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office and turned toward him. "Well, Jan," Thurgood-Smythe said. "Did you have an enjoyable journey?" Fourteen Jan stopped, eyes wide, stunned by the presence of his brother-in-law. "Smitty! What on earth are you doing here?" Only later did he realize that his natural response had been the right one; Thurgood-Smythe was studying his reaction closely. "A number of reasons," the Security man said. "You're looking fit, clear-eyed, and glowing. How about a drink to put some toxins back into your body?" "Fine idea. But not in the bar. Air's like treacle down here. We can drink just as well in my room -- and I can crack the window a bit while you sit on the radiator." "All right. I have your key here, save you the trouble. Let's go up. There were others in the lift so they did not talk. Jan stared straight ahead and struggled to compose his thoughts. What did Thurgood-Smythe suspect? His presence here was no accident. Nor was he pretending that it was -- not with Jan's key in his possession and making no secret of the fact. But a search would mean nothing: there was nothing incriminating in his "Would you mind explaining that?" "You know as well as I do. The incident in the Red Sea, the illegal computer tap in your laboratory." "Means absolutely nothing. If you think I tried to drown myself for some reason you're the one in need of an analyst, not me. Which leaves us the laboratory -- with how many employees?" "Point taken," Thurgood-Smythe said. "Thank you." He sipped at the whiskey. Jan opened the window a hand's breadth and inhaled deeply of the cold air. "Taken alone, these two incidents are meaningless. I only worry about them when I find you in the Highlands at this time. There has been a very serious incident at one of the nearby camps which means your presence here could be very suspicious." "I don't see why." Jan's voice was cold, his face expressionless. "I ski up here two or three times, at least, every winter." "I know you do, which is the only reason I am talking to you like this. If I were not married to your sister this interview would be entirely different. I would have a biomonitor in my pocket which would give me a readout on your heartbeat, muscle tension, respiration, and brainwaves. With this I would know if you were lying or not." "Why should I lie? If you have one of these devices pull it out and look at it and see for yourself." Jan's anger was real; he did not like the way the conversation was progressing. what is going to happen. I'm going home to Elizabeth and tell her that you have been put under surveillance by a different department of Security. This is true. I will also tell her that I can do nothing to prevent it -- which is also true. What will happen in the future will depend upon what you do in the future. Up until now, until this moment, you are in the clear. Do you Page 43 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html understand that?" Jan nodded slowly. "Thanks, Smitty. You're putting yourself out on a limb for me, aren't you? I imagine your telling me about the surveillance is a dangerous thing for you to do?" "It is. And I would appreciate the return of the favor by your discovering some aspect of the surveillance, then telephoning me and complaining about it." "Will do. As soon as I get home. Now if you will tell me what I'm supposed to have done..." "Not done -- what you could have done." There was no warmth now in Thurgood- Smythe's voice, no give in his manner. This was the professional Security man that Jan had never seen before. "An Italian seaman escaped from a work camp up here. An item normally of little interest. But two things make it important. His escape was aided from the outside -- and a number of guards were killed. Soon after this happened we had a report from the Italian authorities. The man does not exist." "I don't understand..." "Does not exist in their records. His documentation was forged, very professionally. Which means he is the citizen of another country, a foreign agent." "He could be Italian." you tell me if I was near your mysterious escapee. Thurgood-Smythe dismissed the thought with a wave of his hand." No maps. If you are lying or telling me the truth -- there will be no evidence there." "Why on earth should another country spy on us? I thought this was a world at peace. "There is no such thing as peace -- just modified forms of warfare." "That's a rather cynical statement." "Mine's a rather cynical profession." Jan filled both glasses again and sat on the window ledge. Thurgood-Smythe retreated as far from the cold blast as he could. "I don't think I like the things that you are telling me," Jan said. "All this murder and prisoners and surveillance machines. Does this kind of thing happen often? Why don't we hear about it?" "You don't hear about it, dear brother, because you are not meant to hear about it. The world is a very nasty place and there is no cause to bother people with the sordid details." "You're telling me that important events in the world are kept secret from people?" "I'm telling you just that. And if you have never suspected it, then you are a bigger fool than I took you to be. People of your class prefer not to know, to let people like me take care of the dirty work for you. And look down upon us for it." "That's not true, Smitty..." "Isn't it?" There was a cutting edge to his voice. "What was it you just called me? Smitty? Did you ever call Ricardo de Torres -- Ricky?" too much memory. If Security wanted to -- and we may -- we could monitor every second of your life, have it all on record." "That's stupid, impossible. You're in my territory now. No matter how much circuitry you have, no matter how much memory, there is no possible way you could run surveillance on everyone in the country all of the time. The data would swamp you. "Of course it would. But I wasn't talking about the entire country. I was mentioning one individual. You. Ninety-nine percent of the people in this country are neutral, neuters. Names in a memory bank of no interest to us. Page 44 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html Proles who are identical as matchsticks. Society butterflies, who while richer and more exotic, are equally uninteresting. In reality, we have very little to do. Petty thievery and embezzling head our list of crimes. Of no real importance. So when we are asked to take interest in someone we do it with a vengeance. Your screen can be two-way -- as can your phone. Your computer is accessible to us, no matter how secure you may think. Your auto, your laboratory, the mirror in your toilet, the light above your bed -- are all in our employ..." "You're exaggerating!" "Perhaps. But not by much, not in reality. If we want to know about you we can easily know all about you. Don't ever doubt that. And we want to know about you now. I would say that, for a number of years -- until your guilt or innocence is proven -- this is the last private conversation that you will ever have." "Are you trying to scare me?" The only thing to do now was to appear normal -- try to act naturally in every way. Jan unpacked his bag, knowing that Thurgood-Smythe had undoubtedly gone through it, apprehensive lest something incriminating had been slipped in by accident. There was of course nothing; but he still could not displace the niggle of fear. It stayed with him while he bathed and changed, went down to dine, talked with old acquaintances in the bar. The feeling stayed with him all night and he slept little. He checked out early the next morning and began the long drive back to London. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |