scoonts.theminotaur-第35节

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　Camacho　hadn't　found　a　sniff。
　Damn；　it　was　frustrating。　And　now　the　Terry　Franklin　tool　to　exploit　the　unknown　source　was　unraveling。
　〃Do　you　believe　in　the　entropy　principle？〃　Camacho　asked。　There　was　a　mercial　on　the　television。
　Albright　shifted　his　gaze　and　tried　to　dear　his　thoughts。　〃Entropy？〃
　〃Disorder　always　increases　in　a　closed　system。〃
　〃I　suppose。〃
　〃Will　Franklin　hold　up？〃
　〃I　don't　know。　I　doubt　it。　And　he　knows　too　much。〃　He　felt　a　chut　as　he　contemplated　the　wrath　of　his　superiors　if　Franklin　should　ever　list　his　thefts　for　the　Americans。
　〃Can　you　get　him　to　the　Soviet　Union？〃　Albright　shrugged　and　stood。　〃I'd　better　go　home　and　get　some　deep。〃
　〃Yeah。〃
　〃Drop　over　tomorrow　evening。〃
　〃Sure。〃
　
　Rita　Moravia's　worst　moment　came　when　she　preceded　Toad　into　his　apartment。　〃I've　only　been　here　a　month　or　so；〃　Toad　said　behind　her。　Open　cardboard　boxes　brimming　with　books　and　towels　and　bric…a…brac　sat　everywhere。　She　stepped　into　the　kitchen。　The　sink　was　full　of　dishes。　Something　hideous　was　growing　in　a　saucepan　on　the　stove。　The　refrigerator　contained　half　a　case　of　beer　and　a　six…pack　of　Coke…nothing　else。　At　least　it　was　clean。　But　how　in　the　world　had　this　man　managed　to　get　all　these　dishes　dirty？　Aha；　the　freezer　was　chock…full　of　frozen　vegetables　and　TV　dinners。　Even　some　meat。
　She　dumped　the　contents　of　the　saucepan　into　the　sink　and　ran　the　pan　full　of　water；　then　let　the　water　from　the　faucet　flush　the　putrid　mixture　past　the　trap。
　Toad　was　fidgety。　〃I'm　not　much　of　a　housekeeper；〃　he　mumbled。　〃Been　trying　to　get　unpacked　and　all　but　I've　been　so　busy。〃
　Rita　went　into　the　bedroom　and　snapped　on　the　lights。　The　bed　was　a　rumpled　mess。　She　ripped　away　the　spread　and　blanket　and　tossed　them　on　the　floor；　then　began　stripping　the　sheets。　〃Get　out　dean　sheets。〃
　〃Uh。。。　y'see；　that's　the　only　set　I　have。　Why　waste　money　on　extra　sheets　when　you　can　only　use　one　set　at　a。。。〃　He　ran　out　of　words　when　she　glanced　at　him　as　she　removed　the　pillows　from　their　cases。　〃Why　don't　I　take　the　sheets　and　pillowcases　down　to　the　basement　and　run　them　through　the　washer。〃　He　grabbed　them　from　the　floor　where　Rita　had　thrown　them　and　charged　for　the　door。　It　closed　behind　him　with　a　bang。　Rita　Moravia　smiled　and　shook　her　head。
　She　tackled　the　bedroom　first。　Dirty　clothes　were　piled　in　one　corner　of　the　closet。　She　used　a　T…shirt　for　a　dustrag。　No　cleanser　in　the　bathroom。　He　had　never　cleaned　the　mode。　She　was　swabbing　it　when　she　heard　the　apartment　door　open。　In　seconds　he　appeared。
　〃Hey；　Rita；　you　don't…〃
　〃Is　there　a　convenience　store　nearby　that's　still　open？〃
　〃I　suppose。。。〃
　〃I　want　cleanser；　dishwashing　liquid；　something　to　clean　these　floors　with。。。　a　mop　and　some　sponges。　And　an　air　freshener。〃
　〃Tomorrow　I…〃
　〃Now；　Tarkington。〃
　He　turned　and　left　without　a　word。
　In　twenty　minutes　he　was　back　with　a　bag　full　of　supplies。　She　handed　him　the　laundry　from　the　closet。　〃You　go　wash　these　and　then　clean　up　the　living　room　and　kitchen。〃
