jamesclavell.noblehouse-第94部分

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u'd　all　be　dead　or　in　goddamn　Siberia。　Meanwhile；　like　it　or　not　I　got　to　deal　with　you。　We　need　Hong　Kong　as　a　window　and　right　now　your　cops　to　guard　the　carrier。
　〃Rog；　thanks　for　the　extra　men；〃　he　said。　〃We　sure　appreciate　it。〃
　〃We　wouldn't　want　any　trouble　while　she's　here　either。　Pretty　ship。　I　envy　you　having　her。〃
　〃Her　captain'll　have　the　ship　and　crew　under　tight　wraps　…　the　shore　parties'll　all　be　briefed；　and　warned；　and　we'll　cooperate　a　hundred　percent。〃
　〃I'll　see　you　get　a　copy　of　the　list　of　bars　I've　suggested　your　sailors　stay　out　of　…　some're　known　munist　hangouts；　and　some　are　frequented　by　our　lads　off　H。M。S。　Dart。〃　Crosse　smiled。　〃There'll　still　be　the　odd　brawl。〃
　〃Sure。　Rog；　this　Voranski　killing's　too　much　of　a　coincidence。　Can　I　send　a　Shanghai　speaker　to　assist　the　interrogation？〃
　〃I'll　let　you　know　if　we　need　help。〃
　〃Can　we　have　our　copies　of　the　tai…pan's　other　AMG　reports　now？　Then　we　can　get　out　of　your　hair。〃
　Crosse　stared　back　at　him　twisting　uneasily；　even　though　he　was　prepared　for　the　question。　〃I'll　have　to　get　approval　from　Whitehall。〃
　Rosemont　was　surprised。　〃Our　top　man　in　England's　been　on　to　your　Great　White　Father　and　it's　approved。　You　should　have　had　it　an　hour　ago。〃
　〃Oh？〃
　〃Sure。　Hell；　we'd　no　idea　AMG　was　on　the　tai…pan's　payroll　let　alone　passing　classified　stuff　for　chrissake！　The　wires've　been　red　hot　since　Ed　got　the　top　copy　of　AMG's　last　will　and　testament。　We　got　an　all…points　from　Washington　on　getting　copies　of　the　other　reports　and　we're　trying　to　trace　the　call　to　Switzerland　but　…　〃
　〃Say　again？〃
　〃Kiernan's　call。　The　second　call　he　made。〃
　〃I　don't　follow　you。〃
　Rosemont　explained。
　Crosse　frowned。　〃My　people　didn't　tell　me　about　that。　Nor　did　Dunross。　Now　why　should　Dunross　lie　…　or　avoid　telling　me　that？〃　He　related　to　them　exactly　what　Dunross　had　told　him。　〃There　was　no　reason　for　him　to　hide　that；　was　there？〃
　〃No。　All　right；　Rog：　Is　the　tai…pan　kosher？〃
　Crosse　laughed。　〃If　you　mean　is　he　a　one　hundred　percent　British　Royalist　freebooter　whose　allegiance　is　to　his　House；　himself　and　the　Queen　…　not　necessarily　in　that　order　…　the　answer's　an　emphatic　yes。〃
　〃Then　if　we　can　have　our　copies　now；　Rog；　we'll　be　on　our　way。〃
　〃When　I've　got　Whitehall's　approval。〃
　〃If　you'll　check　your　decoding　room　…　it's　a　Priority　l…4a。　It　says　to　let　us　have　copies　on　receipt。〃
　1…4a's　were　very　rare。　They　called　for　immediate　clearance　and　immediate　action。
　Crosse　hesitated；　wanting　to　avoid　the　trap　he　was　in。　He　dared　not　tell　them　he　did　not　yet　have　possession　of　the　AMG　reports。　He　picked　up　the　phone　and　dialed。　〃This　is　Mr。　Crosse。　Is　their　anything　for　me　from　Source？　A　1…4a？〃
　〃No　sir。　Other　than　the　one　we　sent　up　an　hour　ago　…　that　you　signed　for；〃　the　SI　woman　said。
　〃Thank　you。〃　Crosse　put　the　phone　down。　〃Nothing　yet；〃　he　said。
　〃Shit；〃　Rosemont　muttered；　then　added；　〃They　swore　they'd　already　beamed　it　out　and　you'd　have　it　before　we　got　here。　It's　got　to　be　here　any　second。　If　you　don't　mind　we'll　wait。〃
　〃I've　an　appointment　in　Central　shortly。　Perhaps　later　this　evening？〃
　Both　men　shook　their　heads。　Langan　said；　〃We'll　wait。　We've　been　ordered　to　send　'em　back　instantly　by　hand　with　a　twenty…four…hour　guard。　An　army　transport's　due　now　at　Kai　Tak　to　carry　the　courier　…　we　can't　even　copy　them　here。〃
　〃Aren't　you　overreacting？〃
　〃You　could　answer　that。　What's　in　them？〃
　Crosse　toyed　with　his　lighter。　It　had　Cambridge　University　emblazoned　on　it。　He　had　owned　it　since　his　undergraduate　days。　〃Is　it　true　what　AMG　said　about　the　CIA　and　the　Mafia？〃
　Rosemont　stared　back　at　him。　〃I　don't　know。　You　guys　used　all　sort　of　crooks　during　World　War　Two。　We　learned　from　you　to　take　advantage　of　what　we've　got　…　that　was　your　first　rule。　Besides；〃　Rosemont　added　with　utter　conviction；　〃this　war's　our　war　and　whatever　it　takes　we're　going　to　win。〃
　〃Yes；　yes　we　must；〃　Langan　echoed；　equally　sure。　〃Because　if　we　lose　this　one；　the　whole　world's　gone　and　we'll　never　get　another　chance。〃
　
