el.angeleyes-第102部分

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　the　job。　By　then　Yvgeny　was　dead；　and　the　family；　spinning　helplessly　out　of　control；　fell　apart。　Irina's　mother　was　not　good　at　taking　care　of　him…she　was　not　even　capable　of　taking　care　of　her　own　children。
　Irina　stared　now　at　the　Church　of　the　Archangel　Gabriel；　where　her　mother　had　taken　her　so　often。　Abruptly；　it；　too；　seemed　alien；　part　of　another　time；　another　place；　a　sanctuary　for　another　Irina；　not　this　woman　who　stood　here；　at　last　breaking　free　of　her　memories；　her　rage　at　the　helplessness　of　being　a　child；　and　far　worse；　a　female　child；　set　adrift　in　a　world　made　for　men。　All　this　emotional　baggage　seemed　removed；　a　distant　report　like　thunder　booming　far　off；　diminishing　with　each　moment。
　White　Star。
　Irina　turned　back　into　the　apartment。　Somewhere　in　here；　she　thought；　there　must　be　some　hint　of　the　information　Valeri　held　on　the　nationalist　group。　She　crept　carefully　through　every　inch　of　his　closets；　looking　in　the　pockets　of　his　trousers　and　suit　jackets；　opening　unmarked　boxes；　sifting　through　piles　of　linen；　old　photographs。　At　his　desk　she　leafed　through　official　papers；　personal　correspondence；　blank　paper。
　Her　exposure　to　the　films　of　James　Bond…a　favorite　of　the　students　she　knew…while　she　was　in　America　had　taught　her　to　look　behind　pictures　hung　on　the　walls；　inside　the　medicine　cabinet　in　the　bathroom。　In　the　living　room　she　unzipped　slipcovers；　got　down　on　all　fours；　running　her　hand　around　the　bottom　part　of　the　furniture　frames。
　She　ended　up　in　the　kitchen；　peering　inside　metal　canisters　of　flour；　sugar；　and　tea　to　make　sure　there　wasn't　some　bit　of　paper　secreted　there。　All　her　sleuthing　came　to　nothing。
　She　sat　wearily　down　in　a　dinette　chair；　stared　blankly　at　the　dark　screen　of　the　Toshiba　lap…top。　An　hour　and　a　half　of　bing　through　Valeri's　apartment；　and　nothing　to　show　for　it。
　Sitting　here；　alone；　reminded　her　of　all　the　mornings　she　had　sat　in　this　very　spot　watching　Valeri　prepare　wonderful　breakfasts。　In　the　winter　it　was　always　warm　in　here；　as　it　had　been　in　Babushka's　kitchen；　the　mouthwatering　smells　irresistible。　It　was　difficult　if　not　impossible　for　Irina　to　reconcile　this　image　of　Valeri…and　the　one　of　the　man　so　tender　and　loving　in　bed…　with　the　knowledge　that　Valeri　was　a　colonel　in　the　KGB。　She　recalled　his　saying　that　the　KGB's　new　accountability　to　the　Congress　of　Peoples'　Deputies　had　changed　nothing；　it　had　merely　swept　KGB　operatives　further　underground。　She　shuddered。
　The　puter　screen；　witness　to　everything；　repository　of　all　truths；　sat　silent　and　dead；　mocking　her。
　All　of　a　sudden　she　recalled　an　American　film　called　Charade　she　had　seen　in　the　small　Cambridge　art　theater；　and　she　began　to　look　for　anything　in　plain　sight　that　would　be　so　familiar　the　eye　would　automatically　pass　over　it。
　Then　her　eyes　focused；　and　jumping　up；　Irina　whispered；　〃My　God；　it　has　been　visible　all　the　time！''
　She　turned　on　the　Toshiba。　She　was　familiar　with　the　software　Valeri　had　had　installed。　Quickly　she　got　a　list　of　the　directories　on　the　hard　disk；　but　nothing　looked　sinister。　In　fact；　all　that　came　up　were　recipe　files。　She　looked　for　Macros…〃hidden〃　strings　of　mands　activated　by　a　double　keystroke…but　could　find　none。　Her　excitement　faded。　Well；　naturally；　she　thought　sourly；　this　isn't　a　movie。　Of　course；　Valeri　could　have　the　White　Star　material　secreted　on　a　hidden　floppy　disk；　but　she　had　been　all　through　the　apartment　without　turning　up　anything。
　Then　a　fragment　of　a　recent　conversation　surfaced。　How　do　you　find　time　to　get　all　those　recipes　in　memory？　she　had　asked　Valeri。　And　he　had　replied；　I　get　some　help。　There's　a　ghost　in　the　machine。
　Irina　approached　the　puter　again；　and　this　time　pressed　the　Reveal　Codes　key。　Nothing。　She　frowned。　She　had　been　so　sure　that　Valeri's　〃ghost〃　would　have　been　in　Reveal　Codes；　an　〃invisible〃　mark　held　in　the　text。
　Text！
　What　an　idiot　I　am；　she　thought。　She　cleared　the　screen；　retrieved　the　first　text　file　in　the　directory。　A　menu　for　〃Southern　Fried　Chicken〃　came　up。　Irina　hit　the　Reveal　Codes；　and　there　it　was；　hanging　at　the　very　top　of　the　screen：　three　consecutive　signs　for　Underline　that　had　no　business　being　there。
