thedestroyer.deathcheck-第20节

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　　　〃Perhaps　I　knew　him。〃
　〃If　you　did　I　would　not　have　to　fear　you　anymore　because　he　was　a　good　man。　That　is　what　we　all　remem　…　〃bered　about　him　most。　He　was　a　good　man。　What　he　did　for　his　livelihood　does　not　attract　good　men　that　often。　He　was　rare。　And　he　died。　And　I　believe　he　probably　died　sooner　than　he　should。　Because　good　men　do　not　often　live　long　lives　in　some　situations。〃
　Her　voice　was　softer　now　and　Remo　detected　a　break；　the　quiver　of　emotion　stronger　than　one　expects；　a　memory　that　remains　forever　too　fresh。
　〃This　good　man；〃　Remo　said；　〃had　he　lost　a　hand？〃
　〃Yes；〃　said　Deborah。
　〃And　was　his　name　Conn　MacCleary？〃
　〃Yes；〃　said　Deborah；　and　she　shut　the　door　she　had　opened。　〃You　knew　him　then？〃
　〃Yes；〃　said　Remo。　〃I　knew　him。〃
　〃You　were　in　the　American　intelligence　then？〃
　〃No；　no；〃　Remo　said。　〃I　knew　him。　I　knew　him　once。〃
　〃Do　you　know　how　he　died？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃They　said　it　was　in　a　hospital。〃
　〃It　was。　It　was。　In　a　hospital。〃
　And　Deborah's　face　became　a　smile　and　warmth　and　tenderness；　a　delicate　joy　that　people　who　can　understand　beautiful　things　bestow　upon　their　surroundings。
　〃It　is　funny；　and　since　you　remember　Conn；　so　typical；〃　she　said；　taking　the　chair　facing　Remo。　〃When　he　came　to　our　village；　it　was　just　before　independence　when　the　five　Arab　armies　attacked；　and　we　had；　I　think；　one　rifle　for　five　men　in　our　village；　or　something　like　that。　I　was　very　young。〃
　〃Of　course；〃　Remo　said。
　〃Of　course；〃　Deborah　laughed。　〃Well；　he　had　volunteered　to　give　special　training　to　people；　I　am　not　at　liberty　to　disclose　what；　and　we　were　all　waiting　for　him。　Anxious。　Everybody　was　anxious。　My　uncle　would　say：　'When　the　American　arrives　here；　he　will　show　you　all　what　technology　is。　Wait　and　see。　American　organization。'　So　it　is　supposed　to　be　a　big　secret　and　so　naturally　everybody　knows　about　it　and　is　waiting　for　his　arrival。　Like　a　weling　mittee　for　his　secret　entrance　into　our　village。　Well；　he　is　driven　up　in　the　back　of　a　car；　and　I　do　not　know　if　you　know　how　valuable　a　car　was　to　us　then；　but　you　can　imagine；　and　Conn　is　in　the　back　seat　and　you　will　never　guess。。。。〃
　〃He　was　drunk；〃　Remo　supplied　matter　of　factly。
　Deborah　guffawed　and　slapped　Remo's　knee。　Tears　began　to　form　in　her　eyes　and　she　struggled　to　talk　through　the　laughter。
　Remo　added　quickly：　〃Sure。　I　told　you　I　knew　Conn　MacCleary。〃
　And　his　casual　way　of　saying　this　threw　Deborah　into　an　hysterical　reach　for　the　table　to　steady　herself。　〃Drunk；〃　she　finally　said。　〃He　was　passed　out　drunk。　You　should　have　seen　the　look　on　Uncle　David's　face。　He　kept　asking　the　driver　if　this　was　the　right　man　and　the　driver　kept　nodding。　We　found　out　later　he　had　been　drinking　since　Tokyo　where　he　had　been　mustered　out；　I　think　it　was　a　month　before。　Drunk？　He　reaked。　I　mean　when　they　carried　him　out　everyone　stepped　back　he　smelled　so　badly。〃
　〃Conn　MacCleary；〃　Remo　said。　
　〃He　was　one　of　a　kind。　It　took　him　three　days　to　realize　where　he　was。〃
