el.angeleyes-第128部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


oke　into　it　briefly。　He　seemed　to　listen　for　a　long　time　and；　though　Irina　could　not　be　certain；　she　thought　his　face　shut　down　tight。　Mars　made　one　final　curt　reply；　hung　up　the　receiver。
　Irina　went　back　to　work。　Her　fingers　danced　over　the　keyboard　and　a　string　of　recipes　began　scrolling　across　the　screen。
　Mars　came　up　behind　her。　〃What　is　this？〃　he　demanded。
　''Pineapple　upside…down　cake。''　Irina　wondered　what　the　call　had　been　about。　Whatever　it　was；　it　had　put　him　in　a　sour　mood。　Good　news　for　her　or　bad？
　〃Idiotic；〃　Mars　mented。　〃Where　in　the　world　would　one　get　a　pineapple？〃
　〃Perhaps　Valeri　has　them　flown　in　from　Cuba；〃　Irina　said。
　Tatiana　said；　〃I　don't　believe　Cuba　has　pineapple　trees。〃
　〃Idiotic；〃　Mars　repeated。　〃What　else　is　in　the　machine？〃
　〃More　recipes；　it　seems。〃
　〃Bah。　Valeri　Denysovich　wouldn't　use　an　illegal　puter　merely　to　store　his　recipes。〃　Mars　shook　his　head。　〃What　a　woman　he　is。〃
　〃Apparently　he　is　a　woman　you　cannot　find。〃
　In　the　wake　of　the　Hero's　words；　everyone　froze。
　Mars　stood　up；　walked　on　stiff　legs　back　to　the　pool。　He　glared　down　at　the　Него。　〃Who　told　you　that？〃
　The　Hero　said　nothing。　He　floated　placidly　in　the　saltwater。
　〃I　said；　who　told　you　that？〃
　Arbat　began　to　chatter　in　alarm。
　Mars　had　drawn　his　pistol　and　was　now　aiming　it　at　the　Hero's　head。
　〃You'll　answer　me；　Odysseus；　or　I'll　blow　your　head　off。〃
　Irina　got　up；　went　across　the　room。　〃Mars；〃　she　said　softly。　She　put　her　hand　on　his　arm。　〃Mars；　don't。〃
　〃No　one　told　me；　rade；〃　the　Hero　said。　〃You've　quite　effectively　cut　off　my　information　gathering；　remember。　Besides；　no　one　had　to　tell　me。　I　can　read　your　mind。''
　〃What　are　you　talking　about？〃
　〃You've　manipulated　the　final　showdown　with　your　archenemy；　haven't　you；　Volkov？　No；　don't　bother　denying　it。　I　know。　I　can　see　it　as　clearly　as　I　can　see　that　ugly　expression　of　hatred　disfiguring　your　face。　You　pushed　and　pushed；　and　what　do　you　have　to　show　for　it？　Bondasenko's　beyond　even　your　reach。〃
　〃Shut　up！〃　Mars　said；　and　Irina；　with　a　flash　of　intuition；　understood　that　he　was　abruptly　terrified　that　Odysseus　would　blurt　out　that　he　was　KGB。　Mars　had　no　idea　that　Odysseus　had　already　told　her　that。
　Irina　knelt　beside　the　pool；　looked　into　the　Hero's　eyes。　They　spoke　silently　for　the　instant　before　she　said；　〃Let　it　be　for　now；　Odysseus。　You've　provoked　him　enough。〃
　The　Hero　sank　beneath　the　water；　and　Arbat　followed　him。
　For　a　long　time　Mars　stared　into　me　pool。　〃How　does　he　do　that？''　he　said。　''Stay　underwater　for　so　long？　〃
　〃Perhaps　he's　half　dolphin；〃　Irina　joked；　but　the　stricken　look　on　Mars's　face　told　her　that　for　him　on　this　subject　there　was　no　room　for　humor。　She　thought　that　quite　interesting；　and　remembering　the　Hero's　last　conversation　with　Mars；　she　began　to　see　the　strategy　Odysseus　had　formulated　for　bating　Mars。
　〃e　away　now；〃　she　said　gently。　Her　fingers　closed　over　his　where　he　still　gripped　the　pistol　with　white　knuckles。　〃There's　no　need　format。　e；　Mars。　e。〃
　And　Irina　led　him　back　to　the　puter　where　every　secret　Mars　lusted　after　lay　hidden；　waiting　to　be　unlocked。
　〃It's　the　waiting；〃　Russell　said；　〃that　I　hate　the　most。〃
　〃You're　thinking　of　Nikolev；　aren't　you？〃　Tori　said。　〃You　still　think　he's　using　us　as　bloodhounds。〃
　〃I　only　wish　I　was　as　sure　of　him　as　you　are。〃
　〃Yeah；　well；　I　thought　I　was　sure　of　Estilo　and　Hitasura。〃
　They　stared　out　at　the　glorious　view　of　the　Kremlin　and　the　golden　domes　of　St。　Basil's。　They　were　sitting　at　a　window　table　at　the　twenty…first…floor　restaurant　of　the　Rossiya　Hotel。　They　had　been　there　for　forty…five　minutes　and　had　still　to　receive　their　drinks。　That　was　all　right；　they　were　in　no　hurry。
　Tori　had　left　a　handwritten　message；　sealed　in　an　envelope；　and　as　Hitasura　had　told　her　was　to　be　done；　had　addressed　it　to　a　Mrs。　Kubysheva；　handed　it　in　at　the　front　desk。　The　young　man　who　had　taken　it　from　her　had　looked　at　the　name　she　had　printed　on　the　envelope；　said　carefully　in　English；　〃Perhaps　you'd　care　to　have　dinner　at　the　restaurant　upstairs；　miss。　The　twenty…first　floor　offers　unparalleled　views　of　the　city。〃
