按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
much the better； he believed。 Let the Russian government be distracted and drained by internal problehis for as long as possible。 Christ； he thought； why doesn't Bernard see how the minorities bedevil the Russian government？ The thought of helping to resolve that immensely difficult issue for the Russians seemed absolutely insane to Slade。 Glasnost or no glasnost； an off…balance Russia was； in his opinion； a manageable Russia。
〃The Soviet people are not； thank God； the Russian people；'' Godwin said now； making his way around a carefully bordered semicircle of variegated pansies。 〃Each Soviet minority is like a fruit shaking itself free of the central tree。 It is time for a forest to grow up in the wilderness surrounding that one tree。''
Russell Slade shook his head。 This is a dead issue as far as the Mall is concerned； he thought。 Why won't Bernard give it up？ He said； ''Does this in any way bring us back to Tori Nunn？''
Godwin fluttered one rather feminine hand； its ridged back was covered with liver spots。 〃Tori Nunn was your affair from the beginning。 She still is。〃
Slade recognized in that one snapped retort the edge of the boundary he had crossed。 He took a mental pace backward onto safer ground。 He was prepared to take his punishment like a man。 He nodded。 〃All right。 I admit that it might have been a mistake to bring her back like that。''
〃It certainly was for Solares。〃
〃Yes。 It was a shame to lose such a valuable agent。〃
Godwin said； 〃Let me remind you this isn't a baseball game。 It isn't a run the opposition has scored against us。 It's a death in the family。〃
So that's why the old man has summoned me to his summer house in the country； Russell Slade thought。 Stone and thatch； birds and flowers； all very bucolic。 But there isn't anything bucolic about the old man。 He's as full of bile as ever。
Slade looked at Bernard Godwin。 If he had ever been under the misapprehension that being made the director of the Mall meant it was his to run； here was the proof it just wasn't so。
Bernard Godwin； the man who created the Mall； despite rumors of ill…health and even imminent death； was still in the thick of it。 his to mand were the unknowable routes to power； and this power continued to hum inside him like a vast engine。
More than anything else； Russell Slade longed to possess this power。 Through guile； cunning； and deceit…Godwin's trine of shadow virtues…Slade had risen faster and farther through the labyrinthine ranks of Bernard Godwin's hybrid brainchild…part espionage network； part global think tank…than anyone save the old man himself。 There was no one better than Russell to interpret the disjointed data from farflung field operatives and discover the subtle strategies hidden there。 Give him one piece of a puzzle； and he would eventually deliver to you the entire picture。 Russell was also a gifted administrator； juggling budgets； maximizing men and materiel in a way no one before him had been able to do。 Godwin admired those attributes； and had rewarded Slade for them。
But Slade could not help but suspect that the old man was jealous； too。 Though his hands were bony with age； gnarled with arthritis； still they refused to relinquish the reins of power。 For Slade had the one thing that the old man did not…indeed； could not…possess： youth。 Though Slade was at the heart of the Mail； Godwin had yet to divulge to him the last level of his worldwide contacts； the ultimate power that made even presidents defer to him。
The Mall and its godfather； Bernard Godwin； were and always had been laws unto themselves； and this power was what Russell Slade coveted beyond anything else。 The time has e； Slade thought as he watched the old man gazing at his sheared English yews。 Damnit； render unto Slade that which is rightfully Slade's！
〃Russell； let me give you a bit of advice；〃 Godwin continued。 〃The moment you cannot control the lives and deaths of your field people； you know it is time for you to step down。〃
''You talk as if this is the first casualty we've had in the field。''
The flapping of that feminine hand again。 〃Of course we've lost agents before。 But in my day they were sacrificed for a greater cause。 There was a meaning to their deaths。 Everything was planned。 Do you understand me？〃
In my day； indeed！ Godwin was as callous as they e； Slade thought。 How quickly will he sever me if the situation gets too hot？ Has he already got someone lined up to take my place？ By God； I'll fight to the death to keep this position。
Slade understood that Godwin had abruptly distanced himself from the current situation； just as he understood that his own immediate priority was to regain the equilibrium Godwin had stripped from him。 Godwin loved nothing better than to prod his people。 Pressure； he firmly believed； sharpened the wits and brought out the best in his people…and if it did not； they were severed from the Mall。
Without betraying any of his thoughts； Slade said blandly； 〃You know； Bernard； it occurs to me that you've been spending
altogether too much time with the administration's spin doctors。 Those presidential apologists who call themselves aides love to rewrite recent history； and so do you。 I notice that you're deliberately ignoring the losses the Mall suffered at the hands of the KGB's Operation Boomerang。〃
Godwin grunted 〃Ancient history。〃
〃Really？ Your predilection…dare I say it； borders on obsession？…toward helping Soviet dissidents is all too well documented。 It cost us ten good agents； lost to the KGB； who were running the bogus dissident cell inside Russia。 The KGB sucked in a lot of people with that scam…including you； the expert's expert on the Soviet Union。''
〃That was a bad dream； all right；〃 Godwin said。 〃I don't mind telling you it gave me some sleepless nights。 But in the end； I put that slip down to a temporary loss of my acute sense of cynicism。〃
Slade； thinking of how cynical Godwin's response was in itself； shook his head。 〃No； your error was in placing too much trust in your friends over there。''
''In the end； friends are all that make a man a man；'' Godwin said firmly。
