rl.thebourneultimatum-第78章

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　〃Oh；　shut　up；〃　said　Bourne；　replacing　the　phone　and　leaving　the　booth；　walking　down　the　street　to　collect　what　thoughts　he　could　generate。
　Peter　Holland；　director　of　the　Central　Intelligence　Agency；　rose　to　his　feet　behind　his　desk　and　roared　at　the　crippled　man　seated　in　front　of　him。　〃Do　nothing？　Have　you　lost　your　fucking　senses？〃
　〃Did　you　lose　yours　when　you　issued　that　statement　about　a　joint　British…American　operation　in　Hong　Kong？〃
　〃It　was　the　goddamned　truth！〃
　〃There　are　truths；　and　then　again　there　are　other　truths；　such　as　denying　the　truth　when　it　doesn't　serve　the　service。〃
　〃Shit！　Fairy　politicians！〃
　〃I'd　hardly　say　that；　Genghis　Khan。　I've　heard　of　such　men　going　to　the　wall；　accepting　execution　rather　than　betraying　the　current　truth　they　had　to　live　by。　。。。　You're　off　base；　Peter。〃
　Exasperated；　Holland　sank　back　into　his　chair。　〃Maybe　I　really　don't　belong　here。〃
　〃Maybe　you　don't；　but　give　yourself　a　little　more　time。　Maybe　you'll　bee　as　dirty　as　the　rest　of　us；　it　could　happen；　you　know。〃
　The　director　leaned　back；　arching　his　head　over　the　chair；　he　spoke　in　a　broken　cadence。　〃I　was　dirtier　than　any　of　you　in　the　field；　Alex。　I　still　wake　up　at　night　seeing　the　faces　of　young　men　staring　at　me　as　I　ripped　a　knife　up　their　chests；　taking　their　lives　away；　somehow　knowing　that　they　had　no　idea　why　they　were　there。〃
　〃It　was　either　you　or　them。　They　would　have　put　a　bullet　in　your　head　if　they　could　have。〃
　〃Yes；　I　suppose　so。〃　The　DCI　shot　forward；　his　eyes　locked　with　Conklin's。　〃But　that's　not　what　we're　talking　about；　is　it？〃
　〃You　might　say　it's　a　variation　on　the　theme。〃
　〃Cut　the　horseshit。〃
　〃It's　a　musician's　term。　I　like　music。〃
　〃Then　get　to　the　main　symphonic　line；　Alex。　I　like　music；　too。〃
　〃All　right。　Bourne's　disappeared。　He　told　me　that　he　thinks　he's　found　a　cave…his　word；　not　mine…where　he's　convinced　he　can　track　the　Jackal。　He　didn't　say　where　it　is；　and　God　knows　when　he'll　call　me　again。〃
　〃I　sent　our　man　at　the　embassy　over　to　the　Pont…Royal；　asking　for　Simon。　What　they　told　you　is　true。　Simon　checked　in；　went　out；　and　never　came　back。　Where　is　he？〃
　〃Staying　out　of　sight。　Bernardine　had　an　idea；　but　it　blew　up　in　his　face。　He　thought　he　could　quietly　close　in　on　Bourne　by　circulating　the　license　number　of　the　rental　car；　but　it　wasn't　picked　up　at　the　garage　and　we　both　agree　it　won't　be。　He　doesn't　trust　anybody　now；　not　even　me；　and　considering　his　history；　he　has　every　right　not　to。〃
　Holland's　eyes　were　cold　and　angry。　〃You're　not　lying　to　me；　are　you；　Conklin？〃
　〃Why　would　I　lie　at　a　time　like　this；　about　a　friend　like　this？〃
　〃That's　not　an　answer；　it's　a　question。〃
　〃Then　no；　I'm　not　lying。　I　don't　know　where　he　is。〃　And；　in　truth；　Alex　did　not。
　〃So　your　idea　is　to　do　nothing。〃
　〃There's　nothing　we　can　do。　Sooner　or　later　he'll　call　me。〃
　〃Have　you　any　idea　what　a　Senate　investigating　mittee　will　say　a　couple　of　weeks　or　months　down　the　road　when　all　this　explodes；　and　it　will　explode？　We　covertly　send　a　man　known　to　be　'Jason　Bourne'　over　to　Paris；　which　is　as　close　to　Brussels　as　New　York　is　to　Chicago…〃
　〃Closer；　I　think。〃
　〃Thanks；　I　need　that。　。。。　The　illustrious　mander　of　NATO　is　assassinated　with　said　'Jason　Bourne'　taking　credit　for　the　kill；　and　we　don't　say　a　goddamned　thing　to　anybody！　Jesus；　I'll　be　cleaning　latrines　on　a　tugboat！〃
　〃But　he　didn't　kill　him。〃
　〃You　know　that　and　I　know　that；　but　speaking　of　his　history；　there's　a　little　matter　of　mental　illness　that'll　e　out　the　minute　our　clinical　records　are　subpoenaed。〃
　〃It's　called　amnesia；　it　has　nothing　to　do　with　violence。〃
　〃Hell；　no；　it's　worse。　He　can't　remember　what　he　did。〃
　Conklin　gripped　his　cane；　his　wandering　eyes　intense。　〃I　don't　give　a　goddamn　what　everything　appears　to　be；　there's　a　gap。　Every　instinct　I　have　tells　me　Teagarten's　assassination　is　tied　to　Medusa。　Somehow；　somewhere；　the　wires　crossed；　a　message　was　intercepted　and　a　hell　of　a　diversion　was　put　in　a　game　plan。〃
　〃I　believe　I　speak　and　understand　English　as　well　as　you　do；〃　said　Holland；　〃but　right　now　I　can't　follow　you。〃
