el.angeleyes-第49部分

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　Then　she　was　hauled　over　on　her　back　and　one　of　the　soldiers　placed　the　muzzle　of　his　pistol　against　the　side　of　her　head。　His　sweat　dripped　onto　her　forehead；　into　her　eyes。　He　stunk　from　cordite　and　male　sweat。
　He　grinned　at　her；　and　she　could　see　the　gaps　between　his　teeth。　〃Adios；　puta；〃　he　said。
　Tori　heard　the　crack　of　the　pistol　and　she　jerked。　But　when　she　looked　up；　she　saw　the　soldier　with　a　stupefied　expression　on　his　face。　Blood　drooled　from　the　center　of　his　forehead。　Then　he　toppled　out　of　her　line　of　vision；　and　she　rolled　into　the　second　soldier；　who　had　lifted　his　machine　pistol。
　Tori　unsheathed　her　knife；　drove　it　upward　in　a　shallow　arc；　into　the　soldier's　lower　belly。　He　gave　a　cry；　his　machine　pistol　sprayed　the　air；　then　he　fell　to　his　knees。
　There　was　plenty　of　life　still　in　him。　He　smashed　his　fists　into　her　side；　and　she　grunted；　twisting　the　knife；　dragging　it　through　his　viscera。　He　hit　her　again　in　the　kidneys　and　her　strength　momentarily　left　her。　Then；　gathering　herself；　she　drew　the　knife　upward　and　across；　disemboweling　him。
　In　a　moment　Russell　was　at　her　side。　He　put　his　。45　against　the　soldier's　head；　pulled　the　trigger。　He　hauled　Tori　to　her　feet。
　〃You　okay？〃
　She　nodded。　''Nice　bit　of　shooting。　Right　between　the　eyes。''
　He　had　to　help　her　a　little　until　the　running　could　work　out　the　soreness　in　her　abdomen　and　side。　Her　jaw　still　ached　from　where　she　had　taken　the　shot　with　the　stock　of　the　machine　pistol。
　They　caught　up　with　Estilo　on　the　edge　of　the　tarmac。　The　Twin　Otter　sat　waiting；　closer　than　ever。　They　trotted　out　onto　the　airstrip。
　The　airplane　loomed　up；　and　Tori　thought；　We've　made　it。　Just　then　they　saw　another　Jeep　careen　onto　the　tarmac。　It　headed　for　them　at　full　speed；　machine　pistols　blazing。
　〃Around　the　other　side！〃　Estilo　called。　〃Get　the　plane　between　us　and　those　guns！〃
　They　ducked　beneath　the　wing　of　the　Twin　Otter。　But　as　soon　as　they　did；　they　could　make　out　an　advancing　column　of　troops　appearing　from　out　of　the　jungle　on　that　side　of　the　plane。　They　were　caught　in　a　tightening　net。
　〃The　plane's　our　only　hope　now；〃　Estilo　said。　〃We've　got　to　get　inside。〃
　〃But　the　moving　stair　is　on　the　other　side；〃　Russell　said。　〃Those　machine　pistols　will　cut　us　to　ribbons　if　we　show　ourselves。〃
　〃Nevertheless；〃　Tori　said；　〃Estilo's　right。　If　we　don't　take　off　in　this　plane；　we're　finished。〃　She　checked　her　Uzi。　〃Reload；''　she　said。　〃Make　sure　you've　got　a　full　magazine。　Okay。''　She　looked　at　their　faces；　pale　and　grim　in　the　reflection　of　the　sodium　are　lights。　〃Let's　go！〃
　They　began　to　fire　even　before　they　came　around　beneath　the　gleaming　belly　of　the　Twin　Otter。　The　Jeep　was　closer　than　they　expected；　the　fusillade　from　the　soldiers　withering。　Already；　they　could　hear　the　pop…pop…pop　of　semiautomatic　rifles　from　the　column　of　soldiers　on　the　other　side　of　the　plane。
　''We'll　never　get　the　moving　stair　in　place！''　Russell　shouted　over　the　din。
　Tori　saw　that　he　was　right。　〃Quick！〃　she　shouted　back。　〃In　there！〃　she　indicated　the　open　cargo　doors。
　Russell　grabbed　Estilo；　shoved　him　into　the　cargo　bay。　Tori　got　off　a　quick　burst　at　the　Jeep；　saw　one　of　the　soldiers　slump　back。　She　covered　Russell；　still　firing；　as　he　climbed　in　himself。　She　shot　off　a　final　burst；　scrambled　in；　closed　the　doors　behind　her。
　The　semiautomatic　fire　was　like　hail　against　the　side　of　the　plane。
　〃Shit；　shit；　shit。〃　Tori；　forward　of　them；　was　scrabbling　at　a　plate　in　the　ceiling。　She　pulled　her　。45；　shot　off　the　lock；　shoved　the　panel　aside；　and　light　flooded　downward。　She　clambered　up；　Russell　right　behind　her。
　They　ran　forward。　There　was　no　one　on　the　plane；　and　she　said　a　prayer　for　their　luck。　She　slid　into　the　pilot's　chair；　began　throwing　switches。　〃I'm　not　sure　of　the　takeoff；〃　she　said。　〃Once　we're　in　the　air　I'll　be　okay。〃
　Russell　sat　in　the　copilot's　seat；　went　through　the　pre…takeoff　checklist。　The　engines　started　up。　There　was　no　problem；　except　for　the　semiautomatic　fire　directed　their　way。
　〃Time；〃　Russell　said；　and　they　began　to　taxi　down　the　air…strip。　Faster　and　faster　he　fed　the　engines；　adjusting　the　mix；　then　pulled　back　on　the　throttle；　and　with　a　great　rush　they　were　airborne；　lifting　slowly　away　from　the　llano　negro；　the　insane　cocaine　city；　the　unknown　enemy；　powerful；　plotting；　hidden　beneath　layers　of　deceit；　working　the　soft　cell。









