bl.necroscope2-第41部分

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hmen。　He　had　done　this　the　easy　way：　by　phoning　his　Second　in　mand　at　the　Chateau　Bronnitsy…one　Ivan　Gerenko；　a　rarely　talented　〃deflector〃…and　getting　him　to　pass　the　details　on　to　his　high…powered　go…between　on　Brezhnev's　staff。　He　had　also　asked　that　it　be　arranged　for　him　to　have　maximum　assistance；　if　he　should　require　it；　from　the　USSR's　〃rades〃　in　puppet　Romania。　They　were　still　an　insular　lot；　the　Romanians；　and　one　could　never　be　absolutely　sure　of　their　co…operation…。　。　Thus　Krakovitch's　afternoon　was　taken　up　in　making　and　answering　calls　between　Genoa　and　Moscow；　until　all　arrangements　were　in　hand。
　Not　once　through　all　of　this　did　he　mention　the　name　of　Theo　Dolgikh。　Ordinarily　he　would　have　taken　his　plaint　to　the　very　top…to　Brezhnev　himself；　as　the　Party　Leader　had　ordered…but　not　in　the　present　circumstances。　Krakovitch　had　only　Kyle's　word　that　Dolgikh　was　temporarily　and　not　permanently　detained。　As　long　as　he　remained　ostensibly　in　ignorance　of　the　KGB　agent　and　his　affairs；　then　all　would　be　well。　And　if　indeed　Dolgikh　were　safe　and　merely；　for　the　moment。　〃secure〃…。　。　time　enough　later　to　bring　charges　of　interference　against　Yuri　Andropov。　Krakovitch　did　marvel；　though；　that　the　KGB　had　got　on　to　his　supposedly　secret　mission　to　Italy　so　quickly。　It　made　one　wonder：　were　EBranch　officials　under　KGB　surveillance　all　of　the　time？
　As　for　Alec　Kyle：　he　too　had　made　an　international　call；　to　the　Duty　Officer　at　INTESP。　That　had　been　late　in　the　afternoon；　when　it　had　looked　fairly　certain　that　he　and　Quint　would　be　acpanying　the　two　Russians　to　Romania。　〃Is　that　Grieve？　How　are　things　going；　John？　he　had　asked。
　〃Alec？〃　the　answer　came　back。　〃I've　been　expecting　you　to　give　us　a　ring。〃　John　Grieve　had　two　talents；　one　of　them　〃dodgy〃；　branch　parlance　for　an　as　yet　undeveloped　ESP　ability；　and　the　other　quite　remarkable　and　possibly　unique。　The　first　was　the　gift　of　far…seeing：　he　was　a　human　crystal　ball。　The　only　trouble　was　he　must　know　exactly　where　and　what　he　was　looking　for；　otherwise　he　could　see　nothing。　His　talent　didn't　work　at　random　but　must　be　directed：　he　must　have　a　definite　target。　His　second　string　made　him　doubly　valuable。　It　could　well　prove　to　be　a　different　facet　of　his　first　talent；　but　on　occasions　like　this　it　was　a　godsend。　Grieve　was　a　telepath；　but　one　with　a　difference。　Yet　again　he　must　〃aim〃　his　talent：　he　could　only　read　a　person's　mind　when　he　was　face　to　face　with　that　person；　or　when　talking　to　him　…even　on　the　telephone；　if　he　knew　the　person　in　question。　There　was　no　lying　to　John　Grieve；　nor　any　need　for　a　mechanical　scrambler。　That　was　why　Kyle　had　left　him　on　permanent　duty　at　HQ　while　he　was　away。
　〃John；〃　said　Kyle；　〃how　are　things　at　home？〃　And　he　also　asked：　What's　happening　down　on　the　ranch；　in　Devon？
　〃Oh；　well；　you　know。。。〃　Grieve's　answer　sounded　iffy。　〃Can　you　explain？〃　What's　up？　But　careful　how　you　answer。
　〃Well；　see；　it's　young　YB；〃　came　back　the　answer。　〃It　seems　he's　cleverer　than　we　allowed。　I　mean；　he's　inquisitive；　you　know？　Sees　and　hears　too　much　for　his　own　good。〃
