el.angeleyes-第113部分

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　〃You　were　right　on　target　with　Bernard；〃　Tori　said。　〃It　tears　me　apart　to　think　how　he　used　both　of　us。　How　I　hate　him　now。〃
　Russell　was　quiet　for　some　time。　Then　he　said；　〃I　wish　you　could　learn　to　respond　with　your　brain　and　not　with　your　heart。　This　is　a　time　to　consider　objectively　what　has　happened。〃　He　sat　forward。　〃Think；　Tori。　Bernard　put　together　this　bizarre　coalition　of　Michita；　Yen；　and　Hitasura　for　a　reason。　He　saw　what　no　one　else　did：　an　unprecedented　opportunity　to　seize　what　appears　to　be　the　ultimate　chance　to　free　the　minority　peoples　of　the　Soviet　Union。''
　Tori's　face　was　pale。　〃I　never　suspected　a　thing。　My　God；　all　along　Bernard　never　retired　from　the　Mall。　He　had　his　own　agenda　hidden　away　from　even　you；　the　director　he　appointed　in　his　place。〃
　〃You're　quite　right；〃　Russell　said。　〃Hidden　agendas　are　Bernard's　stock…in…trade。〃
　Tori　stared　at　him。　〃How　long　have　you　known？〃
　Russell　gave　her　a　thin　smile。　〃Not　long　enough。〃
　〃I　can't　wait　to　bury　the　bastard！〃
　〃Tori；　it's　no　good　hating　Bernard。　He　is　what　he　is；　a　man　totally　obsessed　with　freeing　enslaved　peoples。〃
　〃I　wish　there　was　some　way　I　could　help　the　nationalist　movement　inside　Russia；〃　Tori　said。　〃It's　Bernard's　methods　I　disagree　with；　not　his　goals。〃
　〃So　often　said。〃　Russell　kept　her　close。　〃But　it　just　goes　to　prove　that　Bernard's　as　human　as　the　next　person。　He's　made　mistakes…grave　ones；　like　allowing　Hitasura　to　run　his　own　supercoke　smuggling　operation　under　Mail　auspices。〃
　Tori　turned　away；　looked　out　at　the　clouds　streaming　by　below　them。
　〃Russ；　how　can　you　defend　him　after　what　he's　done　to　us？　He　took　our　trust　and　our　love；　and　in　return　manipulated　us。〃
　〃I'll　tell　you　something；〃　Russell　said。　〃Bernard　is　a　master　of　using　all　the　resources　available　to　him。　At　first；　that's　what　I　thought　he　was　doing　here。　But　now　I'm　not　so　sure。　You　see；　he　made　a　point　of　telling　me　how　angry　he　was　not　only　that　Ariel　Solares　was　murdered；　but　that　it　was　done　with　such　a　bang　we　heard　it　all　the　way　back　in　Virginia。　He　said　they　wanted　to　embarrass　us；　that　there　could　only　be　one　response　to　that。〃　Russell　made　sure　she　was　listening。　〃But　Bernard　knew　all　along　who　had　ordered　Ariel's　death：　Hitasura。　'Go　for　the　jugular；'　Bernard　said。　Jesus；　he　wasn't　kidding。　He　made　sure　that　every　step　of　the　way　it　was　my　idea　to　bring　you　back；　but　I　could　see　how　he　planted　that　idea；　how　he　manipulated　conversations　so　that　I　would　take　that　extra　step　to　ensure　that；　one　way　or　another；　you'd　e　back　to　the　Mall。　I　didn't　know　why　then；　but　I　do　now：　he　knew　that　you　were　the　only　one　who　could　take　care　of　your　old　friend　Hitasura　for　him。''
　〃Go　on。〃
　〃But　Bernard　also　must　have　known　that　for　you　to　get　close　enough　to　Hitasura　to　terminate　him；　you'd　have　to　have　learned　enough　to　implicate　him…Bernard。　So　you　were　a　two…edged　sword；　Tori。　On　the　one　hand；　you　were　the　only　agent　skilled　enough　to　bring　Hitasura　down。　On　the　other；　you　would　e　away　knowing　enough　to　send　Bernard　away　for　a　very　long　time。〃
　〃That's　why　Bernard　ordered　you　to　terminate　me！〃
　Russell　shook　his　head。　〃You're　still　not　thinking　clearly。　I　said　Bernard　told　me　to　terminate　you　under　certain　circumstances。　He　didn't　order　me　to　do　it；　and　further；　he　knew　that　I　couldn't　possibly　hurt　you。　You　see；　Bernard…who　knows　everyone's　weak　spots…knew　before　I　did　that　I　was　in　love　with　you。〃
　Tori　said　nothing　for　a　time。　At　last　she　put　her　head　into　her　hands。　〃I　can't　think。　There's　too　much…〃
　〃This　is　your　time　in　the　corrida；　Tori。''　And　when　she　lifted　her　head　to　look　at　him；　Russell　said；　〃The　bull　is　so　close　upon　you　you　can　feel　his　hot　breath。''
　〃Yes；〃　she　said。　〃Yes。〃
　Russell　took　her　hands　in　his。　〃This　is　the　time　when　you　must　think　for　yourself。　Think　not　as　Bernard　wants　you　to　do；　but　for　yourself。〃
　She　knew　he　was　right　in　everything　he　said。　And　yet　a　stubborn；　obtuse　part　of　her　was　still　mitted　to　hating　Bernard　Godwin　for　his　betrayal　of　her　trust。
