el.angeleyes-第47部分

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s　emerging　from　Estilo　with　agonizing　slowness。　At　last
the　pincers　were　out。　In　a　blur　Tori　flung　the　insect　away　from　them；　into　the　underbrush。
　〃It's　gone。〃
　〃Well　done；〃　Estilo　said；　clapping　Tori　on　the　back。　Color　was　slowly　returning　to　his　face。　〃My　God；　that　was　too　close　by　half。〃　He　kissed　Tori　on　both　cheeks。
　〃That　was　very　impressive；〃　Russell　said　to　Tori　as　they　prepared　to　move　out。
　〃I　didn't　do　it　to　impress　you。''
　〃Give　it　a　break；　okay？〃　he　said。　〃What　you　did　took　a　lot　of　guts；　that's　all　I　meant。〃
　Russell　walked　away　from　her。　He　took　point。　He　had　gone　over　the　terrain　with　Cruz's　pilot；　but　he　also　must　have　pletely　memorized　the　topographical　map　in　the　helicopter；　because　he　had　not　needed　to　refer　to　it　once　they　were　on　the　ground。
　〃This　way；〃　he　said；　pointing　into　the　emerald　and　black　jungle；　and　they　pushed　on　through　the　dense　foliage。　Green　light　and　darkness；　shadows　lying　in　layers；　dense　with　mystery。　It　was　slow　going　because　they　needed　silence　more　than　speed　now。　They　could　not　afford　to　hack　their　way　through　with　their　machetes　because　the　men　guarding　the　factory　would　surely　hear　them　ing。
　They　soon　came　to　a　huge　tree。　Again　there　was　a　carving　on　it。　This　time　it　was　very　large。　It　showed　a　man　bound　upside　down　to　what　appeared　to　be　some　sort　of　circle。
　〃The　black　wheel　of　death；〃　Estilo　said。　〃Endless　pain；　eternal　torment。〃
　〃Another　warning；〃　Russell　said。　He　took　out　his　KA…BAR　knife　and；　in　three　wide　slices；　gouged　out　the　carving。　〃This　time　it's　ours。〃
　The　first　sign　they　had　that　they　were　close　to　their　goal　was　a　sight　of　an　army　patrol。　They　were　bivouacked　in　a　small　clearing　in　which　a　campesino's　shack　had　been　constructed。　There　were　twenty　soldiers。
　As　the　three　of　them　crept　closer　to　the　perimeter　they　could　see　that　groups　of　soldiers　were　taking　turns　going　inside　the　shack。　It　had　been　outfitted　with　a　small　generator；　a　TV　and　a　VCR。　The　soldiers　were　watching　a　videocassette　of　Apocalypse　Now；　absorbing　several　scenes　at　a　time　before　emerging　like　blinded　owls　into　the　intense　sunshine；　jabbering　excitedly；　swaggering　like　Colonel　Kilgore　or　blowing　out　their　cheeks　like　Colonel　Kurtz。
　Russell　guided　the　others　with　hand　signals；　and　they　gave　the　encampment　a　wide　berth。　It　appeared　that　Cruz　was　correct　about　the　army's　use　here…this　detachment　seemed　to　have　no　orders　to　patrol。　They　were　within　five　thousand　yards　of　a　major　cocaine　factory；　and　they　seemed　happily　on　vacation。　Who　could　mand　so　much　power？　Tori　asked　herself　as　they　headed　toward　the　factory。
　They　encountered　animals　next：　chickens；　pigs；　goats；　enough　to　feed　several　hundred　people。　Then　they　saw　the　beginning　of　the　pound。　Russell；　crouched　beside　Tori；　whispered；　〃Jesus　Christ；　this　isn't　a　factory；　it's　a　goddamned　city！〃　They　counted　a　dozen　long　houses…no　doubt　dormitories…made　of　corrugated　tin。　Beyond；　the　jungle　had　been　cleared　to　the　south　to　make　room　for　an　airstrip。　A　Twin　Otter　airplane　sat　on　the　runway；　being　refueled。
　As　they　continued　to　move　around　the　clearing's　perimeter；　they　came　upon　shedlike　warehouses　storing　drums　of　acetone；　aviation　fuel；　red　gasoline；　ether：　the　essentials　of　refining　coca　into　cocaine；　and　of　transporting　it　out　of　the　llano　negro。　Farther　along；　three　rows　of　massive　generators　hunkered　in　a　huge　shed　cooled　by　the　shade　of　a　grove　of　trees。　Other　buildings　housed　washing　machines；　shower　facilities；　mess　tables　to　acmodate　a　division。　They　found　the　lab　itself；　a　long；　low　structure　with　a　zinc　roof。　They　moved　on　until　they　had　identified　every　structure　in　the　clearing。
　The　entire　pound　was　dominated　by　the　cloyingly　sweet　stench　of　〃cooking〃　cocaine；　a　bination　of　ether　and　cocahydrochloride；　which　created　its　own　kind　of　pernicious　industrial　pollution　over　this　bizarre　and　scarifying　jungle　city。
　〃What　the　hell　have　we　stumbled　onto？〃　Estilo　breathed。　〃This　is　more　than　we　bargained　for；　Tori。　The　size　of　this　place。　。　。　You'd　need　a　couple　of　army　regiments　to　close　it　down。〃
