cyclops- 第24部分

　　　　Polevoi　looked　squarely　at　Kornilov；　〃Selenos　4　was　a　manned　probe？〃
　　　　〃As　were　Selenos　5　and　6。　Each　craft　carried　three　men。〃
　　　　He　turned　to　Antonov；　who　was　calmly　puffing　on　a　Havana　cigar。　〃You　knew　about　this？〃
　　　　Antonov　nodded。　〃Yes；　I　was　briefed。　But　you　must　remember；　Vladimir；　not　all　matters　concerning　space　fall　under　state　security。〃
　　　　〃None　of　you　wasted　any　time　running　to　me　when　your　precious　moon　probe　fell　and　vanished　in　the　West　Indies；〃　Polevoi　said　angrily。
　　　　〃An　unforeseen　circumstance；〃　Yasenin　patiently　explained。　〃After　its　return　from　the　moon；　control　could　not　be　established　for　Selenos　4's　earth　reentry。　The　engineers　at　our　space　mand　wrote　it　off　as　a　dead　lunar　probe。　After　orbiting　for　nearly　a　year　and　a　half；　another　attempt　was　made　to　establish　mand。　This　time　the　guidance　systems　responded；　but　the　reentry　maneuver　was　only　partially　successful。　Selenos　4　fell　ten　thousand　miles　short　of　its　touchdown　area。　It　was　imperative　we　keep　the　deaths　of　our　cosmonaut　heroes　secret。　Naturally　the　services　of　the　KGB　were　required。〃
　　　　〃How　many　lost　cosmonauts　does　that　make？〃　asked　Polevoi。
　　　　〃Sacrifices　must　be　made　to　ensure　Soviet　destiny；〃　Antonov　murmured　philosophically。
　　　　〃And　to　cover　up　blunders　in　our　space　program；〃　Polevoi　said　bitterly。
　　　　〃Let's　not　argue；〃　cautioned　Antonov。　〃Selenos　4　made　a　great　contribution　before　it　impacted　in　the　Caribbean　Sea。〃
　　　　〃Where　it　has　yet　to　be　found；〃　Polevoi　added。
　　　　〃True；〃　said　Yasenin。　〃But　we　retrieved　the　lunar　surface　data。　That　was　the　main　purpose　of　the　mission。〃
　　　　〃Don't　you　think　American　space　surveillance　systems　tracked　its　descent　and　pinpointed　the　landing　position？　If　they　had　set　their　minds　on　salvaging　Selenos　4；　they'd　already　have　it　sitting　hidden　away　inside　a　secure　facility〃
　　　　〃Of　course　they　tracked　the　descent　trajectory；〃　said　Yasenin。　〃But　their　intelligence　analysts　had　no　reason　to　believe　Selenos　4　was　anything　but　a　scientific　deep…space　probe　that　was　programmed　to　land　in　Cuban　waters。〃
　　　　〃There　is　a　crack　in　your　carefully　laid　plot；〃　Polevoi　argued。　〃The　United　States　rescue　forces　made　an　exhaustive　air　and　sea　search　for　the　missing　capitalist　Raymond　LeBaron　in　the　same　general　area　only　a　few　days　after　Selenos　4　dropped　from　orbit。　I　have　strong　suspicions　their　search　was　a　decoy　to　find　and　retrieve　our　spacecraft。〃
　　　　〃I　read　your　report　and　analysis　of　the　LeBaron　disappearance；〃　said　Kornilov。　〃I　disagree　with　your　conclusion。　Nowhere　did　I　see　that　they　conducted　an　underwater　search。　The　rescue　mission　was　soon　called　off。　LeBaron　and　his　crew　are　still　listed　as　missing　in　the　American　press　and　presumed　dead。　That　event　was　merely　a　coincidence；　nothing　more。〃
　　　　〃Then　we　all　agree　that　Selenos　4　and　her　cosmonauts　lie　somewhere　on　the　bottom　of　the　sea。〃　Antonov　paused　to　blow　a　smoke　ring。　〃The　questions　we　still　face　are；　do　we　concede　the　probability　the　Americans　may　have　a　base　on　the　moon；　and　if　so；　what　do　we　do　about　it？〃
　　　　〃I　believe　it　exists；〃　Yasenin　said　with　conviction。
