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！
〃It didn't e from me； either。 Look； Dr。 Academic； I may not have an alphabet after my name； but I'm not exactly an idiot。 That's my niece and nephew in the other room and I fully expect to watch them grow up。 。。。 The leak's why we're being moved； isn't it？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃How severe？〃
〃Maximum。 The Jackal。〃
〃Jesus！〃 exploded St。 Jacques。 〃That bastard shows up in the neighborhood； he's mine！〃
〃Easy； Canada；〃 said Jason； his voice now softer； conveying thought； not anger。 〃You say； and I believe you； that you described the Tannenbaum place only to me and； if I recall； I was the one who identified it。〃
〃That's right。 I remember because when Pritchard told me you were on the phone； I was on the other line with Henry Sykes in 'Serrat。 Remember Henry； the CG's aide？〃
〃Of course。〃
〃I was asking him to keep half an eye on Tranquility because I had to leave for a few days。 Naturally； he knew that because he had to clear the U。S。 aircraft in here； and I distinctly recall his asking me where I was going and all I said was Washington。 It never even occurred to me to say anything about Tannenbaum's place； and Sykes didn't press me because he obviously figured it had something to do with the horrible things that had happened。 I suppose you could say he's a professional in these matters。〃 St。 Jacques paused； but before Bourne could speak he uttered hoarsely； 〃Oh； my God！〃
〃Pritchard；〃 supplied Jason。 〃He stayed on the line。〃
〃Why？ Why would he do it？〃
〃You forget；〃 explained Bourne。 〃Carlos bought your Crown governor and his Savonarola drug chief。 They had to cost heavy money； he could have bought Pritchard for a lot less。〃
〃No； you're wrong； David。 Pritchard may be a deluded； self…inflated jackass but he wouldn't turn on me for money。 It's not that important in the islands…prestige is。 And except when he drives me up the wall； I feed it to him； actually he does a pretty damn good job。〃
〃There's no one else； Bro。〃
〃There's also one way to find out。 I'm here； not there； and I'm not about to leave here。〃
〃What's your point？〃
〃I want to bring in Henry Sykes。 Is that all right with you？〃
〃Do it。〃
〃How's Marie？〃
〃As well as can be expected under the circumstances。 。。。 And； Johnny； I don't want her to know a thing about any of this； do you understand me？ When she reaches you； and she will； just tell her you're settled in and everything's okay； nothing about the move or Carlos。〃
〃I understand。〃
〃Everything is all right； isn't it？ How are the kids…how's Jamie taking everything？〃
〃You may resent this； but he's having a grand time； and Mrs。 Cooper won't even let me touch Alison。〃
〃I don't resent either piece of information。〃
〃Thanks。 What about you？ Any progress？〃
〃I'll be in touch；〃 said Bourne； hanging up and turning to Alex。 〃It doesn't make sense； and Carlos always makes sense if you look hard enough。 He leaves me a warning that drives me crazy with fear； but he has no means of carrying out his threat。 What do you make of it？〃
〃The sense is in driving you crazy；〃 replied Conklin。 〃The Jackal's not going to take on an installation like Tannenbaum's sterile house long…distance。 That message was meant to panic you and it did。 He wants to throw you off so you'll make mistakes。 He wants the controls in his hands。〃
〃It's another reason for Marie to fly back to the States as soon as possible。 She's got to。 I want her inside a fortress； not having lunch out in the open in Barbizon。〃
〃I'm more sympathetic to that view than I was last night。〃 Alex was interrupted by the sound of the door opening。 Krupkin walked into the room carrying several puter printouts。
〃The number you gave me is disconnected；〃 he said； a slight hesitancy in his voice。
〃Who was it connected to？〃 asked Jason。
〃You will not like this any more than I do； and I'd lie to you if I could invent a plausible alternate； but I cannot and I undoubtedly should not。 。。。 As of five days ago it was transferred from an obviously false organization to the name of Webb。 David Webb。〃
Conklin and Bourne stared in silence at the Soviet intelligence officer； but in that silence were the unheard static cracks of high…voltage electricity。 〃Why are you so certain we won't like the information？〃 asked Alex quietly。
〃My fine old enemy；〃 began Krupkin； his gentle voice no louder than Conklin's。 〃When Mr。 Bourne came out of that café of horror with the brown paper clasped in his hand； he was hysterical。 In trying to calm him； to bring him under control； you called him David。 。。。 I now have a name I sincerely wish I did not possess。〃
〃Forget it；〃 said Bourne。
〃I shall do my best to； but there are ways…〃
〃That's not what I mean；〃 broke in Jason。 〃I have to live with the fact that you know it and I'll manage。 Where was that phone installed； the address？〃
〃According to the billing puters； it's a mission home run by an organization called the Magdalen Sisters of Charity。 Again obviously false。〃
〃Obviously not；〃 corrected Bourne。 〃It exists。 They exist。 It's legitimate down to their religious helmets； and it's also a usable drop。 Or was。〃
〃Fascinating；〃 mused Krupkin。 〃So much of the Jackal's various fa？ades is tied to the Church。 A brilliant if overdone modus operandi。 It's said that he once studied for the priesthood。〃
〃Then the Church is one up on you；〃 said Alex； angling his head in a humorously mocking rebuke。 〃They threw him out before you did。〃
〃I never underestimate the Vatican；〃 laughed Dimitri。 〃It ultimately proved that our mad Joseph Stalin misunderstood priorities when he asked how many battalions the Pope had。 His Holiness doesn't need them； he achieves more than Stalin ever did with all his purges。 Power goes to the one who instills the greatest fear； not so； Aleksei？ All the princes of this earth use it with brutal effectiveness。 And it all revolves around death…the fear of it； before and after。 When will we grow up and tell them all to go to the devil？〃
〃Death；〃 whispered Jason； frowning。 〃Death on the Rivoli； at the Meurice； the Magdalen Sisters 。。。 my God； I pletely forgot！ Dominique Lavier！ She was at the Meurice…she may still be there。 She said she'd work with me！〃
〃Why would she？〃 asked Krupkin sharply。
〃Because Carlos killed her sister and she had no choice but to join him or be killed herself。〃 Bourne turned to the console。 〃I need the telephone number of the Meurice…〃
〃Four two six zero； three eight six zero；〃 offered Krupkin as Jason grabbed a pencil and wrote down the numbers on Alex's notepad。 〃A lovely place； once known as the hotel of kings。 I especially like the grill。〃
Bourne touched the buttons； holding up his hand for quiet。 Remembering； he asked for Madame Brielle's room； the name they had agreed upon； and when the hotel operator said 〃Mais oui；〃 he nodded rapidly in relief to Alex and Dimitri Krupkin。 Lavier answered。
〃Yes？〃
〃It is I； madame；〃 said Jason； his French just slightly coarse； ever so minimally Anglicized； the Chameleon was in charge。 〃Your housekeeper suggested we might reach you here。 Madame's dress is ready。 We apologize for the delay。〃
〃It was to have been brought to me yesterday…by noon…you ass！ I intended to wear it last evening at