el.the miko-第111部分

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en　gone　from　the　building…God　only　knew　where…for　the　last　forty　hours　or　so。
　He　grabbed　up　a　phone；　asked　for　a　trace　on　Tanya's　movements　during　the　last　three　and　a　half　days。　He　was　immediately　patched　through　to　the　ARRTS　puter。　He　repeated　his　question　and　waited　impatiently　for　the　answers。　When　they　came；　he　stared　openly　at　Croaker。
　〃Tanya；〃　he　said　slowly。
　〃Who　the　hell's　Tanya？〃　Croaker　asked。
　〃She's　the　woman　who　sanctioned　both　your　deaths；〃　he　improvised；　telling　a　half　truth。　Something　had　begun　to　spin　inside　Minck's　mind。　One　dark　and　tiny　satellite　that　needed　some　space　and　time　to　grow。　The　germ　of　an　idea。　The　beginning　of　a　massive　salvage　job。　A　kind　of　miracle；　even；　if　such　things　actually　could　be　said　to　exist。　Minck　did　not　believe　in　God　so　therefore　it　followed　that　he　could　not　believe　in　miracles。　Until　this　moment；　perhaps。
　In　a　more　normal　tone　of　voice；　he　said；　〃About　Alix。　Is　she　all　right？〃
　〃She's　confused；　angry；　frustrated；　and　maybe　her　life's　been　ruined　by　all　this　crap　but；　yeah；　she's　essentially　okay。〃
　Minck　found　some　genuine　solace　in　that。　If　he　had　suspected　for　any　amount　of　time　that　he　was　merely　indulging　himself　by　keeping　Alix　Logan　alive；　he　now　dismissed　such　thoughts　entirely。　The　relief　that　swept　through　him　went　deep　indeed。
　He　took　a　breath；　but　before　he　could　continue；　Croaker　said；　〃Don't　think　for　a　minute　I'll　tell　you　where　she　is；　though。　If　you　make　any　move　against　me　now；　she'll　go　straight　to　the　State's　Attorney　General　with　everything　she　knows。　I　know　you　can't　afford　that。　You've　gone　to　great　lengths　to　prove　it。〃
　Minck　paused　for　a　moment　as　if　weighing　Croaker's　words。　〃All　right；〃　he　said　at　last。　〃I'll　propose　a　truce。。。　a　kind　of　bargain；　if　you　wish。〃
　〃What　kind　of　bargain？〃　Despite　observing　Minck's　genuine　feelings　for　Alix；　Croaker　was　a　long　way　from　trusting　this　man。
　〃What　I　propose　is　this。　I　will　not　harm　you　or　seek　to　find　Alix's　whereabouts；　unless　she　wishes　it；　of　course。　In　return；　you　will　sit　down　and　listen　to　what　I　have　to　tell　you　and　consider　it　carefully。〃
　〃Then　what？〃
　Oh；　good；　Minck　thought。　This　man　is　clever　in　addition　to　being　resourceful。　He　has　killed　two　of　my　agents　and　evaded　termination　from　another…my　most　deadly；　my　most　traitorous　Tanya。　Perhaps　he　can　do　what　none　other　I　can　call　on　could。　Perhaps；　he　thought；　as　he　began　to　talk　of　Tanya　Vladimova　and　her　ultimate　betrayal；　of　her　manipulation　of　the　〃Spearfish〃　ops；　which　was　Alix　Logan's　detention/protection；　this　man　can　destroy　that　which　Protorov　and　I；　jointly；　created。
　Inside；　C。　Gordon　Minck　began　to　glow。　Like　a　man　who　has　won　back　his　life　at　the　brink　of　death；　he　was　suffused　with　an　eerie　kind　of　elation　that　made　his　fingertips　tremble。
　It　was　not　difficult　to　sell　Croaker　on　what　he　must　do。　Minck　had　two　powerful　motivations　which　he　offered　the　man　sitting　across　from　him　and　which　Minck　was　quite　certain　he　could　not　refuse。　If　the　situation　were　reversed；　Minck　was　aware；　he　would　have　been　hooked　just　as　much　as　he　perceived　Croaker　was　being。
　Revenge　and　patriotism。　These　were　the　two　reasons　that　Minck　suspected　Croaker　would　accept　this　bargain。　Tanya　had　personally　tried　to　kill　him　and　his　charge；　that　was　something　Croaker　could　not　tolerate。　He　wanted　her　now；　and　Minck　could　not　blame　him　at　all。　They　both　wanted　her；　he　explained。　It　was　merely　that　Croaker　was　in　a　position　to　get　her　while　Minck　was　not。