　　　　〃We　cannot　ignore　the　possibility；〃　Polevoi　granted。
　　　　Antonov　stared　narrowly　at　Kornilov。　〃And　you；　Sergei？〃
　　　　〃Selenos　8；　our　first　manned　lunar　landing　mission；　is　scheduled　for　launch　in　seven　days；〃　he　answered　slowly。　〃We　cannot　scrap　the　mission　as　we　did　when　the　Americans　upstaged　us　with　their　Apollo　program。　Because　our　leaders　saw　no　glory　in　being　the　second　nation　to　set　men　on　the　moon　we　tucked　our　tail　between　our　legs　and　quit。　It　was　a　great　mistake　to　place　political　ideology　above　scientific　achievement。　Now　we　have　a　proven　heavy…lift　launch　vehicle　capable　of　placing　an　entire　space　station　with　a　crew　of　eight　men　on　lunar　soil。　The　benefits　in　terms　of　propaganda　and　military　rewards　are　immeasurable。　If　our　ultimate　goal　is　to　obtain　permanent　preeminence　in　space　and　beat　the　Americans　to　Mars；　we　must　follow　through。　I　vote　we　program　the　guidance　systems　of　Selenos　8　to　land　the　crew　within　walking　distance　of　where　the　astronauts　stood　in　the　crater　and　eliminate　them。〃
　　　　〃I　am　in　plete　agreement　with　Kornilov；〃　said　Yasenin。　〃The　facts　speak　for　themselves。　The　Americans　are　actively　engaged　in　imperialistic　aggression　in　space。　The　photographs　we've　studied　prove　they've　already　destroyed　one　of　our　spacecraft　and　murdered　the　crew。　And　I　believe　the　cosmonauts　in　Selenos　5　and　6　met　the　same　fate。　They　have　taken　their　colonialistic　designs　to　the　moon　and　claimed　it　for　their　own。　The　evidence　is　unequivocal。　Our　cosmonauts　will　be　attacked　and　murdered　when　they　attempt　to　plant　the　red　star　on　lunar　soil。〃
　　　　There　was　a　prolonged　hush。　No　one　spoke　his　thoughts。
　　　　Polevoi　was　the　first　to　break　the　pensive　silence。　〃So　you　and　Kornilov　propose　we　attack　them　first。〃
　　　　〃Yes；〃　said　Yasenin；　warming　to　the　subject。　〃Think　of　the　windfall。　By　capturing　the　American　moon　base　and　its　scientific　technology　intact；　we'd　be　advancing　our　own　space　program　by　ten　years。〃
　　　　〃The　White　House　would　surely　mount　a　propaganda　campaign　and　condemn　us　before　the　world　as　they　did　with　the　KAL　Flight　007　incident；〃　protested　Polevoi。
　　　　〃They　will　remain　quiet；〃　Yasenin　assured　him。　〃How　can　they　announce　the　seizure　of　something　that　isn't　known　to　exist？〃
　　　　〃The　general　has　a　point；〃　said　Antonov。
　　　　〃You　realize　we　could　be　guilty　of　launching　a　war　in　space；〃　cautioned　Polevoi。
　　　　〃The　United　States　struck　first。　It　is　our　sacred　duty　to　retaliate。〃　Yasenin　turned　to　Antonov。　〃The　decision　must　be　yours。〃
　　　　The　President　of　the　Soviet　Union　again　turned　his　gaze　to　the　fire。　Then　he　laid　the　Havana　in　an　ashtray　and　looked　down　in　wonder　at　his　trembling　hands。　His　face；　ordinarily　ruddy；　was　gray。　The　omen　was　plain。　The　demons　outnumbered　the　forces　of　good。　Once　the　course　was　set　in　motion；　it　would　hurtle　forward　outside　his　control。　Yet　he　could　not　allow　the　country　to　be　slapped　in　the　face　by　the　imperialists。　At　last　he　turned　back　to　the　other　men　in　the　room　and　wearily　nodded。
　　　　〃For　Mother　Russia　and　the　party；〃　he　said　solemnly。　〃Arm　the　cosmonauts　and　order　them　to　strike　the　Americans。〃




