tc.patriotgames-第25部分

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　　　　〃I　think　you're　lying；　Sir　John；〃　Atkinson　observed。
　　　　Not　quite；　Charlie。　〃I　can't　help　what　you　think；　sir；　I　can　only　answer　your　questions　truthfully。〃
　　　　〃And　you　never　wrote　an　official　report　for　the　government　entitled　'Agents　and　Agencies'　？〃
　　　　Ryan　did　not　allow　himself　to　react。　Where　did　you　get　that　bit　of　data；　Charlie？　He　answered　the　question　with　great　care。
　　　　〃Sir；　last　year　　that　is；　last　summer；　at　the　end　of　the　last　school　year　　I　was　asked　to　be　a　contract　consultant　to　a　private　pany　that　does　government　work。　The　pany　is　the　Mitre　Corporation；　and　I　was　hired　on　a　temporary　basis　as　part　of　one　of　their　consulting　contracts　with　the　U。S。　government。　The　work　involved　was　classified；　but　it　obviously　had　nothing　at　all　to　do　with　this　case。〃　
　　　　〃Obviously？　Why　don't　you　let　the　jury　decide　that？〃　
　　　　〃Mr。　Atkinson；〃　Justice　Wheeler　said　tiredly；　〃are　you　suggesting　that　this　work　in　which　the　witness　was　involved　has　a　direct　connection　with　the　case　before　the　court？〃　
　　　　〃I　think　we　might　wish　to　establish　that；　My　Lord。　It　is　my　belief　that　the　witness　is　misleading　the　court。〃
　　　　〃Very　well。〃　The　judge　turned。　〃Doctor　Ryan；　did　this　work　in　which　you　were　engaged　have　anything　whatever　to　do　with　a　case　of　murder　in　the　city　of　London；　or　with　any　of　the　persons　involved　in　this　case？〃　
　　　　〃No；　sir。〃　
　　　　〃You　are　quite　certain？〃　
　　　　〃Yes；　sir。〃
　　　　〃Are　you　now　or　have　you　ever　been　an　employee　of　any　intelligence　or　security　agency　of　the　American　government？〃　
　　　　〃Except　for　the　Marine　Corps；　no；　sir。〃
　　　　〃I　remind　you　of　your　oath　to　tell　the　truth　　the　whole；　plete　truth。　Have　you　misled　the　court　in　any　way；　Doctor　Ryan？〃　
　　　　〃No；　sir；　absolutely　not。〃　
　　　　〃Thank　you；　Doctor　Ryan。　I　believe　that　question　is　now　settled。〃　Mr。　Justice　Wheeler　turned　back　to　his　right。　〃Next　question；　Mr。　Atkinson。〃
　　　　The　barrister　had　to　be　angry　at　that；　Ryan　thought；　but　he　didn't　let　it　show。　He　wondered　if　someone　had　briefed　the　judge。
　　　　〃You　say　that　you　shot　my　client　merely　in　the　hope　that　he　would　not　get　up？〃　
　　　　Richards　stood。　〃My　Lord；　the　witness　has　already　〃　
　　　　〃If　His　Lordship　will　permit　me　to　ask　the　next　question；　the　issue　will　be　more　clear；〃　Atkinson　interrupted　smoothly。　
　　　　〃Proceed。〃
　　　　〃Doctor　Ryan；　you　said　that　you　shot　my　client　in　the　hope　that　he　would　not　get　up。　Do　the　U。S。　Marine　Corps　teach　one　to　shoot　to　disable；　or　to　kill？〃　
　　　　〃To　kill；　sir。〃
　　　　〃And　you　are　telling　us；　therefore；　that　you　went　against　your　training？〃
　　　　〃Yes；　sir。　It　is　pretty　clear　that　I　was　not　on　a　battlefield。　I　was　on　a　city　street。　It　never　occurred　to　me　to　kill　your　client。〃　I　wish　it　had；　then　I　probably　wouldn't　be　here；　Ryan　thought；　wondering　if　he　really　meant　it。
　　　　〃So　you　reacted　in　accordance　with　your　training　when　you　leaped　into　the　fray　on　The　Mall；　but　then　you　disregarded　your　training　a　moment　later？　Do　you　think　it　reasonable　that　all　of　us　here　will　believe　that？〃
　　　　Atkinson　had　finally　succeeded　in　confusing　Ryan。　Jack　had　not　the　slightest　idea　where　this　was　leading。
　　　　〃I　haven't　thought　of　it　that　way；　sir；　but；　yes；　you　are　correct；〃　Jack　admitted。　〃That　is　pretty　much　what　happened。〃　
