rl.thebourneidentity- 第42节

　'At　the　Gemeinschaft？　Are　you　joking？
　'Not　one　bit　His　name　is　Koenig；　his　desk　is　on　the　first　floor。'
　I'll　remember　that'
　I'm　sure　you　will。　The　number？'　D'Amacourt　gave　it　to　him。　Jason　wrote　it　on　a　paper　napkin。　'How　do　I　know　this　is　accurate？'
　'You　have　a　reasonable　guarantee。　I　have　not　been　paid。'
　'Good　enough。'
　'And　as　long　as　value　is　intrinsic　to　our　discussion；　I　should　tell　you　that　it　is　the　second　telephone　number；　the　first　was　cancelled。'
　'Explain　that'
　D'Amacourt　leaned　forward。　'A　Photostat　of　the　original　fiche　arrived　with　the　accounts…courier。　It　was　sealed　in　a　black　case；　accepted　and　signed　for　by　the　senior　keeper…of…records。　The　card　inside　was　validated　by　a　partner　of　the　Gemeinschaft；　countersigned　by　the　usual　Swiss　notary；　the　instructions　were　simple；　quite　clear。　In　all　matters　pertaining　to　the　account　of　Jason　C。　Bourne；　a　transatlantic　call　to　the　United　States　was　to　be　placed　immediately；　the　details　relayed。。。　Here　the　card　was　altered；　the　number　in　New　York　deleted；　one　in　Paris　inserted　and　initialled。'
　'New　York？'　interrupted　Bourne。　'How　do　you　know　it　was　New　York？'
　'The　telephone　area　code　was　parenthetically　included；　spaced　in　front　of　the　number　itself；　it　remained　intact　It　was　two…one…two。　As　first　vice…president；　Foreign　Services；　I　place　such　calls　daily。'
　The　alteration　was　pretty　sloppy。'
　'Possibly。　It　could　have　been　made　in　haste；　or　not　thoroughly　understood。　On　the　other　hand；　there　was　no　way　to　delete　the　body　of　the　instructions　without　renotarization。　A　minor　risk　considering　the　number　of　telephones　in　New　York。　At　any　rate；　the　substitution　gave　me　the　latitude　to　ask　a　question　or　two。　Change　is　a　banker's　anathema。！　D'Amacourt　fingered　his　glass。
　'Care　for　another？〃　asked　Jason。
　'No；　thank　you。　It　would　prolong　our　discussion。'
　'You're　the　one　who　stopped。〃
　I'm　thinking；　Monsieur。　Perhaps　you　should　have　in　mind　a　vague　figure　before　I　proceed。〃
　Bourne　studied　the　man。　'It　could　be　five；'　he　said。
　'Five　what？〃
　'Five　figures。'
　'I　shall　proceed。　I　spoke　to　a　woman。。。〃
　'A　woman？　How　did　you　begin？〃
　Truthfully。　I　was　the　vice…president　of　the　Valois；　and　was　following　instructions　from　the　Gemeinschaft　in　Zurich。　What　else　was　there　to　say？〃
　'Go　on。〃
　'I　said　I　had　been　in　munication　with　a　man　claiming　to　be　Jason　Bourne。　She　asked　me　how　recently；　to　which　I　replied　a　few　minutes。　She　was　then　most　anxious　to　know　the　substance　of　our　conversation。　It　was　at　this　point　that　I　voiced　my　own　concerns。　The　fiche　specifically　stated　that　a　call　should　be　made　to　New　York；　not　Paris。　Naturally；　she　said　it　was　not　my　concern；　and　that　the　change　was　authorized　by　signature；　and　did　I　care　for　Zurich　to　be　informed　that　an　officer　of　the　Valois　refused　to　follow　the　Gemeinschaft　instructions？〃
　'Hold　it；'　interrupted　Jason。　'Who　was　she？〃
　'I　have　no　idea。〃
　'You　mean　you　were　talking　all　this　time　and　she　didn't　tell　you？　You　didn't　ask？'
　That　is　the　nature　of　the　fiche。　If　a　name　is　proffered；　well　and　good。　If　it　is　not；　one　does　not　inquire。'
　'You　didn't　hesitate　to　ask　about　the　telephone　number。'
　'Merely　a　device；　I　wanted　information。　You　transferred　four　million　francs；　a　sizeable　amount；　and　were；　therefore；　a　powerful　client　with；　perhaps；　more　powerful　strings　attached　to　him。。。　One　balks；　then　agrees；　then　balks　again　only　to　agree　again；　that　is　the　way　one　learns　things。　Especially　if　the　party　one　is　talking　to　displays　anxiety。　I　can　assure　you；　she　did。〃
　'What　did　you　learn？'
　That　you　should　be　considered　a　dangerous　man。'
　'In　what　way？'
　The　definition　was　left　open。　But　the　fact　that　the　term　was　used　was　enough　for　me　to　ask　why　the　Surete　was　not　involved。　Her　reply　was　extremely　interesting。　〃He　is　beyond　the　Surete；　beyond　Interpol；〃　she　said。'
　'What　did　that　tell　you？'
　That　it　was　a　highly　plicated　matter　with　any　number　of　possibilities；　all　best'　left　private。　Since　our　talk　began；　however；　it　now　tells　me　something　else。'
　'What's　that？'
