dk.nightchills-第25章
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Salsbury opened a drawer in the cart。 He took out a thick white linen towel and spread it across the top of the cart。 〃We won't use anyone from your staff for the second test。〃
〃Where else are we going to get a test subject？〃
Salsbury took surgical instruments； one at a time； from the drawer and lined them up on the linen。 〃I think the time has e to put together that corporation in Liechtenstein。 Hire three mercenaries； give them sets of forged papers； and bring them here from Europe under their new names。〃
〃To this house？〃 Dawson asked。
〃That's right。 We won't need the walled estate in Germany or France for some time yet。 'We'll give the drug to all three of
them the first day they're here。 The second day； I'll start the new key…lock program with one of them。 If it works with him； if it doesn't kill him； then I'll use it on the other two。 Eventually； we'll be running the field test in this country。 'When the time es for that； we'll be happy to have two or three well…trained； submissive men so close at hand。〃
Scowling； Dawson said； 〃Hiring lawyers in Vaduz； establishing the corporation； buying the forged papers； hiring the mercenaries； bringing them here 。 。 。 these are expenditures I didn't want to make until we were certain the drug and subliminals will work as you say。〃
〃They will。〃
〃We aren't yet certain。〃
Holding a scalpel to the light； studying the silhouette of its razored edge； Salsbury said； 〃I'm sure the money won't e out of your pocket； Leonard。 You'll find some way to squeeze it from the corporation。〃
〃It's not is easy as all that； I assure you。 Futurex isn't a private game park； you know。 It's a public corporation。 I can't raid the treasury at will。〃
〃You're supposed to be a billionaire；〃 Salsbury said。 〃In the great tradition of Onassis； Getty； Hughes 。 。 。 Futurex isn't the only thing you've got your hand in。 Somewhere； you found more than two million dollars to set up this lab。 And every month you manage to e up with the eighty thousand dollars needed to maintain it。 By parison； this new expense is a trifle。〃
〃I agree；〃 the general said。
〃It's not your money that's going down a rat hole；〃 Dawson said irritably。
〃If you think the project's a rat hole；〃 Salsbury said； 〃then we Should call it off right now。〃
Dawson started to pace； stopped after a few steps； put his hands in his trouser pockets； and took them right out again。 It's these men that bother me。〃
〃What men？〃
〃These mercenaries。〃
〃What about them？〃
〃They're nothing but killers。〃
〃Of course。〃
〃Professional killers。 They earn their living by…by murdering people。〃
〃I've never had much of anything good to say about freelancers；〃 Klinger said。 〃But that's a simplification； Leonard。〃
〃It's essentially true。〃
Impatiently； Salsbury said； 〃So what if it is？〃
〃Well； I don't like the idea of having them in my home；〃 Dawson said。 His tone was almost prissy。
You hypocritical ass； Salsbury thought。 He didn't have the nerve to say it。 His confidence had increased over the past year
…but not enough to enable him to speak so frankly to Dawson。 Klinger said； 〃Leonard； how in the hell do you think we'd
fare with the police and the courts if they found out how King…man died？ Would they just pat us on the head and send us away with a scolding？ Do you think that just because we didn't strangle or shoot or stab him； they'd hesitate to call us killers？ Do you think we'd get off scot…free because； although we're killers； we don't earn our living that way？〃
For an instant Dawson's black eyes； like onyx mirrors； caught the cold fluorescent light and gleamed unnaturally。 Then he turned his head a fraction of an inch； and the effect was lost。 However； something of the same frigid； alien quality remained in his voice。 〃I never touched Brian。 I never laid a finger on him。 I never said an unkind word to him。〃
Neither Salsbury nor Klinger responded。
〃I didn't want him to die。〃
They waited。
Dawson wiped one hand across his face。 〃Very well。 I'll move ahead in Liechtenstein。 I'll get those three mercenaries for you。〃
