tc.redrabbit-第105节

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　　　Following　the　Rabbit　family？
　　　〃Uh；　Jack？〃
　　　〃Yeah；　Andy？〃
　　　〃That's　our　bloody　Rabbit；　Mrs。　Rabbit；　and　the　little　Bunny。〃
　　　Ryan　turned　to　look；　and　was　startled　to　see　the　three　people　from　the　photos　walking　right　toward　him。　〃What　the　hell。。。？〃
　　　〃Must　be　going　shopping　on　the　next　block。　It's　a　tourist　area…shops　and　everything。　Bloody　strange　coincidence；〃　Hudson　observed；　wondering　what　the　hell　this　might　mean。
　　　〃Follow　them？〃　Jack　asked。
　　　〃Why　not？〃　Hudson　asked　rhetorically。　He　lit　a　smoke　of　his　own…he　liked　small　cigars…and　waited　for　his　panion　to　ignite　a　cigarette　as　the　Rabbits　passed。　They　waited　for　Trent　to　pass　by　before　heading　that　way　as　well。
　　　〃Does　this　mean　anything？〃　Ryan　asked。
　　　〃I　do　not　know；〃　Hudson　answered。　But　while　he　wasn't　visibly　uneasy；　the　tone　of　his　voice　carried　a　message　of　its　own。　They　followed　anyway。
　　　Things　were　clear　almost　immediately。　Within　minutes；　it　was　apparent　that　the　Rabbits　were　shopping；　with　Mrs。　Rabbit　taking　the　lead；　as　all　mama　rabbits　usually　do。
　　　Vaci　Street　was　seemingly　an　old　one；　though　the　buildings　must　have　been　restored　after　World　War　II；　Ryan　thought。　This　city　had　been　fought　for；　and　viciously　so；　in　early　1945。　Ryan　looked　in　the　shop　windows　and　saw　the　usual　variety　of　goods；　though　of　poorer　quality；　and　lesser　quantities　than　one　saw　in　America　or　London。　Certainly　they　were　impressive　to　the　Rabbit　family；　whose　matriarch　gestured　with　enthusiasm　at　every　window　she　passed。
　　　〃Woman　thinks　she's　on　Bond　Street；〃　Hudson　observed。
　　　〃Not　quite。〃　Jack　chuckled　back。　He'd　already　dropped　a　fair　bit　of　his　personal　exchequer　there。　Bond　Street　was　perhaps　the　finest　shopping　street　in　all　the　world；　if　you　could　afford　to　walk　the　sidewalk　there。　But　what　was　Moscow　like；　and　how　did　this　shopping　area　look　to　a　Russian？
　　　All　women；　it　seemed　to　Jack；　were　alike　in　one　respect。　They　liked　window　shopping；　until　the　strain　of　not　buying　things　drove　them　over　the　edge。　In　Mrs。　Rabbit's　case；　it　lasted　about　0。4　blocks　before　she　walked　into　a　clothing　store；　dragging　little　Bunny　with　her；　while　Mr。　Rabbit　went　in　last；　with　visible　reluctance。
　　　〃This　is　going　to　be　a　while；〃　Ryan　predicted。　〃Been　there；　done　that；　got　the　T…shirt。〃
　　　〃What's　that；　Jack？〃
　　　〃You　married；　Andy？〃
　　　〃Yes。〃
　　　〃Kids？〃
　　　〃Two　boys。〃
　　　〃You're　lucky。　Girls　require　more　expensive　upkeep；　buddy。〃　They　walked　forward　to　eyeball　the　store　in　question。　Women's　and　girls'　stuff。　Yeah；　Jack　thought；　they'll　be　a　while。
　　　〃Well；　good；　we　know　what　they　look　like。　Time　for　us　to　be　off；　Sir　John。〃　Hudson　waved　up　and　down　Vaci　Utca　as　though　describing　it　to　a　new　visitor　to　Budapest；　and　then　led　his　guest　back　to　the　embassy；　his　eyes　sweeping　like　radar　antennae。　He　kept　gesturing　out　of　sync　with　his　words。　〃So；　we　know　what　they　look　like。　I　don't　see　any　obvious　coverage。　That　is　good。　If　this　were　one　of　your　sting　operations；　they　would　not　have　let　the　bait　e　so　near　to　us　like　this…at　least；　I　would　not　do　it　that　way；　and　KGB　is　fairly　predictable。〃
