elizabethpeters.thegoldenone-第92部分

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　The　servant　entered　with　a　tray　and　poured　coffee。　〃Very　conventional；〃　I　said；　accepting　the　cup　he　handed　me。　〃Do　you　want　to　guess　the　identity　of　the　person　who　wishes　to　speak　to　us？〃
　〃No　need　to　guess；〃　Ramses　said。　〃He's　been　behind　this　all　along。〃
　It　was　indeed　the　Honorable　Algernon　Bracegirdle…Boisdragon　whom　the　servant　ushered　in。　He　came　straight　to　me；　his　hands　extended；　his　thin　lips　stretched　in　a　smile。　〃Mrs。　Emerson。　What　can　I　say？〃
　〃A　great　deal；　I　trust。　I　do　not　know　that　I　care　to　take　your　hand。〃
　〃I　cannot　say　I　blame　you。〃　He　turned　to　Ramses；　who　had　risen；　and　his　smile　faded。　〃Sit　down；　please。　I　heard　of　your　injury。　You　may　not　want　to　take　my　hand　either；　but　I　must　express　my　thanks　and　admiration。　You　acplished　everything　we　hoped；　and　more。〃
　〃It　wasn't　I；　as　you　are　well　aware；〃　Ramses　said。　〃You　knew　when　you　sent　me　after　Ismail　Pasha　that　he　was　no　traitor。　He　was　acting　with　your　knowledge　and　under　your　orders。〃
　〃The　danger　to　him　was　real；〃　the　other　man　said　soberly。　〃Military　intelligence　knew　nothing　of　our　plans。　Call　it　interservice　rivalry　if　you　like；　but　they　can't　be　trusted；　and　they　disapprove　of　what　they　consider　our　unorthodox　methods。〃
　〃So；〃　I　said；　〃your　group　is　distinct　from　all　those　departments　with　confusing　initials　and　meaningless　numbers？〃
　〃They　are　confusing；　aren't　they？〃　Smith　agreed　with　a　sardonic　smile。　〃MO；　EMSIB；　MIa；　b；　and　c　。　。　。　We　don't　go　in　for　that　sort　of　thing；　Mrs。　Emerson。　Ours　is　a　long　and　honorable　history；　going　all　the　way　to　the　sixteenth　century。　Cardinal　Wolsey　and　Thomas　Cromwell　…〃
　〃The　Tudors；　of　course；〃　I　said　with　a　sniff。　〃They　would　be　the　ones　to　foster　spying　and　subterfuge。　Spare　us　the　history　lesson；　please。〃
　〃As　you　like。　You　are　correct　in　assuming　that　our　mutual　friend　was　following　our　agenda。　He　had　several　purposes；　removing　Sahin　Pasha　was　only　one　of　them。　Another　was　to　investigate　the　network　in　Constantinople。　We　had　warned　Ml　that　the　man　running　that　group　was　a　double　agent。　They　didn't　believe　us。　Sethos　got　rid　of　the　fellow　by　persuading　the　Turks　that　he　had　betrayed　them　…　which　was　true。　The　trouble　with　him　is　that　he　plays　his　roles　too　well！　I　learned　that　my　bumble…headed　counterparts　in　military　intelligence　were　planning　to　assassinate　him。　The　only　way　of　preventing　that　was　to　persuade　you　to　go　after　him。　If　I　had　told　them　who　he　was　and　what　he　was　doing；　the　word　would　have　spread；　and　sooner　or　later　it　would　have　reached　the　ears　of　the　enemy。〃
　Ramses　shook　his　head　doubtfully。　〃Your　solution　was　somewhat　chancy。　What　if　they　hadn't　accepted　me？〃
　Smith　leaned　forward；　his　hands　clasped。　〃You　continue　to　astonish　me。　Surely　you　know　that　your　reputation　is　second　only　to　that　of　your　…　that　of　Sethos。　There's　not　an　intelligence　officer　in　Egypt　who　wouldn't　give　his　right　hand　to　enlist　you。　Cartright　is　an　ass　…　military　to　the　core；　and　he's　held　a　grudge　against　you　since　you　fooled　him　several　years　ago；　but　he　knew　you　were　the　only　man　who　could　get　into　Gaza　undetected。〃
　〃And　get　Lieutenant　Chetwode　in。　I　did　wonder；〃　Ramses　said　deliberately；　〃whether　the　whole　point　of　that　operation　was　to　convince　the　Turks　of　the　genuineness　of　Ismail's　conversion。〃
　Under　his　steady　gaze；　Smith　shifted　unfortably。　〃You　don't　trust　any　of　us；　do　you？　The　only　way　that　scheme　could　have　succeeded　was　to　have　the　Turks　identify　you　and/or　Chetwode　as　British　agents。　Believe　it　or　not；　we　don't　risk　our　people　so　callously。〃
　〃Not　when　they　are　as　valuable　as　my　son；〃　I　said。
　〃Touché；　Mrs。　Emerson。　You　are　correct；　of　course。　Cartright's　group　isn't　especially　subtle；　they　wanted　Ismail　dead；　and　they　were　willing　to　hazard　two　men　to　acplish　it。　To　do　them　justice；　none　of　them　has　the　least　idea　of　the　difficulties　involved　in　operating　behind　enemy　lines；　they　still　think　of　Johnny　Turk　as　inpetent　and　cowardly。〃
　〃But　you　knew；〃　I　snapped。　〃And　you　let　them　send　Ramses　…〃
　〃I　had　every　confidence　in　his　ability　to　get　in　and　out　undetected。〃
