tc.redrabbit-第89部分

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；　almost　as　good；　cash　that　they　could　exchange　at　a　rate　of　three　or　four　to　one。
　　　She　wandered　about　for　half　an　hour；　then　saw　her　target　in　the　children's　clothing　area。　She　maneuvered　that　way；　taking　time　to　lift　and　examine　various　items　before　ing　up　behind　him。
　　　〃Good　evening；　Oleg　Ivan'ch；〃　she　said　quietly；　handling　a　parka　meant　for　a　girl　of　three　or　four。
　　　〃Mary；　is　it？〃
　　　〃That　is　correct。　Tell　me；　do　you　have　any　vacation　days　available　to　you？〃
　　　〃Yes；　I　do。　Two　weeks　of　it；　in　fact。〃
　　　〃And　you　told　me　that　your　wife　likes　classical　music？〃
　　　〃That　is　also　correct。〃
　　　〃There　is　a　fine　conductor。　His　name　is　Jozsef　Rozsa。　He　will　start　performing　in　the　main　concert　hall　in　Budapest　on　Sunday　evening。　The　best　hotel　for　you　to　check　in　to　is　the　Astoria。　It　is　a　short　distance　from　the　train　station；　and　is　popular　with　Soviet　guests。　Tell　all　your　friends　what　you　are　doing。　Arrange　to　buy　them　things　in　Budapest。　Do　everything　that　a　Soviet　citizen　does。　We　will　handle　the　rest；〃　she　assured　him。
　　　〃All　of　us；〃　Zaitzev　reminded　her。　〃All　of　us　e　out？〃
　　　〃Of　course；　Oleg。　Your　little　zaichik　will　see　many　wonders　in　America；　and　the　winters　are　not　so　fierce　as　they　are　here；〃　MP　added。
　　　〃We　Russians　enjoy　our　winters；〃　he　pointed　out；　with　a　little　amour　propre。
　　　〃In　that　case；　you　will　be　able　to　live　in　an　area　as　cold　as　Moscow。　And　if　you　desire　warm　weather　in　February；　you　can　drive　or　fly　to　Florida　and　relax　on　a　sunny　beach。〃
　　　〃You　are　tourist　agent；　Mary？〃　the　Rabbit　asked。
　　　〃For　you；　Oleg；　I　am　just　that。　Are　you　fortable　passing　information　to　my　husband　on　the　metro？〃
　　　〃Yes。〃
　　　You　shouldn't　be；　Mary　Pat　thought。　〃What　is　your　best　necktie？〃
　　　〃A　blue　one　with　red　stripes。〃
　　　〃Very　well；　wear　that　one　two　days　before　you　take　the　train　to　Budapest。　Bump　into　him　and　apologize；　and　we　will　know。　Two　days　before　you　leave　Moscow；　wear　your　blue…striped　tie　and　bump　into　him　on　the　metro；〃　she　repeated。　You　had　to　be　careful　doing　this。　People　could　make　the　goddamnedest　mistakes　in　the　simplest　of　matters；　even　when…no；　especially　when…their　lives　were　on　the　line。　That　was　why　she　was　making　it　as　easy　as　possible。　Only　one　thing　to　remember。　Only　one　thing　to　do。
　　　〃Da；　I　can　do　that　easily。〃
　　　Optimistic　bastard；　aren't　you？　〃Excellent。　Please　be　very　careful；　Oleg　Ivan'ch。〃　And　with　that；　she　went　on　her　way。　But　then　she　stopped　five　or　six　meters　away　and　turned。　In　her　purse　was　a　Minox　camera。　She　shot　five　frames；　and　then　walked　away。
　　　〃Well；　didn't　you　see　anything　worth　getting？〃　her　husband　asked；　out　in　their　used　Mercedes　280。
　　　〃No；　nothing　really　worthwhile。　Maybe　we　should　try　a　trip　up　to　Helsinki　to　get　some　winter　stuff；〃　she　suggested。　〃You　know；　take　the　train；　like。　Ought　to　be　fun　to　do　it　that　way。　Eddie　should　like　it。〃
