scoonts.theminotaur-第86部分

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tity；　but　the　lieutenant　had　other　things　on　his　mind。　〃If　it　weren't　for　this　turd；　Camacho　would　have　arrested　Judy　months　ago　and　Rita　wouldn't　have　got　whacked　up。　Camacho　would　still　be　alive。〃　He　reached　for　the　radio　and　snapped　it　off。　〃Goddamnit；　Captain；　this　man　is　guilty。〃
　〃You　don't　know　anything；　Toad。　You　don't　know　who；　you　don't　know　why。　Since　Rita　did　get　hurt；　since　that　little　mess　in　Camacho's　basement；　I　thought　you　had　a　right　to　know。　That's　why　I　called　you。　So　you're　going　to　find　out　this　afternoon。〃
　〃Do　you　know？〃
　〃Why；　you　mean？〃
　Toad　nodded。
　Jake　thought　about　it。　〃I've　made　some　guesses。　But　they're　only　that。　Guesses　are　three　for　a　quarter。　Facts　I　don't　have。　Camacho；　though；　he　knew。〃
　〃And　he's　dead。〃
　〃Yes。〃　Jake　turned　the　radio　back　on。
　〃Are　we　going　to　turn　him　in；　call　the　cops？〃
　〃You　ask　too　many　questions。〃
　In　a　moment　Toad　said；　〃Why　do　you　listen　to　this　crap？〃　He　gestured　toward　the　radio。
　〃It's　refreshing　to　hear　a　man　who　knows　precisely　where　he　stands。　Even　if　I　don't　share　his　perch。〃
　The　leaves　of　the　trees　alongside　the　road　had　the　deep　green　hues　of　late　summer。　Cattle　and　horses　grazing；　an　occasional　female　rider　on　a　groomed　horse　in　the　manicured　meadows；　glimpses　of　huge　two…　or　three…story　mansions　set　back　well　away　from　the　public　road　at　the　end　of　long　drives；　this　countryside　was　fat。　The　contrast　between　this　rich　and　verdant　world　of　moneyed　indolence　and　the　baked；　potholed　streets　of　Washington　jarred　Jake　Grafton。　He　could　feel　his　confidence　in　his　assessment　of　the　situation　ebbing　away　as　the　car　took　them　farther　and　farther　from　the　Pentagon　and　the　navy。
　Five　miles　north　of　Middleburg　he　began　to　watch　the　left　side　of　the　road。　He　found　the　tree　and　mailbox　he　had　heard　about。　The　box　merely　had　a　number；　no　name。　He　turned　into　the　hard…packed　gravel　drive　and　drove　along　it。　Huge　old　trees　lined　the　north　side　of　the　road；　a　row　that　ended　in　a　small　grove　around　a　large　brick　house　almost　covered　with　ivy。
　Jake　Grafton　parked　right　in　front。
　〃Ring　the　bell；〃　he　muttered　at　Toad；　who　gave　several　tugs　on　a　pull。　The　sound　of　chimes　or　something　was　just　audible　through　the　door。
　Tarkington's　eyes　darted　around。
　The　door　opened。
　〃Did　you　get　lost？〃　Royce　Caplinger　asked；　and　stood　aside　to　let　the　two　men　enter。
　〃Little　longer　drive　than　I　figured；　Mr。　Secretary。〃
　Toad　gaped。
　〃Close　your　mouth；　son。　People'll　think　you're　a　politician；〃　Caplinger　muttered　and　led　the　way　down　the　hall。　They　passed　through　a　dining　room　furnished　with　massive　antique　tables　and　chairs　and　accented　with　pewter　tankards　and　plates；　and　on　through　a　kitchen　with　brick　walls　and　a　huge　fireplace　with　an　iron　kettle　hanging　in　it。　A　refrigerator；　sink；　and　conventional　stove　sat　against　the　far　wall；　on　the　other　side　of　a　work　island。
　〃Nice　place　you　have　here；〃　Jake　Grafton　said。
　〃Rustic　as　hell。　I　like　it。　Makes　me　feel　like　Thomas　Jefferson。〃
　〃He's　real　dead；〃　Toad　said。
　〃Yeah。　Sometimes　I　feel　that　way　too；　out　here　without　the　traffic　and　airplane　noise　and　five　million　people　all　scurrying。。。〃　They　were　in　the　study　now；　a　corner　room　with　high　windows　and　ceilings。　The　walls　were　covered　with　books。　Newspapers　scattered　on　the　carpet；　some　kind　of　a　red…and…blue　Oriental　thing。