BOOK　TWO

THE　HARD　MACHINE

　Perfection　of　means　and　confusion　of　goals
　seem；　in　my　opinion；　to　characterize　our　age。　…ALBERT　EINSTEIN
　
　
SIX　
MOSCOW/STAR　TOWN　/АРКНАNGELSКОЕ/TOKYO

　The　next　time　Irina　saw　Natasha　Mayakova；　it　was　face…to…face。　As　it　happened；　Natasha　ran　an　acting　school　for　women。　There　were　four　instructors；　and　she　herself　gave　one　class　a　week。　Irina　had　enrolled　in　this　class。
　She　had　to　audition；　of　course；　but　oddly；　this　had　posed　no　great　problem。　Irina　suspected　that　her　recent　work　burrowing　in　between　Valeri　and　Mars　had　made　of　her　a　fairly　decent　actor。　She　found　that　she　had　no　fear　or　trepidation　at　all。　She　read　from　a　scene　in　Chekhov's　Three　Sisters；　which　she　privately　thought　was　the　height　of　irony。　She　must　have　done　well；　because　the　next　day　she　was　informed　that　she　had　been　accepted　into　Miss　Mayakova's　class。
　The　class　was　attended　by　six　women。　They　sat　in　a　dusty　back　room　of　the　new　Moscow　Arts　Theater；　which　Irina　did　not　like　nearly　as　much　as　she　did　the　old　one；　where　Natasha　performed　five　nights　a　week。
　Irina　had　not；　of　course；　given　her　real　name。　Her　goal　was　to　discover　what　Valeri　was　secretly　doing　with　Natasha　Mayakova；　and　to　find　some　way　to　use　it　against　him　so　that　she　could　get　out　of　him　the　information　Mars　needed　on　the　nationalist　group；　White　Star。　Here；　she　was　Katya　Boroskaya。
　Mars　had　been　delighted　to　provide　the　false　documentation　Irina　needed　for　enrolling　in　the　acting　school。　It　was　too　early　to　give　him　any　information；　and　he　had　not　asked　why　she　required　new　identity　documents。　''I　want　you　to　think　of　yourself　as　a　free　agent；〃　he　had　told　her。　〃I　trust　you。〃
　The　first　night；　Natasha　Mayakova　had　told　her　students　that　this　class　would　not　have　been　possible　before　perestroika。　She　said　this　with　the　kind　of　pride　someone　tells　her　girlfriends　that　her　father　has　granted　her　the　privilege　of　staying　out　past　midnight。　Irina　thought　the　speech　disgusting　in　its　naivete；　frightening　in　its　implied　condescension。
　〃Here　we　will　study　such　American　playwrights　as　Edward　Albee；〃　Natasha　continued。　〃I　have　chosen　Albee　because　in　plays　such　as　Tiny　Alice　and　A　Delicate　Balance；　we　can　discern　distinct　Chekhovian　antecedents。　The　characters'　existential　terror　is　not　so　far　from　the　despair　with　which　Chekhov　imbued　his　characters　in　Three　Sisters　or　The　Cherry　Orchard。　Both　Chekhov　and　Albee　understood　the　dynamics　of　inertia；　and　its　ultimate　power　to　affect　an　audience。〃
　Natasha　asked　them　to　do　〃cold　readings；〃　because；　she　said；　〃I　want　to　see　what　you　can　do　when　I　throw　you　without　warning　into　an　icy　stream。〃
　She　chose　two　students；　one　of　whom　was　Irina；　to　read　passages　from　Albee's　Who's　Afraid　of　Virginia　Woolf？　Natasha　asked　Irina　to　play　Martha；　the　role　acted　by　Elizabeth　Taylor　in　the　American　film　version　Irina　had　seen　in　a　tiny　Cambridge　revival　theater。　Irina　remembered　sitting　in　the　dark；　surrounded　by　American　students　and　the　smell　of　popcorn；　and　feeling　as　if　she　were　swimming　naked　in　a　sylvan　mountain　lake。　She　had　felt　so　。。。　free。　And　then　the　enlarged　image　of　Elizabeth　Taylor　had　sprung　up　in　front　of　her；　her　acting　transporting　Irina　away；　away；　away　。。。
　After　class　was　over　Natasha　Mayakova　asked　her　to　stay　behind。　Irina　was　immediately　terrified　that；　somehow；　despite　her　precautions；　Natasha　knew　who　she　was　and　was　now　prepared　to　confront　her。
　When　they　were　alone；　Natasha　said；　〃Do　you　have　time　for　a　glass　of　tea？〃
　Because　it　was　fairly　late；　they　went　to　the　night　bar　at　the　Metropole　Hotel；　one　of　the　few　places　in　Moscow　to　stay　open　past　midnight。　Muscovites　often　frequented　the　hotel　because　it　had　been　a　favorite　speaking　spot　of　Lenin's。　Now　it　seemed　faded；　worn；　almost　shabby　beneath　the　ornat