tc.redrabbit-第149部分

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　　　〃Parade　sword；　just　for　ceremonial　occasions。　You　probably　couldn't　cut　cold　butter　with　it；〃　Sparrow　said。　〃Nearly　trampled　the　bastard　with　his　horse；　though。〃
　　　〃The　Secret　Service　would　have　dropped　him　on　the　spot。　Sure；　the　gun　was　loaded　with　blanks；〃　Ryan　said；　〃but　it　damned　sure　looked　and　sounded　like　the　real　thing。　Her　Majesty　kept　her　head　screwed　on　pretty　tight。　I　would　have　shit　myself。〃
　　　〃I'm　sure　Her　Majesty　availed　herself　of　the　proper　facilities　at　Westminster　Palace。　She　has　her　own　loo　there；　you　know；〃　King　told　the　American。
　　　〃In　the　event；　he　was　some　disturbed　fellow；　doubtless　cutting　out　paper　dolls　in　a　mental　hospital　now；〃　Sharp　said；　but；　like　every　other　British　subject；　his　heart　had　stopped　cold　watching　the　incident　on　TV；　and　he；　too；　had　been　surprised　that　the　lunatic　had　survived　the　event。　Had　one　of　the　Yeomen　of　the　Tower　been　there　with　his　ceremonial　fighting　spear…called　a　partisan…he　surely　would　have　been　pinned　to　the　pavement　like　a　butterfly　in　a　collection　box。　Perhaps　God　did　look　after　fools；　drunks；　and　little　children　after　all。　〃So；　if　Strokov　does　show　up；　and　does　take　his　shot；　you　suppose　the　local　Italians　will　do　for　him？〃
　　　〃One　can　hope；〃　King　said。
　　　Wouldn't　that　be　just　great？　Jack　thought。　The　professionals　can't　protect　the　Pope；　but　local　waiters　and　clothing　salesmen　beat　the　fucker　to　death。　That'll　look　great　on　NBC　Nightly　News。
　　　Back　in　Manchester；　the　Rabbit　and　his　family　finished　yet　another　superb　dinner　from　Mrs。　Thompson。
　　　〃What　does　an　ordinary　English　worker　eat？〃　Zaitzev　asked。
　　　〃Not　quite　this　well；〃　Kingshot　admitted。　He　sure　as　hell　didn't。　〃But　we　try　to　take　decent　care　of　our　guests；　Oleg。〃
　　　〃Have　I　told　you　enough　about　MINISTER？〃　he　asked　next。　〃Is　all　I　know。〃　The　Security　Service　had　picked　his　brain　pretty　thoroughly　on　the　subject　that　afternoon；　going　over　every　single　fact　at　least　five　times。
　　　〃You've　been　most　helpful；　Oleg　Ivan'ch。　Thank　you。〃　In　fact；　he'd　given　the　Security　Service　quite　a　lot。　Most　often；　the　way　you　caught　such　penetration　agents　was　by　identifying　the　information　he'd　transferred。　Only　a　limited　number　of　people　would　have　access　to　all　of　it；　and　the　〃Five〃　people　would　observe　all　of　them　until　one　did　something　difficult　to　explain。　Then　they　would　see　who　arrived　at　the　dead…drop　site　to　retrieve　the　package；　and　from　that　they'd　get　the　bonus　of　identifying　his　KGB　control　officer；　and　get　two　breaks　for　the　price　of　one…or　perhaps　even　more；　because　the　case　officer　would　be　working　more　than　one　agent；　and　the　discoveries　could　branch　out　like　the　limbs　of　a　tree。　Then　you　tried　to　arrest　a　peripheral　agent　before　going　after　the　main　target；　because　then　the　KGB　could　not　know　how　their　main　penetration　agent　had　been　exposed；　and　that　would　protect　the　primary　source；　Oleg　Zaitzev；　from　discovery。　The　counterintelligence　business　was　as　baroque　as　medieval…court　intrigue　and　was　both　loved　and　hated　by　the　players　for　its　intricacy；　but　that　just　made　the　apprehension　of　a　real　Bad　Guy　that　much　more　rewarding。
　　　〃And　what　of　the　Pope？〃
　　　〃As　I　said　the　other　day；　we　have　a　team　in　Rome　right　now　to　look　into　the　matter；〃　Kingshot　answered。　〃Not　much　we　can　say…in　fact；　not　much　we　can　really　do；　but　we　are　taking　action　based　on　your　information；　Oleg。〃
　　　〃That　is　good；〃　the　defector　thought　out　loud；　hoping　it　hadn't　all　been　for　nothing。　He'd　not　really　looked　forward　to　exposing　Soviet　agents　throughout　the　West。　He'd　do　that；　to　safeguard　his　own　position　in　his　new　home；　of　course；　and　for　the　money　he'd　get　for　turning　traitor　to　his　Motherland；　but　his　highest　concern　was　in　saving　that　one　life。
　　　Tuesday　morning；　Ryan　slept　later　than　usual；　arising　just　after　eight；　figuring　he'd　need　to　bankroll　his　rest　for　the　following　day。　He'd　sure　as　hell　need　it　then。
　　　Sharp　and　the　rest　of　the　team　were　already　up。
　　　〃Anything　new？〃　Jack　asked；　ing　into　the　dining　room。
