rl.thebourneidentity-第117部分

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eer　granite。　Actually；　she　escaped　from　the　fifth　floor　two　weeks　ago　but　we're　all　afraid　to　tell　anybody。'
　The　aide　giggled：　the　nurse　shook　her　head　in　exasperation。　The　phone　rang　on　the　desk　behind　the　counter。
　'Will　you　get　that；　please；　dear；'　said　Annie　to　the　young　girl。　The　aide　nodded　and　retreated　to　the　desk。　The　nurse　turned　to　Panov。　'Dr。　Mo；　how　am　I　ever　going　to　get　anything　through　their　heads　with　you　around？'
　'With　love；　dear　Annie。　With　love。　But　don't　lose　your　bicycle　chains。'
　'You're　incorrigible。　Tell　me；　how's　your　patient　in　Five…A？　I　know　you're　worried　about　him。'
　'I'm　still　worried。'
　'I　hear　you　stayed　up　all　night。'
　There　was　a　three　a。　m。　movie　on　television　I　wanted　to　see。〃
　'Don't　do　it；　Mo；'　said　the　matronly　nurse。　'You're　too　young　to　end　up　in　there。'
　'And　maybe　too　old　to　avoid　it；　Annie。　But　thanks。。。'
　Suddenly　Panov　and　the　nurse　were　aware　that　he　was　being　paged；　the　wide…eyed　trainee　at　the　desk　speaking　into　the　microphone。
　'Dr　Panov；　please。　Telephone　for。。。'
　'I'm　Dr　Panov；'　said　the　psychiatrist　in　a　sotto　voce　whisper　to　the　girl。　'We　don't　want　anyone　to　know。　Annie　Donovan　here's　really　my　mother　from　Poland。　Who　is　it？'
　The　trainee　stared　at　Panov's　I。D。　card　on　his　white　coat；　she　blinked　and　replied。　'A　Mr。　Alexander　Conklin；　sir。'
　'Oh？'　Panov　was　startled。　Alex　Conklin　had　been　a　patient　on　and　off　for　five　years；　until　they　had　both　agreed　he'd　adjusted　as　well　as　he　was　ever　going　to　adjust　…　which　was　not　a　hell　of　a　lot　There　were　so　many；　and　so　little　they　could　do　for　them。　Whatever　Conklin　wanted　had　to　be　relatively　serious　for　him　to　call　Bethesda　rather　than　the　office。　'Where　can　I　take　this；　Annie？'
　'Room　One；'　said　the　nurse；　pointing　across　the　hall。　'It's　empty。　I'll　have　the　call　transferred。'
　Panov　walked　towards　the　door；　an　uneasy　feeling　spreading　through　him。
　'I　need　some　very　fast　answers；　Mo；'　said　Conklin；　his　voice　strained。
　'I'm　not　very　good　at　fast　answers；　Alex。　Why　not　e　in　and　see　me　this　afternoon？'　'It's　not　me。　It's　someone　else。　Possibly。〃　'No　games；　please。　I　thought　we'd　gone　beyond　that。'　'No　games。　This　is　a　Four…Zero　emergency；　and　I　need　help。'
　'Four…Zero？　Call　in　one　of　your　staff　men。　I've　never　requested　that　kind　of　clearance。'　'I　can't。　That's　how　tight　it　is。'　'Then　you'd　better　whisper　to　God。〃
　'Mo；　please　I　only　have　to　confirm　possibilities；　the　rest　I　can　put　together　myself。　And　I　don't　have　five　seconds　to　waste。　A　man　may　be　running　around　ready　to　blow　away　ghosts；　anyone　he　thinks　is　a　ghost。　He's　already　killed　very　real；　very　important　people　and　I'm　not　sure　he　knows　it　Help　me；　help　him＇'　'If　I　can。　Go　ahead。'
　'A　man　is　placed　in　a　highly　volatile；　maximum　stress　situation　for　a　long　period　of　time；　the　entire　period　in　deep　cover。　The　cover　itself　is　a　decoy　…　very　visible；　very　negative；　constant　pressure　applied　to　maintain　that　visibility。　The　purpose　is　to　draw　out　a　target　similar　to　the　decoy　by　persuading　the　target　that　the　decoy's　a　threat；　forcing　the　target　into　the　open。。。　Are　you　with　me　so　far？'
　'So　far；'　said　Panov。　'You　say　there's　been　constant　pressure　on　the　decoy　to　maintain　a　negative；　highly　visible　profile。　What's　his　environment　been？'　'As　brutal　as　you　can　imagine。'　'For　how　long　a　period　of　time？'　Three　years。'
　'Good　God；'　said　the　psychiatrist。　'No　breaks？'　'None　at　all。　Twenty…four　hours　a　day；　three　hundred　and　sixty…five　days　a　year。　Three　years。　Someone　not　himself。'
　'When　will　you　damn　fools　learn？　Even　prisoners　in　the　worst　camps　could　be　themselves；　talk　to　others　who　were　themselves。'　Panov　stopped；　catching　his　own　words；　and　Conklin's　meaning。　〃That's　your　point；　isn't　it？'
　'I'm　not　sure；'　answered　the　intelligence　officer。　'It's　hazy；　confusing；　even　contradictory。　What　I　want　to　ask　is　this。　Could　such　a　man　under　these　circumstances　begin　to。。。　believe　he's　the　decoy；　assume　the　characteristics；　absorb　the　mocked　dossier　to　the　point　where　he　believes　it's　him？'
