el.the miko-第34部分

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ie　a　long　time　ago　in　New　York。　They　had　been　on　opposite　sides　of　the　law　then。　Now；　he　was　not　so　sure　of　where　either　of　them　stood。
　But　she　was　smart　and　tough　and　she　knew　everyone。　She　had　provided　him　with　medical　service　and　the　paraphernalia　of　his　new　identity：　birth　certificate；　social　security　card；　driver's　license；　even　a　passport；　slightly　worn；　franked　several　times　for　Europe　and　Asia。　He　thought　that　a　nice　touch　even　though　he　didn't　think　he'd　need　it。　He'd　taken　the　passport　anyway；　along　with　thirty　thousand　in　cash。
　Marie　had　asked　no　questions　and　when　he　had　offered　no　explanations　she　went　on　to　other　matters。　She　even　seemed　pleased　to　see　him。　Back　in　New　York　they　had　worked　each　other　to　a　Mexican　standoff；　it　had　been　the　first　time　for　each　of　them　and　they　had　learned　from　it。　You　could　even　say　they　liked　each　other；　after　a　fashion。
　When　he　left；　Bristol　knew　that　he　owed　her　more　than　he　could　ever　repay。
　〃Sir？〃
　The　penetrating　ebon　eyes　lifted　up　into　the　pale　mauve　light；　and　shadows　skittered　about　the　bare　walls　of　the　room　like　kittens　chasing　each　other。
　〃What　is　it？〃　The　voice　was　more　than　brusque；　it　contained　within　its　guttural　growl　a　definite　tinge　of　disdain　that　caused　the　young　lieutenant　who　had　e　into　the　room　to　feel　somehow　diminished；　as　if　he　were　in　the　presence　of　a　being　more　than　human。
　It　was　a　calculated　tone　but　no　less　effective　for　that。　Artifice；　thought　the　man　now　as　he　accepted　the　young　lieutenant's　presence；　nodding　him　forward；　ruled　the　world。　A　careful　daily　grooming　of　his　voice　kept　things　running　smoothly　at　the　safe　house。
　It　was　his　experience　that　one　could　many　times　give　the　merest　outline　of　fear　and　one's　adversary…whether　it　be　this　young　lieutenant　eager　for　promotion　or　one　of　the　old　guard　back　home…　supplied　all　the　rest。　It　left　one　free　to　pursue　more　pressing　matters。
　〃The　latest　printouts　from　Sakhov　IV；　sir；〃　the　young　uniformed　lieutenant　said；　handing　over　a　sheaf　of　graph　paper。
　〃And　how　many　passes　have　we　here；　Lieutenant？〃　Viktor　Protorov；　head　of　the　Ninth　Directorate　of　the　KGB；　said。
　〃Just　over　a　half　dozen；　sir。〃
　〃I　see。〃　Protorov's　gaze　lowered　to　the　sheaf。　He　could　feel　the　slight　relaxing　of　the　man　in　front　of　him。　〃And　what；　if　anything；　does　this　mass　hold　for　me；　Lieutenant？〃
　〃I　don't　know；　sir。〃
　〃Oh；　e　now。〃　Protorov　looked　up。　He　tapped　the　sheet　with　a　rather　long　nail。　〃A　new　batch　of　highly　classified　printouts　from　Sakhov　IV；　what　our　government　publicly…calls　a　'digital　imaging　reconnaissance　satellite；〃　centering　on　that　section　of　the　Pacific　Ocean　between　the　Kuriles　and　where　we　are　in　the　north　of　Hokkaido；　an　area　we　have　been　concentrating　on　for…how　many　months　now？…〃
　〃Seven　since　we　moved　from　the　aerodrome　in　Iturup。〃
　〃…es　in。　If　you　haven't　taken　a　good；　hard　look　at　these；　Lieutenant；　you're　either　stupid　or　inpetent。〃　Protorov　leaned　back　in　his　chair。　'Tell　me；　are　you　either　of　these？〃
　For　a　moment　the　young　man　said　nothing；　he　had　begun　to　sweat　beneath　his　superior's　intense　gaze　and　questioning。　〃You　put　me　in　a　most　untenable　position；　sir。　If　I　say　yes；　then　my　career　in　the　Directorate　is　finished。　If　I　say　no；　then　it　is　obvious　that　I　have　deliberately　lied　to　my　superior。〃
