bl.necroscope2-第86章

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　He　waited　a　moment；　until　he　heard　the　slightly　tremulous；　inquiring　voice　of　the　border　official；　and　then　very　quietly　said；　〃Listen。　Do　you　recognise　my　voice？　Good！　In　approximately　ten　minutes　I　shall　phone　again　and　tell　you　I　am　the　missioner　for　Frontier　Control　in　Moscow。　Ensure　that　you　and　you　alone　answer　the　phone；　and　that　you　can't　be　overheard。　I　will　order　you　to　let　rade　Krakovitch　and　his　friends　through；　and　you　will　do　so。　Do　you　understand？〃
　〃Oh；　yes；　rade！〃
　〃If　Krakovitch　should　ask　you　what　I　have　just　said；　tell　him　I　was　shouting　at　you　and　calling　you　a　fool。〃
　〃Yes；　of　course；　rade。〃
　〃Good！〃　Gerenko　put　the　phone　down。　He　looked　at　Dolgikh。　〃As　I　was　saying；　I　couldn't　hold　them　up　forever。　Already　this　affair　is　growing　clumsy；　being　embarrassing。　But　even　though　they'll　now　go　through　to　Chernovtsy；　they　can　do　nothing　tonight。　And　tomorrow　you'll　be　there　to　stop　them　doing　anything。〃
　Dolgikh　nodded。　〃Do　you　have　any　suggestions？〃
　〃In　what　respect？〃
　〃About　how　it　should　be　done？　If　Krakovitch　is　a　traitor；　it　seems　to　me　that　the　easiest　way　of　dealing　with　this　would　be　…〃
　〃No！〃　Gerenko　cut　him　off。　〃That　would　be　hard　to　prove。　And　he　has　the　ear　of　the　Party　Leader；　remember？　We　must　never　leave　ourselves　open　to　question　in　this　matter。〃　He　tapped　a　finger　on　his　desk；　gave　the　problem　a　moment's　thought。　〃Ah！　I　think　I　may　have　it。　I　have　called　Krakovitch　a　dupe…so　let　it　appear。　Let　Carl　Quint　be　the　guilty　party！　Arrange　it　so　that　he　can　be　blamed。　Let　it　be　seen　that　the　British　espers　came　into　Russia　to　discover　what　they　could　of　E…Branch；　and　to　kill　its　head。　Why　not？　They've　damaged　the　branch　before；　haven't　they？　But　on　this　occasion　Quint　will　err　and　bee　a　fatality　of　his　own　strategy。〃
　〃Good！〃　said　Dolgikh。　〃I'm　sure　I'll　work　something　out　along　those　lines。　And…of　course　I'll　be　the　only　witness　。　。
　Light　footsteps　sounded　and　Zek　Foener　appeared　on　the　office　threshold。　She　merely　glanced　coldly　at　Dolgikh；　then　fixed　her　gaze　on　Gerenko。　〃Kyle　is　a　goldmine…the　sane　part　of　him；　anyway！　There　is　nothing　he　doesn't　know；　and　he's　releasing　it　in　a　flood。　He　even　knows　a　good　many…too　many…things　about　us。　Things　I　didn't　know。　Fantastic　things。。。〃　Suddenly　she　looked　tired。
　Gerenko　nodded。　〃Fantastic　things？　I　had　supposed　that　they　would　be。　Is　that　why　you　think　he's　partly　insane？　That　his　mind　is　playing　him　tricks？　Believe　me；　it　isn't！　Do　you　know　what　they　destroyed　in　Romania？〃
　She　nodded。　〃Yes；　but。。。　it's　hard　to　believe。　I　…〃
　Gerenko　held　up　a　warning　hand。　She　understood；　felt　caution　emanating　from　him。　Theo　Dolgikh　was　not　to　know。　Like　most　of　the　other　espers　at　the　Chateau；　Foener　hated　the　KGB。　She　nodded；　and　kept　her　silence。
　Gerenko　spoke　again。　〃And　is　it　the　same　sort　of　thing　that　lies　hidden　in　the　mountains　beyond　Chernovtsy？〃
　Again　she　nodded。
　〃Very　well。〃　Gerenko　smiled　without　emotion。　〃And　now；　my　dear；　you　must　return　to　your　work。　Give　it　total　priority。〃
　〃Of　course；〃　she　answered。　〃I　only　came　away　while　they　were　dosing　him　again。　And　because　I　need　a　break　from。。。〃　She　shook　her　head　dazedly。　Her　eyes　were　wide；　bright　with　strange　new　knowledge。　〃rade；　this　thing　is　utterly　…〃
　Again　Gerenko　held　up　his　child's　hand　in　warning。　〃I　know。〃
　She　nodded；　turned　and　left；　her　footsteps　a　little　uncertain　on　the　descending　stone　stairs。
　〃What　was　all　that　about？〃　Dolgikh　was　mystified。
　〃That　was　the　joint　death　certificate　of　Krakovitch；　Gulharov　and　Quint；〃　Gerenko　answered。　〃Actually；　Quint　was　the　only　one　who　might　have　been　useful…but　no　longer。　Now　you　can　get　on　your　way。　Is　the　branch　helicopter　ready　for　you？〃
　Dolgikh　nodded。　He　began　to　stand　up；　then　frowned　and　said；　〃First　tell　me；　what　will　happen　to　Kyle　when　you　are　finished　with　him？　I　mean；　I'll　take　care　of　that　other　pair　of　traitors；　and　the　British　esper；　Quint；　but　what　of　Kyle？　What　will　bee　of　him？〃
