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小说: jg.thepelicanbrief 字数: 每页4000字

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  Runyan rocked forward in his chair and attacked a paper clip; prying the curves out of it and trying to make it perfectly straight。 〃What about around here?〃 
  
  Lewis sighed and almost smiled。 〃We're not worried about this building; Chief。 It's an easy place to secure。 We don't expect trouble here。〃
  
  〃Then where?〃 
  
  Lewis nodded at a window。 The noise was louder。 〃Out there somewhere。 The streets are full of idiots and maniacs and zealots。〃
  
  〃And they all hate us。〃
  
  〃Evidently。 Listen; Chief; we're very concerned about Justice Rosenberg。 He still refuses to allow our men inside his home; makes them sit in a car in the street all night。 He will allow his favorite Supreme Court officer what's his name? Ferguson to sit by the back door; outside; but only from 10 P。M。 to 6 A。M。 No one gets in the house but Justice Rosenberg and his male nurse。 The place is not secure。〃 
  
  Runyan picked his fingernails with the paper clip and smiled slightly to himself。 Rosenberg's death; by any means or method; would be a relief。 No; it would be a glorious occasion。 The Chief would have to wear black and give a eulogy; but behind locked doors he would chuckle with his law clerks。 Runyan liked this thought。
  
  〃What do you suggest?〃 he asked。
  
  〃Can you talk to him?〃
  
  I've tried。 I've explained to him that he is probably the most hated man in America; that millions of people curse him every day; that most folks would like to see him dead; that he receives four times the hate mail as the rest of us bined; and that he would be a perfect and easy target for assassination。〃 
  
  Lewis waited。 〃And?〃
  
  〃Told me to kiss his ass; then fell asleep。〃 
  
  The law clerks giggled properly; then the FBI agents realized humor was permitted and joined in for a quick laugh。
  
  〃So what do we do?〃 asked Lewis; unamused。
  
  〃You protect him as best you can; put it in writing; and don't worry about it。 He fears nothing; including death; and if he's not sweating it; why should you?〃
  
  〃The Director is sweating; so I'm sweating; Chief。 It's very simple。 If one of you guys gets hurt; the Bureau looks bad。〃 
  
  The Chief rocked quickly in his chair。 The racket from outside was unnerving。 This meeting had dragged on long enough。 〃Forget Rosenberg。 Maybe he'll die in his sleep。 I'm more concerned over Jensen。〃
  
  〃Jensen's a problem;〃 Lewis said; flipping pages。
  
  〃I know he's a problem;〃 Runyan said slowly。 〃He's an embarrassment。 Now he thinks he's a liberal。 Votes like Rosenberg half the time。 Next month; he'll be a white supremacist and support segregated schools。 Then he'll fall in love with the Indians and want to give them Montana。 It's like having a retarded child。〃
  
  〃He's being treated for depression; you know。〃
  
  〃I know; I know。 He tells me about it。 I'm his father figure。 What drug?〃
  
  〃Prozac。〃 
  
  The Chief dug under his fingernails。 〃What about that aerobics instructor he was seeing? She still around?〃
  
  〃Not really; Chief。 I don't think he cares for women。〃 Lewis was smug。 He knew more。 He glanced at one of his agents and confirmed this juicy little tidbit。 
  
  Runyan ignored it; didn't want to hear it。 〃Is he cooperating?〃
  
  〃Of course not。 In many ways he's worse than Rosenberg。 He allows us to escort him to his apartment building; then makes us sit in the parking lot all night。 He's seven floors up; remember。 We can't even sit in the lobby。 Might upset his neighbors; he says。 So we sit in the car。 There are ten ways in and out of the building; and it's impossible to protect him。 He likes to play hide…and…seek with us。 He sneaks around all the time; so we never know if he's in the building or not。 At least with Rosenberg we know where he is all night。 Jensen's impossible。〃
  
  〃Great。 If you can't follow him; how could an assassin?〃 
  
  Lewis hadn't thought of this。 He missed the humor。 〃The Director is very concerned with Justice Jensen's safety。〃
  
  〃He doesn't receive that many threats。〃
  
  〃Number six on the list; just a few less than you; your honor。〃
  
  〃Oh。 So I'm in fifth place。〃
  
  〃Yes。 Just behind Justice Manning。 He's cooperating; by the way。 Fully。〃
  
  〃He's afraid of his shadow;〃 the Chief said; then hesitated。 〃I shouldn't have said that。 I'm sorry。〃 
  
