jamesclavell.noblehouse-第95章

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es　and　responsibilities　at　once。　London　reports　optimum　CIA　and　MI…6　interest　in　information　contained　in　blue…covered　files　leaked　to　Ian　Dunross　of　Struan's　by　the　British　Intelligence　coordinator；　AMG。　Order　Arthur　to　obtain　copies　immediately。　If　Dunross　has　destroyed　the　copies；　cable　feasibility　plan　to　detain　him　for　chemical　debriefing　in　depth。〃　The　sailor's　face　closed。　He　looked　across　at　Captain　Suslev。　〃AMG？　Alan　Medford　Grant？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃May　that　one　burn　in　hell　for　a　thousand　years。〃
　〃He　will；　if　there's　any　justice　in　this　world　or　the　next。〃　Suslev　smiled　grimly。　He　went　to　a　sideboard　and　took　out　a　half…full　vodka　bottle　and　two　glasses。　〃Listen；　Dimitri；　if　I　fail　or　don't　return；　you　take　mand。〃　He　held　up　the　key。　〃Unlock　the　safe。　There're　instructions　about　decoding　and　everything　else。〃
　〃Let　me　go　tonight　in　your　place。　You're　more　impor…　〃
　〃No。　Thank　you；　old　friend。〃　Suslev　clapped　him　warmly　on　the　shoulders。　〃In　case　of　an　accident　you　assume　mand　and　carry　out　our　mission。　That's　what　we've　been　trained　for。〃　He　touched　glasses　with　him。　〃Don't　worry。　Everything　will　be　fine；〃　he　said；　glad　he　could　do　as　he　wished　and　very　content　with　his　job　and　his　position　in　life。　He　was；　secretly；　deputy　controller　in　Asia　for　the　KGB's　First　Directorate；　Department　6；　that　was　responsible　for　all　covert　activities　in　China；　North　Korea　and　Vietnam；　a　senior　lecturer　in　Vladivostok　University's　Department　of　Foreign　Affairs；　2A…Counterintelligence；　a　colonel　in　the　KGB；　and；　most　important　of　all；　a　senior　Party　member　in　the　Far　East。　〃Center's　given　the　order。　You　must　guard　our　tails　here。　Eh？〃
　〃Of　course。　You　needn't　worry　about　that；　Gregor。　I　can　do　everything。　But　I　worry　about　you；〃　Metkin　said。　They　had　sailed　together　for　several　years　and　he　respected　Suslev　very　much　though　he　did　not　know　from　where　his　overriding　authority　came。　Sometimes　he　was　tempted　to　try　to　find　out。　You're　getting　on；　he　told　himself。　You　retire　next　year　and　you　may　need　powerful　friends　and　the　only　way　to　have　the　help　of　powerful　friends　is　to　know　their　skeletons。　But　Suslev　or　no　Suslev　your　well…earned　retirement　will　be　honorable；　quiet　and　at　home　in　the　Crimea。　Metkin's　heart　beat　faster　at　the　thought　of　all　that　lovely　countryside　and　grand　climate　on　the　Black　Sea；　dreaming　the　rest　of　his　life　away　with　his　wife　and　sometimes　seeing　his　son；　an　up…and…ing　KGB　officer　presently　in　Washington；　no　longer　at　risk　and　in　danger　from　within　or　without。
　Oh　God　protect　my　son　from　betrayal　or　making　a　mistake；　he　prayed　fervently；　then　at　once　felt　a　wave　of　nausea；　as　always；　in　case　his　superiors　knew　that　he　was　a　secret　believer　and　that　his　parents；　peasants；　had　brought　him　up　in　the　Church。　If　they　knew　there　would　be　no　retirement　in　the　Crimea；　only　some　icy　backwater　and　no　real　home　ever　again。
　〃Voranski；〃　he　said；　as　always　cautiously　hiding　his　hatred　of　the　man。　〃He　was　a　top　operator；　eh？　Where　did　he　slip？〃
　〃He　was　betrayed；　that　was　his　problem；〃　Suslev　said　darkly。　〃We　will　find　his　murderers　and　they　will　pay。　If　my　name　is　on　the　next　knife　。。。〃　The　big　man　shrugged；　then　poured　more　vodka　with　a　sudden　laugh。　〃So　what；　eh？　It's　in　the　name　of　the　cause；　the　Party　and　Mother　Russia！〃　They　touched　glasses　and　drained　them。　〃When're　you　going　ashore？〃
　Suslev　bit　on　the　raw　liquor。　Then；　thankfully；　he　felt　the　great　good　warmth　begin　inside　and　his　anxieties　and　terrors　seemed　less　real。　He　motioned　out　of　the　porthole。　〃As　soon　as　she's　moored　and　safe；〃　he　said　with　his　rolling　laugh。　〃Ah；　but　she's　a　pretty　ship；　eh？〃
　〃We've　got　nothing　to　touch　that　bastard；　Captain；　have　we？　Or　those　fighters。　Nothing。〃
　Suslev　smiled　as　he　poured　again。　〃No；　rade。　But　if　the　enemy　has　no　real　will　to　resist　they　can　have　a　hundred　of　those　carriers　and　it　doesn't　matter。〃
　〃Yes；　but　Americans're　erratic；　one　general　can　go　off　at　half…cock；　and　they　can　smash　us　off　the　face　of　the　earth。〃