　〃I'm　flattered；〃　said　Ramses；　his　lip　curling。
　〃Easy　for　me　to　say；　you　mean？　You　have　every　right　to　feel　that　way。　But　the　last　I　heard；　Cartright　had　agreed　to　your　proposal　of　a　reconnaissance　and　nothing　more。　It　never　occurred　to　me　that　even　Cartright　would　be　stupid　enough　to　go　ahead　with　his　little　assassination　attempt。　And；　naturally；　I　assumed　you　would　e　back　with　information　that　would　prove　Ismail　wasn't　Sethos；　even　if　you　had　to　invent　it。　The　last　thing　we　wanted　was　to　have　you　fall　into　the　hands　of　the　Turks　…　particularly　those　of　Sahin。　He'd　been　suspicious　of　Ismail　from　the　start；　and　he　hoped　that　Ismail　would　betray　himself　by　trying　to　free　you。〃
　Ramses's　tight　lips　relaxed　into　a　faint　smile。　〃He's　a　clever　man；　but　trying　to　stay　one　step　ahead　of　Sethos　is　a　hopeless　job。　Using　the　girl　was　brilliant。〃
　〃If　that　hadn't　worked；　he'd　have　got　you　out　some　other　way；〃　Smith　said　brusquely。　〃Whatever　it　took。〃
　〃He　told　you　that？〃　I　asked。
　〃He　didn't　have　to　tell　me。　I　know　him　rather　well。　So。　Is　there　anything　else　you　want　to　know？〃
　He　had　already　said　more　than　he　had　meant　to　say；　and　Ramses　was　looking　decidedly　unfortable。　I　rose。　〃Only　your　assurance　that　the　young　woman　will　be　treated　well。〃
　〃We　don't　war　on　women；　Mrs。　Emerson。　She'll　be　questioned　courteously　but　intensively；　and　I　expect　we　will　get　quite　a　lot　out　of　her；　she's　an　inquisitive　creature；　I　understand。　I　imagine　she'll　enjoy　being　the　center　of　attention。〃　After　a　moment　he　added；　〃I　cannot　insist　that　you　refrain　from　mentioning　her　to　Ml　…　or　any　of　those　other　confusing　numbers　…　but　I　assure　you　she　will　be　happier　with　us　than　she　would　be　with　them。〃
　〃They　will　find　out　eventually；　won't　they？　Her　father　knows　she　is　with　us。〃
　〃If　Sahin　Pasha　is　as　intelligent　a　man　as　I　believe　him　to　be；　he　will　not　volunteer　any　more　information　than　is　necessary　to　keep　them　from　hanging　him。〃　He　added；　with　a　rather　attractive　smile；　〃With　any　luck；　he　should　be　able　to　hold　them　off　until　the　war　is　over。〃
　〃May　that　day　be　soon　in　ing；〃　I　said　with　a　sigh。
　〃Amen；〃　said　Mr。　Smith。
　〃One　more　thing；〃　I　said；　drawing　on　my　gloves。
　〃Yes；　of　course。　He　asked　me　to　give　you　his　regards　and　tell　you　he　will　'turn　up；'　as　he　put　it；　before　long。〃
　〃Thank　you。〃
　〃Not　at　all。〃　He　himself　showed　us　to　the　door。　〃If　there　is　ever　anything　I　can　do　for　you；　or　any　member　of　your　family　…〃
　〃The　kindest　thing　you　can　do　for　us　is　leave　us　strictly　alone。〃　I　swept　past　him　in　my　best　style。
　〃All　the　same；〃　I　said　to　Ramses；　when　we　were　again　in　the　cab；　〃I　don't　think　as　badly　of　him　as　I　do　of　some　of　the　others。　Cartright　lied　to　us。　Chetwode　did　not　act　without　his　authorization；　did　he？〃
　〃Chetwode　is　another　military　pedant；　he　wouldn't　dare　act　without　orders。　They　don't　think　of　it　as　lying；　you　know。　Expediency；　necessity；　'whatever　it　takes　to　get　the　job　done。'　Chetwode　fooled　me；　though；〃　Ramses　added；　in　chagrin。　〃That　air　of　inept　innocence　was　put　on。　He　couldn't　have　escaped　from　Gaza　so　handily　if　he　had　been　as　inpetent　as　he　seemed。〃
　〃He　counted　on　your　sense　of　decency　and　loyalty　to　assist　him；〃　I　said。
　〃Na？veté；　rather。　Sahin　was　right；　I'll　never　get　the　hang　of　the　business。〃
　I　took　his　hand　and　gave　it　a　gentle　squeeze。　〃Decency　and　loyalty　have　not　prevented　you　from　succeeding。〃
　Ramses　shrugged　the　pliment　away。　〃It's　over；　anyhow；　thank　God。　I'm　looking　forward　to　seeing　the　family　again。〃
　〃There　is　one　thing　I　didn't　ask；〃　I　said。
　〃Only　one？　And　what　is　that？〃
　〃Sethos's　real　name。　Bracegirdle…Boisdragon　must　know。〃
　The　lines　furrowing　Ramses's　brow　disappeared。　〃I　suppose　he　must；　he　admitted　having　examined　various　records；　which　would　presumably　include　a　birth　certificate。　I　hadn't　given　the　matter　much　thought。〃
　〃Hadn't　you　wondered　at　all？　I　have。　It　couldn't　be　Thomas；　could　it？　After　his　father？〃
　〃It　doesn't　suit　him。〃
　〃Well；　but　when　one　gives　a　newborn　infant　a　name；　one　cannot　predict　how　it　will　turn　out。〃
　Ramses　gave　me　a　curious　look。
　〃As　in　my　case；〃　he　suggested。
　〃Walter　doesn't　suit　you；〃