el.angeleyes-第123部分

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pon　you　by　accident；　that　he　hadn't　studied　you　for　months？　Understanding　your　particular　psychology　was　how　he　was　able　to　snare　you；　keep　you　loyal　to　him。　This　is　Bernard's　specialty。〃
　Tori　sought　to　digest　all　this。　She　watched　water　droplets　streaking　the　window。　It　seemed　to　her　as　if　that　horizontal　rain　represented　the　strange　new　world　opening　to　her。　〃I'm　still　the　Wild　Child；　Russ；〃　she　said。　〃I　don't　want　to　lose　her。〃
　Russell　stroked　her　hair。　〃It　seems　hard　to　realize；　I　know；　but　you　won't　lose　her；　no　matter　what　happens。''
　Tori　closed　her　eyes；　shuddered。　〃Is　that　why　it's　so　hard　to　pull　away？〃
　〃Partly；〃　Russell　said。　〃There's　also　the　fear　of　there　being　only　you　now　to　rely　on。〃
　Tori　opened　her　eyes。　〃But　that's　not　true；　now；　is　it？〃　She　was　crying。　〃I　love　you；　Russ。〃
　They　held　each　other　in　silence　for　some　time。　At　last　he　stirred　and　said；　〃You　know；　discipline　dictates　that　we　turn　this　plane　around　right　now。　Love　and　fieldwork　are　deadly　panions。〃
　〃It's　too　late　for　second　thoughts；〃　Tori　said。
　〃Is　it？〃
　〃Always　serious。　Always　duty　first；　that's　you；　Russ。〃
　〃Not　always；〃　he　said；　reaching　for　her。　〃Not　anymore。〃
　The　727　flew　on　toward　Moscow。
　
　*　*　*
　Captain　Nikolev　was　at　Department　N　headquarters；　immersed　in　the　drudgery　of　paperwork　connected　with　the　Bondasenko…Ponomareva　stakeout；　when　the　routine　report　came　over　the　wire。　It　concerned　the　American　diplomatic　mission　from　Tokyo　being　held　up　at　Sheremetyevo　Airport　because　of　bureaucratic　red　tape。
　He　immediately　got　up　from　the　typewriter。　He　was　thinking　of　the　memo　Mars　had　shown　him；　and　Mars's　firm　if　unstated　belief　that　this　''diplomatic　mission''　had　more　to　do　with　White　Star　than　it　did　with　international　diplomacy。
　He　rang　downstairs　to　the　garage　for　a　driver　and　car；　grabbed　his　hat　off　the　rack；　and　took　the　concrete　stairs　two　at　a　time　down　to　where　the　black　Zil　waited。
　It　was　pouring；　and　traffic　was　snarled。　He　instructed　his　driver　to　take　the　Chaika　lane　out　of　the　city　so　they　could　make　good　time　to　Sheremetyevo。　It　was　important　now　that　he　arrive　before　someone　from　the　American　embassy　did　to　bail　the　〃diplomatic　mission〃　out。
　But　even　with　all　the　cynicism　KGB　foreknowledge　provided；　he　was　unprepared　for　the　two　Americans　he　found　enmeshed　in　the　exquisitely　inefficient　Soviet　bureaucratic　machine。　It　was　not　the　big　handsome　American　male　with　the　hard　eyes　and　sharp　tongue　of　a　professional…although　hardly　a　professional　diplomat…who　threw　Captain　Nikolev；　but　the　stunning；　well…built　blond　with　eyes　so　fantastic　that　Nikolev　had　to　force　himself　to　look　away　or　forever　be　mesmerized。
　If　possible；　her　tongue　was　sharper　than　that　of　her　panion's。　She　was　wearing　a　short　skirt　and　a　sleeveless　blouse。　Captain　Nikolev　stared　at　the　definition　of　the　muscles　in　her　arms。　He　had　never　before　in　his　life　seen　a　pair　of　legs　like　those。　His　mind　was　busy；　nicking　past　possibility　after　possibility。　Who　was　this　singular　woman？
　The　two　Americans　were　surrounded　by　a　clot　of　suspicious；　dull…eyed　officials。　Shaking　off　his　amazement；　Captain　Nikolev　waded　into　the　mess　with　the　assurance　and　aplomb　of　a　member　of　an　invisible　club　which　operated　by　an　entirely　different　set　of　rules　from　the　rest　of　the　local　citizens。
　He　glanced　at　the　diplomatic　mission's　papers；　and　though　he　was　convinced　that　they　were　forgeries　before　he　even　saw　them；　he　could　find　no　hard　evidence　to　back　up　that　suspicion。　The　papers　seemed　genuine　to　him；　and　he　was　certain　that　should　he　hand　them　over　to　the　KGB　lab；　its　results　would　likely　not　differ　from　his　first　visual　impression。　The　lab　could　do　the　same　with　any　American…or　British；　French；　Japanese…document　one　could　name；　so　what　was　the　point　in　trying　to　spot　a　forgery？　One　had　to　go　by　instinct　in　these　matters。　Captain　Nikolev　had　learned；　not　by　evidence。　Though；　of　course；　one　needed　to　be　thorough；　experience　had　taught　him　that　professionals　rarely　gave　you　any　evidence　to　work　with；　so　it　was　useless　to　waste　too　much　time　searching　for　it。