　　　〃Think　so？〃
　　　〃Oh；　yes。　Ivan　is　very　good；　but　predictable；　rather　like　they　play　football；　or　chess；　I　suppose：　a　very　straightforward　game　with　excellent　execution；　but　little　in　the　way　of　originality　or　flair。　Their　activities　are　always　circumscribed。　It's　their　culture。　They　do　not　encourage　people　to　stand　out　from　the　crowd；　do　they？〃
　　　〃True；　but　their　leaders　often　have。〃
　　　〃That　one　died　thirty　years　ago；　Jack；　and　they　do　not　want　another　one。〃
　　　〃Concur。〃　No　sense　arguing　the　point。　The　Soviet　system　did　not　encourage　individualism　of　any　sort。　〃Now　where？〃
　　　〃The　concert　hall；　the　hotel；　points　of　interest。　We've　had　enough　surprises　for　one　morning；　I　think。〃
　　　Little　boys　generally　detest　shopping；　but　that　is　not　ordinarily　true　of　little　girls。　It　was　certainly　not　true　of　zaichik；　who　had　never　seen　such　a　variety　of　brightly　colored　clothing；　even　in　the　special　shops　to　which　her　parents　had　recently　achieved　access。　With　her　mother　selecting　and　watching；　Svetlana　tried　on　a　total　of　six　coats；　ranging　from　forest　green　to　an　incandescent　red　with　a　black　velvet　collar；　and　while　she　tried　two　after　that　one；　the　red　one　was　the　one　they　purchased；　and　which　zaichik　insisted　on　wearing　right　away。　The　next　stop　was　for　Oleg　Ivan'ch；　who　bought　three　videocassette　recorders；　all　unlicensed　Hungarian　copies　of　Sony　Betamax　machines　from　Japan。　This　shop；　he　learned；　would　deliver　them　to　his　hotel　room…visiting　Westerners　shopped　there…and　this　purchase　took　care　of　half　of　his　office　shopping　list。　He　decided　to　toss　in　some　tapes　also；　the　sort　that　he　didn't　want　his　daughter　to　see；　but　which　would　have　gone　over　well　with　his　friends　at　The　Centre。　And　so；　Zaitzev　parted　with　nearly　two　thousand　econ　rubles；　for　which　he　would　have　little　use　in　the　West　anyway。
　　　The　shopping　expedition　continued　nearly　to　lunch；　by　which　time　they　were　carrying　more　goods　than　it　was　fortable　to　lug　about；　and　so　they　walked　back　to　the　ancient　metro　and　headed　back　to　their　hotel　to　dump　them　off　before　doing　something　for　their　daughter。
　　　Heroes　square　was　a　place　built　by　the　Hapsburgs　to　honor　their　royal　（but　not　entirely　willing）　possession　of　Hungary　at　the　end　of　the　previous　century；　with　statues　of　previous　Hungarian　kings；　back　to　St。　Stephen…〃Istvan〃　in　the　Magyar　language…whose　crown　Jimmy　Carter　had　returned　to　the　country　just　a　few　years　before；　the　one　with　the　bent　cross　on　the　top。
　　　〃That　happened；　so　they　say；〃　Hudson　explained；　〃when　Stephen　slammed　his　crown　atop　the　other　one。　Returning　it　was　probably　a　clever　move　on　Carter's　part。　It's　a　symbol　of　their　nationhood；　you　see。　The　munist　regime　could　not　very　well　reject　it；　and　in　accepting　it；　they　had　to　acknowledge　that　the　history　of　the　country　long　predates　Marxism…Leninism。　I　am　not　really　a　fan　of　Mr。　Carter；　but　that　was；　I　think；　a　subtle　move　on　his　part。　The　Hungarians　mainly　detest　munism；　Jack。　The　nation　is　fairly　religious。〃
　　　〃There　are　a　lot　of　churches；〃　Ryan　observed。　He'd　counted　six　or　seven　on　the　way　to　this　park。
