bl.necroscope2-第69章

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ll。　Beyond　that　wall　the　city's　silhouette　and　the　mountains　behind　it　were　sprinkled　with　twinkling　lights。
　Dolgikh　stood　up　from　his　handiwork；　scuffed　at　the　rubble　with　his　feet；　sadly　shook　his　head。　〃Well；　Mr　Minder；　you　have　done　quite　well…but　not　quite　well　enough。　Now；　as　I　suspected　might　be　the　case；　I　am　tired　and　a　little　frustrated。　You　have　told　me　many　things；　some　important　and　others　unimportant；　but　you　have　not　yet　told　me　what　I　most　want　to　know。　My　patience　is　at　an　end。〃
　He　moved　to　stand　behind　Brown；　and　pushed　the　chair　gratingly　forward；　right　up　to　the　wall。　Brown's　chin　came　level　with　the　top；　which　faced　him　only　eighteen　inches　away。　〃Do　you　want　to　live；　Mr　Minder？〃　Dolgikh's　voice　was　soft　and　deadly。
　In　fact　the　Russian　fully　intended　to　kill　Brown；　if　only　to　pay　him　back　for　yesterday。　From　Brown's　point　of　view；　Dolgikh　had　no　need　to　kill　him；　it　would　be　a　pointless　exercise　and　could　only　queer　it　for　Dolgikh　with　British　Intelligence；　who　would　doubtless　place　him　on　their　〃long　overdue〃　list。　But　from　the　Russian's　viewpoint。。。　he　was　already　on　several　lists。　And　in　any　case；　murder　was　something　he　enjoyed。　Brown　couldn't　he　absolutely　sure　of　Dolgikh's　intentions；　however；　and　where　there's　life　there's　always　hope。
　The　trussed　agent　looked　across　the　top　of　the　wall　at　Genoa's　myriad　lights。　〃London　will　know　who　did　it　if　you…〃　he　started　to　say；　then　gave　a　small　shriek　as　Dolgikh　jerked　the　chair　violently。　Brown　opened　his　eyes；　drew　breath　raggedly；　sat　gulping；　trembling；　close　to　fainting。　There　was　really　only　one　thing　in　the　world　that　he　feared；　and　here　it　was　right　in　front　of　him。　The　reason　he'd　bee　useless　to　the　SAS。　He　could　feel　the　emptiness　underneath　him　as　if　he　were　already　falling。
　〃Well；〃　said　the　Russian；　sighing；　〃I　can't　say　it　was　a　Pleasure　knowing　you…but　I'm　sure　it　will　be　a　great　pleasure　not　knowing　you！　And　so　…〃
　〃Wait！〃　Brown　gasped。　〃Promise　me　you'll　take　me　back　inside　if　I　tell　you。〃
　Dolgikh　shrugged。　〃I　shall　only　kill　you　if　you　make　me。　Not　answering　will　be　more　suicide　than　murder。〃
　Brown　licked　his　lips。　Hell；　it　was　his　life！　Kyle　and　the　others　had　their　head　start。　He'd　done　enough。　〃Romania；　Bucharest！〃　he　blurted。　〃They　took　a　plane　last　night；　to　get　into　Bucharest　around　midnight。〃
　Dolgikh　stepped　beside　him；　cocked　his　head　on　one　side　and　looked　down　at　his　sweating；　upturned　face。　〃You　know　that　I　only　have　to　telephone　the　airport　and　check？〃
　〃Of　course；〃　Brown　sobbed。　His　tears　were　open　and　unashamed。　His　nerve　had　gone　entirely。　〃Now　get　me　inside。〃
　The　Russian　smiled。　〃I　shall　be　delighted。〃　He　stepped　out　of　Brown's　view。　The　agent　felt　him　sawing　with　his　knife　at　the　ropes　where　they　bound　his　wrists　behind　him。　The　ropes　parted；　and　Brown　groaned　as　he　brought　his　arms　round　in　front　of　him。　Stiff　with　cramp；　he　could　hardly　move　them。　Dolgikh　cut　his　feet　free　and　collected　up　the　short　lengths　of　rope。　Brown　made　an　effort；　started　to　rise　unsteadily　to　his　feet…And　without　warning　the　Russian　put　both　hands　on　his　back　and　used　all　his　strength　to　push　him　forward。　Brown　cried　out；　sprawled　forward；　went　crashing　over　and　through　the　wall　into　space。　Fancy　brickwork；　fragments　of　plaster　and　mortar　fell　with　him。
　Dolgikh　hawked　and　spat　after　him；　then　wiped　his　mouth　with　the　back　of　his　hand。　From　far　below　there　came　a　single　heavy　thud　and　the　crashing　of　fallen　masonry。
　Moments　later　the　Russian　put　on　Brown's　lightweight　overcoat；　left　the　flat　and　wiped　the　doorknob　behind　him。　He　took　the　lift　to　the　ground　floor　and　left　the　building；　walking　unhurriedly。　Fifty　yards　down　the　road　he　stopped　a　taxi　and　asked　to　be　taken　to　the　airport。
　
　On　the　way　he　wound　down　the　window；　tossed　out　a　few　short　lengths　of　rope。　The　driver；　busy　with　the　traffic；　didn't　see　him　。