　〃Well　we　must　give　him　credit　for　it；〃　Kyle　tried　to　sound　casual　while；　in　his　head；　he　added　urgently：　You　mean　he's　talented？　Telepathy？…〃I　suppose　so；〃　answered　Grieve；　meaning　probably。
　Jesus　Christ！　Is　he　on　to　us？　〃Anyway；　we've　had　tough　customers　before；〃　said　Kyle。　〃And　our　salesmen　are　in　possession　of　the　full　brief。。。〃　How　are　they　armed？
　〃Well；　yes；　they　have　the　standard　kit；〃　said　Grieve。
　〃Still；　it's　a　bit　leery；　I'll　tell　you！　Set　his　dog　on　one　of　our　blokes！　No　harm　done；　though。　As　it　happens　it　was　old　DC…and　you　know　how　wary　he　is！　No　harm　will　e　to　that　one。〃
　Darcy　Clarke？　Thank　God！　Kyle　breathed　more　easily。　Out　loud　he　said；　〃Look；　John；　you'd　better　read　my　file　on　our　silent　partner。　You　know；　from　eight　months　ago？〃　The　first　Keogh　manifestation。　〃Our　blokes　might　well　need　all　the　help　they　can　get。　And　I　really　don't　think　that　in　this　case　standard　kit　is　sufficient。　It's　something　I　should　have　thought　of　before；　except　I　didn't　anticipate　young　YB's　foxiness。〃　9mm　automatics　might　not　stop　him　…or　any　of　the　others　in　that　house。　But　there's　a　description　in　the　Harry　Keogh　file　of　something　that　will　…I　think。　Get　the　squad　armed　with　crossbows！
　〃Just　as　you　say；　Alec；　I'll　look　into　it　at　once；〃　said　Grieve；　no　sign　of　surprise　in　his　voice。　〃And　how　are　things　with　you？〃
　〃Oh；　not　bad。　We're　thinking　of　moving　up　into　the　mountains…tonight；　actually。〃　We're　off　to　Romania　with　Krakovitch。　He's　OK…I　hope！　As　soon　as　I've　got　anything　definite　I'll　get　back　to　you。　Then　maybe　you'll　be　able　to　move　in　on　Bodescu。　But　not　until　we　know　all　there　is　to　know　about　what　we're　up　against。
　〃Lucky　you！〃　said　Grieve。　〃The　mountains；　eh？　Beautiful　at　this　time　of　year。　Ah；　well；　some　of　us　must　work。　Do　drop　me　a　card；　now；　won't　you？　And　do　take　care。〃
　〃Same　goes　for　you；〃　Kyle　spoke　light　and　easy；　but　his　thoughts　were　sharp　with　concern。　For　God's　sake　make　sure　those　lads　down　in　Devon　are　on　the　ball！　If　anything　were　to　happen；　I　…〃…Oh；　we'll　do　our　best　to　keep　out　of　trouble；〃　Grieve　cut　him　off。　It　was　his　way　of　saying；　〃Look；　we　can　only　do　as　much　as　we　can　do。〃
　
　〃OK；　I'll　be　in　touch。〃　Good　luck。　And　then　he　had　broken　the　connection　For　a　long　time　he'd　stood　in　his　room　looking　at　the　telephone　and　chewing　his　lip。　Things　were　warming　up　and　Alec　Kyle　knew　it。　And　when　Quint　came　in　from　the　room　next　door　where　he'd　been　taking　a　nap　。
　one　look　at　his　face　told　Kyle　that　he　was　right。　Quint　looked　rough　round　the　edges；　suddenly　more　than　a　little　haggard。
　He　tapped　his　temple。　〃Things　are　starting　to　jump；〃　he　said。　〃In　here。〃
　Kyle　nodded。　〃I　know；〃　he　answered。　〃I've　a　feeling　they're　starting　to　jump　all　over　the　place。　。
　
