el.angeleyes-第127部分

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　〃We　do；〃　Tori　said。
　〃Christ　almighty！〃　Russell　was　clearly　not　happy。　〃Here　es　the　death　squad。〃
　〃Why？〃　Tori　said；　keeping　her　eye　on　Nikolev。　〃For　all　the　captain　here　knows；　we　could　be　working　for　Mars　Volkov。　I　could　be　lying　to　draw　him　out　so　that　he　can　incriminate　himself　as　a　traitor　to　the　state。''　She　smiled　into　Nikolev's　anxious　face。　〃Isn't　that　so；　Captain？〃
　Nikolev　licked　his　lips　again。　〃Yes。　It　could　be　either　way。〃
　〃But　now；　one　way　or　another；　the　die　is　cast。　We　must　see　whether　the　trust　on　both　sides　is　justified。〃
　Nikolev's　gaze　faltered。　He　stared　for　a　time　into　his　glass。　〃I　e　to　bury　Caesar；　not　to　praise　him。〃
　Russell　said；　〃What？〃
　Nikolev　looked　at　them。　〃I　feel　a　bit　like　Brutus；　Mr。　Slade；　so　forgive　me　if　I　take　my　time　about　this。''
　Tori；　so　close　to　him；　could　feel　the　constriction　in　his　chest；　the　conflict　of　emotions　battering　him。　If　he　was　being　duplici…tous；　he　was　a　master。
　Nikolev　could　bear　standing　still　no　longer。　He　walked　to　the　windows　that　looked　out　on　a　balcony　and　a　steep　drop　as　the　Lenin　Hills　fell　away　into　brush　beneath　slender　pines　and　larch。　Tori　could　see　his　shoulders　hunch　involuntarily　as　if　he　were　expecting　a　blow。
　He　said　at　length；　〃There　is　a　plan…hatched　within　the　KGB；　but　fully　agreed　to　by　the　military…to　march　into　Lithuania　and　Latvia。　We　are　now　on　the　cusp　of　this　mad　campaign　to　return　the　Baltic　states；　which　the　president；　in　the　euphoria　of　perestroika；　allowed　to　slip　away　from　the　Soviet　Union。〃
　Russell　rocked　back　and　forth　on　his　heels；　whistling　softly。　Tori　said　nothing。
　Nikolev　turned　to　face　them。　He　was　haloed　by　the　pristine　light　that　fills　the　sky　after　a　violent　storm；　and　his　face　seemed　so　young　that　one　could　almost　imagine　peach　fuzz　on　his　cheeks　instead　of　whiskers。　〃This　is；　of　course；　treason；〃　Nikolev　went　on。　〃No　matter。　The　campaign　will　begin　in　thirteen　hours。　Dawn　tomorrow。　There　will　be　wholesale　slaughter。　The　official　story　is　that　the　new　and　as　yet　unstable　Baltic　governments　have　been　infiltrated　by　dangerous　Western　elements　that　threatened　the　national　security　of　the　Soviet　Union。〃
　In　the　charged　silence　that　ensued；　Tori　said；　〃What　about　the　president？〃
　〃The　president；　it　is　felt　by　these　factions　within　the　KGB　and　the　military；　has　bee　obsessed　by　the　same　cult　of　personality　that　enveloped　Yuri　Andropov。　At　precisely　the　same　moment　that　the　order　will　be　given　to　invade　the　Baltic　states；　the　president　of　the　USSR　will　be　assassinated　by　his　own　guards。　It　is　the　Rome　of　Claudius　all　over　again。''
　〃This　is　madness；〃　Russell　said。　〃Do　you　expect　us　to　believe　some　cock…and…bull…〃
　He　stopped　as　Tori　clutched　his　arm。　〃What　has　all　this　to　do　with　us；　Captain？　Surely　we　are　even　more　powerless　than　you　are　at　this　moment。〃
　〃But　you're　not；〃　Nikolev　said　with　some　urgency。　〃Not　if　I　can　believe　you。　Not　if　there　is　trust　between　us。　You　see；　for　a　while　we've　known　that　White　Star　has　been　receiving　aid　in　the　form　of　materiel　from　the　West。　If　you're　here　on　behalf　of　White　Star；　then　you　are　a　godsend。　Mars　Volkov　has　forced　Valeri　Bondasenko；　White　Star's　leader；　into　hiding。　We　cannot　find　him；　but　as　representatives　of　White　Star's　Western　support；　I　have　no　doubt　that　you　have　the　means　to　get　a　message　to　Bondasenko。
　〃If　you　can　do　this；　tell　him　what　is　happening；　then　we　have　a　chance。　White　Star　is　the　wild　card　in　this　whole　equation。　That's　why　Mars　Volkov　has　been　given　carte　blanche　to　find　White　Star　and　eradicate　it。
　〃Only　White　Star　has　the　power　to　stop　this　madness。　It　has　the　popular　support　throughout　the　Soviet　Union；　it　has　the　people。　All　it　has　been　lacking　is　the　proper　armaments。　But　now　we　believe　that。。。〃
　〃What　were　you　going　to　say；　Captain？〃　Tori　said。　〃That　it　now　has　the　weapons？〃
　〃Yes；〃　Nikolev　said。　〃We　have　no　idea　what　they　are；　but　we　suspect　that　they　have　been　amassing　some　kind　of　arsenal　to　use　when　they　felt　the　time　was　right。〃　His　fist　clenched。　〃But　the　time　is　now。　You　must　convince　Valeri　Bondasenko　of　the　extreme　jeopardy　the　entire　country　is　in。　He　must　use　his　new　weapons　to　bring　White　Star's　power　into　the　Kremlin。〃
