rl.thebourneidentity-第37部分

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oat；　and　his　shoes　were　wrapped　in　canvas　to　avoid　footprints。〃
　A　terrorist's　information　is　clearly　not　proof；　but　neither　should　it　always　be　disregarded。　Especially　when　it　concerns　a　master　assassin；　known　to　be　a　scholar　of　deception；　who　has　made　an　admission　that　so　astonishingly　corroborates　an　unknown　unpublished　statement　about　a　moment　of　national　crisis　never　investigated。　That；　indeed；　must　be　taken　seriously。　As　so　many　others　associated　…　even　remotely　…　with　the　tragic　events　in　Dallas；　'Burlap　Billy'　was　found　dead　several　days　later　from　an　overdose　of　drugs。　He　was　known　to　be　an　old　man　drunk　consistently　on　cheap　wine；　he　was　never　known　to　use　narcotics。　He　could　not　afford　them。
　Was　'Carlos'　the　man　on　the　grassy　knoll？　What　an　extraordinary　beginning　for　an　extraordinary　career！　If　Dallas　really　was　his　'operation'　how　many　millions　of　dollars　must　have　been　funnelled　to　him？　Certainly　more　than　enough　to　establish　a　network　of　informers　and　soldiers　that　is　a　corporate　world　unto　itself。
　The　myth　has　too　much　substance；　Carlos　may　well　be　a　monster　of　flesh　and　too　much　blood。
　Marie　put　down　the　magazine。　'What's　the　game？！
　'Are　you　finished？'　Jason　turned　from　the　window。
　'Yes。'
　'I　gather　a　lot　of　statements　were　made。　Theory；　suppositions；　equations。'
　'Equations？'
　'If　something　happened　here　and　there　was　an　effect　over　there；　a　relationship　existed。'
　'You　mean　connections；'　said　Marie。
　'All　right；　connections。　It's　all　there；　isn't　it？'
　To　a　degree；　you　could　say　that。　It's　hardly　a　legal　brief；　there's　a　lot　of　speculation；　rumour；　and　second…hand　information。'
　〃There　are　facts；　however。'
　'Data。'
　'Good。　Data。　That's　fine。'
　'What's　the　game？〃　Marie　repeated。
　'It's　got　a　simple　title。　It's　called　〃Trap〃。'
　Trap　who？'
　'Me。'　Bourne　sat　forward。　'I　want　you　to　ask　me　questions。　Anything　that's　in　there。　A　phrase；　the　name　of　a　city；　a　rumour；　a　fragment　of。。。　data。　Anything。　Let's　hear　what　my　responses　are。　My　blind　responses。'
　'Darling；　that's　no　proof　of。。。'
　'Do　it！'　ordered　Jason。
　'All　right。'　Marie　raised　the　issue　of　Time。　'Beirut；'　she　said。
　'Embassy；'　he　answered。　'CIA　station　head　posing　as　an　attach。　Gunned　down　in　the　street　Three　hundred　thousand　dollars。'
　Marie　looked　at　him。　'I　remember；'　she　began。
　'I　don't！'　interrupted　Jason。　'Go　on。'
　She　returned　his　gaze；　then　went　back　to　the　magazine。　'Baader…Meinhof。'
　'Stuttgart　Regensburg。　Munich。　Two　kills　and　a　kidnapping；　Bander　accreditation。　Fees　from。。。'　Bourne　stopped；　then　whispered　in　astonishment；　'U。　S。　sources。　Detroit。。。　Wilmington；　Delaware。'
　'Jason；　what　are。。。？'
　'Go　on。　Please。'
　'The　name；　Sanchez。'
　'The　name　is　Ilyich　Ramirez　Sanchez；'　he　replied。　'He　is。。。　Carlos。'
　'Why　the　Ilyich？'
　Bourne　paused；　his　eyes　wandering。　'I　don't　know。！
　'It's　Russian；　not　Spanish。　Was　his　mother　Russian？'
　'No。。。　yes。　His　mother。　It　had　to　be　his　mother。。。　I　think。　I'm　not　sure。'
　'Novgorod。'
　'Espionage　pound。　munications；　cyphers；　frequency　traffic。　Sanchez　is　a　graduate。'
　'Jason；　you　read　that　here！'
　'I　did　not　read　it！　Please。　Keep　going！'
　Marie's　eye　swept　back　to　the　top　of　the　article。　Tehran。'
　'Eight　kills。　Divided　accreditation　…　Khomeini　and　PLO。　Fee；　two　million。　Source：　South…west　Soviet　sector。'
　'Paris；'　said　Marie　quickly。
