tc.redrabbit-第138节

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　masters。〃
　　　〃What　will　we　do　with　him？〃　the　PM　asked。　The　answer　was　in　the　form　of　another　question　that　she　would　have　to　answer。　She　did。
　　　It　did　not　occur　to　Strokov　that　when　Sharp　invoked　the　names　of　Aleksey　Nikolay'ch　Rozhdestvenskiy　and　Ilya　Fedorovich　Bubovoy；　his　own　fate　was　sealed。　He　was　merely　dumbfounded　that　the　British　Secret　Intelligence　Service　had　the　KGB　so　thoroughly　penetrated。　Sharp　saw　no　reason　to　disabuse　him　of　that　notion。　Shocked　beyond　his　capacity　to　react　intelligently；　Strokov　forgot　all　of　his　training　and　started　singing。　His　duet　with　Sharp　lasted　two　and　a　half　hours；　all　of　it　on　tape。
　　　Ryan　was　more　on　autopilot　than　the　Boeing　was　before　it　touched　down　at　Runway　Zero…One　Right　at　Andrews　Air　Force　Base。　He'd　been　on　the　go　for　what？　Twenty…two　hours？　Something　like　that。　Something　more　easily　done　as　a　Marine　second　lieutenant　（age　twenty…two）　than　as　a　married　father　of　two　（age　thirty　…two）　who'd　had　a　fairly　stressful　day。　He　was　also　feeling　his　liquor　somewhat。
　　　There　were　two　cars　waiting　at　the　bottom　of　the　steps…Andrews　had　yet　to　install　a　jetway。　He　and　Zaitzev　took　the　first。　Mrs。　Rabbit　and　the　Bunny　took　the　second。　Two　minutes　after　that；　they　were　on　Suitland　Parkway；　heading　into　D。C。　Ryan　drew　the　task　of　explaining　what　they　were　passing　along　the　way。　Unlike　his　arrival　in　England；　Zaitzev　was　not　under　the　impression　that　this　might　be　a　maskirovka。　And　the　detour　past　the　Capitol　Building　ended　whatever　lingering　suspicions　he　might　have　had。　George　Lucas　on　his　best　day　could　not　have　faked　this　scenery。　The　cars　crossed　the　Potomac　and　went　north　of　the　George　Washington　Parkway；　finally　taking　the　marked　exit　to　Langley。
　　　〃So；　this　is　the　home　of　the　Main　Enemy；〃　the　Rabbit　said。
　　　〃I　just　think　of　it　as　the　place　I　used　to　work。〃
　　　〃Used　to？〃
　　　〃Didn't　you　know？　I'm　stationed　back　in　England　now；〃　Jack　told　him。
　　　The　whole　debriefing　team　was　under　the　canopy　by　the　main　entrance。　Ryan　knew　only　one　of　them；　Mark　Radner；　a　Russian　scholar　from　Dartmouth　who　got　called　down　for　some　special　work…one　of　the　people　who　liked　working　for　CIA；　but　not　full…time。　Ryan　was　now　able　to　understand　that。　When　the　car　stopped；　he　got　out　first　and　went　to　James　Greer。
　　　〃You've　had　a　busy　couple　of　days；　my　boy。〃
　　　〃Tell　me　about　it；　Admiral。〃
　　　〃How　was　it　in　Rome？〃
　　　〃First；　tell　me　about　the　Pope；〃　Jack　shot　back。
　　　〃He　came　through　surgery　okay。　He's　critical；　but　we　asked　Charlie　Weathers　up　at　Harvard　about　that；　and　he　said　not　to　worry。　People　that　age　who　e　through　surgery　are　always　classified　as　being　in　critical　condition…probably　just　a　way　to　drive　the　bill　up。　Unless　something　unusual　crops　up；　he'll　probably　be　fine。　Charlie　says　they　grow　good　cutters　in　Rome。　His　Holiness　ought　to　be　home　in　three　to　four　weeks；　Charlie　says。　They　won't　rush　it　with　a　guy　his　age。〃
