el.angeleyes-第136部分

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　While　Russell　saw　to　Valeri's　wound。　Ton　went　to　where　Lara　lay；　checked　to　see　if　she　was　still　alive。　She　wasn't。　Then　she　walked　to　the　edge　of　the　pool；　bent　down；　pulled　Tatiana　from　the　water。　She　rolled　her　over；　saw　that　she　was　dead；　too。
　Such　a　waste　of　life；　she　thought　sadly。　Where　will　it　end？　That　was　a　question　she　had　been　asking　herself　ever　since　she　had　watched　Koi　mit　ritual　suicide　in　an　attempt　to　cleanse　her　spirit　and　her　conscience　of　the　blood　staining　it。
　Tori　could　not　forget　that　moment；　as　if　it　were　fixed　in　time　in　her　memory：　the　blue　of　the　sky；　the　white　of　Koi's　clothes；　the　red　of　the　blood　flowing。　And　the　lights　of　Koi's　mountains；　burning　for　her。　Silently；　Tori　said　a　prayer　for　Koi's　spirit…and　her　own。
　Slowly；　almost　hesitantly；　she　walked　along　the　edge　of　the　pool。　Her　legs　seemed　to　have　lost　their　strength。　Here　was　the　Hero；　the　Russian　cosmonaut　who　had　trained　and　lived　with　her　brother　Greg。　The　man　who　had　last　seen　Greg　alive。　What　strange　fate　that　had　brought　her　here！
　And　now　that　she　was　here；　Tori　found　that　she　was　almost　afraid　to　approach　him。　She　heard　the　water　purling　against　the　coping；　she　saw　the　ice…blue　and　indigo　shadows　moving　in　mysterious　patterns　across　the　face　of　the　water。　She　heard　the　odd　clicks　of　Arbat's　language。　And　all　these　things　lent　an　otherworldly　cast　to　the　pool；　as　if　they　were　not　inside　a　fortress　in　the　heart　of　the　USSR　at　all；　but　in　another　time；　another　place　altogether。
　Tori　saw　Arbat　first；　and　she　was　so　surprised　she　did　not　know　what　to　say。　The　blue　dolphin　immediately　broke　away　from　where　the　Него　and　Irina　hung　in　the　pool；　ducked　her　head；　swam　up　to　where　Tori　stood。
　In　a　rush；　Arbat　leaped　fully　out　of　the　water。　Her　nose　brushed　Tori's　cheek；　and　then　her　great　sleek　body　was　gone；　in　one　enormous　splash　hidden　beneath　the　churning　water。
　Tori　stood　very　still。　Her　legs　trembled　and　she　looked　toward　the　two　humans　in　the　pool。　Irina　swam　over；　introduced　herself。
　〃I'm　Tori　Nunn；〃　Tori　said；　sitting　on　the　coping。　〃We've　e　with　Valeri　to　help　White　Star。〃　She　extended　her　hand。　Irina　took　it。
　For　a　moment　the　two　women　stared　deep　into　each　other's　eyes。　What　transpired　then？　Was　there　a　silent　munication　of　words；　of　feelings；　or　of　something　far　more　elemental；　something　impossible　to　define？　In　any　case；　there　was　a　sense　of　a　shared　emotion　if　not　a　shared　destiny　that　leaped　between　the　women　when　they　touched。
　〃I'm　sorry；〃　Tori　said；　breaking　the　silence；　〃but　I　was　stunned　by　what　the　dolphin　did。''
　Irina　smiled。　〃Arbat　has　very　particular　likes　and　dislikes。　It's　obvious　she　likes　you　a　great　deal。''　She　turned。　''Odysseus？　e　meet　Tori。　She's　one　of　the　Americans　who…〃　Irina　stopped；　frozen　by　the　look　on　Odysseus's　face。　〃Is　something　the　matter？〃
　The　Hero　swam　slowly　into　what　light　there　was　in　the　shadowy　pool　room。　Arbat　surfaced　next　to　him；　and　he　put　his　hand　on　her　back。
　Tori　watched　as　the　Него　emerged　from　the　darkness。　Her　heart　was　pounding　so　hard　she　could　scarcely　breathe。　She　could　see　his　gleaming；　silvery　skin　first；　as　sleek　as　Arbat's。　She　saw　the　contours　of　his　face；　the　utter　hairlessness　of　him。　And　then　she　caught　a　glimpse　of　his　opalescent　eyes。
　Tori　opened　her　mouth；　closed　it　with　a　snap。　Opened　it　again。
　She　stared　into　his　angel　eyes。
　〃Greg？〃
　〃Tori；〃　the　Hero　said。　〃God　in　Heaven。〃
　Tori　tumbled　into　the　pool；　clothes　and　all。　She　swam　to　where　Odysseus　floated　with　Arbat。　Tears　were　streaming　from　her　eyes。
　〃Don't；〃　Odysseus　said。　〃Oh；　don't。〃　He　stroked　her　head。
　〃Greg。〃
　Tori　pulled　him　to　her；　embraced　him；　kissed　his　cheeks。　She　held　him　and　held　him。　She　did　not　want　to　let　go；　and　for　a　long　time　she　didn't。
　When　at　last　she　unclasped　him；　she　said；　''But　I　thought　you　were　dead。　We　all　did。　How　is　it…〃
