el.angeleyes-第91节
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been in Babushka's kitchen； the mouthwatering smells irresistible。 It was difficult if not impossible for Irina to reconcile this image of Valeri…and the one of the man so tender and loving in bed… with the knowledge that Valeri was a colonel in the KGB。 She recalled his saying that the KGB's new accountability to the Congress of Peoples' Deputies had changed nothing； it had merely swept KGB operatives further underground。 She shuddered。
The puter screen； witness to everything； repository of all truths； sat silent and dead； mocking her。
All of a sudden she recalled an American film called Charade she had seen in the small Cambridge art theater； and she began to look for anything in plain sight that would be so familiar the eye would automatically pass over it。
Then her eyes focused； and jumping up； Irina whispered； 〃My God； it has been visible all the time！''
She turned on the Toshiba。 She was familiar with the software Valeri had had installed。 Quickly she got a list of the directories on the hard disk； but nothing looked sinister。 In fact； all that came up were recipe files。 She looked for Macros…〃hidden〃 strings of mands activated by a double keystroke…but could find none。 Her excitement faded。 Well； naturally； she thought sourly； this isn't a movie。 Of course； Valeri could have the White Star material secreted on a hidden floppy disk； but she had been all through the apartment without turning up anything。
Then a fragment of a recent conversation surfaced。 How do you find time to get all those recipes in memory？ she had asked Valeri。 And he had replied； I get some help。 There's a ghost in the machine。
Irina approached the puter again； and this time pressed the Reveal Codes key。 Nothing。 She frowned。 She had been so sure that Valeri's 〃ghost〃 would have been in Reveal Codes； an 〃invisible〃 mark held in the text。
Text！
What an idiot I am； she thought。 She cleared the screen； retrieved the first text file in the directory。 A menu for 〃Southern Fried Chicken〃 came up。 Irina hit the Reveal Codes； and there it was； hanging at the very top of the screen： three consecutive signs for Underline that had no business being there。
She went back to the text。 Then； holding her breath； she hit the Underline key three times in succession。 Nothing。 Damn！ Now what？ Those three Underlines must mean something。
She returned to the Reveal Codes screen； hit the Underline key three times。 The 〃Please Wait〃 message appeared in the lower left…hand corner of the screen。 That meant the puter was pulling an unusually large file out of the hard…drive memory。 Irina's heart skipped a beat。
A moment later the puter began to spew out an enormous list of food menus。 The file kept scrolling until Irina hit the Scroll Lock key。 Then the screen held steady。
Irina studied the menu but could find nothing amiss with it。 It was what it appeared to be： a menu for some kind of frozen dessert。 In disgust； she depressed the Scroll Lock key。 But instead of continuing to scroll； the screen went black and again the message 〃Please Wait〃 appeared。
Times； dates； places； names。 When the new text came up on the screen； Irina's heart leaped in her chest because she was looking at what appeared to be the inner workings of White Star。
〃With Hitasura's men all over the city looking for us； I can't afford a face…to…face rendezvous；〃 Big Ezoe had said early that morning。 〃There is a way to get information from my informants。 It's safe and utterly undetectable。〃
Koi was in Shibuya。 It was just after eleven at night。 Still； she was surrounded by such masses of people that she could not see the street。 The sky was a yellow…gray； the air as opaque as miso soup； and it came as no surprise when the electronic pollution billboard near the NHK Building…one of fifteen in Tokyo…monitoring the levels of carbon monoxide； nitrogen； and sulphur oxides； began to issue an alert； advising children； the elderly； and the infirm to stay indoors。
〃I refuse to sit in my office or in my car； waiting for a Hitasura hit team to blow me apart；〃 Big Ezoe had said。 〃Hitasura is not so old…fashioned that he will kill me only with his own sword。 That's for the old days； and the old days are alive only on movie screens。〃
Not his sword； Koi thought。 His gun。 What a world； she thought。 If honor was dead； what use was living？
Outside the Seed Building； Koi stopped at the public message center。 This was her third pass since she had e here by a circuitous route。 She had doubled back many times； using the subways and the crowds in the streets to keep herself free of the hit team Hitasura had sent after her。