　　　　〃And　next　you　crept　to　the　corner　of　the　automobile；　saw　the　second　person　whom　you　had　seen　earlier；　and　instead　of　trying　to　disable　him；　you　shot　him　dead　without　warning。　In　this　case；　it　is　clear　that　you　reverted　again　to　your　Marine　training；　and　shot　to　kill。　Don't　you　find　this　inconsistent？〃
　　　　Jack　shook　his　head。　〃Not　at　all；　sir。　In　each　case　I　used　the　force　necessary　to　　well；　the　force　I　had　to　use；　as　I　saw　things。〃　
　　　　〃I　think　you　are　wrong；　Sir　John。　I　think　that　you　reacted　like　a　hotheaded　officer　of　the　United　States　Marines　throughout。　You　raced　into　a　situation　of　which　you　had　no　clear　understanding；　attacked　an　innocent　man；　and　tried　then　to　kill　him　while　he　lay　helpless　and　unconscious　on　the　street。　Next　you　coldly　gunned　down　someone　else　without　the　first　thought　of　trying　to　disarm　him。　You　did　not　know　then；　and　you　do　not　know　now　what　was　really　happening；　do　you？〃
　　　　〃No；　sir；　I　do　not　believe　that　was　the　case　at　all。　What　was　I　supposed　to　have　done　with　the　second　man？〃
　　　　Atkinson　saw　an　opening　and　used　it。　〃You　just　told　the　court　that　you　only　wished　to　disable　my　client　　when　in　fact　you　tried　to　kill　him。　How　do　you　expect　us　to　believe　that　when　your　next　action　had　not　the　first　thing　to　do　with　such　a　peaceful　solution？〃　
　　　　〃Sir；　when　I　saw　McCrory；　the　second　gunman；　for　the　first　time；　he　had　an　AK…47　assault　rifle　in　his　hands。　Going　up　against　a　light　machine　gun　with　a　pistol　〃
　　　　〃But　by　this　time　you　saw　that　he　didn't　have　the　Kalashnikov；　didn't　you？〃
　　　　〃Yes；　sir；　that's　true。　If　he'd　still　had　it　　I　don't　know；　maybe　I　wouldn't　have　stepped　around　the　car；　maybe　I　would　have　shot　from　cover；　from　behind　the　car；　that　is。〃
　　　　〃Ah；　I　see！〃　Atkinson　exclaimed。　〃Instead；　here　was　your　chance　to　confront　and　kill　the　man　in　true　cowboy　fashion。〃　His　hands　went　up　in　the　air。　〃Dodge　City　on　The　Mall！〃　
　　　　〃I　wish　you'd　tell　me　what　you　think　I　should　have　done；〃　Jack　said　with　some　exasperation。
　　　　〃For　someone　able　to　shoot　straight　through　the　heart　on　his　first　shot；　why　not　shoot　the　gun　from　his　hand。　Sir　John？〃　
　　　　〃Oh；　I　see。〃　Atkinson　had　just　made　a　mistake。　Ryan　shook　his　head　and　smiled。　〃I　wish　you'd　make　up　your　mind。〃　
　　　　〃What？〃　The　barrister　was　caught　by　surprise。
　　　　〃Mr。　Atkinson；　a　minute　ago　you　said　that　I　tried　to　kill　your　client。　I　was　at　arm's…length　range；　but　I　didn't　kill　him。　So　I'm　a　pretty　lousy　shot。　But　you　expect　me　to　be　able　to　hit　a　man　in　the　hand　at　fifteen　or　twenty　feet。　It　doesn't　work　that　way；　sir。　I'm　either　a　good　shot　or　a　bad　shot；　sir；　but　not　both。　Besides；　that's　just　TV　stuff；　shooting　a　gun　out　of　somebody's　hand。　On　TV　the　good　guy　can　do　that；　but　TV　isn't　real。　With　a　pistol；　you　aim　for　the　center　of　your　target。　That's　what　I　did。　I　stepped　out　from　behind　the　car　to　get　a　clear　shot；　and　I　aimed。　If　McCrory　had　not　turned　his　gun　towards　me　　I　can't　say　for　sure；　but　probably　I　would　not　have　shot。　But　he　did　turn　and　fire；　as　you　can　see　from　my　shoulder　　and　I　did　return　fire。　It　is　true　that　I　might　have　done　things　differently。　Unfortunately　I　did　not。　I　had　　I　didn't　have　much　time　to　take　action。　I　did　the　best　I　could。　I'm　sorry　the　man　was　killed；　but　that　was　his　choice；　too。　He　saw　I　had　the　drop　on　him；　but　he　turned　and　fired　　and　he　fired　first；　sir。〃　
　　　　〃But　you　never　said　a　word；　did　you？〃　
　　　　〃No；　I　don't　think　I　did；〃　Jack　admitted。　
　　　　〃Don't　you　wish　you'd　done　things　differently？〃
