rl.thebourneidentity-第119部分

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　in　a　sling！　I　want　to　know　what's　been　going　on。　Cancel　everything　on　your　calendar；　and　I　mean　everything。　You're　spending　the　rest　of　the　day　and　all　night　if　you　have　to　digging　this　damn　thing　out　of　the　ground。　There's　a　man　walking　around　who　doesn't　know　who　he　is；　but　with　more　classified　information　in　his　head　than　ten　sterile　puters！'
　It　was　past　midnight　when　the　exhausted　director　of　Consular　Operations　made　the　connection；　he　had　nearly　missed　it　The　First　Secretary　at　the　embassy　in　Paris；　under　threat　of　instant　dismissal；　had　given　him　Alexander　Conklin's　name。　But　Conklin　was　nowhere　to　be　found。　He　had　returned　to　Washington　from　Brussels　on　a　military　jet　in　the　morning；　but　had　signed　out　of　Langley　at　1。22　in　the　afternoon；　leaving　no　telephone　number　…　not　even　an　emergency　number　…where　he　could　be　reached。　And　from　what　the　director　had　learned　about　Conklin；　that　omission　was　extraordinary。　The　C。I。A。　man　was　what　was　monly　referred　to　as　a　shark…killer；　he　directed　individual　strategies　throughout　the　world　where　defection　and　treason　were　suspected。　There　were　too　many　men　in　too　many　stations　who　might　need　his　approval　or　disapproval　at　any　given　moment。　It　was　not　logical　for　him　to　sever　that　cord　for　twelve　hours。　What　was　also　unusual　was　the　fact　that　his　telephone　logs　had　been　scratched；　there　were　none　for　the　past　two　days　and　the　Central　Intelligence　Agency　had　very　specific　regulations　concerning　those　logs。　Traceable　accountability　was　the　new　order　of　the　new　regime。　However；　the　director　of　Cons…Op　had　learned　one　fact：　Conklin　had　been　attached　to　Medusa。
　Using　the　threat　of　State　Department　retaliation；　the　director　had　requested　a　closed　circuit　readout　of　Conklin's　logs　for　the　past　five　weeks。　Reluctantly；　the　agency　beamed　them　over　and　the　director　sat　in　front　of　a　screen　for　two　hours；　instructing　the　operators　at　Langley　to　keep　the　tape　repeating　until　he　told　them　to　stop。
　Eighty…six　logicals　had　been　called；　the　word　Treadstone　mentioned；　none　had　responded。　Then　the　director　went　back　to　the　possible；　there　was　an　Army　man　he　had　not　considered　because　of　his　well…known　antipathy　to　the　C。I。A。　But　Conklin　had　telephoned　him　twice　during　the　space　of　twelve　minutes　a　week　ago。　The　director　called　his　sources　at　the　Pentagon　and　found　what　he　was　looking　for：　Medusa。
　Brigadier…General　Irwin　Arthur　Crawford；　current　ranking　officer　in　charge　of　Army　Intelligence　data　banks；　former　mander　Saigon；　attached　to　covert　operations　…　still　classified。　Medusa。
　The　director　picked　up　the　conference　room　phone；　it　bypassed　the　switchboard。　He　dialled　the　Brigadier's　home　in　Fairfax　and；　on　the　fourth　ring；　Crawford　answered。　The　State　Department　man　identified　himself　and　asked　if　the　General　cared　to　return　a　call　to　State　and　be　put　through　for　verification。
　'Why　would　I　want　to　do　that？'
　'It　concerns　a　matter　that　es　under　the　heading　of　Treadstone。'
　'I'll　call　you　back。'
　He　did　so　in　eighteen　seconds；　and　within　the　next　two　minutes　the　director　had　delivered　the　outlines　of　the　State's　information。
　〃There's　nothing　there　we　don't　know　about；'　said　the　Brigadier。　'There's　been　a　control　mittee　on　this　from　the　beginning；　the　Oval　office　were　given　a　preliminary　summation　within　a　week　of　the　inauguration。　Our　objective　warranted　the　procedures；　you　may　be　assured　of　that。'
　'I'm　willing　to　be　convinced；'　replied　the　man　from　State。　'Is　this　related；　to　that　business　in　New　York　a　week　ago？　Elliot　Stevens；　that　Major　Webb　and　David　Abbott？　Where　the　circumstances　were；　shall　we　say；　considerably　altered？'
　'You　were　aware　of　the　alterations？'
　'I'm　the　head　of　Cons…Op；　General。。。
　'Yes；　you　would　be。。。　Stevens　wasn't　married；　the　rest　understood。　Robbery　and　homicide　were　preferable。　The　answer　is　affirmative。'
　'I　see。。。　Your　man　Bourne　flew　into　New　York　yesterday　morning。'
　'I　know。　We　know　…　that　is　Conklin　and　myself。　We're　the　inheritors。'
　'You've　been　in　touch　with　Conklin？'