　She　said；　〃Whether　he　asked　you；　told　you；　or　ordered　you　to　terminate　me；　makes　no　difference。　Bernard　still　wanted　me　dead　in　order　to　protect　himself。''
　〃No；　Tori。〃　Russell　caught　her　gaze　with　his　own。　〃If　Bernard　wanted　you　terminated；　he　certainly　wouldn't　have　asked　me　to　do　it。　I'm　a　desk　jockey；　remember？　And　he　knew　I　was　personally　involved　with　you。　I'd　be　just　about　the　last　person　he'd　contract　with　to　make　the　hit。〃
　〃That　makes　sense；〃　Tori　said。　〃Then　why　did　he　tell　you　to　terminate　me？〃
　〃Well；　I've　been　thinking　about　that；〃　Russell　said。　〃What　he　said　was　so　wildly　out　of　character　that　it　was　as　if　he　was　trying　to　tell　me　something。　It　took　me　a　while　to　figure　out　the　puzzle　Bernard　had　set　put　for　me；　but　I　think　I　have　it　now。　It　was　as　if　Bernard　was　saying　to　me；　I've　given　you　this　picture；　what's　wrong　with　it？
　〃He　knew　that　Hitasura　had　turned　bad　on　him…Hitasura's　murder　of　Ariel　Solares　was　a　major　break　in　discipline。　Bernard　may　not　have　known　that　Hitasura　was　behind　the　supercoke；　but　he　sure　as　hell　knew　that　he　suddenly　had　a　rogue　agent　on　his　hands…a　rogue　agent；　I　might　add；　who　reported　only　to　Bernard。　Bernard　knew　he　had　to　terminate　Hitasura　as　quickly　and　as　efficiently　as　possible。
　''He　knew　he　couldn't　tell　you　openly　about　Hitasura　because　you　wouldn't　believe　him；　and　he　wouldn't　have　told　me　for　fear　I　would　tell　you。　That　would　have　made　you　walk　straight　away　from　us。　Bernard　knew　you　needed　to　discover　the　truth　about　Hitasura　for　yourself；　but　he　was　warning　me　that　things　were　not　as　they　seemed　in　the　hope　that　I　would　stay　one　step　ahead　of　you。　You　see；　Bernard　was　still　concerned　by　your　volatility。　He　set　me　up　to　be　your　watchdog　just　as；　years　ago；　he　set　you　up　to　be　Hitasura's　watchdog。〃
　Tori　gave　an　ironic　laugh。　〃And　now　Bernard　has　given　me　the　means　to　exact　my　revenge　on　him　for　manipulating　me　for　so　many　years。〃
　Russell　nodded。　〃Now　you　understand　that　Bernard　knew　he　was　doing　just　that　when　he　manipulated　me　into　bringing　you　back　to　the　Mall。　It　says　something　about　the　man　that　he　trusts　you…and　me…with　that　power　over　him。〃
　Tori　thought　about　that　for　a　long　time；　then　she　nodded。　〃I　guess　I　still　can't　believe　that　I　could　have　been　so　wrong　about　Hitasura。　He　used　Bernard　as　Bernard　was　using　us　and　everyone　else　around　him。　We　have　confirmation　from　Hitasura　himself　that　Bernard　never　wanted　Ariel　murdered。　And　it's　true　that　Bernard　had　no　conscious　knowledge　of　the　supercocaine　Hitasura　was　selling。　It　will　just　about　kill　him　when　he　learns　to　what　extent　he's　been　involved　in　that。〃
　Russell　said　nothing。
　Tori　exhaled　slowly。　〃There　is　an　Argentine　saying：　'The　devil　can　see　at　midnight；　but　revenge　is　blind　even　in　the　noonday　sun。'　〃
　Russell　knew　what　she　meant。　She　was　moving　away　from　the　emotionally　volatile　adolescent　filled　with　weaknesses　that　Bernard　Godwin　recognized　and　exploited。　She　was　being　more　whole　and；　therefore；　more　powerful　with　each　breath　she　took。　She　had　met　her　bull　head　on；　and　was　riding　it；　facing　herself　at　last；　instead　of　turning　away　from　herself　to　face　death　over　and　over。
　〃Look；　we're　not　trying　to　excuse　Bernard；　are　we？〃　Tori　said　at　last。
　〃I　think　you'll　have　to　make　up　your　own　mind　about　that；〃　Russell　said。　〃I'll　only　remind　you　of　what　you　said　just　a　few　minutes　ago。　You　told　me　that　you　wished　there　was　some　way　for　you　to　help　the　nationalist　movement　inside　Russia。　Bernard's　shown　you　the　way。〃
　''You　think　we　should　help　him？''　Tori　said。　''Bernard's　been　selling　nuclear　devices　of　unknown　and　unproven　design　to　White　Star；　a　nationalist　underground　movement　that　might　or　might　not　be　controlled　by　the　KGB　itself。〃
　〃You've　just　given　the　best　reason　I　can　think　of　for　helping　Bernard。　Those　miniature　hafnium…damped　nuclear　devices　could　easily　be　the　means　to　a　revolution　inside　the　USSR　or　the　spark　that　ignites　a　world　war。
　〃White　Star　has　bee　the　nexus　point　of　this　assignment。　Either　way；　we　have　to　penetrate　White　Star　and　find　out　whether　Bernard　has　bee　a　saint　or　a　fool。〃
　''Now　there's　a　hell　of　an　idea。''
　Russell　pointed　out　the　plane's　Perspex　window。　〃Wele　to　he