el.angeleyes-第80部分

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　something；　I　know　he's　counting　on　me；　and　I　don't　want　to　disappoint　him。　I　have　to　stop　procrastinating；　I　can　give　him　Valeri　because；　after　all；　it's　Valeri　Mars　is　interested　in；　Valeri　and　his　hunt　for　the　nationalist　dissidents　of　White　Star。　Yet　still　she　hesitated；　as　she　had　during　the　weeks　she　had　followed　Valeri　and　Natasha。　She　did　not　want　to　be　sent　back　to　her　unutterably　boring　job；　her　previous　drab　existence；　she　knew　she　could　never　bear　that　now。　Yet　she　lacked　the　courage　to　plunge　all　the　way　into　her　new　exciting　life。
　Mars　was　studying　her　carefully。　〃As　I　thought；〃　he　said；　as　if　he　were　passing　sentence　on　her。　〃I　think　you　should　return　to　your　job　at　the　Ministry　of　Education。〃　He　shrugged；　clearly　disappointed。　〃Too　bad。　Under　the　circumstances；　it　would　have　been　extremely　helpful　if　you　had　made　some　progress。　I　have　made　an　excellent　beginning　at　finding　the　leaders　of　White　Star；　but　now　I　need　to　move　faster　because　there　seems　to　be　some　sort　of　deadline　now　where　White　Star　is　concerned。〃
　〃What　do　you　mean？〃
　Mars's　face；　in　the　warm　lamplight；　was　a　patchwork　of　shadow。　〃I　have　learned　there　is　a　major　counterstrike　being　mounted　against　the　nationalist　group　by　the　KGB。〃
　''What　kind　of　counterstrike？''
　〃I　don't　know；〃　Mars　said。　〃That　sort　of　information　is　classified；　even　for　me。　And　if　I　began　to　ask　questions　or　pull　in　favors；　I'm　afraid　I　would　attract　the　wrong　kind　of　attention。　If　Valeri　Bondasenko　should　hear…〃
　〃What　does　Bondasenko　have　to　do　with　this　KGB　initiative？〃　Irina　asked。
　Mars　said；　〃Valeri　Denysovich　is　KGB。〃
　〃You　must　be　mad；〃　Irina　said。　She　thought　she　was　going　to　throw　up。　KGB！　No！　It　couldn't　be！　〃Everyone　knows　who　Valeri　Denysovich　is。　His　career　is　an　open　book；　deliberately　so。〃
　〃Yes；　most　deliberately　so；〃　Mars　agreed。　〃But　have　you　ever　wondered　why？　Let　me　explain　something　to　you。　Two　years　ago　the　head　of　the　KGB　came　out　in　the　Congress　of　Peoples'　Deputies　as　saying　that　his　organization　should　follow　the　American　СIА　model　and　be　regulated　by　the　Congress。　Consequently；　the　KGB's　modus　operandi　has　had　to　change。　Now　the　KGB　does；　indeed；　operate　like　its　American　counterpart。　On　the　surface　it　pays　lip　service　to　the　constraints　put　upon　it　by　political　mittees；　while　clandestinely　going　about　its　business　as　usual。
　〃It's　the　same　KGB　that　it　always　was；　Irina。　It　will　take　more　than　perestroika　to　change　the　KGB。　The　only　difference　is　that　now　its　chief　operatives　work　behind　efficient　smokescreens。　Like　Valeri　Denysovich　Bondasenko。''
　Irina　shuddered。　My　God；　it　was　her　worst　nightmare　e　true。　The　icy　winds　of　Siberia；　the　bars　over　the　moon；　her　country　as　one　huge　prison；　everything。
　Mars　reached　over；　leafed　through　the　report　he　had　been　reading。　He　came　to　the　page　he　wanted；　showed　it　to　her。　''You　needn't　take　my　word　for　it。〃
　And　there　it　was；　typed　across　the　page。　Irina　was　holding　an　original　document；　stamped　with　the　red　Cyrillics　of　the　Polit…buro　master　files　she　had　occasionally　seen　on　some　of　the　other　documents　Mars　had　left　lying　around。
…Valeri　Denysovich　Bondasenko；　Colonel；　Second　Chief　Directorate；　Komitet　Gosudarstvennoi　Bezopasnosti；　is　hereby　granted　the　authority　to　create　and/or　redesign　a　Department　to　be　under　his　control。
　This　Department；　here　in　after　referred　to　as　Department　N　（funds　for　which　see　Appendix　B：　Special　Appropriations）　will　consist　of　approximately　1600　people；　including　administrative　personnel。
　The　Chief　of　Department　N　shall　report　directly　to　the　Chief　of　the　KGB。　The　Chief　of　Department　N　shall　have　powers　including；　but　not　limited　to；　the　selection　of　personnel　from　other　Departments　within　the　Second　Chief　Directorate；　access　to　all　sections　of　the　KGB　master　files；　including　those　〃Limited　Distribution〃　dossiers　under　the　control　of　other　Directorates；　the　ability　to　call　upon　the　advice　and　services　of　personnel　within　all　other　Directorates；　at　his　discretion；　he　may　mandeer　any　and　all　hardware　he　deems　necessary　from　the　Border　Guards　Directorate　。　。　。