　　　　〃Mr。　Atkinson；　if　it　makes　you　feel　any　better；　I　have　gone　over　that　again　and　again　for　the　past　four　weeks。　If　I'd　had　more　time　to　think；　perhaps　I　would　have　done　something　different。　But　I'll　never　know；　because　I　didn't　have　more　time。〃　Jack　paused。　〃I　suppose　the　best　thing　for　all　concerned　would　be　if　all　this　had　never　happened。　But　I　didn't　make　it　happen；　sir。　He　did。〃　Jack　allowed　himself　to　look　at　Miller　again。
　　　　Miller　was　sitting　in　a　straight…back　wooden　chair；　his　arms　crossed　in　front　of　him；　and　head　cocked　slightly　to　the　left。　A　smile　started　to　take　shape　at　one　corner　of　his　mouth。　It　didn't　go　very　far；　and　wasn't　supposed　to。　It　was　a　smile　for　Ryan　alone　。　。　。　or　maybe　not　me　alone。　Jack　realized。　Sean　Miller's　gray　eyes　didn't　blink　　he　must　have　practiced　that　　as　they　bored　in　on　him　from　thirty　feet　away。　Ryan　returned　the　stare；　careful　to　keep　his　face　without　expression；　and　while　the　court　reporter　finished　up　his　transcription　of　Jack's　testimony；　and　the　visitors　in　the　overhead　gallery　shared　whispered　observations；　Ryan　and　Miller　were　all　alone；　testing　each　other's　wills。　What's　behind　those　eyes？　Jack　wondered　again。　No　weakling；　to　be　sure。　This　was　a　game　　Miller's　game　that　he'd　practiced　before；　Ryan　thought　with　certainty。　There　was　strength　in　there；　like　something　one　might　encounter　in　a　predatory　animal。　But　there　was　nothing　to　mute　the　strength。　There　was　none　of　the　softness　of　morality　or　conscience；　only　strength　and　will。　With　four　police　constables　around　him；　Sean　Miller　was　as　surely　restrained　as　a　wolf　in　a　cage；　and　he　looked　at　Ryan　as　a　wolf　might　from　behind　the　bars；　without　recognition　of　his　humanity。　He　was　a　predator；　looking　at　a　。　。　。　thing　　and　wondering　how　he　might　reach　it。　The　suit　and　the　tie　were　camouflage；　as　had　been　his　earlier　smile　at　his　friends　in　the　gallery。　He　wasn't　thinking　about　them　now。　He　wasn't　thinking　about　what　the　court　would　decide。　He　wasn't　thinking　about　prison；　Jack　knew。　He　was　thinking　only　about　something　named　Ryan；　something　he　could　see　just　out　of　his　reach。　In　the　witness　box；　Jack's　right　hand　flexed　in　his　lap　as　though　to　grasp　the　pistol　which　lay　in　sight　on　the　evidence　table　a　few　feet　away。
　　　　This　wasn't　an　animal　in　a　cage；　after　all。　Miller　had　intelligence　and　education。　He　could　think　and　plan；　as　a　human　could；　but　he　would　not　be　restrained　by　any　human　impulses　when　he　decided　to　move。　Jack's　academic　investigation　of　terrorists　for　the　CIA　had　dealt　with　them　as　abstractions；　robots　that　moved　about　and　did　things；　and　had　to　be　neutralized　one　way　or　another。　He'd　never　expected　to　meet　one。　More　important；　Jack　had　never　expected　to　have　one　look　at　him　in　this　way。　Didn't　he　know　that　Jack　was　just　doing　his　civic　duty？
　　　　You　could　care　less　about　that。　I'm　something　that　got　in　your　way。　I　hurt　you；　killed　your　friend；　and　defeated　your　mission。　You　want　to　get　even；　don't　you？　A　wounded　animal　will　always　seek　out　its　tormentor。　Jack　told　himself。　And　this　wounded　animal　has　a　brain。　This　one　has　a　memory。　Out　of　sight　to　anyone　else；　he　wiped　a　sweaty　hand　on　his　pants。　This　one　is　thinking。
　　　　Ryan　was　frightened　in　a　way　that　he'd　never　known　before。　It　lasted　several　seconds　before　he　reminded　himself　that　Miller　was　surrounded　by　four　cops；　that　the　jury　would　find　him　guilty；　that　he　would　be　sentenced　to　prison　for　the　remainder　of　his　natural　life；　and　that　prison　life　would　change　the　person　or　thing　that　lived　behind　those　pale　gray