rl.thebourneidentity-第78部分

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　happened？'
　'Major　Webb　was　to　meet　his　car　at　twenty…three…hundred　hours　on　the　corner　of　Lexington　and　Seventy…second　Street。　The　time　was　firm；　but　he　didn't　show　up。　By　twenty…three…thirty　the　driver　became　alarmed　because　of　the　distance　to　the　airfield　in　New　Jersey。　The　sergeant　remembered　the　address　…　mainly　because　he'd　been　told　to　forget　it　…　drove　round　and　went　to　the　door。　The　security　bolts　had　been　jammed；　and　the　door　just　swung　open；　all　the　alarms　had　been　shorted　out。　There　was　blood　on　the　foyer　floor；　the　dead　woman　on　the　staircase。　He　walked　down　the　hall　into　the　operations　room　and　found　the　bodies。'
　'That　man　deserves　a　very　quiet　promotion；'　said　the　naval　officer。
　'Why　do　you　say　that？'　asked　the　senator。　Crawford　replied。　'He　had　the　presence　of　mind　to　call　the　Pentagon　and　insist　on　speaking　with　covert　transmissions；　domestic。　He　specified　the　scrambler　frequency；　the　time　and　the　place　of　reception；　and　said　he　had　to　speak　with　the　sender。　He　didn't　say　a　word　to　anyone　until　he　got　me　on　the　phone。'
　'Put　him　in　the　War　College；　Irwin；'　said　Conklin　grimly；　holding　his　cane。　'He's　brighter　than　most　of　the　clowns　you've　got　over　there。'
　That's　not　only　unnecessary；　Conklin；'　admonished　the　senator；　'but　patently　offensive。　Go　on；　please；　General。'
　Crawford　exchanged　looks　with　the　C。I。A。　man。　I　reached　Colonel　Paul　McClaren　in　New　York；　ordered　him　over　there；　and　told　him　to　do　absolutely　nothing　until　I　arrived。　I　then　phoned　Conklin　and　George　here；　and　we　flew　up　together。'
　'I　called　a　Bureau　print　team　in　Manhattan；'　added　Conklin。　'One　we've　used　before；　and　can　trust　I　didn't　tell　them　what　we　were　looking　for；　but　I　told　them　to　sweep　the　place　and　give　what　they　found　only　to　me。'　The　C。I。A。　man　stopped；　lifting　his　cane　in　the　direction　of　the　naval　officer。　Then　George　fed　them　thirty…seven　names；　all　men　whose　prints　we　knew　were　in　the　F。B。I。　files。　They　came　up　with　the　one　set　we　didn't　expect；　didn't　want。。。　didn't　believe。'
　'Delta's；'　said　the　senator。
　'Yes；'　concurred　the　naval　officer。　The　names　I　submitted　were　those　of　anyone　…　no　matter　how　remote　…　who　might　have　learned　the　address　of　Treadstone；　including；　incidentally；　all　of　us。　The　room　had　been　wiped　clean；　every　surface；　every　knob；　every　glass　…　except　one。　It　was　a　broken　brandy　glass；　only　a　few　fragments　in　the　corner　under　a　curtain；　but　it　was　enough。　The　prints　were　there：　third　and　index　fingers；　right　hand。'
　'You're　absolutely　positive？'　asked　the　senator　slowly。
　'The　prints　can't　lie；　sir；'　said　the　officer。　They　were　there；　moist　brandy　still　on　the　fragments。　Outside　this　room；　Delta's　the　only　one　who　knows　about　Seventy…first　Street'
　'Can　we　be　sure　of　that？　The　others　may　have　said　something。'
　'No　possibility；'　interrupted　the　brigadier…general。　'Abbott　would　never　have　revealed　it　and　Elliot　Stevens　wasn't　given　the　address　until　fifteen　minutes　before　he　got　there；　when　he　called　from　a　phone　booth。　Beyond　that；　assuming　the　worst；　he　would　hardly　ask　for　his　own　execution。'
　'What　about　Major　Webb？'　pressed　the　senator。
　The　major；'　replied　Crawford；　'was　radioed　the　address　by　me　after　he　landed　at　Kennedy　Airport　As　you　know；　it　was　a　G…Two　frequency　and　scrambled。　I　remind　you；　he　also　lost　his　life。'
　'Yes；　of　course。'　The　ageing　senator　shook　his　head。　'It's　unbelievable。　Why？'
　'I　should　like　to　bring　up　a　painful　subject；'　said　Brigadier…General　Crawford。　'At　the　outset；　I　was　not　enthusiastic　about　the　candidate。　I　understood　David's　reasoning　and　agreed　he　was　qualified；　but　if　you　recall；　he　wasn't　my　choice。'
　'I　wasn't　aware　we　had　that　many　choices；'　said　the　senator。　'We　had　a　man　…　a　qualified　man；　as　you　agreed　…　who　was　willing　to　go　in　deep　cover　for　an　indeterminate　length　of　tune；　risking　his　life　every　day；　severing　all　ties　with　his　past　How　many　such　men　exist？'
　'We　might　have　found　a　more　balanced　one；'　countered　the　brigadier。　'I　pointed　that　out　at　the　time。'