The public message center consisted of six CTR monitors connected to a sophisticated interactive puter program。 Using an electronic pen； she touched the box marked READ。 The screen changed； showing a list of four functions。 She touched number 2； which read： MESSAGE TO YOUR FRIENDS WITH SECRET WORD。 The screen asked her to enter the code word。 On each pass before this； nothing had happened。 She wrote KAMI with the electronic pen； the code word Big Ezoe had told her about； and the screen changed once again。 This time a handwritten message appeared。 It said： 〃Deke； the tattooer。 Shinjuku。〃
Koi immediately touched the Eraser bar； and the message disappeared into the electronic heart of the machine。 A moment later Koi； too； disappeared…into the electronic heart of the city。
* * *
''The first thing I want to ask you；〃 the Него said when Irina slipped into the pool with him； ''is whether Volkov is with you。'' He had taken her out to the middle of the pool where the listening devices could not pick up their speech。
〃I came alone this time；〃 Irina said； staring at him。
''Do you know where Volkov is？ 〃
〃No。 He doesn't tell me everything。〃
The Него looked at her curiously for some time。
''What is it？'' Irina said； unfortable beneath the intensity of that otherworldy gaze。
''I am wondering what you see in him。''
〃In Mars？〃
〃Yes。〃
Irina noticed that Arbat was restless； but she swam back and forth at the other end of the pool； as if she had no intention of ing near them。
〃I said that I wouldn't lie to you；〃 Irina said； 〃and I meant it。 I have no family。 Mars does。 He's made me part of it； and I like that。 It makes me feel secure。〃
〃I don't understand。〃
〃Wasn't I making myself clear？〃
The Него shook his head。 〃It's just that I can't see any way that the KGB can make you feel secure。〃
〃Oh； you're talking about Valeri。〃
〃Valeri who？〃
Irina laughed。 〃Valeri Denysovich Bondasenko； colonel in the KGB's Second Chief Directorate； Chief of Department N； in charge of counterintelligence against the nationalist underground organization； White Star。〃
For a breathless moment nothing seemed to move； not Arbat； not the Hero； not the water in which they floated。 In the silence that built itself like a spiderweb in the room； Irina imagined that a black abyss of immense proportions had opened up beneath her； and that she was in the process of falling into it。
〃What have I said？〃
Her heart beat on； seemingly the only motion in a place where even time had given up the ghost。
At last； when the silence had bee so agonizing that Irina was about to scream； the Hero said； 〃Who told you about Department N？〃
〃Why； Mars did。〃
〃And he said that rade Bondasenko was in charge of it？〃
〃No。 Mars showed me a document。 It was a charter； I think。 Department N's internal KGB charter。 It named Valeri as the department's chief。〃
〃You don't know。〃 The Hero closed his eyes。 〃Mother of God。〃 Arbat； perhaps in response to his inner turmoil； popped up next to him； but she wisely kept silent。 She looked at Irina with what could only be described as astonishment。
〃What is it？〃 Irina said in a strangled voice。
The Hero looked at her； and Irina did not know whether she saw pity or anger in his eyes。 Perhaps it was both； or neither； perhaps it was some other emotion； one that he had learned in the space between the stars。 〃How best to put this；〃 he said slowly。 〃I suppose；〃 he said； continuing his inner dialogue； 〃there is no best way。 There is only to do it。〃 Arbat clicked briefly； and he nodded。 〃Irina； the monitoring that is done on me here is scientific； but it is also overseen by the KGB。 Lara and Tatiana are KGB。 They are my handlers as well as my panions。 Twice a week I am interrogated by a high…ranking colonel in the KGB。〃
〃Do you want me to see if I can stop it？ Perhaps Mars…〃
〃Irina； Mars is the KGB。〃
For a moment Irina was certain that she had misheard him。 Then it occurred to her that he was making a joke。 But there was no smile on his grave face； and Arbat was silently watching her from the other side of the pool。
〃You're joking；〃 she said； feeling more and more foolish。 〃It's impossible。 Mars showed me documents that…〃
〃They were false；〃 the Него said forcefully。 〃Or I should say； more accurately； they were falsified。 I've no doubt the document itself is the real Department N charter。 It's the name of its chief that's been changed。 The original bears the name： Mars Petrovich Volkov； Colonel； Second Chief Directorate。''
〃No！ It's impossible！〃
〃I'll call for Lara and Tatiana。 Let them verif…〃
〃No
