bl.necroscope2-第67部分

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　〃More　threats。〃　The　other　gave　another　shrug。　〃One　stops　worrying。〃
　〃Total　inefficiency！〃　Krakovitch　snarled。　〃Three　hours　ago　you　said　that　the　telephones　would　be　working　in　a　few　minutes。　Likewise　two　hours　ago；　and　one　hour　ago　…and　the　time　now　is　fast　approaching　one　in　the　morning！〃
　〃I　know　the　time；　rade。　There　is　a　fault　in　the　electricity　supply。　It　is　being　dealt　with。　What　more　can　I　say？〃　He　sat　down　on　a　padded　chair　behind　the　counter。
　Krakovitch　almost　leaped　over　the　counter　to　get　at　him。　〃Don't　you　dare　sit　down！　Not　while　I　am　on　my　feet！〃
　The　other　wiped　his　forehead；　stood　up　again；　prepared　himself　for　another　tirade　。　。
　Outside　in　the　car；　Sergei　Gulharov　had　restlessly　turned　this　way　and　that；　peering　first　out　of　one　window；　then　another。　Carl　Quint　sensed　problems；　trouble；　danger　ahead。　In　fact　he'd　been　on　edge　since　seeing　Kyle　off　at　the　airport　in　Bucharest。　But　worrying　about　it　would　get　him　nowhere；　and　anyway　he　felt　too　banged…about　to　pursue　it。　If　anything；　not　being　allowed　to　drivebeing　obliged　to　simply　sit　there；　with　the　drab　countryside　slipping　endlessly　by　outside…had　made　him　more　weary　yet。　Now　he　felt　that　he　could　sleep　for　a　week；　and　it　might　as　well　be　here　as　anywhere。
　Gulharov's　attention　had　now　fastened　on　something　outside　the　car。　He　grew　still；　thoughtful。　Quint　looked　at　him：　〃silent　Sergei〃；　as　he　and　Kyle　had　privately　named　him。　It　wasn't　his　fault　he　spoke　no　English；　in　fact　he　did　speak　it；　but　very　little；　and　with　many　errors。　Now　he　answered　Quint's　glance；　nodded　his　short…cropped　head；　and　pointed　through　the　open　window　of　the　car　at　something。　〃Look；〃　he　softly　said。　Quint　looked。
　Silhouetted　against　a　low；　distant　haze　of　blue　light　…the　lights　of　Kolomyya；　Quint　supposed…black　cables　snaked　between　poles　over　the　border　check　point；　with　one　section　of　cable　descending　into　the　building　itself。　The　power　supply。　Now　Gulharov　turned　and　pointed　off　to　the　west；　where　the　cable　ran　back　in　the　direction　of　Suet。　A　hundred　yards　away；　the　loop　of　cable　between　two　of　the　poles　dipped　right　down　under　the　night　horizon。　It　had　been　grounded。
　〃Excusing；〃　said　Gulharov。　He　eased　himself　out　of　the　car；　walked　back　along　the　central　reservation；　and　disappeared　into　darkness。　Quint　considered　going　after　him；　but　decided　against　it。　He　felt　very　vulnerable；　and　outside　the　car　would　feel　even　more　so。　At　least　the　car's　interior　was　familiar　to　him。　He　tuned　himself　again　to　Krakovitch's　raving；　ing　loud　and　clear　through　the　night　from　the　border　post。　Quint　couldn't　understand　what　was　being　said；　but　someone　was　getting　a　hard　time　。　。
　〃An　end　to　all　foolishness！〃　Krakovitch　shouted。　〃Now　I　will　tell　you　what　I　am　going　to　do。　I　shall　drive　back　into　Siret　to　the　police　station　and　phone　Moscow　from　there。〃
　〃Good；〃　said　the　fat　official。　〃And　providing　that　Moscow　can　send　the　correct　documentation　for　the　Englishman；　down　the　telephone　wire；　then　I　shall　let　you　through！〃
　〃Dolt！〃　Krakovitch　sneered。　〃You；　of　course；　shall　e　with　me　to　Siret；　where　you'll　receive　your　instructions　direct　from　the　Kremlin！〃
　How　dearly　the　other　would　have　loved　to　tell　him　that　he　had　already　received　his　instructions　from　Moscow；　but。。。　he'd　been　warned　against　that。　Instead　he　slowly　shook　his　head。　〃Unfortunately；　rade；　I　cannot　leave　my　post。　Dereliction　of　duty　is　a　very　serious　matter。　Nothing　you　or　anyone　else　could　say　could　force　me　from　my　place　of　duty。〃