　〃There　must　have　been　a　lot　of　pressure　then。〃
　〃Well；　not　really　so　much　for　us。　Our　training　thing　was　for　something　else。　I　think　we　all　believed　that　we　would　win。　Although　it　was　frightening　and　I　was；　at　the　time。。。。〃
　〃After　all；　a　young　girl。〃
　〃Of　course。　Otherwise　I　would　be　an　old　woman　instead　of　the　incredibly　attractive；　beautiful　young　woman　that　I　am　now。〃
　〃Of　course。　You　know　you　are　beautiful。〃
　〃e。　Stop　that。　I　gave　you　a　MacCleary　story。　Now　you　give　me　one。〃
　〃Well；　the　first　time　I　saw　Conn；〃　Remo　said；　conveniently　planning　to　leave　out　details；　〃was。。。。　No；　let　me　see。　The　first　time。〃
　〃No。　The　second　time；〃　Deborah　said。　〃The　first　you　won't　tell　me　and　that's　all　right。　So　tell　me　the　second　tune。〃
　Okay。　So　she　believed　he　was　with　the　CIA　or　the　FBI。　So　what？　That　was　to　be　expected　from　the　kind　of　work　they　were　doing　here　anyway。　He　had　used　CIA　as　a　cover　before　anyhow。
　〃Okay；〃　Remo　said。　〃I　was　ing…to　in　a　hospital　bed　and　he　was　wheeling　hi　this　great　dinner　with　lobster　and　booze。〃
　〃For　someone　in　a　hospital　bed？〃
　〃This　is　Conn　MacCleary　we're　talking　about。〃
　〃Yes；〃　Deborah　agreed　with　a　nod。
　〃And　he　lays　out　this　beautiful　spread；　abuses　the　doctor　and　nurse；　tells　me　to　eat　up。　And　he　drinks　all　the　booze。〃
　〃Conn　MacCleary；〃　Deborah　said　in　punctuation。　
　〃But　that's　not　the　half　of　it。　I　never　knew　the　man　to　be　away　from　a　bottle　for　long。　It's　a　wonder　he　lived　past　twenty…one。〃
　〃The　Egyptians　are　making　a　push　up　through　the　Negev。　We're　near　there。〃
　〃Where？〃
　〃Never　mind。　Will　you　let　me　finish？　Besides；　none　of　that　stuff　about　wheres。　Read　my　official　biography　if　you　want　to　know　wheres。〃
　〃I　bet　they're　the　wrong　wheres。〃
　〃Stop　that　shit；　Remo。　Just　stop　and　listen。　Because　if　you　want　to　play　question　and　answer　with　me；　I　can　go　to　Dr。　Brewster　and　plain　about　nasty　interference　from　you　agents…kind…bf…people；　and　he'll　beat　you　within　an　inch　of　your　life。　Hah。〃
　〃Okay。　No　more　shit。〃
　〃Okay。　We　are　near　the　action　and　Conn　is　desperately　gathering　copper　tubing。　Uncle　David　says；　'Hah。　You　see。　Secret　weapon。　I　told　you。　Technology。　American　technology。'　And　Conn　is　being　very　secretive。　No　one　can　go　near　where　he　is　preparing　his　technology。　One　day　I　followed　him。　And　there　behind　some　rocks；　sandbagged。。。　let　me　tell　you；　sandbagged。。。　we　should　have　that　kind　of　defense　on　the　Suez　Canal　today。。。　it　looks　like　he　has　emptied　the　Sinai　into　burlap。　He　had　all　the　children　stripping　the　entire　village　of　sandbags　for　this。　And　my　Uncle　David　was　leading　it。　Sandbags　for　the　secret　weapon　of　our　village。　Well；　since　it　is　so　top　secret　no　one　is　allowed　to　look。　But　I　look。　I　knew　he　would　not　punish　me'。　I　was　his　favorite；　but　he　loved　all　the　children。〃
　〃Con　love　children？〃
　〃Oh　yes。　That　was　his　big　love；　I　believe。　And　I　believe　because　he　never　had　children　was　why　he　drank。　He　would　tell　us　stories　at　night。　We　all　loved　him。〃
　〃Conn？　Children？〃
