dk.nightchills-第12部分

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　〃You're　sure　of　yourself；　aren't　you？〃
　〃Damned　sure；〃　Salsbury　said。
　〃It　makes　no　difference；　you　know；　that　I'm　a　general　in　the　United　States　Army　or　that　Leonard　is　a　loyal　and　trusted　citizen。　You've　still　broken　the　pledge。　Maybe　they　can't　put　you　away　for　treason　when　you've　only　talked　to　the　likes　of　us…　but　they　can　at　least　give　you　eighteen　months　for　declassifying　information　without　the　authority　to　do　so。〃
　Salsbury　glanced　at　Dawson。
　Leaning　forward　in　his　chair；　Dawson　patted　the　general's　knee。　〃Let　Ogden　finish。〃
　Klinger　said；　〃This　could　be　a　setup。〃
　〃A　what？〃
　〃A　setup。　A　trap。〃
　〃To　get　you？〃　Dawson　asked。
　〃Could　be。〃
　〃Why　would　I　want　to　set　you　up？〃　Dawson　asked。　He　seemed　genuinely　hurt　by　the　suggestion。
　In　spite　of　the　fact；　Salsbury　thought；　that　he　has　probably　set　up　and　destroyed　hundreds　of　men　over　the　last　thirty　years。
　Klinger　seemed　to　be　thinking　the　same　thing；　although　he　shrugged　and　pretended　that　he　had　no　answer　to　Dawson's　question。
　〃That's　not　the　way　I　operate；〃　Dawson　said；　either　unable　or　unwilling　to　conceal　his　bruised　pride。　〃You　know　me　better　than　that。　My　whole　career；　my　whole　life；　is　based　on　Christian　principles。〃
　〃I　don't　know　anyone　well　enough　to　risk　a　charge　of　treason；〃　the　general　said　gruffly。
　Feigning　exasperation…it　was　a　bit　too　obvious　to　be　real…　Dawson　said；　〃Old　friend；　we've　made　a　great　deal　of　money　together。　But　all　of　it　amounts　to　pocket　change　when　pared　to　the　money　we　can　make　if　we　cooperate　with　Ogden。
　There　is　literally　unlimited　wealth　here…for　all　of　us。〃　He　watched　the　general　for　a　moment；　and　when　he　could　get　no　reaction　he　said；　〃Ernst；　I　have　never　misled　you。　Never。　Not　once。〃
　Unconvinced；　Klinger　said；　〃All　you　ever　did　before　was　pay　me　for　advice…〃
　〃For　your　influence。〃
　〃For　my　advice；〃　Klinger　insisted。　〃And　even　if　I　did　sell　my　influence…which　I　didn't…that's　a　long　way　from　treason。〃
　They　stared　at　each　other。
　Salsbury　felt　as　if　he　were　not　in　the　room　with　them；　as　if　he　were　watching　them　from　the　eyepiece　of　a　mile…long　telescope。
　With　less　of　an　edge　to　his　voice　than　there　had　been　a　minute　ago；　Klinger　finally　said；　〃Leonard；　I　suppose　you　realize　that　I　could　be　setting　you　up。〃
　〃Of　course。〃
　〃I　could　agree　to　hear　your　man　out；　listen　to　everything　he　has　to　say…only　to　get　evidence　against　you　and　him。〃
　〃String　us　along。〃
　〃Give　you　enough　rope　to　hang　yourselves；〃　Klinger　said。　〃I　only　warn　you　because　you're　a　friend。　I　like　you。　I　don't　want　to　see　you　in　trouble。〃
　Dawson　settled　back　in　his　chair。　〃Well；　I've　an　offer　to　make　you；　and　I　need　your　cooperation。　So　I'll　just　have　to　take　that　risk；　won't　I？〃
　〃That's　your　choice。〃
　Smiling；　apparently　pleased　with　the　general；　Dawson　raised　his　brandy　glass　and　silently　proposed　a　toast。
　Grinning　broadly；　Klinger　raised　his　own　glass。
　What　in　the　hell　is　going　on　here？　Salsbury　wondered。
　When　he　had　sniffed　and　sipped　his　brandy；　Dawson　looked　at　Salsbury　for　the　first　time　in　several　minutes　and　said；　〃You　may　proceed；　Ogden。〃