〃How Soon？〃 Salsbury asked。
〃If I'm to maintain secrecy every step of the way…three months。 Maybe four。〃
Salsbury nodded and continued laying out surgical instruments for the autopsy。
7
Monday； August 22； 1977
AT NINE 0' CL 0 C K Monday morning； Jenny came to visit the Annendale camp； and she brought with her a sturdy； yard…high canary cage。
Mark laughed when he saw her carrying it out of the woods。 〃What's that for？〃
〃A guest should always bring a gift；〃 she said。
〃What will we do with it？〃
She put it in the boy's hands as Paul kissed her on the cheek。 Mark grinned at her through the slender； gilded bars。 〃You said you wanted to bring your squirrel to town this ing Friday。 Well； you can't let him loose in the car。 This will be his travel cage。〃
〃He won't like being penned up。〃
〃Not at first。 But he'll get used to it。〃
〃He'll have to get used to it sooner or later if he's going to be your pet；〃 Paul said。
Rya nudged her brother and said； 〃For God's sake； Mark； aren't you going to say thank you？ Jenny probably looked all over town for that。〃
The boy blushed。 〃Oh； sure。 Thanks。 Thanks a lot； Jenny。〃
〃Rya； you'll notice there's a small brown bag in the bottom of the cage。 That's for you。〃
The girl tore open the bag and smiled when she saw the three paperback books。 〃Some of my favorite authors。 And I don't have any of these！ Thanks； Jenny。〃
Most eleven…year…old girls liked to read nurse novels； romances； perhaps Barbara Cartland or Mary Roberts Rinehart。 But Jenny would have made a serious mistake if she had brought anything of that sort for Rya。 Instead： one Louis L'Amour western； one collection of horror stories； and one adventure novel by Alistair MacLean。 Rya wasn't a classic tomboy…but she sure as hell wasn't like most other eleven…year…old girls； either。
Both of these children were special。 That was why； although she had no particular affection for children in general； she had fallen for them so quickly。 She loved them every bit as much as she loved Paul。
Oh； yeah？ she thought； catching herself in the admission。 You're just brimming with love for Paul； are you？
Enough of that。
Love； is it？ Then why don't you accept his proposal？
Enough。
Why won't you marry him？
Well； because… She forced herself to stop arguing with herself。 People who
indulged in extended interior dialogues； she thought； were candidates for schizophrenia。
For a while the four of them fed the squirrel； which Mark had named Buster； and watched its antics。 The boy regaled them with his plans for training the animal。 He intended to teach Buster to roll over and play dead； to heel when told； to beg for his supper； and to fetch a stick。 No one had the heart to tell him how unlikely it was that a squirrel could ever be made to do any of those things。 Jenny wanted to laugh and grab him and hug him…but she only nodded and agreed with him whenever he asked for her opinion。
Later they played a game of tag and several games of badminton。
At eleven o'clock Rya said； 〃I've got an announcement to make。 Mark and I planned lunch。 We're going to do all of the cooking ourselves。 And we really have some special dishes to make。 Don't we； Mark？〃
〃Yeah； we sure do。 My favorite is…〃
〃Mark！〃 Rya said quickly。 〃It's a surprise。〃
〃Yeah；〃 he said； as if he hadn't almost given away everything。 〃That's right。 It's a surprise。〃
Tucking her long black hair behind her ears； Rya turned to her father and said； 〃Why don't you and Jenny take a nice long walk up the mountain？ There are lots and lots of easy deer trails。 You should work up an appetite。〃
〃I've already worked one up by playing badminton；〃 Paul said。
Rya made a face。 〃I don't want you to see what we're cooking。〃
〃Okay。 We'll sit over there with our backs to you。〃 Rya shook her head： no。 She was adamant。 〃You'll still smell it cooking。 There won't be any surprise。〃
〃The wind isn't blowing that way；〃 Paul said。 〃Cooking odors won't carry far。〃
Anxiously twisting her badminton racket in her hands； Rya glanced at Jenny。
What a lot of schemes and calculations are whirling around
