thedestroyer.deathcheck-第6部分

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ainment。　He　was　dressed　in　chains。
　Dr。　James　Ratchett；　biochemist；　was　dressed　formally。　In　a　top　hat；　black　cape　and　bare　front。　He　was　being　whipped　by　the　black…haired　girl　who　appeared　in　all　the　pictures。　Two　other　photos　showed　Ratchett　making　it　with　the　girl。　He　had　dropped　the　cape　and　still　visible　across　his　back　were　the　angry　pouting　welts　of　the　whip。
　But　on　Doctor　Ratchett's　biography　was　a　hand…written　note。　It　was　Smith's　handwriting。
　
　〃Dr。　Ratchett　is　a　notorious　homosexual。〃
　Remo　went　through　the　photographs　three　times。　The　chuckles　had　dwindled　to　boredom　by　the　end　of　the　first　round。　The　girl　was　the　same　in　each　picture。　Remo　regretted　his　only　cursory　knowledge　of　photography；　but　the　pictures　looked　extremely　well　lighted　and　posed；　as　though　a　fine　fashion　photographer　had　played　the　scene　for　drama…highlights；　explosive　beams；　shadows。
　These　were　the　great　minds　America　would　rather　see　dead　than。。。。　Than　what？　Smith　had　said　he　did　not　know　than　what？
　Remo　set　the　photos　out　in　rows　on　the　brown　tile　？motel　sink。　He　opened　his　eyes　wide；　then　splashed　his　eyes　along　the　rows　of　photographs；　blinking　rapidly；　turning　his　eyes％　and　brain　into　a　giant　stroboscopic　system；　registering　every　detail；　every　shadow　indelibly　on　his　brain。　He　performed　the　exercise　twice；　to　be　sure　he　had　missed　nothing。　Done。　He　had　been　peaked　too　long。　Ordinarily；　once　would　have　been　enough。
　Smith's　words　repeated　themselves　to　Remo　as　he　dropped　the　pictures　into　the　motel　washbasin；　holding　a　last　typewritten　sheet　which　was　a　transcription　of　a　conversation。　Smith　had　told　him：
　〃All　we　know　is　something　is　wrong。　We　can't；　under　any　circumstances；　allow　these　people's　efforts　to　be　used　by　any　other　power。　We　don't　even　know　yet　if　whoever　is　producing　these　pictures　is　international　or　criminal。　We　just　don't　know。　We　do　know　that　we　want　these　scientists'　abilities　to　be　denied　at　a　moment's　notice　to　whoever　is　doing　whatever　the　hell　is　going　on　there。　That　means　they　must　be　eliminated　on　mand。　And　that　means　you　must　set　them　up。〃
　And　other　words　came　back　to　Remo：　〃Stupidity　is　a　function　of　mankind；　ignorance　the　beginning　of　wisdom；　wisdom　the　knowledge　of　ignorance。〃　That　was　Chiun；　his　instructor。
　Chiun　always　had　a　bit　of　wisdom　that　didn't　seem　to　mean　anything；　until　one　day　you　needed　it。〃　Now　it　meant　something。
　He　had　been　kept　at　peak　alert　for　three　months　while　CURE　attempted　to　figure　out　what　it　was　protecting；　and　with　the　first　sign　that　it　was　in　danger；　they　sent　in　their　weapon　to　be　able　to　destroy　it　on　mand。
　〃Brilliant；〃　Remo　said　to　himself；　running　water　into　the　sink。　He　watched　the　photographs　bee　white；　then　separate；　then　dissolve　and　turn　the　water　in　the　sink　to　milk。　〃Brilliant。〃
　And　he　played　with　an　idea　he　played　with　almost　every　month。　Running。　He　could　never　be　a　cop　again；　he　had　no　past。　But　he　might　be　able　to　get　into　the　Teamsters　or　even　into　a　job　where　no　one　cared　about　the　past。　Maybe　a　salesman。　Maybe　open　a　store　somewhere　after　clipping　CURE　for　a　bundle。　A　store。　…　A　wife。　A　family。　A　home。
　And　then　one　day　he　would　lift　a　car　off　a　person；　or　settle　a　dispute　in　a　bar　and　do　it　just　a　mite　too　well；　and　CURE　would　find　him。　And　that　would　be　that；　because　by　then　there　would　be　another　just　like　him　and　if　that　person　came　delivering　the　mail　or　the　milk；　Remo　would　be　dead。　If　a　thinking　man　wants　to　get　you　badly　enough；　he　will　get　you。　How　few　people　realized　their　vulnerability。。。　well；　why　should　they？　No　one　was　after　them。
