el.the miko-第108部分

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y；　he　said；　〃Mr。　Liu　has　already　delineated　the　munist　point　of　view。　The　Oriental　Alliance。〃
　〃Yes。　We　are　both　familiar　with　Liu's；　er；　drawbacks。〃　He　cocked　his　head。　〃Surely　you　don't　think　we've　told　him　everything。〃
　Nangi　was　silent。
　〃There　are　currently　in　Peking　two　distinct　factions。　We　have　the　Maoists　on　one　side　and　the　so…called　Capitalist　Readers　on　the　other。　In　the　fifties；　as　you　no　doubt　know；　the　Soviets　rejected　Stalinism。　Mao；　an　avowed　Stalinist；　bitterly　accused　the　Russians　of　revisionism。　That　ideological　rift　between　the　two　countries　has；　more　or　less；　stood　until　the　present。　However；　those　currently　in　power　have　been　clandestinely　seeking　an　accord　with　the　Kremlin　for　some　time　now。〃
　Lo　Whan　shifted　his　buttocks　as　if　he　were　unfortable。　〃Others；　perhaps　not　content　with　the　current　flow　of　the　river；　are　seeking　to　dredge　an　alternative　course。　They；　it　is　whispered；　seek　a　propaganda　weapon　to　use　against　the　Soviets　and；　thus；　against　those　in　power　in　Peking。〃
　Nangi　now　saw　the　precarious　spot　his　adversary　was　in。　Lo　Whan　need　not　spell　out　in　so　many　words　to　which　faction　he　belonged。　His　masters　were　not　yet　fully　in　power　in　the　north。
　His　heart　beat　fast。　Did　the　munist　know　about　Tenchi？　〃It　seems　to　me；〃　he　said；　〃that　there　was　little　good　that　came　out　of　Mao's　reign。〃
　〃I　will　not　debate　ideology　with　you；〃　Lo　Whan　said。　〃Your　keiretsu　may　hold　the　key　to　the　future　of　our　country。　The　Oriental　Alliance　was　not　a　lie。　It　was　simply　not　the　whole　of　it。〃
　Nangi　felt　the　triumph　surging　through　his　veins。　I　have　won！　he　told　himself。　There　are　no　more　cards　for　him　to　play；　he　is　truly　defeated　now。　He　may　know　Tenchi　exists　but　he　does　not　know　its　secret。　And　now　he　never　will。
　〃There　is　nothing　more　to　do；〃　Nangi　said；　〃but　to　amend　the　documents。〃
　Lo　Whan's　back　bowed。　He　felt　one　hundred　years　old。　〃Then　you　have　doomed　us　and　yourselves　to　a　pact　that　must　have　diabolical　consequences。　I　dare　not　contemplate　what　the　oute　of　a　full　alliance　between　my　country　and　Russia　might　be。〃
　He　spoke；　but　it　was　as　if　Nangi　had　not　heard　him。　Nangi's　own　personal　triumph　had　made　him　drunk；　the　ancient　enmity　between　these　two　people　impossible　to　overe。
　It　took　them　almost　forty　minutes　to　make　all　the　require　changes　in　the　two　contracts；　to　initial　the　changes　and　to　resign　the　documents。　Lo　Whan　drew　out　a　pad　and　menced　to　draw　up　the　final　clause；　which　he　had　verbally　outlined　to　Nangi。　At　that　point　Nangi　excused　himself　and　went　picking　his　way　over　the　black　rocks；　to　make　his　call　to　Fortuitous　Chiu。　When　he　returned；　both　signed　the　two　copies　Lo　Whan　had　made。　Nangi　was　now　enjoined　from　interfering　with　Liu　or　Succulent　Pien。
　Both　men　put　their　documents　away。　They　stood　on　the　rock　promontory；　in　neat　silk　suits　despite　the　hour；　solemn　despite　the　joyous　yelps　of　people　on　the　other　side　of　the　cliff。
　Applause　came　ringing　from　the　ocean　theater；　where　killer　whales　were　jumping　through　hoops　and　seals　were　spinning　striped　balls　on　their　upraised　noses。
　With　care；　Nangi　extracted　the　red　envelope　that　Liu　had　given　him。　He　presented　it　to　Lo　Whan。
　〃And　now；〃　came　the　electronically　amplified　voice　of　the　master　of　ceremonies；　ringing　through　the　rocks'　faces；　〃ladies　and　gentlemen；　the　thrilling　finale！〃
