el.angeleyes-第114部分

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　''Now　there's　a　hell　of　an　idea。''
　Russell　pointed　out　the　plane's　Perspex　window。　〃Wele　to　hell。　Tori；〃　he　said。　〃We've　just　crossed　over　into　Soviet　airspace。〃

TWELVE
MOSCOW/STAR　TOWN

　〃We've　lost　him。〃
　〃Lost　him？〃　Mars　Volkov　clenched　his　fists。　〃This　man…　this　traitor…has　killed　four　of　my　men。　He　has　kidnapped　a　helpless　psychotic　from　her　bed　in　a　state　institution。　And　all　you　can　tell　me　is　that　you　lost　him？　How　is　that；　Captain？〃
　Anatoly　Nikolev；　captain　of　the　Eleventh　Division　of　the　KGB　Border　Guards；　temporarily　under　the　mand　of　the　chief　of　Department　N；　shifted　unfortably　on　the　hard　wooden　bench。
　He　and　Mars　were　sitting　in　the　otherwise　empty　stands　of　the　baseball　field　at　Moscow　State　University。　They　were　watching　the　burgeoning　national　team　work　out。　Beyond　the　stadium　were　the　green…tiered　Lenin　Hills；　where　the　vast　Mosfilms　sound　stages　and　some　of　the　city's　finest　old　villas…Mars　had　one…were　gradually　being　surrounded　by　squat　modern…style　multiple　residences。
　In　the　opposite　direction　was　the　stolid；　ugly　facade　of　the　university　dormitory　and　student　facilities　building；　one　of　the　many　constant　reminders　in　Moscow　of　Stalin's　indelible　influence　on　this　stolid　society。
　Captain　Nikolev　looked　resplendent　in　his　gray　uniform　with　the　red　accents。　There　were　medals　on　his　chest；　but　he　knew　from　experience　that　Mars　Volkov　was　not　impressed　by　past　acplishments。　The　man　lived　entirely　in　the　present。
　Captain　Nikolev　loved　this　place；　especially　a　beautiful　spot　not　a　hundred　yards　from　here　where；　on　a　promontory　overlooking　the　river；　it　was　said　that　Napoleon　gazed　down　upon　Moscow　on　September　14；　1812；　before　marching　into　the　city。
　〃I　can　never　e　here；〃　Mars　said；　interrupting　Captain　Nikolev's　thoughts；　〃without　thinking　of　Nikolai　Ivanovich　Lobachevsky。　Now　there　was　a　great　man。　I　see　his　bust　in　front　of　the　university　and　I　feel　a　great　pride　in　being　Russian。〃
　Of　course；　Captain　Nikolev　thought　with　some　cynicism。　I　e　to　the　Lenin　Hills　and　am　filled　with　history。　What　fills　rade　Volkov？　Rhapsodic　thoughts　of　a　non…Euclidian　geometrist。
　Mars　said；　〃I　understand　that　the　last　tank　units　have　been　drawn　up。　Which　means　we're　ready　to　cross　the　mythical　borders　into　Lithuania　and　Latvia。〃
　〃True　enough；〃　Captain　Nikolev　said。　〃It's　a　daring　plan；　but　one　which　is　also　timeworn。　It　worked　in　Poland　decades　ago；　so　it　should　work　now。''
　〃Have　you　reservations；　Captain？〃
　〃I　am　not　a　military　tactician；〃　Nikolev　said　neutrally；　〃so　I　have　no　worthwhile　opinion　on　such　matters。''
　Mars　regarded　him　with　some　surprise。　〃Yet　you　are　a　military　man。　Such　action　should　set　your　blood　on　fire。〃
　Nikolev　grunted。　〃I　think　the　time　is　long　past　for　the　heyday　of　the　military　man。''
　〃I　know；〃　Mars　said　with　some　amusement。　〃A　mission　as　an　officer　in　the　Roman　legion　would　have　suited　you　more。〃
　Captain　Nikolev　watched　the　baseball　players　at　their　strenuous　calisthenics；　and　thought　glumly　that　the　military　should　adopt　such　daily　exercises。
　''We　lost　Bondasenko's　White　Star　contact　at　the　institution　in　Arkhangelskoe；　as　well；〃　he　said　when　he　felt　he　could　no　longer　prolong　the　inevitable。　〃It　was　our　ill　fortune　to　have　Bondasenko　show　up　just　as　we　were　about　to　get　the　man。　Apparently；　Bondasenko　was　using　the　institution　where　he　had　so　successfully　hidden　his　daughter　as　a　meet　to　exchange　intelligence　with　other　members　of　White　Star。〃
　〃Very　clever；〃　Mars　said。　〃I　must　remember　to　mend　him　before　I　put　a　bullet　through　the　back　of　his　head。''
　Captain　Nikolev　said；　〃I　think　we　can　assume　that　Bondasenko　is　White　Star's　mander。　We　have　gained　that　information；　at　least。　It's　not　an　inconsiderable　bit　of　intelligence。〃
　Mars　grunted　his　assent。　〃All　right；〃　he　said　now。　〃Bondasenko's　gone　to　ground。　But　he　can't　stay　hidden　indefinitely。　He's　going　to　have　to　surface　sometime；　and；　Captain；　when　he　does；　I　want　his　head　snapped　in　a　rat　trap。　Is　that　clear？〃
　〃Yes；　rade。〃