　Then　there　was　the　Russian　angle。　No　one　liked　that；　least　of　all　Minck　himself。　Croaker　was　right　behind　him　there。
　〃You'll　have　full　diplomatic　immunity；〃　Minck　concluded；　〃a　new　identity　as　far　as　Customs　and　Immigration　are　concerned。　You'll　have　full　support　over　there　if　you　need　it。〃　He　waited　a　beat。　〃And　you'll　be　linking　up　with　an　old　friend　of　yours；　Nicholas　Linnear。〃　He　had　saved　what　he　suspected　would　be　the　best　for　last。　The　clincher。
　And　Croaker　bit。
　But　a　half　hour　after　the　detective　lieutenant　had　been　provided　with　a　new　passport；　birth　certificate；　business　papers；　et　al；　money　in　the　form　of　American　dollars；　Japanese　yen；　and　American　Express　traveler's　checks；　and　delivered　to　Dulles　International　to　make　his　flight　to　Tokyo；　Minck　abruptly　broke　down　and；　for　the　first　time　since　his　long　incarceration　in　Lubyanka；　wept　bitter　tears。　He　thought　of　what　had　been　done　to　him　and　what；　in　retaliation；　he　had　been　forced　to　do。
　Meanwhile；　the　object　of　Minck's　love　and　hate　was　at　the　moment　debarking　at　Narita　Airport　outside　smogbound　Tokyo。　She　had　not　had　a　pleasant　flight。　Just　after　takeoff　from　Kennedy　she　had　taken　two　sleeping　pills　and　had　fallen　into　a　leaden　slumber　which　had　been　dominated　by　visions　from　her　childhood。　Protorov　stalked　her　dreams　like　a　sentry；　on　horseback　and　on　foot；　weaponed　and　booted；　wherever　she　went　he　was　there　before　her。
　Tanya　was　back　in　grade　school　in　Rechitsa；　the　closest　town　to　the　rural　hamlet　where　her　family　lived。　Already　there　was　friction　at　home。　Her　older　brother；　Mikhail；　did　not　approve　of　their　father　being　a　policeman。　As　such　her　father　was　in　touch　with　the　KGB；　whose　black…raincoated　agents　appeared　at　the　house　from　time　to　time　to　remind　him　to　report　all　unpatriotic　activity　within　his　purview。
　Within　six　months　Mikhail　would　leave　him；　and　within　a　year；　at　eighteen；　would　bee　one　of　the　more　militant…and　successful…dissidents　working　inside　Russia。
　But　by　that　time　the　headmaster　of　the　school　in　Rechitsa　had　journeyed　by　an　old　and　dilapidated　car　out　to　Tanya's　house　to　speak　to　her　parents。　She　had　been　offered　a　scholarship　to　a　fine　academy　with　facilities　that；　regretfully；　the　headmaster's　school　lacked。　She　was　an　extremely　bright　girl；　he　said；　and　deserving　of　this　chance。　But　certain　sacrifices　had　to　be　made。　This　new　academy　was　in　the　Urals；　a　good　750　kilometers　away。
　Tanya's　mother　had　cried　at　the　prospect。　After　all；　her　son　had　already　gone。　But　Tanya's　father　was　firm。　He　was　only　a　country　constable；　he　said；　and　he　wanted　at　least　one　of　his　children　to　have　the　benefits　he　had　never　had。
　So　it　was　settled；　much　to　the　relief　of　the　headmaster　since　a　great　deal　of　pressure　had　been　put　on　him　by　Protorov　himself　to　bring　Tanya　to　his　academy。　Quite　naturally；　her　parents　and　Tanya　herself　had　no　idea　of　the　skew　of　the　new　school's　curriculum。
　After　she　arrived　there　and　discovered　where　she　was　and　what　she　would　be　made　into；　she　dutifully　wrote　home　every　week。　Never　did　she　hint　to　her　parents　or　to　anyone　else；　for　that　matter；　as　to　the　academy's　true　nature；　though　in　truth；　perhaps；　she　longed　to　tell　her　father；　knowing　how　proud　he　would　be　and　how　this　knowledge　might　help　assuage　the　terrible　ache　he　felt　inside　from　Mikhail's　betrayal。
