rl.thebourneidentity-第50部分

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　Paris？。。。　All　contracts　will　be　processed　through　Paris。
　Whose　contracts？
　Sanchez。　Carlos。
　'。。。　always　such　a　transparent　device。'
　The　Lavier　woman　had　spoken；　he　had　not　heard　it。　'What　did　you　say？'
　'You　were　remembering；　yes？　He　used　the　same　device　with　you　…　your　people。　It's　how　he　gets　his　assignments。'
　'Assignments？'　Bourne　tensed　the　muscles　in　his　stomach　until　the　pain　brought　him　back　to　the　table　in　the　dining　room　in　Argenteuil。　'He　gets　assignments；　then；'　he　said　pointlessly。
　'And　carries　them　out　with　considerable　expertise；　no　one　denies　him　that。　His　record　of　kills　is　impressive。　In　many　ways；　he　is　second　to　Carlos　…　not　his　equal；　but　far　above　the　ranks　of　les　guerilleros。　He's　a　man　of　immense　skill；　extremely　inventive；　a　trained　lethal　weapon　out　of　Medusa。　But　it　is　his　arrogance；　his　lies　at　the　expense　of　Carlos　that　will　bring　him　down。〃
　'And　that　makes　him　American？　Or　is　it　your　bias？　I　have　an　idea　you　like　American　money；　but　that's　about　all　they　export　that　you　do　like。'　Immense　skill；　extremely　inventive；　a　trained　lethal　weapon。。。　Port　Noir；　La　do　tat；　Marseilles；　Zurich；　Paris。　Oh；　Jesus！
　'It　is　beyond　prejudice；　Monsieur。　The　identification　is　positive。'
　'How　did　you　get　it？'
　Lavier　touched　the　stem　of　her　wine　glass；　her　red…tipped　index　finger　curling　around　it。　'A　discontented　man　was　bought　in　Washington。'
　'Washington？'
　'The　Americans　also　look　for　Cain　…　with　an　intensity　approaching　Carlos's；　I　suspect。　Medusa　has　never　been　made　public　and　Cain　might　prove　to　be　an　extraordinary　embarrassment。　This　discontented　man　was　in　a　position　to　give　us　a　great　deal　of　information；　including　the　Medusa　records。　It　was　a　simple　matter　to　match　the　names　with　those　in　Zurich。　Simple　for　Carlos；　not　for　anyone　else。'
　Too　simple；　thought　Jason；　not　knowing　why　the　thought　struck　him。　'I　see；'　he　said。
　'And　you？　How　did　you　find　him？　Not　Cain；　of　course；　but　Bourne。'
　Through　the　mists　of　anxiety；　Jason　recalled　another　statement。　Not　his；　but　one　spoken　by　Marie。　'Far　simpler；'　he　said。　'We　paid　the　money　to　him　by　means　of　a　shortfall　deposit　into　one　account；　the　surplus　diverted　blindly　into　another。　The　numbers　could　be　traced；　it's　a　tax　device。'
　'Cain　permitted　it？'
　'He　didn't　know　it。　The　numbers　were　paid　for。。。　as　you　paid　for　different　numbers　…　telephone　numbers　…　on　a　fiche。'
　'I　mend　you。〃
　'It's　not　required；　but　everything　you　know　about　Cain　is。　All　you've　done　so　far　is　explain　an　identification。　Now；　go　on。　Everything　you　know　about　this　man　Bourne；　everything　you've　been　told。'　Be　careful。　Take　the　tension　from　your　voice。　You　are　merely。。。　evaluating　data。　Marie；　you　said　that。　Dear；　dear　Marie。　Thank　God　you're　not　here。
　'What　we　know　about　him　is　inplete。　He's　managed　to　remove　most　of　the　vital　records；　a　lesson　he　undoubtedly　learned　from　Carlos。　But　not　all；　we've　pieced　together　a　sketch。　Before　he　was　recruited　into　Medusa；　he　was　apparently　a　French…speaking　businessman　living　in　Singapore；　representing　a　collective　of　American　importers　from　New　York　to　California。　The　truth　is　he　had　been　dismissed　by　the　collective；　which　then　tried　to　have　him　extradited　back　to　the　States　for　prosecution；　he　had　stolen　hundreds　of　thousands　from　it。　He　was　known　in　Singapore　as　a　recluse；　very　powerful　in　contraband　operations　and　extraordinarily　ruthless。'
