rl.thebourneultimatum-第68部分

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　〃You　heard　me；　only　I　used　the　wrong　word　and　I　apologize　for　that。　I'll　give　you　a　nonnegotiable　figure　and　you　can　either　accept　it　or　reject　it。〃
　〃A　。。。　contract？　On　Simon…Webb？〃
　〃No；〃　replied　the　mafioso；　slowly　shaking　his　head。　〃On　a　character　named　Jason　Bourne。　It's　cleaner　to　kill　someone　who's　already　dead；　isn't　it？　。。。　Since　we　just　saved　you　one　and　a　half　mill；　the　price　of　the　contract　is　five。〃
　〃Five　million？〃
　〃The　cost　of　eliminating　problems　in　the　category　of　major　items　is　high。　Menaces　are　even　higher。　Five　million；　Alby；　half　on　acceptance　within　the　usual　twenty…four　hours。〃
　〃That's　outrageous！〃
　〃Then　turn　me　down。　You　e　back；　it's　seven…fifty；　and　if　you　e　back　again；　it's　double　that。　Fifteen　million。〃
　〃What　guarantee　do　we　have　that　you　can　even　find　him？　You　heard　DeSole。　He's　Four　Zero；　which　means　he's　out　of　reach；　buried。〃
　〃Oh；　we'll　dig　him　up　just　so　we　can　replant　him。〃
　〃How？　Two　and　a　half　million　is　a　lot　to　pay　on　your　word。　How？〃
　Again　smiling；　the　Mafia　supremo　reached　into　his　pocket　and　pulled　out　the　small　notebook　Steven　DeSole　had　returned　to　him。　〃Close　friends　are　the　best　sources；　Alby。　Ask　the　sleazes　who　write　all　those　gossip　books。　I　got　two　addresses。〃
　〃You　won't　get　near　them。〃
　〃Hey；　e　on。　You　think　you're　dealing　with　old　Chicago　and　the　animals？　With　Mad　Dog　Capone　and　Nitti；　the　nervous　finger。　We　got　sophisticated　people　on　the　payroll　these　days。　Geniuses。　Scientists；　electronics　whiz　kids…doctors。　By　the　time　we　get　finished　with　the　spook　and　the　yid；　they　won't　know　what　happened。　But　we'll　have　Jason　Bourne；　the　character　who　doesn't　exist　because　he's　already　dead。〃
　Albert　Armbruster　nodded　once　and　turned　to　the　window　in　silence。
　〃I'll　close　up　for　six　months；　change　the　name；　then　start　a　promotional　campaign　in　the　magazines　before　reopening；〃　said　John　St。　Jacques；　standing　by　the　window　as　the　doctor　worked　on　his　brother…in…law。
　〃There's　no　one　left？〃　asked　Bourne；　wincing　as　he　sat　in　a　chair　dressed　in　a　bathrobe；　the　last　suture　on　his　neck　being　pincered。
　〃Sure；　there　is。　Seven　crazy　Canadian　couples；　including　my　old　buddy；　who's　needlepointing　your　throat　at　the　moment。　Would　you　believe　they　wanted　to　start　up　a　brigade；　Renfrews　of　the　Mounties；　after　the　evil　people。〃
　〃That　was　Scotty's　idea；〃　interrupted　the　doctor　softly；　concentrating　on　the　wound。　〃Count　me　out。　I'm　too　old。〃
　〃So's　he　but　he　doesn't　know　it。　Then　he　wanted　to　advertise　a　reward　to　the　tune　of　a　hundred　thousand　for　information　leading　to　the　et　cetera！　I　finally　convinced　him　that　the　less　said　the　better。〃
　〃Nothing　said　is　the　best；〃　added　Jason。　〃That's　the　way　it's　got　to　be。〃
　〃That's　a　little　tough；　David；〃　said　St。　Jacques；　misunderstanding　the　sharp　glance　Bourne　leveled　at　him。　〃I'm　sorry；　but　it　is。　We're　deflecting　most　of　the　local　inquiries　with　an　ersatz　story　about　a　massive　propane…gas　leak；　but　not　too　many　people　are　buying　it。　Of　course；　to　the　world　outside；　an　earthquake　down　here　wouldn't　rate　six　lines　buried　in　the　last　pages　of　the　want　ads；　but　rumors　are　flying　around　the　Leewards。〃
　〃You　said　local　inquiries　。。。　what　about　that　world　outside？　Has　there　been　anything　from　it？〃
　〃There　will　be　but　not　about　here；　not　about　Tranquility。　Montserrat；　yes；　and　the　news　will　get　a　column　in　the　London　Times　and　maybe　an　inch　in　the　New　York　and　Washington　papers；　but　I　don't　think　it'll　touch　us。〃
　〃Stop　being　so　cryptic。〃
　〃We'll　talk　later。〃
　〃Say　whatever　you　like；　John；〃　broke　in　the　doctor。　〃I'm　just　about　finished；　so　I'm　not　paying　much　attention；　and　even　if　I　heard　you；　I'm　entitled　to。〃
　〃I'll　make　it　brief；〃　said　St。　Jacques；　walking　to　the　right　of　the　chair。　〃The　Crown　governor；〃　he　continued。　〃You　were　right；　at　least　I　have　to　assume　you　were　right。〃
　〃Why？〃
　〃The　news　came　in　while　you　were　getting　cleaned　up。　The　CG's　boat　was　found　smashed　on　one　of　the　nastier　reefs　off　Antigua；　halfway　to　Barbuda。　There　was　no　sign　of　survivors。　Plymouth　assumes　it　was　one　of　those　whipsaw　squalls　that　can　e　out　of　south　Nevis；　but　it's　hard　to　swallow。　Not　a　squall　necessarily；　but　the　circumstances。〃
