jamesclavell.noblehouse-第259部分

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　62
　
　9：32　A。M。：
　The　JAL　jet　from　Tokyo　came　in　low　over　the　sea　and　touched　down　perfectly　at　Kai　Tak　with　a　puff　of　smoke　from　its　wheels。　At　once　its　engines　went　into　reverse　thrust　and　it　howled　toward　the　airport　plex；　decelerating。
　Passengers；　aircrew　and　visitors　were　milling　in　the　busy　terminal；　Customs　and　Immigration　and　waiting　areas。　Outward…bound　was　easy。　Ining　was　mostly　easy。　Except　for　Japanese　nationals。　Chinese　have　long　memories。　The　years　of　the　Japanese　war　occupation　of　China　and　Hong　Kong　were　too　near；　too　strong；　too　vicious　to　forget。　Or　to　forgive。　So　Japanese　nationals　were　checked　more　thoroughly。　Even　members　of　the　JAL　crew　now　going　through；　even　the　pert；　pretty；　polite　air　hostesses；　some　of　whom　were　hardly　alive　when　that　occupation　had　ended；　they　too　were　given　back　their　travel　documents　with　a　frigid　stare。
　Next　to　them　in　line　was　an　American。　'〃Morning；〃　he　said　handing　his　passport　to　the　official。
　'〃Morning。〃　The　young　Chinese　flipped　the　book　open　and　glanced　at　the　photograph　and　at　the　man　and　leafed　through　to　find　the　visa。　Unnoticed；　his　foot　touched　a　hidden　switch。　This　alerted　Crosse　and　Sinders　who　were　in　a　nearby　observation　office。　They　went　to　the　one…way　mirror　and　looked　at　the　man　waiting　at　immigration　in　front　of　one　of　the　six　crowded　lines　of　passengers。
　The　passport；　a　year　old；　said；　〃Vincenzo　Banastasio；　male；　born　New　York　City；　August　16；　1910。　Hair　gray；　eyes　brown。〃　Casually　the　official　checked　the　other　visas　and　stamps：　England；　Spain；　Italy；　Holland；　Mexico；　Venezuela；　Japan。　He　stamped　the　dull　gray　book；　handed　it　back　nonmittally。
　Banastasio　walked　through　to　Customs；　an　expensive　crocodile　briefcase　under　his　arm；　carrying　duty…free　liquor　in　a　gaudy　plastic　carrier；　camera　swinging　off　his　shoulder。'
　〃Good…looking　fellow；〃　Sinders　said。　〃He　takes　care　of　himself。〃　They　saw　him　disappear　into　the　crowds。　Crosse　clicked　on　the　portable　CB。　〃Do　you　have　him　covered？〃　he　asked　into　it。
　〃Yes　sir；〃　came　the　instant　answer。
　〃I'll　keep　monitoring　this　frequency。　Keep　me　advised。〃
　〃Yes　sir。〃
　To　Sinders；　Crosse　said；　〃We'll　have　no　problem　tailing　him。〃
　〃No。　Glad　I've　seen　him。　I　always　like　to　see　an　enemy　in　the　flesh。〃
　〃Is　he？　Enemy？〃
　〃Mr。　Rosemont　thinks　so。　Don't　you？〃
　〃I　meant　our　enemy。　I'm　sure　he's　a　crook　…　I　meant　I'm　not　sure　he's　tied　into　Intelligence。〃
　Sinders　sighed。　〃You've　checked　the　bugs？〃
　〃Yes。〃　Late　last　night　a　team　of　SI　experts　had　secretly　put　bugs　into　the　bedroom　Banastasio　had　booked　at　the　Hilton。　Also　the　office　and　private　suite　of　Photographer　Ng；　Vee　Cee　Ng。
　They　waited　patiently。　On　the　table　the　CB　hissed　and　crackled　slightly。