　Mars　and　Captain　Nikolev　lapsed　into　silence。　They　watched　a　pair　of　thin；　chain…smoking　professors　from　the　university　circulate　among　the　young　members　of　the　national　baseball　team。　They　were　not　the　coaches；　the　best　coaches　were　still；　to　Mars's　shame；　mainly　Cubans；　who　had　many　years　of　invaluable　baseball　experience。　These　chain…smoking　professors　were　sports　specialists　in　eye…hand　coordination　and　musculature　conditioning。　They　had　determined　that　quickness　of　reflexes；　not　endurance；　was　the　most　desirable　trait　to　breed　into　the　new　generation　of　ballplayers　that　the　Soviet　Union　hoped　would　dominate　world　play　in　the　1990s。
　But　perhaps　it　would　take　longer　to　field　a　world…class　team　than　had　first　been　anticipated；　since　endurance　was　a　trait　already　bred　into　the　young　Russians　graduating　from　the　extant　state…funded　sports　academies。　But　Professor　Kutateladze；　who　spoke　eloquently　and　at　length　of　the　〃technology　of　building　a　baseball　player；〃　had　promised　that　the　young　men　ing　out　of　his　baseball　school　would　be　different。　Mars　hoped　he　would　be　right。　He　always　had　been　in　the　past。
　Mars　said；　〃Have　you　as　yet　located　Miss　Ponomareva？〃
　〃No。〃
　Where　has　Irina　got　to？　Mars　asked　himself。　She　was　not　at　work　or　at　home。　She　had　not　been　at　Valeri's　and　she　wasn't　with　the　Hero。　Captain　Nikolev　had　checked　these　places　himself。　Irina　might　continue　to　be　very　useful　to　me　now；　he　thought。　My　surveillance　has　shown　that　she's　been　the　closest　to　Valeri　Denysovich　over　the　past　several　months。　If　anyone　might　know　where　he　was　holed　up；　she　might。
　Well；　Mars　thought；　stirring；　perhaps　it　is　time　I　took　a　more　active　role　in　finding　out　where　she　is。
　It　was　very　quiet　when　Mars　entered　the　Hero's　fortress　in　Star　Town。　He　came　across　Tatiana　first。　She　was　folding　the　Hero's　newly　laundered　shirts　into　a　neat　pile。　The　homey　smells　of　soap　and　bleach　were　in　the　air。
　〃rade；〃　she　said　when　she　saw　him。　Her　wide…apart　gray　eyes　were　neutral。　She　did　not　stop　her　folding。
　〃Is　he　alone？〃　Mars　asked　brusquely。
　〃Lara　is　with　him；〃　Tatiana　said。　〃You　left　orders　that　one　of　us　should　be　with　him　at　all　times　now。''
　〃Yes；〃　Mars　said。　〃Of　course。〃
　He　sat　on　a　steel　folding　chair；　watched　her　dispiritedly　while　she　worked。
　Tatiana　cocked　her　head。　〃You　look　like　you　could　use　a　drink；　rade；〃　she　said。　〃Can　I　bring　you　something？〃
　〃Have　you　any　pepper　vodka？〃
　〃I'll　see。〃　She　went　out　of　the　room；　returned　in　a　moment　with　a　pair　of　thick　water　tumblers　and　a　bottle。　She　grinned；　hoisting　the　bottle。　〃I　didn't　think　a　shot　would　be　sufficient。〃
　Mars　drank　the　first　slug　of　pepper　vodka　gratefully；　felt　his　throat　begin　to　burn；　then　his　stomach。　He　held　out　his　glass　for　a　refill。　〃You　know；　Tatiana；　I　believe　that　the　Hero　has　won。〃
　〃Won　what；　rade？〃
　〃Oh；　our　little　battle　of　wits。〃　Mars　sipped。　〃I　confess　that　he's　still　a　plete　enigma　to　me。　Is　he　mad　or　sane？　Did　he　make　contact　with　an　alien　entity　during　the　event　or　is　he　so　enraged　at　what　we've　done　to　him　that　he's　been　pulling　our　leg　all　this　time？〃
　''If　you　want　my　opinion…〃
　〃Yes。　Of　course；　I　do。〃
　〃Well；　then。〃　She　took　a　long　gulp　of　her　vodka；　as　if　she　needed　fortification　to　go　on。　〃I　think　the　Hero　is　mad。　Whatever　happened　to　him　up　there　in　space　has　made　him　mad。　But　he's　not　insane　in　any　way　that　we　can　understand。　He's　not；　for　instance；　psychotic　or　schizophrenic；　something　our　scientists　can　put　their　finger　on。　No。　The　Hero's　different　from　you　or　me。〃
　〃Of　course　he　is。　He's…〃
　〃No；　you're　not　understanding　me；〃　Tatiana　said。　She　looked　down　into　the　bottom　of　her　glass。
　〃What　are　you　saying？　That　he's　no　longer　human？　Don't　be　idiotic；　Tatiana。　I'm　beginning　to　think　that　you　and　Lara　have　been　too　long　with　him。〃
　〃But　that's　just　it；〃　she　said。　〃We　know　him　better　than　anyone。　And　I'm　telling　you　that　even　if　his　physiology　is　the　same　as　yours　or　mine；　his　mind　is　not。　It's　been　altered。〃
　Mars　watched　her　in　silence　for　a　long　time。　Why　is　it；　he　asked　himself；　that　every　time　I　e　here　I　feel　as　if　I've　entered　a　whole　new　dimension？　Has　the　Него　turned　everyone　around　him　mad；　or　is　what　Tatiana　is　telling