bl.necroscope2-第62部分

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　Strangest　of　all；　Dolgikh's　〃controller〃　was　one　of　them…one　of　these　damned　psychic　spies；　whom　Andropov　so　heartily　detested！　The　KGB　man　closed　his　eyes　and　chuckled。　What　would　Krakovitch's　reaction　be；　he　wondered；　when　he　eventually　discovered　that　the　traitor　in　his　precious　E…Branch　was　his　own　Second　in　mand；　a　man　called　Ivan　Gerenko？
　
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　Yulian　Bodescu　had　not　spent　a　pleasant　night。　Even　the　presence　of　his　beautiful　cousin　in　his　bed…her　lovely　body　his　to　use　in　whichever　way　amused　him…had　not　pensated　for　his　nightmares　and　fantasies　and　frustrated　half…memories　out　of　a　past　not　entirely　his　own。
　It　was　all　down　to　the　watchers；　Yulian　supposed；　those　damned　busybodies　whose　spying　（For　what　purpose？　What　did　they　know？　What　were　they　trying　to　find　out？）　over　the　last　forty…eight　hours　had　bee　an　almost　unbearable　irritation。　Oh；　he　no　longer　had　any　real　cause　to　fear　them…George　Lake　was　fine　ashes；　and　the　three　women　would　never　dare　go　against　Yulian…but　still　the　men　were　there！　Like　an　itch　you　can't　scratch。　Or　one　you　aren't　able　to　reach…for　the　moment。　Yes；　it　was　down　to　them。
　They　had　brought　on　Yulian's　nightmares；　his　dreams　of　wooden　stakes；　steel　swords　and　bright；　searing　flames。　As　for　those　other　dreams：　of　low　hills　in　the　shape　of　a　cross；　tall　dark　trees；　and　of　a　Thing　in　the　ground　that　called　and　called　to　him；　beckoning　with　fingers　that　dripped　blood。。。　Yulian　was　not　quite　sure　what　he　should　make　of　them。
　For　he　had　been　there…actually　there；　on　the　cruciform　hills…the　night　his　father　died。　He　had　been　a　mere　foetus　in　his　mother's　womb　when　it　had　happened；　he　knew　that；　but　what　else　had　happened　that　time？　His　roots　were　there；　anyway；　Yulian　felt　sure　of　that。　But　the　fact　remained　that　there　was　only　one　way　he　could　ever　be　absolutely　sure；　and　that　would　be　to　answer　the　call　and　go　there。　Indeed　a　trip　to　Romania　might　well　be　useful　in　solving　two　problems　at　once；　for　with　the　secret　watchers　out　there　in　the　fields　and　lanes　around　Harkley；　now　was　probably　as　good　a　time　as　any　to　make　himself　scarce　for　a　while。
　Except。。。　first　he　would　like　to　know　what　the　real　purpose　of　those　watchers　was。　Were　they　merely　suspicious；　or　did　they　actually　know　something？　And　if　so；　what　did　they　intend　to　do　about　it？　Yulian　had　already　developed　a　plan　to　get　those　questions　answered。　It　was　just　a　matter　of　getting　it　right；　that　was　all　。
　The　sky　was　cloudy　and　the　morning　dull　that　Monday　when　Yulian　rose　up　from　his　bed。　He　told　Helen　to　bathe；　dress　herself　prettily；　go　about　the　house　and　grounds　just　as　if　her　life　were　pletely　normal；　unchanged。　He　dressed　and　went　down　to　the　cellars；　where　he　gave　the　same　instructions　to　Anne。　Likewise　his　mother　in　her　room。　Just　act　naturally　and　let　nothing　appear　suspicious；　indeed；　Helen　could　even　drive　him　into　Torquay　for　an　hour　or　two。