　Protorov。　She　tried　him　from　the　airport　while　waiting　for　her　one　bag　to　e　through；　then　again　when　she　reached　the　pulsing　overpopulated　heart　of　Tokyo。　She　used　the　four…digit　access　code　and　received　the　same　answer　both　times：　dead　air。
　That　in　itself　was　not　alarming；　but　Pyotr　Alexandrovitch　Rus…silov's　presence　at　her　hotel　was。　She　registered；　had　her　bag　sent　up　to　her　room；　then　allowed　the　lieutenant　to　guide　her　back　outside　where　they　strolled　amid　jostling　throngs　of　gray…suited　men　carrying　black　rolled　umbrellas　just　as　if　they　were　Londoners。　Many　wore　white　masks　over　nose　and　mouth；　an　increasingly　mon　sight　in　this　city。
　Tanya　judged　that　Russilov　did　not　look　at　all　good。　His　color　was　pale　and　he　had　picked　up　a　nervous　habit　sometime　recently　of　turning　his　head　to　see　what　was　happening　behind　him。　She　liked　none　of　this。
　But　she　liked　even　less　what　he　had　e　south　to　tell　her。
　Her　skin　was　like　crepe；　the　most　delicate　of　rice　paper　crumpled　beneath　a　powerful　fist；　translucent　still　even　after　seventy…nine　years。
　〃I　will　be　eighty　tomorrow；〃　she　told　him。　There　was　no　pride　in　her　voice；　merely　wonder　that　life　could　last　so　long。
　Even　now　she　was　one　of　the　most　beautiful　creatures　he　had
　ever　seen。　As　a　child　he　had　often　pared　her　beauty　to　his　mother's。　He　had　always　found　her　perfect　symmetry　losing　out　to　Cheong's　more　exotic　beauty。　It　was　natural；　perhaps；　for　him　to　be　loyal　to　his　mother。　But　mere　had　been　something　more：　he　had　hated　her　for　being　Saigo's　mother；　and　was　blinded。
　〃Is　there　anything　else　I　can　get　you？〃　Itami　asked。
　His　head　was　lowered。　〃No；　Haha…san。〃　Mother。　Much　had　passed　between　them　for　him　to　be　able　to　call　her　that；　from　the　time　he　had　e　stumbling　to　the　portals　of　her　house。
　She　lived　where　she　always　had　ever　since　he　had　known　her；　on　the　outskirts　of　Tokyo；　to　the　northwest；　not　far　from　the　spot　where　Sato　and　Akiko　had　been　married。　Nicholas　had　made　an　arduous　journey　south　from　Hokkaido；　breaking　into　a　clothing　store　at　night　and；　armed　with　fresh　clothes　and　some　money；　trekking　down　to　Hakodate。　He　could　have　stolen　a　car　but　did　not　want　to　leave　such　a　clear　trail　to　those　who　might　follow　or　even　for　the　police　who　would　inevitably　investigate　the　break…in　at　the　clothing　store。　They　would　pursue　their　investigation　with　the　assiduousness　with　which　the　Japanese　approached　every　task。　The　less　he　gave　them；　the　more　secure　he　felt。
　He　used　buses　occasionally　and；　when　he　was　able；　hitched　rides。　He　avoided　both　main　highways　and　railways；　however；　knowing　trails　were　more　easily　left　there。
　At　last；　at　the　southern　coastal　town　he　took　the　ferry　across　Tsugarukaikyo　to　Aomori　on　Honshu's　rocky　northern　tip。
　Lacking　papers；　he　could　not　rent　a　car；　and　in　any　event　preferred　to　utilize　buses　again；　heading　roughly　south　in　a　zigzag；　nonlinear　route。
　He　had　been　terrified　at　the　thought　of　seeing　his　aunt　again。　It　was　he　who　had　murdered　her　only　child；　it　had　been　Nicholas'　father　who　had　garrotted　her　husband；　for　which　Saigo　had　in　turn　poisoned　the　Colonel　and；　years　later；　had　pursued　Nicholas　all　the　way　to　New　York。
　He　did　not　know　how　she　would　greet　him；　he　could　not　imagine　what　he　could　possibly　say　to　her。　What　were　words…any　words…　in　the　face　of　the　finality　of　death。　Nicholas　thought　that　the　words　〃I'm　sorry〃　were　perhaps　the　most　inadequate　in　the　English　langu