bl.necroscope2-第3章

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s　responsibility。
　2。　All　E…Branch　personnel　must　be　recalled　at　once；　including　the　three　who　knew　what　had　happened　here。　They　were　in　their　homes　right　now；　but　they　knew　enough　to　say　nothing。
　3。　The　bodies　of　twenty…eight　E…Branch　colleagues　would　have　to　be　gathered　up；　coffined；　prepared　as　best　as　possible　for　burial。　And　that　would　have　to　be　done　here；　by　the　survivors　and　those　returning　from　leave　of　absence。
　4。　Recruitment　must　be　started　at　once。
　5。　A　Second　in　mand　must　be　appointed；　so　that　Krakovitch　could　begin　a　proper；　plete　investigation　from　scratch。　That　was　something　he　must　do　himself；　just　as　Brezhnev　had　ordered　it。
　And；　6。。。　he　would　think　of　6　when　the　first　5　were　working！　But　before　any　of　that…Outside　he　found　the　driver　of　the　Army　truck；　a　young　Sergeant　in　uniform。　〃What's　your　name？〃　he　asked；　listlessly。　He　must　get　some　sleep　soon。
　〃Sergeant　Gulharov；　sir？　he　slammed　to　attention。
　〃First　name？〃
　〃Sergei；　sir。r　〃Sergei；　call　me　Felix。　Tell　me；　did　you　ever　hear　of　Felix　the　Cat？〃
　The　other　shook　his　head。
　〃I　have　a　friend　who　collects　old　films；　cartoons；〃　Crakovitch　told　him；　shrugging。　〃He　has　connections。　Anyway；　there's　a　funny　American　cartoon　character　called　Felix　the　Cat。　He's　a　very　wary　fellow；　this　Felix。　Cats　usually　are；　you　know？　In　the　British　Army；　they　call　bomb　disposal　officers　Felix；　too…they　have　to　tread　so　very　warily。　Ah！　Maybe　my　mother　should　have　called　me　Sergei；　eh？〃
　The　Sergeant　scratched　his　head。　〃Sir？〃
　〃Never　mind；〃　said　Krakovitch。　Tell　me：　do　you　carry　spare　fuel？〃
　〃Only　what's　in　the　tank；　sir。　About　fifty　litres。〃
　Krakovitch　nodded。　〃Right；　let's　get　in　the　cab　and　I'll　ell　you　where　to　drive。〃　He　directed　him　around　the　Chateau　to　a　bunker　near　the　helicopter　landing　area；　where　they　kept　the　Avgas。　It　was　very　close；　but　better　to　take　the　truck　to　the　Avgas　than　bring　the　Avgas　to　the　truck。　On　their　way；　bumping　over　the　rough　ground；　the　sergeant　asked；　〃Sir；　what　happened　here？〃
　For　the　first　time　Krakovitch　noticed　that　his　eyes　had　a　glazed　look。　He　had　helped　load　his　truck's　awful　cargo。　Never　ask　that　sort　of　question；〃　Krakovitch　told　him。　〃In　fact　as　long　as　you're　here…which　will　probably　be　a　long；　long　time…don't　ask　any　questions。　Just　do　as　you're　told。〃
　They　loaded　the　cans　of　Avgas　just　inside　the　truck's　tailgate　and　drove　to　a　wooded　corner　of　the　Chateau's　the　Chateau　itself　that　the　tank　did　go；　and　by　then　the　truck　was　a　blazing　shell　anyway。　Hearing　the　thunderous　roar　and　feeling　something　of　its　concussion；　they　looked　back。　Cab　and　chassis　and　superstructure　had　all　flown　apart；　bits　of　blazing　debris　were　falling　in　the　snow；　a　mushroom　of　smoke　shot　with　flame　was　uncurling　itself　high　over　the　trees。　It　was　done。。。
　Krakovitch　spoke　for　some　time　on　the　telephone　to　his　go…between；　an　anonymous　voice　which　seemed　hardly　interested　in　what　he　was　saying；　yet　precise　and　cutting　as　a　razor　when　its　owner　required　more　information。　He　finished　off　by　saying：　〃Oh；　and　I've　a　new　assistant　here；　a　Sergeant　Sergei　Gulharov；　from　the　supply　and　transport　barracks　in　Serpukhov。　I'm　keeping　him　on。　Can　you　get　him　permanently　posted　to　the　Chateau；　as　of　now？　He's　young　and　strong　and　I'll　have　plenty　of　work　for　him。〃
　〃Yes；　I'll　do　that；〃　came　the　cool；　clear　answer。　〃He'll　be　your　odd…job　man；　you　say？〃
　〃And　my　bodyguard；〃　said　Krakovitch；　〃eventually。　I'm　not　much　physically。〃
　〃Very　well。　I'll　check　out　the　chances　of　getting　him　on　a　military　close　protection　course。　Weapons；　too；　if　he's　not　up　to　scratch。　Of　course；　we　could　take　a　shortcut　and　get　you　a　professional。。。〃
　〃No；〃　Krakovitch　was　firm。　〃No　professionals。　This　one　will　do。　He's　fairly　innocent　and　I　like　that。　It's　refreshing。〃
　〃Krakovitch；〃　said　the　voice　on　the　other　end；　〃I　need　to　know　this。　Are　you　a　homosexual？〃
　〃Of　course　not！　Oh！　I　see。　No；　I　need　him　genuinely…and　he　looks　about　as　gay　as　a　shipyard　welder！　I'll　tell　you　why　I　want　him　right　now…because　I'm　alone　here。　And　if　you　were　here　you'd　know　what　I　mean。〃
