el.angeleyes-第105节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ple　who　govern　us。　The　CIA　no　longer　needs　Radio　Free　America；　it's　got　the　president　to　do　its　subversive　work　for　it。〃
　〃I　suppose　it's　all　in　how　you　look　at　things；〃　Nikolev　said。　〃It's　a　telling　lesson　in　how　interpretation　subverts　intent；　don't　you　think？〃
　〃Spoken　like　a　true　diplomat。''　Mars　laughed。　''You're　wasting　your　talents　in　the　Border　Guards；　I　can　tell　you。''
　〃As　you　no　doubt　have　suspected；〃　Nikolev　said；　〃my　job　affords　me　the　luxury　of　time　to　pursue　my　own　interests。〃
　〃It　is　altogether　beyond　my　prehension　how　you　can　hold　any　love　for　history；　Captain；　when　our　so…called　scholars　keep　rewriting　it。〃
　〃I　would　have　thought　that　you；　of　all　people；　would　see　the　necessity　for　revisionism。''
　〃You　interest　me；　Captain；〃　Mars　said。　〃Perhaps　you；　too；　understand　what　an　elusive　and　treacherous　beast　the　truth　is。〃
　〃rade；　I　am　not　even　certain　that　I　understand　the　definition　of　truth。〃
　Mars　laughed。　〃Yes；　indeed；　Captain。　There　is　more　to　you　than　meets　the　eye。〃　He　nodded　toward　the　bank　of　electronics。　〃What　news？〃
　〃The　same；〃　Captain　Nikolev　said。　〃Irina　Ponomareva's　car　is　still　in　the　same　spot。　It　has　not　moved　since　we　began　monitoring　it。　It　is　parked　six　blocks　from　your　apartment。　I　have　four　of　my　men　watching　it。〃
　''You　do？''　Mars's　head　came　up。　''Who　told　you　to　do　that？''
　〃No　one；　rade。　I　thought　it　would　be　pro…〃
　''You　thought　wrong；''　Mars　snapped。　''Get　your　men　out　of　there　at　once。　All　we　need　is　for　one　of　them　to　be　spotted。　Irina　does　not　know　I　am　KGB。　If　she　sees　one　of　your　men…and　believe　me；　if　your　men　are　there；　this　woman　will　spot　him…　she　will　never　go　near　the　car。''
　〃Yes；　rade。〃
　While　Nikolev　made　the　arrangements；　Mars　thought　of　Irina。　He　had　to　laugh　at　himself；　paranoid　Mars。　How　often　in　the　past　had　he　wondered　whether　she　had　made　any　clandestine　contacts；　perhaps　with　American　White　Star　sympathizers；　while　she　had　been　abroad　in　the　United　States？　After　all；　she　had　had　mid…level　security　clearances；　and　therefore　had　not　been　monitored　by　the　KGB　as　closely　as；　say；　Natasha　Mayakova　had　been　during　her　tours　of　New　York。
　But　he　had　had　cause　to　be　suspicious；　he　reminded　himself　righteously。　Did　she　not　have　definite　opinions　about　the　national　minorities　inside　the　USSR；　opinions　that；　frankly；　had　concerned　Mars？　Oh；　yes。　And　Mars　cleverly　had　made　those　questionable　opinions　work　for　him　when　he　had　sent　her　off　to　try　to　pry　open　Valeri　Denysovich。
　And；　ultimately；　Irina　had　proved　her　worth　to　him　when　her　amazing　amateur　sleuthing　had　uncovered　Natasha　Mayakova；　the　link　between　the　traitor　Valeri　Denysovich　and　the　Hero。
　Damn　Valeri　Denysovich！
　Mars's　fist　crashed　onto　the　tabletop；　making　Captain　Nikolev　start。
　〃rade？〃
　Mars　was　already　looking　over　the　monitoring　of　White　Star　transmissions。　〃They　seem　to　have　sent　some　kind　of　distress　message　into　the　West。〃　Mars　rubbed　at　his　face。　〃We　haven't　fully　broken　their　code　yet；　but　we　have　enough　to　make　some　sense　out　of　the　garble。''　He　looked　up　at　Captain　Nikolev。　''Do　you　think　that　White　Star　is　desperate　enough　to　ask　for　direct　help　from　the　West？〃