　Krakovitch　saw　from　the　official's　red　face　that　he'd　pushed　him　too　far。　Now　he　would　probably　be　more　stubborn　than　ever；　even　to　the　point　of　deliberate　obstruction。
　That　was　a　thought　which　made　Krakovitch　frown。　For　what　if　all　of　this　trouble　had　been　〃deliberate　obstruction〃　right　from　the　start？　Was　that　possible？　〃Then　the　solution　is　simple；〃　he　said。　〃I　assume　that　Siret　does　have　a　twenty…four　hour　police　station…with　telephones　that　work？〃
　His　opponent　chewed　his　lip。　〃Of　course；〃　he　finally　answered。
　〃Then　I　shall　simply　telephone　ahead　to　Kolomyya　and　have　a　unit　of　the　nearest　military　force　here　within　the　hour。　How　will　it　feel；　rade；　to　be　a　Russian；　manded　by　some　Russian　army　officer　to　stand　aside；　while　I　and　my　friends　are　escorted　through　your　stupid　little　checkpoint？　And　to　know　that　tomorrow　all　hell　is　going　to　descend　on　you；　because　you　will　have　been　the　focus　of　what　could　well　be　a　serious　international　incident？〃
　At　which　precise　moment；　out　in　the　field　to　the　west　of　the　road　and　back　a　little　way　towards　Siret；　Sergei　Gulharov　stooped　and　picked　up　the　two　uncoupled　halves；　male　and　female；　of　a　heavy　electrical　connection。　Taped　to　the　main　supply　cable　was　a　much　thinner　telephone　wire。　Its　connection；　also　broken；　was　a　simple；　slender　plug…and…socket　affair。　He　connected　the　telephone　cable　first；　then　without　pause　screwed　the　heavier　couplings　together。　There　came　a　sputter　and　crackle　of　current；　a　flash　of　blue　sparks；　and　…The　lights　came　on　in　the　border　post。　Krakovitch；　on　the　point　of　leaving　to　carry　out　his　threat；　stopped　at　the　door；　turned　back　and　saw　the　look　of　confusion　on　the　official's　face。　〃I　suppose；〃　Krakovitch　said；　〃this　means　your　telephone　is　also　working　again？〃
　〃I。。。　I　suppose　so；〃　said　the　other。
　Krakovitch　came　back　to　the　counter。　〃Which　means；〃　his　tone　was　icy；　〃that　from　now　on　we　might　just　start　to　get　somewhere　。　。
　
　1。00A。M。　in　Moscow。
　At　the　Chateau　Bronnitsy；　some　miles　out　of　the　city　along　the　Serpukhov　Road；　Ivan　Gerenko　and　Theo　Dolgikh　stood　at　an　oval　observation　port　of　one…way　glass　and　stared　into　the　room　beyond　at　a　scene　like　something　out　of　a　science　fiction　nightmare。
　Inside　the　〃operating　theatre〃；　Alec　Kyle　lay　unconscious　on　his　back；　strapped　to　a　padded　table。　His　head　was　slightly　elevated　by　means　of　a　rubber　cushion；　and　a　bulky　stainless…steel　helmet　covered　his　head　and　eyes　in　a　half　dome；　leaving　his　nose　and　mouth　free　for　breathing。　Hundreds　of　hair…fine　wires　cased　in　coloured　plastic　sleeves　shimmered　like　a　rainbow　from　the　helmet　to　a　puter　where　three　operators　worked　frantically；　following　thought　sequences　from　beginning　to　end　and　erasing　them　at　the　point　of　resolution。　Inside　the　helmet；　many　tiny　sensor　electrodes　had　been　clamped　to　Kyle's　skull；　others；　along　with　batteries　of　micro…monitors；　were　secured　by　tape　to　his　chest；　wrists；　stomach　and　throat。　Four　more　men；　telepaths；　sat　paired　on　each　side　of　Kyle　on　stainless…steel　chairs；　scribbling　in　notebooks　in　their　laps；　each　with　one　hand　resting　lightly　on　Kyle's　naked　body。　A　master　telepathist…Zek　Foener；　E…Branch's　best…sat　alone　in　one　corner　of　the　room。　Foener　was　a　beautiful　young　woman　in　her　mid…twenties；　an　East　German　recruited　by　Gregor　Borowitz　during　his　last　days　as　head　of　the　branch。　She　sat　with　her　elbows　on　her　knees；　one　hand　to　her　brow；　utterly　motionless；　totally　intent　upon　absorbing　Kyle's　thoughts　as　quickly　as　they　were　stimulated　and　generated。
