el.angeleyes-第59部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


e　most　infamous　of　the　Russian　death　camps。　Into　the　forbidding　universe　of　Solovki　had　been　thrown　the　so…called　〃anti…Soviet〃　elements；　chief　among　them　the　rebel　Ukrainian　kulaks…the　peasants。
　Valeri's　uncle　had　been　a　kulak；　but　after　he　had　been　shot　by　a　Russian　soldier　in　the　streets　of　Kiev　for　daring　to　speak　his　native　language；　Valeri's　father　decided　on　another　course　of　action。　He　joined　the　army。　Not　just　any　division；　mind　you；　but　the　fiercely　independent　First　Siberian　Cavalry　Corps。
　He　had　seen　that　as　his　revenge　against　the　Russians；　but　instead　it　proved　his　undoing。　Six　months　after　he　joined；　in　the　autumn　of　1931；　the　corps　was　overrun　by　Russian　〃loyalists；〃　who　were　sent　by　Moscow　to　punish　the　unit　for　spreading　anti…Soviet　propaganda。　The　truth　was　the　First　Siberian　had　gotten　too　powerful。　It　had　made　Moscow　nervous　in　a　nervous　time；　and　Moscow　had　acted　accordingly。
　Valeri's　father　was　imprisoned　for　a　short　time；　then　sent　summarily　to　Solovki。　There　was　no　trial；　no　chance　to　refute　the　charges。　In　fact；　charges　were　never　read　to　him；　he　never　knew　what　he　had　been　accused　of。　That　scarcely　mattered　to　Valeri's　father。　He　was　Ukrainian；　that　alone　was　enough　to　mark　him　as　a　potentially　dangerous　criminal。
　〃That's　just　what　the　Russians　had　made　me；〃　he　would　tell　Valeri　many　years　later。　〃A　dangerous　criminal。〃
　In　Solovki；　Valeri's　father　and　his　fellow　inmates　were　fed…　when　they　were　fed　at　all…on　nine　ounces　of　moldy　black　bread　and　a　bowl　of　something　akin　to　hot　water　with　a　lump　of　frost…blackened　turnip　floating　in　it。　Clothes　were　out　of　the　question；　as　was　any　form　of　heat；　save　the　occasional　fire。
　A　week　after　his　father　arrived　in　Solovki；　there　were　already　so　many　inmates　that　the　overcrowding　became　intolerable。　As　a　consequence；　inmates　were　herded　out　in　order　to　be　sent　to　another　camp。　Valeri's　father　watched　with　bleak　eyes　as　his　fellow　criminals　pushed；　shoved；　clawed；　and　fought　each　other　to　be　chosen。　Anyplace；　the　reasoning　went；　would　be　an　improvement　over　Solovki。
　His　father　was　chosen　in　the　last　batch　herded　out；　but　in　the　turmoil　he　managed　to　slip　away；　secrete　himself　beside　a　mother　and　child；　blue…skinned　and　stiff；　dead　for　a　day　and　a　half。　He　had　no　desire　to　be　trekked　to　another　place　he　knew　nothing　about。　Better　the　devil　you　know；　he　told　himself；　than　stepping　out　blindfolded　in　the　dark。
　It　was　two　months　before　he　received　word　through　the　camp　grapevine　as　to　the　fate　of　those　who　had　left　Solovki。　They　had　been　sent　to　Siberia。　Marched　up　the　narrow　ice…clogged　Vasyugan　stream；　they　had　been　left　on　the　ice　fields　and　the　barren　bogs　without　food　or　clothes。　All　of　them　had　died。
　His　father　spent　just　over　three　years　in　Solovki。　Though　he　lost　two　fingers　and　four　toes　to　frostbite；　though　he　lost　sixty　pounds；　he　was　a　survivor。　He　stole　food　from　the　dead；　ate　the　flesh　of　the　odd　guard　dog　that　died　of　exposure；　and　eventually　learned　how　to　snare　fish　from　the　icy　waters。
　He　escaped；　finally；　one　moonless　winter's　night；　with　the　snow　falling　eerily　on　the　water；　the　guard　dogs　barking　frantically；　the　darkness　aflame　with　automatic　gunfire。
　He　was　wounded　but　managed　to　escape。　It　took　him　six　weeks　to　make　his　way　back　to　Kiev；　and　by　that　time　he　had　lost　the　feeling　in　both　his　legs。