　Tori　and　Russell　did　as　he　suggested。　Upstairs；　Tori　went　to　the　ladies'　room　while　Russell　went　to　get　them　seated。　How　he　had　procured　this　choice　table　at　the　crowded　restaurant　she　could　not　guess；　but　as　she　was　learning；　Russell　was　adept　at　such　things。
　〃Hitasura　outfoxed　everyone；〃　Russell　said；　still　staring　out　the　window。　〃And；　as　for　Estilo；　perhaps　you　weren't　so　wrong　about　him。　After　all；　without　his　help　we　might　never　have　e　this　far。〃
　〃But；　oh；　poor　Ariel。〃
　〃Yes。〃　Russell　nodded。　〃Poor　Ariel。　He　was　a　seeker　after　truth；　and　he　died　for　that。〃
　Tori　pulled　something　out　of　her　pocket；　put　it　on　the　table　between　them。　She　smoothed　out　the　creases。　〃I　didn't　tell　you　about　this　before；　but　Ariel　made　sure　I　had　this　before　he　died。　He　obviously　thought　it　was　significant。〃
　Russell　looked　at　the　photograph。　〃It's　of　Ariel。　That's　San　Francisco；　isn't　it？〃
　〃Yes。　It's　a　park　very　close　to　his　house。〃
　He　looked　on　the　back；　read　off　the　date。　March　21。
　〃Jesus！〃　Tori　snatched　the　photo　out　of　his　hand；　studied　it　carefully。　Now　she　knew　why　the　dates　of　Bernard　Godwin's　trip　had　rung　a　bell。　They　coincided　with　when　this　picture　was　taken。　She　moved　the　photo　closer；　peered　intently　at　the　people　in　the　background。　And　there；　just　to　the　left　of　the　couple；　in　the　extreme　left…hand　corner　of　the　frame；　was　a　man。　Bernard　Godwin。
　Russell　could　see　it；　too。　You　had　to　be　looking　for　Bernard；　but　once　you　did；　you　could　recognize　him。
　〃Ariel　had　him　pinpointed；　all　right；〃　Tori　said。
　Russell　nodded。　〃It　would　seem　so。〃
　''And　was　murdered　for　it？''
　〃Do　you　think　so？〃　Russell　was　not　convinced。　〃But　there　must　be　something　more　to　this　photo。　What's　so　incriminating　about　it？　I　mean；　Bernard　could　have　gone　to　San　Francisco　for　a　vacation；　to　see　a　woman；　any　of　a　million　reasons。〃　He　studied　the　photo　again；　handed　it　back。　〃Can　you　make　out　this　couple？〃
　Tori　shook　her　head。　〃They're　further　away　than　Bernard　is；　though　they　seem　to　be　headed　his　way。''
　''We　could　use　a　darkroom；''　Russell　said。　〃If　we　could　blow　this　picture　up；　we　might　be　able　to　identify　this　couple　in　the　background　before　the　film　got　too　grainy。〃
　〃We　could　always　go　to　the　KGB。　I'm　sure　they　have　dark…rooms　to　spare。〃
　〃Very　funny。〃　Russell　looked　morose。　〃I'm　sorry；　Tori；　but　I　can't　help　thinking　that　Nikolev　is　something　less　than　totally　sincere。〃
　〃I　think　you're　wrong；　Russ；　and　like　it　or　not；　we're　both　gambling　our　lives　on　it。　Nikolev　has　already　revealed　enough　of　himself　to　make　us　reasonably　sure　of　him。''
　〃Then　I　'm　an　unreasonable　person。''
　〃No；〃　Tori　said；　giving　his　hand　a　squeeze。　〃Just　a　careful　one。〃
　At　last　a　waitress　showed　up　and　they　ordered。
　〃Don't　get　your　hopes　up；〃　Russell　said。　〃The　food　won't　be　ing　any　time　soon。〃
　〃It'll　be　getting　dark　soon；〃　Tori　said；　watching　the　lights　e　on　in　Red　Square；　the　onion　domes　of　St。　Basil's　glow　a　burnished　gold　at　the　waning　of　a　long　afternoon。　〃This　is　a　cold　city；　even　in　the　beginning　of　summer。〃
　Russell　grunted。　〃That's　because　the　temperature　has　nothing　to　do　with　it。〃　He　sat　back　abruptly。　〃It's　the　waiting　I　can't　stand。〃
　〃Unfortunately；　that's　all　we　can　do　until　we　get　a　reply　from　Mrs。　Kubysheva。〃
　〃If　we　get　a　reply。　With　Bondasenko　gone　to　ground；　the　organization　won't　be　taking　many　chances。〃
　〃I　think　the　dire　situation　is　exactly　why　we'll　hear　from　them；''　Tori　said。　〃They　wired　Hitasura　for　help；　we　know　that。　Now　that　we've　e；　they'll　see　us。〃
　〃Yeah；　but　according　to　Nikolev；　it　seems　we're　not　the　only　ones　who　know　about　that　munication。　The　KGB　must　have　broken　the　organization's　code。　I　wonder　what　else　the　KGB　knows？〃
　〃I　think　Nikolev　told　us　as　much　as　he　dares…perhaps；　from　his　point　of　view；　too　much。〃
　〃He's　the　goddamn　KGB；　Tori。〃
　''He's　also　a　human　being。　He's　obviously　unhappy　with　what　he　has　been　doing。　It　seems　to　me　he　wants　the　best　for　his　country。　I　think　he's　not　so　very　different　than　we　are；　Russ。　He's　caught　in　a　spiderweb　of　deceit；　and　now　he's　doi