sk.dreamcatcher-第77部分

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！


　　　　Owen　laughed。　The　old　man　had　lost　none　of　his　capacity　to　surprise。　Not　playing　with　a　full　deck；　people　sometimes　said　of　unstable　individuals。　The　trouble　with　Kurtz；　Owen　reckoned；　was　that　he　was　playing　with　more　than　a　full　deck。　A　few　extra　aces　in　there。　Also　a　few　extra　deuces；　and　everyone　knew　that　deuces　were　wild。
　　　　'Sit　down；　Owen。　Drink　your　coffee　on　your　ass　like　a　normal　person　and　let　me　do　this；　I　need　to。'
　　　　Owen　thought　maybe　he　did。　He　sat　down　and　drank　the　coffee。　Five　minutes　passed　in　this　fashion；　then　Kurtz　got　painfully　back　to　his　feet。　Holding　the　bandanna　fastidiously　by　one　er；　he　carried　it　to　the　kitchen；　dropped　it　into　the　trash；　and　returned　to　his　rocker。　He　took　a　sip　of　his　coffee；　grimaced；　and　put　it　aside。　'Cold。'
　　　　Owen　rose。　'I'D　get　you　a　fresh…'
　　　　'No。　Sit　down。　We　need　to　talk。'　Owen　sat。
　　　　'We　had　a　little　confrontation　out　there　at　the　ship；　you　and　I；　didn't　we？'
　　　　'I　wouldn't　say…'
　　　　'No；　I　know　you　wouldn't；　but　I　know　what　went　on　and　so　do　you。　When　the　situation's　hot；　tempers　also　get　hot。　But　we're　past　that　now。　We　have　to　be　past　it　because　I'm　the　OIC　and　you're　my　second　and　we've　still　got　this　job　to　finish。　Can　we　work　together　to　do　that？'
　　　　'Yes；　sir。'　Fuck；　there　it　was　again。　'Boss；　I　mean。'
　　　　Kurtz　favored　him　with　a　wintry　smile。
　　　　'I　lost　control　just　now。'　Charming；　frank；　open…eyed　and　honest。　This　had　fooled　Owen　for　a　lot　of　years。　It　did　not　fool　him　now。　'I　was　going　along；　drawing　the　usual　caricature　…　two　parts　Patton；　one　part　Rasputin；　add　water；　stir　and　serve　…　and　I　just　。　。　。　whew！　I　just　lost　it。　You　think　I'm　crazy；　don't　you？'
　　　　Careful；　careful。　There　was　telepathy　in　this　room；　honest…to…God　telepathy；　and　Owen　had　no　idea　how　deeply　Kurtz　might　be　able　to　see　into　him。
　　　　'Yes；　sir。　A　little；　sir。'
　　　　Kurtz　nodded　matter…of…factly。　'Yes。　A　little。　That　pretty　well　describes　it。　I've　been　doing　this　for　a　long　time　…　men　like　me　are　necessary　but　hard　to　find；　and　you　have　to　be　a　little　crazy　to　do　the　job　and　not　just　high…side　it　pletely。　It's　a　thin　line；　that　famous　thin　line　the　armchair　psychologists　love　to　talk　about；　and　never　in　the　history　of　the　world　has　there　been　a　cleanup　job　like　this　one　。　。　。　assuming；　that　is；　the　story　of　Hercules　neatening　up　the　Augean　Stables　is　just　a　myth。　I　am　not　asking　for　your　sympathy　but　for　your　understanding。　If　we　understand　each　other；　we'll　get　through　this；　the　hardest　job　we've　ever　had；　all　right。　If　we　don't。　。　。'　Kurtz　shrugged。　'If　we　don't；　I'll　have　to　get　through　it　without　you。　Are　you　following　me？'
　　　　Owen　doubted　if　he　was；　but　he　saw　where　Kurtz　wanted　him　to　go　and　nodded。　He　had　read　that　there　was　a　certain　kind　of　bird　that　lived　in　the　crocodile's　mouth；　at　the　croc's　sufferance。　He　supposed　that　now　he　must　be　that　kind　of　bird。　Kurtz　wanted　him　to　believe　he　was　forgiven　for　putting　the　alien　broadcast　on　the　mon　channel　…　heat　of　the　moment；　just　as　Kurtz　had　blown　off　Melrose's　foot　in　the　heat　of　the　moment。　And　what　had　happened　six　years　ago　in　Bosnia？　Not　a　factor　now。　Maybe　it　was　true。　And　maybe　the　crocodile　had　tired　of　the　bird's　tiresome　pecking　and　was　preparing　to　close　its　jaws。　Owen　got　no　sense　of　the　truth　from　Kurtz's　mind；　and　either　way　it　behooved　him　to　be　very　careful。　Careful　and　ready　to　fly。
　　　　Kurtz　reached　into　his　coverall　again　and　brought　out　a　tarnished　pocket　watch。　'This　was　my　grandfather's　and　it　works　just　fine；'　he　said。　'Because　it　winds　up；　I　think　…　no　electricity。　My　wristwatch；　on　the　other　hand；　is　still　FUBAR。'
　　　　'Mine　too。'
　　　　Kurtz's　lips　twitched　in　a　smile。　'See　Perlmutter　when　you　have　a　chance；　and　feel　you　have　the　stomach　for　him。　Among　his　many　other　chores　and　activities；　he　found　time　to　take　delivery　of　three　hundred　wind…up　Timexes　this　afternoon。　just　before　the　snow　shut　down　our　air…ops；　this　was。　Pearly's　damned　efficient。　I　just　wish　to　Christ　he'd　get　over　the　idea　that　he's　living　in　a　movie。'
　　　　'He　may　have　made　strides　in　that　direction　tonight；　boss。'