　Suddenly；　Salsbury　grasped　the　underlying　purpose　of　the　conversation　to　which　he　had　just　listened。　In　the　unlikely　event　that　Dawson　actually　was　setting　a　trap　for　an　old　friend；
　on　the　off　chance　that　the　meeting　was　being　taped；　Klinger　had　deftly　provided　himself　with　at　least　some　protection　against　successful　prosecution。　He　was　now　on　record　as　having　warned　Dawson　about　the　consequences　of　his　actions。　In　court　or　before　a　military　review　board；　the　general　could　argue　that　he　had　only　been　playing　along　with　them　in　order　to　collect　evidence　against　them；　and　even　if　no　one　believed　him；　he　more　than　likely　would　manage　to　retain　both　his　freedom　and　his　rank。
　Ogden　got　up；　leaving　his　brandy　glass　behind　him；　went　to　the　window　and　stood　with　his　back　to　the　darkening　lake。　He　was　too　nervous　to　sit　still　while　he　talked。　Indeed；　for　a　few　seconds　he　was　too　nervous　to　speak　at　all。
　Like　a　pair　of　lizards　perched　half　in　warm　sunlight　and　half　in　chilly　shadows；　waiting　for　the　light　balance　to　change　enough　to　warrant　movement；　Dawson　and　Klinger　watched　him。　They　were　sitting　in　identical　high…backed　black　leather　easy　chairs　with　burnished　silvery　buttons　and　studs。　A　small　round　cocktail　table　with　a　dark　oak　top　stood　between　them。　The　only　light　in　the　richly　furnished　room　came　from　two　floor　lamps　that　flanked　the　fireplace；　twenty　feet　away。　The　right　side　of　each　man's　face　was　softened　and　somewhat　concealed　by　shadows；　while　the　left　side　was　starkly　detailed　by　amber　light；　and　their　eyes　blinked　with　saurian　patience。
　Whether　or　not　the　scheme　was　a　success；　Salsbury　thought；　both　Dawson　and　Klinger　would　e　through　it　unscathed。　They　both　wore　effective　armor：　Dawson　his　wealth；　Klinger　his　ruthlessness；　cleverness；　and　experience。
　However；　Salsbury　didn't　possess　any　armor　of　his　own。　He　hadn't　even　realized…as　Klinger　had　when　he　protected　himself　with　that　spiel　about　secrecy　pledges　and　treason…that　he　might　need　it。　He　had　assumed　that　his　discovery　would　generate　enough　money　and　power　to　satisfy　all　three　of　them；　but　he　had　just　begun　to　understand　that　greed　could　not　be　sated　as　easily　as　a　hearty　appetite　or　a　demanding　thirst。　If　he　had　any　defensive　weapon　at　all；　it　was　his　intelligence；　his　lightning　quick　mind；　but　his　intellect　had　been　directed　for　so　long　into
　narrow　channels　of　specialized　scientific　inquiry　that　it　now　served　him　far　less　well　in　the　mon　matters　of　life　than　it　did　in　the　laboratory。
　Be　cautious；　suspicious；　and　watchful；　he　reminded　himself　for　the　second　time　that　day。　With　men　as　aggressive　as　these；　caution　was　a　damned　thin　armor；　but　it　was　the　only　one　he　had。
