tc.patriotgames-第29部分

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　　　　Murray　nodded。　〃We　both　have　some　good　　well；　not　so　good　　stories　about　what　a　jury　can　do；　but　when　you　get　down　to　it；　the　system　works　pretty　well。　mander　Owens；　why　don't　we　buy　this　gentleman　a　beer？〃
　　　　〃A　fine　idea。　Agent　Murray。〃　Owens　took　Ryan's　arm　and　led　him　to　the　staircase：
　　　　〃That　kid's　a　scary　little　bastard；　isn't　he？〃　Ryan　said。　He　wanted　a　professional　opinion。
　　　　〃You　noticed；　eh？〃　Murray　observed。　〃Wele　to　the　wonderful　world　of　the　international　terrorist。　Yeah；　he's　a　tough　little　son　of　a　bitch；　all　right。　Most　of　'em　are；　at　first。〃　
　　　　〃A　year　from　now　he'll　have　been　changed　a　bit。　He's　a　hard　one；　mind；　but　the　hard　ones　are　often　rather　brittle；〃　Owens　said。　〃They　sometimes　crack。　Time　is　very　much　on　our　side；　Jack。　And　even　if　he　doesn't；　that's　one　less　to　worry　about。〃

　　　　〃A　very　confident　witness；〃　the　TV　news　mentator　said。　〃Doctor　Ryan　fended　off　a　determined　attack　by　the　defense　counsel；　Charles　Atkinson；　and　identified　defendant　Sean　Miller　quite　positively　in　the　second　day　of　The　Mall　Murder　trial　in　Old　Bailey　Number　Two。〃　The　picture　showed　Ryan　walking　down　the　hill　from　the　courthouse　with　two　men　in　attendance。　The　American　was　gesturing　about　something；　then　laughed　as　he　passed　the　TV　news　camera。
　　　　〃Our　old　friend　Owens。　Who's　the　other　one？〃　O'Donnell　asked。
　　　　〃Daniel　E。　Murray；　FBI　representative　at　Grosvenor　Square；〃　replied　his　intelligence　officer。
　　　　〃Oh。　Never　saw　his　face。　So　that's　what　he　looks　like。　Going　out　for　a　jar；　I'll　wager。　The　hero　and　his　coat…holders。　Pity　we　couldn't　have　had　a　man　with　an　RPG　right　there　。　。　。　〃　They'd　scouted　James　Owens　once；　trying　to　figure　a　way　to　assassinate　him；　but　the　man　always　had　a　chase　car　and　never　used　the　same　route　twice。　His　house　was　always　watched。　They　could　have　killed　him；　but　the　getaway　would　have　been　too　risky；　and　O'Donnell　was　not　given　to　sending　his　men　on　suicide　missions。　〃Ryan　goes　home　either　tomorrow　or　next　day。〃　
　　　　〃Oh？〃　The　intelligence　officer　hadn't　learned　that。　Where　does　Kevin　get　all　his　special　information　。　。　。？
　　　　〃Too　bad；　isn't　it？　Wouldn't　it　be　grand　to　send　him　home　in　a　coffin；　Michael？〃
　　　　〃I　thought　you　said　he　was　not　a　worthwhile　target；〃　Mike　McKenney　said。
　　　　〃Ah；　but　he's　a　proud　one；　isn't　he？　Crosses　swords　with　our　friend　Charlie　and　prances　out　of　the　Bailey　for　a　pint　of　beer。　Bloody　American；　so　sure　of　everything。〃　Wouldn't　it　be　nice　to　。　。　。　Kevin　O'Donnell　shook　his　head。　〃We　have　other　things　to　plan。　Sir　John　can　wait；　and　so　can　we。〃

　　　　〃I　practically　had　to　hold　a　gun　on　somebody　to　get　to　do　this；〃　Murray　said　over　his　shoulder。　The　FBI　agent　was　driving　his　personal　car；　with　a　Diplomatic　Protection　Group　escort　on　the　left　front　seat；　and　a　chase　car　of　C…13　detectives　trying　to　keep　up。
　　　　Keep　your　eyes　on　the　damned　road；　Ryan　wished　as　hard　as　he　could。　His　exposure　to　London　traffic　to　this　point　had　been　minimal；　and　only　now　did　he　appreciate　that　the　city's　speed　limit　was　considered　a　matter　of　contempt　by　the　drivers。　Being　on　the　wrong　side　of　the　road　didn't　help　either。