　Caplinger　waved　his　hand　toward　chairs　and　sank　into　a　large　stuffed　chair　with　visibly　cracked　leather。
　He　stared　at　them。　Toad　avoided　his　gaze　and　looked　at　the　books　and　the　bric…a…brac　tucked　between　them。　By　Toad's　chair　was　a　pipe　stand。　In　it　was　a　corncob　pipe；　blackened　from　many　fires。
　〃I　wasn't　sure；　but　I　thought　it　might　be　you；　Captain；〃　Caplinger　said。　〃Didn't　recognize　your　voice　on　the　phone　this　morning。〃
　Jake　Grafton　rubbed　his　face　with　his　hands　and　crossed　his　legs。
　〃We　were　just　driving　through　the　neighborhood；　Royce；〃　Toad　said；　〃and　thought　we'd　drop　by　and　ask　why　you　turned　traitor　and　gave　all　those　secrets　to　the　Russians。　Why　did　you？〃
　Jake　caught　Toad's　eye。　He　moved　his　head　ever…so…slightly　from　side　to　side。
　Jake　addressed　Caplinger。　〃Mr。　Secretary；　we　have　a　problem。　We　know　you're　the　Minotaur　and　we　have　some　ideas；　probably　erroneous；　about　the　events　of　the　last　few　months。　Four　or　five　people　have　died　violently。　Mr。　Tarkington's　wife；　Rita　Moravia；　is　a　navy　test　pilot　who　was　seriously　injured；　almost　killed；　because　various　law　enforcement　agencies　failed　to　properly　investigate　and　make　arrests　on　information　they　had　had　for　some　time。　To　make　a　long　story　short；　we　came　here　to　ask　if　you　would　like　to　discuss　this　matter　with　us　before　we　go　to　the　authorities　and　the　press。　Do　you？〃
　〃Are　you　going　to　the　press？〃
　〃That　depends。〃
　〃You　notice　I　didn't　ask　about　the　authorities。　That　doesn't　worry　me；　but　for　reasons…well。〃
　Caplinger　slapped　his　knees　and　stood　suddenly。　Toad　started。　〃Relax；　son。　I　only　eat　lieutenants　at　the　office。　e　on；　let's　make　some　coffee。〃　He　led　the　way　into　the　kitchen。
　He　filled　a　pot　with　water。　The　pot　went　on　the　stove；　after　he　lit　the　gas　jet　with　a　match。　He　put　a　paper　filter　in　a　drip　pot　and　ladled　three　spoonfuls　of　coffee　in。　〃You　two　are　entitled　to　an　explanation。　Not　legally；　but　morally。　I'm　sorry　about　your　wife；　Lieutenant。　So　was　Luis　Camacho。　We　had　too　much　at　stake　to　move　prematurely。〃　He　shrugged。　〃Life　is　plicated。〃
　Caplinger　pulled　a　stool　from　under　the　counter　and　perched　on　it。
　〃Three　years　ago；　no；　four；　a　KGB　colonel　defected　to　the　United　States。　It　wasn't　in　the　papers；　so　I　won't　tell　you　his　name。　He　thought　he　was　brimming　with　useful　information　that　we　would　be　delighted　to　have　in　return　for　a　ton　of　money　and　a　new　life　in　the　West。　The　money　he　got　and　the　new　identity　he　got。　But　the　information　wasn't　worth　much。　He　did；　however；　have　one　piece　of　information　that　he　didn't　think　much　of　but　we　found　most　interesting。〃
　Caplinger　checked　the　water　on　the　stove。
　〃It　seems　that　one　day　about　three　years　before　he　defected　he　paid　a　visit　to　the　Aquarium；　the　Moscow　headquarters　of　the　GRU；　which　is　Soviet　military　intelligence。　His　errand　doesn't　really　matter。　During　his　two　or　three　hours　there　he　was　taken　into　the　office　of　a　general　who　was　not　expecting　pany。　On　the　desk　was　a　sheet　of　paper　with　four　names。　The　colonel　read　the　names　upside　down　before　the　general　covered　the　paper　with　a　handy　file。〃
　The　water　began　to　rumble。　Caplinger　checked　the　pot　as　he　continued。　〃Under　hypnosis　the　defector　could　remember　three　of　the　four　names。　We　recognized　one　of　them。　V。　Y。　Tsybov。〃
　The　coffeepot　began　to　whistle。　As　he　reached　for　it　Caplinger　said；　〃Vladimir　Yakovich　Tsybov　was　the　real　name　of　Luis　Camacho。〃