　Tony　Theerson；　C。　Gordon　Minck's　Boy　Wonder；　had　one　of　those　beehive　minds　so　sought　after　in　the　highest　levels　of　puter　technology。　Perhaps　it　was　because；　when　you　came　right　down　to　it；　his　mind　was　tuned　more　to　the　binary　byways　of　machines　than　it　was　to　the　ephemeralia　of　human　thought。
　It　was　a　rare　day；　indeed；　when　the　Boy　Wonder　felt　any　more　plex　emotion　than　hunger；　thirst；　tiredness；　or　the　mild　disfort　of　a　full　bladder。　Elation　came　with　the　final　dissolution　of　a　difficult　code…he　had　ranked　them　in　his　mind；　giving　them　names　he　had　made　up…into　orderly　rows　of　words；　sentences；　paragraphs；　which　he　then　turned　over　to　Tanya　Vladimova　and　Minck　himself。
　In　fact；　orderliness　to　a　degree　a　normal　human　being　would　find　intolerable　was　Tony's　way　of　life。　The　clutter　of　his　office　was　evidence　enough　of　that。　His　idea　of　orderliness　resided　in　his　puters'　memory　banks　and　in　his　own　genius　mind。
　For　Theerson　was　aptly　nicknamed。　No　one　else　on　this　side　of　the　Atlantic　had　any　chance　of　deciphering　the　Soviet　Alpha…three　ciphers　except　the　Boy　Wonder。　They　were　absolute　ball…breakers　which；　not　coincidentally；　was　Tony's　designation　for　the　highest　difficulty　codes　he　was　given　to　crack。
　And　like　other　geniuses　of　his　ilk；　Theerson　was　thrown　by　factors　either　unknown　to　him　or　inexplicable。　His　whole　life　was　a　crusade　to　make　the　unknowable　knowable。　Logic　rulesl　said　a　brass　plaque　in　his　office。
　Thus　when　he　finally　cracked　the　most　recent　of　the　Alpha…threes；　when　the　English　words　swam　upward　onto　his　terminal　screen　from　the　belly　of　his　own　private　farm　of　beasts；　he　assumed　that　a　glitch　had　sprung　up。　He　cleared　the　screen　and　called　up　the　program　from　scratch。
　And　got　precisely　the　same　message。
　That　meant　no　glitch；　but　he　rechecked　his　functions　back　down　the　line　until　he　reached　each　and　every　input。　The　result　was　still　the　same：　no　glitch。
　For　a　long　time　he　sat　staring　at　the　message。　It　was　like　reading　Martian。　It　made　no　sense；　it　had　no　logic。　Just　like；　he　thought；　the　lyrics　to　a　rock　and　roll　song。
　〃It's　bad；〃　he　said　after　the　melody　had　faded　off　his　lips。　〃It's　very；　very　bad。〃　He　was　abruptly　aware　of　how　shaken　he　felt。
　With　that；　he　punched　for　a　hard　copy。　When　it　clattered　out　he　folded　it　up　and　wiped　the　screen　of　words。　It　was　time；　he　thought；　to　see　Minck。
　When　Theerson　found　him；　Minck　was　contemplating　the　end　phase　of　his　vendetta　against　Viktor　Protorov。　In　fact　he　was　enormously　pleased　with　himself。　Sending　Tanya　Vladimova　in　against　his　archenemy　was　a　step　he　had　longed　to　take　years　ago　but　could　never　bring　himself　to　do。　The　entrance　of　Nicholas　Linnear　into　his　life　had　changed　all　that。
　In　the　innermost　sanctum　of　his　mind；　Minck　tended　to　think　of　himself　much　like　the　god　Wotan　that　Richard　Wagner　had　depicted　in　the　Ring　cycle…one…eyed　and　full　of　pride；　and　thus　flawed；　a　loving　god；　and　a　vengeful　one。
　It　would　never　have　occurred　to　him　to　go　after　Protorov　in　any　direct　fashion。　It　would　have　been　unthinkable；　for　instance；　for　him　to　board　a　plane　for　Japan　himself；　a　Webley　pistol　in　hand　to　hold　to　his　enemy's　head　and　pull　the　trigger。
　That　was　not　at　all　because　Minck　was　a　coward；　he　was　far　from　that。　Battle　did　not　faze　him；　hardship；　both　emotional　and　physical；　had　been　a　way　of　life　for　him　for　many　years。　Rather　he　saw　this　kind　of　personal　revenge　as　being　overshadowed　by　his　duty　to　Red　Section；　to　the　people　who　worked　for　him　and　thus　depended　on　his　skills　to　guide　them　and　keep　them　whole　in　a　world　that　wished　to　blow　them　apart；　duty　to　his　country。
