tc.redrabbit-第90部分
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e official State newspapers。 He knew that had to be wrong； but his knowledge was unbalanced； since he did not really know true information。 And so his leap to the West was fundamentally a leap of faith。 If his country was so wrong； then the alternative superpower had to be right。 It was a big； long； and dangerous leap； he thought； walking down the sidewalk and holding his little girl's hand。 He told himself that he ought to be more fearful。
But it was too late to be frightened； and turning back would have been as harmful to him as going forward。 Above everything else； it was a question of who would destroy him…his country or himself…if he failed to carry out his mission。 And on the other side； would America reward him for trying to do what he deemed the right thing？ It seemed that he was like Lenin and the other revolutionary heroes： He saw something that was objectively wrong； and he was going to try to prevent it。 Why？ Because he had to。 He had to trust that his country's enemies would see right and wrong as he did。 Would they？ While the American President had denounced his nation as the focus of all the evil in the world； his country said much the same thing of America。 Who was right？ Who was wrong？ But it was his country and his employer that was conspiring to murder an innocent man； and that was as far as he could see into the right/wrong question。
As Oleg and Svetlana turned left to go into their apartment building； he recognized one final time that his course was set。 He could not change it； but could only toss the dice and wait to see how they came up。
And where would his daughter grow up？ That also rested on the flying dice。
It happened first in York； the largest city in northern England。 Fire…safety engineers tell everyone who will listen that the least important thing about fires is what causes them to start； because they always start for the same reasons。 In this case； it was the one that firefighters most hate to discover。 Owen Williams； after a friendly night at his favorite pub； The Brown Lion； managed to down six pints of dark beer； which； added to a lengthy and tiring day working his job as a carpenter； had made him rather sleepy by the time he got to his third…floor flat； but that didn't stop him from switching on the TV in his bedroom and lighting a final cigarette of the day。 His head propped up on a plumped pillow； he took a few puffs before fading out from the alcohol and the day's hard work。 When that happened； his hand relaxed； and the cigarette fell onto the bedclothes。 There it smoldered for about ten minutes before the white cotton sheets started to burn。 Since Williams was unmarried…his wife had divorced him a year before…there was no one nearby to take note of the acrid； evil smell； and gradually the smoke wafted up to the ceiling as the low…level fire progressively consumed the bedclothes and then the mattress。
People rarely die from fire； and neither did Owen Williams。 Instead； he started breathing in the smoke。 Smoke…engineers often use the term 〃fire gas〃…mainly consists of hot air； carbon monoxide； and soot particles； which are unburned material from the fire's fuel。 Of these； the carbon monoxide is often the deadliest ponent； since it forms a bond with the red blood cells。 This bond is actually stronger than the bond that hemoglobin forms with the free oxygen that the blood conveys to the various parts of the human body。 The overall effect on the human consciousness is rather like that of alcohol…euphoria； like being pleasantly drunk； followed by unconsciousness and； if it goes too far； as in this case； death from oxygen starvation of the brain。 And so； with a fire all around him； Owen Williams never woke； only fell deeper and deeper into a sleep that took him peacefully into eternity at the age of thirty…two years。
It wasn't until three hours later that a shift worker who lived on the same floor came home from work and noticed a smell in the third…floor corridor that lit up his internal alarm lights。 He pounded on the door； and； getting no response； ran to his own flat and dialed 999。
There was a firehouse only six blocks away； and there； as with any other such house in the world； the firefighters rolled out of their military…style single beds； pulled on their boots and their turn…out coats； slid down the brass rail to the apparatus floor； punched the button to lift the automatic doors； and raced out on the street in their Dennis pumper； followed by a ladder truck。 The drivers both knew the streets as well as any taxi driver and arrived at the apartment building less than ten minutes after their bells had chimed them awake。 The pumper crew halted their vehicle； and two men dragged the draft hoses to the corner fire hydrant； charging the line in a skillful and well…practiced drill。 The ladder men； whose primary job was search and rescue； raced inside to find that the concerned citizen who'd called in the alarm had already pounded on every door on the third floor and gotten his neighbors awake and out of their apartments。 He pointed the lead fireman to the correct door； and that burly individual knocked it down with two powerful swings of his axe。 He was greeted by a dense cloud of black smoke； the smell of which got past his air mask and immediately announced 〃mattress〃 to his experienced mind。 This was followed by a quick prayer that they'd gotten here in time； and then instant dread that they had not。 Everything； including the time of day； was against them in the dark； early morning。 He ran into the back bedroom； smashed out the windows with his steel axe to vent the smoke outside； and then turned to see what he'd seen thirty or more times before…a human form； nearly hidden by the smoke and not moving。 By then； two more of his colleagues were in the room。 They dragged Owen Williams out into the corridor。
〃Oh； shit！〃 one of them observed。 The senior paramedic on the crew put an oxygen mask on the colorless face and started hitting the button to force pure oxygen into the lungs； and a second man began pounding on the victim's chest to get his heart restarted while； behind them； the enginemen snaked a two…and…a…half…inch hose into the flat and started spraying water。
All in all； it was a textbook exercise。 The fire was snuffed out in less than three minutes。 Soon thereafter； the smoke had largely cleared； and the firemen took off their protective air masks。 But； out in the corridor； Owen Williams showed not a flicker of life。 The rule was that nobody was dead until a physician said so； and so they carried the body like a large and heavy limp rag to the white ambulance sitting on the street。 The paramedic crew had their own battle drill； and they followed it to the letter； first putting the body on their gurney； then checking his eyes； then his airway…it was clear…and using their ventilator to get more oxygen into him； plus more CPR to get the heart moving。 The peripheral burns would have to wait。 The first thing to be done was to get the heart beating and lungs breathing； as the driver pulled out onto the darkened streets for Queen Victoria Hospital； just more than a mile away。
But by the time they got there； the paramedics in the back knew that it was just a waste of their highly valuable time。 The casualty…receiving area was ready for them。 The driver reversed direction and backed in； the rear doors were wrenched open； and the gurney was wheeled out； with a young doctor observing but not touching anything yet。
〃Smoke inhalation；〃 the fireman…paramedic said； on ing in the swinging doors。 〃Severe carbon monoxide intoxication。〃 The extensive but mainly superficial burns could wait for the moment。
〃How long？〃 the ER doc asked at once。
〃Don't know。 It does not look good； doctor。 CO poisoning； eyes fixed and dilated； fingernails red； no response to CPR or oxygen as yet；〃 the paramedic reported。
The medics all tried。 You don't just kiss off the life of a man in his early thirties； but an hour later it was clear that Owen Williams would not open his blue eyes ever again； and； on the doctor's mand； lifesaving efforts were stopped and a time of death announced； to be typed in on the death certificate。 The police were there； also； of course。 They mostly chatted with the firemen until the cause of death was established。 The blood chemistry was taken…they'd drawn blood immediately to check blood gasses…and after fifteen minutes； the lab reported that the level of carbon monoxide was 39 percent； deep into the lethal range。 He'd been dead before the firemen had rolled off their cots。 And that was that。
It was the police rather than the firemen who took it from there。 A man had died； and it had to be reported up the chain of mand。
That chain ended in London in the steel…and…glass building that was New Scotland Yard； with its revolving triangular sign that made tourists think that the name of the London police force was； in fact； Scotland Yard； when actually that had been a street name years before for the old headquarters building。 There； a Post…it note on a teletype machine announced that Chief Superintendent Nolan of Special Branch wanted to be informed at once of any death by fire or accident； and the teletype operator lifted a phone and called the appr
