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！
verbally told the next ining President。
He showed him the scrambler phone where he could reach the head of CURE； and then later； as they smiled to the world from the back seat of a limousine headed to the inauguration； confided：
〃Now； don't you fret none about that group I was tellin' you about yesterday。 They do everything real quiet and only two of 'em know what in a cow's ass they're doing。
〃It's just that a crooked prosecutor'll be discovered by some newspaperman who just happens to get some damaging information。 Or some evidence'll turn up during a trial and the D。 A。 will win one that was going down the chute。 Or someone who you'd just never think would goes and turns state's evidence and testifies。 It's just the extra little edge to make things more workable。〃
〃I don't like it；〃 whispered the President…elect； flashing his famous' plastic smile to the crowds…。 〃It if turns out publicly that the United States government is violating the very laws that make it the United States government； right then and there you might as well admit our form of government is inoperable。〃
〃Well； I ain't saying nothin'？ Are you？〃
〃Of course not。〃
〃Well； what's the problem？〃
〃I just don't like it。 How would I stop this thing？〃
〃You just make a phone call and the two men who know about it retire。〃
〃That phone call in some way sets off something or someone who kills them； doesn't it。〃
〃I 'spect so。 They got more safeguards on this thing than Uncle Luke's still。 Look； there are two things you can do with this group。 Let it do whatever it does。 Or stop it。 That's all。〃
〃But you did say I could suggest assignments？〃
〃Yup。 But they're chock full anyhow。 And anyway； they only take the kind of stuff that either endangers the constitution or that the country can't handle any other way。 Sometimes； it's fun figuring out just which things they're involved in and which things they ain't。 You get pretty good at it after awhile。〃
〃I was thinking last night what if the man who runs this group decides to take over the country？〃
〃You always got the phone。〃
〃Suppose he plots the murder of the President？〃
〃You're the only one who can OK the use of the one person who would do it。 The other man who knows about that outfit。 Just one man。 That's the safeguard。 Hell； I know you're shocked。 You shoulda seen my face when the head of this group got a personal visit with me。 The President didn't tell me a thing before he was shot。 Just like you won't tell your vice president。〃 He turned and smiled at the crowds。 〃Especially yours。〃
He smiled a creased smile and nodded solemnly to the people on his side of the car。 The Secret Service bodyguards puffed alongside。
〃I was thinking last night； what if the head of this organization dies？〃
〃Damned if I know；〃 said the Texan。
〃Frankly； this revelation frightens me；〃 said the President…elect； raising his eyebrows； head and hands as though just spotting a close friend in a crowd of strangers。 〃I haven't felt at ease since you told me about it。〃
〃You can stop it anytime；〃 the Texan responded。
〃That one man they've got must be pretty good。 The one who goes on the assignments； I mean。〃
' 〃I don't know for sure。 But from what that little feller told me that day； they don't just use him for wrapping up garbage。〃
〃Let me make one thing perfectly clear。 I don't like this whole business。〃
〃We didn't ask you to take office；〃 said the Texan with a smile。
So Remo Williams stood silently in the gymnasium feeling his conditioning leave him。 He breathed deeply； then slid through the dark； in almost imperceptible movements； and was in the balcony。 He wore black tennis shoes so that he could not see his feet； a tee shirt dyed black so that the white of the shirt in the dark would not throw off unbalancing brightness。 His shorts were black。 Night moving in night。
He moved from the balcony rail to the top of the basketball backboard。 He seated himself carefully； with his right hand between his legs and his legs stretched out over the hoop below。 Funny； he thought。 When he was a policeman in his twenties； he would have been puffing if he ran a block； and probably would have had to engineer a desk job by thirty five or face a heart attack。 It was nice then。 Just walk into any bar you wanted when off duty。 Have a pizza for supper if you wished。 Get laid when you had a chance。
But that was when he was alive。 And when he was officially alive； there were no such things as peak periods with rice and fish and abstinence。 Actually； he didn't really have to follow the regimen。 He thought about that often。 He could probably do very well at less than full capacity。 But a wise Korean had told him that deterioration of the body is like a stone rolling down a mountain。 So easy to start； so hard to stop。 And if Remo Williams couldn't stop； he would be very dead。
He lowered his shoes to the rim； getting the feel of its grip into the backboard。 If you know the feel of objects； the feel of their mass； their movement and their strength； you could use that as your strength。 That was the secret of force。 To not fight it。 And to not fight it was the best way to fight people when you had to。
Remo stood up on the rim and gathered the where of the floor into his balance。 He should have changed the height of the hoop； because sooner or later he would be performing muscle memory instead of proper use of balance and judgment。 When he had first learned the exercise； he watched a cat for a day and a half。 He had been told to bee the cat。 He had answered that he would prefer to bee a rabbit so he could get laid； and how long was this dingaling training going to go on？
〃Until you are dead；〃 he was told。
〃You mean fifty years。〃
〃It might be fifty seconds； if you are not good enough；〃 said the Korean instructor。 〃Watch the cat。〃
And Remo had watched the cat and for a few moments thought； really thought； he could bee the cat。
Now Remo Williams indulged his own private little joke which signalled the start of the exercise。
〃Meow；〃 he whispered in the silent； dark gym。
He stood on the rim； straight up； and then his body fell forward； shoes gripping the rim by pressure； head going forward； shoes flipping up； rim adding force； body heading straight down； hair and head aiming straight at the floor…like a dark knife dropping into a dark sea。
His hair touched the varnish of the floor and triggered a body trunk flip； the dark form in the blackened gym spinning in space； the sneakers ing around quick… rocket fast…arching and down steady standing on the wooden floor。
Blat。 The sound echoed in the gymnasium。 He had held for the last hair…touching instant and then let the muscles take over； the muscles of a cat which shifted the body in。air and put the feet on the floor。 An exercise the body could do only when the mind was trained； trained to steal the balance of another animal。
Remo Williams had heard the blat in the gym； the sound of his sneakers hitting the floor。 He was not purring。
〃Shit；〃 he mumbled to himself。 〃The next time it'll be my head。 That dumb bastard is gonna get me killed yet； with his goddam peak period。〃
And he returned to the balcony and