　'Before　that；'　interrupted　Jason；　feeling　again　the　perspiration　breaking　out　on　his　hairline。　'Before　Singapore。　Where　did　he　e　from？'　Be　careful！　The　images！　Oh；　Christ；　he　could　see　the　streets　of　Singapore。　Prince　Edward　Road；　Kim　Chuan；　Boon　Tat　Street；　Maxwell；　Cuscaden。　Oh；　God！
　'Those　are　the　records　no　one　can　find。　There　are　only　rumours；　and　they　are　meaningless。　For　example；　it　was　said　that　he　was　a　defrocked　Jesuit；　gone　mad；　another　speculation　was　that　he　had　been　a　young；　aggressive　investment　banker　caught　embezzling　funds　in　concert　with　several　Singapore　banks。　There's　nothing　concrete；　nothing　that　can　be　traced。　Before　Singapore；　nothing。'
　You're　wrong；　there　was　a　great　deal。　But　none　of　that　is　part　of　it。。。　There　is　a　void；　and　it　must　be　filled；　and　you　can't　help　me。　Perhaps　no　one　can；　perhaps　no　one　should。
　'So　far；　you　haven't　told　me　anything　startling；'　said　Bourne；　'nothing　relative　to　the　information　I'm　interested　in。'
　'Then　I　don't　know　what　you　want　I　You　ask　me　questions；　press　for　details；　and　when　I　offer　you　answers　you　reject　them　as　immaterial。　What　do　you　want？'
　'What　do　you　know　about　Cain's。。。　work？　Since　you're　looking　for　a　promise；　give　me　a　reason　for　it　If　our　information　differs；　it　would　be　over　what　he's　done；　wouldn't　it？　When　did　he　first　e　to　your　attention？　Carlos's　attention？　Quickly
　'Two　years　ago；'　said　Mme　Lavier；　disconcerted　by　Jason's　impatience；　annoyed；　frightened。　'Word　came　out　of　Asia　of　a　white　man　offering　a　service　astonishingly　similar　to　the　one　provided　by　Carlos。　He　was　swiftly　being　an　industry。　An　ambassador　was　assassinated　in　Moulmein；　two　days　later　a　highly　regarded　Japanese　politician　was　killed　in　Tokyo　prior　to　a　debate　in　the　Diet　A　week　after　that　a　newspaper　editor　was　blown　out　of　his　car　in　Hong　Kong；　and　in　less　than　forty…eight　hours　a　banker　was　shot　on　a　street　in　Calcutta。　Behind　each　one；　Cain。　Always　Cain。'　The　woman　stopped；　appraising　Bourne's　reaction。　He　gave　none。　'Don't　you　see？　He　was　everywhere。　He　raced　from　one　kill　to　another；　accepting　contracts　with　such　rapidity　that　he　had　to　be　indiscriminate。　He　was　a　man　in　an　enormous　hurry；　building　his　reputation　so　quickly　that　he　shocked　even　the　most　jaded　professionals。　And　no　one　doubted　that　he　was　a　professional；　least　of　all　Carlos。　Instructions　were　sent：　find　out　about　this　man；　learn　all　you　can。　You　see；　Carlos　understood　what　none　of　us　did；　and　in　less　than　twelve　months　he　was　proved　correct。　Reports　came　from　informers　in　Manila；　Osaka；　Hong　Kong　and　Tokyo。　Cain　was　moving　to　Europe；　they　said；　he　would　make　Paris　itself　his　base　of　operations。　The　challenge　was　clear；　the　gauntlet　thrown。　Cain　was　out　to　destroy　Carlos。　He　would　bee　the　new　Carlos；　his　services；　the　services　required　by　those　who　sought　them。　As　you　sought　them；　Monsieur。'
　'Moulmein；　Tokyo；　Calcutta。。。'　Jason　heard　the　names　ing　from　his　lips；　whispered　from　his　throat。　Again　they　were　floating；　suspended　in　the　perfumed　air；　shadows　of　a　past　forgotten。　'Manila；　Hong　Kong。。。'　He　stopped；　trying　to　clear　the　mists；　peering　at　the　outlines　of　strange　shapes　that　kept　racing　across　his　mind's　eye。
