cc.vixen03-第72部分

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　Though　the　Minister's　entourage　carried　no　weapons；　Zeegler　stood　unconcerned。　De　Vaal　spun　and　shouted　to　his　chauffeur　while　gesturing　wildly　at　Machita。　〃Sergeant！　Shoot　him！　For　God's　sake；　shoot　him！〃
　The　sergeant　looked　through　De　Vaal；　as　though　the　Minister　were　transparent。　De　Vaal　turned　to　Zeegler；　his　eyes　sick　with　a　mounting　fear。　〃Joris；　what　goes　on？〃
　Zeegler　did　not　answer；　his　face　was　an　emotionless　void。
　Pitt　pointed　into　the　open　grave。　〃It　was　Captain　Fawkes　who　blew　the　whistle　on　your　shifty　act。　He　may　have　been　unhinged　by　the　death　of　his　family　and　blinded　by　revenge；　but　it　struck　him　that　he　had　been　horribly　and　pitifully　duped　when　you　sent　Emma　to　kill　him。　A　neces…sary　part　of　your　plan。　Captured　alive；　he　might　have　revealed　your　direct　involvement。　Also；　you　couldn't　take　the　chance　he　could　some…how　bee　wise　that　it　was　you　who　masterminded　the　attack　on　his　farm。〃
　〃No！〃　The　word　scratched　from　De　Vaal's　throat。
　〃Captain　Patrick　McKenzie　Fawkes　was　the　only　man　in　South　Africa　who　could　pull　off　Wild　Rose。　You　ordered　the　murders　of　his　wife　and　children　knowing　a　grief…stricken　man　would　seek　retribution。　The　mas…sacre　was　a　stroke　of　cunning。　Even　your　own　people　at　the　Ministry　were　at　a　loss　to　connect　the　raiders　with　any　known　insurgent　organiza…tion。　It　never　dawned　on　them　their　boss　sneaked　in　a　team　of　black　mercenaries　from　Angola。〃
　De　Vaal's　eyes　registered　stunned　desperation。　〃How　is　it　possible　you　know　all　this？〃
　〃Like　any　good　intelligence　officer；　Colonel　Zeegler　kept　investigating　until　he　ran　down　the　truth；〃　Pitt　said。　〃Also；　as　do　most　sea　captains；
　Fool's　Mate　　　　　　　I　283
　Fawkes　kept　a　log。　I　was　there　when　Emma　tried　to　kill　him。　Fawkes　saved　my　life　before　the　ship　blew　up。　But　not　before　inserting　his　log；　along　with　a　few　added　notes　about　you；　into　a　watertight　tobacco　pouch　and　slipping　it　under　my　shirt。　The　pages　made　damned　interesting　reading；　especially　to　the　President　and　the　director　of　the　NSA。
　〃By　the　way；〃　Pitt　continued；　〃that　phony　message　you　sent　implicat…ing　Prime　Minister　Koertsmann　was　never　really　taken　at　face　value。　The　White　House　was　satisfied　that　Operation　Wild　Rose　was　conceived　and　conducted　behind　his　back。　Thus；　your　oily　scheme　to　take　over　your　own　government　was　blown　to　dust。　In　the　end　Fawkes　did　you　in；　even　if　it　was　posthumously。　The　other　details　were　supplied　by　Major　Machita；　who　agreed　to　bury　the　hatchet　with　Colonel　Zeegler　long　enough　to　put　you　away。　As　to　my　presence；　I　asked　for　and　received　the　role　of　master　of　ceremonies　because　of　my　debt　to　Captain　Fawkes。〃
　De　Vaal　stared　at　Pitt；　his　features　set　in　defeat。　Then　he　turned　to　Zeegler。　〃Joris；　you　arranged　for　my　betrayal？〃
　〃No　man　stands　with　a　traitor。〃
　〃If　ever　a　man　deserved　to　die；　De　Vaal；　it　is　you；〃　said　Machita。　The　hatred　seemed　to　seep　from　his　pores。
　De　Vaal　ignored　Machita。　〃You　cannot　simply　execute　a　man　of　my　station。　The　law　demands　a　trial。〃
　〃It　is　Prime　Minister　Koertsmann's　wish　that　there　be　no　scandal。〃　Zeegler　spoke　without　looking　his　chief　in　the　eye。　〃He　suggested　you　die　in　the　line　of　duty。〃
　〃That　would　make　me　a　martyr。〃　A　tiny　degree　of　confidence　restored　De　Vaal's　posure。　〃Can　you　see　me　as　a　martyr？〃
　〃No；　sir。　That's　why　he　agreed　to　my　proposal　that　you　turn　up　missing。　Better　you　bee　a　forgotten　mystery　than　a　national　hero。〃
　Too　late；　De　Vaal　caught　the　glint　of　steel　as　Machita's　knife　arched　up　between　his　groin　and　navel。　The　Defence　Minister's　eyes　bulged　in　shock。　He　tried　to　speak；　his　mouth　moved　slackly；　but　the　only　sound　that　came　was　an　animallike　gasp。　A　red　stain　spread　across　his　uniform。
　Machita　kept　his　hand　on　the　knife's　handle；　watching　death　as　it　closed　about　De　Vaal。　Then；　as　the　body　sagged；　Machita　gave　it　a　push　backward；　and　De　Vaal　fell　into　the　open　grave。　The　three　men　walked　to　the　edge　and　stood　looking　down　as　streams　of　dirt　trickled　and　dropped　on　the　figure　sprawled　below。
　〃A　fitting　rest　for　his　kind；〃　Machita　muttered。