　Irina　could　read　no　more。　The　letters　were　blurring　before　her　eyes。　Shaking　as　if　with　the　ague；　she　heard　again　down　the　long　corridors　of　her　memory　those　horrific　words：　KGB。　Keep　calm。
　〃This　is　the　charter；〃　Mars　said；　taking　the　paper　from　her　hand；　〃for　Valeri's　counterintelligence　initiative　against　White　Star。〃　He　put　it　carefully　back　in　the　report。　〃Fortunately；　Valeri's　new　department　needs　appropriations　just　like　any　other。　It's　covered　in　the　Congress　of　Peoples'　Deputies'　budget　hearing　under　'Baltic　Reapproachment；'　but　through　a　stroke　of　luck　I　was　able　to　get　my　hands　on　the　real　charter。''
　KGB。　Keep　calm。
　Irina　rose　suddenly；　walked　unsteadily　to　the　window。　She　could　not　breathe。　She　threw　open　the　sash；　and　the　damp　night　air　blew　in。　She　shivered　in　the　cold。　Then　she　felt　Mars　behind　her；　strong；　solid；　warm。　〃You　see；　koshka；　the　KGB　has　set　a　time　bomb　for　White　Star。　I　can't　find　a　way　to　warn　their　leaders　because　I　can't　find　them。　But　the　existence　of　this　strike　against　them　proves　that　Valeri　already　knows　where　they　are。〃
　Then　he　was　turning　her　around；　cradling　her。　He　pushed　her　hair　off　her　face。　〃You're　trembling　so；〃　he　said。　〃What's　the　matter？〃
　〃You　couldn't　possibly　know；〃　Irina　said。　She　took　a　deep　breath。　She　could　hear　again　the　tromp　of　the　military　jackboots；　the　pounding　on　the　front　door；　awakening　her　in　the　middle　of　the　night。
　〃I　remember；〃　she　began。　〃The　moon　was　obscured　by　clouds…what　an　absurd　thing　to　remember！　I　can　hear　my　mother's　voice；　raised；　shrill　with　fright。　And；　peeking　out　of　the　doorway　to　my　room；　I　see　a　man　in　a　black　leather　trench　coat；　his　face　obscured　by　the　wide　brim　of　his　hat。
　〃　'KGB。　Keep　calm。'
　''My　mother　is　screaming　as　the　uniformed　men　under　Trench　Coat's　mand　drag　my　father　from　his　bedroom。
　''　'What　do　you　want　with　him？'　my　mother　cries。　'He's　done　nothing！'
　〃　'KGB。　Keep　calm。'
　〃The　uniformed　men　are　beating　my　father　as　he　begins　to　resist　them。
　〃　〃This　must　be　some　kind　of　mistake！'　My　mother　is　shaking　as　she　moans。　'You're　making　a　mistake！'
　〃　'KGB。　Keep　calm。'
　〃The　rubber　truncheons　are　lifting　and　falling；　lifting　and　falling；　and　I　can't　ever　forget　the　awful　thick　sound　they　make　as　they　strike　my　father　on　his　shoulders；　his　back；　his　upper　arms；　his　head。　He　does　not　say　a　word；　but　I　can　hear　his　involuntary　grunts　with　each　blow　of　the　truncheons。
　〃The　uniformed　men　start　to　drag　my　father　toward　the　door；　and　my　mother　steps　in　front　of　them。　I　see　her　eyes　opened　wide　with　panic。　They　are　filled　with　a　kind　of　primitive　terror　I　once　saw　in　a　rabbit's　glazed　eyes　as　it　was　caught　in　the　beam　of　my　flashlight。
〃　'You　can't　take　him！'　my　mother　sobs。　'I　won't　let　you！'　〃The　man　from　the　KGB　reaches　out　and；　in　an　almost　lazy　arc；　slams　the　back　of　his　hand　into　the　side　of　my　mother's　face。　She　staggers　back；　one　leg　collapses　under　her；　and　she　crashes　into　a　side　table。　A　lamp　shatters；　and　she　screams。　I　can　still　hear　the　rage　and　tenor　in　her　voice。　Tears　stream　down　her　face。
　〃　'KGB。　Keep　calm。'
　〃The　man　in　the　black　leather　trench　coat　drags　her　out　of　the　path　of　his　men；　and　they　take　my　father　away。　My　mother　offers　no　further　resistance。　She　does　not　even　take　a　last　look　at　my　father　as　he　is　manhandled　down　the　stairs　of　the　apartment　building。　Her　eyes　are　blank。
　〃The　man　from　the　KGB　is　about　to　leave；　but　at　that　moment　his　head　turns。　He　had　heard　something。　Me。　He　moves　slowly　through　the　small　apartment　until　he　finds　my　room。　I　hear　him　ing　in；　ing　closer。
　〃I　am　curled　up　in　bed；　hugging　my　pillow。　He　is　across　the　room　in　one　long　stride。　He　pulls　the　covers　back；　exposing　me。
　〃　'Irina；'　he　says。　'Little　Irina。'
　〃I　can't　understand　how　he　knows　my　name。　I　am　so　terrified　I　don't　know　what　to　do　or　think。　His　black　leather　trench　coat　is　billowing　around　him　like　the　wings　of　a　gigantic　bat。　I　can　feel　my　heart　beating　painfully；　like　a　trip…hammer。
　〃His　white　hand　closes　over　my　ankle　so　that　I　am　stretched　out　across　the　bed。　'How　old　are　you；　little　Irina？'　he　whispers。　The　wide　brim　of　his　hat　hides　his