〃Even in this shadow world of ours？〃 Slade said skeptically。
〃Especially here。〃 Bernard； in the shadow of one of his hoary hawthorn trees； never seemed more mysterious。 He had the kind of soft eyes that engendered trust； that pletely masked his cynical heart。 It was all too easy to believe what he said even when you suspected him of spin control： distorting me truth to suit his purposes。 〃I don't know about you； Russell； but it's a friend I want at the other end of a three A。M。 phone call when my ass is in the fire in Istanbul or Prague or some other godforsaken red zone when the opposition has blown my cover and is closing in； not some operative who may or may not have been turned while I was looking the other way。〃
He gave Slade a tiny； ironic smile that made Slade's stomach contract。 〃Sorry；〃 he said in a gentle tone of voice。 〃I sometimes forget that you have no field experience。〃 A rebuke or simply a reminder of fact？ With Godwin it was impossible to tell。 〃That's the way I came up； because that's the way our shadow world worked in the old days。〃 He grunted。 〃You have your own areas of expertise； Russell； and believe me； I appreciate all of them。 But it's times like these that make me long for the relative simplicity of the past。〃
〃Damnit； I know I made the proper decision；〃 Slade said。 ''I was sure that Ariel Solares would bring Tori in。 A little honey on the end of the hook； because otherwise I knew； under the circumstances； she wouldn't consider it。〃
〃Of course she wouldn't；〃 Godwin said； pouncing on the opening Slade had given him。 〃But if you had made her a friend…an ally…instead of alienating her when she worked for you； all this would have been avoided。 Tori would be here now； and Solares would still be alive。〃
The best course when Godwin delivered a verbal low blow； Slade had learned； was to ignore it。 Godwin responded to points well made； not to cries of foul。 〃Solares was to pique her interest with a look at what he was working on；〃 Slade said。 〃In addition； because there is still a question of her fitness； he was to maneuver her into a challenging physical and mental confrontation。 He was meant to look for any deterioration of her skills。 The plan was perfect： subtle and psychologically sound。 But somewhere along the line Solares must have gotten careless； and someone took him out。〃
〃Solares was your man。 You ran him directly。 In retrospect； you may agree with me that perhaps； given your lack of experience in the field； that was an error in judgment。 It was your call to make； and I didn't interfere。 But now's the time to examine your motives。 That's why you chose to run him directly； wasn't it？ To lure Tori Nunn out of her isolation； to be ultimately in control of her once more。''
〃As far as the canning Tori Nunn from the Mall；〃 Slade said； 〃I recall you gave your blessing to the severance。〃 Immediately； he regretted saying it。 In trying to regain control of me conversation； he had walked into one of Godwin's verbal traps。
〃I gave you my assent； Russell。 Nothing more。〃 The old man refused to give up an inch of territory； he was relentless。 ''It was your decision。''
Slade looked at him。 〃Do you mean to tell me now that you disagreed with it？〃
〃Are you deliberately missing the point？〃 Godwin said； neatly sidestepping the kind of answer Slade was seeking。 〃It was your decision。 You made it。 Now you must deal with the ramifications。〃
〃What ramifications？〃 Slade said。 〃This situation is without nuance。〃
〃Bullshit；〃 Godwin said； leaning toward Slade。 〃Your relationship with Tori Nunn is all unfinished business。 Yes； you made the proper decision with Solares； Russell； but you must see that you made it for all the wrong reasons。 The 'situation；' as you choose to refer to it； is fraught with psychological nuance。〃
〃I'll take care of Tori Nunn myself；〃 Slade said angrily。 〃Okay？ Will that satisfy you？〃
〃I want my director's full concentration on this crisis； that's all；〃 Godwin said soothingly。 He paused to allow the tension to dissipate； no one knew how to orchestrate a conversation better than Bernard Godwin。 〃What have the caretakers e up with？〃 The caretakers were the Mall's group of forensic specialists who were sent in to analyze 〃wet work〃 sites。
〃Nothing as yet；〃 Slade said。 〃For the moment； at least； the identity of Solares's murderer is unknown。''
〃Any guesses？〃 the old man asked。
〃I don't deal in speculation；〃 Slade said； annoyed that the old man still saw fit to test him。 〃You taught me that； Bernard。 Speculation leads； more often than not； to false conclusions。〃
Godwin nodded。 〃You said that Solares got careless。〃 He had paused to run his hand across the ruffled field of Hino crihison azalea。 〃Of course； there's another possibility。〃 He watched； fascinated； as a furry bumblebee； its legs thick with pollen； took off from the center of a flower。 〃Someone is one step ahead of you。'' He glanced sidelong at Slade。 ''Now there's a disturbing thought。〃
〃Jesus Christ；〃 Slade said。 〃 'Disturbing' doesn't begin to cover that prospect。 How does the word 'disaster' grab you？〃
The old man frowned to show his distaste。 〃You know I dislike words of that nature； Slade；〃 he said。 〃They smack of defeatism。 Defeat is for the weak…it is not for us。 What we need now is a sound offensive strategy。〃
〃Of course；〃 Slade said。 〃Every situation has its master； every speciality has its sensei。 We need Tori Nunn back。 We are lost in the middle of her field of expertise。''
''Yes；'' the old man said。''And you've volunteered to get her back yourself。 I appreciate that； Russell。 Just make certain it isn't simply a gesture。〃
Slade suddenly saw how neatly he had been maneuvered into this personal involvement； despite his own conviction that personal involvement was dangerous and potentially lethal in the shadow world。 In Russell Slade's opinion； emotion had no place in Mall business。 That was a point he had tried to make over and over to Tori without the slightest success。 It occurred to him…not for the first time； but now with increasing focus…that his sense of being in total control of the Mall was more illusory than real；