　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　



　　　　Eight　introductions　and　three　tiresome　conversations　after　his　introduction　to　Dr。　Mooney；　Hagen　was　seated　in　a　small　office　feverishly　pounding　an　adding　machine。　Scientists　dote　on　puters　and　engineers　fondle　digital　calculators；　but　accountants　are　a　Victorian　lot。　They　still　prefer　traditional　adding　machines　with　thumb　size　buttons　and　paper　tapes　that　spit　out　printed　totals。
　　　　The　controller　was　a　CPA；　a　graduate　of　the　University　of　Texas　School　of　Business；　and　an　ex…Navy　man。　And　he　had　the　engraved　degrees　and　photographs　of　the　ships　he'd　served　on　displayed　on　the　oak…paneled　wall　of　his　office　to　prove　it。　Hagen　had　detected　an　uneasiness　in　the　man's　eyes；　but　no　more　than　he'd　expect　from　any　corporate　finance　director　who　had　a　government　auditor　snooping　around　his　private　territory。
　　　　There　had　been　no　suspicious　look；　no　hesitation；　when　he　asked　to　spot…check　the　telephone　records　for　the　last　three　years。　Though　his　accounting　experience　with　the　justice　Department　was　limited　to　photographing　ledgers　in　the　dead　of　night；　he　knew　enough　of　the　jargon　to　talk　a　good　line。　Anyone　who　happened　to　glance　in　his　office　and　saw　him　scribbling　notes　and　intently　examining　the　tape　on　the　adding　machine　would　have　thought　he　was　an　old　pro。
　　　　The　numbers　on　the　tape　were　exactly　that；　numbers。　But　the　note　scribbling　consisted　of　a　methodical　diagram　of　the　placement　and　view　angles　of　the　security　TV　cameras　between　his　office　and　Mooney's。　He　also　wrote　out　two　names　and　added　several　notations　beside　each　one。　The　first　was　Raymond　LeBaron　and　the　second　was　Leonard　Hudson。　But　now　he　had　a　third；　Gunnar　Eriksen。
　　　　He　was　certain　that　Eriksen　had　faked　his　death　along　with　Hudson　and　dropped　from　the　living　to　work　on　the　Jersey　Colony　project。　He　also　knew　Hudson　and　Eriksen　would　never　pletely　cut　their　ties　with　Pattenden　Laboratory。　The　facility　and　its　high…powered　crop　of　young　scientists　were　too　great　an　asset　to　ignore。　There　had　to　be　an　underground　channel　to　the　〃inner　core。〃
　　　　The　telephone　records　for　a　facility　with　three　thousand　employees　filled　several　cardboard　cartons。　Control　had　been　tight。　Everyone　who　used　a　phone　for　any　purpose；　business　or　personal；　had　to　keep　a　diary　of　the　calls。　Hagen　wasn't　about　to　attempt　an　examination　of　each　one。　That　chore　would　take　weeks。　He　was　concerned　only　with　the　entries　in　Mooney's　monthly　diaries；　especially　those　involving　long　distance。
　　　　Hagen　was　not　psychic；　nor　was　he　as　exact　as　some　men　he　knew　who　had　a　talent　for　detecting　an　irregularity；　but　he　had　an　eye　and　a　gut　instinct　for　the　hidden　that　seldom　failed　him。
　　　　He　copied　down　six　numbers　that　Mooney　had　phoned　more　than　once　in　the　past　ninety　days。　Two　were　itemized　as　personal　calls；　four　as　pany　calls。　Long　shots　all。　Still；　it　was　the　only　way　he　might　trace　a　lead　to　another　member　of　the　〃inner　core。〃
　　　　Playing　by　the　rules；　he　picked　up　the　phone　and　punched　the　Pattenden　La