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第117部分

el.angeleyes-第117部分

小说: el.angeleyes 字数: 每页4000字

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 〃It was wrong of me to so shamelessly use Natasha in that way。〃
 〃Wrong? But no; you have mistaken my intent。〃 Sergei put his hand briefly on Valeri's arm; a sign of solidarity。 〃You did what needed to be done。 It might have been dirty; but there is no shame involved; my friend。 It was necessary。〃
 〃I am not often certain of that; Sergei。〃
 〃Think of Volkov; man! Without your constant cunning; that monster would have defeated us already。''
 ''Perhaps you're right。''
 〃The times of revolution are desperate times;〃 Sergei said。 〃They call for desperate measures。〃
 〃I think; rade; that we are done with revolutions。 You see the results of our original 'glorious revolution。' Would you have us repeat the mistakes of our forebears?〃 He shook his head。 〃No; rade。 These may; indeed; be desperate times; but I will not condone desperate measures。 The cycle of mindless violence and hidden greed must be broken; once and for all time。 I will not bring down one form of tyranny only to replace it with another。 Do you understand this? Are you with me?〃
 Sergei nodded。 〃For forever and a day; Valeri。〃
 Valeri clapped Sergei on the back; but his gaze was far away。 〃Ah; Natasha;〃 he said softly into the musty darkness of the crypt; 〃if only you knew how important your pain was for White Star。 Volkov has broken you; but now he believes that all you were doing was bringing the Него KGB dossiers。 Our truth is still safe。〃 He turned to Sergei。 〃Still safe; eh; rade?〃
 〃Is he gone?〃
 〃Yes。〃
 Irina crept out of the Hero's shower where Lara had hidden her when Tatiana had warned them of Mars Volkov's arrival in the building。
 〃Don't be frightened by what you may have overheard。〃
 Irina slipped into the pool beside him。 〃Nothing about you could frighten me。〃
 The Hero touched her as they moved out into the center of the pool。 〃Mars was looking for you;〃 he said。
 〃Did he say why?〃
 〃I don't think it would be a good idea to let him find you;〃 Lara said。
 ''But why is he looking for me?〃
 ''He thinks you know where Valeri is hiding;'' the Него said。
 〃He'll kill Valeri if he gets the chance;〃 Lara said。
 Irina shivered。 〃Now I am frightened。〃
 〃So you should be;〃 the Него said。 Then he put his hand on her again; and she felt a warmth flow through her。 〃Don't worry。 You have a guardian angel looking after you。''
 〃That's what Natasha said。〃 Irina squeezed her eyes shut。 〃Why must there always be violence; pain; suffering; death?〃
 The lapping of the pool; four entities in the faintly phosphorescent darkness; linked by an invisible umbilical。
 The Hero said; 〃All these things are part of human nature。〃
 〃You're wrong;〃 Irina said。 〃You must be。〃
 ''People want things;'' the Hero said。 ''Usually they are things they shouldn't have; such as too much money; too much power; dominion over other people; dominion over other nations。 It never ends。 There is a cycle of human existence that must be played out。〃
 〃Nothing is so inevitable;〃 Irina said。 〃Now you sound like a god talking about his mortal charges。〃
 〃Mars has accused me of wanting to be a god; but that is not my intent。〃
 Irina looked into his extraordinary opalescent eyes。 〃What is your intent; then?〃
 〃Freedom;〃 the Hero said。 〃That's simple; enough; isn't it? Or it should be。 But human nature being what it is; the concept of freedom bees entangled like a crab in a net; and now that crab crawls and crawls and never es to the end of the net。〃
 Irina was about to answer him when she became aware of Tatiana slipping into the pool。 She was their sentry。 Both the Hero and Lara looked toward her。
 〃She must go;〃 Tatiana said; indicating Irina。
 〃Now?〃 the Hero asked。
 〃At once。 It is vital。〃
 〃Where am I going?〃 Irina said。 〃I don't want to leave。〃
 The Hero ignored her for a moment。 He said to Lara; 〃Make certain she exits as she entered so she is not seen。〃
 Lara nodded; climbed out of the pool。 Tatiana followed her。 Irina could hear the padding of their bare feet against the tile。 Water dripping in the darkness。
