el.angeleyes-第9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！


　''You　talk　as　if　this　is　the　first　casualty　we've　had　in　the　field。''
　The　flapping　of　that　feminine　hand　again。　〃Of　course　we've　lost　agents　before。　But　in　my　day　they　were　sacrificed　for　a　greater　cause。　There　was　a　meaning　to　their　deaths。　Everything　was　planned。　Do　you　understand　me？〃
　In　my　day；　indeed！　Godwin　was　as　callous　as　they　e；　Slade　thought。　How　quickly　will　he　sever　me　if　the　situation　gets　too　hot？　Has　he　already　got　someone　lined　up　to　take　my　place？　By　God；　I'll　fight　to　the　death　to　keep　this　position。
　Slade　understood　that　Godwin　had　abruptly　distanced　himself　from　the　current　situation；　just　as　he　understood　that　his　own　immediate　priority　was　to　regain　the　equilibrium　Godwin　had　stripped　from　him。　Godwin　loved　nothing　better　than　to　prod　his　people。　Pressure；　he　firmly　believed；　sharpened　the　wits　and　brought　out　the　best　in　his　people…and　if　it　did　not；　they　were　severed　from　the　Mall。
　Without　betraying　any　of　his　thoughts；　Slade　said　blandly；　〃You　know；　Bernard；　it　occurs　to　me　that　you've　been　spending
altogether　too　much　time　with　the　administration's　spin　doctors。　Those　presidential　apologists　who　call　themselves　aides　love　to　rewrite　recent　history；　and　so　do　you。　I　notice　that　you're　deliberately　ignoring　the　losses　the　Mall　suffered　at　the　hands　of　the　KGB's　Operation　Boomerang。〃
　Godwin　grunted　〃Ancient　history。〃
　〃Really？　Your　predilection…dare　I　say　it；　borders　on　obsession？…toward　helping　Soviet　dissidents　is　all　too　well　documented。　It　cost　us　ten　good　agents；　lost　to　the　KGB；　who　were　running　the　bogus　dissident　cell　inside　Russia。　The　KGB　sucked　in　a　lot　of　people　with　that　scam…including　you；　the　expert's　expert　on　the　Soviet　Union。''
　〃That　was　a　bad　dream；　all　right；〃　Godwin　said。　〃I　don't　mind　telling　you　it　gave　me　some　sleepless　nights。　But　in　the　end；　I　put　that　slip　down　to　a　temporary　loss　of　my　acute　sense　of　cynicism。〃
　Slade；　thinking　of　how　cynical　Godwin's　response　was　in　itself；　shook　his　head。　〃No；　your　error　was　in　placing　too　much　trust　in　your　friends　over　there。''
　''In　the　end；　friends　are　all　that　make　a　man　a　man；''　Godwin　said　firmly。
　〃Even　in　this　shadow　world　of　ours？〃　Slade　said　skeptically。
　〃Especially　here。〃　Bernard；　in　the　shadow　of　one　of　his　hoary　hawthorn　trees；　never　seemed　more　mysterious。　He　had　the　kind　of　soft　eyes　that　engendered　trust；　that　pletely　masked　his　cynical　heart。　It　was　all　too　easy　to　believe　what　he　said　even　when　you　suspected　him　of　spin　control：　distorting　me　truth　to　suit　his　purposes。　〃I　don't　know　about　you；　Russell；　but　it's　a　friend　I　want　at　the　other　end　of　a　three　A。M。　phone　call　when　my　ass　is　in　the　fire　in　Istanbul　or　Prague　or　some　other　godforsaken　red　zone　when　the　opposition　has　blown　my　cover　and　is　closing　in；　not　some　operative　who　may　or　may　not　have　been　turned　while　I　was　looking　the　other　way。〃
　He　gave　Slade　a　tiny；　ironic　smile　that　made　Slade's　stomach　contract。　〃Sorry；〃　he　said　in　a　gentle　tone　of　voice。　〃I　sometimes　forget　that　you　have　no　field　experience。〃　A　rebuke　or　simply　a　reminder　of　fact？　With　Godwin　it　was　impossible　to　tell。　〃That's　the　way　I　came　up；　because　that's　the　way　our　shadow　world　worked　in　the　old　days。〃　He　grunted。　〃You　have　your　own　areas　of　expertise；　Russell；　and　believe　me；　I　appreciate　all　of　them。　But　it's　times　like　these　that　make　me　long　for　the　relative　simplicity　of　the　past。〃
　〃Damnit；　I　know　I　made　the　proper　decision；〃　Slade　said。　''I　was　sure　that　Ariel　Solares　would　bring　Tori　in。　A　little　honey　on　the　end　of　the　hook；　because　otherwise　I　knew；　under　the　circumstances；　she　wouldn't　consider　it。〃
　〃Of　course　she　wouldn't；〃　Godwin　said；　pouncing　on　the　opening　Slade　had　given　him。　〃But　if　you　had　made　her　a　friend…an　ally…instead　of　alienating　her　when　she　worked　for　you；　all　this　would　have　been　avoided。　Tori　would　be　here　now；　and　Solares　would　still　be　alive。〃
