tc.redrabbit-第131部分

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　　　The　man　who　came　into　view　might　have　been　Hudson's　twin；　except　for　the　hair；　which　was　black。　He　was　also　two　or　three　inches　taller；　Jack　decided　on　second　inspection。　He　went　forward　to　get　the　Rabbits　out　of　the　boxes。　That　happened　in　a　hurry；　and　Ryan　helped　them　down；　hand　ing　the　little　girl…remarkably；　still　asleep…to　her　mother；　who　looked　more　confused　than　ever。
　　　Hudson　walked　them　to　a　car；　a　station　wagon…〃estate　wagon〃　to　the　Brits…which　would　at　least　have　ample　room　for　everyone。
　　　〃Sir　John…Jack；　that　is…well　done；　and　thanks　for　all　your　help。〃
　　　〃I　didn't　do　shit；　Andy；　but　you　handled　this　pretty　damned　well；〃　Ryan　said；　taking　his　hand。　〃e　see　me　in　London　for　a　pint　sometime。〃
　　　〃That　I　shall　do；〃　Hudson　promised。
　　　The　estate　wagon　was　a　British　Ford。　Ryan　helped　the　Rabbits　into　their　seats　and　then　took　the　right…front　again。
　　　〃Mr。　Lucas；　where　do　we　go　now？〃
　　　〃To　the　airport。　Our　flight　is　waiting；〃　the　Belgrade　COS　replied。
　　　〃Oh？　Special　flight？〃
　　　〃No；　the　mercial　aircraft　is　experiencing　'technical　difficulties'　at　the　moment。　I　rather　expect　they　will　be　cleared　up　about　the　time　we　get　aboard。〃
　　　〃Good　to　know；〃　Ryan　observed。　Better　this　than　a　real　broken　airplane；　then　he　realized　that　one　more　harrowing　adventure　lay　ahead。　His　hatred　of　flying　was　suddenly　back；　now　that　they　were　in　semi…free　country。
　　　〃Right；　let's　be　off；〃　Lucas　said；　starting　his　engine　and　pulling　off。
　　　Whatever　sort　of　spook　Vic　Lucas　was；　he　must　have　thought　himself　Stirling　Moss's　smarter　brother。　The　car　rocketed　down　the　road　into　the　Yugoslavian　darkness。
　　　〃So；　how　has　your　night　been；　Jack？〃
　　　〃Eventful；〃　Ryan　answered；　making　sure　his　seat　belt　was　properly　fastened。
　　　The　countryside　here　was　better　lit　and　the　road　better　engineered　and　maintained；　or　so　it　seemed；　flashing　by　at　what　felt　like　seventy…five　miles　per　hour；　rather　fast　for　a　strange　road　in　the　dark。　Robby　Jackson　drove　like　this；　but　Robby　was　a　fighter　pilot；　and　therefore　invincible　while　at　the　controls　of　any　transportation　platform。　This　Vic　Lucas　must　have　felt　the　same　way；　calmly　looking　forward　and　turning　the　wheel　in　short；　sharp　increments。　In　the　back；　Oleg　was　still　tense；　and　Irina　still　trying　to　e　to　terms　with　some　new　and　inprehensible　reality；　while　their　little　daughter　continued　to　sleep　like　a　diminutive　angel。　Ryan　was　chain…smoking。　It　seemed　to　help　somewhat；　though　if　Cathy　smelled　it　on　his　breath　there　would　be　hell　to　pay。　Well；　she'd　just　have　to　understand；　Jack　thought；　watching　telephone　poles　flash　by　the　car　like　fence　pickets。　He　was　doing　Uncle　Sam's　business。
　　　Then　Ryan　saw　a　police　car　sitting　by　the　side　of　the　road；　its　officers　sipping　coffee　or　sleeping　through　their　watch。
　　　〃Not　to　worry；〃　Lucas　said。　〃Diplomatic　tags。　I　am　the　senior　political　counselor　at　Her　Britannic　Majesty's　Embassy。　And　you　good　people　are　my　guests。〃
　　　〃You　say　so；　man。　How　much　longer？〃
　　　〃Half　an　hour；　roughly。　Traffic's　been　very　kind　to　us　so　far。　Not　much　truck　traffic。　This　road　can　be　crowded；　even　late　at　night　with　cross…border　trade。　That　Kovacs　chap's　been　working　with　us　for　years。　I　could　make　quite　a　good　living　in　partnership　with　him。　He　often　brings　those　Hungarian　tape　machines　this　way。　They're　decent　machines；　and　they're　giving　the　bloody　things　away；　what　with　the　labor　costs　in　Hungary。　Surprising　they　don't　try　to　sell　them　in　the　West；　though　I　expect　they'd　have　to　pay　the　Japanese　for　the　patent　infringements。　Not　too　scrupulous　about　such　things　on　the　other　side　of　the　line；　you　see。〃　Lucas　took　another　high…speed　turn。
　　　〃Jesus；　guy；　how　fast　do　you　go　in　daylight？〃
　　　〃Not　much　faster　than　this。　Good　night　vision；　you　see；　but　the　suspension　on　this　car　slows　me　down。　American　design；　you　see。　Too　soft　for　proper　handling。〃
　　　〃So　buy　a　Corvette。　Friend　of　mine　has　one。〃
　　　〃Lovely　things；　but　made　out　of　plastic。〃　Lucas　shook　his　head　and　reached　for　a　cigar。　Probably　a　Cuban　one；　Ryan　was　sure。　They　loved　the　things　in　England。