　Gerenko　raised　his　eyebrows。　〃I　thought　that　was　obvious。　When　we　have　what　we　want；　everything　we　want；　then　we'll　dump　him　in　the　British　zone　in　Berlin。　There　he'll　simply　die；　and　their　best　doctors　won't　know　why。〃
　〃But　why　will　he　die？　And　what　of　that　drug　you're　pumping　into　him？　Surely　their　doctors　will　pick　up　traces？〃
　Gerenko　shook　his　walnut　head。　〃It　leaves　no　trace。　It　pletely　voids　itself　in　a　few　hours。　That　is　why　we　have　to　keep　dosing　him。　A　clever　lot；　our　Bulgarian　friends。　He's　not　the　first　one　we've　drained　in　this　fashion；　and　the　results　have　always　been　the　same。　As　to　why　he　will　die：　he　will　have　no　incentive　for　life。　Less　than　a　cabbage；　he　will　not　retain　sufficient　knowledge　or　instinct　even　to　move　his　body。　There　will　be　no　control　…none！　His　vital　organs　will　not　function。　He　might　survive　longer　on　a　life…support　machine；　but。。。〃　And　he　shrugged。
　〃Brain…death。〃　Dolgikh　nodded　and　grinned。
　〃But　there　you　have　it　in　a　nutshell。〃　Gerenko　emotionlessly　clapped　his　child's　hands。　〃Bravo！　For　what　is　an　entirely　empty　brain　if　not　dead；　eh？　And　now；　if　you'll　excuse　me；　I　have　a　telephone　call　to　make。〃
　Dolgikh　stood　up。　〃I'll　be　on　my　way；〃　he　said。　Already　he　was　looking　forward　to　the　task　in　hand。
　〃Theo；〃　said　Gerenko。　〃Krakovitch　and　his　friends　…they　should　be　killed　with　despatch。　Don't　linger　over　it。　And　one　last　thing：　do　not　be　too　curious　about　what　they　are　trying　to　do　up　there　in　the　mountains。　Do　not　concern　yourself　with　it。　Believe　me；　too　much　curiosity　could　be　very；　very　dangerous！〃
　In　answer　to　which　Dolgikh　could　only　nod。　Then　he　turned　and　left　the　room　。　。
　
　*　*　*
　
　As　their　car　drew　away　from　the　checkpoint　towards　Chernovtsy；　Quint　might　have　expected　Krakovitch　to　carry　on　raging。　But　he　didn't。　Instead　the　head　of　the　Soviet　E…Branch　was　quiet　and　thoughtful；　and　even　more　so　after　Gulharov　quickly　told　him　about　the　disconnected　cable。
　〃There　are　several　things　I　not　liking　here；〃　Krakovitch　told　Quint　in　a　little　while。　〃At　first　I　am　thinking　that　fat　man　back　there　is　simply　stupid；　but　now　not　being　so　sure。　And　this　business　with　the　electricity…all　very　strange。　Sergei　finds　and　fixes　that　which　they　could　not　…and　he　does　it　quickly　and　without　difficulty。　Which　would　seem　to　make　our　fat　friend　at　the　checkpoint　not　only　stupid　but　inpetent！〃
　〃You　think　we　were　deliberately　delayed？〃　Quint　felt　an　uneasy；　dark　oppressiveness　settling　all　around　him；　like　a　positive　weight　on　his　head　and　shoulders。
　〃That　telephone　call　he　got　just　now；〃　Krakovitch　mused。　〃The　missioner　for　Frontier　Control；　in　Moscow？　I　never　heard　of　him！　But　I　suppose　he　must　exist。　Or　must　he？　One　missioner；　controlling　all　of　the　thousands　of　crossing　points　into　the　Soviet　Union？　So；　I　assume　he　exists。　Which　is　meaning　that　Ivan　Gerenko　got　in　touch　with　him；　in　the　dead　of　night；　and　that　he　then　personally　called　up　this　little　fat　official　in　his　stupid　sentry…box　of　a　control　hut…all　in　ten　minutes！〃
　〃Who　knew　we　were　ing　through　here　tonight？〃　Quint；　in　his　way　of　going　to　the　root　of　things；　asked　the　most　obvious　question。
　〃Eh？〃　Krakovitch　scratched　behind　his　ear。　〃We　knew　it；　of　course；　and　…〃
　〃And？〃
　〃And　my　Second　in　mand　at　the　Chateau　Bronnitsy；　Ivan　Gerenko。〃　Krakovitch　turned　to　Quint　and　stared　hard　at　him。
　
　〃Then；　while　I　dislike　saying　it；〃　said　Quint；　〃if　there　is　something　funny　going　on；　Gerenko　has　to　be　your　man。〃
　Krakovitch　gave　a　disbelieving　snort；　shook　his　head。　〃But　why？　What　reason？〃
　Quint　shrugged。　〃You　have　to　know　him　better　than　I　do。　Is　he　ambitious？　Could　he　have　been　got　at…and　by　whom？　But　remember；　we　did　have　that　trouble　in　Genoa；　and　didn't　you　remark　how　surprised　you　were　that　the　KGB　were　trailing　you？　Your　explanation　was　that　they'd　probably　had　you　under　constant　surveillance…until　we　put　a　stop　to　it；　anyway。　But　just　let's　suppose　there　is　an　enemy　in　your　camp。　Did　Gerenko　know　you　were　meeting　us　in　Italy？〃
　〃Apart　from　Brezhnev　himself…through　an　intermediary　who　cannot　be　brought　into　question…Gerenko　is　the　only　one　who　knew！〃　Krakovitch　answered。
　Quint　said　nothing；　merely　shrugged　again　and　raised　an　eyebrow。
　〃I　am　thinking；〃　said　Krakovitch　slowl