　〃Well；　Lieutenant；　if　the　day　ever　es　when　you　are　captured　by　the　Capitalist　enemy；　then　you　can　be　quite　certain　that　they；　too；　will　put　you　in　an　untenuous　position。〃
　They　had　been　conversing　in　English。　〃Excuse　me；　sir；〃　the　young　lieutenant　said；　〃but　that's　'untenable；'　not　'untenuous。'〃
　〃Answer　the　question；〃　Protorov　said；　beginning　to　sift　through　the　visual　data　provided　by　Sakhov　IV's　immensely　powerful　infrared　video　equipment。　An　involuntary　chill　went　through　him　at　the　thought　that　the　Americans　might　have　such　a　potent　weapon。　He　was　only　slightly　cheered　by　the　knowledge　that　his　country's　land…based　antisatellite　lasers　could…and　had　in　recent　days　past…　bring　down　the　threat。
　He　got　to　the　third　sheet。　〃Time's　running　out。　It's　a　sure　bet　the　Americans　won't　give　you　this　long。〃
　〃You　won't　find　what　we've　been　looking　for　in　those；〃　the　lieutenant　said　at　last；　as　if　with　one　long　breath　all　the　air　had　gone　out　of　his　lungs。
　Protorov's　gaze　stripped　him　bare。　〃Then　you　have　looked　at　these。〃
　〃Sir；　security　regulations　require　that　the　O。D。　bring　all　Passionate　documents　to　me　first　for　verification。〃
　〃Passionate〃　was　the　rather　ironic　term　Protorov　had　coined　for　highest…priority　matter　circulating　within　the　Directorate。　〃Sneak　peekies；　you　mean；〃　Protorov　grumbled。　He　lifted　a　hand。　〃All　right。　I　hope　you　do　as　well　with　the　Americans　if　your　day　ever　es。〃
　〃I　am　more　frightened　of　you　than　of　the　Americans；　sir。〃
　〃Then　learn　to　be　frightened　of　them；　Lieutenant。〃　His　gaze　lifted　again。　〃Because　they　mean　to　destroy　everything　you　and　I　hold　dear。〃　But　he　was　pleased　with　the　young　man；　he　had　seen　the　only　way　out　of　the　trap　Protorov　had　set　for　him。　He　had　even　caught　Protorov's　deliberate　usage　error。
　Once　the　young　man　had　left；　he　pored　over　the　puter…generated　satellite　photos　again。
　But　by　the　end　of　his　second　pass；　he　had　been　forced　to　admit　defeat。　There　was　no　anomaly　of　any　kind。　Again。　He　did　not　know　of　course　precisely　what　he　was　looking　for；　only　had　knowledge　of　its　name：　Tenchi。　It　was　the　Japanese　word　for　〃heaven　and　earth。〃
　Where　are　you？　he　thought　now；　staring　impotently　at　the　detailed　pictures　covering　the　graphs　before　him。　What　are　you？　And　why　are　you　so　important　to　the　Japanese？
　Tenchi　had　begun　as　just　another　routine　report　crossing　his　desk　back　in　Moscow。　Yet　it　had　tantalized　him；　and　once　he　had　e　out　here　and　had　immersed　himself　in　the　well　of　rumor；　alleged　fact；　and　outrageous　fiction；　he　had　found　himself　totally　hooked。　Until　at　this　point　he　was　obsessed　with　finding　the　answer。　From　what　he　had　gleaned　he　was　convinced　Tenchi…even　the　knowledge　of　it…would　give　him　the　last　of　the　leverage　he　needed　for　the　coup　back　home。
　How　bitter　it　was　to　learn　that　Fedorin…one　of　the　KGB's　own…was　no　better　than　all　the　rest　of　the　career　diplomats　who　had　populated　the　Kremlin　before　him。　Oh　yes；　at　first　he　had　seemed　to　be　getting　the　sluggish　leviathan　that　was　Soviet　Russia　working　again。　Movement　here　and　there　could　be　discerned。
　But　in　the　end　it　had　all　been　a　sham；　a　self…serving　political　maneuver　whose　scope　could　not　long　conceal　its　sole　purpose：　to　rid　the　munist　hierarchy　of　all　those　who　might　oppose　the　new　premier。