　　　Half　an　hour　later；　Lucas　congratulated　himself。　〃There　it　is。　Just　on　time。〃
　　　Airports　are　airports　all　over　the　world。　The　same　architect　probably　designed　them　all；　Ryan　thought。　The　only　differences　were　the　signs　for　the　rest　rooms。　In　England　they　called　them　toilets；　which　had　always　struck　him　as　a　little　crude　in　an　otherwise　gentle　country。　Then　he　got　a　surprise。　Instead　of　driving　to　the　terminal；　Lucas　took　the　path　through　the　open　gate　right　onto　the　flight　line。
　　　〃I　have　an　arrangement　with　the　airport　manager；〃　he　explained。　〃He　likes　single　malts。〃　Still　and　all；　Lucas　stayed　on　the　yellow…lined　car　path；　right　to　a　lonely　aircraft　jetway　with　an　airliner　parked　next　to　it。　〃Here　we　are；〃　the　Brit　spook　announced。
　　　They　all　stepped　out　of　the　car；　this　time　with　Mrs。　Rabbit　holding　the　Bunny。　Lucas　led　them　up　the　exterior　stairs　into　the　jetway's　control　booth；　and　from　there　right　into　the　aircraft's　open　door。
　　　The　captain；　hatless　but　wearing　four　stripes　on　his　shoulders；　was　standing　right　there。　〃You're　Mr。　Lucas？〃
　　　〃That　is　correct；　Captain　Rogers。　And　here　are　your　extra　passengers。〃　He　pointed　to　Ryan　and　the　Rabbit　family。
　　　〃Excellent。〃　Captain　Rogers　turned　to　his　lead　stew。　〃We　can　board　the　aircraft　now。〃
　　　The　second…ranking　flight　attendant　took　them　to　the　four　front…row　first…class　seats；　where　Ryan　was　singularly　surprised　to　be　happy　belting　himself　in　to　1…B；　the　aisle　seat　just　behind　the　front　bulkhead。　He　watched　thirty　or　so　working…class　passengers　e　aboard　after　sunning　themselves　on　the　Dalmatian　Coast…a　favorite　for　Brits　of　late…none　of　them　looking　very　happy　for　the　three…hour　delay　on　what　was　already　supposed　to　be　the　day's　last　flight　to　Manchester。　Things　happened　quickly　after　that。　He　heard　both　engines　start　up；　and　then　the　BAC…111…the　British　counterpart　to　the　Douglas　DC…9…backed　away　from　the　jetway　and　taxied　out　on　the　ramp。
　　　〃What　now？〃　Oleg　asked；　in　what　was　almost　a　normal　voice。
　　　〃We　fly　to　England；〃　Ryan　replied。　〃Two　hours　or　so；　I　guess；　and　we'll　be　there。〃
　　　〃So　easy？〃
　　　〃You　think　this　was　easy？〃　Ryan　asked；　with　no　small　amount　of　incredulity　in　his　voice。　Then　the　inter　turned　on。
　　　〃Ladies　and　gentlemen；　this　is　Captain　Rogers　speaking。　I　am　glad　to　say　that　we　finally　got　the　electronic　problem　repaired。　Thank　you　ever　so　much　for　your　patience；　and　after　we　lift　off；　the　drinks　will　be　free　to　all　passengers。〃　That　evoked　a　cheer　from　the　back　of　the　aircraft。　〃For　the　moment；　please　pay　attention　to　the　flight　attendants　for　your　safety　message。〃
　　　Put　your　seat　belts　on；　dummies；　and　they　work　like　this；　for　those　of　you　stupid　enough　not　to　notice　that　you　have　the　fucking　things　in　your　personal　automobiles；　too。　And　then　in　three　more　minutes　the　British　Midlands　airliner　clawed　its　way　into　the　sky。
　　　As　promised；　before　they'd　gotten　to　ten　thousand　feet；　the　no…smoking　light　dinged　off　and　the　drink　cart　arrived。　The　Russian　asked　for　vodka　and　got　three　miniatures　of　Finlandia。　Ryan　got　himself　a　glass　of　wine　and　the　promise　of　more。　He　wouldn't　sleep　on　this　flight；　but　he　wouldn't　worry　as　much　as　usual；　either。　He　was　leaving　the　munist　world　behind　at　five　hundred　miles　per　hour；　and　that　was　probably　the　best　way　to　do　it。
　　　Oleg　Ivan'ch；　he　saw；　drank　vodka　as　though　it　were　water　after　a　hot　day　of　cutting　the　grass。　His　wife；　over　in　1…C；　was　doing　the　same。　Ryan　felt　positively　virtuous　sipping　gently　at　his　French　wine。
　　　〃Signal　in　from　Basil；〃　Bostock　reported　over　the　phone。　〃The　Rabbit　is　in　the　air。　ETA　Manchester　in　ninety　minutes。〃
　　　〃Great；〃　Judge　Moore　breathed；　relieved　as　always　when　a　black　operation　worked　out　as　planned。　Better　still；　they'd　run　it　without　Bob　Ritter；　who；　though　a　good　man；　was　not　entirely　indispensable。
　　　〃Three　more　days　and　we　can　debrief　him；〃　Bostock　said　next。　〃The　nice　house　out　by　Winchester？〃
　　　〃Yeah；　we'll　see　if　he　likes　horse　country。〃　The　house　even　had　a　Steinway　piano　for　Mrs。　Rabbit　to　play　and　lots　of　green　for　the　kid　to　run　around　on。
　　　Alan　Kingshot　was　just　pulling　into　the　parking　area　at　the　Manchester　airport；　alon