　〃Yes；　I'm　told　you've　had　to　weather　quite　a　lot。　Very　well；　leave　it　with　me。〃
　Thank　you；〃　said　Krakovitch。　He　broke　the　connection。
　Gulharov　was　impressed。　〃Just　like　that；〃　he　said。　〃You　have　a　lot　of　power；　sir。〃
　〃It　seems　that　way；　doesn't　it？〃　Krakovitch　smiled　tiredly。　〃Listen；　I'm　dead　on　my　feet。　But　there's　one　more　thing　to　do　before　I　can　sleep。　And　let　me　tell　you；　if　you　think　what　you've　seen　so　far　is　unpleasant；　what　you're　about　to　see　is　far　worse！　e　with　me。〃
　He　led　the　way　through　the　chaos　of　shattered　rooms　and　piled　rubble；　from　the　covered…in　courtyard　area　into　the　main；　original　building；　then　up　two　flights　of　time…hollowed　stone　stairs　into　one　of　the　twin　towers。　This　was　where　Gregor　Borowitz　had　had　his　office；　which　Dragosani　had　turned　into　his　control　room　on　the　night　of　the　horror。
　The　stairwell　was　scarred　and　blackened；　with　tiny　fragments　of　shrapnel；　flattened　lead　bullets　and　copper　cases　lying　everywhere。　The　stink　of　cordite　was　still　heavy　in　the　air。　That　would　be　from　blast　grenades；　tossed　down　here　from　above　when　the　tower　came　under　attack。　But　none　of　this　had　stopped　Harry　Keogh　and　his　Tartars。　On　the　second　floor　landing　the　door　to　a　tiny　anteroom　stood　open。　The　room　had　served　as　an　office　for　Borowitz's　secretary；　Yul　Galenski。　Krakovitch　had　known　him　personally：　a　generally　timid　man；　a　clerk　with　no　extrasensory　talent。　Just　staff。
　Between　the　open　door　and　the　stairwell's　safety　rail；　face　down　on　the　landing；　lay　a　corpse　in　the　Chateau's　duty　uniform：　grey　coveralls　with　a　single　diagonal　yellow　stripe　across　the　heart。　Not　Galenski　（he　had　been　a　〃civvies　only〃　man）　but　the　Duty　Officer。　The　corpse's　face　lay　quite　flat　on　the　floor　in　a　pool　of　blood。　Flatter　than　it　should。　That　was　because　there　was　very　little　of　actual　face　left；　just　a　raw　flat　mess。
　Krakovitch　and　Gulharov　stepped　carefully　over　the　body；　entered　the　little　office。　Behind　a　desk；　crumpled　in　one　corner；　Galenski　sat　clutching　a　rusty　curved　sword　where　it　stuck　out　of　his　chest。　It　had　been　driven　home　with　such　force　that　he　was　pinned　to　the　wall。　His　eyes　were　still　open；　but　no　longer　terrified。　From　some　people；　death　steals　all　emotion。
　〃Mother　in　heaven！〃　Gulharov　whispered。　He'd　never　seen　anything　like　this。　He　wasn't　even　a　bat　soldier；　not　yet。
　They　went　through　a　second　door　into　what　had　been　Borowitz's　office。　It　was　spacious；　with　great　bullet…proof　bay　windows　looking　out　and　down　from　the　tower's　curving　stone　wall　toward　distant　woodland。　The　carpet　was　burned　and　stained　here　and　there。　A　massive　block　of　a　desk　in　solid　oak　stood　in　one　corner；　receiving　light　from　the　windows　and　protection　from　the　stone　wall　at　its　back。　As　for　the　rest　of　the　room：　it　was　a　shambles…and　a　nightmare！
　A　shattered　radio　spilled　its　guts　onto　the　floor；　walls　were　pockmarked　and　the　door　splintered　from　the　impact　of　sprayed　bullets；　the　body　of　a　young　man　in　Western　styled　clothes　lay　where　it　had　fallen；　ripped　by　machine　gun　fire；　almost　in　two　pieces　behind　the　door。　It　was　glued　to　the　floor　with　its　own　blood。　This　was　Harry　Keogh's　body：　nothing　much　to　look　at；　but　there　was　no　fear　or　pain　on　his　white；　unmarked　face。
　As　for　the　nightmare：　that　lay　propped　against　the　wall　on　the　other　side　of　the　room。
　〃Boris　Dragosani；〃　said　Krakovitch；　pointing。　〃The　thing　pinned　to　his　chest　is　what　controlled　him；　I　think。〃　He　stepped　carefully　across　the　room　to　stand　gazing　down　on　what　was　left　of　Dragosani　and　his　parasite　creature；　Gulharov　was　right　behind　him；　not　wanting　to　get　too　close。
　Both　of　Dragosani's　legs　were　broken　and　lay　at　weird　angles。　His　arms　hung　slack　down　the　wall　to　the　skirting；　elbows　just　off　the　floor；　forearms　at　ninety　degrees　and　hands　projecting　well　beyond　the　cuffs　of　his　jacket。　They　were　hands　like　claws；　big；　powerful　and　grasping；　frozen　in　Dragosani's　final　spasm。　His　face　was　a　rictus　of　agony；　made　worse　by　the　fact　that　it　was　hardly　a　human　face　at　all；　and　worse　still　by　the　gash　that　split　his　skull　ear　to　ear。
　But　his　face！
　Dragosani's　jaws　were　long　as