tc.redrabbit-第14节

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　　　The　CIA　had　many　ways　to　determine　the　health　of　senior　Soviet　officials。　The　most　monly　used　was　photographs　or；　better　yet；　motion…picture　coverage　of　the　people　in　question。　The　Agency　employed　physicians…most　often　full　professors　at　major　medical　schools…to　look　at　the　photos　and　diagnose　their　ills　without　getting　within　four　thousand　miles　of　them。　It　wasn't　good　medicine；　but　it　was　better　than　nothing。　Also；　the　American　Ambassador；　every　time　he　went　into　the　Kremlin；　came　back　to　the　embassy　and　dictated　his　impressions　of　everything　he　saw；　however　small　and　insignificant　it　might　seem。　Often　enough；　people　had　lobbied　for　putting　a　physician　in　the　post　of　ambassador；　but　it　had　never　happened。　More　often；　direct　DO　operations　had　been　aimed　at　collecting　urine　samples　of　important　foreign　statesmen；　since　urine　was　a　good　diagnostic　source　of　information。　It　made　for　some　unusual　plumbing　arrangements　at　Blair　House；　across　the　street　from　the　White　House；　where　foreign　dignitaries　were　often　quartered；　plus　the　odd　attempt　to　break　into　doctors'　offices　all　over　the　world。　And　gossip；　there　was　always　gossip；　especially　over　there。　All　of　this　came　from　the　fact　that　a　man's　health　played　a　role　in　his　thinking　and　decision…making。　All　three　men　in　this　office　had　joked　about　hiring　a　gypsy　or　two　and　observed；　rightly；　that　it　would　have　produced　results　no　less　accurate　than　they　got　from　well…paid　professional　intelligence　officers。　At　Fort　Meade；　Maryland；　was　yet　another　operation；　code…named　STARGATE；　where　the　Agency　employed　people　who　were　well　to　the　left　of　gypsies；　it　had　been　started　mainly　because　the　Soviets　also　employed　such　people。
　　　〃How　sick　is　he？〃　Moore　asked。
　　　〃From　what　I　saw　three　days　ago；　he　won't　make　Christmas。　Acute　coronary　insufficiency；　they　say。　We　have　a　shot　of　him　popping　what　looks　like　a　nitroglycerine　pill；　not　a　good　sign　for　Red　Mike；〃　James　Greer　concluded　with　Suslov's　in…house　nickname。
　　　〃And　Alexandrov　replaces　him？　Some　bargain；〃　Ritter　observed　tersely。　〃I　think　the　gypsies　switched　them　at　birth…another　True　Believer　in　the　Great　God　Marx。〃
　　　〃We　can't　all　be　Baptists；　Robert；〃　Arthur　Moore　pointed　out。
　　　〃This　came　in　two　hours　ago　on　the　secure　fax　from　London；〃　Greer　said；　passing　the　sheets　around。　He'd　saved　the　best　for　last。　〃Might　be　important；〃　the　DDI　added。
　　　Bob　Ritter　was　a　multilingual　speed…reader：　〃Jesus！〃
　　　Judge　Moore　took　his　time。　As　a　judge　should；　he　thought。　About　twenty　seconds　later　than　the　DDO。　〃My　goodness。〃　A　pause。　〃Nothing　about　this　from　our　sources？〃　
　　　Ritter　shifted　in　his　chair。　〃Takes　time；　Arthur；　and　the　Foleys　are　still　settling　in。〃
　　　〃I　presume　we'll　hear　about　this　from　CARDINAL。〃　They　didn't　often　invoke　that　agent's　code　name。　In　the　pantheon　of　CIA　crown　jewels；　he　was　the　Cullinan　Diamond。
　　　〃We　should；　if　Ustinov　talks　about　it；　as　I　expect　he　will。　If　they　do　something　about　it…〃