　'All　contracts　will　be　processed　through　Paris。'
　'What　contracts？'
　'The　contracts。。。　Kills。'
　'Whose　kills？　Whose　contracts？'
　'Sanchez's。。。　Carlos's。'
　'Carlos？　Then　they're　Carlos's　contracts；　his　kills。　They　have　nothing　to　do　with　you。'
　'Carlos's　contracts；'　said　Bourne；　as　if　in　a　daze。　'Nothing　to　do　with。。。　me；'　he　repeated；　barely　above　a　whisper。
　'You　just　said　it；　Jason。　None　of　this　has　anything　to　do　with　you！'
　'No！　That's　not　true！'　Bourne　shouted；　lunging　up　from　the　chair；　holding　his　place；　staring　down　at　her。　'Our　contracts；'　he　added　quietly。
　'You　don't　know　what　you're　saying！'
　'I'm　responding！　Blindly！　It's　why　I　had　to　e　to　Paris！'　He　spun　round　and　walked　to　the　window；　gripping　the　frame。
　That's　what　the　game　is　all　about；'　he　continued。　'We're　not　looking　for　a　lie；　we're　looking　for　the　truth；　remember？　Maybe　we've　found　it；　maybe　the　game　revealed　it。'
　This　is　no　valid　test！　It's　a　painful　exercise　in　incidental　recollection。　If　a　magazine　like　Time　printed　this；　it　would　have　been　picked　up　by　half　the　newspapers　in　the　world。　You　could　have　read　it　anywhere！'
　The　fact　is　I　retained　it。'
　'Not　entirely。　You　didn't　know　where　the　Ilyich　came　from；　that　Carlos's　father　was　a　munist　attorney　in　Venezuela。　They're　salient　points；　I'd　think。　You　didn't　mention　a　thing　about　the　Cubans。　If　you　had；　it　would　have　led　to　the　most　shocking　speculation　written　here。　You　didn't　say　a　word　about　it！'
　'What　are　you　talking　about？'
　'Dallas；'　she　said。　'November；　1963。'
　'Kennedy；'　replied　Bourne。
　That's　it？　Kennedy？'
　'It　happened　then。'　Jason　stood　motionless。
　'It　did；　but　that's　not　what　I'm　looking　for。'
　'I　know；'　said　Bourne；　his　voice　once　again　flat；　as　if　speaking　in　a　vacuum。　'A　grassy　knoll。。。　Burlap　Billy。'
　'You　read　this！'
　'No。'
　Then　you　heard　it　before；　read　it　before''
　That's　possible；　but　it's　not　relevant；　is　it？'
　'Stop　it；　Jason！'
　Those　words　again。　I　wish　I　could。'
　'What　are　you　trying　to　tell　me？　You're　Carlos！
　'God；　no。　Carlos　wants　to　kill　me；　and　I　don't　speak　Russian；　I　know　that。'
　Then　what？
　'What　I　said　at　the　beginning。　The　game。　The　game　is　called　〃trap…the…soldier〃。'
　'A　soldier？'
　'Yes。　One　who　defected　from　Carlos。　It's　the　only　explanation；　the　only　reason　I　know　what　I　know。　In　all　things。'
　'Why　do　you　say　defect？'
　'Because　he　does　want　to　kill　me。　He　has　to；　he　thinks　I　know　as　much　about　him　as　anyone　alive。'
　Marie　had　been　crouching　on　the　bed；　she　swung　her　legs
　over　the　side；　her　hands　at　her　sides。　That's　a　result　of　defecting。　What　about　the　cause！　If　it's　true；　then　you　did　it；　became。。。　became。。。'　She　stopped。
　'All　things　considered；　it's　a　little　late　to　look　for　a　moral　position；'　said　Bourne；　seeing　the　pain　of　acknowledgement　on　the　face　of　the　woman　he　loved。　'I　could　think　of　several　reasons；　clichйs。　How　about　a　falling　out　among　thieves。。。　killers。'
　'Meaningless！'　cried　Marie。　There's　not　a　shred　of　evidence！'
　There's　buckets　of　it　and　you　know　it。　I　could　have　sold　out　to　a　higher　bidder；　or　stolen　huge　sums　of　money　from　the　fees。　Either　would　explain　the　account　in　Zurich。〃　He　stopped　briefly；　looking　at　the　wall　above　the　bed；　feeling；　not　seeing。　'Either　would　explain　Howard　Leland；　Marseilles；　Beirut；　Stuttgart。。。　Munich。　Everything。　All　the　unremembered　facts　that　want　to　e　out。　And　one　especially。　Why　I　avoided　his　name；　why　I　never　mentioned　him。　I'm　frightened。　I'm　afraid　of　him。'