　But　of　course　Protorov　had　held　out　no　real　hope　that　Fedorin…　or　anyone　else　in　power　for　that　matter…would　grasp　the　one　true　key　to　awakening　the　USSR；　the　essential　nature　of　the　beast：　and　that　was　that　Russia　was　not　one　country　but　an　uneasy　amalgam　of　many　different　Russias；　all　fiercely　protective　of　their　own　part　of　the　mother　country。　What　did　an　Uzbek　or　a　Kirghiz　give　a　fig　what　was　happening　in　Moscow　anyway？　Did　a　Belorussian　or　an　Azerbaidzhani　care　how　many　missiles　America　had　leveled　at　Vladivostok？　And　the　Lithuanians；　Estonians；　Georgians…not　to　mention　the　non…Slavs　such　as　the　Tatars；　Bashkirs；　Mordvi…nians；　Udmurts；　or　Komi…did　they　feel　any　differently？　What　was　there　to　bind　them　together？
　Protorov　knew　the　answer　to　that　one。　Nothing。
　The　first　step　to　putting　Soviet　Russia　on　the　move　lay　in　uniting　all　its　divergent　people。　Because　once　that　happened；　the　USSR　would　be　unstoppable。　No　nation　on　earth…no　coalition　of　nations…could　stop　her。
　Fedorin　had　had　a　chance　to　get　the　new　revolution　underway。　But　he；　like　all　the　bureaucrats　who　ran　the　country；　lacked　the　scope　of　vision　necessary　to　make　that　one　great　leap；　to　cross　the　Rubicon　into　dangerous　and　unknown　waters。　Thus　he　had　allowed　the　slothful　giant　to　lapse　back　into　somnolence。
　Protorov　knew　only　too　well　how　long　a　time　it　could　be　between　Soviet　premiers。　He　was　unwilling　to　wait　his　turn…or　perhaps　he　was　intelligent　enough　to　understand　that　it　might　never　e　on　its　own。　Therefore　he　had　begun　his　own　plans　for　cutting　short　the　current　premier's　term　in　office。
　And　now　he　believed　that　Tenchi　was　the　wand　of　power　he　needed　to　persuade　the　cabal　of　militant　generals　and　officers　in　the　KGB　to　exert　their　influence　at　once。
　A　point　of　ignition　had　to　be　reached；　Protorov　knew。　He　must　be　the　bridge　between　the　traditionally　feuding　KGB　and　GRU。　To　that　end　he　had　spent　more　than　six　years　cultivating　a　young　GRU　colonel。　Powerful　and　ambitious；　Yvgeny　Mironenko　would　soon　be　in　a　position　to　also　be　a　bridge　between　the　factions。
　For　only　by　uniting　these　two　mailed　fists　outside　the　Kremlin　could　Protorov　be　certain　of　the　success　of　his　coup。　Without　them；　he　was　lost。　And　without　him；　Russia　was　lost。　He　lacked　only　the　one　element　of　power　that　would　bring　all　of　them　into　his　palm。
　And　that　one　element　was　Tenchi。
　The　inter　buzzed　on　his　desk　like　an　angry　insect；　and　for　a　moment　Protorov's　attention　was　deflected。　He　reached　out　one　long　finger。　〃Yes？〃
　〃The　subject　is　ready。〃
　〃Good。　Bring　him　in。〃　He　reached　out　and　extinguished　the　mauve　light；　plunging　the　room　into　utter　darkness。　There　were　no　windows　here　and　only　one　egress；　its　fifteen…inch　steel　door。
　Protorov　sat　back　in　his　chair　and　fought　the　urge　to　smoke。　He　promised　his　restless　hands　by　lacing　his　fingers。　Presently　he　heard　movement。　The　thick　door　sighed　open　pneumatically　as　three　men　crossed　the　threshold。
　For　just　a　moment　the　heavy　light　of　the　hallway　streamed　across　the　black　rubberized　flooring；　then　as　the　door　swung　shut；　darkness　swallowed　the　floating　ribbons。
　Without　sight　Protorov　knew　who　had　entered：　the　young　lieutenant；　the　doctor；　and　the　subject。　Protorov　and　the　doctor；　who　was　a　neuropharmacologica　expert；　had　been　at　work　on　the　subject　for　almost　three　days　now。　The　American　was　a　very　stubborn　man；　Protorov　had　to　give　him　that。　He　had　not　broken　and；　frankly；　Protorov　did　not　expect　him　to。　He　expected　him　to　die。
　In　a　way　Protorov　felt　sorry　for　the　man　as　he　heard　the　semi…articulate　babbling　created　by　the　multitude　of　sera　the　doctor　had　shot　into　the　subject。　This　was　not　the　way　for　a　modern…day　warr