　a　walk　and　talk　some　turkey。〃
　They　crossed　over　a　miniature　bridge　into　New　London；　Connecticut；　home　of　America's　submarine　construction；　and　strolled　down　to　the　Volkhov　River；　which　in　this　area　had　been　turned　into　a　maximum　security　naval　base…again；　all　in　realistic　miniature。　High　fences　and　armed　〃U。S。　Marine〃　guards　were　stationed　at　the　gates　and　patrolled　the　grounds　fronting　the　concrete　slips　that　held　enormous　mock…ups　of　the　stallions　of　America's　nuclear　undersea　fleet。
　〃We　have　all　the　stations；　all　the　schedules；　every　device　and　every　reduced　inch　of　the　piers；〃　said　Benjamin。　〃And　we've　yet　to　break　the　security　procedures。　Isn't　that　crazy？〃
　〃Not　for　a　minute。　We're　pretty　good。〃
　〃Yes；　but　we're　better。　Except　for　minor　pockets　of　discontent；　we　believe。　You　merely　accept。〃
　〃What？〃
　〃Your　crap　notwithstanding；　white　America　was　never　in　slavery。　We　were。〃
　〃That's　not　only　long…past　history；　young　man；　but　rather　selective　history；　isn't　it？〃
　〃You　sound　like　a　professor。〃
　〃Suppose　I　were？〃
　〃I'd　argue　with　you。〃
　〃Only　if　you　were　in　a　sufficiently　broad…minded　environment　that　allowed　you　to　argue　with　authority。〃
　〃Oh；　e　on；　cut　the　bullshit；　man！　The　academic…freedom　bromide　is　history。　Check　out　our　campuses。　We've　got　rock　and　blue　jeans　and　more　grass　than　you　can　find　the　right　paper　to　roll　it　in。〃
　〃That's　progress？〃
　〃Would　you　believe　it's　a　start？〃
　〃I'll　h