tc.redrabbit-第95部分

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；　ranging　from　forest　green　to　an　incandescent　red　with　a　black　velvet　collar；　and　while　she　tried　two　after　that　one；　the　red　one　was　the　one　they　purchased；　and　which　zaichik　insisted　on　wearing　right　away。　The　next　stop　was　for　Oleg　Ivan'ch；　who　bought　three　videocassette　recorders；　all　unlicensed　Hungarian　copies　of　Sony　Betamax　machines　from　Japan。　This　shop；　he　learned；　would　deliver　them　to　his　hotel　room…visiting　Westerners　shopped　there…and　this　purchase　took　care　of　half　of　his　office　shopping　list。　He　decided　to　toss　in　some　tapes　also；　the　sort　that　he　didn't　want　his　daughter　to　see；　but　which　would　have　gone　over　well　with　his　friends　at　The　Centre。　And　so；　Zaitzev　parted　with　nearly　two　thousand　econ　rubles；　for　which　he　would　have　little　use　in　the　West　anyway。
　　　The　shopping　expedition　continued　nearly　to　lunch；　by　which　time　they　were　carrying　more　goods　than　it　was　fortable　to　lug　about；　and　so　they　walked　back　to　the　ancient　metro　and　headed　back　to　their　hotel　to　dump　them　off　before　doing　something　for　their　daughter。
　　　Heroes　square　was　a　place　built　by　the　Hapsburgs　to　honor　their　royal　（but　not　entirely　willing）　possession　of　Hungary　at　the　end　of　the　previous　century；　with　statues　of　previous　Hungarian　kings；　back　to　St。　Stephen…〃Istvan〃　in　the　Magyar　language…whose　crown　Jimmy　Carter　had　returned　to　the　country　just　a　few　years　before；　the　one　with　the　bent　cross　on　the　top。
　　　〃That　happened；　so　they　say；〃　Hudson　explained；　〃when　Stephen　slammed　his　crown　atop　the　other　one。　Returning　it　was　probably　a　clever　move　on　Carter's　part。　It's　a　symbol　of　their　nationhood；　you　see。　The　munist　regime　could　not　very　well　reject　it；　and　in　accepting　it；　they　had　to　acknowledge　that　the　history　of　the　country　long　predates　Marxism…Leninism。　I　am　not　really　a　fan　of　Mr。　Carter；　but　that　was；　I　think；　a　subtle　move　on　his　part。　The　Hungarians　mainly　detest　munism；　Jack。　The　nation　is　fairly　religious。〃
　　　〃There　are　a　lot　of　churches；〃　Ryan　observed。　He'd　counted　six　or　seven　on　the　way　to　this　park。
　　　〃That's　the　other　thing　that　gives　them　a　sense　of　political　identity。　The　government　doesn't　like　it；　but　it's　too　big　and　too　dangerous　a　thing　to　destroy；　and　so　there's　rather　an　uneasy　peace　between　the　two。〃
　　　〃If　I　had　to　bet；　I'd　put　my　money　down　on　the　church。〃
　　　Hudson　turned。　〃As　would　I；　Sir　John。〃
　　　Ryan　looked　around。　〃Hell　of　a　big　square。〃　It　looked　like　more　than　a　square　mile　of　pavement。
　　　〃That　goes　back　to　1956；〃　Hudson　explained。　〃The　Sovs　wanted　this　to　be　large　enough　to　bring　in　troop　carriers。　You　can　land　an　AN…ten　Cub　right　here；　which　makes　it　quicker　to　bring　in　airborne　troops　if　the　locals　ever　revolt　again。　You　could　bring；　oh；　say　ten　or　twelve　Cubs；　a　hundred　and　fifty　soldiers　each；　and　they　would　defend　the　center　of　the　city　against　the　counterrevolutionaries　and　wait　for　the　tanks　ing　in　from　the　east。　It's　not　a　brilliant　plan；　but　that　is　how　they　think。〃
　　　〃But　what　if　you　park　two　city　buses　here　and　shoot　the　tires　out？〃
　　　〃I　didn't　say　it　was　perfect；　Jack；〃　Hudson　replied。　〃Even　better；　a　few　land　mines。　Might　as　well　kill　a　few　of　the　bastards　and　start　a　nice　little　fire。　No　way　a　pilot　would　be　able　to　see　them　on　his　approach。　And　transport　pilots　are　the　blindest　and　dumbest　lot　going。〃
　　　And　Ivan　figures　he'd　insert　his　troops　before　things　really　got　out　of　hand。　Yeah；　it　made　sense；　Ryan　thought。
