jamesclavell.noblehouse-第249部分

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　〃I　would；〃　Sinders　replied　without　turning　to　look　at　him。
　〃Sir　Geoffrey's　much　too　clever　to　do　that；〃　Crosse　said。　〃He　won't　shred　the　originals　until　your　copy's　safely　in　the　minister's　hands；　just　in　case　you　don't　arrive。　Even　so　he's　far　too　shrewd　to　read　something　that　could　be　an　embarrassment　to　Her　Majesty's　plenipotentiary　and　therefore　Her　Majesty's　Government。〃
　Again　there　was　a　silence。
　Then；　unable　to　hold　back　anymore；　Rosemont　said　coldly；　〃What　about　Metkin？　Eh？　Where　was　the　foul…up；　Rog？〃
　〃Bombay。　The　aircraft　had　to　have　been　sabotaged　there；　if　it　was　sabotage。〃
　〃For　chrissake；　Rog；　gotta　be。　Of　course　someone　was　tipped。　Where　was　the　leak？　Your　goddamn　mole　again？〃　He　waited　but　neither　man　answered　him。　〃What　about　the　Ivanov；　Rog？　You　going　to　impound　her　and　make　a　sudden　search？〃
　〃The　governor　checked　with　London　and　they　thought　it　unwise　to　create　an　incident。〃
　〃What　the　hell　do　those　meatheads　know？〃　Rosemont　said　angrily。　〃She's　a　spy　ship；　for　chrissake！　Betcha　fifty　to　a　bent　hatpin　we'd　get　current　code　books；　a　look　at　the　best　surveillance　gear　in　the　USSR　and　five　or　six　KGB　experts。　Huh？〃
　〃Of　course　you're　right；　Mr。　Rosemont；〃　Sinders　said　thinly。　〃But　we　can't；　not　without　the　necessary　approval。〃
　〃Let　me　and　my　guys　d…　〃
　〃Absolutely　not！〃　Irritably　Sinders　took　out　his　cigarettes。　The　pack　was　empty。　Crosse　offered　his。
　〃So　you're　going　to　let　'em　get　away　with　it？〃
　〃I'm　going　to　invite　the　captain；　Captain　Suslev；　to　HQ　tomorrow　and　ask　him　for　an　explanation；〃　Sinders　said。
　〃I'd　like　to　be　party　to　that。〃
　〃I'll　consider　it。〃
　〃You'll　have　an　official　okay　before　9：00　a。m。〃
　Sinders　snapped；　〃Sorry；　Mr。　Rosemont；　but　if　I　wish　I　can　override　any　directives　from　your　brass　while　I'm　here。〃
　〃We're　allies　for　chrissake！〃
　Crosse　said　sharply；　〃Then　why　did　you　raid　32　Sinclair　Towers；　uninvited？〃
　Rosemont　sighed　and　told　them。
　Thoughtfully　Sinders　glanced　at　Crosse；　then　back　at　Rosemont。　〃Who　told　you　that　it　was　an　enemy　safe　house；　Mr。　Rosemont？〃
　〃We've　a　wide　network　of　informers　here。　It　was　part　of　a　debriefing。　I　can't　tell　you　who　but　I'll　give　you　copies　of　the　sets　of　fingerprints　off　the　glass　we　got　if　you　want　them。〃
　Sinders　said；　〃That　would　be　very　useful。　Thank　you。〃
　〃That　still　doesn't　absolve　you　from　a　fatuous；　unauthorized　raid；〃　Crosse　said　coldly。
　〃I　said　I'm　sorry；　okay？〃　Rosemont　flared　and　his　chin　jutted。　〃We　all　make　mistakes。　Like　Philby；　Burgess　and　Maclean！　London's　so　goddamn　smart；　eh？　We've　a　hot　tip　you've　a　fourth　guy　…　higher　up；　equally　well　placed　and　laughing　at　you。〃
　Crosse　and　Sinders　were　startled。　They　glanced　at　one　another。　Then　Sinders　craned　around。　〃Who？〃
　〃If　I　knew；　he'd　be　jumped。　Philby　got　away　with　so　much　of　our　stuff　it　cost　us　millions　to　regroup　and　recode。〃
　Sinders　said；　〃Sorry　about　Philby。　Yes；　we　all　feel　very　bad　about　him。〃
　〃We　all　make　mistakes　and　the　only　sin's　failure；　right？　If　I'd　caught　a　couple　of　enemy　agents　last　night　you'd　be　cheering。　So　I　failed。　I　said　I'm　sorry；　okay？　I'll　ask　next　time；　okay？〃
　Crosse　said；　〃You　won't　but　it　would　save　us　all　a　lot　of　grief　if　you　did。〃
　〃What　have　you　heard　about　a　fourth　man？〃　Sinders　asked；　his　face　pale；　the　stubble　of　his　beard　making　him　appear　even　more　soiled　than　he　was。
　〃Last　month　we　busted　another　mie　ring；　Stateside。　Shit；　they're　like　roaches。　This　cell　was　four　people；　two　in　New　York；　two　in　Washington。　The　guy　in　New　York　was　Ivan　Egorov；　another　officer　in　the　UN　Secretariat。〃　Rosemont　added　bitterly；　〃Jesus；　why　don't　our　side　wake　up　that　the　goddamn　UN's　riddled　with　plants；　and　the　best　Soviet　weapon　since　they　stole　our　goddamn　bomb！　We　caught　Ivan　Egorov　and　his　wife　Alessandra　passing　industrial　espionage　secrets；　puters。　The　guys　in　Washington；　both'd　taken　American　names　of　real　people　who　were　dead：　a　Roman　Catholic　priest　and　a　woman　from　Connecticut。　The　four　bastards　were　tied　in　with　a　joker　from　the　Soviet　Embassy；　an　attaché　who　was　their　controller。　We　pounced　on　him　trying　to　recruit　one　of　our　CIA　guys　to　spy　for　them。　Sure。　But　before　we　ordered　him　out　of　the　States；　we　frightened　him　enough　to　blow　the　cover　on　the　other　four。　One　of　them　tipped　us　that　Philby　wasn't　kingpin；　that　there　was　a　fourth　man。〃