　He　poured　the　hot　water　into　the　drip　cone　and　watched　the　black　fluid　run　out　the　bottom。　〃Luis　Camacho　was　a　Soviet　mole；　a　deep　illegal　sent　to　this　country　when　he　was　twenty　years　old。　He　was　half　Russian　and　half　Armenian；　and　with　his　olive　skin　and　facial　characteristics；　he　seemed　a　natural　to　play　the　rote　of　a　Mexican…American。　He　knew　just　a　smattering　of　Spanish；　but　what　the　hey。　His　forefathers；　so　said　his　bio；　had　been　in　this　country　since　Texas　became　a　state。
　〃Tsybov；　now　Camacho；　attended　a　university　in　Texas　and　graduated　with　honors。　He　obtained　a　law　degree　at　night　while　he　worked　days。　The　FBI　recruited　him。
　〃It's　funny〃…Caplinger　shook　his　head…〃that　J。　Edgar　Hoover's　lily…white　FBI　needed　a　smart　Mexican…American。　But　at　the　time　Hoover　was　casting　suspicious　eyes　on　the　farm…labor　movement　in　California；　which　was　just　being　organized；　and　needed　some　Chicanes　to　use　as　undercover　agents。　So　Luis　Camacho　was　investigated　and　approved　and　recruited。〃
　Caplinger　laughed。　〃Hoover；　the　paranoid　anti…munist；　recruited　a　deep　Soviet　plant！　Oh；　they　tried　to　check　Camacho's　past；　and　the　reports　to　Washington　certainly　looked　thorough。　But　the　agents　in　the　field…all　good；　white　Anglo　Protestants　with　dark　suits　and　short　haircuts…couldn't　get　much　cooperation　from　the　Chicano　population　of　Dallas　and　San　Antonio。　So　rather　than　admit　failure　to　the　Great　One；　they　sort　of　filled　in　the　gaps　and　sent　the　usual　reports　to　Washington。　And　the　FBI　got　themselves　a　new　agent。
　〃How　do　you　like　your　coffee？〃
　Royce　Caplinger　got　milk　from　the　refrigerator　and　let　Toad　add　some　to　his　coffee。　They　carried　their　cups　back　to　the　study。
　〃Where　was　I？〃
　〃Camacho　was　a　deep　plant。〃
　〃Yes。　Anyway；　being　smart　and　petent；　he　rose　as　far　as　the　racial　politics　of　the　FBI　would　allow；　which　really　wasn't　very　far。　Still；　amazingly　enough；　Luis　Camacho　liked　America。　But　that　is　another　story。〃　Caplinger　set　his　coffee　beside　him。　〃Maybe　I　should　fill　it　in；　though。　Luis　was　a　very　special　human　being。　Luis…〃
　〃There　were　three　other　names　on　the　list；〃　Toad　said　irritably。　His　whole　manner　told　what　he　thought　of　Caplinger's　tale。
　〃Ah　yes；〃　Caplinger　said；　looking　at　the　lieutenant　thoughtfully。　〃Three　more　names；　two　of　which　the　defector　could　remember；　one　which　he　could　not。　The　problem　was　we　didn't　know　who　any　of　the　other　three　were。　Tsybov　was　Camacho；　whom　the　Soviets　thought　was　still　a　plant　under　deep　cover；　a　sleeper；　available　for　use　if　the　need　arose。　They　didn't　know　that　Camacho　had　revealed　himself　to　us　voluntarily　almost　ten　years　before。〃
　Caplinger　looked　from　face　to　face。　〃You　see　the　problem。　The　Soviets　had　three　more　agents　in　America　planted　deep。　And　we　didn't　know　who　they　were！
　〃Naturally　the　intelligence　coordinating　mittee　took　this　matter　up。　What　could　be　done？〃
　〃So　you　became　the　Minotaur。〃　Jake　Grafton　made　it　a　statement；　not　a　question。
　〃We　needed　bait；　good　bait。　We　wanted　those　three　deep　agents。　Or　two　or　one。　Whatever　we　could　get。　Someone　had　to　bee　the　Minotaur；　so　the　President　chose　me。〃
　〃The　President？〃　Toad　said；　incredulously。
　〃Of　course。　Who　better　to　choose　what　military　secrets　the　Soviets　would　find　interesting？　Who　better　to　reveal　the　aces？〃　Caplinger　sipped　his　coffee。
　〃So　you。。。〃　Jake　began。　〃You　wrote　the　letters　and　mailed　them？〃
　〃Yes。　The　National　Security　Agency　gave　me　the　puter　codes　I　needed　and　helped　with　the　encryptions。　But　I　had　t