　After　a　pause　Sinders　said　absently；　〃What　about　our　other　client？〃
　〃Who？　Kwok？〃
　〃Yes。　How　long　do　you　think　it'll　take？〃
　〃Not　long。〃　Crosse　smiled　to　himself。　〃When　do　you　put　him　into　the　Red　Room？〃
　〃I　thought　noon　might　be　rather　apt。　Before　if　he's　ready。〃
　〃Armstrong'll　do　the　interrogation？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃Armstrong's　a　good　man。　He　handled　himself　very　well　at　the　Ivanov。〃
　〃Next　time　would　you　mind　keeping　me　advised？　After　all；　this　is　my　area。〃
　〃Certainly；　Roger。　It　was　a　sudden　decision　by　London。〃
　〃What's　the　idea？　About　the　Sunday　summons。〃
　〃The　minister　is　sending　special　instructions。〃　Sinders　frowned。　〃Brian　Kwok's　records　say　he's　strong。　We　don't　have　too　much　time。　He'll've　been　well　indoctrinated　to　be　hidden　so　deep；　so　long。〃
　〃Oh　yes。　But　I'm　quite　confident。　Since　I　had　the　room　built　I've　experimented　on　myself　three　times。　The　most　I've　ever　stayed　was　five　minutes　and　each　time　I　was　sick　as　a　dog　…　and　that　was　without　any　disorientation　scheduling。　I'm　confident　we'll　have　no　problem。〃　Crosse　stubbed　out　his　cigarette。　〃It's　very　effective　…　an　exact　pattern　of　the　KGB　prototype。〃
　After　a　moment　Sinders　said；　〃Pity　these　methods　have　to　be　used。　Very　dicey。　Disgusting　really。　I　preferred　it　when　。。。　well；　even　then；　I　suppose　our　profession　was　never　really　clean。〃
　〃You　mean　during　the　war？〃
　〃Yes。　I　must　say　I　preferred　it　then。　Then　there　was　no　hypocrisy　on　the　part　of　some　of　our　leaders　…　or　the　media。　Everyone　understood　we　were　at　war。　But　today　when　our　very　survival's　threatened　we　…　〃　Sinders　stopped；　then　pointed。　〃Look；　Roger；　isn't　that　Rosemont？〃　The　American　was　standing　with　another　man　by　the　exit　door。
　〃Yes；　yes　it　is。　That's　Langan　with　him。　The　FBI　man；〃　Crosse　said。　〃Last　night　I　agreed　to　a　joint　effort　with　him　on　Banastasio　though　I　do　wish　those　bloody　CIA'd　leave　us　alone　to　do　our　job。〃
　〃Yes。　They　really　are　being　quite　difficult。〃
　Crosse　picked　up　the　CB　and　led　the　way　outside。　〃Stanley；　we've　got　him　well　covered。　We　agreed　last　night　that　on　this　operation　we　handle　this　part；　you　handle　the　hotel。　Right？〃
　〃Sure；　sure；　Rog。　'Morning；　Mr。　Sinders。〃　Grim…faced；　Rosemont　introduced　Langan　who　was　equally　taut。　〃We're　not　interfering；　Rog；　though　that　bum　is　one　of　our　nationals。　That's　not　the　reason　we're　here。　I'm　just　seeing　Ed　off。〃
　〃Oh？〃
　〃Yes；〃　Langan　said。　He　was　as　tired　and　gaunt　as　Rosemont。　〃It's　those　photocopies；　Rog。　Thomas　К。　К。　Lim's　papers。　I've　got　to　deliver　them　personally。　To　the　Bureau。　I　read　part　to　my　chief　and　his　pots　blew　and　he　began　to　e　apart　at　the　seams。〃
　〃I　can　imagine。〃
　〃There's　a　request　on　your　desk　to　let　us　have　the　originals　and　th…　〃