　〃Shut　up。　Let　me　finish。　I　crawl　over　the　sandbags　and　I　peek。　There　he　is　with　a　cup　underneath　this　copper　tubing　which　is　all　twisted　and　connected　to　a　small　boiler。　He　had　made　a　still　and　I　can't　describe　him　waiting　for　the　drip；　drip；　drip　with　the　cup。　This　grown　man；　bending　over　in　this　incredible　heat　made　hotter　by　the　sandbags；　the　defense　of　our　village　by　the　way；　just　waiting　for　the　drip；　drip；　drip。〃
　Renio　shook　his　head。　〃Yeah；　that's　Conn。　But　I　can't　imagine　his　stripping　a　village's　defense　for　it。〃
　〃Well；　the　sandbags　were　not　really　that　important；　and　he　knew　that　within　a　half　hour　for　every　bag　he　got；　it　would　be　replaced。　We　were　not　short　of　sand。〃
　〃Tell　me　though。　What　happened　there　to　make　him　hate　the　Arabs　so？〃
　〃What　do　you　mean？〃
　〃Well；　once　I　heard　him　call　the　Arabs　vicious　mean　animals。　For　Conn；　'bastard'　usually　sufficed。〃
　〃I　don't　understand。〃〃
　〃Well；　he　must　have　seen　some　Arab　atrocity　that　really　rankled。　You　know　he　had　been　around。〃
　Deborah　searched　the　past　and　her　face　was　a　jewel　of　concentration。　〃No；　no。　Not　near　our　village。　As　you　know　we　were　in　the　South　and　the　only　danger　was　from　Egyptian　regulars。　And　they　were　all　right。　No。　Conn　never　dealt　with　anyone　but　the　Arabs　in　our　village。　And　they　are　fine　people。　Some；　I　am　sorry　to　say；　left　at　the　…time。〃
　〃Sorry？〃
　〃Certainly。　We　wanted　to　build　a　country；　not　create　a　refugee　problem。　As　you　know　we　had　2；000　years　as　refugees。　Some　left　because　they　thought　we　would　lose　and　they　did　not　want　to　be　there　when　we　did。　Others　thought　they　could　return　and　get　back　their　own　homes　plus　ours。　And　some　were　frightened　of　us。　But　we　never　drove　them　out。　Never。　Especially　our　village。　And　of　course　some　stayed。　Like　the　vice　president　of　the　Knesset。　He　is　an　Arab。　Did　you　know　that？〃
　〃No；　I　didn't。〃
　〃Remo；　that　tells　me　something　about　you。〃
　〃What　does　it　tell　you？〃
　〃Some　of　the　things　you're　not。〃
　Remo　accepted　the　statement　and　made　no　ment　on　it。　Deborah　switched　the　subject。　〃I　can't　think　of　any　atrocity　he　would　have　seen。〃
　〃He　was　vehement；　Debby。　Can　I　call　you　Debby？〃
　〃No。　Deborah。　What　would　make　him　vehement？〃　Suddenly　she　clasped　a　hand　to　her　mouth。　She　shook　her　head；　but　there　was　laughter　in　her　eyes。　〃Oh；　that　man；　he　is　impossible。　Impossible。〃
　〃What　is　it？〃
　〃You　know　Conn　MacCleary？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃And　I　told　you　of　the　still？〃
　〃Yes。〃　Remo　looked　at　Deborah　quizzically。　He　was　supposed　to　be　able　to　figure　something　out　and　now　he　wanted　to　very　much。
　〃e　on。　You　knew　Conn。　What　were　his　exact　words？〃
　Remo　thought　back；　and　if　he　had　not　tried　so　hard；　he　knew　he　would　remember。　〃I　can't　remember　exactly。〃
　〃Would　degenerate　scum　animals　refresh　your　memory？〃
　〃Yes。　That's　right。　That　is　what　he　called　them。〃　
　〃Well；　then；　what　is　the　greatest　atrocity　on　earth　for　Conn　MacCleary？〃
　〃The　murder　of　children？〃
　〃That's　a　tragedy；　Remo。　I'm　talking　about　MacCleary。　An　atrocity。〃
　〃An　atrocity？　Degenerate　scum　animals？〃　He　paused；　then　asked　almost　as　a　question；　but　it　was　not　a　question。　He　knew。
　〃They　got　his　still？〃
　Deborah　reached　her　hand　to　Remo's　shoulder。　〃The　Egyptian　Air　Force　blasted　it　to　smithereen