　In　order　to　save　his　life；　the　legs　had　to　be　amputated。　〃Do　it！　Do　it！〃　he　had　shouted　at　the　surgeons；　shaking　with　rage　at　the　indignity　of　what　was　about　to　happen。　〃What's　the　difference？　I　only　have　six　toes；　anyway。　That's　not　so　much　to　miss！''
　But　Solovki　had　done　more　than　take　his　legs；　it　had　dehumanized　him。　Living　with　the　dead；　eating　frozen　dog　meat；　watching　day　by　day　as　his　fellow　Ukrainians　wasted　away　or　were　shot　by　guards　bored；　drunk；　or　both；　had　scarred　his　soul。　He　could　never　again　think　about　his　country　in　the　same　way。　Just　as　the　murder　of　his　brother　had　caused　a　violent　reaction　in　him；　so　had　his　time　in　Solovki。　But　instead　of　turning　his　burning　rage　outward；　now　his　isolation　had　turned　it　inward。
　It　had　been　his　son；　Valeri；　who　had　saved　him　from　taking　a　pistol　and　putting　it　to　his　head。　Valeri　had　said　the　only　thing　that　would　make　his　father　want　to　keep　living：　''I　want　to　learn；　Father。　I　want　to　know　what　it　means　to　be　a　Ukrainian；　and　I　can　only　do　that　from　you。''
　Now　I　am　the　father；　Valeri　Bondasenko　thought；　sitting　beside　his　mute；　unthinking　daughter　on　the　wide　lawn　of　the　asylum　near　Arkhangelskoe。　I　want　to　teach　her　what　you　taught　me；　Father；　but　even　if　she　hears　me；　she　isn't　listening。
　Does　this　mean　they've　won；　Father？　The　Russians　who　systematically　beat　us；　stripped　us　of　our　culture；　our　past；　who　have　entangled　us　in　hopelessness；　who　have　tried　their　best　to　exterminate　us？　No；　no；　no！　I　haven't　forgotten　what　you　taught　me；　how　to　bury　my　hate　so　deeply　no　one　would　ever　find　out　what　was　in　my　heart。
　No。　They　haven't　won；　the　Russians；　but　they　haven't　lost。　Not　yet。　Not　yet。
　Another　day；　another　visit　to　the　man　who　would　be　God；　Mars　Volkov　thought　as　he　drove　up　to　the　Hero's　fortresslike　plex　within　Star　Town。
　He　did　not　immediately　get　out　of　the　Chaika　limousine；　however；　but　instead　listened　again　to　the　tape　recording　he　had　made　of　his　last　conversation　with　the　Hero。
　〃I　　don't　know　what's　e　over　me。　Before　I　lifted　off；　I　never　had　much　of　a　sense　of　humor。　Who　knows；　perhaps　being　suspended　between　heaven　and　a　living　hell　will　do　that　for　you。　〃
　It　had　been　a　rather　nice　touch。　Mars　thought；　to　make　such　a　theatrical　display　of　disabling　the　monitoring　equipment　in　the　Hero's　living　quarters。　Of　course；　it　was　quite　real。　Mars　had　actually　shut　down　the　system。　And　he　had　been　correct　not　to　inform　the　dolts　downstairs。　Their　display　of　genuine　pique　had　put　the　icing　on　the　cake。　No　amount　of　acting；　no　matter　how　expert；　would　fool　the　Hero　or　his　idiot　manque；　Arbat。　（Mars　had　to　admit　that　the　bloody　dolphin　had　been　his　one　major　mistake；　but　now　that　it　was　done；　he　could　hardly　take　it　away。）
　〃There　are　some　who　think　you　're　lying；　or　have　misremembered；　or　are　delusional。　〃
　''Are　you　one　of　those　？''
　All　in　all；　Mars　thought；　the　last　interrogation　had　gone　well。　Mars　was　far　too　clever　to　try　to　fool　the　Hero　at　this　late　stage。　It　would；　he　knew；　be　another　mistake　to　underestimate　the　Hero　now；　even　though　he；　Mars；　had　finally　gamed　the　high　ground　in　their　battle　of　wits。　Mars's　own　sentiments　about　being　fed　up　with　playing　their　no…win　game　had　been　real；　as　well。　But　he　was　not　as　much　the　maverick　as　he　had　led　the　Hero　to　believe…it　was　far　more　convincing　to　tell　a　semblance　of　the　truth　than　to　try　to　put　over　a　lie。　Consequently；　Mars　had　e　prepared　to　his　last　meeting。　He　had　been　wearing　a　body　mike　attached　to　a　portable　microcassette　recorder。　The　same　was　true　today。