　By　11。00　that　night；　Theo　Dolgikh　had　been　in　touch　with　his　immediate　superior　in　Moscow　and　was　already　on　his　way　to　Bucharest。　If　Dolgikh　hadn't　been　incapacitated　for　the　past　twenty…four　hours…if　he'd　had　the　chance　to　contact　his　controller　earlier…he　would　have　discovered　where　Kyle；　Krakovitch　and　the　others　had　gone　without　killing　Mr　Brown　for　that　information。　Not　that　it　mattered　greatly；　for　he　knew　he　would　have　killed　him　anyway。
　Moreover；　he　could　have　learned　something　of　what　the　espers　were　doing　there　in　Romania；　that　in　fact　they　were　searching　for。。。　something　in　the　ground？　Dolgikh's　controller　hadn't　wanted　to　be　more　specific　than　that。　Treasure；　maybe？　Dolgikh　couldn't　imagine；　and　he　wasn't　really　interested。　He　put　the　question　out　of　his　mind。　Whatever　they　were　doing；　it　wasn't　good　for　Russia；　and　that　was　enough　for　him。
　Now；　crammed　in　the　tiny　seat　of　the　passenger　aircraft　as　it　sped　across　the　northern　Adriatic；　he　tilted　himself　backwards　a　little　and　relaxed；　allowing　his　mind　to　drift　with　the　hum　of　the　engines　。
　Romania。　The　region　around　lonesti。　Something　in　the　ground。　It　was　all　very　strange。
　Strangest　of　all；　Dolgikh's　〃controller〃　was　one　of　them…one　of　these　damned　psychic　spies；　whom　Andropov　so　heartily　detested！　The　KGB　man　closed　his　eyes　and　chuckled。　What　would　Krakovitch's　reaction　be；　he　wondered；　when　he　eventually　discovered　that　the　traitor　in　his　precious　E…Branch　was　his　own　Second　in　mand；　a　man　called　Ivan　Gerenko？
　
　*　*　*
　
　Yulian　Bodescu　had　not　spent　a　pleasant　night。　Even　the　presence　of　his　beautiful　cousin　in　his　bed…her　lovely　body　his　to　use　in　whichever　way　amused　him…had　not　pensated　for　his　nightmares　and　fantasies　and　frustrated　half…memories　out　of　a　past　not　entirely　his　own。
　It　was　all　down　to　the　watchers；　Yulian　supposed；　those　damned　busybodies　whose　spying　（For　what　purpose？　What　did　they　know？　What　were　they　trying　to　find　out？）　over　the　last　forty…eight　hours　had　bee　an　almost　unbearable　irritation。　Oh；　he　no　longer　had　any　real　cause　to　fear　them…George　Lake　was　fine　ashes；　and　the　three　women　would　never　dare　go　against　Yulian…but　still　the　men　were　there！　Like　an　itch　you　can't　scratch。　Or　one　you　aren't　able　to　reach…for　the　moment。　Yes；　it　was　down　to　them。
　They　had　brought　on　Yulian's　nightmares；　his　dreams　of　wooden　stakes；　steel　swords　and　bright；　searing　flames。　As　for　those　other　dreams：　of　low　hills　in　the　shape　of　a　cross；　tall　dark　trees；　and　of　a　Thing　in　the　ground　that　called　and　called　to　him；　beckoning　with　fingers　that　dripped　blood。。。　Yulian　was　not　quite　sure　what　he　should　make　of　them。
　For　he　had　been　there…actually　there；　on　the　cruciform　hills…the　night　his　father　died。　He　had　been　a　mere　foetus　in　his　mother's　womb　when　it　had　happened；　he　knew　that；　but　what　else　had　happened　that　time？　His　roots　were　there；　anyway；　Yulian　felt　sure　of　that。　But　the　fact　remained　that　there　was　only　one　way　he　could　ever　be　absolutely　sure；　and　that　would　be　to　answer　the　call　and　go　there。　Indeed　a　trip　to　Romania　might　well　be　useful　in　solving　two　problems　at　once；　for　with　the　secret　watchers　out　there　in　the　fields　and　lanes　around　Harkley；　now　was　probably　as　good　a　time　as　any　to　make　himself　scarce　for　a　while。
　Except。。。　first　he　would　like　to　know　what　the　real　purpose　of　those　watchers　was。　Were　they　merely　suspicious；　or　did　they　actually　know　something？　And　if　so；　what　did　they　intend　to　do　about　it？　Yulian　had　already　developed　a　plan　to　get　those　questions　answered。　It　was　just　a　matter　of　getting　it　right；　that　was　all　。
　The　sky　was　cloudy　and　the　morning　dull　that　Monday　when　Yulian　rose　up　from　his　bed。　He　told　Helen　to　bathe；　dress　herself　prettily；　go　about　the　house　and　grounds　just　as　if　her　life　were　pletely　normal；　unchanged。　He　dressed　and　went　down　to　the　cellars；　where　he　gave　the　same　instructions　to　Anne。　Likewise　his　mother　in　her　room。　Just　act　naturally　and　let　nothing　appear　suspicious；　indeed；　Helen　could　even　drive　him　into　Torquay　for　an　hour　or　two。
　They　were　followed　into　Torquay　but　Yulian　was　not　aware　of　it。　He　was　distracted　by　the　sun；　which　kept　breaking　through　the　clouds　and　reflecting　off　mirrors；　windows　and　chrome。　He　still　affected　his　broad…brimmed　hat　and　sunglasses；　but　his　hatred　of　the　sun…and　its　effect　on　him…were　m