rl.thebourneultimatum-第17章

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ne　pany　mechanic；　namely；　a　narrowed…down　location　based　on　the　area　code　and　the　first　three　digits　of　a　number；　the　unethical　sleaze　went　to　work　at　an　outrageous　hourly　rate。　To　my　astonishment；　he　was　productive。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　with　what's　left　of　my　legal　mind；　we　may　form　a　quiet；　unwritten　partnership。〃
　〃Damn　you；　what　did　he　learn？〃
　〃Well；　as　I　say；　his　hourly　rate　was　beyond　belief；　I　mean　it　really　invaded　the　corpus　of　my　own　well…deserved　retainer；　so　I　think　we　should　discuss　an　adjustment；　don't　you？〃
　〃Who　the　hell　do　you　think　you　are？　I　sent　you　three　thousand　dollars！　Five　hundred　for　the　telephone　man　and　fifteen　hundred　for　that　miserable　keyhole　slime　who　calls　himself　a　private　detective…〃
　〃Only　because　he's　no　longer　on　the　public　payroll　of　the　police　department；　Randolph。　Like　me；　he　fell　from　grace；　but　he　obviously　does　very　good　work。　Do　we　negotiate　or　do　I　leave？〃
　In　fury；　the　balding　imperious　professor　of　law　stared　at　the　gray…faced　old　disbarred　and　dishonored　attorney　in　front　of　him。　〃How　dare　you？〃
　〃Dear　me；　Randy；　you　really　do　believe　your　press；　don't　you？　Very　well；　I'll　tell　why　I　dare；　my　arrogant　old　friend。　I've　read　you；　seen　you；　expounding　on　your　esoteric　interpretations　of　plex　legal　matters；　assaulting　every　decent　thing　the　courts　of　this　country　have　decreed　in　the　last　thirty　years；　when　you　haven't　the　vaguest　idea　what　it　is　to　be　poor；　or　hungry；　or　have　an　unwanted　mass　in　your　belly　you　neither　anticipated　nor　can　provide　a　life　for。　You're　the　darling　of　the　royalists；　my　unprofound　fellow；　and　you'd　force　the　average　citizen　to　live　in　a　nation　where　privacy　is　obsolete；　free　thought　suspended　by　censorship；　the　rich　get　richer；　and　for　the　poorest　among　us　the　beginnings　of　potential　life　itself　may　well　have　to　be　abandoned　in　order　to　survive。　And　you　expound　on　these　unoriginal；　medieval　concepts　only　to　promote　yourself　as　a　brilliant　maverick…of　disaster。　Do　you　want　me　to　go　on；　Doctor　Gates？　Frankly；　I　think　you　chose　the　wrong　loser　to　contact　for　your　dirty　work。〃
　〃How　。。。　dare　you？〃　repeated　the　perplexed　professor；　sputtering　as　he　regally　strode　to　the　window。　〃I　don't　have　to　listen　to　this！〃
　〃No；　you　certainly　don't；　Randy。　But　when　I　was　an　associate　at　the　law　school　and　you　were　one　of　my　kids…one　of　the　best　but　not　the　brightest…you　damn　well　had　to　listen。　So　I　suggest　you　listen　now。〃
　〃What　the　hell　do　you　want？〃　roared　Gates；　turning　away　from　the　window。
　〃It's　what　you　want；　isn't　it？　The　information　you　underpaid　me　for。　It's　that　important　to　you；　isn't　it？〃
　〃I　must　have　it。〃
　〃You　were　always　filled　with　anxiety　before　an　exam…〃
　〃Stop　it！　I　paid。　I　demand　the　information。〃
　〃Then　I　must　demand　more　money。　Whoever's　paying　you　can　afford　it。〃
　〃Not　a　dollar！〃
　〃Then　I'm　leaving。〃
　〃Stop！　。。。　Five　hundred　more；　that's　it。〃
　〃Five　thousand　or　I　go。〃
　〃Ridiculous！〃
　〃See　you　in　another　twenty　years…〃
　〃All　right。　。。。　All　right；　five　thousand。〃
　〃Oh；　Randy；　you're　so　obvious。　It's　why　you're　not　really　one　of　the　brightest；　just　someone　who　can　use　language　to　make　yourself　appear　bright；　and　I　think　we've　seen　and　heard　enough　of　that　these　days。　。。。　Ten　thousand；　Dr。　Gates；　or　I　go　to　the　raucous　bar　of　my　choice。〃
　〃You　can't　do　this。〃
　〃Certainly　I　can。　I'm　now　a　confidential　legal　consultant。　Ten　thousand　dollars。　How　do　you　want　to　pay　it？　I　can't　imagine　you　have　it　with　you；　so　how　will　you　honor　the　debt…for　the　information？〃
　〃My　word…〃
　〃Forget　it；　Randy。〃
　〃All　right。　I'll　have　it　sent　to　the　Boston　Five　in　the　morning。　In　your　name。　A　bank　check。〃
　〃That's　very　endearing　of　you。　But　in　case　it　occurs　to　your　superiors　to　stop　me　from　collecting；　please　advise　them　that　an　unknown　person；　an　old　friend　of　mine　in　the　streets；　has　a　letter　detailing　everything　that's　gone　on　between　us。　It　is　to　be　mailed　to　the　Massachusetts　Attorney　General；　Return　Receipt　Requested；　in　the　event　I　have　an　accident。〃
　〃That's　absurd。　The　information；　please。〃