　〃And　what　will　you　be　doing；〃　Russell　said；　〃while　we're　unearthing　White　Star's　leader　for　you？　〃
　〃Not　for　me；　not　for　the　KGB；〃　Nikolev　said；　for　the　first　time　showing　his　impatience。　〃For　all　of　the　Soviet　Union。〃
　Russell　turned　to　Tori。　〃Can't　you　see　this　guy　is　trying　to　use　us？　Bondasenko's　gone　so　successfully　to　ground　no　one　can　find　him。　Nikolev　will　use　us　as　his　bloodhounds。　As　soon　as　we　find　Bondasenko　for　him；　he'll　e　in　with　his　goons　and…〃
　〃No；　no！　That　is　not　my　intention！　I　am　telling　you　the　truth！''
　''I　think　he　is；〃　Tori　said；　but　Russell　waved　away　her　words。
　〃Prove　it；〃　he　said　to　Nikolev。
　〃But　how　can　I　。　。　。　？〃　Nikolev　thought　a　moment；　then　nodded。　〃I　will　make　a　proposal。　Mars　Volkov　has　captured　Valeri　Bondasenko's　personal　puter。　It　is　believed　that　White　Star's　entire　infrastructure　is　contained　in　the　puter's　software。　Under　no　circumstances　must　Volkov　be　allowed　access　to　that　material。　With　it；　he　could　break　White　Star　inside　thirty…six　hours。
　〃I　was　going　to　get　that　puter　out　of　Volkov's　hands　while　you　were　running　down　Bondasenko；　but　now　I　have　a　better　idea。　You'll　e　with　me；　you'll　see　firsthand　that　I　am　telling　the　truth。　I　will　be　putting　my　life…and　the　lives　of　my　hand…picked　men…on　the　line　by　defying　Mars　Volkov。　As　outsiders；　you　cannot　know　what　an　enormous　risk　that　is。　If　we　fail；　we　will　be　summarily　executed。　No　trial；　no　incarceration；　no　repense　for　our　families。　In　the　blink　of　an　eye；　we　simply　will　cease　to　exist。〃
　〃If　we　go　with　you；〃　Tori　said；　〃we'll　be　wasting　valuable　time。　We've　got　to　get　to　Bondasenko　well　before　the　dawn　deadline。〃
　〃Yes；〃　Nikolev　said。　〃So　we　will　all　be　taking　enormous　risks。　There　is　an　increasing　chance　we　will　not　get　to　Bondasenko　in　time。　That　is　why　I　resist　taking　you　with　me；　we　will　be　gambling　with　an　entire　nation。　But　I　see　no　other　method　of　fulfilling　Mr。　Slade's　demand。〃
　〃Russell？〃
　''I　don't　want　to　back　down；''　Russell　said。
　Nikolev　said；　〃You　must　help　me。　You　must。　If　the　invasion　and　the　assassination　are　allowed　to　take　place；　I　fear　there　will　be　no　recourse　for　us。　We　will　return　to　the　repressive　government　of　the　nightmare　days　of　Stalin。　We　will　be　lost　forever。〃
　〃We　are　lost；''　the　Него　said　the　moment　before　Mars　walked　into　the　pool　room　with　Irina。
　Tatiana　was　already　out　of　the　pool。　She　had　an　oversized　towel　wrapped　around　her　middle；　but　her　chest　above　the　line　of　her　swimsuit　was　beaded　with　saltwater。
　〃rade；〃　she　said。　〃Irina。〃
　''Good　afternoon；　Tatiana；''　Mars　said。　''Look　what　I　have。''　He　lifted　the　Toshiba　portable。　〃Would　you　help　Irina　set　this　up　on　the　table　over　there？　Make　sure　the　power　source　is　secure。〃
　Tatiana　did　as　she　was　told。　She　glanced　at　Irina　out　of　the　corner　of　her　eye。　Irina　was　afraid　to　say　or　do　anything　that　Mars　might　misconstrue。　There　was　still　a　chance；　she　felt；　that　he　believed　she　was　loyal　to　him。　While　that　possibility　existed；　she　was　determined　to　make　the　most　of　it。　She　certainly　was　not　going　to　give　him　any　cause　to　doubt　her　allegiance。
　Irina　unzipped　the　case；　took　the　Toshiba　out；　handed　the　power　cord　with　its　adaptor　to　Tatiana。　While　she　was　setting　up　the　puter；　Mars　walked　over　to　the　coping　of　the　pool；　peered　down　into　the　phosphorescent　depths。
　〃Odysseus；〃　he　said；　〃are　you　feeling　any　better？〃
　〃I　wasn't　aware　that　I　was　at　all　unwell。''
　Mars　knelt　down。　〃You　had　a　seizure。　You　don't　recall　that？''
　〃No。〃
　〃During　the　seizure　you　spoke　a　whole　bunch　of　nonsense。〃
　〃The　color　between　the　stars；〃　the　Hero　said。　〃I　remember　speaking　their　language。〃
　Mars　swallowed　hard。　〃Whose　language？〃
　〃Not　yours；　rade。''
　Mars　stood　up　as　if　abruptly　repulsed。　He　turned；　went　over　to　where　the　puter　sat。　Irina　had　pulled　up　a　chair。
　Lara　came　up；　told　Mars　he　had　a　call。　Out　of　the　corner　of　her　eye　Irina　watched　him　as　he　went　to　the　wall　phone；　spoke　into　it　briefly。　He　seemed　to　listen　for　a　long　time　and；　though　Irina　could　not　be　certain