　〃The　answer　to　that's　so　obvious　I'm　surprised　you　ask　it。　Of　course　he　could。　Probably　would。　It's　an　unendurably　prolonged　performance　that　can't　be　sustained　unless　the　belief　bees　a　part　of　his　everyday　reality。　The　actor　never　off　the　stage　in　a　play　that　never　ends。　Day　after　day；　night　after　night。'　The　doctor　stopped　again；　then　continued　carefully。　'But　that's　not　really　your　question；　is　it？'
　'No；'　replied　Conklin。　'I　go　one　step　further。　Beyond　the　decoy。　I　have　to；　it's　the　only　thing　that　makes　sense。'
　'Wait　a　minute；'　interrupted　Panov　sharply。　'You'd　better　stop　there；　because　I'm　not　confirming　any　blind　diagnosis。　Not　for　what　you're　leading　up　to。　No　way；　Charlie。　That's　giving　you　a　licence　I　won't　be　responsible　for　…　with　or　without　a　consultation　fee。'
　'〃No　way。。。　Charlie。〃　Why　did　you　say　that；　Mo？'
　'What　do　you　mean；　why　did　I　say　it？　It's　a　phrase。　I　hear　it　all　the　time。　Kids　in　dirty　blue　jeans　on　the　corner；　hookers　in　my　favourite　saloons。'
　'How　do　you　know　what　I'm　leading　up　to？'　said　the　C。I。A。　man。
　'Because　I　had　to　read　the　books　and　you're　not　very　subtle。　You're　about　to　describe　a　classic　case　of　paranoid　schizophrenia　with　multiple　personalities。　It's　not　just　your　man　assuming　the　role　of　the　decoy；　but　the　decoy　himself　transferring　his　identity　to　the　one　he's　after。　The　target。　That's　what　you're　driving　at；　Alex。　You're　telling　me　your　man　is　three　people：　himself；　decoy　and　target　And　I　repeat　No　way；　Charlie。　I'm　not　confirming　anything　remotely　like　that　without　an　extensive　examination。　That's　giving　you　rights　you　can't　have：　three　reasons　for　dispatch。　No　way！'
　ATM　not　asking　you　to　confirm　anything！　I　just　want　to　know　if　it's　possible。　For　Christ's　sake；　Mo；　there's　a　legally　experienced　man　running　around　with　a　gun；　killing　people　he　claims　he　didn't　know；　but　whom　he　worked　with　for　three　years！　He　denies　being　at　a　specific　place　at　a　specific　time　when　his　own　fingerprints　prove　he　was　there！　He　says　images　e　to　him　…　faces　he　can't　place；　names　he's　heard　but　doesn't　know　from　where。　He　claims　he　was　never　the　decoy；　it　was　never　him！　But　it　was！　It　is！　Is　it　possible！　That's　all　I　want　to　know！　Could　the　stress　and　time　and　the　everyday　pressures　break　him　like　this？　Into　three？'
　Panov　held　his　breath　for　a　moment。　'It's　possible；'　he　said　softly。　'If　your　facts　are　accurate；　it's　possible。　That's　all　I'll　say；　because　there　are　too　many　other　possibilities。'
　Thank　you。'　Conklin　paused。　'A　last　question。　Say　there　was　a　date　…　a　month　and　a　day　…　that　was　significant　to　the　mocked　dossier；　the　decoy's　dossier。'
　'You'd　have　to　be　more　specific。'
　'I　will。　It　was　the　date　when　the　man　whose　identity　was　taken　for　decoy　was　killed。'
　'Then　obviously　not　part　of　the　working　dossier；　but　known　to　your　man。　Am　I　following　you？'
　'Yes；　he　knew　it。　Let's　say　he　was　there。　Would　he　remember　it？'
　'Not　as　the　decoy。〃
　'But　as　one　of　the　other　two？'
　'Assuming　the　target　was　also　aware　of　it；　or　that　he'd　municated　it　through　his　transference；　yes。'
　'There's　also　a　place　where　the　strategy　was　conceived；　where　the　decoy　was　created。　If　our　man　was　in　the　vicinity　of　that　place　and　the　date　of　death　was　close　at　hand；　would　he　be　drawn　to　it？　Would　it　surface　and　bee　important　to　him？'
　'If　it　was　associated　with　the　original　place　of　death　because　the　decoy　was　born　there；　it's　possible。　It　would　depend　on　who　he　was　at　the　moment。
　'Suppose　he　was　the　target？'
　'And　knew　the　location？'
　'Yes　because　another　part　of　him　had　to。〃
　'Then　he'd　be　drawn　to　it。　It　would　be　a　subconscious　pulsion。'
　'Why？'
　'To　kill　the　decoy。　He'd　kill　everything　in　sight；　but　the　main　objective　would　be　the　decoy。　Himself。'
　Alexander　Conklin　replaced　the　phone；　his　non…existent　foot　throbbing；　his　thoughts　so　convoluted　he　had　to　close　his　eyes　again　to　find　a　consistent　strain。　He　had　been　wrong　in　Paris。。。　in　a　cemetery　outside　Paris。　He　had　wanted　to　kill　a　man　for　the　wrong　reasons；　the　right　ones　beyond　his　prehension。　He　was　dealing　with　a　madman。　Someone　whose　afflictions　were　not　explained　in　twenty　years　of　training；　but　were　understandable　if　one　th