　〃Even　if　they　have；〃　Nikolev　said；　〃who　would　be　foolish　enough　to　respond？〃
　〃Hmm。〃　Mars　contemplated　the　transcripts　as　if　they　were　tea　leaves　from　which　he　could　divine　the　future。　After　a　time；　he　picked　up　a　small　interoffice　memo；　said；　〃An　American　diplomatic　mission　has　logged　a　flight　plan　into　Moscow。''
　〃So？　American　diplomatic　missions　happen　all　the　time。〃
　Mars　flipped　the　memo　over　to　Captain　Nikolev。　〃But　take　a　look　at　where　this　particular　mission　is　ing　from。〃
　〃Tokyo。〃
　〃Yes；〃　Mars　said。　〃Interesting；　because　Tokyo　is　where　the　White　Star　　S。O。S。　we　intercepted　was　sent　to。〃
　Captain　Nikolev　shrugged。　〃Could　be　a　coincidence。〃
　Mars　took　the　memo　back　without　saying　a　word。　Captain　Nikolev　watched　him　as　he　clipped　the　memo　to　the　transmission　transcripts。　In　a　moment　Mars　raised　his　head。　〃The　mobile　units　are　standing　by？〃
　〃Yes；　rade。〃
　〃The　moment　Miss　Ponomareva's　car　begins　to　move；　I　want　to　know　about　it。　If　I'm　sleeping；　wake　me。　If　I'm　eating；　pull　the　fork　from　my　hand。　Clear？〃
　〃Absolutely；　rade。〃
　The　Hotel　Rossiya；　an　enormous　twenty…story　structure　built　in　an　undistinguished　style　that　in　Russia　passed　for　modern；　took　up　the　south　side　of　an　entire　block　of　Razin　Street。　The　street　was　named　after　a　well…known　Cossack　leader；　a　scourge　of　czars；　and　somehow　it　seemed　appropriate　to　the　state　to　house　so　many　tourists　here。
　Irina　went　into　the　front　entrance　to　the　Rossiya　and；　as　Tatiana　had　instructed　her　to　do；　went　up　to　the　front　desk　and　asked　if　there　were　any　messages　for　Mrs。　Kubysheva。
　There　were。
　Irina　took　the　plain　white　envelope；　went　across　the　lobby；　up　the　stairs　into　one　of　the　many　restaurants　in　the　hotel。　Locating　the　rest　room；　she　went　in；　locked　herself　in　a　stall。
　She　slit　open　the　envelope；　read　it　twice　through。　Her　heart　was　hammering　so　hard　in　her　chest　that；　when　the　door　to　the　rest　room　swung　open；　she　wondered　how　the　ladies　who　came　in　didn't　hear　it。
　Memorizing　the　instructions；　Irina　tore　the　paper　and　envelope　into　tiny　bits；　threw　them　into　the　toilet。　She　flushed　twice；　making　certain　that　not　one　scrap　of　paper　was　left　in　the　bowl。　In　the　rest　room　she　rinsed　her　hands；　but　she　did　not　look　at　herself　in　the　gilt…edged　mirrors。
　She　went　out　of　the　Rossiya　by　a　side　entrance。　The　onion　domes　of　the　Cathedral　of　St。　Basil　dominated　the　near　distance。　She　was　not　far　from　the　Kremlin；　and　she　shuddered　as　if　it　were　winter；　and　she　without　her　fur…lined　coat。
　The　instructions　had　urged　her　to　go　by　foot　and　by　bus；　and　Irina　scrupulously　heeded　this　advice。　Sensibly；　she　did　not　want　to　look　around　to　see　if　she　was　being　followed；　but　she　found　herself　staring　like　a　cat　into　windowpanes；　the　glass　of　passing　cars　and　trams；　in　order　to　catch　the　reflections　of　as　many　of　those　around　her　as　she　could　see。