　　　〃You　know　who　the　Soviet　ambassador　was　in　'fifty…six？〃
　　　〃No…wait　a　minute；　I　do。。。　wasn't　it　Andropov？〃
　　　Hudson　nodded。　〃Yuriy　Vladimirovich　himself。　It　explains　why　he　is　so　beloved　of　the　locals。　A　bloody　great　lot　of　people　lost　their　lives　in　that　adventure。〃
　　　Ryan　remembered　being　in　grammar　school　then…too　young　to　appreciate　the　plications：　It　was　the　fall　of　a　presidential　election　year；　and　at　the　same　time　Britain　and　France　had　decided　to　invade　Egypt　to　protect　their　rights　with　the　Suez　Canal。　Eisenhower　had　been　hamstrung　by　two　simultaneous　crises；　and　had　perforce　been　unable　to　do　much　of　anything。　But　America　had　gotten　a　good　bunch　of　immigrants　out　of　it。　Not　a　total　loss。
　　　〃And　the　local　Secret　Police？〃
　　　〃Just　down　Andrassy　Utca　from　here；　Number　sixty。　It's　an　ordinary…looking　building　that　positively　drips　with　blood。　Not　as　bad　now　as　it　used　to　be。　The　original　lot　there　were　devotees　of　Iron　Feliks；　more　ruthless　than　Hitler's　Gestapo。　But　after　the　failed　rebellion；　they　moderated　somewhat　and　changed　their　name　from　Allamvedelmi　Osztaly　to　Allavedelmi　Hivatal。　State　Security　Bureau　instead　of　State　Security　Section。　The　former　boss　was　replaced；　and　they　got　gentler。　Formerly；　they　had　a　deserved　reputation　for　torture。　Supposedly；　that　is　a　thing　of　the　past。　The　reputation　alone　is　enough　to　make　a　suspect　crumble。　Good　thing　to　have　a　diplomatic　passport；〃　Andy　concluded。
　　　〃How　good　are　they？〃　Jack　asked　next。
　　　〃Oafish。　Perhaps　they　recruited　petent　people　once；　but　that　is　well　in　the　past。　Probably　a　lingering　effect　of　how　evil　they　were　in　the　forties　and　fifties。　Good　people　don't　want　to　work　there　and　there's　no　real　benefit　from　doing　so；　of　the　kind　that　KGB　can　offer　its　recruits。　In　fact；　this　country　has　some　superb　universities。　They　turn　out　remarkably　good　engineers　and　people　in　the　sciences。　And　the　Semmelweis　medical　school　is　first…rate。〃
　　　〃Hell；　half　the　guys　in　the　Manhattan　Project　were　Hungarians；　weren't　they？〃
　　　Hudson　nodded。　〃Indeed　they　were；　and　many　of　them　Hungarian　Jews。　Not　too　many　of　those　left；　though　in　the　big　war　the　Hungarians　saved　about　half　of　theirs。　The　Chief　of　State；　Admiral　Horthy；　was　probably　killed　over　that…he　died　under　what　are　euphemistically　called　'mysterious　circumstances。'　Hard　to　say　what　sort　of　chap　he　actually　was；　but　there　is　a　school　of　thought　that　says　he　was　a　rabid　anti…munist；　but　decidedly　not　a　pro…Nazi。　Perhaps　just　a　man　who　picked　a　bad　place　and　time　to　be　born。　We　may　never　know　for　sure。〃　Hudson　enjoyed　being　a　tour　guide　for　a　change。　Not　a　bad　change　of　pace　from　being　a　king…well；　maybe　prince…spook。
　　　But　it　was　time　to　get　back　to　business。　〃Okay；　how　are　we　going　to　do　this？〃　Jack　asked。　He　was　looking　around　for　a　tail；　but　if　there　was　one　about；　it　was　invisible　to　him；　unless　there　was　a　team　of　the　ubiquitous…dirty…Lada　automobiles　following　them　about。　He'd　have　to　trust　Hudson　to　scan　for　that　possibility。
　　　〃Back　to　the　car。　We'll　go　see　the　hotel。〃　It　was　just　a　few　minutes　of　driving　time　down　Andrassy　Utca；　a　route　of　remarkably　French…style　architecture。　Ryan　had　never　been　to　Paris；　but；　closing　his　eyes；　he　thought　he　might　well　have　been。
　　　〃There；　that's　it；〃　Hudson　said；　pulling　over。　One　nice　thing　about　munist　countries：　It　wasn't　hard　to　find　a　parking　space。