　〃I　agree；　now　they　can；　but　they　won't。　They've　no　balls。〃　Suslev　drank　again。　〃And　soon？　Just　a　little　more　time　and　we'll　stick　their　noses　up　their　asses！〃　He　sighed。　〃It　will　be　good　when　we　begin。〃
　〃It'll　be　terrible。〃
　〃No；　a　short；　almost　bloodless　war　against　America　and　then　the　rest'll　collapse　like　the　pus…infected　corpse　it　is。〃
　〃Bloodless？　What　about　their　atom　bombs？　Hydrogen　bombs？〃
　〃They'll　never　use　atomics　or　missiles　against　us；　they're　too　scared；　even　now；　of　ours！　Because　they're　sure　we'll　use　them。〃
　〃Will　we？〃
　〃I　don't　know。　Some　manders　would。　I　don't　know。　We'll　certainly　use　them　back。　But　first？　I　don't　know。　The　threat　will　always　be　enough。　I'm　sure　we'll　never　need　a　fighting　war。〃　He　lit　a　corner　of　the　decoded　message　and　put　it　in　the　ashtray。　〃Another　twenty　years　of　détente　…　ah　what　Russian　genius　invented　that　…　we'll　have　a　navy　bigger　and　better　than　theirs；　an　air　force　bigger　and　better　than　theirs。　We've　got　more　tanks　now　and　more　soldiers；　but　without　ships　and　airplanes　we　must　wait。　Twenty　years　is　not　long　to　wait　for　Mother　Russia　to　rule　the　earth。〃
　〃And　China？　What　about　China？〃
　Suslev　gulped　the　vodka　and　refilled　both　glasses　again。　The　bottle　was　empty　now　and　he　tossed　it　onto　his　bunk。　His　eyes　saw　the　burning　paper　in　the　ashtray　twist　and　crackle；　dying。　〃Perhaps　China's　the　one　place　to　use　our　atomics；〃　he　said　matter…of…factly。　〃There's　nothing　there　we　need。　Nothing。　That'd　solve　our　China　problem　once　and　for　all。　How　many　men　of　military　age　did　they　have　at　last　estimate？〃
　〃116　million　between　the　ages　of　eighteen　and　twenty…five。〃
　〃Think　of　that！　116　million　yellow　devils　sharing　5；000　miles　of　our　frontiers　。。。　and　then　foreigners　call　us　paranoiac　about　China！〃　He　sipped　the　vodka；　this　time　making　it　last。　〃Atomics'd　solve　our　China　problem　once　and　for　all。　Quick；　simple　and　permanent。〃
　The　other　man　nodded。　〃And　this　Dunross？　The　papers　of　AMG？〃
　〃We'll　get　them　from　him。　After　all；　Dimitri；　one　of　our　people　is　family；　another　one　of　his　partners；　another's　in　Special　Intelligence；　there's　Arthur　and　Sevrin　everywhere　he　turns；　and　then　we've　a　dozen　decadents　to　call　on　in　his　parliament；　some　in　his　government。〃　They　both　began　laughing。
　〃And　if　he's　destroyed　the　papers？〃
　Suslev　shrugged。　〃They　say　he's　got　a　photographic　memory。〃
　〃You'd　do　the　interrogation　here？〃
　〃It'd　be　dangerous　to　do　an　in…depth　chemic　quickly。　I've　never　done　one。　Have　you？〃
　〃No。〃
　The　captain　frowned。　〃When　you　report　tonight；　get　Center　to　ready　an　expert　in　case　we　need　one　…　Koronski　from　Vladivostok　if　he's　available。〃
　Dimitri　nodded；　lost　in　thought。　This　morning's　Guardian；　lying　half…crumpled　on　the　captain's　bunk；　caught　his　eye。　He　went　over　and　picked　it　up；　his　eyes　alight。　〃Gregor　…　if　we　have　to　detain　Dunross；　why　not　blame　them；　then　you've　all　the　time　you'll　need？〃　The　screaming　headline　read；　SUSPECTS　IN　WEREWOLVES　KIDNAP　CASE。　〃If　Dunross　doesn't　return　。。。　perhaps　our　man'd　bee　tai…pan！　Eh？〃
　Suslev　began　to　chuckle。　〃Dimitri；　you're　a　genius。〃
　
　Rosemont　glanced　at　his　watch。　He　had　waited　long　enough。　〃Rog；　can　I　use　your　phone？〃
　〃Certainly；〃　Crosse　said。
　The　CIA　man　stubbed　out　his　cigarette　and　dialed　the　central　CIA　exchange　in　the　consulate。
　〃This　is　Rosemont　…　give　me　2022。〃　That　was　the　CIA　munications　center。
　〃2022。　Chapman　…　who's　this？〃
　〃Rosemont。　Hi；　Phil；　anything　new？〃
　〃No；　excepting　Marty　Povitz　reports　a　lot　of　activity　on　the　bridge　of　the　Ivanov；　high…powered　binoculars。　Three　guys；　Stan。　One's　a　civilian；　others're　the　captain　and　the　first　officer。　One　of　their　short…range　radar　sweep's　working　overtime。　You　want　us　to　notify　the　Corregidor's　captain？〃
　〃Hell　no；　no　need　to　make　his　tail　wriggle　more　than　needs　be。　Say；　Phil；　we　get　a　confirm　on　our　40…41？〃
　〃Sure　Stan。　It　came　in　at　。。。　stand　by　one　。。。　it　came　in　at　1603　local。〃
　〃Thanks；　Phil；　see　you。〃
　Rosemont　lit　another　cigarette。　Sourly　Langan；　a　nonsmoker；　watched　him　but　said　nothing　as　Crosse　was　smoking　too。
　〃Rog；　what　are　you　pulling？〃　Rosemont　asked　harshly；　to　Langan's　shock。　〃You　got　your　Priority　1…4a　at　1603；　same　time　as　we　did。　Why　the　stall？〃