　The　best　course　when　Godwin　delivered　a　verbal　low　blow；　Slade　had　learned；　was　to　ignore　it。　Godwin　responded　to　points　well　made；　not　to　cries　of　foul。　〃Solares　was　to　pique　her　interest　with　a　look　at　what　he　was　working　on；〃　Slade　said。　〃In　addition；　because　there　is　still　a　question　of　her　fitness；　he　was　to　maneuver　her　into　a　challenging　physical　and　mental　confrontation。　He　was　meant　to　look　for　any　deterioration　of　her　skills。　The　plan　was　perfect：　subtle　and　psychologically　sound。　But　somewhere　along　the　line　Solares　must　have　gotten　careless；　and　someone　took　him　out。〃
　〃Solares　was　your　man。　You　ran　him　directly。　In　retrospect；　you　may　agree　with　me　that　perhaps；　given　your　lack　of　experience　in　the　field；　that　was　an　error　in　judgment。　It　was　your　call　to　make；　and　I　didn't　interfere。　But　now's　the　time　to　examine　your　motives。　That's　why　you　chose　to　run　him　directly；　wasn't　it？　To　lure　Tori　Nunn　out　of　her　isolation；　to　be　ultimately　in　control　of　her　once　more。''
　〃As　far　as　the　canning　Tori　Nunn　from　the　Mall；〃　Slade　said；　〃I　recall　you　gave　your　blessing　to　the　severance。〃　Immediately；　he　regretted　saying　it。　In　trying　to　regain　control　of　me　conversation；　he　had　walked　into　one　of　Godwin's　verbal　traps。
　〃I　gave　you　my　assent；　Russell。　Nothing　more。〃　The　old　man　refused　to　give　up　an　inch　of　territory；　he　was　relentless。　''It　was　your　decision。''
　Slade　looked　at　him。　〃Do　you　mean　to　tell　me　now　that　you　disagreed　with　it？〃
　〃Are　you　deliberately　missing　the　point？〃　Godwin　said；　neatly　sidestepping　the　kind　of　answer　Slade　was　seeking。　〃It　was　your　decision。　You　made　it。　Now　you　must　deal　with　the　ramifications。〃
　〃What　ramifications？〃　Slade　said。　〃This　situation　is　without　nuance。〃
　〃Bullshit；〃　Godwin　said；　leaning　toward　Slade。　〃Your　relationship　with　Tori　Nunn　is　all　unfinished　business。　Yes；　you　made　the　proper　decision　with　Solares；　Russell；　but　you　must　see　that　you　made　it　for　all　the　wrong　reasons。　The　'situation；'　as　you　choose　to　refer　to　it；　is　fraught　with　psychological　nuance。〃
　〃I'll　take　care　of　Tori　Nunn　myself；〃　Slade　said　angrily。　〃Okay？　Will　that　satisfy　you？〃
　〃I　want　my　director's　full　concentration　on　this　crisis；　that's　all；〃　Godwin　said　soothingly。　He　paused　to　allow　the　tension　to　dissipate；　no　one　knew　how　to　orchestrate　a　conversation　better　than　Bernard　Godwin。　〃What　have　the　caretakers　e　up　with？〃　The　caretakers　were　the　Mall's　group　of　forensic　specialists　who　were　sent　in　to　analyze　〃wet　work〃　sites。
　〃Nothing　as　yet；〃　Slade　said。　〃For　the　moment；　at　least；　the　identity　of　Solares's　murderer　is　unknown。''
　〃Any　guesses？〃　the　old　man　asked。
　〃I　don't　deal　in　speculation；〃　Slade　said；　annoyed　that　the　old　man　still　saw　fit　to　test　him。　〃You　taught　me　that；　Bernard。　Speculation　leads；　more　often　than　not；　to　false　conclusions。〃
　Godwin　nodded。　〃You　said　that　Solares　got　careless。〃　He　had　paused　to　run　his　hand　across　the　ruffled　field　of　Hino　crihison　azalea。　〃Of　course；　there's　another　possibility。〃　He　watched；　fascinated；　as　a　furry　bumblebee；　its　legs　thick　with　pollen；　took　off　from　the　center　of　a　flower。　〃Someone　is　one　step　ahead　of　you。''　He　glanced　sidelong　at　Slade。　''Now　there's　a　disturbing　thought。〃
　〃Jesus　Christ；〃　Slade　said。　〃　'Disturbing'　doesn't　begin　to　cover　that　prospect。　How　does　the　word　'disaster'　grab　you？〃
　The　old　man　frowned　to　show　his　distaste。　〃You　know　I　dislike　words　of　that　nature；　Slade；〃　he　said。　〃They　smack　of　defeatism。　Defeat　is　for　the　weak…it　is　not　for　us。　What　we　need　now　is　a　sound　offensive　strategy。〃
　〃Of　course；〃　Slade　said。　〃Every　situation　has　its　master；　every　speciality　has　its　sensei。　We　need　Tori　Nunn　back。　We　are　lost　in　the　middle　of　her　field　of　expertise。''
　''Yes；''　the　old　man　said。''And　you've　volunteered　to　get　her　back　yourself。　I　appreciate　that；　Russell。　Just　make　certain　it　isn't　simply　a　gesture。〃
　Slade　suddenly　saw　how　neatly　he　had　been　maneuvered　into　this　personal　involvement；　despite　his　own　conviction　that　personal　involvement　was　dangerous　and　potentially　lethal　in　the　shadow　world。　In　Russell　Slade's　opinion；　emotion　had　no　place　in　Mall　business。　That　was　a　point　he　had　tried　to　make　over　and　over　to　Tori　without　the　slightest　success。　It　occurred　to　him…not　for　the　first　time；　but　now　with　increasing　focus…that　his　sense　of　bein