　She　went　back　to　the　text。　Then；　holding　her　breath；　she　hit　the　Underline　key　three　times　in　succession。　Nothing。　Damn！　Now　what？　Those　three　Underlines　must　mean　something。
　She　returned　to　the　Reveal　Codes　screen；　hit　the　Underline　key　three　times。　The　〃Please　Wait〃　message　appeared　in　the　lower　left…hand　corner　of　the　screen。　That　meant　the　puter　was　pulling　an　unusually　large　file　out　of　the　hard…drive　memory。　Irina's　heart　skipped　a　beat。
　A　moment　later　the　puter　began　to　spew　out　an　enormous　list　of　food　menus。　The　file　kept　scrolling　until　Irina　hit　the　Scroll　Lock　key。　Then　the　screen　held　steady。
　Irina　studied　the　menu　but　could　find　nothing　amiss　with　it。　It　was　what　it　appeared　to　be：　a　menu　for　some　kind　of　frozen　dessert。　In　disgust；　she　depressed　the　Scroll　Lock　key。　But　instead　of　continuing　to　scroll；　the　screen　went　black　and　again　the　message　〃Please　Wait〃　appeared。
　Times；　dates；　places；　names。　When　the　new　text　came　up　on　the　screen；　Irina's　heart　leaped　in　her　chest　because　she　was　looking　at　what　appeared　to　be　the　inner　workings　of　White　Star。
　〃With　Hitasura's　men　all　over　the　city　looking　for　us；　I　can't　afford　a　face…to…face　rendezvous；〃　Big　Ezoe　had　said　early　that　morning。　〃There　is　a　way　to　get　information　from　my　informants。　It's　safe　and　utterly　undetectable。〃
　Koi　was　in　Shibuya。　It　was　just　after　eleven　at　night。　Still；　she　was　surrounded　by　such　masses　of　people　that　she　could　not　see　the　street。　The　sky　was　a　yellow…gray；　the　air　as　opaque　as　miso　soup；　and　it　came　as　no　surprise　when　the　electronic　pollution　billboard　near　the　NHK　Building…one　of　fifteen　in　Tokyo…monitoring　the　levels　of　carbon　monoxide；　nitrogen；　and　sulphur　oxides；　began　to　issue　an　alert；　advising　children；　the　elderly；　and　the　infirm　to　stay　indoors。
　〃I　refuse　to　sit　in　my　office　or　in　my　car；　waiting　for　a　Hitasura　hit　team　to　blow　me　apart；〃　Big　Ezoe　had　said。　〃Hitasura　is　not　so　old…fashioned　that　he　will　kill　me　only　with　his　own　sword。　That's　for　the　old　days；　and　the　old　days　are　alive　only　on　movie　screens。〃
　Not　his　sword；　Koi　thought。　His　gun。　What　a　world；　she　thought。　If　honor　was　dead；　what　use　was　living？
　Outside　the　Seed　Building；　Koi　stopped　at　the　public　message　center。　This　was　her　third　pass　since　she　had　e　here　by　a　circuitous　route。　She　had　doubled　back　many　times；　using　the　subways　and　the　crowds　in　the　streets　to　keep　herself　free　of　the　hit　team　Hitasura　had　sent　after　her。
　The　public　message　center　consisted　of　six　CTR　monitors　connected　to　a　sophisticated　interactive　puter　program。　Using　an　electronic　pen；　she　touched　the　box　marked　READ。　The　screen　changed；　showing　a　list　of　four　functions。　She　touched　number　2；　which　read：　MESSAGE　TO　YOUR　FRIENDS　WITH　SECRET　WORD。　The　screen　asked　her　to　enter　the　code　word。　On　each　pass　before　this；　nothing　had　happened。　She　wrote　KAMI　with　the　electronic　pen；　the　code　word　Big　Ezoe　had　told　her　about；　and　the　screen　changed　once　again。　This　time　a　handwritten　message　appeared。　It　said：　〃Deke；　the　tattooer。　Shinjuku。〃
　Koi　immediately　touched　the　Eraser　bar；　and　the　message　disappeared　into　the　electronic　heart　of　the　machine。　A　moment　later　Koi；　too；　disappeared…into　the　electronic　heart　of　the　city。　
　*　*　*
　''The　first　thing　I　want　to　ask　you；〃　the　Него　said　when　Irina　slipped　into　the　pool　with　him；　''is　whether　Volkov　is　with　you。''　He　had　taken　her　out　to　the　middle　of　the　pool　where　the　listening　devices　could　not　pick　up　their　speech。
　〃I　came　alone　this　time；〃　Irina　said；　staring　at　him。
　''Do　you　know　where　Volkov　is？　〃
　〃No。　He　doesn't　tell　me　everything。〃
　The　Него　looked　at　her　curiously　for　some　time。
　''What　is　it？''　Irina　said；　unfortable　beneath　the　intensity　of　that　otherworldy　gaze。
　''I　am　wondering　what　you　see　in　him。''
　〃In　Mars？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　Irina　noticed　that　Arbat　was　restless；　but　she　swam　back　and　forth　at　the　other　end　of　the　pool；　as　if　she　had　no　intention　of　ing　near　them。
　〃I　said　that　I　wouldn't　lie　to　you；〃　Irina　said；　〃and　I