　　　〃Thank　God。　Sir；　when　I　had　that　Strokov　bastard　I　thought　we'd　done　it；　y'know？　Then　when　I　heard　the　shots…Jesus；　what　a　moment　that　was；　Admiral。〃
　　　Greer　nodded。　〃I　can　imagine。　But　the　good　guys　won　this　one。　Oh；　your　Orioles　took　the　series　from　Philly。　Game　just　ended　twenty　minutes　ago。　That　new　shortstop　you　have；　Ripken；　looks　to　me　like　he's　going　places。〃
　　　〃Ryan。〃　Judge　Moore　came　over　next。　〃Well　done；　son。〃　Another　handshake。
　　　〃Thank　you；　Director。〃
　　　〃Nice　going；　Ryan；〃　Ritter　said　next。　〃Sure　you　wouldn't　like　to　try　our　training　course　at　the　Farm？〃　The　handshake　was　surprisingly　cordial。　Ritter　must　have　had　a　drink　or　two　in　the　office；　Jack　surmised。
　　　〃Sir；　right　now；　I'd　be　just　as　happy　to　go　back　to　teaching　history。〃
　　　〃It's　more　fun　to　make　it；　boy。　Remember　that。〃
　　　The　party　moved　inside；　past　the　memorial　on　the　right…side　wall　to　the　dead　officers；　many　of　whose　names　were　still　secret；　then　left　to　the　executive　elevator。　The　Rabbit　family　went　its　own　way。　There　were　hotel…like　acmodations　for　VIP　visitors　and　back…from…overseas　field　officers　on　the　sixth　floor；　and　evidently　the　CIA　was　bedding　them　down　there。　Jack　followed　the　senior　executives　to　the　Judge's　office。
　　　〃How　good　is　our　new　Rabbit？〃　Moore　asked。
　　　〃Well；　sure　as　hell　he　gave　us　good　information　on　the　Pope；　Judge；〃　Ryan　answered　in　considerable　surprise。　〃And　the　Brits　sound　pretty　happy　with　what　he's　told　them　about　that　Agent　MINISTER。　I'm　kinda　curious　who　this　CASSIUS　guy　is。〃
　　　〃And　NEPTUNE；〃　Greer　added。　The　Navy　needed　secure　munications　to　survive　in　the　modern　world；　and　James　Greer　still　had　blue　suits　in　his　closet。
　　　〃Any　other　thoughts？〃　This　was　Moore　again。
　　　〃Has　anyone　thought　about　how　desperate　the　Russians　are？　I　mean；　sure；　the　Pope　was…I　guess　he　still　is…a　political　threat　of　some　sort　to　them；　but；　damn　it；　this　was　not　a　rational　operation；　was　it？〃　Jack　asked。　〃Looks　to　me　as　though　they're　a　lot　more　desperate　than　we　usually　think。　We　ought　to　be　able　to　exploit　that。〃　The　mixture　of　alcohol　and　fatigue　made　it　easier　than　usual　for　Ryan　to　speak　his　mind；　and　he'd　been　chewing　on　this　idea　for　about　twelve　hours。
　　　〃How？〃　Ritter　asked；　reminding　himself　that　Ryan　was　something　of　a　whiz　at　economics。
　　　〃I'll　tell　you　one　thing　for　sure：　The　Catholic　Church　is　not　going　to　be　very　happy。　Lots　of　Catholics　in　Eastern　Europe；　guys。　That　is　a　capability　we　need　to　think　about　using。　If　we　approach　the　Church　intelligently；　they　might　just　cooperate　with　us。　The　Church　is　big　on　forgiveness；　sure；　but　you're　supposed　to　go　to　confession　first。〃
　　　Moore　raised　an　eyebrow。
　　　〃The　other　thing　is；　I've　been　studying　their　economy。　It's　very　shaky；　a　lot　more　than　our　people　think　it　is；　Admiral；〃　Jack　said；　turning　to　his　immediate　boss。
　　　〃What　do　you　mean？〃
　　　〃Sir；　the　stuff　our　guys　are　looking　at；　it's　the　official　economics　reports　that　e　into　Moscow；　right？〃