　〃Maybe；〃　Tori　said。　〃Maybe　not。〃
　She　led　them　back　the　way　they　had　e。　Twice　they　had　to　stop；　melt　into　the　jungle　as　guards　in　Jeeps　thundered　by；　semiautomatic　rifles　at　the　ready。　They　were　not　soldiers；　but　they　had　the　bearing　of　army…trained　personnel。
　Tori　reentered　one　of　the　warehouses；　checked　the　contents　more　carefully。　When　she　returned　to　where　the　others　were
waiting；　she　said；　〃In　any　case；　there's　nothing　more　we　can　do　now。　Darkness　is　our　greatest　ally　out　here。〃
　In　the　belly　of　the　black　jungle；　Russell　took　the　first　watch。　Tori　and　Estilo　sat　together；　their　backs　against　the　bole　of　an　enormous　tree。　Birds　called　to　each　other　through　the　maze　of　tree　branches；　and　the　whir　of　flying　insects　was　incessant。
　Tori　and　Estilo　passed　a　canteen　back　and　forth；　taking　only　sips　at　a　time。　They　ate　some　concentrated　food。　Estilo　put　his　head　back；　closed　his　eyes。　〃A　long　long　time　ago；　when　I　was　a　little　boy；〃　he　said；　〃I　found　a　cat　in　the　jungle。　He　was　sick…you　could　see　he　had　no　flesh　over　his　rib　cage；　and　one　eye　didn't　work　right。　But；　my　God；　he　was　a　magnificent　fighter。　I　sat　and　watched　him　methodically　attack；　kill；　and　eat　a　seven…foot　adder　so　poisonous　I　wouldn't　have　gotten　within　ten　paces　of　it。　When　he　was　through　eating；　he　licked　his　paws　and；　mewing；　walked　over　to　me。　I　sat　still。　His　eyes　watched　mine；　and　I　think　that　if　I　had　made　any　move　at　all　he　would　have　attacked　me。
　〃But　I　didn't；　and　he　didn't；　and　so　we　became　friends。〃　Estilo　shrugged。　〃For　many　years　he　was　my　only　friend。　My　family　lived　with　other　German　emigres；　and　I　hated　them；　with　their　stiff；　formal　ways；　their　arrogance　of　superiority。　It　was　funny；　they　assumed　that　their　superiority　stemmed　from　genetics；　but　I　knew　the　Argentines　better　than　they　did；　and　I　knew　what　deference　the　Germans　were　given　was　bought　with　their　stolen　Nazi　blood　money。〃
　Estilo　turned　and　spat　into　the　humid　black　earth。　〃One　day　the　cat　was　gone；　just　like　that。　I　found　him　that　night　in　a　back　alley　near　my　house。　His　neck　had　been　broken。　A　swastika　had　been　painted　on　his　forehead；　and　then　I　knew　who　had　killed　him。　There　was　a　set　of　twins　who　lived　in　the　house　next　to　mine。　They　were　bullies　in　school　and　in　the　neighborhood。　They　always　stood　by　one　another；　so　no　one　challenged　them。
　〃I　knew　they　had　killed　my　cat；　but　I　did　nothing　to　let　them　know　I　knew。　I　decided　to　study　them；　and　after　a　while　it　became　clear　to　me　that　while　they　always　provided　a　united　front　to　the　kids　at　school；　when　they　were　alone　together…or　thought　they　were…there　was　an　intense　rivalry　between　them。　I　was　convinced　that　I　had　found　their　weak　spot；　but　how　to　exploit　it？
　〃It　happened　that　the　twins　were　both　wild　over　one　girl。　She　was　a　flirt；　and　liked　both　of　them；　or　at　least　enjoyed　the　attention　they　gave　her。　Over　the　course　of　the　next　several　months　I　secretly　contrived　to　bee　her　friend。　She　wasn't　very　good　in　mathematics　and　I　undertook　to　tutor　her。
　〃While　I　did　so　I　drew　her　out　so　that　she　spoke　about　the　twins。　When　she　had　given　me　enough　intimate　information　about　them；　I　used　her　to　plant　stories　about　how　each　of　them　was　secretly　trying　to　undercut　the　other　in　school；　at　home；　with　her。　As　I　was　certain　she　would；　she　passed　on　these　stories。　It　did　not　matter　that　they　were　false；　I　knew　the　truth　of　the　twins'　rivalry；　so　the　stories　were　believed。
　〃I　set　one　twin　against　the　other；　until　their　enmity　destroyed　their　connection；　their　love　for　one　another。　I　drove　them　apart。　In　the　end　they　became　business　rivals；　and　have　spent　their　lives　trying　to　bankrupt　one　another。〃
　For　a　time　there　was　silence　in　me　jungle；　the　drip　of　moisture　off　the　foliage；　the　whir　and　whine　of　insects；　an　animal　call　in　the　distance。
　Tori　wondered　why　Estilo　had　told　her　that　chilling　story。　It　occurred　to　her　after　a　time　that　what　he　had　been　speaking　about　was　not；　strictly　speaking；　a　cat…but　rather　loyalty；　trust；　friendship；　and　love。　She　recalled　their　talk　on　the　telephone　when　she　had　still　been　in　Mall　Central；　and　she　realized　that　this　was　as　close　as　he　could　e　to　telling