　　　〃We　have　the　radios；〃　Sharp　reported。　There　was；　indeed；　one　at　every　place　at　the　table。　〃They're　excellent…the　very　same　sort　your　Secret　Service　use…same　manufacturer；　Motorola。　Brand　new；　and　they　are　encrypted。　Lapel　microphones　and　earpieces。〃
　　　Ryan　looked　at　his。　The　earpiece　was　clear　plastic；　curled　up　like　a　phone　cord；　and　nearly　invisible。　That　was　good　news。　〃Batteries？〃
　　　〃Brand　new；　and　two　sets　of　replacements　for　each。　Good　to　know　that　Her　Majesty　is　well　looked　after。〃
　　　〃Okay；　so　nobody　can　listen　in；　and　we　can　swap　information；〃　Ryan　said。　It　was　one　more　piece　of　good　news　set　against　a　big　black　pile　of　the　bad　sort。　〃What's　the　plan　for　the　day？〃
　　　〃Back　to　the　piazza；　do　some　more　looking；　and　hope　we　see　our　friend　Strokov。〃
　　　〃And　if　we　do？〃　Ryan　asked。
　　　〃We　follow　him　back　to　his　acmodations　and　try　to　see　if　there's　a　way　to　speak　with　the　chap　this　evening。〃
　　　〃If　we　get　that　far；　just　talk　to　him？〃
　　　〃What　do　you　suppose；　Sir　John？〃　Sharp　replied　with　a　cold　look。
　　　You　really　willing　to　go　that　far；　Mr。　Sharp？　Jack　didn't　ask。　Well；　the　bastard　was　a　multiple　murderer；　and　as　civilized　as　the　Brits　were；　under　all　the　good　manners　and　world…class　hospitality；　they　knew　how　to　do　business；　and　while　Jack　wasn't　entirely　sure　that　he'd　be　able　to　go　all　the　way；　these　guys　probably　didn't　have　his　inhibitions。　Ryan　figured　he　could　live　with　that；　as　long　as　he　wasn't　the　trigger　man　himself。　Besides；　they'd　probably　give　him　a　chance　to　change　countries　first。　Better　a　talking　defector　than　a　silent　corpse。
　　　〃Would　that　give　anything　away？〃
　　　Sharp　shook　his　head。　〃No。　He's　the　chappie　who　killed　Georgiy　Markov；　remember？　We　can　always　say　it　is　a　case　of　visiting　Her　Majesty's　justice　on　someone　who　needed　to　learn　about　it。〃
　　　〃We　don't　approve　of　murder　at　home；　Jack；〃　John　Sparrow　advised。　〃It　would　indeed　be　a　pleasure　to　have　him　answer　for　that。〃
　　　〃Okay。〃　Ryan　could　live　with　that；　too。　He　was　certain　his　dad　would　approve。
　　　Oh；　yeah。
　　　The　rest　of　the　day；　they　all　played　tourist　and　tested　their　radios。　It　turned　out　that　the　radios　worked　both　inside　and　outside　the　basilica；　and；　better　yet；　inside　to　outside　the　immense　stone　structure。　Each　man　would　use　his　own　name　as　an　identifier。　It　made　more　sense　than　setting　up　numbers　or　code　names　that　they'd　all　have　to　remember…one　more　confusing　factor　that　they　wouldn't　need　if　the　shit　hit　the　fan。　All　the　while；　they　looked　around　for　the　face　of　Boris　Strokov；　hoping　for　a　miracle；　and　reminding　themselves　that　miracles　did　occasionally　happen。　People　really　did　hit　the　lottery…they　had　one　in　Italy；　too…and　the　football　pools　every　week；　and　so　it　was　possible；　just　damned　unlikely；　and　this　day；　it　did　not　happen。
　　　Nor　did　they　find　a　better　or　more　likely　place　from　which　to　take　a　shot　at　a　man　in　a　slow…moving　vehicle。　It　seemed　to　them　all　that　Ryan's　first　impression　of　the　tactical　realities　of　the　place　was　correct。　That　felt　good　to　Jack　until　he　realized　that　if　he'd　blown　it；　then　it　was　his　fault；　not　theirs。
　　　〃You　know；〃　Ryan　said　to　Mick　King…Sharp　was　back　doing　Deputy…Chief…of…Mission　business　for　the　British　ambassador…〃more　than　half　the　crowd　is　going　to　be　in　the　middle　there。〃
　　　〃Works　for　us；　Jack。　Only　a　fool　would　take　the　shot　from　in　there；　unless　he　plans　to　have　Scotty　beam　him　up　to　the　starship　Enterprise。　No　escape　possible　from　that　place。〃
　　　〃True；〃　Jack　agreed。　〃What　about　inside　somewhere；　get　the　Pope　on　the　way　to　the　car？〃
　　　〃Possible；〃　Mick　agreed。　〃But　that　would　mean　that　somehow　Strokov　or　someone　under　his　control　is　already　inside　the　Papal　administration…household；　whatever　one　calls　it…and　is　thus　free　to　make　his　killing　whenever　he　wishes。　Somehow　I　think　that　infiltrating　that　organization　would　be　difficult。　It　would　mean　maintaining　a　difficult　psychological　disguise　for　an　extended　period　of　time。　No。〃　He　shook　his　head。　〃I　would　discount　that　possibility。〃
　　　〃Hope　you're　right；　man。〃
　　　〃So　do　I；　Jack。〃
　　　They　all　left　at　about　four；　each　catching　a　separate　cab　to　within　a　few　blocks　of　the　Brit　Embassy　and　walking　the　rest　of　the　way。
　　　Dinner　was　quiet　that　night。　Each　of　them　had　his