tc.redrabbit-第124节

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　He'd　e　over　on　short　notice；　interrupting　her　afternoon　political　business。
　　　〃Really？〃　she　asked　Sir　Basil　in　dry　reply。　She　was　used　to　hearing　the　strangest　of　things　from　her　Intelligence　Chief；　and　had　cultivated　the　habit　of　not　responding　too　violently　to　them。　〃What　is　the　source　for　that　information？〃
　　　〃I　told　you　several　days　ago　about　Operation　BEATRIX。　Well；　we　and　the　Americans　have　got　him　out　successfully。　We　even　managed　to　do　it　in　such　a　way　that　the　Sovs　think　him　dead。　The　defector　is　in　a　safe　house　outside　Manchester　right　now；〃　C　told　his　chief　of　government。
　　　〃Have　we　told　the　Americans？〃
　　　Basil　nodded。　〃Yes；　Prime　Minister。　He's　their　fox；　after　all。　We'll　let　him　fly　to　America　next　week；　but　I　discussed　the　case　briefly　earlier　today　with　Judge　Arthur　Moore；　their　Director　of　Central　Intelligence。　I　expect　he'll　brief　the　President　in　early　next　week。〃
　　　〃What　action　do　you　suppose　they　will　take？〃　she　asked　next。
　　　〃Difficult　to　say；　ma'am。　It's　a　rather　dicey　proposition；　actually。　The　defector…his　name　is　Oleg…is　a　most　important　asset；　and　we　must　work　very　hard　to　protect　his　identity；　and　also　knowledge　of　the　fact　that　he　is　now　on　our　side　of　the　Curtain。　Exactly　how　we　might　warn　the　Vatican　of　the　potential　danger　is　a　plex　issue；　to　say　the　least。〃
　　　〃This　is　a　real　operation　the　Soviets　have　under　way？〃　the　PM　asked　again。　It　was　rather　a　lot　to　swallow；　even　for　them；　who　she　believed　capable　of　almost　anything。
　　　〃It　appears　so；　yes；〃　Sir　Basil　confirmed。　〃But　we　do　not　know　the　priority；　and；　of　course；　we　know　nothing　of　the　schedule。〃
　　　〃I　see。〃　The　Prime　Minister　fell　quiet　for　a　moment。　〃Our　relations　with　the　Vatican　are　cordial　but　not　especially　close。〃　That　fact　went　all　the　way　back　to　Henry　VIII；　though　the　Roman　Catholic　Church　had　gradually　e　to　letting　bygones　be　bygones　over　the　intervening　centuries。
　　　〃Regrettably；　that　is　so；〃　C　agreed。
　　　〃I　see；〃　she　said　again；　and　thought　some　more　before　speaking　again。　When　she　leaned　forward；　she　spoke　with　dignity　and　force。　〃Sir　Basil；　it　is　not　the　policy　of　Her　Majesty's　Government　to　stand　idly　by　while　a　friendly　Chief　of　State　is　murdered　by　our　adversaries。　You　are　directed　to　look　into　any　possible　action　that　might　forestall　this　eventuality。〃
　　　Some　people　shot　from　the　hip；　Sir　Basil　thought。　Others　shot　from　the　heart。　For　all　her　outward　toughness；　the　United　Kingdom's　Chief　of　Government　was　one　of　the　latter。
　　　〃Yes；　Prime　Minister。〃　The　problem　was　that　she　didn't　say　how　the　hell　he　was　supposed　to　do　this。　Well；　he'd　coordinate　with　Arthur　at　Langley。　But　for　right　now　he　had　a　mission　that　would　be　difficult　at　best。　What　exactly　was　he　supposed　to　do；　deploy　a　squadron　of　the　Special　Air　Service　to　St。　Peter's　Square？
　　　But　you　didn't　say　no　to　this　Prime　Minister；　at　least　not　in　a　10　Downing　Street　conference　room。
　　　〃Anything　else　this　defector　has　told　us？〃