　　　The　Station　Chief's　eyebrow　went　up。　Probably　better　to　take　the　train；　he　thought。　Doesn't　look　rushed　or　forced。　Carry　lots　of　suitcases；　half　of　them　empty　to　bring　back　all　the　shit　you'll　buy　there　with　your　econ　rubles；　Ed　Foley　thought。　Except　you　don't　e　back。。。　and　if　Langley　and　London　get　their　shit　together；　maybe　we　can　make　it　a　real　home…run　ball。。。
　　　〃Home；　honey？〃　Foley　asked。　Wouldn't　it　be　a　hoot　if　KGB　didn't　have　their　home　and　car　bugged；　and　they　were　doing　all　this　secret…agent　crap　for　no　reason　at　all？　he　thought　idly。　Well；　at　worst；　it　was　good　practice；　wasn't　it？
　　　〃Yeah；　we've　done　enough　for　one　day。〃
　　　〃Bloody　hell；〃　Basil　Charleston　breathed。　He　lifted　his　phone　and　punched　three　buttons。
　　　〃Yes；　sir？〃　Kingshot　asked；　ing　into　the　room。
　　　〃This。〃　C　handed　the　dispatch　across。
　　　〃Shit；〃　Kingshot　breathed。
　　　Sir　Basil　managed　a　smile。　〃It's　always　the　obvious；　simple　things；　isn't　it？〃
　　　〃Yes；　sir。　Even　so；　does　make　one　feel　rather　thick；〃　he　admitted。　〃A　house　fire。　Works　better　than　what　we　originally　thought。〃
　　　〃Well；　something　to　remember。　How　many　house　fires　do　we　have　in　London；　Alan？〃
　　　〃Sir　Basil；　I　have　not　a　clue；〃　the　most　senior　field　spook　in　the　SIS　admitted。　〃But　find　out　I　shall。〃
　　　〃Get　this　to　your　friend　Nolan　as　well。〃
　　　〃Tomorrow　morning；　sir；〃　Kingshot　promised。　〃At　least　it　improves　our　chances。　Are　CIA　working　on　this　as　well？〃
　　　〃Yes。〃
　　　As　was　the　FBI。　Director　Emil　Jacobs　had　heard　his　share　of　oddball　requests　from　the　folks　on　〃the　other　side　of　the　river；〃　as　CIA　was　sometimes　called　in　official　Washington。　But　this　was　positively　gruesome。　He　lifted　his　phone　and　punched　his　direct　line　to　the　DCL
　　　〃There's　a　good　reason　for　this；　I　presume；　Arthur？〃　he　asked　without　preamble。
　　　〃Not　over　the　phone；　Emil；　but　yes。〃
　　　〃Three　Caucasians；　one　male　in　his　early　thirties；　one　female　same　age；　and　a　little　girl　age　three　or　four；〃　Jacobs　said；　reading　it　off　the　hand…delivered　note　from　Langley。　〃My　field　agents　will　think　the　Director's　slipped　a　major　gear；　Arthur。　We'd　probably　be　better　off　asking　local　police　forces　for　assistance…〃
　　　〃But…〃
　　　〃Yes；　I　know；　it　would　leak　too　quickly。　Okay；　I　can　send　a　message　to　all　my　SACs　and　have　them　check　their　morning　papers；　but　it　won't　be　easy　to　keep　something　like　this　from　leaking　out。　〃
　　　〃Emil；　I　understand　that。　We're　trying　to　get　help　from　the　Brits　on　this　as　well。　Not　the　sort　of　thing　you　can　just　whistle　up；　I　know。　All　I　can　say　is　that　it's　very　important；　Emil。〃
　　　〃You　due　on　The　Hill　anytime　soon？〃
　　　〃House　Intelligence　mittee　tomorrow　at　ten。　Budget　stuff；〃　Moore　explained。　Congress　was　always　going　after　that　information；　and　Moore　always　had　to　defend　his　agency　from　people　on　The　Hill；　who　would　just　as　soon　cut　CIA　off　at　the　ankles…so　that　they　could　plain　about　〃intelligence　failures〃　later　on；　of　course。
　　　〃Okay；　can　you　stop　off　here　on　the　way？　I　gotta　hear　this　cock…and…bull　story；〃　Jacobs　announced。
　　　〃Eight…forty　or　so？〃
　　　〃Works　for　me；　Arthur。〃
　　　〃See　you　then；〃　Moore　promised。
　　　Director　Jacobs　replaced　his　phone；　wondering　what　could　be　so　goddamned　important　as　to　request　the　Federal　Bureau　of　Investigation　to　play　grave　robber。