　She　made　a　circuit　of　trolleybuses；　using　routes　that　paralleled　one　another；　ending　up　essentially　where　she　had　begun。　Then　she　set　off　by　foot　and；　at　length；　came　to　the　far　end　of　Red　Square。　The　Moskva　was　dark　and　muddy；　and　the　sky　was　so　full　of　clouds　that　she　could　not　see　her　reflection　in　the　water　as　she　crossed　over　the　Moskvoretsky　Bridge。　That　was　all　right　with　her。　It　seemed；　anyway；　as　if　another　Irina　Ponomareva　was　engaged　in　this　terrifying　espionage　enterprise。
　Past　Dobryninskaya　Square　she　came　at　last　to　the　Zamoskvorechye；　the　District　Beyond　the　Moskva。　She　saw　the　Intourist　buses；　exhausts　bluing　the　heavy　gray　sky；　and　on　Bolshaya　Polyanka　Street；　the　lovely　facade　of　the　Church　of　St。　Gregory　of　Neocasarea。
　In　the　sanctuary；　Irina　prayed　for　Valeri；　for　herself；　but　especially　for　Odysseus。　The　lies　of　the　Intourist　guides　fell　on　her　ears　like　acid。　The　tourists　shuffled　behind　the　guide　like　sheep　to　the　slaughter。
　Death　and　destruction　were　never　far　from　her　consciousness　now；　and　she　was　frightened　for　herself；　as　if　she　could　no　longer　recognize　her　own　moral　center；　let　alone　the　moral　centers　of　those　around　her。　Every　step　I　take　down　this　path；　she　thought；　I　am　more　lost；　as　I　push　back　the　boundaries　of　what　I　will　and　will　not　do。　Will　there　be　no　end？
　She　was　finished　with　her　prayers。　She　walked　from　the　sanctuary　into　the　sacristy。　It　was　quiet　here；　the　droning　of　the　Intourist　guide　indistinct；　far　away。　The　shadows　hung　like　shrouds；　thick；　embroidered　with　threads　of　black　among　the　shades　of　gray。
　Irina　started　when　a　robed　priest　touched　her　arm。　She　was　about　to　say　something　when　he　put　his　finger　against　his　lips。　His　hood　hid　his　face。　He　beckoned；　and　she　nodded；　followed　him　out　of　the　sacristy；　down　a　dark；　musty　hall；　through　a　wooden　door；　down　worn　stone　steps。　It　became　cold　and　dank。　She　smelled　tallow；　fermenting　wine；　and　mold。　She　sneezed。
　At　the　foot　of　the　stairs　the　priest　pushed　back　his　hood；　revealing　the　strawberry　birthmark。
　〃This　way；〃　Sergei　said。　He　did　not　offer　his　name；　and　Irina　did　not　ask。
　Sergei　took　her　by　a　circuitous　route　through　the　crypt　until　they　came　to　the　place　where　he　and　Valeri　had　made　their　temporary　camp。
　Irina　saw　the　young　girl　on　the　makeshift　straw　pallet。
　〃My　daughter；〃　Valeri　Bondasenko　said；　stepping　out　of　the　shadows。　〃I　know　you　believed　that　I　had　no　children。　A　necessary　lie。　No　one　knows　about　her。　My　daughter's　。　。　。　illness　could　have　been　used　against　me。〃
　〃Why　is　she　here？〃
　〃The　KGB　discovered　her　existence　and　her　whereabouts　in　one　terrible　blow。〃
　Irina　looked　at　him。　〃They　made　Natasha　tell　them。〃
　Valeri　nodded。
　〃My　God；　is　she　alive　or　dead？〃
　〃I　have　no　way　of　knowing。〃
　〃Oh；　Valeri；　I　may　have　killed　her。　I've　been　such　a　fool。〃
　〃No；　not　a　fool；　koshka。　You'd　been　lied　to　so　much；　you　just　lost　your　ability　to　tell　fact　from　fiction。〃　He　gave　her　a　rueful　smile。　〃Don't　blame　yourself；　please。　You　were　up　against　the　best。　You　had　no　chance　to　e　through　this　intact。〃
　〃You　and　Mars。〃
　Valerie　came　closer　to　her。　〃Yes。〃
　〃But　you；　〃　she　said。　〃Why　did　you　have　to　lie　to　me？〃
　〃I　thought　I　was　protecting　you；