　And　so　the　pictures　were　now　liquid　and　Remo　Williams　pulled　the　plug　and　let　them　go　down　the　drain　where　they　would　wash　into　sewers　and　then　rivers；　and　then　never　be　seen　again。　Lucky　fucking　pictures。
　Remo　read　the　transcript。　〃A　conversation　between　A　and　B　two　years　ago。　B　is　another　agency；　same'　team。　A　is　the　head　of　XXX。〃
　Even　in　a　water　seal　envelope；　CURE　took　precautions　to　break　links。
　〃A）　What　we're　doing　is　taking　traditional　parts　to　make　a　new　sum。　An　interdisciplinary　approach　to　an　old　situation；　the　dynamics　of　conflict。
　〃B）　You're　trying　to　find　out　why　people　have　conflicts　with　other　people；　correct？
　〃A）　In　a　way；　perhaps。　You　see；　man　as　an　animal　has　conquered　the　world。　Conquered　other　animals。　With　ease；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　even　though　today　individual　man　isn't　sure　of　it。　With　that　out　of　the　way；　man　has　turned　to　the　only　challenge　left。　Conquering　other　men。　The　history　of　war　shows　that。　Well；　why　should　some　men　conquer　and　some　be　conquered？　What　are　the　dynamics　of　that？　That's　our　problem。　If　you　knew；　you　could　defeat　any　army　in　the　world　today　with　a　smaller　army。　You　might　say　a　simple　little　plan　to　conquer　the　world；　which　I'm　sure　some　politician　cr　militarist　would　just　delight　in。　But　you　see　the　plan　is　really　irrelevant；　because　conquest　is　meaningless　until　you　define　conqueror　aria〃　conquered。
　〃B）　You　have　a　plan　to　conquer　the　world？
　〃A）　Oh　gracious；　don't　tell　me　you're　one　of　those。　If　someone　told　you　he　unlocked　the　atom；　would　you　run　out　right　away　to　try　to　use　it　in　a　lightbulb　or　a　bomb？
　〃B）　This　little　plan　to　conquer　the　world？　Have　you　achieved　it？
　〃A）　What　difference　does　it　make9　It's　only　a　minor　byproduct　of　our　basic　work　here　at　XXX。
　〃B）　Would　you　explain　that　minor　function？
　〃A）　No；　not　now。　Only　when　we're　ready；　and　then　as　part　of　the　full　corpus　of　our　work。　Otherwise；　you　can　imagine　the　sort　of　people　we'd　have　running　around　here；　I'd　close　the　forum　first。〃
　End　of　Transcript。
　Remo　filled　the　basin　with　water　again　and　let　the　transcript　go　the　way　of　the　pictures；　first　to　whiteness；　then　particles；　then　dissolve。
　That　answered　one　of　the　why's。　A　was　Nils　Brewster；　head　of　the　Brewster　Forum　which　had　its　hands　on　〃a　little　plan　to　conquer　the　world。〃　Brewster　would　stop　everything　if　he　thought　the　military　or　the　government　was　moving　in。　That　explained　why　the　forum　had　been　a　CURE　function。　Probably　because　better　than　any　other　group　in　the　world；　CURE　could　watch　something　or　someone　without　anyone　knowing…neither　those　under　surveillance　nor　those　doing　the　surveillance。
　And　then　the　photographs　turned　up。　And　that　indicated　that　some　other　force　was　involved　somehow。　Moving　in。　And　the　United　States　could　not　allow　this　little　plan　to　conquer　the　world　to　go　to　someone　else。　And　therefore　everyone　involved；　everyone　who　might　know；　must　die…if　it　proved　necessary。
　Remo　pulled　the　plug　in　the　sink　and　the　milky　water　disappeared。　Maybe　a　sports　store　in　Des　Moines；　thought　Remo；　or　a　bar　in　Troy；　Ohio。　That　woman　in　the　cab　would　give　him　a　remendation。　The　bar　would　be　nice。　Until　a　customer　put　a　bullet　hi　his　head；　then　took　money　from　the　cash　register　to　make　it　seem　like　a　robbery。