　　　　'Perhaps　he　has　at　that。'
　　　　Kurtz　meditated。　Underhill　waited。
　　　　'Laddie…buck；　we　should　be　drinking　the　whiskey。　It's　a　bit　of　an　Irish　deathwatch　we're　having　tonight。'　　　
　　　　'Is　it？'
　　　　'Aye。　Me　beloved　phooka　is　about　to　keel　over　dead。'
　　　　Owen　raised　his　eyebrows。
　　　　'Yes。　At　which　point　its　magical　cloak　of　invisibility　Will　be　whisked　away。　Then　it　will　bee　just　another　dead　horse　for　folks　to　beat。　Primarily　politicians；　who　are　best　at　that　sort　of　thing。'
　　　　'I　don't　follow　you。'
　　　　Kurtz　took　another　look　at　the　tarnished　pocket　watch；　which　he'd　probably　picked　up　in　a　pawnshop　。　。　。　or　looted　off　a　corpse。　Underhill　wouldn't　have　doubted　either。
　　　　'It's　seven　o'clock。　In　just　about　forty　hours；　the　President　is　going　to　speak　before　the　UN　General　Assembly。　More　people　are　going　to　see　and　hear　that　speech　than　any　previous　speech　in　the　history　of　the　human　race。　It's　going　to　be　part　of　the　biggest　story　in　the　history　of　the　human　race　。　。　。　and　the　biggest　spin…job　since　God　the　Father　Almighty　created　the　cosmos　and　set　the　planets　going　round　and　round　with　the　tip　of　his　finger。'
　　　　'What's　the　spin？'
　　　　'It's　a　beautiful　tale；　Owen。　Like　the　best　ties；　it　incorporates　large　swatches　of　the　truth。　The　President　will　tell　a　fascinated　world；　a　world　hanging　on　every　word　with　its　breath　caught　in　its　throat；　praise　Jesus；　that　a　ship　crewed　by　beings　from　another　world　crashed　in　northern　Maine　on　either　November　sixth　or　November　seventh　of　this　year。　That's　true。　He　Will　say　that　we　were　not　pletely　surprised；　as　we　and　the　heads　of　the　other　countries　which　constitute　the　UN　Security　Council　have　known　for　at　least　ten　years　that　ET　has　been　scoping　us　out。　Also　true；　only　some　of　us　here　in　America　have　known　about　our　pals　from　the　void　since　the　late　nineteen…forties。　We　also　know　that　Russian　fighters　destroyed　a　grayboy　ship　over　Siberia　in　1974　。　。　。　although　to　this　day　the　Russkies　don't　know　we　know。　That　one　was　probably　a　drone；　a　test…shot。　There　have　been　a　lot　of　those。　The　grays　have　handled　their　early　contacts　with　a　care　which　strongly　suggests　that　we　scare　them　quite　a　lot。'
　　　　Owen　listened　with　a　sick　fascination　he　hoped　didn't　show　on　his　face　or　at　the　top　level　of　his　thoughts；　where　Kurtz　might　still　have　access。
　　　　From　his　inner　pocket；　Kurtz　now　brought　out　a　dented　box　of　Marlboro　cigarettes。　He　offered　the　pack　to　Owen；　who　first　shook　his　head；　then　took　one　of　the　remaining　four　fags。　Kurtz　took　another；　then　lit　them　up。
　　　　'I'm　getting　the　truth　and　the　spin　mixed　in　together；'　Kurtz　said　after　he'd　taken　a　deep　drag　and　exhaled。　'That　may　not　be　the　most　profitable　way　to　get　on。　Let's　stick　to　the　spin；　shall　we？'
　　　　Owen　said　nothing。　He　smoked　rarely　these　days　and　the　first　drag　made　him　feel　light…headed；　but　the　taste　was　wonderful。
　　　　'The　President　will　say　that　the　United　States　government　quarantined　the　crash　site　and　the　area　around　it　for　three　reasons。　The　first　was　purely　logistical：　because　of　the　Jefferson　Tract's　remote　location　and　low　population；　we　could　quarantine　it。　If　the　grayboys　had　e　down　in　Brooklyn；　or　even　on　Long　Island；　that　would　not　have　been　the　case。　The　second　reason　is　that　we　are　not　clear　on　the　aliens'　intentions。　The　third　reason；　and　ultimately　the　most　persuasive；　is　that　the　aliens　carry　with　them　an　infectious　substance　which　the　on…scene　personnel　calls　〃Ripley　fungus〃。　While　the　alien　visitors　have　assured　us　passionately　that　they　are　not　infectious；　they　have　brought　a　highly　infectious　substance　with　them。　The　President　will　also　tell　a　horrified　world　that　the　fungus　may　in　fact　be　the　controlling　intelligence；　the　grayboys　just　a　growth　medium。　He　will　show　videotape　of　a　grayboy　literally　exploding　into　the　Ripley　fungus。　The　footage　has　been　slightly　doctored　to　improve　visibility；　but　is　basically　true。'
　　　　You're　lying；　Owen　thought。　The　footage　is　entirely　fake　from　be　inning　to　end；　as　fake　as　that　Alien　Autopsy　shit。　And　why　are　you　lying？　Because　you　can。　It's　as　simple　as　that；　isn't　it？　Because　to　you；　a　lie　es　more　naturally　than　the　tr