　〃Mr。　Slade；　Miss　Nunn；〃　Captain　Nikolev　said　in　Russian；　as　he　introduced　himself；　〃do　either　of　you　speak　Russian？〃
　〃I　speak　it　passably　well；〃　Tori　said；　〃though　I　admit　it's　been　some　time　since　I　had　cause　to　use　it。〃
　Captain　Nikolev　smiled；　inclined　his　head。　〃Your　accent　is　not　terrible。　Miss　Nunn。　How　is　your　vocabulary？〃
　〃We'll　have　to　see。〃
　Yes；　Nikolev　thought。　That　we　will。　He　closed　their　documents；　handed　them　back。　〃Everything　seems　in　order；〃　he　said。
　〃Really？〃　Tori　was　surprised。　〃Then　why　have　we　been　sitting　here　wrangling　with　Immigration　for　over　an　hour？〃
　Nikolev　shrugged。　〃It　seems　to　me　that　bureaucracies　are　the　same　the　world　over。〃　He　smiled。　〃Someone　perhaps　was　concerned　that　your　flight　plan　overflew　the　military　air　base　outside　Novosibirsk。〃
　Tori　said；　〃The　fact　is；　we　were　detoured　around　it。〃
　〃Of　course。　I　understand　local　security　outside　of　Moscow　is　quite　good；　quite　stable；　but　nevertheless　。　。　。〃　He　smiled　again。　〃I　hope　it　would　not　be　too　much　of　an　inconvenience　if　I　had　some　of　my　men　check　your　aircraft。''
　〃I'm　afraid　that's　impossible；〃　Tori　said。　〃We　are　on　a　diplomatic　mission。　Our　carrier　is　United　States　government　equipment。　We…and　it…have　immunity。〃
　〃I　promise　you　nothing　of　a　personal　nature　will　be　disturbed。　I　suppose　some　of　my　superiors　are　understandably　disturbed　that　we　might　find　long…range　lenses　or　cameras…〃
　Tori　said；　〃I　can　assure　you　there's　nothing　of　that　nature　on　board。〃
　〃Not　to　dispute　your　honesty。　Miss　Nunn；　but　policy　dictates…〃
　〃You'll　leave　our　airplane　alone；　Captain；　unless　you're　prepared　to　initiate　an　international　incident。　Our　government　takes　a　dim　view　of　the　violation　of　diplomatic　rights。''
　Captain　Nikolev　hesitated　for　just　a　moment；　then　a　smile　broke　out　on　his　face。　〃Of　course；〃　he　said。　〃You're　quite　right。　I　can't　imagine　what　I　was　thinking　of。〃　He　gestured　them　through　Immigration。　〃Won't　you　follow　me？　I　have　a　car　waiting　to　take　you　to　Tchaikovsky　Street。　To　make　up　for　the　inconvenience。〃
　Tori　saw　his　expectant　look。　She　knew　she　was　being　tested。　She　already　had　the　disquieting　sense　that　this　Captain　Nikolev　of　the　KGB　Border　Guards　did　not　for　a　moment　believe　that　she　and　Russell　were　diplomats。　But　how　was　that　possible？
　For　a　moment　she　had　the　odd；　even　more　disquieting　sensation　that　this　man　had　been　waiting　for　them　to　land。　But　all　that　had　been　logged　with　the　Soviet　authorities　was　their　flight　plan。　That　could　hardly　be　enough　to　alert　the　KGB。　And　that　nonsense　about　the　air　base　at　Novosibirsk　had　not　fooled　her。　Had　the　ever…paranoid　Soviets　really　been　worried；　they　would　never　have　approved　the　flight　plan　in　the　first　place。　She　wondered　what　was　going　on　behind　the　carefully　erected　facades。
　As　they　headed　through　the　terminal；　Russell　said　in　English；　〃What　the　hell's　going　on？〃
　Tori　grinned　like　an　idiot　at　him。　''This　nice　KGB　captain　has　been　kind　enough　to　offer　us　a　ride　into　town。〃
　〃He's　too　kind；〃　Russell　said；　catching　her　expression；　which　said；　Who　knows　who　understands　English　around　here？
　〃My　thought　exactly。〃
　Captain　Nikolev's　driver　had　the　black　Zil's　curbside　doors　open；　and　they　all　piled　into　the　car。　Nikolev　had　previously　told　his　driver　not　to　take　the　Chaika　lane　inside　Moscow；　and　the　man　did　not　take　the　route　that　would　have　brought　them　directly　to　the　American　embassy　on　Tchaikovsky　Street。
　〃I　thought；〃　Nikolev　said；　〃that　you　might　enjoy　a　spot　of　sightseeing　before　I　drop　you　at　your　destination。〃
　〃That's　most　kind　of　you。　Captain；〃　Tori　said　after　she　had　translated　for　Russell's　benefit。　〃Neither　of　us　have　been　in　Moscow　before。〃
　〃A　first　diplomatic　mission！〃　Nikolev　enthused。　〃Now　I　must　make　this　sightseeing　something　to　remember。〃
　Why　is　it；　Tori　asked　herself；　that　I'm　hearing　sinister　undertones　in　everything　he　says；　as　if　he's　saying　one　thing；　and　meaning　something　altogether　different？
　He　took　them　past　the　Lenin　Hills　and　the　State　University；　where　yesterday　he　and　Mars　Volkov　had　had　their　discussion。　Along　the　Moskva；　past　Gorky　Park；　so　green