　　　〃Nobody　watching　us？〃　Ryan　wondered；　trying　not　to　look　too　obvious　in　his　turning　around。
　　　〃If　so；　he's　being　very　clever　about　it。　Now；　right　there　across　the　street　is　the　local　KGB　station。　The　Soviet　Cultural　and　Friendship　House；　sadly　lacking　in　culture　or　friendship；　but　we　reckon　thirty　or　forty　KGB　types　there…none　interested　in　us；〃　Hudson　added。　〃The　average　Hungarian　would　probably　rather　catch　gonorrhea　than　go　inside。　Hard　to　tell　you　how　detested　the　Soviets　are　in　this　country。　The　locals　will　take　their　money　and　perhaps　even　shake　hands　after　the　money　is　exchanged；　but　not　much　more　than　that。　They　remember　1956　here；　Jack。〃
　　　The　hotel　struck　Ryan　as　something　from　what　H。　L。　Mencken　had　called　the　gilded　age…champagne　ambition　on　a　beer　budget。
　　　〃I've　stayed　in　better；〃　Jack　observed。　It　wasn't　the　Plaza　in　New　York　or　London's　Savoy。
　　　〃Our　Russian　friends　probably　have　not。〃
　　　Damn。　If　we　get　them　to　America；　they're　going　to　be　in　hog　heaven；　Jack　thought　at　once。
　　　〃Let's　go　inside。　There's　a　rather　nice　bar；〃　Hudson　told　him。
　　　And　so　there　was；　off　to　the　right　and　down　some　steps；　almost　like　a　New　York　City　disco　bar；　though　not　quite　as　noisy。　The　band　wasn't　there　yet；　just　some　records　playing；　and　not　too　loudly。　The　music；　Jack　noted；　was　American。　How　odd。　Hudson　ordered　a　couple　glasses　of　Tokaji。
　　　Ryan　sipped　his。　It　wasn't　bad。
　　　〃It's　bottled　in　California；　too；　I　think。　Your　chaps　call　it　Tokay；　the　national　drink　of　Hungary。　It's　an　acquired　taste；　but　better　than　grappa。〃
　　　Ryan　chuckled。　〃I　know。　That's　Italian　for　'lighter　fluid。'　My　uncle　Mario　used　to　love　it。　De　gustibus；　as　they　say。〃　He　looked　around。　There　was　nobody　within　twenty　feet。　〃Can　we　talk？〃
　　　〃Better　just　to　look　about。　I'll　e　here　tonight。　This　bar　closes　after　midnight；　and　I　need　to　see　what　the　staff　is　like。　Our　Rabbit　is　in　Room　307。　Third　floor；　corner。　Easy　access　via　the　fire　stairs。　Three　entrances；　front　and　either　side。　If；　as　I　expect；　there's　only　a　single　clerk　at　the　desk；　it's　just　a　matter　of　distracting　him　to　get　our　packages　up　and　the　Rabbit　family　out。〃
　　　〃Packages　up？〃
　　　Hudson　turned。　〃Didn't　they　tell　you？〃
　　　〃Tell　me　what？〃
　　　Bloody　hell；　Hudson　thought；　they　never　get　the　necessary　information　out　to　everyone　who　needs　it。　Never　changes。
　　　〃We'll　talk　about　it　later；〃　he　told　Ryan。
　　　Uh…oh；　Ryan　thought　at　once。　Something　was　up　that　he　wouldn't　like。　Sure　as　hell。　Maybe　he　should　have　brought　his　Browning　with　him。　Oh；　shit。　He　finished　his　drink　and　went　looking　for　the　men's　room。　The　symbology　helped。　The　room　had　not　been　recently　scrubbed；　and　it　was　a　good　thing　he　didn't　need　to　sit　down。　He　emerged　to　find　Andy　waiting　for　him；　and　followed　him　back　outside。　Soon　they　were　back　in　his　car。
　　　〃Okay；　can　we　discuss　that　little　problem　now？〃　Jack　asked。
　　　〃Later；〃　Hudson　told　him。　It　just　made　Ryan　worry　a　little　more。
　　　The　packages　were　just　arriving　at　the　airport…three　rather　large　boxes　with　diplomatic　stickers　on　them…and　an　official　from　the　embassy　was　at　the　ramp　to　make　sure　they　weren't　tampered　with。　Someone　had　made　sure　to　put　them　in　identifying　boxes　from　an　electronics　pany…the　German　pany　Siemens；　in　this　case…thus　making　it　seem　that　they　were　coding　machines　or　something　else　bulky　and　sensitive。　They　were　duly　loaded　in　the　embassy's　own　light　truck　and　driven　downtown　with　nothing　more　than　curiosity　in　their　wake。　The　presen