　　　〃Yes；　ma'am。　He　has　identified　by　code　name　a　Soviet　penetration　agent；　probably　in　Whitehall。　The　code　name　is　MINISTER。　When　we　get　more　information　about　the　man　in　question；　we'll　have　the　Security　Service　root　about　after　him。〃
　　　〃What　does　he　give　them？〃
　　　〃Political　and　diplomatic　intelligence；　ma'am。　Oleg　tells　us　that　it　is　high…level　material；　but　he　has　not　as　yet　given　us　information　that　would　directly　identify　him。〃
　　　〃Interesting。〃　It　was　not　a　new　story。　This　one　could　be　one　of　the　Cambridge　group　that　had　been　so　valuable　to　the　USSR　back　in　the　war　years　and　then　all　the　way　into　the　1960s；　or　perhaps　a　person　recruited　by　them。　Charleston　had　been　instrumental　in　purging　them　out　of　SIS；　but　Whitehall　wasn't　quite　his　patch。　〃Do　keep　me　posted　on　that。〃　A　casual　order　from　her　had　the　force　of　a　granite　slab　hand…delivered　from　Mt。　Sinai。
　　　〃Of　course；　Prime　Minister。〃
　　　〃Would　it　be　helpful　if　I　spoke　to　the　American　President　on　this　matter　with　the　Pope？〃
　　　〃Better　to　let　CIA　brief　him　first；　I　think。　It　wouldn't　do　to　short…circuit　their　system。　This　defector　was；　after　all；　mainly　an　American　operation；　and　it's　Arthur's　place　to　speak　to　him　first。〃
　　　〃Yes；　I　suppose　so。　But　when　I　do　talk　to　him；　I　want　him　to　know　that　we　are　taking　it　with　the　utmost　seriousness；　and　that　we　expect　him　to　take　some　substantive　action。〃
　　　〃Prime　Minister；　I　should　think　he　will　not　take　it　lying　down；　as　it　were。〃
　　　〃I　agree。　He's　such　a　good　chap。〃　The　full　story　on　America's　covert　support　for　the　Falkland　Islands　War　would　not　see　the　light　of　day　for　many　years。　America　had　to　keep　her　fences　with　South　America　well　mended；　after　all。　But　neither　was　the　PM　one　to　forget　such　assistance；　covert　or　not。
　　　〃This　BEATRIX　operation；　it　was　well　executed？〃　she　asked　C。
　　　〃Flawlessly；　ma'am；〃　Charleston　assured　her。　〃Our　people　did　everything　exactly　by　the　book。〃
　　　〃I　trust　you　will　look　after　those　who　carried　it　out。〃
　　　〃Most　certainly；　ma'am；〃　C　assured　her。
　　　〃Good。　Thank　you　for　ing　over；　Sir　Basil。〃
　　　〃A　pleasure　as　always；　Prime　Minister。〃　Charleston　stood；　thinking　that　that　Ryan　fellow　would　have　called　her　his　sort　of　broad。　As；　indeed；　she　was。　But　all　the　way　back　to　Century　House；　he　worried　about　the　operation　he　now　had　to　get　under　way。　What；　exactly；　would　he　be　doing　about　it？　Figuring　such　things　out；　of　course；　was　why　he　was　so　lavishly　paid。
　　　〃Hi；　honey；〃　Ryan　said。
　　　〃Where　are　you？〃　Cathy　asked　at　once。
　　　〃I　can't　say　exactly；　but　I'm　back　in　England。　The　thing　I　had　to　do　on　the　continent…well；　it　developed　into　something　I　have　to　look　after　here。〃
　　　〃Can　you　e　home　and　see　us？〃
　　　〃'Fraid　not。〃　One　major　problem　was　that；　although　his　Chatham　home　was　actually　within　driving　distance；　he　wasn't　confident　enough　yet　to　drive　that　far　without　crunching　himself　on　a　side　road。　〃Everybody　okay？〃
　　　〃We're　fine；　except　that　you　aren't　here；〃　Cathy　responded；　with　an　edge　of　anger/disappointment　in　her　voice。　One　thing　she　was　sure　of：　Wherever　Jack　had　been；　it　sure　as　hell　hadn't　been　Germany。　But　she　couldn't　say　that　over　the　phone。　She　understood　the　intelligence　business　that　much。