　Sinders　coughed　and　lit　another　cigarette　from　the　stub　of　the　other。　〃What　did　he　say。　Exactly？〃
　〃Only　that　Philby's　cell　was　four。　The　fourth's　the　guy　who　inducted　the　others；　the　controller　of　the　cell　and　the　main　link　to　the　Soviets。　Rumor　was　he's　up　there。　VVIP。〃
　〃What　sort？　Political？　Foreign　Office？　Gentry？〃
　Rosemont　shrugged。　〃Just　VVIP。〃
　Sinders　stared　at　him；　then　went　back　into　his　shell。　Crosse　swung　into　Sinclair　Road；　and　stopped　at　his　own　apartment　to　let　Sinders　off；　then　drove　to　the　consulate　that　was　near　Government　House。　Rosemont　got　a　copy　of　the　fingerprints　then　guided　Crosse　to　his　office。　The　office　was　large　and　well　stocked　with　liquor。　〃Scotch？〃
　〃Vodka　with　a　dash　of　Rose's　lime　juice；〃　Crosse　said；　eyeing　the　AMG　files　that　Rosemont　had　put　carelessly　on　his　desk。
　〃Health。〃　They　touched　glasses。　Rosemont　drank　his　Scotch　deeply。　〃What's　on　your　mind；　Rog？　You've　been　like　a　cat　on　a　hot　tin　roof　all　day。〃
　Crosse　nodded　at　the　files。　〃It's　them。　I　want　that　mole。　I　want　Sevrin　smashed。〃
　Rosemont　frowned。　〃Okay；〃　he　said　after　a　pause；　〃let's　see　what　we　got。〃
　He　picked　up　the　first　file；　put　his　feet　on　the　desk　and　began　reading。　It　took　him　barely　a　couple　of　minutes　to　finish；　then　he　passed　it　over　to　Crosse　who　read　equally　fast。　Quickly　they　went　through　the　files　one　by　one。　Crosse　closed　the　last　page　of　the　last　one　and　handed　it　back。　He　lit　a　cigarette。
　〃Too　much　to　ment　on　now；〃　Rosemont　muttered　absently。
　Crosse　caught　an　undercurrent　in　the　American's　voice　and　wondered　if　he　was　being　tested。　〃One　thing　jumps　out；〃　he　said；　watching　Rosemont。　〃These　don't　pare　in　quality　with　the　other　one；　the　one　we　intercepted。〃
　Rosemont　nodded。　〃I　got　that　too；　Rog。　How　do　you　figure　it？〃
　〃These　seem　flat。　All　sorts　of　questions　are　unanswered。　Sevrin's　skirted；　so's　the　mole。〃　Crosse　toyed　with　his　vodka　then　finished　it。　〃I'm　disappointed。〃
　Rosemont　broke　the　silence。　〃So　either　the　one　we　got　was　unique　and　different；　written　differently；　or　these're　phonies　or　phonied　up？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　Rosemont　exhaled。　〃Which　leads　back　to　Ian　Dunross。　If　these're　phony；　he's　still　got　the　real　ones。〃
　〃Either　actually；　or　in　his　head。〃
　〃What　do　you　mean？〃
　〃He's　supposed　to　have　a　photographic　memory。　He　could　have　destroyed　the　real　ones　and　prepared　these；　but　still　remember　the　others。〃
　〃Ah；　so　he　could　be　debriefed　if　he　。。。　if　he's　cheated　us。〃
　Crosse　lit　another　cigarette。　〃Yes。　If　the　powers…that…be　decided　it　was　necessary。〃　He　looked　up　at　Rosemont。　〃Of　course；　any　such　debriefing　would　be　highly　dangerous　and　would　have　to　be　ordered　solely　under　the　Official　Secrets　Act。〃
　Rosemont's　used　face　became　even　grimmer。　〃Should　I　take　the　ball　and　run？〃
　〃No。　First　we　have　to　be　sure。　That　should　be　relatively　easy。〃　Crosse　glanced　at　the　liquor　cabinet。　〃May　I？〃
　〃Sure。　I'll　take　another　shot　of　whiskey。〃
　Crosse　handed　him　the　refill。　〃I'll　make　a　deal　with　you：　You　really　cooperate；　pletely；　you　don't　do　anything　without　telling　me　in　advance；　no　secrets；　no　jumping　the　gun　。。。〃
　〃In　return　for？〃
　Crosse　smiled　his　thin　smile　and　took　out　some　photocopies。　〃How　would　you　like　to　influence；　perhaps　even　control；　certain　presidential　hopefuls　…　perhaps　even　an　election？〃
　〃I　don't　follow　you。〃
　Crosse　passed　over　the　letters　of　Thomas　K。　K。　Lim　that　Armstrong　and　his　team　had　acquired　in　the　raid　on　Bucktooth　Lo　two　days　before。　〃It　seems　that　certain　very　rich；　very　well…connected　U。S。　families　are　in　league　with　certain　U。S。　generals　to　build　several　large　but　unnecessary　airfields　in　Vietnam；　for　personal　gain。　This　documents　the　how；　when　and　who。〃　Crosse　told　him　where　and　how　the　papers　had　been　found　and　added；　〃Isn't　Senator　Wilf　Tillman；　the　one　that's　here　now；　a　presidential　hopeful？　I　imagine　he'd　make　you　head　of　the　CIA　for　these　goodie