　In　his　tiny　room　in　what　had　once　been　Harry　Keogh's　Hartlepool　flat；　whose　window　looked　out　over　a　graveyard；　Harry　Junior　was　falling　asleep。　His　mother；　Brenda　Keogh；　shushed　the　baby　and　lulled　him　with　soft　humming　sounds。　He　was　only　five　weeks　old；　but　he　was　clever。　There　were　lots　of　things　happening　in　the　world；　and　he　wanted　in　on　them。　He　was　going　to　make　very　hard　work　of　growing　up；　because　he　wanted　to　be　there　now。　She　could　feel　it　in　him：　his　mind　was　like　a　sponge；　soaking　up　new　sensations；　new　impressions；　thirsting　to　know；　gazing　out　of　his　father's　eyes　and　striving　to　envelop　the　whole　wide　world。
　Oh；　yes；　this　could　only　be　Harry　Keogh's　baby；　and　Brenda　was　glad　she'd　had　him。　If　only　she　could　still　have　Harry；　too。　But　in　a　way　she　did　have　him；　right　here　in　little　Harry。　In　fact　she　had　him　in　a　bigger　way　than　she　might　ever　have　suspected。
　Just　what　the　baby's　father's　work　had　been　with　British　Intelligence　（she　assumed　it　was　them）　Brenda　didn't　know。　She　only　knew　that　he　had　paid　for　it　with　his　life。　There　had　been　no　recognition　of　his　sacrifice；　not　officially；　anyway。　But　cheques　arrived　every　month　in　plain　envelopes；　with　brief　little　covering　notes　that　specified　the　money　as　〃widow's　benefit〃。　Brenda　never　failed　to　be　surprised：　they　must　have　thought　very　highly　of　Harry。　The　cheques　were　rather　large；　twice　as　much　as　she　could　ever　have　earned　in　any　mundane　sort　of　work。　And　that　was　wonderful；　for　she　could　give　all　of　her　time　to　Harry。
　〃Poor　little　Harry；〃　she　crooned　at　him　in　her　soft　northern　dialect；　an　old；　old　ditty　she'd　learned　from　her　own　mother；　who'd　probably　learned　it　from　hers。　〃Got　no　Mammy；　got　no　Daddy；　born　in　a　coal　hole。〃
　Well；　not　quite　as　bad　as　all　that；　but　bad　enough；　without　Harry。　And　yet…。…occasionally　Brenda　felt　pangs　of　guilt。　It　was　less　than　nine　months　since　she'd　last　seen　him；　and　already　she　was　over　it。　It　all　seemed　so　wrong；　somehow。　Wrong　that　she　no　longer　cried；　wrong　that　she　never　had　cried　a　great　deal；　entirely　wrong　that　he　had　gone　to　join　that　great　majority　who　so　loved　him。　The　dead；　long　fallen　into　decay　and　dissolution。
　Not　necessarily　morally　wrong；　but　wrong　conceptually；　definitely。　She　didn't　feel　that　he　was　dead。　Perhaps　if　she'd　seen　his　body　it　would　be　different。　But　she　was　glad　that　she　hadn't　seen　it。　Dead；　it　wouldn't　have　been　Harry　at　all。
　Enough　of　morbid　thinking！　She　touched　the　baby's　tiny　button　nose　with　the　knuckle　of　her　index　finger。
　〃Bonk！〃　she　said；　but　very；　very　softly。　For　little　Harry　Keogh　was　asleep
　
　Harry　felt　the　infant's　whirlpool　suction　ebb；　felt　the　tiny　mind　relax　its　constraint；　aimed　himself　into　and　through　a　trans…dimensional　〃door〃　and　found　himself　adrift　once　more　in　the　Ultimate　Darkness　of　the　M？bius　continuum。　Pure　mind；　he　floated　in　the　flux　of　the　metaphysical；　free　of　the　distortions　of　mass　and　gravity；　heat　and　cold。　He　revelled　like　a　swimmer　in　that　great　black　ocean　which　stretched　from　never　to　forever　and　nowhere　to　everywhere；　where　he　could　move　into　the　past　no　less　rapidly　than　into　the　future。
　Harry　could　go　any　and　everywhere…and　everywhen　…from　here。　It　was　simply　a　matter　of　knowing　the　right　direction；　of　using　the　right　〃door〃。　He　opened　a　time…door　and　saw　the　blue　light　of　all　Earth's　living　billions　streaming　into　unimagined；　ever…expanding　futures。　No；　not　that　on