cc.fireice-第42部分

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　his　son。　〃We're　profoundly　sorry　for　what　happened。　Please　tell　us　how　we　can　make　it　up　to　you。〃
　〃Perhaps　a　little　help　in　rebuilding　my　cottage；〃　Orlov　said；　after　some　thought。
　
　〃That　goes　without　saying；〃　Paul　said。
　
　〃Anything　else？〃　Orlov　furrowed　his　brow。　〃One　more　thing；〃　he　said；　his　face　lighting　up。　〃As　you　know；　Yuri　is　intent　on　visiting　the　United　States。〃
　〃Consider　it　done；　with　the　condition　that　you　e　along。〃
　
　The　professor　could　barely　control　his　pleasure；　〃You　drive　a　hard　bargain；　my　friend。〃
　〃I'm　a　tough　old　Yankee；　and　don't　you　forget　it　I　think　we　should　be　on　our　way　the　first　thing　in　the　morning。〃
　〃I'm　sorry　you　have　to　leave　so　soon。　Are　you　sure？〃
　〃It　might　be　best　for　everyone　if　we　go。〃
　
　They　talked　until　the　professor's　weariness　caught　up　with　him　and　he　drifted　off　to　sleep。　The　Trouts　and　Yuri　split　the　rest　of　the　night　into　shifts；　so　at　least　one　person　would　stand　watch　while　the　others　caught　some　sleep　in　the　bunk　beds。　The　morning　dawned　without　incident；　and　after　a　quick　breakfast　of　coffee　and　rolls；　the　Trouts　said　their　good…byes；　vowing　to　get　together　in　a　few　months；　and　squeezed　into　the　same　taxi　that　had　dropped　them　off。
　
　As　the　Lada　bumped　down　the　road；　Gamay　looked　out　the　back　window　at　the　charred　remains　of　the　cottage。　Smoke　still　hung　in　the　air。　〃We'll　have　a　lot　to　tell　Kurt　when　we　get　back；〃　she　said。
　
　Paul's　eyes　blinked　with　amusement。　〃If　I　know　Kurt；　he'll　have　even　more　to　tell　us。〃
　
　…17…
　THE　MAN　AUSTIN　knew　only　as　Ivan　gazed　around　in　wonder　at　the　shrine　to　the　Romanovs。　Austin　had　just　given　him　a　demonstration　of　the　chanting　chair。　〃This　is　really　quite　extraordinary；〃　he　said；　letting　his　eyes　wander　around　the　room。　〃You　have　made　quite　a　find。〃
　
　Austin　responded　with　a　lopsided　grin。　〃Then　all　is　forgiven　for　corning　in　with　six…guns　blazing？〃
　〃On　the　contrary。　It's　exactly　what　I　wanted　to　happen。〃
　〃You're　a　strange　man；　Ivan；〃　Austin　said；　with　a　shake　of　his　head。
　
　〃That　may　be；　but　in　this　case　my　actions　were　purely　logical。〃　He　spread　his　forefinger　and　thumb　apart。　〃Don't　forget　that　I　have　a　dossier　this　thick　on　you；　as　well　as　my　personal　experience　with　your　methods。　I　knew　warning　you　off　would　be　the　surest　way　to　bring　you　here。〃
　〃Why　be　so　Machiavellian？　Why　not　simply　invite　me　to　your　party？　I'm　an　agreeable　guy。〃
　〃You're　not　naпve　in　these　matters。　If　I　had　said　back　in　Istanbul　that　I　needed　your　help；　what　would　you　have　replied；　given　the　stormy　history　of　our　relationship？〃
　〃I　don't　know；〃　Austin　said　with　a　shrug。
　
　〃I　do。　You　might　have　regarded　it　as　a　trap；　an　ingenious　way　of　getting　back　at　you　for　this　souvenir　of　past　encounters。〃　He　touched　the　scar　on　his　cheek。
　
　〃The　Russians　are　famous　for　their　chess　skills。　And　you　must　admit　revenge　can　be　a　potent　motivator。〃
　〃I've　learned　to　control　my　passions　and　exploit　those　of　others　to　defeat　them。　There's　another　reason　I　held　back。　I　suspect　that　if　I　had　asked　for　your　help；　you　would　have　gone　to　your　higher…ups。　Your　government　would　have　discouraged　this　mission。〃
　〃What　makes　you　so　sure　of　that？〃
　〃Some　of　your　countrymen　are　supporting　the　dark　forces　gathering　in　Russia。〃
　
　Austin　raised　an　eyebrow。　〃Anyone　I　know？〃
　〃Probably；　but　I　doubt　if　you'd　believe　me；　so　I'll　keep　my　thoughts　to　myself　for　now。〃
　〃How　can　you　be　sure　that　I　didn't　act　with　official　permission？〃
　〃I　consider　it　highly　unlikely　that　your　government　would　tolerate　a　clandestine　invasion　of　a　foreign　country。〃
　〃Last　time　I　looked；　NUMA　was　part　of　the　government。〃
　〃You're　not　the　only　one　I　have　kept　tabs　on；　Mr。　Austin。　I　have　files　on　everyone　of　any　consequence　in　NUMA；　from　your　partner　Joe　Zavala　right　up　to　Admiral　Sandecker。　We　both　know　that　the　good　admiral　would　never　allow　a　rogue　operation。〃　The　Russian　smiled。　〃Unless　it　was　under　his　control；　of　course。〃
　〃Sounds　as　if　you've　done　your　homework；〃　Austin　admitted。
　
　〃Knowing　the　inner　workings　of　NUMA　was　vital　in　order　to　make　your　agency　a　part　of　the　equation。〃