　　　　〃Tom　Hughes　　he's　the　Chief　Warder　　told　me　what　he　had　planned；　and　I　figured　you　might　want　an　escort　who　talks　right。〃　
　　　　And　drives　right；　Ryan　thought　as　they　passed　a　truck　　lorry　　on　the　wrong　side。　Or　was　it　the　right　side？　How　do　you　tell？　He　could　tell　that　they'd　missed　the　truck's　taillights　by　about　eighteen　inches。　English　roads　were　not　impressive　for　their　width。　
　　　　〃Damned　shame　you　didn't　get　to　see　very　much。〃　
　　　　〃Well；　Cathy　did；　and　I　caught　a　lot　of　TV。〃　
　　　　〃What　did　you　watch？〃
　　　　Jack　laughed。　〃I　caught　a　lot　of　the　replays　of　the　cricket　championships。〃
　　　　〃Did　you　ever　figure　out　the　rules？〃　Murray　asked；　turning　his　head　again。
　　　　〃It　has　rules？〃　Ryan　asked　incredulously。　〃Why　spoil　it　with　rules？〃
　　　　〃They　say　it　does；　but　damn　if　I　ever　figured　them　out。　But　we're　getting　even　now。〃　
　　　　〃How's　that？〃　
　　　　〃Football　is　being　pretty　popular　over　here。　Our　kind；　I　mean。　I　gave　Jimmy　Owens　a　big　runaround　last　year　on　the　difference　between　offside　and　illegal　procedure。〃　
　　　　〃You　mean　encroachment　and　false　start；　don't　you？〃　the　DPG　man　inquired。
　　　　〃See？　They're　catching　on。〃
　　　　〃You　mean　I　could　have　gotten　football　on　TV；　and　nobody　told　me！〃　
　　　　〃Too　bad；　Jack；〃　Cathy　observed。
　　　　〃Well；　here　we　are。〃　Murray　stood　on　the　brakes　as　he　turned　downhill　toward　the　river。　Jack　noticed　that　he　seemed　to　be　heading　the　wrong　way　down　a　one…way　street；　but　at　least　he　was　going　more　slowly　now。　Finally　the　car　stopped。　It　was　dark。　The　sunset　came　early　this　time　of　year。
　　　　〃Here's　your　surprise。〃　Murray　jumped　out　and　got　the　door；　allowing　Ryan　to　repeat　his　imitation　of　a　fiddler　crab　exiting　from　a　car。　〃Hi；　there；　Tom！〃
　　　　Two　men　approached；　both　in　Tudor　uniforms　of　blue　and　red。　The　one　in　the　lead；　a　man　in　his　late　fifties；　came　directly　to　Ryan。
　　　　〃Sir　John；　Lady　Ryan；　wele　to　Her　Majesty's　Tower　of　London。　I　am　Thomas　Hughes；　this　is　Joseph　Evans。　I　see　that　Dan　managed　to　get　you　here　on　time。〃　Everyone　shook　hands。
　　　　〃Yeah；　we　didn't　even　have　to　break　mach…1。　May　I　ask　what　the　surprise　is？〃
　　　　〃But　then　it　wouldn't　be　a　surprise；〃　Hughes　pointed　out。　〃I　had　hoped　to　conduct　you　around　the　grounds　myself；　but　there's　something　I　must　attend　to。　Joe　will　see　to　your　needs；　and　I　will　rejoin　you　shortly。〃　The　Chief　Warder　walked　off　with　Dan　Murray　in　his　wake。
　　　　〃Have　you　been　to　the　Tower　before？〃　Evans　asked。　Jack　shook　his　head。
　　　　〃I　have；　when　I　was　nine；〃　Cathy　said。　〃I　don't　remember　very　much。〃
　　　　Evans　motioned　for　them　to　e　along　with　him。　〃Well；　we'll　try　to　implant　the　knowledge　more　permanently　this　time。〃　
　　　　〃You　guys　are　all　soldiers；　right？〃
　　　　〃Actually；　Sir　John；　we　are　all　ex…sergeant　majors　　well；　two　of　us　were　warrant　officers。　I　was　sergeant　major　in　1　Para　when　I　retired。　I　had　to　wait　four　years　to　get　accepted　here。　There　is　quite　a　bit　of　interest　in　this　job；　as　you　might　imagine。　The　petition　is　very　keen。〃
　　　　〃So；　you　were　what　we　call　a　mand　sergeant…major；　sir？〃