　That　you　really　should　pay　me　well　for　I　must　be　extremely　cautious。　Those　who　look　for　you　are　also；　perhaps；　beyond　the　Surete；　beyond　Interpol。'
　'We'll　get　to　that。　You　told　this　woman　I　was　on　my　way　to　your　office？'
　'Within　the　quarter…hour。　She　asked　me　to　remain　on　the　telephone　for　a　few　moments；　that　she　would　be　right　back。　Obviously　she　made　another　call。　She　returned　with　her　final　instructions。　You　were　to　be　detained　in　my　office　until　a　man　came　to　my　secretary　inquiring　about　a　matter　from　Zurich。　And　when　you　left　you　were　to　be　identified　by　a　nod　or　a　gesture；　there　could　be　no　error。　The　man　came；　of　course；　and；　of　course；　you　never　arrived；　so　he　waited　by　the　tellers'　cages　with　an　associate。　When　you　phoned　and　said　you　were　on　your　way　to　London；　I　left　my　office　to　find　the　man。　My　secretary　pointed　him　out　and　I　told　him。　The　rest　you　know。'
　'Didn't　it　strike　you　as　odd　that　I　had　to　be　identified？'
　'Not　so　odd　as　intemperate。　A　fiche　is　one　thing　…　telephone　calls；　faceless　munications　…　but　to　be　involved　directly；　in　the　open；　as　it　were；　is　something　else　again。　I　said　as　much　to　the　woman。'
　'What　did　she　say　to　you？'
　D'Amacourt　cleared　his　throat。　'She　made　it　clear　that　the　party　she　represented　…　whose　stature　was；　indeed；　confirmed　by　the　fiche　itself　…　would　remember　my　co…operation。　You　see；　I　withhold　nothing。。。　Apparently　they　don't　know　what　you　look　like。'
　'A　man　was　at　the　bank　who　saw　me　in　Zurich。'
　Then　his　associates　do　not　trust　his　eyesight。　Or；　perhaps；　what　he　thinks　he　saw。'
　'Why　do　you　say　that？'
　'Merely　an　observation。　Monsieur；　the　woman　was　insistent。　You　must　understand；　I　strenuously　objected　to　any　overt　participation；　that　is　not　the　nature　of　the　fiche。　She　said　there　was　no　photograph　of　you。　An　obvious　lie；　of　course。'
　'Is　it？'
　'Naturally。　All　passports　have　photographs。　Where　is　the　immigration　officer　who　cannot　be　bought；　or　duped。　Ten　seconds　in　a　control　room；　a　photograph　of　a　photograph；　arrangements　can　be　made。　No；　they　mitted　a　serious　oversight。〃
　'I　see　they　did。'
　'And　you；'　continued　d'Amacourt；　'just　told　me　something　else。　Yes；　you　really　must　pay　me　very　well。'
　'What　did　I　just　tell　you？'
　〃That　your　passport　does　not　identify　you　as　Jason　Bourne。　Who　are　you；　Monsieur？'
　Jason　did　not　at　first　answer；　he　revolved　his　glass　again。　'Someone　who　may　pay　you　a　lot　of　money；'　he　said。
　'Entirely　sufficient。　You　are　simply　a　client　named　Bourne。　And　I　must　be　cautious。'
　'I　want　that　telephone　number　in　New　York。　Can　you　get　it　for　me？　There'd　be　a　sizeable　bonus。'
　'I　wish　I　could。　I　see　no　way。'
　'It　might　be　raised　from　the　fiche　card。　Under　a　low…power　scope。〃
　'When　I　said　it　was　deleted。　Monsieur；　I　did　not　mean　it　was　crossed　out。　It　was　deleted；　it　was　cut　out。〃
　Then　someone　has　it　in　Zurich。'
　'Or　it　has　been　destroyed。'
　'Last　question；'　said　Jason；　anxious　now　to　leave。　'It　concerns　you；　incidentally。　It's　the　only　way　you'll　get　paid。'
　The　question　will　be　tolerated；　of　course。　What　is　it？〃
　'If　I　showed　up　at　the　Valois　without　calling　you；　without　telling　you　I　was　ing；　would　you　be　expected　to　make　another　telephone　call？'
　'Yes。　One　does　not　disregard　the　fiche；　it　emanates　from　powerful　board　rooms。　Dismissal　would　follow。'
　'Then　how　do　we　get　our　money？'
　D'Amacourt　pursed　his　lips。　〃There　is　a　way。　Withdrawal　in　absentia。　Forms　filled　out；　instructions　by　letter；　identification　confirmed　and　authenticated　by　an　established　firm　of　attorneys。　I　would　be　powerless　to　interfere。'
　'You'd　still　be　expected　to　make　the　call　though。'
　'It's　a　matter　of　timing。　Should　a　lawyer　with　whom　the　Valois　has　had　numerous　dealings　call　me　requesting　that　I　prepare；　say；　a　number　of　cashier's　cheques　drawn　upon　a　foreign　transfer　be　has　ascertained　to　have　been　cleared；　I　would　do　so。　He　would　state　that　he　was　sending　over　the　pleted　forms；　the　cheques；　of　course；　made　out　to　〃Bearer〃；　not　an　unmon　practice　in　these　days　of　excessive　taxes。　A　messenger　would　arrive　with　the　letter　during　the　most　hectic　hours　of　activity；　and　my　secretary　…　an　esteemed