　　　〃That's　the　other　thing　that　gives　them　a　sense　of　political　identity。　The　government　doesn't　like　it；　but　it's　too　big　and　too　dangerous　a　thing　to　destroy；　and　so　there's　rather　an　uneasy　peace　between　the　two。〃
　　　〃If　I　had　to　bet；　I'd　put　my　money　down　on　the　church。〃
　　　Hudson　turned。　〃As　would　I；　Sir　John。〃
　　　Ryan　looked　around。　〃Hell　of　a　big　square。〃　It　looked　like　more　than　a　square　mile　of　pavement。
　　　〃That　goes　back　to　1956；〃　Hudson　explained。　〃The　Sovs　wanted　this　to　be　large　enough　to　bring　in　troop　carriers。　You　can　land　an　AN…ten　Cub　right　here；　which　makes　it　quicker　to　bring　in　airborne　troops　if　the　locals　ever　revolt　again。　You　could　bring；　oh；　say　ten　or　twelve　Cubs；　a　hundred　and　fifty　soldiers　each；　and　they　would　defend　the　center　of　the　city　against　the　counterrevolutionaries　and　wait　for　the　tanks　ing　in　from　the　east。　It's　not　a　brilliant　plan；　but　that　is　how　they　think。〃
　　　〃But　what　if　you　park　two　city　buses　here　and　shoot　the　tires　out？〃
　　　〃I　didn't　say　it　was　perfect；　Jack；〃　Hudson　replied。　〃Even　better；　a　few　land　mines。　Might　as　well　kill　a　few　of　the　bastards　and　start　a　nice　little　fire。　No　way　a　pilot　would　be　able　to　see　them　on　his　approach。　And　transport　pilots　are　the　blindest　and　dumbest　lot　going。〃
　　　And　Ivan　figures　he'd　insert　his　troops　before　things　really　got　out　of　hand。　Yeah；　it　made　sense；　Ryan　thought。
　　　〃You　know　who　the　Soviet　ambassador　was　in　'fifty…six？〃
　　　〃No…wait　a　minute；　I　do。。。　wasn't　it　Andropov？〃
　　　Hudson　nodded。　〃Yuriy　Vladimirovich　himself。　It　explains　why　he　is　so　beloved　of　the　locals。　A　bloody　great　lot　of　people　lost　their　lives　in　that　adventure。〃
　　　Ryan　remembered　being　in　grammar　school　then…too　young　to　appreciate　the　plications：　It　was　the　fall　of　a　presidential　election　year；　and　at　the　same　time　Britain　and　France　had　decided　to　invade　Egypt　to　protect　their　rights　with　the　Suez　Canal。　Eisenhower　had　been　hamstrung　by　two　simultaneous　crises；　and　had　perforce　been　unable　to　do　much　of　anything。　But　America　had　gotten　a　good　bunch　of　immigrants　out　of　it。　Not　a　total　loss。
　　　〃And　the　local　Secret　Police？〃
　　　〃Just　down　Andrassy　Utca　from　here；　Number　sixty。　It's　an　ordinary…looking　building　that　positively　drips　with　blood。　Not　as　bad　now　as　it　used　to　be。　The　original　lot　there　were　devotees　of　Iron　Feliks；　more　ruthless　than　Hitler's　Gestapo。　But　after　the　failed　rebellion；　they　moderated　somewhat　and　changed　their　name　from　Allamvedelmi　Osztaly　to　Allavedelmi　Hivatal。　State　Security　Bureau　instead　of　State　Security　Section。　The　former　boss　was　replaced；　and　they　got　gentler。　Formerly；　they　had　a　deserved　reputation　for　torture。　Supposedly；　that　is　a　thing　of　the　past。　The　reputation　alone　is　enough　to　make　a　suspect　crumble。　Good　thing　to　have　a　diplomatic　passport；〃　Andy　concluded。
　　　〃How　good　are　they？〃　Jack　asked　next。
　　　〃Oafish。　Perhaps　they　recruited　petent　people　once；　but　that　is　well　in　the　past。　Probably　a　lingering　effect　of　how　evil　they　were　in　the　forties　and　fifties。　Good　people　don't　want　to　work　there　and　there's　no