　'These　places　and　many　others；'　continued　Lavier。　〃That　was　Cain's　error；　his　error　still。　Carlos　may　be　many　things　to　many　people；　but　among　those　who　have　benefited　from　his　trust　and　generosity；　there　is　loyalty。　His　informers　and　hirelings　are　not　so　readily　for　sale；　although　Cain　has　tried　time　and　again。　It　is　said　that　Carlos　is　swift　to　make　harsh　judgments；　but；　as　they　also　say；　better　a　Satan　one　knows；　than　a　successor　one　doesn't。。。　What　Cain　did　not　realize　…　does　not　realize　now　…　is　that　Carlos's　network　is　a　vast　one。　When　Cain　moved　to　Europe；　he　did　not　know　that　his　activities　were　uncovered　in　Berlin；　Lisbon；　Amsterdam。。。　as　far　away　as　Oman。'
　'Oman；'　said　Bourne　involuntarily。　'Sheikh　Mustafa　Kalig；'　he　whispered；　as　if　to　himself。
　'Never　proved！'　interjected　the　Lavier　woman　defiantly。　'A　deliberate　smokescreen　of　confusion；　the　contract　itself　a　fiction。　He　took　credit　for　an　internal　murder；　no　one　could　penetrate　that　security。　A　lie！'
　'A　lie；'　repeated　Jason。
　'So　many　lies；'　added　Mme　Lavier　contemptuously。　'He's　no　fool；　however；　he　lies　quietly；　dropping　a　hint　here　and　there；　knowing　that　they　will　be　exaggerated　into　substance　in　the　telling。　He　provokes　Carlos　at　every　turn；　promoting　himself　at　the　expense　of　the　man　he　would　replace。　But　he's　no　match　for　Carlos；　he　takes　contracts　he　cannot　fulfil。　You　are　only　one　example；　we　hear　there　have　been　several　others。　It's　said　that's　why　he　stayed　away　for　months；　avoiding　people　like　yourselves。〃
　'Avoiding　people。。。'　Jason　reached　for　his　wrist；　the　trembling　had　begun　again；　the　sound　of　distant　thunder　vibrating　in　far　regions　of　his　skull。　'You're。。。　sure　of　that？'
　'Very　much　so。　He　wasn't　dead；　he　was　in　hiding。　Cain　botched　more　than　one　assignment；　it　was　inevitable。　He　accepted　too　many　in　too　short　a　time。　Yet　whenever　he　did；　he　followed　an　abortive　kill　with　a　spectacular；　unsolicited　one；　to　uphold　his　stature。　He　would　select　a　prominent　figure　and　blow　him　away；　the　assassination　a　shock　to　everyone；　and　unmistakably　Cain's。　The　ambassador　travelling　in　Moulmein　was　an　example；　no　one　had　called　for　his　death。　There　were　two　others　that　we　know　of　…　a　Russian　missar　in　Shanghai　and　more　recently　a　banker　in　Madrid。。。'
　The　words　came　from　the　bright　red　lips　working　feverishly　in　the　lower　part　of　the　powdered　mask　beside　him。　He　heard　them；　he　had　heard　them　before。　He　had　lived　them　before。　They　were　no　longer　shadows；　but　remembrances　of　that　forgotten　past。　Images　and　reality　were　fused。　She　began　no　sentence　he　could　not　finish；　nor　could　she　mention　a　name　or　a　city　or　an　incident　with　which　he　was　not　instinctively　familiar。　She　was　talking　about。。。　him。　Alpha；　Bravo；　Cain；　Delta。。。　Cain　is　for　Charlie；　and　Delta　is　for　Cain。　Jason　Bourne　was　the　assassin　called　Cain。　There　was　a　final　question；　his　brief　reprieve　from　darkness　two　nights　ago　at　the　Sorbonne。　Marseilles。　23　August。　'What　happened　in　Marseilles？'　he　asked。　'Marseilles？　The　Lavier　woman　recoiled。　'How　could　you？　What　lies　were　you　told？　What　other　lies？'　'Just　tell　me　what　happened。'
　'You　refer　to　Leland；　of　course。　The　ubiquitous　ambassador　whose　death　was　called　for　…　paid　for；　the　contract　accepted　by　Carlos。'
　'What　if　I　told　you　that　there　are　those　who　think　Cain　was　responsible？〃
　'It's　what　he　wanted　everyone　to　think！　It　was　the　ultimate　insult　to　Carlos　…　to　steal　the　kill　from　him。　Payment　was　irrelevant　to　Cain；　he　only　wanted　to　show　the　world　…　our　world　…　that　he　could　get　there　first　and　do　the　job　for　which　Carlos　had　been　paid。。。　But　he　didn't；　you　know。　He　had　nothing　to　do　with　the　Leland　kill。'　'He　was　there。〃
　'