　〃Yes；　well；　you　should　know　that　you've　involved　yourself　in　what　appears　to　be　an　extremely　sensitive　government　operation；　that's　the　bottom　line。　。。。　On　the　assumption　that　anyone　in　an　emergency　leaving　one　place　for　another　would　do　so　with　the　fastest　transportation　possible；　our　rumbottom　detective　went　to　Logan　Airport；　under　what　guise　I　don't　know。　Nevertheless；　he　succeeded　in　obtaining　the　manifests　of　every　plane　leaving　Boston　yesterday　morning　from　the　first　flight　at　six…thirty　to　ten　o'clock。　As　you　recall；　that　corresponds　with　the　parameters　of　your　statement　to　me…'leaving　first　thing　in　the　morning。'　〃
　〃And？〃
　〃Patience；　Randolph。　You　told　me　not　to　write　anything　down；　so　I　must　take　this　step　by　step。　Where　was　I？〃
　〃The　manifests。〃
　〃Oh；　yes。　Well；　according　to　Detective　Sleaze；　there　were　eleven　unacpanied　children　booked　on　various　flights；　and　eight　women；　two　of　them　nuns；　who　had　reservations　with　minors。　Of　these　eight；　including　the　nuns　who　were　taking　nine　orphans　to　California；　the　remaining　six　were　identified　as　follows。〃　The　old　man　reached　into　his　pocket　and　shakily　took　out　a　typewritten　sheet　of　paper。　〃Obviously；　I　did　not　write　this。　I　don't　own　a　typewriter　because　I　can't　type；　it　es　from　Führer　Sleaze。〃
　〃Let　me　have　it！〃　ordered　Gates；　rushing　forward；　his　hand　outstretched。
　〃Surely；〃　said　the　seventy…year…old　disbarred　attorney；　giving　the　page　to　his　former　student。　〃It　won't　do　you　much　good；　however；〃　he　added。　〃Our　Sleaze　checked　them　out；　more　to　inflate　his　hours　than　for　anything　else。　Not　only　are　they　all　squeaky　clean；　but　he　performed　that　unnecessary　service　after　the　real　information　was　uncovered。〃
　〃What？〃　asked　Gates；　his　attention　diverted　from　the　page。　〃What　information？〃
　〃Information　that　neither　Sleaze　nor　I　would　write　down　anywhere。　The　first　hint　of　it　came　from　the　morning　setup　clerk　for　Pan　American　Airlines。　He　mentioned　to　our　lowbrow　detective　that　among　his　problems　yesterday　was　a　hotshot　politician；　or　someone　equally　offensive；　who　needed　diapers　several　minutes　after　our　clerk　went　on　duty　at　five…forty…five。　Did　you　know　that　diapers　e　in　sizes　and　are　locked　away　in　an　airline's　contingency　supplies？〃
　〃What　are　you　trying　to　tell　me？〃
　〃All　the　stores　in　the　airport　were　closed。　They　open　at　seven　o'clock。〃
　〃So？〃
　〃So　someone　in　a　hurry　forgot　something。　A　lone　woman　with　a　five…year…old　child　and　an　infant　were　leaving　Boston　on　a　private　jet　taking　off　on　the　runway　nearest　the　Pan　Am　shuttle　counters。　The　clerk　responded　to　the　request　and　was　personally　thanked　by　the　mother。　You　see；　he's　a　young　father　and　understood　about　diaper　sizes。　He　brought　three　different　packages…〃
　〃For　God's　sake；　will　you　get　to　the　point；　Judge？〃
　〃Judge？〃　The　gray…faced　old　man's　eyes　widened。　〃Thank　you；　Randy。　Except　for　my　friends　in　various　gin　mills；　I　haven't　been　called　that　in　years。　It　must　be　the　aura　I　exude。〃
　〃It　was　a　throwback　to　that　same　boring　circumlocution　you　used　both　on　the　bench　and　in　the　classroom！〃
　〃Impatience　was　always　your　weak　suit。　I　ascribed　it　to　your　annoyance　with　other　people's　points　of　view　that　interfered　with　your　conclusions。　。。。　Regardless；　our　Major　Sleaze　knew　a　rotten　apple　when　the　worm　emerged　and　spat　in　his　face；　so　he　hide　himself　off　to　Logan's　control　tower；　where　he　found　a　bribable　off　duty　traffic　controller　who　checked　yesterday　morning's　schedules。　The　jet　in　question　had　a　puter　readout　of　Four　Zero；　which　to　our　Captain　Sleaze's　astonishment　he　was　told　meant　it　was　government…cleared　and　maximum…classified。　No　manifest；　no　names　of　anyone　on　board；　only　a　routing　to　evade　mercial　aircraft　and　a　destination。〃
　〃Which　was？〃
　〃Blackburne；　Montserrat。〃
　〃What　the　hell　is　that？〃
　〃The　Blackburne　Airport　on　the　Caribbean　island　of　Montserrat。〃
　〃That's　where　they　went？　That's　it？〃
　〃Not　necessarily。　According　to　Corporal　Sleaze；　who　I　must　say　does　his　follow…ups；　there　are　small　flight　connections　to　a　dozen　or　so　minor　offshore　islands。〃
　〃That's　it？〃
　〃That's　it；　Professor。　And　considering　the　fact　that　the　aircraft　in　question　had　a　Four　Zero　g