　Zeegler's　face　was　pale。　He　was　hardened　to　seeing　battlefield　dead；　but　this　was　quite　another　thing。　〃I'll　have　the　driver　fill　in　the　grave。〃
　Pitt　shook　his　head。　〃No　need。　Fawkes　made　one　final　request　in　his　log。　I　promised　myself　I'd　see　to　it。〃
　〃As　you　wish。〃　Zeegler　turned　to　leave。　Machita　looked　as　if　he　were　going　to　say　something；　thought　better　of　it；　and　started　toward　the　underbrush　surrounding　the　cemetery。
　〃Hold　on；〃　said　Pitt。　〃Neither　of　you　can　afford　to　waste　this　oppor…tunity。〃
　〃Opportunity？〃　Zeegler　said。
　〃After　acting　together　to　destroy　a　mutual　cancer；　it　would　be　stupid　not　to　stand　face　to　face　and　discuss　your　differences。〃
　〃A　waste　of　words；〃　Zeegler　said　contemptuously。　〃Thomas　Machita　only　speaks　with　violence。〃
　〃Like　all　Westerners；　Mr。　Pitt；　you　are　naive　to　our　battle；〃　Machita　said；　his　face　stoic。　〃Talk　cannot　change　what　is　meant　to　be。　The　racist　South　African　government　will　fall　to　blacks　in　time。〃
　〃You　will　pay　dearly　before　your　flag　flies　over　Cape　Town；〃　said　Zeegler。
　〃Fool's　mate；〃　said　Pitt。　〃You're　both　playing　a　fool's…mate　gambit。〃
　Zeegler　looked　at　him。　〃Perhaps　in　your　eyes；　Mr。　Pitt。　But　to　us　it　goes　to　a　depth　no　outsider　can　fathom。〃
　The　colonel　continued　to　his　car　and　Machita　faded　into　the　jungle。
　The　truce　was　over。　The　chasm　was　too　wide　to　be　crossed。
　A　wave　of　impotency　mixed　with　anger　swept　Pitt。　〃What　will　it　all　matter　a　thousand　years　from　now？〃　he　shouted　after　them。
　He　picked　up　the　shovel　and　in　a　slow　tempo　began　scooping　dirt　into　the　grave。　He　could　not　bring　himself　to　look　at　De　Vaal。　Soon　he　heard　the　splatter　of　dirt　on　dirt　and　he　knew　no　one　would　ever　see　the　Defence　Minister　again。
　When　he　was　finished　and　the　mound　was　neatly　shaped；　he　opened　a　box　that　lay　on　the　grass　beside　the　headstone　and　removed　four　flower…ing　plants。　These　he　carefully　embedded　in　the　soil　at　the　corners　of　the　Fawkes　burial　plot。　Then　he　straightened　and　stepped　back。
　〃Rest　well；　Captain　Fawkes。　May　you　not　be　judged　too　harshly。〃
　Feeling　neither　remorse　nor　sadness　but　rather　a　kind　of　contentment；　Pitt　placed　the　empty　box　under　one　arm　and　the　shovel　over　his　shoulder　and　set　a　course　for　the　village　of　Umkono。
　Behind　him；　the　four　bougainvillea　plants　arched　their　blossoms　to…ward　the　African　sun。
　
　Omega
　South　Pacific…January　1989
　
　Rongelo　Island…actually　a　tiny　atoll；　an　island　in　name　only…was　a　solitary　fragment　of　land　floating　in　isolation　on　160；000　square　miles　of　Pacific。　Its　mass　rose　only　six　feet　above　the　glitter　of　the　ocean；　so　low　it　was　impossible　to　see　from　ten　miles　away。　Driven　by　wind　and　tide；　the　waves　burst　on　the　fragile　reef　surrounding　the　narrow　strand　of　bone…white　beach；　and　then　closed　ranks　on　the　other　side；　marching　on　for　hundreds　of　miles　before　making　the　next　landfall。
　The　island　was　barren　except　for　a　few　rotting　coconut　palms　that　had　been　battered　to　stumps　by　typhoon　waves。　In　the　middle　of　its　highest　point　the　skeletons　of　Dr。　Vetterly　and　his　assistants；　turned　bleached　and　porous　over　the　years；　lay　on　the　jagged　coral；　the　empty　eye　sockets　of　their　skulls　turned　skyward；　as　though　waiting　for　deliverance。
　At　sunset　the　thunderclouds　behind　Rongelo　caught　the　diminishing　rays　of　light　and　glowed　a　flaring　gold　as　the　missile　dropped　silently　from　space；　the　thunder　of　its　passage　through　the　atmosphere　left　far　behind。
　Suddenly　a　blue…white　blaze　lighted　the　sea　for　hundreds　of　miles；　and　a　great　fireball　swallowed　the　atoll。　In　less　than　a　second　the　fiery　mass　erupted　and　swelled　like　a　monstrous　spastic　bubble。　The　blinding　colors　on　its　surface　melted　from　orange　to　pink　and　finally　to　deep　purple。　The　shock　wave　lashed　across　the　water　like　a　lightning　bolt；　flattening　the　rolling　swells。
　Then　the　fireball　released　its　hold　on　the　surface　and　boiled　toward　the　sky；　digesting　millions　of　tons　of　coral　before　spitting　it　out　in　a　swirling　geyser　of　steam　and　rubble。　The　mass　inflated　to　a　diameter　of　five　miles；　and　in　less　than　a　minute　the　inferno　reached　an　altitude　of　115；000　feet。　There　it　hung；　gradually　cooling　into　an　i