rl.thebourneultimatum-第98章

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　〃You　may　be　a　dead　man　if　they　pick　you　up　leaving　here。〃
　〃Oh；　but　I　shan't　go；〃　said　Bernardine；　once　again　searching　the　small　refrigerator。　〃I　shall　stay　in　this　room　until　you　have　concluded　your　business。〃　Fran？ois　ripped　open　two　additional　bottles　and　poured　them　into　his　glass。　〃Now；　perhaps；　my　old　heart　will　beat　slower；〃　he　added　as　he　walked　to　the　inadequate　desk；　placed　his　drink　on　the　blotter；　and　proceeded　to　take　out　two　automatics　and　three　grenades　from　his　pockets；　placing　them　all　in　a　row　in　front　of　his　glass。　〃Yes；　I　will　relax　now。〃
　〃What　the　hell　is　that…are　they？〃　cried　Jason。
　〃I　think　you　Americans　call　it　deterrence；〃　replied　Bernardine。　〃Although　I　frankly　believe　both　you　and　the　Soviets　are　playing　with　yourselves　as　you　both　put　so　much　money　into　weaponry　that　doesn't　work。　Now；　I　e　from　a　different　era。　When　you　go　out　to　do　your　business；　you　will　leave　the　door　open。　If　someone　es　down　that　narrow　corridor；　he　will　see　a　grenade　in　my　hand。　That　is　not　nuclear　abstraction；　that　is　deterrence。〃
　〃I'll　buy　it；〃　said　Bourne；　going　to　the　door。　〃I　want　to　get　this　over　with。〃
　Out　on　Montalembert；　Jason　walked　to　the　corner；　and　as　he　had　done　at　the　old　factory　in　Argenteuil；　leaned　against　the　wall　and　lit　a　cigarette。　He　waited；　his　posture　casual；　his　mind　in　high　gear。
　A　man　walked　across　from　the　bisecting　rue　du　Bac　toward　him。　It　was　the　talkative　messenger　from　last　night；　he　approached；　his　hand　in　his　jacket　pocket。
　〃Where's　the　money？〃　said　the　man　in　French。
　〃Where's　the　information？〃　answered　Bourne。
　〃The　money　first。〃
　〃That's　not　the　arrangement。〃　Without　warning；　Jason　grabbed　the　minion　from　Argenteuil　by　his　lapel；　yanking　him　forward　off　his　feet。　Bourne　whipped　up　his　free　hand　and　gripped　the　messenger's　throat；　his　fingers　digging　into　the　man's　flesh。　〃You　go　back　and　tell　Santos　he's　got　a　one…way　ticket　to　hell。　I　don't　deal　this　way。〃
　〃Enough！〃　said　the　low　voice；　its　owner　rounding　the　corner　on　Jason's　right。　The　huge　figure　of　Santos　approached。　〃Let　him　go；　Simon。　He　is　nothing。　It　is　now　only　you　and　me。〃
　〃I　thought　you　never　left　Le　Coeur　du　Soldat？〃
　〃You've　changed　that；　haven't　you？〃
　〃Apparently。〃　Bourne　released　the　messenger；　who　looked　at　Santos。　With　a　gesture　of　his　large　head；　the　man　raced　away。
　〃Your　Englishman　arrived；〃　said　Santos　when　they　were　alone。　〃He　carried　a　valise；　I　saw　for　myself。〃
　〃He　arrived　carrying　a　valise；〃　agreed　Jason。
　〃So　London　capitulates；　no？　London　is　very　anxious。〃
　〃The　stakes　are　very　high　and　that's　all　I'll　say　about　it。　The　information；　please。〃
　〃Let　us　first　again　define　the　procedure；　shall　we？〃
　〃We've　defined　it　several　times。　。。。　You　give　me　the　information；　my　client　tells　me　to　act　upon　it；　and　if　satisfactory　contact　is　made；　I　bring　you　the　remainder　of　the　three　million　francs。〃
　〃You　say　'satisfactory　contact。'　What　will　satisfy　you？　How　will　you　know　the　contact　is　firm？　How　do　I　know　that　you　will　not　claim　it　is　unsatisfactory　and　steal　my　money　when；　indeed；　you　have　made　the　connection　your　clients　have　paid　for？〃
　〃You're　a　suspicious　fellow；　aren't　you？〃
　〃Oh；　very　suspicious。　Our　world；　Mr。　Simon；　is　not　peopled　with　saints；　is　it？〃
　〃Perhaps　more　than　you　realize。〃
　〃That　would　astonish　me。　Please　answer　my　questions。〃
　〃All　right；　I'll　try。　。。。　How　will　I　know　the　contact's　firm？　That's　easy。　I'll　simply　know　because　it's　my　business　to　know。　It's　what　I'm　paid　for；　and　a　man　in　my　position　does　not　make　mistakes　at　this　level　and　live　to　apologize。　I've　refined　the　process；　done　my　research；　and　I'll　ask　two　or　three　questions　myself。　Then　I'll　know…one　way　or　another。〃
　〃That's　an　elusive　reply。〃
　〃In　our　world；　Mr。　Santos；　being　elusive　is　hardly　a　negative；　is　it？　。。。　As　to　your　concern　that　I　would　lie　to　you　and　take　your　money；　let　me　assure　you　I　don't　cultivate　enemies　like　you　and　the　network　your　blackbird　obviously　controls　any　more　than　I　would　make　enemies　of　my　clients。　That　way　is　madness　and　a　much　shorter　life。〃