  Lewis ignored it。 〃In fact; the cooperation has been reasonably good; except for Rosenberg and Jensen。 Justice Stone bitches a lot; but he listens to us。〃
  
  〃He bitches at everyone; so don't take it personally。 Where do you suppose Jensen sneaks off to?〃 
  
  Lewis glanced at one of his agents。 〃We have no idea。〃 A large section of the mob suddenly came together in one unrestrained chorus; and everyone on the streets seemed to join in。 The Chief could not ignore it。 The windows vibrated。 He stood and called an end to this meeting。 
  
  *  *  *
  
  JUSTICE GLENN JENSEN'S OFFICE was on the second floor; away from the streets and the noise。 It was a spacious room; yet the smallest of the nine。 Jensen was the youngest of the nine; and he was lucky to have an office。 When nominated six years earlier at the age of forty…two; he was thought to be a strict constructionist with deep conservative beliefs; much like the man who nominated him。 His Senate confirmation had been a slugfest。 Before the Judiciary mittee; Jensen performed poorly。 On sensitive issues he straddled the fence; and got kicked from both sides。 The Republicans were embarrassed。 The Democrats smelled blood。 The President twisted arms until they broke; and Jensen was confirmed by one very reluctant vote。 
  
  But he made it; for life。 In his six years; he had pleased no one。 Hurt deeply by his confirmation hearings; he vowed to find passion and rule with it。 This had angered Republicans。 They felt betrayed; especially when he discovered a latent passion for the rights of criminals。 With scarce ideological strain; he quickly left the right; moved to the center; then to the left。 Then; with legal scholars scratching their little goatees; Jensen would bolt back to the right and join Justice Sloan in one of his obnoxious antiwomen dissents。 Jensen was not fond of women。 He was neutral on prayer; skeptical of free speech; sympathetic to tax protestors; indifferent to Indians; afraid of blacks; tough on pornographers; soft on criminals; and fairly consistent in his protection of the environment。 And; to the further dismay of the Republicans who shed blood to get him confirmed; Jensen had shown a troubling sympathy for the rights of homosexuals。 
  
  At his request; a nasty case called Dumond had been assigned to him。 Ronald Dumond had lived with his male lover for eight years。 They were a happy couple; totally devoted to each other; and quite content to share life's experiences。 They wanted to marry; but Ohio laws prohibited such a union。 Then the lover caught AIDS; and died a horrible death。 Ronald knew exactly how to bury him; but then the lover's family intervened and excluded Ronald from the funeral and burial。 Distraught; Ronald sued the family; claiming emotional and psychological damage。 The case had bounced around the lower courts for six years; and now had suddenly found itself sitting on Jensen's desk。 
  
  At issue was the rights of spouses of gays。 Dumond had bee a battle cry for gay activists。 The mere mention of Dumond had caused street fights。 
  
  And Jensen had the case。 The door to his smaller office was closed。 Jensen and his three clerks sat around the conference table。 They had spent two hours on Dumond; and gone nowhere。 They were tired of arguing。 One clerk; a liberal from Cornell; wanted a broad pronouncement granting sweeping rights to gay partners。 Jensen wanted this too; but was not ready to admit it。 The other two clerks were skeptical。 They knew; as did Jensen; that a majority of five would be impossible。 
  
  Talk turned to other matters。
  
  〃The Chiefs ticked off at you; Glenn;〃 said the clerk from Duke。 They called him by his first name in chambers。 〃Justice〃 was such an awkward title。 
  
  Glenn rubbed his eyes。 〃What else is new?〃
  
  〃One of his clerks wanted me to know that the Chief and the FBI are worried about your safety。 Says you're not cooperating; and the Chiefs rather disturbed。 He wanted me to pass it along。〃 Everything was passed along through the clerks' network。 Everything。
  
  〃He's supposed to be worried。 That's his job。〃
  
  〃He wants to assign two more Fibbies as bodyguards; and they want access to your apartment。 And the FBI wants to drive you to and from work。 And they want to restrict your travel。〃
  
  〃I've already heard this。〃
  
  〃Yeah; we know。 But the Chiefs clerk said the Chief wants us to prevail upon you to cooperate with the FBI so that they can save your life。〃
  
  〃I see。〃
  
  〃And so we're just prevailing upon you。〃
  
  〃Thanks。 Go back to the network and tell the Chiefs clerk that you not only prevailed upon me but you raised all sorts of hell with me and that I 

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