　He　said；　〃For　ten　years　the　Brockert　Institute　has　been　fully　devoted　to　a　Pentagon　study　of　subliminal　advertising。　We　haven't　been　interested　in　the　technical；　theoretical；　or　sociological　aspects　of　it；　that　work　is　being　done　elsewhere。　We've　been　concerned　solely　with　the　biological　mechanisms　of　subliminal　perception。　From　the　start　we　have　been　trying　to　develop　a　drug　that　will　'prime'　the　brain　for　subception；　a　drug　that　will　make　a　man　obey　without　question　every　subliminal　directive　that's　given　to　him。〃　Scientists　at　another　CDA　laboratory　in　northern　California　were　trying　to　engineer　a　viral　or　bacterial　agent　for　the　same　purpose。　But　they　were　on　the　wrong　track。　He　knew　that　for　a　fact　because　he　was　on　the　right　one。　〃Currently；　it's　possible　to　use　subliminals　to　influence　people　who　have　no　unshakable　opinions　about　a　particular　subject　or　product。　But　the　Pentagon　wants　to　be　able　to　use　subliminal　messages　to　alter　the　fundamental　attitudes　of　people　who　do　have　very　strong；　stubbornly　held　opinions。〃
　〃Mind　control；〃　Klinger　said　matter…of…factly。
　Dawson　took　another　sip　from　his　brandy　glass。
　〃If　such　a　drug　can　be　synthesized；〃　Salsbury　said；　〃it　will　change　the　course　of　history。　That's　no　exaggeration。　For　one　thing；　there　will　never　again　be　war；　not　in　the　traditional　sense。　We　will　simply　contaminate　our　enemies'　water　supplies　with　the　drug；　then　inundate　them；　through　their　own。　media…television；　radio；　motion　pictures；　newspapers；　and　magazines…　with　a　continuing　series　of　carefully　structured　subliminals　that　will　convince　them　to　see　things　our　way。　Gradually；　subtly；　we　can　transform　our　enemies　into　our　allies…and　let　them　think　that　the　transformation　was　their　own　idea。〃
　They　were　silent　for　perhaps　a　minute；　thinking　about　it。
　Klinger　lit　a　cheroot。　Then　he　said；　〃There　would　also　be　a　number　of　domestic　uses　for　a　drug　like　that。〃
　〃Of　course；〃　Salsbury　said。
　〃At　long　last；〃　Dawson　said　almost　wistfully；　〃we　could　achieve　national　unity；　put　an　end　to　all　the　bickering　and　protest　and　disagreement　that's　holding　back　this　great　country。〃
　Ogden　turned　away　from　them　and　stared　through　the　window。　Night　had　fully　claimed　the　lake。　He　could　hear　the　water　lapping　at　the　boat　dock　pilings　a　few　feet　below　him；　just　beyond　the　glass。　He　listened　and　allowed　the　rhythmic　sound　to　calm　him。　He　was　certain　now　that　Klinger　would　cooperate；　and　he　saw　the　incredible　future　that　lay　before　him；　and　he　was　so　excited　by　the　vision　that　he　did　not　trust　himself　to　speak。
　To　his　back　Klinger　said；　〃You're　primarily　the　director　of　research　at　Brockert。　But　apparently　you're　not　just　a　desk　man。〃
　〃There　are　certain　lines　of　study　I've　reserved　for　myself；〃　Salsbury　admitted。
　〃And　you've　discovered　a　drug　that　works；　a　drug　that　primes　the　brain　for　subception。〃
　〃Three　months　ago；〃　Ogden　said　to　the　glass。
　〃Who　knows　about　it？〃
　〃The　three　of　us。〃
　〃No　one　at　Brockert？〃
　〃No　one。〃
　〃Even　if　you　have；　as　you　say；　reserved　some　lines　of　study　for　yourself；　you　must　have　a　lab　assistant。〃
　〃He's　not　all　that　bright；〃　Salsbury　said。　〃That's　why　I　chose　him。　Six　years　ago。〃
　Klinger　said；　〃You　were　thinking　about　taking　the　discovery　for　yourself　all　that　long　ago？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃You've　doctored　your　daily　work　record？　The　forms　that　go　to　Washington　at　the　end　of　every　week？〃
　〃I　only　had　to　falsify　them　for　a　few　days。　As　soon　as　I　saw