　　　〃Will　they；　gentlemen？〃　the　DCI　asked。　〃They'll　sure　as　hell　think　about　it；〃　Ritter　opined　at　once。　〃It's　a　big　step　to　take；　〃　Greer　thought　more　soberly。　〃You　suppose　His　Holiness　is　courting　it？　Not　too　many　men　walk　up　to　the　tiger；　open　the　cage　door；　and　then　make　faces　at　him。〃
　　　〃I'll　have　to　show　this　to　the　President　tomorrow。〃　Moore　paused　for　a　moment's　thought。　His　weekly　meeting　at　the　White　House　was　set　for　10：00　the　following　morning。　〃The　Papal　Nuncio　is　out　of　town；　isn't　he？〃　It　turned　out　that　the　others　didn't　know。　He'd　have　to　have　that　one　checked　out。
　　　〃What　would　you　say　to　him；　anyway？〃　This　was　Ritter。　〃You　have　to　figure　that　the　other　guys　in　Rome　tried　to　talk　him　out　of　this。〃
　　　〃James？〃
　　　〃Kinda　takes　us　back　to　Nero；　doesn't　it？　It's　almost　as　though　he's　threatening　the　Russians　with　his　own　death。。。　Damn；　do　people　really　f　think　that　way？〃
　　　〃Forty　years　ago；　you　put　your　life　on　the　line；　James。〃　Greer　had　served　his　time　on　fleet　boats　in　the　Second　World　War；　and　often　wore　a　miniature　of　his　gold　dolphins　on　the　lapel　of　his　suit　coat。
　　　〃Arthur；　I　took　my　chances；　along　with　everybody　else　on　the　boat。　I　did　not　tell　Tojo　where　I　was　in　a　personal　letter。〃
　　　〃The　man　has　some　serious　cojones；　guys；〃　Ritter　breathed。　〃We　have　seen　this　sort　of　thing　before。　Dr。　King　never　took　a　step　back　in　his　life；　did　he？〃
　　　〃And　I　suppose　the　KKK　was　as　dangerous　to　him　as　the　KGB　is　to　the　Pope；〃　Moore　pleted　the　thought。　〃Men　of　the　cloth　have　a　different　way　of　looking　at　the　world。　It's　called　'virtue；'　I　think。〃　He　sat　forward。　〃Okay；　when　the　President　asks　me　about　this…and　for　damned　sure　he　will…what　the　hell　do　I　tell　him？〃
　　　〃Our　Russian　friends　might　just　decide　that　His　Holiness　has　lived　long　enough；〃　Ritter　answered。
　　　〃That's　a　hell　of　a　big　and　dangerous　step　to　take；〃　Greer　objected。　〃Not　the　sort　of　thing　a　mittee　does。〃
　　　〃This　mittee　might；〃　the　DDO　told　the　DDL
　　　〃There　would　be　hell　to　pay；　Bob。　They　know　that。　These　men　are　chess　players；　not　gamblers。〃
　　　〃This　letter　backs　them　into　a　corner。〃　Ritter　turned。　〃Judge；　I　think　the　Pope's　life　might　be　in　danger。〃
　　　〃It's　much　too　early　to　say　that；〃　Greer　objected。
　　　〃Not　when　you　remember　who's　running　KGB。　Andropov　is　a　Party　man。　What　loyalty　he　has　is　to　that　institution；　damned　sure　not　to　anything　we　would　recognize　as　a　principle。　If　this　frightens；　or　merely　worries　them；　they　will　think　about　it。　The　Pope　has　hurled　down　his　gauntlet　at　their　feet；　gentlemen；〃　the　Deputy　Director　（Operations）　told　the　others。　〃They　just　might　pick　it　up。〃
　　　〃Has　any　Pope　ever　done　this？〃　Moore　asked。
　　　〃Resign　his　post？　Not　that　I　can　remember；〃　Greer　admitted。　〃I　don't　even　know　if　there's　a　mechanism　for　this。　I　grant　you　it's　one　hell　of　a　gesture。　We　have　to　assume　he　means　it。　I　don't　see　this　as　a　bluff。〃
　　　〃No；〃　Judge　Moore　agreed。　〃It　can't　be　that。〃