　On　the　closed…in　bridge　of　the　Sovetsky　Ivanov　three　men　had　binoculars　trained　on　the　nuclear　carrier。　One　of　the　men　was　a　civilian　and　he　wore　a　throat　mike　that　fed　into　a　tape　recorder。　He　was　giving　an　expert；　technical　running　mentary　of　what　he　saw。　From　time　to　time　the　other　two　would　add　a　ment。　Both　wore　light　naval　uniform。　One　was　Captain　Gregor　Suslev；　the　other　his　first　officer。
　The　carrier　was　ing　up　the　roads　nicely；　tugs　in　attendance；　but　no　tug　ropes。　Ferries　and　freighters　tooted　a　jaunty　wele。　A　marine　band　played　on　her　aft　deck。　White…clad　sailors　waved　at　passing　ships。　The　day　was　very　humid　and　the　afternoon　sun　cast　long　shadows。
　〃The　captain's　expert；〃　the　first　officer　said。
　〃Yes。　But　with　all　that　radar　even　a　child　could　handle　her；〃　Captain　Suslev　replied。　He　was　a　heavy…shouldered；　bearded　man；　his　Slavic　brown　eyes　deepset　in　a　friendly　face。　〃Those　sweepers　aloft　look　like　the　new　GEs　for　very　long…range　radar。　Are　they；　Vassili？〃
　The　technical　expert　broke　off　his　transmission　momentarily。　〃Yes；　rade　Captain。　But　look　aft！　They've　four　F5　interceptors　parked　on　the　right　flight　deck。〃
　Suslev　whistled　tonelessly。　〃They're　not　supposed　to　be　in　service　till　next　year。〃
　〃No；〃　the　civilian　said。
　〃Report　that　separately　as　soon　as　she　docks。　That　news　alone　pays　for　our　voyage。〃
　〃Yes。〃
　Suslev　fine…tuned　his　focus　now　as　the　ship　turned　slightly。　He　could　see　the　airplanes'　bomb　racks。　〃How　many　more　F5's　does　she　carry　in　her　guts；　and　how　many　atomic　warheads　for　them？〃
　They　all　watched　the　carrier　for　a　moment。
　〃Perhaps　we'll　get　lucky　this　time；　rade　Captain；〃　the　first　officer　said。
　〃Let's　hope　so。　Then　Voranski's　death　won't　be　so　expensive。〃
　〃The　Americans　are　fools　to　bring　her　here　…　don't　they　know　every　agent　in　Asia'll　be　tempted　by　her？〃
　〃It's　lucky　for　us　they　are。　It　makes　our　job　so　much　easier。〃　Once　more　Suslev　concentrated　on　the　F5's　that　looked　like　soldier　hornets　among　other　hornets。
　Around　him　the　bridge　was　massed　with　advanced　surveillance　equipment。　One　radar　was　sweeping　the　harbor。　A　gray…haired　impassive　sailor　watched　the　screen；　the　carrier　a　large　clear　blip　among　the　myriad　of　blips。
　Suslev's　binoculars　moved　to　the　carrier's　ominous　bridge　plex；　then　wandered　the　length　of　the　ship。　In　spite　of　himself　he　shivered　at　her　size　and　power。　〃They　say　she's　never　refueled　…　not　since　she　was　launched　in　1960。〃
　Behind　him　the　door　to　the　radio　room　that　adjoined　the　bridge　opened　and　a　radio　operator　came　up　to　him　and　saluted；　offering　the　cable。　〃Urgent　from　Center；　rade　Captain。〃
　Suslev　took　the　cable　and　signed　for　it。　It　was　a　meaningless　jumble　of　words。　A　last　look　at　the　carrier　and　he　let　the　binoculars　rest　on　his　chest　and　strode　off　the　bridge。　His　sea　cabin　was　just　aft　on　the　same　deck。　The　door　was　guarded；　like　both　entrances　to　the　bridge。
　He　relocked　his　cabin　door　behind　him　and　opened　the　small；　concealed　safe。　His　cipher　book　was　secreted　in　a　false　wall。　He　sat　at　his　desk。　Quickly　he　decoded　the　message。　He　read　it　carefully；　then　stared　into　space　for　a　moment。
　He　read　it　a　second　time；　then　replaced　the　cipher　book；　closed　the　safe　and　burned　the　original　of　the　cable　in　an　ashtray。　He　picked　up　his　phone。　〃Bridge？　Send　rade　Metkin　to　my　cabin！〃　While　he　waited　he　stood　by　the　porthole　lost　in　thought。　His　cabin　was　untidy。　Photographs　of　a　heavyset　woman；　smiling　self…consciously；　were　on　his　desk　in　a　frame。　Another　of　a　good…looking　youth　in　naval　uniform；　and　a　girl　in　her　teens。　Books；　a　tennis　racket　and　a　newspaper　on　the　half…made　bunk。
　A　knock。　He　unlocked　the　door。　The　sailor　who　had　been　staring　at　the　radar　screen　stood　there。
　〃e　in；　Dimitri。〃　Suslev　motioned　at　the　decoded　cable　and　relocked　the　door　after　him。
　The　sailor　was　short　and　squat；　with　graying　hair　and　a　good　face。　He　was；　officially；　political　missar　and　therefore　senior　officer　on　the　ship。　He　picked　up　the　decoded　message。　It　read：　〃Priority　One。　Gregor　Suslev。　You　will　assume　Voranski's　duties　and　responsibilities　at　once。　London　reports　optimum　CIA　and　MI…6　interest　in　information　contain