　　　On　the　metro　home；　after　buying　his　little　zaichik　a　white　parka　with　red　and　green　flowers　on　it；　Zaitzev　thought　over　his　strategy。　When　would　he　tell　Irina　about　their　impromptu　vacation？　If　he　sprang　it　on　her　as　a　surprise；　there　would　be　one　sort　of　problem…Irina　would　worry　about　her　accounting　job　at　GUM；　but　the　office　was；　by　her　account；　so　loosely　run　that　they'd　hardly　notice　a　missing　body。　But　if　he　did　give　her　too　much　warning；　there　would　be　another　problem…she'd　try　to　micromanage　everything；　like　every　wife　in　the　known　world；　since；　in　her　mind；　he　was　unfitted　to　figure　out　anything。　That　was　rather　musing；　Oleg　Ivan'ch　thought；　given　the　current　circumstances。
　　　So；　then；　no；　he　would　not　tell　her　ahead　of　time；　but　instead　spring　this　trip　on　her　as　a　surprise；　and　use　this　Hungarian　conductor　as　the　excuse。　Then　the　big　surprise　would　e　in　Budapest。　He　wondered　how　she'd　react　to　that　piece　of　news。　Perhaps　not　well；　but　she　was　a　Russian　wife；　trained　and　educated　to　accept　the　orders　of　her　man；　which；　all　Russian　men　thought；　was　as　it　should　be。
　　　Svetlana　loved　riding　the　metro。　That　was　the　thing　with　little　children；　Oleg　had　learned。　To　them　everything　was　an　adventure　to　take　in　with　their　wide　children's　eyes；　even　something　as　routine　as　riding　the　underground　train。　She　didn't　walk　or　run。　She　pranced；　like　a　puppy…or　like　a　bunny；　her　father　thought；　smiling　down　at　her。　Would　his　little　zaichik　find　better　adventures　in　the　West？
　　　Probably　so　。。。　if　I　get　her　there　alive；　Zaitzev　reminded　himself。　There　was　danger　involved；　but　somehow　his　fear　was　not　for　himself；　but　for　his　daughter。　How　odd　that　was。　Or　was　it？　He　didn't　know　anymore。　He　knew　that　he　had　a　mission　of　sorts；　and　that　was　all　that　he　actually　saw　before　him。　The　rest　of　it　was　just　a　collection　of　intermediate　steps；　but　at　the　end　of　the　steps　was　a　bright；　shining　light；　and　that　was　all　he　could　really　see。　It　was　very　strange　how　the　light　had　grown　brighter　and　brighter　since　his　first　doubts　about　Operation　…666　until　now；　when　it　occupied　all　his　mental　eyes　could　see。　Like　a　moth　drawn　to　a　light；　he　kept　circling　in　closer　and　closer；　and　all　he　could　really　hope　was　that　the　light　was　not　a　flame　that　would　kill　him。
　　　〃Here；　Papa！〃　Svetlana　said；　recognizing　their　stop；　taking　his　hand；　and　dragging　him　forward　to　the　sliding　doors。　A　minute　later；　she　jumped　on　the　moving　steps　of　the　escalator；　excited　by　that　ride　as　well。　His　child　was　like　an　American　adult…or　how　Russians　supposed　them　to　be；　always　seeing　opportunities　and　possibilities　and　the　fun　to　be　had；　instead　of　the　dangers　and　threats　that　careful；　sober　Soviet　citizens　saw　everywhere。　But　if　Americans　were　so　foolish；　why　were　Soviets　always　trying…and　failing…to　catch　up　with　them？　Was　America　really　right　where　the　USSR　was　so　often　wrong？　It　was　a　deeper　question　that　he'd　scarcely　considered。　All　he　knew　of　America　was　the　obvious　propaganda　he　saw　every　night　on　television　or　read　about　in　the　official　State　newspapers。　He　knew　that　had　to　be　wrong；　but　his　knowledge　was　unbalanced；　since　h