　'I　last　spoke　to　him　around　one　o'clock　in　the　afternoon。　Unlogged。　He　insisted　on　it；　frankly。'
　'He's　checked　out　of　Langley。　There's　no　number　where　he　can　be　reached。'
　'I　know　that；　too。　Don't　try。。。　With　all　due　respect；　tell　the　Secretary　to　back　away。　You　back　away。　Don't　get　involved。'
　'We　are　involved；　General。　We're　flying　over　the　Canadian　woman　by；　diplomatic。'
　'For　God's　sake；　why？'
　'We　were　forced　to；　she　forced　us　to。'
　〃Then　keep　her　in　isolation。　You've　got　to！　She's　our　resolve；　we'll　be　responsible。'
　'I　think　you'd　better　explain。'
　'We're　dealing　with　an　insane　man；　A　multiple　schizophrenic。　He's　a　walking　firing　squad；　he　could　kill　a　dozen　innocent　people　with　one　outburst；　one　explosion　in　his　own　head；　and　he　wouldn't　know　why。'
　'How　do　you　know？'
　'Because　he's　already　killed。　That　massacre　in　New　York　last　week　…　it　was　him。　He　killed　Stevens；　the　Monk；　Webb　…above　all；　Webb　…　and　two　others　you　never　heard　of。。。　We　understand　now。　He　wasn't　responsible；　but　that　can't　change　anything。　Leave　him　to　us。　To　Conklin。'
　'Last　week？　Bourne？'
　'Yes。　We　have　proof。　Prints。　They　were　confirmed　by　the　bureau。　It　was　him。'
　'Your　man　would　leave　prints？'
　'He　did。'
　'He　couldn't　have；'　said　the　man　from　State。
　'What？'
　Tell　me；　where　did　you　e　up　with　the　conclusion　of　insanity？　This　multiple　schizophrenia；　or　whatever　the　hell　you　call　it。'
　'Conklin　spoke　to　a　psychiatrist　…　one　of　the　best　…　an　authority　on　stress…breakdowns。　Alex　described　the　history　and　it　was　brutal。　The　doctor　confirmed　our　suspicions；　Conklin's　suspicions。'
　'He　confirmed　them？'　asked　the　director；　stunned。
　'Yes。'
　'Based　on　what　Conklin　said？　On　what　he　thought　he　knew？'
　'There's　no　other　explanation。　Leave　him　to　us。　He's　our　problem。'
　'You're　a　damn　fool；　General。　You　should　have　stuck　to　your　data　banks；　or　maybe　more　primitive　artillery。〃
　'I　resent　that。'
　'Resent　it　all　you　like。　If　you've　done　what　I　think　you've　done　you　may　not　have　anything　left　but　resentment。'
　'Explain　that；'　said　Crawford　harshly。
　'You're　not　dealing　with　a　madman；　or　with　insanity；　or　with　any　goddamned　multiple　schizophrenia；　which　I　doubt　you　know　any　more　about　than　I　do。　You're　dealing　with　an　amnesiac；　a　man　who's　been　trying　for　six　months　to　find　out　who　he　is　and　where　he　es　from。　And　from　a　telephone　tape　we've　got　over　here；　we　gather　he　tried　to　tell　you　…　tried　to　tell　Conklin；　but　Conklin　wouldn't　listen。　None　of　you　would　listen。。。　You　sent　a　man　out　in　deep　cover　for　three　years　…　three　years　…　to　pull　in　Carlos；　and　when　the　strategy　broke；　you　assumed　the　worst。'
　'Amnesia？。。。　No；　you're　wrong！　I　spoke　to　Conklin；　he　did　listen。　You　don't　understand；　we　both　knew。。。'
　'I　don't　want　to　hear　his　name！'　broke　in　the　director　of　Consular　Operations。
　The　general　paused。　'We　both　knew。。。　Bourne。。。　years　ago。　I　think　you　know　from　where；　you　read　the　name　to　me。　He　was　the　strangest　man　I　ever　met；　as　close　to　being　paranoid　as　anyone　in　that　outfit。　He　undertook　missions　…risks　…　no　sane　man　would　accept。　Yet　he　never　asked　for　anything。　He　was　filled　with　so　much　hate。'
　'And　that　made　him　a　candidate　for　a　psychiatric　ward　ten　years　later？'
　'Seven　years；'　corrected　Crawford。　'I　tried　to　prevent　his　selection　in　Treadstone。　But　the　Monk　said　he　was　the　best。　I　couldn't　argue　with　that；　not　in　terms　of　expertise。　But　I　made　my　objections　known。　He　was　psychologically　a　borderline　case；　we　knew　why。　I　was　proved　right。　I　stand　on　that'
　'You're　not　going　to　stand　on　anything；　General。　You're　going　to　fall　right　on　your　iron　ass。　Because　the　Monk　was　right。　Your　man　is　the　best；　with　or　without　a　memory。　He's　bringing　in　Carlos；　delivering　him　right　to　your　goddamn　front　door。　That　is；　he's　bringing　him　in　unless　you　kill　Bourne　first。'　Crawford's　low；　sharp　intake　of　breath　was　precisely　what　the　director　was　afraid　he　might　hear。　He　continued。　'You　can't　reach　Conklin；　can　you？'　he　asked。
　'No。'
　'He's　gone　under；　hasn't　he？　Made　his　own　arrangements；　payments　funnelled　through　third　and　fourth　parties　unknown　to　each　other；　the　source　untraceable；　all　connections　to　the　agency　and　Treadstone　obl