　They　were　followed　into　Torquay　but　Yulian　was　not　aware　of　it。　He　was　distracted　by　the　sun；　which　kept　breaking　through　the　clouds　and　reflecting　off　mirrors；　windows　and　chrome。　He　still　affected　his　broad…brimmed　hat　and　sunglasses；　but　his　hatred　of　the　sun…and　its　effect　on　him…were　much　stronger　now。　The　car's　mirrors　irritated　him；　his　reflection　in　the　windows　and　other　bright　surfaces　disturbed　him；　his　vampire　〃awareness〃　was　playing　hell　with　his　nerves。　He　felt　closed　in。　Danger　threatened　and　he　knew　it…but　from　which　quarter？　What　sort　of　danger？
　While　Helen　waited　in　the　car；　three　storeys　up　in　a　municipal　car　park；　he　went　to　a　travel　agency　and　made　inquiries；　then　gave　instructions。　This　took　a　little　time；　for　the　holiday　he　had　chosen　was　outside　the　usual　scope　of　the　agency。　He　wanted　to　spend　a　week　in　Romania。　Yulian　might　simply　have　phoned　one　of　London's　airports　and　made　a　booking；　but　he　preferred　to　let　an　authorised　agency　advise　him　on　restrictions；　visas；　etc。　This　way　there　would　be　no　errors；　no　last　minute　hold…ups。　Also；　Yulian　couldn't　stay　penned　up　in　Harkley　House　forever；　driving　into　town　had　at　least　given　him　a　break　from　routine；　from　his　watchers；　and　from　the　increasing　pressures　of　being　a　creature　alone。　What　was　more；　the　drive　had　let　him　keep　up　appearances：　Helen　was　his　pretty　cousin　down　from　London；　and　he　and　she　were　simply　out　for　a　drive；　enjoying　what　was　left　of　the　good　weather。　So　it　would　appear。
　After　making　his　travel　arrangements　（the　agency　would　ring　him　within　forty…eight　hours　and　let　him　have　all　the　details）　Yulian　took　Helen　for　lunch。　While　she　ate　listlessly　and　tried　desperately　hard　not　to　look　fearful　of　him；　he　sipped　a　glass　of　red　wine　and　smoked　a　cigarette。　He　might　have　tried　a　steak；　rare；　but　food　…ordinary　food…no　longer　appealed。　Instead　he　found　himself　watching　Helen's　throat。　He　was　aware　of　the　danger　in　that；　however；　and　so　concentrated　his　mind　on　the　details　of　his　plan　for　tonight　instead。　Certainly　he　did　not　intend　to　stay　hungry　for　very　long。
　By　1。30　P。M。　they　had　driven　back　to　Harkley；　and　then；　too；　Yulian　had　briefly　picked　up　the　thoughts　of　another　watcher。　He'd　tried　to　infiltrate　the　stranger's　mind　but　it　immediately　shut　him　out。　They　were　clever；　these　watchers！　Furious；　he　raged　inwardly　through　the　afternoon　and　could　scarcely　contain　himself　until　the　fall　of　night。
　
　Peter　Keen　was　a　paratively　recent　recruit　to　INTESP's　team　of　parapsychologists。　A　sporadic　telepath；　（his　talent；　as　yet　untrained；　came　in　uncontrolled；　unannounced　bursts；　and　was　wont　to　depart　just　as　quickly　and　mysteriously）　he'd　been　recruited　after　tipping　off　the　police　on　a　murder…to…be。　He　had　accidentally　scanned　the　mind…the　dark　intention…of　the　would…be　rapist　and　murderer。　When　it　happened　just　as　he'd　said　it　would；　a　high…ranking　policeman；　a　friend　of　the　branch；　had　passed　details　on　to　INTESP。　The　job　in　Devon　was　Keen's　first　field　assignment；　for　until　now　all　of　his　time　had　been　spent　with　his　instructors。