　The　moment　passed　in　silence；　more　was　spoken　of　than　fear。　Marie　nodded。　'I'm　sure　you　believe　that；'　she　said；　'and　in　a　way　I　wish　it　were　true。　But　I　don't　think　it　is。　You　want　to　believe　it　because　it　supports　what　you　just　said。　It　gives　you　an　answer。。。　an　identity。　It　may　not　be　the　identity　you　want；　but　God　knows　it's　better　than　wandering　blindly　through　that　awful　labyrinth　you　face　every　day。　Anything　would　be；　I　guess。〃　She　paused。　'And　I　wish　it　were　true　because　then　we　wouldn't　be　here。'
　'What？'
　'That's　the　inconsistency；　darling。　The　number　or　symbol　that　doesn't　fit　in　your　equation。　If　you　were　what　you　say　you　were；　and　afraid　of　Carlos　…　and　heaven　knows　you　should　be　…　Paris　would　be　the　last　place　on　earth　you'd　feel　pelled　to　go　to。　We'd　be　somewhere　else；　you　said　it　yourself。　You'd　run　away；　you'd　take　the　money　from　Zurich　and　disappear。　But　you're　not　doing　that；　instead；　you're　walking　right　back　into　Carlos's　den。　That's　not　a　man　who's　either　afraid　or　guilty。'
　There　isn't　anything　else。　I　came　to　Paris　to　find　out；　it's　as　simple　as　that。！
　Then　run　away。　We'll　have　the　money　in　the　morning；　there's　nothing　stopping　you　…　us。　That's　simple；　too。'　Marie　watched　him　closely。
　Jason　looked　at　her；　then　turned　away。　He　walked　to　the
　bureau　and　poured　himself　a　drink。　There's　still　Treadstone　to　consider；'　he　said　defensively。
　'Why　any　more　than　Carlos？　There's　your　real　equation。　Carlos　and　Treadstone。　A　man　I　once　loved　very　much　was　killed　by　Treadstone。　All　the　more　reason　for　us　to　run；　to　survive。'
　'I'd　think　you'd　want　the　people　who　killed　him　exposed；'　said　Bourne。　'Make　them　pay　for　it。'
　'I　do。　Very　much。　But　others　can　find　them。　I　have　priorities　and　revenge　isn't　at　the　top　of　the　list。　We　are。　You　and　I。　Or　is　that　only　my　judgment？　My　feelings。〃
　'You　know　better　than　that。'　He　held　the　glass　tighter　in　his　hand　and　looked　over　at　her。　'I　love　you；'　he　whispered。
　〃Then　let's　run　I'　she　said；　raising　her　voice　almost　mechanically；　taking　a　step　towards　him。　'Let's　forget　it　all；　really　forget；　and　run　as　fast　as　we　can；　as　far　away　as　we　can！　Let's　do　ill'
　'I。。。　I；'　Jason　stammered；　the　mists　interfering；　infuriating　him。　〃There　are。。。　things'
　'What　things？　We　love　each　other；　we've　found　each　other　I　We　can　go　anywhere；　be　anyone　I　There's　nothing　to　stop　us；　is　there？'
　Bourne　could　feel　sweat　breaking　out　on　his　forehead；　and　there　was　a　hollowness　in　his　throat。　'Nothing　to　stop　us。'　He　could　hardly　hear　his　own　voice。　'I　have　to　think。'
　'What's　there　to　think　about？'　pressed　Marie；　taking　another　step；　forcing　him　to　look　at　her。　'There's　only　you　and　me；　isn't　there？'
　'Only　you　and　me；'　he　repeated　softly；　the　mists　now　closing　in；　suffocating　him。　'I　know。　I　know。　But　I've　got　to　think。　There's　so　much　to　learn；　so　much　that　has　to　e　out。'
　'Why　is　it　so　important？'
　'It。。。　just　is。'
　'Don't　you　know？
　'Yes。。。　No；　I'm　not　sure。　Don't　ask　me　now。'
　'If　not　now；　when！　When　can　I　ask　you？　When　will　it　pass？　Or　will　it　ever？！'
　'Stop　it！'　he　suddenly　roared；　slamming　the　glass　down　on　the　wooden　tray。　'I　can't　run！　I　won't！　I've　got　to　stay　here！　I've　got　to　know！'
　Marie　rushed　to　him；　putting　her　hands　first　on　his　shoulders　then　on　his　face；　wiping　away　the　perspiration。　'Now　you've　said　it　Can　you　hear　yourself；　darling？　You　can't　run　because　t