　〃Which　were？〃
　〃His　usual　two　crewmen　weren't　with　him。　He　dismissed　them　at　the　yacht　club；　saying　he　wanted　to　take　the　boat　out　by　himself；　yet　he　told　Henry　he　was　going　out　for　the　running　big　fish…〃
　〃Which　means　he　would've　had　to　have　a　crew；〃　interrupted　the　Canadian　physician。　〃Oh；　sorry。〃
　〃Yes；　he　would've；〃　agreed　the　owner　of　Tranquility　Inn。　〃You　can't　fish　the　big　fellas　and　skipper　a　boat　at　the　same　time…at　least　the　CG　couldn't。　He　was　afraid　to　take　his　eyes　off　the　charts。〃
　〃But　he　could　read　them；　couldn't　he？〃　asked　Jason。　〃The　charts？〃
　〃As　a　navigator；　he　was　no　Captain　Bligh　sailing　by　the　Pacific　stars；　but　he　was　good　enough　to　stay　out　of　trouble。〃
　〃He　was　told　to　go　out　alone；〃　said　Bourne。　〃Ordered　to　rendezvous　with　a　boat　in　waters　that　called　for　him　to　really　keep　his　eyes　on　the　charts。〃　Jason　suddenly　realized　that　the　doctor's　nimble　fingers　were　no　longer　touching　his　neck；　instead；　there　was　the　constricting　bandage　and　the　physician　was　standing　beside　him　looking　down。　〃How　are　we　doing？〃　asked　Bourne；　looking　up；　an　appreciative　smile　creasing　his　lips。
　〃We're　done；〃　said　the　Canadian。
　〃Well　。。。　then　I　think　we'd　better　meet　later；　for　a　drink；　all　right？〃
　〃Good　heavens；　you're　just　getting　to　the　good　part。〃
　〃It's　not　good；　Doctor；　it's　not　good　at　all；　and　I'd　be　a　very　ungrateful　patient…which　I'm　not…if　I　even　unwittingly　let　you　hear　things　I　don't　think　you　should　hear。〃
　The　elderly　Canadian　locked　his　eyes　with　Jason's。　〃You　mean　that；　don't　you？　In　spite　of　everything　that's　happened；　you　really　don't　want　to　involve　me　any　further。　And　you're　not　playing　melodramatic　games；　secrecy　for　secrecy's　sake…an　old　dodge　for　inferior　doctors；　incidentally…but　you're　really　concerned；　aren't　you？〃
　〃I　guess　I　am。〃
　〃Considering　what's　happened　to　you；　and　I　don't　just　mean　these　past　few　hours；　which　I've　been　a　part　of；　but　what　the　scars　on　your　body　tell　me　you've　been　through　before；　it's　rather　remarkable　that　you　can　be　concerned　for　anyone　but　yourself。　You're　a　strange　man；　Mr。　Webb。　At　times　you　even　sound　like　two　different　people。〃
　〃I'm　not　strange；　Doctor；〃　said　Jason　Bourne；　momentarily　closing　his　eyes；　his　lids　briefly　tight。　〃I　don't　want　to　be　strange　or　different　or　anything　exotic　at　all。　I　want　to　be　as　normal　and　ordinary　as　the　next　fellow；　no　games　at　all。　I'm　just　a　teacher；　and　that's　all　I　want　to　be。　But　in　the　present　circumstances；　I　have　to　do　things　my　way。〃
　〃Which　means　I　leave　for　my　own　benefit？〃
　〃Yes；　it　does。〃
　〃And　if　I　ever　learn　all　the　facts；　I'll　realize　that　your　instructions　were　very　educational。〃
　〃I　hope　so。〃
　〃I'll　bet　you're　one　hell　of　a　teacher；　Mr。　Webb。〃
　〃Doctor　Webb；〃　interjected　John　St。　Jacques　spontaneously；　as　if　the　clarification　were　mandatory。　〃My　brother…in…law's　a　doctor；　too。　Like　my　sister；　he's　got　a　Ph。D。；　he　speaks　a　couple　of　Oriental　languages　and　is　a　full　professor。　Places　like　Harvard；　McGill　and　Yale　have　been　after　him　for　years；　but　he　won't　budge…〃
　〃Will　you　please　be　quiet；〃　said　Bourne；　close　to　laughing；　albeit　kindly；　at　his　wife's　brother。　〃My　entrepreneurial　young　friend　is　impressed　with　any　alphabet　after　a　name　despite　the　fact　that　left　to　my　own　resources　I　couldn't　afford　one　of　these　villas　for　more　than　a　couple　of　days。〃
　〃That's　a　crock。〃
　〃I　said　my　own　resources。〃
　〃You've　got　a　point。〃
　〃I've　got　a　rich　wife。　。。。　Forgive　us；　Doctor；　it's　an　old　family　argument。〃
　〃Not　only　a　good　teacher；〃　the　physician　repeated；　〃but　under　the　grim　exterior　I　suspect　a　very　engaging　one。〃　The　Canadian　walked　to　the　door；　he　turned　and　added；　〃I'll　take　you　up　on　that　drink　later；　I'd　really　like　that。〃
　〃Thanks；〃　said　Jason。　〃Thanks　for　everything。〃　The　doctor　nodded　and　left；　closing　the　door　firmly　behind　him。　Bourne　turned　to　his　brother…in…law。　〃He's　a　good　friend；　Johnny。〃
　〃Actually；　he's　a　cold　fish　but　a　hell　of　a　doctor。　That's　the　most　human　I've　ever　seen　him。　。。。　So　you　figure　the　Jackal　h