　〃I　admire　your　perspicacity　as　well　as　your　caution；〃　said　the　Jackal's　intermediary。
　〃The　bookcases　didn't　lie。　You're　a　learned　man。〃
　〃That's　neither　here　nor　there；　but　I　have　certain　credentials。　Appearances　can　be　a　liability　as　well　as　an　asset。　。。。　What　I　am　about　to　tell　you；　Mr。　Simon；　is　known　by　only　four　men　on　the　face　of　the　earth；　all　of　whom　speak　French　fluently。　How　you　wish　to　use　that　information　is　up　to　you。　However；　if　you　even　hint　at　Argenteuil；　I'll　know　it　instantly　and　you　will　never　leave　the　Pont…Royal　alive。〃
　〃The　contact　can　be　made　so　quickly？〃
　〃With　a　telephone　number。　But　you　will　not　place　the　call　for　at　least　an　hour　from　the　moment　we　part。　If　you　do；　again　I　will　know　it；　and　again　I　tell　you　you're　a　dead　man。〃
　〃An　hour。　Agreed。　。。。　Only　three　other　people　have　this　number？　Why　not　pick　one　you're　not　particularly　fond　of　so　I　might　peripherally　allude　to　him…if　it's　necessary。〃
　Santos　permitted　himself　a　small；　flat　smile。　〃Moscow；〃　he　said　softly。　〃High　up　in　Dzerzhinsky　Square。〃
　〃The　KGB？〃
　〃The　blackbird　is　building　a　cadre　in　Moscow；　always　Moscow；　it's　an　obsession　with　him。〃
　Ilich　Ramirez　Sanchez；　thought　Bourne。　Trained　at　Novgorod。　Dismissed　by　the　Komitet　as　a　maniac。　The　Jackal！
　〃I'll　bear　it　in　mind…if　it's　called　for。　The　number；　please？〃
　Santos　recited　it　twice　along　with　the　words　Bourne　was　to　say。　He　spoke　slowly；　obviously　impressed　that　Bourne　wrote　nothing　down。　〃Is　it　all　clear？〃
　〃Indelibly；　no　pencil　or　paper　required。　。。。　If　everything　goes　as　I　trust　it　will；　how　do　you　want　me　to　get　you　the　money？〃
　〃Phone　me；　you've　got　my　number。　I　will　leave　Argenteuil　and　e　to　you。　And　never　return　to　Argenteuil。〃
　〃Good　luck；　Santos。　Something　tells　me　you　deserve　it。〃
　〃No　one　more　so。　I　have　drunk　the　hemlock　far　too　many　times。〃
　〃Socrates；〃　said　Jason。
　〃Not　directly。　Plato's　dialogues；　to　be　precise。　Au　revoir。〃
　Santos　walked　away；　and　Bourne；　his　chest　pounding；　headed　back　to　the　Pont…Royal；　desperately　suppressing　his　desire　to　run。　A　running　man　is　an　object　of　curiosity；　a　target。　A　lesson　from　the　cantos　of　Jason　Bourne。
　〃Bernardine！〃　he　yelled；　racing　down　the　narrow；　deserted　hallway　to　his　room；　all　too　aware　of　the　open　door　and　the　old　man　seated　at　the　desk；　a　grenade　in　one　hand；　a　gun　in　the　other。　〃Put　the　hardware　away；　we've　hit　pay　dirt！〃
　〃Who's　paying？〃　asked　the　Deuxième　veteran　as　Jason　closed　the　door。
　〃I　am；〃　answered　Bourne。　〃If　this　works　out　the　way　I　think　it　will；　you　can　add　to　your　account　in　Geneva。〃
　〃I　do　not　do　what　I'm　doing　for　that；　my　friend。　It　has　never　been　a　consideration。〃
　〃I　know；　but　as　long　as　we're　passing　out　francs　like　we're　printing　them　in　the　garage；　why　shouldn't　you　get　a　fair　share？〃
　〃I　can't　argue　with　that；　either。〃
　〃An　hour；〃　announced　Jason。　〃Forty…three　minutes　now；　to　be　exact。〃
　〃For　what？〃
　〃To　find　out　if　it's　real；　actually　real。〃　Bourne　fell　on　the　bed；　his　arms　behind　his　head　on　the　pillow；　his　eyes　alive。　〃Write　this　down；　Fran？ois。〃　Jason　recited　the　telephone　number　given　him　by　Santos。　〃Buy；　bribe；　or　threaten　every　high…level　contact　you've　ever　had　in　the　Paris　telephone　service；　but　get　me　the　location　of　that　number。〃
　〃It's　not　such　an　expensive　request…〃
　〃Yes；　it　is；〃　countered　Bourne。　〃He's　got　it　guarded；　inviolate；　he　wouldn't　do　it　any　other　way。　Only　four　people　in　his　entire　network　have　it。〃
　〃Then；　perhaps；　we　do　not　go　high…level；　but；　instead；　far　lower　to　the　ground；　underground　actually。　Into　the　tunnels　of　the　telephone　service　beneath　the　streets。〃
　Jason　snapped　his　head　over　at　Bernardine。　〃I　hadn't　thought　of　that。〃
　〃Why　should　you？　You　are　not　Deuxième。　The　technicians　are　the　source；　not　the　bureaucrats　behind　the　desks。　。。。　I　know　several。　I　will　find　one　and　give　him　a　quiet　call　at　home　later　tonight…〃
　〃Tonight？〃　broke　in　Bourne；　raising　himself　off　the　bed。
　〃It　will　cost　a　thousand　francs　or　so；　but　you'll　get　the　location　of　the　telephone。〃
　〃I　can't　wait　until　later　tonight。〃
　〃Then　you　add　a　risk　by　trying　to　reach　such　a　man　at　work。　These　men　are　mo