　Yulian　Bodescu　was　under　full　twenty…four　hour　surveillance　now；　and　Keen　had　the　mid…morning　shift；　8。00　A。M。　till　2。00　P。M。　At　1。30　when　the　girl　had　driven　Bodescu　back　through　Harkley's　gates　and　up　to　the　house；　Keen　had　been　only　two　hundred　yards　behind　in　his　red　Capri。　Driving　straight　past　Harkley；　he'd　stopped　at　the　first　telephone　kiosk　and　phoned　headquarters；　passing　on　details　of　Bodescu's　outing。
　At　the　hotel　in　Paignton；　Darcy　Clarke　took　Keen's　call　and　passed　the　telephone　to　the　man　in　charge　of　the　operation；　a　jolly；　fat；　middle…aged　chain…smoking　〃scryer〃　called　Guy　Roberts。　Normally　Roberts　would　be　in　London；　employing　his　scrying　to　track　Russian　submarines；　terrorist　bomb　squads　and　the　like；　but　now　he　was　here　as　head　of　operations；　keeping　his　mental　eye　on　Yulian　Bodescu。
　Roberts　had　found　the　task　not　at　all　to　his　liking　and　far　from　easy。　The　vampire　is　a　solitary　creature　whose　nature　it　is　to　be　secretive。　There　is　that　in　a　vampire's　mental　makeup　which　shields　him　as　effectively　as　the　night　screens　his　physical　being。　Roberts　could　see　Harkley　House　only　as　a　vague；　shadowy　place；　as　a　scene　viewed　through　dense；　weaving　mist。　When　Bodescu　was　there　this　mental　miasma　rolled　that　much　more　densely；　making　it　difficult　for　Roberts　to　pinpoint　any　specific　person　or　object。
　Practice　makes　perfect；　however；　and　the　longer　Roberts　stayed　with　it　the　clearer　his　pictures　were　ing。　He　could　now　state　for　certain；　for　instance；　that　Harkley　House　was　occupied　by　only　four　people：
　Bodescu；　his　mother；　his　aunt　and　her　daughter。　But　there　was　something　else　there；　too。　Two　somethings；　in　fact。　One　of　them　was　Bodescu's　dog；　but　obscured　by　the　same　aura；　which　was　very　strange。　And　the　other　was…simply　〃the　Other〃。　Like　Yulian　himself；　Roberts　thought　of　it　only　that　way。　But　whatever　it　was…in　all　likelihood　the　thing　in　the　cellars　which　Alec　Kyle　had　warned　about…it　was　certainly　there　and　it　was　alive　。
　〃Roberts　here；〃　the　scryer　spoke　into　the　telephone。　〃What　is　it；　Peter？〃
　Keen　passed　his　message。
　〃Travel　agency？〃　Roberts　frowned。　〃Yes；　we'll　get　on　to　it　at　once。　Your　relief？　He's　on　his　way　right　now。　Trevor　Jordan；　yes。　See　you　later；　Peter。〃　Roberts　put　down　the　telephone　and　picked　up　a　directory。　Moments　later　he　was　phoning　the　travel　agency　in　Torquay；　whose　name　and　address　Keen　had　given　him。
　When　he　got　an　answer；　Roberts　held　a　handkerchief　to　his　mouth；　contrived　a　young　voice。　〃Hello？　Er；　hello？〃
　〃Hello？〃　came　back　the　answer。　〃Sunsea　Travel；　here　…who's　calling；　please？〃　It　was　a　male　voice；　deep　and　smooth。
　〃Seem　to　have　a　bad　line；〃　Roberts　replied；　keeping　his　voice　to　a　medium　pitch。　〃Can　you　hear　me？　I　was　in；　oh；　an　hour　ago。　Mr　Bodescu？〃
　〃Ah；　yes；　sir！〃　The　booking　agent　raised　his　voice。　〃Your　Romanian　inquiry。　Bucharest；　any　time　in　the　next　two　weeks。　Right？〃　Roberts　gave　a　start；　made　an　effort　to　keep　his　muffled　voice　even。　〃Er；　Romania；　yes；　that's　right。〃　He　thought　fast…furiously　fast。　〃Er；　look；　I'm　sorry　to　be　a　nuisance；　but　…〃
　〃Yes？〃
　〃Well；　I've　decided　I　can't　make　it　after　all。　Maybe　next　year；　eh？〃
　〃Ah！〃　There　was　some　disappointment　in　the　other's　tone。　〃Well；　that's　the　way　it　goes。　Thanks　for　calling；　sir。　So　you're　definit