　　　〃We　work　pretty　hard　to　get　it；　too；〃　Moore　confirmed。
　　　〃Director；　why　do　we　think　it's　true？〃　Ryan　asked。　〃Just　because　the　Politburo　gets　it？　We　know　they　lie　to　us；　and　they　lie　to　their　own　people。　What　if　they　lie　to　themselves？　If　I　were　an　examiner　for　the　SEC；　I　think　I　could　put　a　whole　lot　of　guys　in　Allenwood　Federal　Prison。　What　they　say　they　have　doesn't　jibe　with　what　we　can　identify　them　as　actually　having。　Their　economy　is　teetering；　and　if　that　goes　bad；　even　a　little　bit；　the　whole　shebang　es　down。〃
　　　〃How　could　we　exploit　that？〃　Ritter　asked。　His　own　blue…team　analysis　had　said　something　very　similar　four　days　earlier；　but　even　Judge　Moore　didn't　know　that。
　　　〃Where　do　they　get　their　hard　currency…I　mean；　what　do　they　get　it　from？〃
　　　〃Oil。〃　Greer　answered　the　question。　The　Russians　exported　as　much　oil　as　the　Saudis。
　　　〃And　who　controls　the　world　price　of　oil？〃
　　　〃OPEC？〃
　　　〃And　who；〃　Ryan　went　on；　〃controls　OPEC？〃
　　　〃The　Saudis。〃
　　　〃Aren't　they　our　friends？〃　Jack　concluded。　〃Look　at　the　USSR　as　a　takeover　target；　like　we　did　at　Merrill　Lynch。　The　assets　are　worth　a　lot　more　than　the　parent　corporation；　because　it's　so　badly　run。　This　isn't　hard　stuff　to　figure　out。〃　Even　by　a　guy　exhausted　by　a　long　day；　five　thousand　miles　of　air　travel；　and　a　little　too　much　booze；　he　didn't　add。　There　were　a　lot　of　smart　people　at　CIA；　but　they　thought　too　much　like　government　workers；　and　not　enough　like　Americans。　〃Don't　we　have　anybody　who　thinks　outside　the　box？〃
　　　〃Bob？〃　Moore　asked。
　　　Ritter　was　warming　to　the　young　analyst　by　the　minute。　〃Ryan；　you　ever　read　Edgar　Allan　Poe？〃
　　　〃In　high　school；〃　Ryan　replied　in　some　small　confusion。
　　　〃How　about　a　story　called　'The　Masque　of　the　Red　Death？〃
　　　〃Something　about　a　plague　ing　in　to　ruin　the　party；　wasn't　it？〃
　　　〃Get　some　rest。　Before　you　fly　back　to　London　tomorrow；　you're　going　to　get　briefed　in　on　something。〃
　　　〃Sleep　sounds　like　a　plan；　gentlemen。　Where　do　I　crash　for　the　night？〃　he　asked；　letting　them　know；　if　they　hadn't　already　guessed；　that　he　was　ready　to　collapse。
　　　〃We　have　a　place　for　you　at　the　Marriott　up　the　road。　You're　all　checked　in。　There's　a　car　waiting　at　the　entrance　for　you。　Go　on；　now；〃　Moore　told　him。
　　　〃Maybe　he's　not　so　dumb　after　all；〃　Ritter　speculated。
　　　〃Robert；　it's　nice　to　see　that　you're　strong　enough　to　change；〃　Greer　smilingly　observed　as　he　reached　for　Moore's　own　office　bottle　of　expensive　bourbon　whiskey。　It　was　time　to　celebrate。
　　　The　following　day　in　Il　Tempo；　a　morning　newspaper　in　Rome；　was　a　story　about　a　man　found　dead　in　a　car　of　an　apparent　heart　attack。　It　would　be　a　little　time　before　the　body　was　identified　and　it　was　finally　determined　that　he　was　a　Bulgarian　tourist　who'd　evidently　e　to　the　end　of　his　life　quite　unexpectedly。　How　clear　his　conscience　had　been　was　not　apparent　from　physical　examination。
　　　
　　　
　　　
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