　
　CHAPTER　SEVEN
　
　Remo　didn't　believe　it。
　He　had　driven　past　a　sign　that　read　〃Brewster　Forum；〃　into　a　lovely　little　village；　then　through　the　village；　then　past　a　blank　sign　which　he　read　in　his　rear…view　mirror　as　〃Brewster　Forum。〃
　He　turned　around　on　a　gravel　road　and　drove　the　rented　car　back。　Plush　little　homes；　some　with　sweeping　green　lawns；　others　hidden　by　shrubs；　manicured　sidewalks　and　roads；　tennis　courts；　a　golf　course　with　only　one　foursome　and　a　circle　of　small；　quaint　cottages。
　The　August　sun　blessed　the　rolling　Virginia　terrain。　A　man　in　blue　Bermuda　shorts　and　an　old　gray　shirt　pedaled　slowly　along　the　asphalt；　puffing　a　pipe　rhythmically。　He　was　a　small；　thin　man；　with　a　kind　and；　thoughtful　face　which　Remo　recognized　in　a　flash。　The　man　with　the　giraffe。　Remo　braked　the　car。
　〃Sir；〃　he　called　out　to　Dr。　Abram　Schulter。
　The　man　on　the　bicycle　seemed　startled　and　stopped；　almost　capsizing　himself。　He　was　the　only　other　person　on　the　street。　He　looked　at　Remo；　then　pointed　to　himself。
　〃Me？〃　asked　the　foremost　neurosurgeon　in　the　world。
　〃Yes；〃　said　Remo；　〃I'm　looking　for　Brewster　Forum。〃
　〃Ah；　yes。　Of　course。　Why　else　would　you　be　here？　Yes。　Natural。　Very　natural。〃
　〃Is　this　Brewster　Forum？
　〃Yes。　Did　you　miss　the　signs？〃　〃
　〃No。〃
　〃Then　what　would　lead　you　to　believe　this　is　not　Brewster　Forum？〃
　〃Well；　I　expected　some　fences　or　something。〃
　〃Whatever　for？〃
　Remo　could　not　answer　that　question。　What　was　he　to　say？　Because　you're　doing　something　so　top　secret　that　you　are　going　to　die　before　your　country　will　let　your　work　go　to　anyone　else？〃
　Not　even　a　fence。　What　was　probably　the　highest　priority　secret　project　in　the　nation　and　not　even　a　fence。
　〃Well；　to　keep　people　out；〃　Remo　answered。
　〃Out　of　what？；〃　pleasantly　asked　the　son　of　a　bitch　who　liked　to　screw　toy　giraffes。
　〃Out　of　this　place；〃　said　Remo；　barely　pleasant。
　〃Why　would　we　want　to　keep　anyone　out？〃
　〃I　don't　know；〃　Remo　had　to　say。
　〃Then　why　should　we　have　a　fence？〃
　Remo　had　to　shrug。
　〃That's　an　interesting　question　you　asked；　son；〃　said　Doctor　Schulter。　〃Why　does　man　continuously　seek　to　set　boundaries？　Is　it　to　keep　people　out　or　just　to　identify　who　should　be　kept　out？〃
　In　a　vein　of　nastiness　which　Remo　knew　he　should　not　allow　himself；　he　snarled。　〃The　latter；　of　course。　It's　obvious　to　anyone　who　plants　tomatoes。〃　And　he　drove　off；　leaving　the　man　to　puzzle；　with　the　pipe　now　working　furiously　in　his　mouth。
　Remo　drove　back　to　the　cluster　of　cottages；　parking　near　a　fieldstone　walk　that　led　to　a　larger　white　building　with　green　shutters；　shaded　by　large　oaks。　The　newness　of　the　buildings　indicated　they　had　been　built　for　proximity　to　the　towering　trees。
　Remo　followed　the　fieldstones　to　the　door　of　the　building　and　knocked。　He　could　see　a　gravel　driveway　fifty　yards　away　that　led　into　the　circle　of　cottages　but　he　preferred　the　walk；　a　luxury　he　allowed　himself　only　rarely。　Just　doing　something　because　he　felt　like　it。　Almost　like　a　human　being。
　The　brass　knocker　was　made　in　a　peace　symbol　design；　a　circle　with　the　outline　of　a　phantom　bomber　inside　it。　At　least　that　was　what　it　had　always　looked　like　to　the　man　who　was　now　Remo　Pelham；　sent　to　replace　Peter　McCarthy。
　The　door　opened　and　down　around　the　doorknob　was　a　little　girl　with　pigtails；　round　pink　cheeks；　a　smile　and　dancing　eyes。
　〃Hello；〃　she　said。　〃My