　　　　〃Yes；　I　think　that's　right。〃
　　　　Ryan　gave　a　quick　look　to　the　decorations　on　Evans'　coat　　it　looked　more　like　a　dress；　but　he　had　no　plans　to　say　that。　Those　ribbons　didn't　mean　that　Evans　had　e　out　of　the　dentist's　office　with　no　cavities。　It　didn't　take　much　imagination　to　figure　what　sort　of　men　got　appointed　to　this　job。　Evans　didn't　walk；　he　marched　with　the　sort　of　pride　that　took　thirty　years　of　soldiering　to　acquire。
　　　　〃Is　your　arm　troubling　you；　sir？〃　
　　　　〃My　name's　Jack；　and　my　arm's　okay。〃
　　　　〃I　had　a　cast　just　like　that　one　back　in　sixty…eight；　I　think　it　was。　Training　accident；〃　Evans　said　with　a　rueful　shake　of　his　head。　〃Landed　on　a　stone　fence。　Hurt　like　the　very　devil　for　weeks。〃
　　　　〃But　you　kept　jumping。〃　And　did　your　push…ups　one…handed；　didn't　you？
　　　　〃Of　course。〃　Evans　stopped。　〃Right；　now　this　imposing　edifice　is　the　Middle　Tower。　There　used　to　be　an　outer　structure　right　there　where　the　souvenir　shop　is。　They　called　it　the　Lion　Tower；　because　that's　where　the　royal　menagerie　was　kept　until　1834。〃　
　　　　The　speech　was　delivered　as　perfectly　as　Evans　had　done；　several　times　per　day；　for　the　past　four　years。　My　first　castle；　Jack　thought；　looking　at　the　stone　walls。　
　　　　〃Was　the　moat　for…real？〃
　　　　〃Oh；　yes；　and　a　very　unpleasant　one　at　that。　The　problem；　you　see；　was　that　it　was　designed　so　that　the　river　would　wash　in　and　out　every　day；　thereby　keeping　it　fresh　and　clean。　Unfortunately　the　engineer　didn't　do　his　sums　quite　right；　and　once　the　water　came　in；　it　stayed　in。　Even　worse；　everything　that　got　thrown　away　by　the　people　living　here　was　naturally　enough　thrown　into　the　moat　　and　stayed　there；　and　rotted。　I　suppose　it　served　a　tactical　purpose；　though。　The　smell　of　the　moat　alone　must　have　been　sufficient　to　keep　all　but　the　most　adventurous　chaps　away。　It　was　finally　drained　in　1843；　and　now　it　serves　a　really　useful　purpose　　the　children　can　play　football　there。　On　the　far　side　are　swings　and　jungle　gyms。　Do　you　have　children？〃　
　　　　〃One　and　a　ninth；〃　Cathy　answered。
　　　　〃Really？〃　Evans　smiled　in　the　darkness。　〃Bloody　marvelous！　I　suppose　that's　one　Yank　who　will　be　forever　　at　least　a　little　　British！　Moira　and　I　have　two；　both　of　them　born　overseas。　Now　this　is　the　Byward　Tower。〃　
　　　　〃These　things　all　had　drawbridges；　right？〃　Jack　asked。　
　　　　〃Yes；　the　Lion　and　Middle　towers　were　essentially　islands　with　twenty　or　so　feet　of　smelly　water　around　them。　You'll　also　notice　that　the　path　into　the　grounds　has　a　right…angle　turn。　The　purpose　of　that；　of　course；　was　to　make　life　difficult　for　the　chaps　with　the　battering　ram。〃
　　　　Jack　looked　at　the　width　of　the　moat　and　the　height　of　the　walls　as　they　passed　into　the　Tower　grounds　proper。　〃So　nobody　ever　took　this　place？〃
　　　　Evans　shook　his　head。　〃There　has　never　been　a　serious　attempt；　and　I　wouldn't　much　fancy　trying　today。〃

　　　　〃Yeah；〃　Ryan　agreed。　〃You　sweat　having　somebody　e　in　and　bomb　the　place？〃
　　　　〃That's　happened；　I　am　sorry　to　say；　in　the　White　Tower；　over　ten　years　ago　　terrorists。　Security　is　somewhat　tighter　now；〃　Evans　said。
　　　　In　additio