　〃The　corpse　opened　its　mouth　and…〃　
　〃No；　no。　This　isn't　something　out　of　a　science…fiction　or　a　horror　film。〃　He　didn't　e　back　from　the　dead；　nor　was　he　animated　like　a　zombie　or　a　golem。　This　was　something　else　。　。　。〃
　Mars　reached　over；　shut　off　the　tape。　What　had　happened　up　there　between　the　stars？　He　was　being　consumed　with　this　puzzle。
　He　sat　for　a　moment　longer；　lost　in　thought。　Then　he　got　out　of　the　Chaika；　went　through　the　laborious　but　necessary　security　procedures　to　allow　him　entrance　to　the　Hero's　plex。
　Inside；　the　Hero　was　with　Tatiana。　She　was　a　short　blond　woman；　with　a　ruddy　plexion　and　wide…set；　direct　gray　eyes。　She　had　the　wide　shoulders；　narrow　waist　and　hips　of　the　athlete。　She　was　as　attractive　as　Lara；　though　in　an　entirely　different　way。
　''Good　morning；　rade；''　Tatiana　said　when　she　saw　Mars　enter　the　pool　area。　Her　swimsuit　was　quite　shockingly　brief；　cut　very　high　around　the　tops　of　the　legs　in　the　Western　manner；　and　Mars　made　a　mental　note　to　order　different；　more　modest　suits　for　his　guard　girls。　
　He　nodded　to　her；　said；　〃Where　is　Odysseus？〃　
　Arbat　surfaced；　sped　across　the　diameter　of　the　pool；　spewed　water　all　over　Mars。　Tatiana　put　her　hand　over　her　mouth；　tamed　her　face　away；　but　not　before　Mars　caught　a　glimpse　of　her　laughing。
　〃He's　in　the　shower；〃　she　said　when　she　had　recovered。　She　brought　him　a　towel。　Mars　glowered；　making　quite　sure　her　face　was　solemn。
　〃What　the　hell　does　he　need　to　shower　for？〃　Mars　said　tightly。　〃He's　in　the　goddamned　pool　all　the　time；　anyway。〃
　〃He　never　goes　in　the　pool　without　showering　first；〃　Tatiana　said。
　A　buzzer　sounded；　and　she　went　across　the　room。　She　opened　a　translucent　glass　door；　and　Mars　could　hear　the　shower　cut　off。　Then　she　reappeared；　carrying　the　Hero　in　her　arms。
　Odysseus　said　nothing　until　Tatiana　had　deposited　him　into　the　pool。　He　slid　from　her　arms　as　if　he　were　a　slippery　eel。　His　sleek；　hairless　body；　so　pale　and　unearthly　in　color；　was　sheened　as　if　with　oil　as　well　as　water。　Arbat　immediately　began　a　series　of　clicks；　to　which　the　Него　responded　briefly。
　He　turned　to　Mars。　〃You're　early。〃
　〃Good　morning　to　you；　too；〃　Mars　said　sourly。
　The　Hero　bobbed　in　the　water；　eyed　him。　〃Did　you　fall　into　a　puddle？　I　don't　believe　it's　raining。''
　〃The　dolphin…〃　Out　of　the　corner　of　his　eye；　Mars　saw　Tatiana　stifle　a　laugh。　〃It　was　your　bloody　dolphin's　idea　of　a　joke。〃
　〃Oh；　not　a　joke；〃　Odysseus　said　when　Arbat's　clicks　had　ceased。　〃It　was　her　way　of　saying　　'Hello；　rade！'　〃
　〃Don't　be　idiotic。　You're　trying　my　patience。〃
　〃And　you；〃　Odysseus　said；　〃have　been　trying　mine。〃　He　smiled。　〃That　makes　us　even；　though　not　in　any　way　you'd　understand。　But　maybe　you　still　feel　at　a　disadvantage。　You're　wondering；　I'm　willing　to　bet；　what　it　is　that　Odysseus　sees　in　being　in　the　pool　all　day。　Am　I　right？〃　Before　Mars　had　a　chance　to　answer；　the　Hero　had　pressed　on。　〃So　here's　your　big　opportunity；　rade　Volkov。　Take　off　your　clothes　and　join　us。　See　firsthand　what　it's　all　about。〃
　When　Mars　hesitated；　the　Hero　said；　〃Still　undecided？　Let's　give　you　a　hand　in　making　up　your　mind。　Arbat？〃　The　dolphin　leaped　up　and　at　the　top　of　her　arc；　spat　a　long　stream　of　water　into　Mars's　face。　When　she　landed；　she　did　so　broadside；　sending　a　wave　over　the　side　of　the　pool；　inundating　Mars。
　〃Guess　you　don't　h