　〃I　don't　understand。　Why　involve　NUMA？〃
　〃The　intelligence　services　in　both　our　countries　have　been　infiltrated　by　the　enemy。　Those　fighting　men　you　saw　today　have　all　served　with　me　for　years。　But　even　a　tightly　knit　force　can　be　promised　by　a　single　person。　NUMA's　integrity　is　above　reproach。　On　a　more　practical　side；　I　need　NUMA's　global　capacity　for　munications　and　transport；　your　incredible　intelligence　and　research　facilities。〃
　〃Thanks　for　the　endorsement；　but　I　don't　know　if　I　can　help。　I'm　only　one　person　out　of　thousands　at　the　agency。〃
　〃Please　don't　be　disingenuous；　Mr。　Austin。　You　could　never　have　undertaken　this　mission　if　it　were　not　for　the　tacit　approval　of　Admiral　Sandecker　and　Rudi　Gunn。〃
　
　Austin　was　impressed　with　Ivan's　knowledge　of　how　things　worked　at　NUMA。　〃Even　if　I　admitted　you　were　right　on　that　score；　I　still　don't　have　the　power　to　give　you　everything　you　want。〃
　〃When　the　threat　to　your　country　bees　apparent；　you'll　feel　different。　We　need　each　other。〃
　〃That's　another　problem。　You　still　haven't　told　me　what　this　threat　is。〃
　〃Only　because　I　don't　know。〃
　〃Yet　you're　still　convinced　it's　real。〃
　〃Oh　yes；　Mr。　Austin。　Knowing　the　players　in　this　drama；　I'd　say　it's　very　real。〃
　
　Austin　still　didn't　know　how　much　to　believe　Ivan；　but　there　was　no　mistaking　the　Russian's　seriousness。　〃Maybe　one　of　the　Cossacks　could　tell　us　something。〃
　
　Petrov's　lips　tightened　in　a　smile。　〃We　both　should　have　thought　about　that　earlier。　Their　leader　was　the　big　man　with　the　red　beard。　Dead　men　tell　no　tales；　unfortunately。〃
　〃Sorry；　but　it　couldn't　be　helped　under　the　circumstances。　I'm　curious。　How　long　were　you　and　your　boys　hiding　in　the　woods？〃
　〃Since　dawn。　We　landed　a　few　miles　up　the　coast　and　made　our　way　overland　at　night。　I　saw　the　fishing　boat　arrive　and　suspected　you　were　on　it。　We　didn't　know　you　had　landed　and　were　quite　surprised　to　see　you　pop　up　out　of　nowhere。　Congratulations　on　a　successful　infiltration。〃
　
　Austin　ignored　the　pliment。　〃Then　you　saw　that　the　submarine　crew　was　in　trouble？〃
　〃We　observed　the　men　being　rounded　up　and　marched　to　the　field。　To　answer　your　unspoken　question；　yes；　we　would　have　intervened。　My　men　were　readying　for　the　attack。　Then　you　and　your　friend　arrived　and　our　intervention　hardly　seemed　necessary。　From　the　damage　you　inflicted；　I　thought　a　platoon　of　U。S。　Marines　had　landed。　It's　doubtful　how　much　the　Cossacks　could　have　told　us。　They　are　nothing　more　than　bandit　scum　whose　sole　function　was　to　guard　this　plex。〃　Petrov　walked　over　to　the　altar　and　touched　the　photograph　above　it。　〃The　last　of　the　tsars；〃　he　said。
　
　〃That's　quite　a　headpiece；〃　Austin　said；　pointing　to　the　jeweled　crown　in　the　picture。
　
　〃Whoever　wears　the　crown　of　Ivan　the　Terrible　will　rule　Russia；〃　Petrov　said。　Seeing　Austin's　perplexed　expression；　he　smiled。　〃An　old　Russian　proverb。　Don't　look　for　hidden　auguries　in　the　words；　they　mean　what　they　say。　Whoever　is　strong　enough　to　keep　all　that　weight　on　his　head；　and　brutish　and　terrible　enough　to　possess　the　crown；　will　find　those　same　qualities　of　use　in　ruling　this　land。〃
　〃Where's　the　crown　now？〃
　〃It　disappeared　with　a　great　deal　of　the　tsar's　other　treasure　that　went　missing　after　the　revolution。　When　the　White　government　came　into　Yekaterinburg；　where　the　tsar　was　probably　murdered；　they　found　a　list　of　items　belonging　to　the　imperial　family。　Some　items　were　recovered；　but　it　is　generally　conceded　that　the　list　represented　only　a　portion　of　the　items　the　family　had　with　them　in　exile。　The　most　valuable　items；　the　crown　included；　have　never　been　found。〃
　〃Was　there　a　list　of　the　missing　treasure？〃
　〃The　Soviets　made　such　a　list；　but　it　has　never　turned　up。　It's　assumed　that　the　KGB　had　the　list　before　the　overthrow　of　munism。　I've　made　inquiries　that　lead　me　to　believe　the　list　is　still　in　existence；　but　its　whereabouts　is　a　mystery。〃
　〃How　did　you　know　about　the　crown　without　the　list？〃
　〃I've　seen　this　and　other　photos　of　it。　It's　made　in　two　parts；　representing　the　east　and　west　empires。　The