　Much　of　this　was　indeed　true；　however；　it　was　to　Minck's　benefit　not　to　dwell　too　deeply　on　the　other…baser…motivation。　He　suspected　now　that　he　was　perhaps　closer　to　feeling　like　a　god　of　Wotan's　stature　than　he　had　realized。　The　Valhalla　syndrome　afflicted　many　of　his　kind　throughout　the　world；　for　it　was　Minck's　firm　conviction　that　he　possessed　a　power　fully　as　great　as　the　spear　Wotan　had　fashioned　out　of　the　World　Ash　Tree；　the　spear　by　which　he　controlled　all　creatures；　even　the　giant　Fafnir；　the　spear　by　which　he　need　only　touch　someone　to　end　their　life。　The　agents　of　Red　Section　were　Minck's　spear；　they　were　his　power。
　Tanya　Vladimova　was　part　of　that；　to　be　sure；　but　he　loved　her　too　much　to　be　able　to　mit　her　to　entering　the　den　of　a　lion　of　Protorov's　cunning。　Oddly；　he　loved　her　in　just　the　way　Wotan　loved　his　daughter；　Brunnhilde；　she　was　closer　to　him　than　any　other　human　being　in　the　world。　With　her；　he　played　out　his　plans；　he　spun　his　variegated　web。　He　could　not　bear　the　thought　that　he　might　send　her　to　her　death　at　the　hands　of　his　enemy。　He　had　held　back；　waiting　as　patiently　as　any　Japanese　for　the　right　moment。　Which　was　now。　Already　she　must　be　landing　in　Tokyo；　his　weapon　against　the　fall　of　night。
　Abruptly；　he　looked　up；　aware　that　someone　was　standing　in　the　open　doorway　to　his　office。　Few　had　clearance　onto　this　level　of　the　building；　fewer　still　were　allowed　to　roam　unescorted　through　the　set。
　〃Yes；　Tony；〃　he　said；　switching　off　his　train　of　thought　as　he　would　a　faucet；　〃do　you　have　something　for　me？〃
　A　flicker　in　the　Boy　Wonder's　manner　alerted　Minck　and　he　beckoned　with　his　hand。　〃e　in；　e　in。〃　All　his　senses　were　questing　now。
　Theerson　came　across　the　bare　wood　floor　and　sat　in　a　cane…backed　chair　in　front　of　Minck's　desk。　〃I　just　cracked　the　latest　Alpha…three。〃　The　paper　in　his　hand　wafted　back　and　forth；　lifting　and　falling　in　his　grasp。
　〃Are　you　going　to　show　it　to　me　or　just　use　it　as　a　fan？〃　Minck　saw　the　Boy　Wonder　wince　and　his　heart　beat　fast。　What　was　wrong？　〃You'd　better　let　me　see　that；〃　he　said；　holding　out　his　hand。
　Almost　reluctantly；　Theerson　passed　it　over。　He　sat　staring　at　his　hands　in　his　lap。　He　felt　useless　and　impotent。
　Minck's　gaze　went　from　him　down　to　the　sheet　of　paper。　This　is　what　he　read：
　NEWEST　PENETRATION　VIA　LINNEAR；　NICHOLAS。　AMATEUR　STATUS。　WARNING：　HIGHLY　LETHAL。　OBJECTIVE：　TENCHI；　YOUR　DEATH。　SANCTIONED　BY　THIS　OFFICE。　ACCESSED　FILE　ON　LINNEAR　FOLLOWS。　AM　LINNEAR'S　BACKUP。　WILL　ADVISE　ON　ARRIVAL　TOKYO。
　VOLK。
　Volk；　Minck　thought。　A　wolf　in　the　fold。　His　mind　had　gone　numb　with　the　thought　that　Tanya　Vladimova；　his　Tanya；　was　a　Dig　Dug。　A　Soviet　plant。　But　how？　Oh；　Christ！
　He　slammed　his　fist　down　on　the　desk　with　such　force　that　Tony　Theerson　jumped　as　if　struck　with　a　needle。　〃Get　out　of　here；〃　Minck　growled。　〃Get　out　of　my　sight！〃
　The　Boy　Wonder　jumped　up　and　retreated　across　the　room。　He　had　seen　Minck　in　a　fury　twice　before　and　had　no　desire　to　get　in　the　way　of　it　now。
　At　the　door；　Minck　stopped　him。　〃Hold　it！〃
　Reluctantly；　Theerson　turned　to　face　his　master。　〃There's　something　I　don't　understand。　Tanya　knew　that　you　were　working　on　the　Alpha…three　codes；　she　knew　you　were　the　best　at　breaking　them。　Why　in　Christ's　name　would　she　use　them？