　〃No　chance；〃　Sinders　said　for　Crosse。
　Langan　shrugged。　〃There's　a　request　on　your　desk；　Rog。　Guess　your　brass'll　send　orders　from　heaven　if　ours　really　need　them。　I'd　better　get　on　board。　Listen；　Rog；　we　can't　thank　you　enough。　We　…　I　owe　you　one。　Those　bastards　。。。　yeah　we　owe　you　one。〃　They　shook　hands　and　he　hurried　off　onto　the　tarmac。
　〃Which　piece　of　information　blew　the　seams；　Mr。　Rosemont？〃
　〃They're　all　lethal；　Mr。　Sinders。　It's　a　coup　for　us；　for　us　and　the　Bureau；　mostly　the　Bureau。　Ed　said　his　folk　went　into　hysterics。　The　political　implications　for　Democrats　and　Republicans　are　immense。　You　were　right。　If　Senator　Tillman　…　the　presidential　hopeful　who's　in　town　right　now　…　if　he　got　hold　of　those　papers；　there's　no　telling　what　he'd　do。〃　Rosemont　was　no　longer　his　usual　good…humored　self。　〃My　brass　telexed　our　South　American　contacts　to　put　an　all…points　on　Thomas　К。　К。　Lim　so　we'll　be　interviewing　him　pretty　damn　soon　…　you'll　get　a　copy　don't　worry。　Rog；　was　there　anything　else？〃
　〃I　beg　your　pardon？〃
　〃With　these　choice　pieces；　were　there　others　we　could　use？〃
　Crosse　smiled　without　humor。　〃Of　course。　How　about　a　blueprint　for　financing　a　private　revolution　in　Indonesia？〃
　〃Oh　Jesus　。。。〃
　〃Yes。　How　about　photostats　of　arrangements　for　payments　into　a　French　bank　account　of　a　very　important　Vietnamese　lady　and　gentleman　…　for　specific　favors　granted？〃
　Rosemont　had　gone　chalky。　〃What　else？〃
　〃Isn't　that　enough？〃
　〃Is　there　more？〃
　〃For　chrissake；　Stanley；　of　course　there's　more；　you　know　it；　we　know　it。　There'll　always　be　more。〃
　〃Can　we　have　them　now？〃
　Sinders　said；　〃What　can　you　do　for　us？〃
　Rosemont　stared　at　them。　〃Over　lunch　we'll　ta…　〃
　The　CB　crackled　into　life。　〃The　target's　got　his　bags　now　and　he's　walking　out　of　Customs；　heading　for　the　taxi　rank　。。。　Now　he's　。。。　Now　he's　。。。　ah；　someone's　meeting　him；　a　Chinese；　good…looking　man；　expensive　clothes；　don't　recognize　him。　。。。　They're　going　over　to　a　Rolls；　registration　HK　。。。　ah；　that's　the　hotel　limousine。　Both　men're　getting　in。〃
　Into　the　sender　Crosse　said；　〃Stay　on　this　frequency。〃　He　switched　frequencies。　Static　and　muffled　traffic　and　noise。
　Rosemont　brightened。　〃You　bugged　the　limo？〃　Crosse　nodded。　〃Great；　Rog。　I'd've　missed　that！〃
　They　listened；　then　clearly；　〃。。。　good　of　you　to　meet　me；　Vee　Cee；〃　Banastasio　was　saying。　〃Hell　you　shouldn't've　e　all　this　wa…　〃
　〃Oh　it's　my　pleasure；〃　the　cultured　voice　replied。　〃We　can　chat　in　the　car；　perhaps　that'll　save　you　ing　to　the　office　and　then　in　Ma…　〃
　〃Sure　。。。　sure；〃　the　American　voice　overrode　the　other　man。　〃Listen；　I　got　something　for　you；　Vee　Cee　。。。〃　Muffled　sounds　then　a　sudden　high…pitched　whine　that　totally　dominated　the　airwave；　pletely　obliterating　the　clarity　and　vo