　　　〃I'm　sorry；　babe。　I　can　tell　you　that　what　I'm　doing　is　pretty　important；　but　that's　all。〃
　　　〃I'm　sure；〃　she　conceded。　And　she　understood　that　Jack　wanted　to　be　home　with　his　family。　He　wasn't　one　to　skip　town　for　the　fun　of　it。
　　　〃How's　work？〃
　　　〃I　did　glasses　all　day。　Got　some　surgery　tomorrow　morning；　though。　Wait　a　minute；　here's　Sally。〃
　　　〃Hi；　Daddy；〃　a　new　and　small　voice　said。
　　　〃Hi；　Sally。　How　are　you？〃
　　　〃Fine。〃　What　kids　always　said。
　　　〃What　did　you　do　today？〃
　　　〃Miss　Margaret　and　I　colored。〃
　　　〃Anything　good？〃
　　　〃Yeah；　cows　and　horses！〃　she　reported　with　considerable　enthusiasm。　Sally　especially　liked　pelicans　and　cows。
　　　〃Well；　I　need　to　talk　to　Mommy。〃
　　　〃Okay。〃　And　Sally　would　think　of　this　as　a　deep　and　weighty　conversation；　as　she　went　back　to　the　Wizzerdaboz　tape　in　the　living　room。
　　　〃And　how's　the　little　guy？〃　Jack　asked　his　wife。
　　　〃Chewing　on　his　hands；　mostly。　He's　in　the　playpen　right　now；　watching　the　TV。〃
　　　〃He's　easier　than　Sally　was　at　that　age；〃　Jack　observed　with　a　smile。
　　　〃He's　not　colicky；　thank　God；〃　Mrs。　Dr。　Ryan　agreed。
　　　〃I　miss　you；〃　Jack　said；　rather　forlornly。　It　was　true。　He　did　miss　her。
　　　〃I　miss　you；　too。〃
　　　〃Gotta　get　back　to　work；〃　he　said　next。
　　　〃When　will　you　be　home？〃
　　　〃Couple　of　days；　I　think。〃
　　　〃Okay。〃　She　had　to　surrender　to　that　unhappy　fact。　〃Call　me。〃
　　　〃Will　do；　babe。〃
　　　〃Bye。〃
　　　〃See　you　soon。　Love　ya。〃
　　　〃I　love　you；　too。〃
　　　〃Bye。〃
　　　〃Bye；　Jack。〃
　　　Ryan　put　the　phone　back　in　the　cradle　and　told　himself　that　he　wasn't　designed　for　this　kind　of　life。　Like　his　father　before　him；　he　wanted　to　sleep　in　the　same　bed　as　his　wife…had　his　father　ever　slept　away　from　home？　Jack　wondered。　He　couldn't　remember　such　a　night。　But　Jack　had　chosen　a　line　of　work　in　which　that　was　not　always　possible。　It　was　supposed　to　have　been。　He　was　an　analyst　who　worked　at　a　desk　and　slept　at　home；　but　somehow　it　wasn't　working　out　that　way；　God　damn　it。
　　　Dinner　was　beef　Wellington　with　Yorkshire　pudding。　Mrs。　Thompson　could　have　been　head　chef　at　a　good　restaurant。　Jack　didn't　know　where　the　beef　came　from；　but　it　seemed　more　succulent　than　the　usual　grass…fed　British　sort。　Either　she　got　the　meat　in　a　special　place…they　still　had　specialty　butcher　shops　over　here…or　she　really　knew　how　to　tenderize　it；　and　the　Yorkshire　pudding　was　positively　ethereal。　Toss　in　the　French　wine；　and　this　dinner　was　just　plain　brilliant…an　adjective　popular　in　the　U。K。
　　　The　Russians　attacked　the　food　rather　as　Georgiy　Zhukov　had　attacked　Berlin；　with　considerable　gusto。
　　　〃Oleg　Ivan'ch；　I　have　to　tell　you；〃　Ryan　admitted　in　a　fit　of　honesty；　〃the　food　in　America　is　not　always　of　this　quality。〃　He'd　timed　this　for　Mrs。　Thompson's　appearance　at　the　dining…room　door。　Jack　turned　to　her。　〃Ma'am；　if　you　ever　need　a　remendation　as　a　chef；　you　just　call　me；　okay？〃
　　　Emma　had　a　very　friendly　smile。　〃Thank　you；　Sir　John。〃
　　　〃Seriously；　ma'am；　this　is　wonderful。〃
　　　〃You're　very　kind。〃
　　　Jack　wondered　if　she'd　like　his　steaks　on　the　grill　and　Cathy's　spinach　salad。　The　key　was　getting　good　cor