　〃The　Russians；〃　Gregory　Nunn　said。　〃Viktor　Shevchenko　and　I　were　part　of　a　secret　experiment　these　bastards　devised　to　see　if　exposure　to　measured　amounts　of　cosmic　radiation　could　counter　the　crippling　effects　of　weightlessness。　Then　the　EVA　event　happened；　and　Viktor　was　killed。　I　came　home；　but　was　in　a　a　for　several　months。　When　I　regained　consciousness；　the　Russians　figured　I　was　too　valuable　to　give　back　to　the　Americans。
　〃I　don't　know　how　they　convinced　our　people　it　was　me　who　died　in　space；　but　they　did。　Then　they　set　about　calling　me　Viktor；　I　suppose　in　order　to　try　to　indoctrinate　me　to　my　new　life　in　a　Russian　prison。　Of　course；　I　had　one　all　to　myself；　but　it　was　no　less　a　prison　for　that。〃
　〃Tori；〃　Russell　said　from　the　edge　of　the　pool　behind　her；　〃the　deadline。〃
　She　turned。　〃Russ；　this　is　my　brother　Greg！　It　was　the　Russian　cosmonaut　who　died　in　space；　not　him。　The　Russians　have　been　holding　him　here。''
　''Hey；　Jesus　Christ。''　He　squatted　down。　''What　the　hell　have　they　done　to　you？〃
　〃It's　a　long　story。〃
　〃I'll　bet；〃　Russell　said。　his　frown　deepened。　〃Are　you　okay？〃
　〃It's　hard　to　say。〃
　〃Well；　one　thing's　for　sure；　we've　got　to　get　you　out　of　here。　I　can　tell　you　there'll　be　a　lot　of　people　back　home　falling　all　over　themselves　to　talk　to　you。〃
　〃Not　so　different　from　the　Russians。〃
　Russell　cocked　his　head　at　Greg's　cynical　tone。　〃What　am　I　missing　here？〃
　〃Time；〃　Tori　said　to　Russell；　but　she　was　looking　past　him　to　her　brother。
　Russell　said；　〃Okay。　Greg；　believe　me；　I　want　to　get　the　whole　story；　but　right　now…〃
　〃Odysseus；〃　Valeri　interrupted；　ing　up　behind　Russell；　〃the　KGB　and　the　military　have　bined　as　we　had　suspected。〃　His　right　shoulder　was　wrapped　with　surgical　tape。　''At　dawn　today　the　order　will　be　given　to　invade　the　Baltic　states　of　Latvia　and　Lithuania。　At　the　same　moment；　the　president　will　be　assassinated　by　his　own　bodyguards。〃
　〃So　soon；〃　Greg　said。　〃We're　not　yet　altogether　ready。〃
　〃Nevertheless；　we're　going　to　have　to　make　do；〃　Valeri　said。　He　winced　with　pain。　〃We　are　going　to　have　to　deploy　the　MANDs。〃
　〃MANDs？〃　Russell　said。
　〃Yes；〃　Gregory　Nunn　said。　〃The　Mobile　Anti…personnel　Nuclear　Devices　that　Bernard　Godwin　has　provided　us　with。〃　He　nodded　at　Valeri。　〃I　agree。　It's　the　only　way　to　avert　disaster。　''　He　swam　to　the　edge　of　the　pool。　''Help　me　up。''
　Valeri　and　Russell　bent　down；　lifted　him　from　the　pool。　Valeri　used　only　his　left　arm；　but　sucked　in　his　breath　sharply　at　the　strain。
　Greg　looked　at　him　inquiringly；　and　Valeri　grinned。　〃Only　a　flesh　wound；〃　he　said。　〃Not　to　worry。〃
　〃The　bullet　went　clear　through　him；〃　Russell　said。　〃Only　the　muscle　is　damaged。　I've　stopped　the　bleeding；　applied　antibiotic　cream；　and　I've　wrapped　him　well。　There's　an　excellent　medical　dispensary　here。　Still；　he　must　see　a　surgeon。〃
　〃But　not　now；〃　Valeri　said。
　During　this　exchange；　Irina　had　climbed　out　of　the　pool。　Now　she　went　over　to　where　the　Hero's　wheelchair　sat。　She　brought　it　over　and；　as　they　sat　him　in　it；　she　covered　him　with　an　oversized　towel　as　she　had　seen　Lara　and　Tatiana　do。　Then；　as　Tori　emerged；　dripping；　Irina　wrapped　another　towel　around　her；　began　to　rub　her　shoulders　to　bring　up　the　warmth。
　Valeri　wheeled　Greg　over　to　the　munications　area　and；　as　Greg　began　to　set　up；　he　said；　〃Mars　was　almost　right。　But　he　never　could　have　grasped　the　whole　truth…or　believed　it。
　''We　have　been　building　the　concept　of　White　Star　for　years。　First；　we　had　to　fight　state　repression；　then　the　people's　fear　of　that　repression。　More　recently；　as　pockets　of　nationalism　in　Georgia；　Lithuania；　the　Ukraine；　and　other　sectors　of　the　Soviet　Union　sprang　up　through　our　encouragement；　we've　had　to　battle　the　divided　nature　of　that　nationalism。　The　Georgians　cared　only　about　Georgia；　Ukrainians　only　about　Ukrainians；　and　so　on。〃
　He　paused；　and　they　could　all　hear　him　breathing　hard　as　he　tried　to　block　out　the　pain。　The　shock　had　dissipated；　and　the　full　brunt　of　the　pain　had　set　in。　Of　course；　he　had　refused　to　take　a　painkiller。
　〃Then；　eighteen　months　ago；　Greg　dropped　into　our　laps　like　a　star　from　heaven；〃　he　continued；　gathering　himself。　〃Greg　was　the　Hero　of　the　Odin…Galaktika　II　disaster。　He　was　of　Soviet　descent；　being　incarcerated　and　interrogated　almost　daily　by　the　KGB。　He　became　a　rallying　point　about　which　all