　'You　pointed　out；'　corrected　Conklin；　'your　own　definition　of　a　balanced　man；　which　I；　at　the　time；　pointed　out　was　a　crock。'
　'We　were　both　in　Medusa；　Conklin；'　said　Crawford；　angrily　yet　reasonably。　'You　don't　have　exclusive　insight。　Delta's　conduct　in　the　field　was　continuously　and　overtly　hostile　to　mand。　I　was　in　a　position　to　observe　that　pattern　somewhat　more　clearly　than　you。　'
　'Most　of　the　time　he　had　every　right　to　be。　If　you'd　spent　more　time　in　the　field　and　less　in　Saigon　you　would　have　understood　that。　I　understood　it。'
　'It　may　surprise　you；'　said　the　brigadier；　holding　his　hand　up　in　a　gesture　of　truce；　'but　I'm　not　defending　the　gross　stupidities　often　rampant　in　Saigon；　no　one　could。　I'm　trying　to　describe　a　pattern　of　behaviour　that　could　lead　to　the　night　before　last　on　Seventy…first　Street。'
　The　C。I。A。　man's　eyes　remained　on　Crawford；　his　hostility　vanished　as　he　nodded　his　head。　'I　know　you　are。　Sorry。　That's　the　crux　of　it；　isn't　it？　It's　not　easy　for　me；　I　worked　with　Delta　in　half　a　dozen　sectors；　was　stationed　with　him　in　Phnom…Penh　before　Medusa　was　even　a　gleam　in　the　Monk's　eye。　He　was　never　the　same　after　Phnom…Penh；　it's　why　he　went　into　Medusa；　why　he　was　willing　to　bee　Cain。'
　The　senator　leaned　forward　on　the　couch。　〃I've　heard　it；　but　tell　me　again。　The　President　has　to　know　everything。'
　'His　wife　and　two　children　were　killed　on　a　pier　in　the　Mekong　River；　bombed　and　strafed　by　a　stray　aircraft　…　nobody　knew　which　side's　…　the　identity　never　uncovered。　He　hated　that　war；　hated　everybody　in　it　He　snapped。'　Conklin　paused；　looking　up　at　the　brigadier。　'And　I　think　you're　right；　General。　He　snapped　again。　It　was　in　him。'　'What　was？〃　asked　the　senator　sharply。　The　explosion；　I　guess；'　said　Conklin。　The　dam　burst　He'd　gone　beyond　his　limits　and　the　hate　took　over。　It's　not　hard；　you　have　to　be　very　careful。　He　killed　those　men；　that　woman；　like　a　madman　on　a　deliberate　rampage。　None　of　them　expected　it；　except　perhaps　the　woman　who　was　upstairs　and　probably　heard　the　shouts；。。　He's　not　Delta　any　more。　We　created　a　myth　called　Cain；　only　it's　not　a　myth　any　longer。　It's　really　him。'
　'After　so　many　months。。。'　The　senator　leaned　back；　his　voice　trailing　off。　'Why　did　he　e　back？　From　where？'
　'From　Zurich；'　answered　Crawford。　'Webb　was　in　Zurich　and　I　think　he's　the　only　one　who　could　have　brought　him　back。　The　〃why〃　we　may　never　know　unless　he　expected　to　catch　all　of　us　there。'
　'He　doesn't　know　who　we　are；'　protested　the　senator。　'His　only　contacts　were　the　Yachtsman；　his　wife　and　David　Abbott。'
　'And　Webb；　of　course；'　added　the　general。
　'Of　course；'　agreed　the　senator。　'But　not　at　Treadstone；　not　even　him。'
　'It　wouldn't　matter；'　said　Conklin；　tapping　the　rug　once　with　his　cane。　'He　knows　〃there's　a　board；　Webb　might　have　told　him　we'd　all　be　there；　reasonably　expecting　that　we　would。　We've　got　a　lot　of　questions　…　six　months'　worth；　and　now　several　million　dollars。　Delta　would　consider　it　the　perfect　solution。　He　could　take　us　and　disappear。　No　traces。'
　'Why　are　you　so　certain？'
　'Because；　one；　he　was　there；'　replied　the　intelligence　man；　raising　his　voice。　'We　have　his　prints　on　a　glass　of　brandy　that　wasn't　even　finished。　And；　two；　it's　a　classic　trap　with　a　couple　of　hundred　variations。'
　'Would　you　explain　that？'
　'You　remain　silent；'　broke　in　the　general；　watching　Conklin；　'until　your　enemy　can't　stand　it　any　longer　and　exposes　himself。'
　'And　we've　bee　the　enemy？　His　enemy？'
　There's　no　question　about　it　now；'　said　the　naval　officer。　'For　whatever　reasons；　Delta's　turned。　It's　happened　before　thank　heaven；　not　very　often。　We　know　what　to　do。'
　The　senator　once　more　leaned　forward　on　the　couch。　'What　will　you　do？'
　'His　photograph　has　never　been　circulated；'　explained　Craw…ford。　'We'll　circulate　it　now。　To　every　station　and　listening　post；　every　source　and　informant　we　have。　He　has　to　go　somewhere；　and　he'll　start　with　a　place　he　knows；　if　only　to　buy　another　identity。　He'll　spend　money；　he'll　be　found。　When　he　is；　the　orders　will　be　clear。'
　'You'll　bring　him　in　at　once？'
　'We'll　kill　him；'　said　Conklin　simply。　'You　don't　bring　in　a　man　like　Delta；　and　you　don't　take　the　risk　that　a