 〃Must I go?〃 she repeated。
 ''It is most important;'' the Hero said; 〃or the request would not have been made。''
 〃I won't go。 I refuse to be ordered around。 I'm done with being a marionette; dancing on the end of strings that men pull。''
 〃It's freedom you want; isn't it?〃
 〃Yes。〃
 〃Well; so do I;〃 the Hero said。 〃So do we all。 Even Arbat。〃 He looked at her。 〃If you consent to go; you'll be helping us get there。〃
 〃Then how can I refuse?〃 But Irina felt the fright; like an engine that would not stop; churning inside her。
 The Hero smiled。 〃Bravely spoken。〃
 〃But where am I going?〃
 〃I don't know;〃 he said。 〃It's better that way; I assure you。〃
 Irina stared at him with wide eyes。 She was fighting back the tears。
 The Hero swam up to her。 He took her in his arms; kissed her hard on the lips。 〃e back to me; Irina;'' he whispered。 〃I don't know what I'd do without you。〃 Irina's heart was beating so loud she could hardly hear him。 She searched the universe in his eyes; spoke to him wordlessly in that peculiar silence of munication she had learned from him。
 Then Lara and Tatiana were standing on the coping。
 〃It's time;〃 the Hero said。
 Bending down; they pulled Irina from the pool。
 〃What is it;〃 Mars said to Captain Nikolev; 〃that is of paramount importance to you?〃
 〃The sovereignty and security of the Soviet Union。〃
 〃You did not hesitate。〃
 〃No; rade。〃
 Mars nodded。 They were sitting in the mand center of Department N。 Mars was at a small desk; reviewing the monitored munications of suspected White Star personnel over the past twelve hours。 Captain Nikolev was manning a sophisticated electronics console。 〃It's good to be sure of yourself; Captain;〃 Mars said。 〃That is something that fades with stamina as youth gives way to middle age。〃 He looked at Captain Nikolev。 〃You are; what? Thirty…five?〃
 〃Thirty…two; rade。〃
 〃There you have it;〃 Mars said almost wistfully。 〃Youth must have its day。〃 He smiled enigmatically。 〃Like perestroika。〃 Almost immediately his mouth twisted as if he had tasted spoiled food。 〃Tell me; Captain; how do you feel about the Americanization of Russia?''
 〃I beg your pardon?〃
 〃Don't do that!〃 Mars balked。 〃Don't play the loyal but dull…witted soldier with me; Captain。 You may gull your superiors; but they are only army men; after all。 You can't fool me。 I know the extent of your intelligence。 I know about your studies; your passion for history that has led you to unearth the levels of 'authorized' histories down through the decades。〃
 〃rade…〃
 〃Not to worry; Captain。 Your secret is safe with me。 But don't tell me that you are unaware of the Americanization of our country。 The military must now go begging to a mittee formed from the Congress of Peoples' Deputies if it wants to change anything; including the location of post latrines。 Budget increases? Oh; no; it must go before an oversight mittee which knows nothing about capabilities; liabilities; national security。
 〃Then there are the independent farmers who are now being paid in foreign currency in direct petition with the collectives。〃
 Mars shrugged。 〃And what about the KGB? We are forced to endure the excruciating; nit…picking examinations of our present structure while submitting meekly to the grossest of theatrical public lamentations by known dissidents and subversives allowed into the Congress; berating us for what they see as our past sins。〃
 He grunted。 〃This is not perestroika; it's America。〃
 〃As I understand it;〃 Captain Nikolev said; 〃perestroika is merely an experiment。〃
 〃An experiment that has gone terribly awry;〃 Mars said。 When Nikolev made no further ment; he continued。 〃We have gone from trying to emulate a perfect model; to wanting to emulate a thoroughly corrupt one。 In terms you can easily understand; Captain; it is akin to the ancient Britons wanting to base their culture on that of Rome in the time of Caligula。 Utterly inprehensible; utterly reprehensible。 What is happening to us; Captain? Are we to lose all sense of ourselves; of what makes Russia unique in all the world? Our culture is being subverted by the very people who govern us。 The CIA no longer 

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