　　　〃He's　loyal　to　his　people。　He　has　to　be。　He　was　a　parish　priest　once　upon　a　time。　He's　christened　babies；　officiated　at　weddings。　He　knows　these　people。　Not　as　an　amorphous　mass…he's　been　there　to　baptize　and　bury　them。　They　are　his　people。　He　probably　thinks　of　all　Poland　as　his　own　parish。　Will　he　be　loyal　to　them；　even　at　the　peril　of　his　life？　How　can　he　not　be？〃　Ritter　leaned　forward。　〃It's　not　just　a　question　of　personal　courage。　If　he　doesn't　do　it；　the　Catholic　Church　loses　face。　No；　guys；　he's　serious　as　hell；　and　he　isn't　bluffing。　Question　is；　what　the　hell　can　we　do　about　it？〃
　　　〃Warn　the　Russians　off？〃　Moore　wondered　aloud。
　　　〃No　chance；〃　Ritter　shot　back。　〃You　know　better　than　that；　Arthur。　If　they　set　up　an　operation；　it'll　have　more　cutouts　than　anything　the　Mafia's　ever　done。　How　good　do　you　suppose　security　is　around　him？〃
　　　〃Not　a　clue；〃　the　DCI　admitted。　〃I　know　the　Swiss　Guards　exist；　with　their　pretty　uniforms　and　pikes。。。　Didn't　they　fight　once？〃
　　　〃I　think　so；〃　Greer　observed。　〃Somebody　tried　to　kill　him；　and　they　fought　a　rear…guard　action　while　he　skipped　town。　Most　of　them　got　killed；　I　think。〃
　　　〃Now　they　mostly　pose　for　pictures　and　tell　people　where　the　bathroom　is；　probably；〃　Ritter　thought　out　loud。　〃But　there　has　to　be　something　to　what　they　do。　The　Pope　is　too　prominent　a　figure　not　to　attract　the　odd　nutcase。　The　Vatican　is　technically　a　sovereign　state。　It　has　to　have　some　of　the　mechanisms　of　a　country。　I　suppose　we　could　warn　them…〃
　　　〃Only　when　we　have　something　to　warn　them　about。　Which　we　don't　have；　do　we？〃　Greer　pointed　out。　〃He　knew　when　he　sent　this　off　that　he'd　be　rattling　a　few　cages。　What　protection　he　does　have　must　be　alerted　already。〃
　　　〃This　will　get　the　President's　attention；　too。　He's　going　to　want　to　know　more；　and　he's　going　to　want　options。　Jesus；　people；　ever　since　he　made　that　Evil　Empire　speech；　there's　been　trouble　across　the　river。　If　they　really　do　something；　even　if　we　can't　pin　it　on　them；　he's　going　to　erupt　like　Mount　Saint　Helens。　There's　damned　near　a　hundred　million　Catholics　right　here　in　America；　and　a　lot　of　them　voted　for　him。〃
　　　For　his　part；　James　Greer　wondered　how　far　out　of　control　this　might　spin。　〃Gentlemen；　all　we　have　to　this　point　is　a　fax　of　a　photocopy　of　a　letter　delivered　to　the　government　in　Warsaw。　We　do　not　know　for　certain　that　it's　gone　to　Moscow　yet。　We　have　no　sign　of　any　reaction　to　this　from　…Moscow。　Now；　we　can't　tell　the　Russians　we　know　about　it。　So　we　can't　〃Warn　them　off。　We　can't　tip　our　hand　in　any　way。　We　can't　tell　the　Pope　that　we're　concerned；　for　the　same　reason。　If　Ivan's　going　to　react；　hopefully　one　of　Bob's　people　will　get　us　the　word；　and　the　Vatican　has　its　own　intelligence　service；　and　we　know　that's　pretty　good。　So；　for　the　moment；　all　we　have　is　an　interesting　bit　of　information　that　is　probably　true；　but　even　that　is　not　yet　confirmed。〃
　　　〃So；　for　the　moment；　you　think　we　just　sit　on　this　and　think　it　through？〃　Moore　asked。
　　　〃There's　nothing　else　we　can　do；　Arthur。　Ivan　won't　act　very　fast。　He　never　does…not　on　something　with　this　degree　of　political　import。　Bob？〃
　　　〃Yeah；　you're　probably　right；〃　the　DDI　agreed。　〃Still；　the　President　needs　to　hear　about　it。〃
　　　〃It's　a　little　thin　for　that；〃　Greer　cautioned。　〃But；　yes；　I　suppose　so。〃　Mainly　he　knew　that　not　telling　the　President；　and　then　havin