　〃There's　nothing　to　follow；　no　arithmetic；　no　line　of　progression。　I　simply　don't　know。　。。。　But　Medusa's　there。〃
　〃With　your　testimony；　I　can　pull　in　Burton　on　the　Joint　Chiefs；　and　certainly　Atkinson　in　London。〃
　〃No；　leave　them　alone。　Watch　them；　but　don't　sink　their　dinghies；　Admiral。　Like　Swayne's　'retreat；'　the　bees　will　flock　to　the　honey　sooner　or　later。〃
　〃Then　what　are　you　suggesting？〃
　〃What　I　said　when　I　came　in　here。　Do　nothing；　it's　the　waiting　game。〃　Alex　suddenly　slammed　his　cane　against　the　table。　〃Son　of　a　bitch；　it's　Medusa。　It　has　to　be！〃
　The　hairless　old　man　with　a　wrinkled　face　struggled　to　his　feet　in　a　pew　of　the　Church　of　the　Blessed　Sacrament　in　Neuilly…sur…Seine　on　the　outskirts　of　Paris。　Step　by　difficult　step　he　made　his　painful　way　to　the　second　confessional　booth　on　the　left。　He　pulled　back　the　black　curtain　and　knelt　in　front　of　the　black　latticework　covered　with　black　cloth；　his　legs　in　agony。
　〃Angelus　domini；　child　of　God；〃　said　the　voice　from　behind　the　screen。　〃Are　you　well？〃
　〃Far　better　for　your　generosity；　monseigneur。〃
　〃That　pleases　me；　but　I　must　be　pleased　more　than　that；　as　you　know。　。。。　What　happened　in　Anderlecht？　What　does　my　beloved　and　well…endowed　army　tell　me？　Who　has　presumed？〃
　〃We　have　dispersed　and　worked　for　the　past　eight　hours；　monseigneur。　As　near　as　we　can　determine；　two　men　flew　over　from　the　United　States…it　is　assumed　so；　for　they　spoke　only　American　English…and　took　a　room　in　a　pension　de　famille　across　the　street　from　the　restaurant。　They　left　the　premises　within　minutes　after　the　assault。〃
　〃A　frequency…detonated　explosive！〃
　〃Apparently；　monseigneur。　We　have　learned　nothing　else。〃
　〃But　why？　Why？〃
　〃We　cannot　see　into　men's　minds；　monseigneur。〃
　Across　the　Atlantic　Ocean；　in　an　opulent　apartment　in　Brooklyn　Heights　with　the　lights　of　the　East　River　and　the　Brooklyn　Bridge　seductively　pulsating　beyond　the　windows；　a　capo　supremo　lounged　in　an　overstuffed　couch；　a　glass　of　Perrier　in　his　hand。　He　spoke　to　his　friend　sitting　across　from　him　in　an　armchair；　drinking　a　gin　and　tonic。　The　young　man　was　slender；　dark…haired　and　striking。
　〃You　know；　Frankie；　I'm　not　just　bright；　I'm　brilliant；　you　know　what　I　mean？　I　pick　up　on　nuances…that's　hints　of　what　could　be　important　and　what　couldn't…and　I　got　a　hell　of　sense。　I　hear　a　spook　paisan　talk　about　things　and　I　put　four　and　four　together　and　instead　of　eight；　I　get　twelve。　Bingo！　It's　the　answer。　There's　this　cat　who　calls　himself　'Bourne；'　a　creep　who　makes　like　he's　a　major　hit　man　but　who　isn't…he's　a　lousy　esca；　bait　to　pull　in　someone　else；　but　he's　the　hot　cannoli　we　want；　see？　Then　the　Jew　shrink；　being　very　under　the　weather；　spits　out　everything　I　need。　This　cannoli's　got　only　half　a　head；　a　testa　balzana；　a　lot　of　the　time　he　don't　know　who　he　is；　or　maybe　what　he　does；　right？〃
　〃That's　right；　Lou。〃
　〃And　there　this　Bourne　is　in　Paris；　France；　a　couple　of　blocks　away　from　a　real　big　impediment；　a　fancy　general　the　quiet　boys　across　the　river　want　taken　out；　like　the　two　fatsoes　already　planted。　Capisce？〃
　〃I　capisco；　Lou；〃　said　the　clean…cut　young　man　from　the　chair。　〃You're　real　intelligent。〃
　〃You　don't　know　what　the　fuck　I'm　talking　about；　you　zabaglione。　I　could　be　talking　to　myself；　so　why　not？　。。。　So　I　get　my　twelve　and　I　figure　let's　slam　the　loaded　dice　right　into　the　felt；　see？〃
　〃I　see；　Lou。〃
　〃We　got　to　eliminate　this　asshole　general　because　he's　the　impediment　to　the　fancy　crowd　who　needs　us；　right？〃
　〃Right　on；　Lou。　An　imped…an　imped…〃
　〃Don't　bother；　zabaglione。　So　I　say　to　myself；　let's　blow　him　away　and　say　the　hot　cannoli　did　it；　got　it？〃
　〃Oh；　yeah；　Lou。　You're　real　intelligent。〃
　〃So　we　get　rid　of　the　impediment　and　put　the　cannoli；　this　Jason　Bourne；　who's　not　all　there；　in　everybody's　gun　sights；　right？　If　we　don't　get　him；　and　this　Jackal　don't　get　him；　the　federals　will；　right？〃
　〃Hey；　that's　terrific；　Lou。　I　gotta　say　it；　I　really　respect　you。〃
　〃Forget　respect；　bello　ragazzo。　The　rules　are　different　in　this　house。　e　on　over　and　make　good　love　to　m