　Dolgikh　was　full　of　morbid　fascination。　He　had　arrived　with　Kyle　at　the　chateau　about　11。00　A。M。　Their　flight　from　Bucharest　had　been　made　in　a　military　transport　aircraft　to　an　airbase　in　Smolensk；　then　to　the　Chateau　in　E…Branch's　own　helicopter。　All　of　this　had　been　achieved　in　absolute　secrecy；　KGB　cover　had　been　tight　as　a　drum。　Not　even　Brezhnev…especially　Brezhnev…knew　what　was　happening　here。
　At　the　Chateau　Kyle　had　been　injected　with　a　truth　serum…not　to　loosen　his　tongue　but　his　mind…which　had　rendered　him　unconscious。　And　for　the　last　twelve　hours；　with　booster　shots　of　the　serum　at　regular　intervals；　he　had　been　giving　up　all　the　secrets　of　INTESP　to　the　Soviet　espers。　Theo　Dolgikh；　however；　was　a　very　mundane　man。　His　ideas　of　interrogation；　or　〃truth　gathering〃；　were　far　removed　from　anything　he　saw　here。
　〃What　exactly　are　they　doing　to　him？　How　does　this　work；　rade？〃　he　asked。
　Without　looking　at　Dolgikh；　with　his　faded　hazel　eyes　following　every　slightest　movement　in　the　room　beyond　the　screen；　Gerenko　answered；　〃You；　of　all　people；　have　surely　heard　of　brainwashing；　Theo？　Well；　that　is　what　we　are　doing：　washing　Alec　Kyle's　brain。　So　thoroughly；　in　fact；　that　it　will　e　out　of　the　wash　bleached！〃
　Ivan　Gerenko　was　slight；　and　so　small　as　to　be　almost　childlike　in　stature；　but　his　wrinkled　skin；　faded　eyes　and　generally　sallow　appearance　were　those　of　an　old　man。　And　yet　he　was　only　thirty…seven。　A　rare　disease　had　stunted　him　physically；　aged　him　prematurely；　and　a　contrary　Nature　had　made　up　the　deficiency　by　giving　him　a　supplementary　〃talent〃。　He　was　a　〃deflector〃。
　Like　Darcy　Clarke　in　many　ways；　he　was　the　opposite　of　accident…prone。　But　where　Clarke's　talent　avoided　danger；　Gerenko　actually　deflected　it。　A　well…aimed　blow　would　not　strike　him；　the　shaft　of　an　axe　would　break　before　the　blade　could　touch　his　flesh。　The　advantage　was　enormous；　immeasurable：　he　feared　nothing　and　was　almost　scornful　of　physical　danger。　And　it　accounted　for　his　totally　disdainful　manner　where　people　such　as　Theo　Dolgikh　were　concerned。　Why　should　he　afford　them　any　sort　of　respect？　They　might　dislike　him；　but　they　could　never　hurt　him。　No　man　was　capable　of　bringing　physical　harm　to　Ivan　Gerenko。
　〃Brainwashing？〃　Dolgikh　repeated　him。　〃I　had　thought　some　sort　of　interrogation；　surely？〃
　〃Both；〃　Gerenko　nodded；　talking　rather　to　himself　than　by　way　of　answering　Dolgikh。　〃We　use　science；　psychology；　parapsychology。　The　three　Ts：　technology；　terror；　telepathy。　The　drug　we've　put　in　his　blood　stimulates　memory。　It　works　by　making　him　feel　alone…utterly　alone。　He　feels　that　no　one　else　exists　in　all　the　universe…even　his　own　existence　is　in　doubt！　He　wants　to　〃talk〃　about　all　of　his　experiences；　everything　he　ever　did　or　saw　or　said；　because　that　way　he　will　know　that　he　is　real；　that　he　has　existence。　But　if　he　physically　tried　to　do　it　at　the　speed　his　mind　is　working；　he　would　rapidly　dehydrate　and　burn　himself　out；　especially　if　he　were　awake；　conscious。　Also；　we　are　not　interested　in　the　accumulation　of　all　of　that　information；　we　do　not　wish　to　know　〃everything〃。　His　life　in　general　holds　little　of　interest　to　us；　but　of　course　we　are　pletely　fascinated　with　details　of　his　work　for　INTES