el.angeleyes-第52部分

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make　allowances　when　trying　to　decipher　his　responses。　To　no　satisfactory　conclusion。
　〃Where　is　he？〃　he　said　to　Tatiana；　one　of　the　Hero's　hand…picked　female　panion…guards；　as　he　gained　the　top　floor。
　〃In　the　pool；　rade；〃　Tatiana　said。
　〃Is　he　alone？〃
　〃Lara　is　with　him。〃
　Mars　nodded。　The　Hero　insisted　on　women；　and　who　was　Mars　to　deprive　him　of　whatever　pleasures　were　left　to　him？　Heroes　had　earned　the　right　to　take　their　pleasures　wherever　they　could　find　them。
　Increasingly；　it　seemed；　the　Hero　preferred　water　to　land。　Not　surprising；　since；　alarmingly；　the　scientists　had　discovered　one　of　the　effects　of　prolonged　weightlessness　was　to　weaken　not　only　muscles　but　bones；　damaging　the　bones　irreparably。　These　days　the　Hero　looked　something　like　the　Hunchback　of　Notre　Dame。　By　all　accounts；　Lara　and　Tatiana；　the　women　assigned　to　him；　apparently　did　not　find　his　physical　appearance　all　that　repugnant；　another　mystery　for　Mars　to　try　to　decipher。
　He　saw　Lara　first；　her　long；　muscular　form；　clad　only　in　a　clinging　American…style　bathing　suit；　stretched　intriguingly　over　the　edge　of　the　saltwater　pool　as　she　fed　the　blue　dolphin。　The　dolphin　had　been　installed　in　the　pool　about　six　months　ago。　At　first　Mars　had　balked　at　the　outlandish　request。　But　then；　in　her　weekly　debriefing；　Lara　had　offered　the　startling　opinion　that　the　Hero　required　panionship　on　a　plane　other　than　the　ones　she　and　Tatiana　could　evidently　provide。
　Mars　heard　the　odd；　rhythmic　clicking　the　dolphin　used　as　its　form　of　munication。　Some　weeks　ago　the　monitoring　had　picked　up　two　sets　of　this　clicking　in　the　dead　of　night；　and　upon　checking；　it　had　been　discovered　that　the　hidden　microphones…　the　concealed　cameras　could　not　penetrate　the　water…had　recorded　the　Него　in　the　pool；　seemingly　in　verbal　contact　with　the　mammal。
　Lara　turned　when　she　heard　his　approach。　〃Good　morning；　rade；〃　she　said。　But　she　did　not　stop　her　feeding　of　the　mammal。
　As　Mars　returned　her　greeting；　he　saw　the　Hero　floating　in　the　pool　beside　the　dolphin。　It　was　odd　and；　if　Mars　were　honest　with　himself；　a　bit　disquieting　that　there　were　so　many　similarities　between　the　Hero　and　the　dolphin。　The　radiation　that　the　Него　had　been　inadvertently　exposed　to　in　space　had　caused　his　skin　to　bee　slick　and　utterly　hairless。　He　dove　and　flashed　through　the　water　with　the　ease　and　apparent　familiarity　of　one　born　to　the　sea。　He　had　even；　so　Lara　had　reported；　spoken　to　her　about　asking　for　an　operation　that　would　add　membranes　between　his　fingers　and　his　toes。
　Mars　did　not；　in　fact；　know　whether　or　not　he　was　serious。　The　Hero　was　prone　not　only　to　making　bizarre　requests；　but　to　playing　eerie　and　disconcerting　pranks　on　those　who　were　observing　and　monitoring　him。　Once；　for　instance；　he　had　placed　his　heart　monitor　over　the　dolphin's　heart　instead　of　his　own。
　The　Hero；　Mars　had　concluded；　may　have　been　physically　maimed　in　the　event；　and　as　a　result　may　or　may　not　have　been　mentally　scarred；　but　he　was　still　an　exceedingly　clever　fellow。　Mars　had　no　illusions　concerning　the　underlying　reason　for　the　pool。　The　Hero　knew　he　was　being　observed；　listened　in　on；　monitored。　But　in　the　water　his　time　was　his　own；　and　the　cunning　electronic　eyes　that　followed　him　were　blind　there。
　〃I　am；〃　he　often　told　Mars；　〃like　Odysseus　stranded　on　the　island　of　Polyphemous。〃　The　first　time；　to　his　delight　and　Mars's　chagrin；　he　had　been　obliged　to　explain　that　Polyphemus　was　the　name　of　the　Cyclops　who　Odysseus；　by　cunning　and　guile；　managed　to　defeat。　〃Don't　be　embarrassed；〃　he　had　said　with　his　poker　face；　〃nowadays　I　have　far　more　time　to　read　than　you　do。〃　Mars　never　knew　whether　he　was　being　blandly　pleasant　or　cynically　ironic。
　〃Good　morning；　Viktor；〃　Mars　said。　〃How　are　you　feeling　today？〃
　〃Lousy；〃　the　Hero　said。　〃And　I've　told　you；　don't　call　me　Viktor。　I　want　no　names　connected　with　the　event　used　here。〃
　〃I　should　use　it；〃　Mars　said；　sitting　on　the　edge　of　the　pool。　〃It's　your　name。〃　He　thought；　Ah；　nothing's　changed。