　When　she　got　the　sheets　back　on　the　bed　she　locked　the　bedroom　door。　Toad　was　making　noises　in　the　kitchen。　She　washed　her　face；　brushed　her　teeth　and　hung　up　her　clothes　from　the　overnight　bag。　She　put　on　a　frilly　negligee　Harriet　had　given　her　for　Christmas　when　it　looked　as　if　her　anemic　romance　with　Ogden　might　finally　blossom。
　Poor　Ogden。　His　town　house　always　looked　as　if　the　maid　just　left　five　minutes　before　you　arrived。　Appearances　were　so　important　to　him。　He　would　be　devastated　if　he　could　see　her　in　this　slum。　Oh　well。　Toad　had　something　that　Ogden　would　never　have。　She　thought　about　it　as　she　brushed　out　her　hair　again。　Tarkington　had　guts　as　well　as　brains；　and　he　knew　what　was　important　and　what　wasn't。　He　believed　in　himself　and　his　abilities　with　a　profound；　unshakable　faith；　so　he　wasn't　threatened　by　what　she　was；　what　she　acplished。　Any　way　you　looked　at　it。　Toad　Tarkington　was　a　man。
　And　a　man　was　precisely　what　Rita　Moravia　wanted　in　her　life。
　She　turned　off　all　the　lights　except　the　one　on　the　nightstand；　then　opened　the　bedroom　door。
　Toad　was　up　to　his　elbows　in　soapsuds　in　the　sink。　He　had　used　too　much　dishwashing　liquid。　Too　much　water　too。　Water　and　suds　were　slopped　over　half　the　counter。　Damn。　He　shouldn't　have　brought　Rita　here　with　the　apartment　in　such　a　mess。　He　had　been　meaning　to　unpack　and　clean　it　up；　but　the　chore　always　seemed　one　that　could　wait。　He　had　been　seeing　that　secretary　over　in　Alexandria　but　they　always　went　to　her　place。　It　just　hadn't　occurred　to　him　how　Rita　might　react　until　it　was　too　late…like　when　he　was　fishing　for　the　key　to　open　the　door。
　Doggone；　Toad；　you　find　a　really　nice　girl　for　a　change　and　you　screw　it　up　right　at　the　start。　More　water　slopped　over　the　edge　of　the　sink。　He　felt　it　soaking　the　front　of　his　pants。　Oh　poop。
　He　heard　a　laugh　and　turned。　Rita　was　standing　in　the　kitchen　door　laughing　with　her　hand　over　her　mouth。　He　grinned　at　her　and　worked　blindly　on　the　dishes。　He　couldn't　take　his　eyes　off　her。
　〃You　used　too　much　water；〃　she　said。
　〃Uh…huh。〃　With　her　hair　down　around　her　shoulders　she　looked　like　a　pletely　different　woman…softer；　more　feminine。　And　that　fully　little　nothing　she　was　wearing！
　〃Do　you　have　any　dish　towels？〃
　〃Of　course　I　have…〃
　〃Where？〃
　〃Where？〃　He　forced　his　eyes　to　look　at　the　likely　places　while　he　considered。　〃Oh　yeah；　in　that　box　over　there　behind　the　table。〃
　She　swabbed　the　counter　while　he　hurriedly　finished　the　dishes　and　stacked　them　in　the　drainer。　He　pulled　the　plug　in　the　sink　and　she　wiped　his　hands　and　arms。
　〃I'm　sorry　this　place　is　such　a　mess。　I…〃
　She　put　her　arms　around　his　neck　and　kissed　him。　He　never　did　get　to　finish　that　apology。
　〃What's　your　first　name？〃
　〃Robert。〃
　〃Why　do　they　call　you　Toad？〃
　〃Because　I'm　horny　all　the　time。〃
　〃Umm；〃　Rita　Moravia　said。　〃Oh　yes；　I　see。　Lucky　me。〃
　
　11
　
　〃We　got　something；〃　Dreyfus　said　with　a　grin　as　he　leaned　in　Luis　Camacho's　office　door…
　〃Well；　don't　keep　me　waiting。〃