　〃I'll　tell　you　something　which　will；　no　doubt；　e　as　a　surprise　to　you；〃　the　Hero　said。　〃I　won't　lie　down。　I　lived　through　a　horror　no　man　was　meant　to　see；　let　alone　live　through。　But　the　fact　remains；　I　did　survive。　I'm　alive。　And　I　will　not　go　willingly　into　that　unquiet　night　out　there　just　because　it　may　suit　your　purposes；　just　because　it　will　salve　your　embarrassment　for　me　to　be　swept　under　the　rug。　My　rades　out　there　beyond　these　walls　know　I'm　alive。　You　can't　hurt　me　and　you　can't　kill　me；　because　they'll　know。　The　cosmonauts。　And　they'll　rebel。〃
　〃You　are　afforded　many　privileges；〃　Mars　said　softly。　〃Lara。　Tatiana。　The　pool。　The　dolphin。　Especially　the　dolphin。　I　brought　them　to　you　and　I　can　take　them　away。''
　〃And　I　can　stop　talking；〃　the　Hero　said。　〃To　you　and　to　everyone。〃　He　looked　at　Mars。　〃Now　what　have　we　proved？〃
　Mars　took　a　small　fish　from　the　bucket　beside　him；　dangled　it　over　the　water。　The　dolphin　stared　at　him；　then　began　a　long　series　of　clicks。
　The　Hero　threw　his　head　back　and　laughed。　〃You　know；　she's　got　a　better　sense　of　humor　than　the　whole　lot　of　you。''
　Mars　wrinkled　his　brow　in　annoyance。　''What　did　the　dolphin　say？〃
　〃Her　name's　Arbat；〃　the　Hero　admonished。　〃And　she　doesn't　like　you　one　bit。〃
　Mars　bit　his　lip；　said　as　calmly　as　he　could　manage；　〃And　did　she　say　why？〃
　〃First；　you　don't　use　her　name。　Second；　she　says　you're　not　to　be　trusted。〃
　Mars　made　a　sound　of　disgust。　It　was　intolerable　that　he　should　be　forced　into　having　a　conversation…if　that　was　what　you　could　call　this　farce！…with　a　dolphin。　But　he　knew　that　in　order　to　engage　the　Hero；　he　had　to　make　the　effort。　He　said；　〃How　would　Arbat　know　whether　or　not　I　can　be　trusted？　She　won't　even　take　the　food　I　offer　her。〃
　A　flood　of　clicking　was　followed　by　the　Него　saying；　''If　you　give　the　fish　to　Lara；　Arbat　will　take　it　from　her。〃
　〃I'm　disappointed；〃　Mars　said；　but　he　dutifully　plopped　the　fish　into　Lara's　palm。　Immediately　the　dolphin　dipped　her　head；　scooped　the　fish　up；　swallowed　it。
　〃Viktor；〃　Mars　said。　〃We　must　talk。〃
　〃All　right。〃　The　Hero　stared　up　at　Mars。　〃But　why　must　you　insist　on　calling　me　Viktor？　I　told　you　not　to　use　any　of　those　names。〃
　It　was　clear　that　he　had　once　been　exceedingly　handsome。　But　something　inexplicable　had　happened　to　him　up　there　in　the　heavens。　Mars　had　seen　photos　of　the　Hero　before　he　had　been　fitted　into　the　Odin…Galaktika　II　spacecraft　and　was　launched　into　space。　This　was　not　the　same　man。　Oh；　surely；　the　configuration　of　skull　and　skeleton　were　the　same；　although　he　was　far　thinner　now；　and　walked…when　he　could　walk　at　all；　rather　than　being　confined　to　his　special　motorized　wheelchair…with　the　lack　of　assurance　and　the　brittleness　of　a　man　of　ninety。　In　fact；　that　is　what　Mars　would　have　suspected　happened　to　him　up　there…the　answer　to　the　mystery：　an　unnaturally　rapid　aging…had　it　not　been　for　the　fact　that　the　Hero's　mind　had　not　deteriorated　one　iota。　It　merely　had　been　altered。　And　so　the　enigma　continued　to　unfold　like　a　plex　origami　in　front　of　Mars。
　〃I　call　you　Viktor；〃　Mars　said；　〃because　I　must。　I　have　orders　to　do　so。〃　He　shifted　to　keep　the　floating　man　in　sight。　〃If　it　helps；　I　don't　think　of　you　as　Viktor；　but　as　the　Hero；　with　a　capital　H。〃
　〃A　generic；〃　the　Hero　said。　〃Like　a　military　rank。〃
　〃I　don't　see　it　that　way。　I　don't　think　of　you　as　the　Cosmonaut。〃
　〃What　can　I　do　for　you　today；　Volkov？〃　The　Hero　seemed　to　have　had　enough　of　light　banter；　and　his　change　in　tone　put　the　dolphin　on　guard。　She　was；　so　Mars　had　been　informed；　extremely　reactive　to　changes　in　the　Hero's　mental　and　emotional　states。　Arbat　swam　away　from　Lara　and　her　fish；　popped　up　beside　the　Hero。　She　started　her　incessant　clicking。
　Mars　had　to　keep　a　rein　on　his　temper。　Basic　interrogation　techniques　called　for　a　rhythm　to　be　established。　Once　you　got　the　subject　used　to　answering　questions…no　matter　how　innocuous…it　was　a　much　smaller　step　to　get　him　to　give　you　the　answers　you　sought。
　It　was　one　thing　to　be　interrupted　by　a　colleague；　but　to　deal　with　the　interference　of　an　animal　was　too　much。　He　was　about　to　shout　when；　looking　into　the　Hero's　bland　upturned　face；　he　be