　After　entering　and　closing　the　door；　Dreyfus　approached　the　desk　and　handed　Camacho　a　photocopy　of　the　message　from　the　cigarette　pack　that　Mrs。　Jackson　had　supplied。　〃Interest　Golden。TS　849329。002EB。〃
　〃What　I　did；〃　Dreyfus　said；　〃was　to　have　the　puter　wizards　in　the　basement　assume　this　message　came　from　one　of　those　letters　that　have　been　going　to　the　Soviet　embassy。〃　Camacho　nodded。　All　mail　addressed　to　the　Soviet　embassy　was　routinely　examined　and　interesting　items　photocopied。　So　the　FBI　had　copies　of　messages　from　sixty…three　letters　that　looked　suspicious。
　〃And　sure　'nuff；　it　did。　This　little　dilly　right　here。〃　From　a　file　he　pulled　another　photocopy。　The　message　was　a　vitriolic　screed　on　Soviet　support　of　the　Afghan　puppet　regime。
　〃What's　the　code　word？〃
　〃Luteinizing。〃
　〃What　the　hell　kind　of　word　is　that？〃
　〃Some　medical　word。〃
　〃Will　that　break　any　of　the　other　messages？〃
　〃These　four。〃　Dreyfus　laid　four　more　photocopies　on　the　desk　before　his　boss。　On　the　bottom　of　each　was　penciled　the　code　word　and　the　message；　and　the　initials　of　the　puter　technician。
　〃How　about　that？〃　Camacho　said。　〃Very　nicely　done；　Dreyfus。〃
　Dreyfus　sagged　into　a　seat　across　the　desk。　He　was　tall　and　angular　and　liked　his　pipe；　which　he　extracted　from　a　sweater　pocket　and　charged。　〃We're　still　short　a　whole　bunch　of　code　words。〃
　Camacho　eyed　his　colleague　as　he　drew　deeply　on　the　pipe　and　exhaled　clouds　of　smoke。　〃So　now　we　know　how　the　code　is　constructed？〃　he　prompted。
　〃Yeah。　It's　a　matrix。〃
　〃And？〃
　〃And　if　we　could　tie　up　the　mainframe　for　a　couple　weeks；　we　could　construct　a　matrix　for　each　and　every　word　in　the　dictionary　and　pare　them　with　every　message。　Given　enough　time　on　the　puter；　we　can　crack　them　all。〃
　〃And　then　we'll　know　what　was　stolen。〃　Camacho　turned　to　the　window。　There　was　little　to　see。　It　was　a　windy；　cold　day　out　there。　〃Two　weeks？　Jesus；　that's　a　hell　of　a　lot　of　puting　time。　You　should　be　able　to　find　the　Grand　Unified　Theory　with　two　weeks　on　a　Cray　puter。〃
　〃Well；　from　looking　at　this　word　he　used…'luteinizing'…it's　obvious　that　some　of　the　words　are　probably　verb　participles；　past　tense；　etc。　It's　possible…probable；　since　this　guy's　pretty　damn　cute…that　some　of　the　code　words　are　the　names　of　persons　or　places。　The　number　of　possible　English　codewords　is　in　the　millions；　and　the　puter　must　construct　a　matrix　for　each　and　every　one　of　them　and　test　each　matrix　against　all　the　suspected　messages。　So　what　is　that…a　couple　million　repetitions　of　the　program　times　sixty？　Assuming　he　used　real　words　or　names。　But　if　he　made　up　random　binations　of　letters；　say　a　dozen　letters。。。〃　Dreyfus　shrugged。
　On　a　scratch　pad　Camacho　wrote；　〃26〃。〃　〃Point　made；〃　he　muttered。
　〃Oh；　I　know；　I　know。　Even　after　we　have　all　the　messages　cracked；　we　won't　have　the　Minotaur。　But　we'll　have　his　scent。　Once　we　know　which　files　he's　been　in；　we　can　trot　over　to　the　Pentagon　and　glom　on　to　the　access　sheets　for　those　files。　Our　boy　has　seen　them　all。〃
　〃Maybe。　But　not　very　likely。　Probably　he　got　the　access　codes　during　an　unauthorized　peek　in　the　main　security　files。　But　the　document　key　words　and　numbers…〃