Lord Altamount was dictating1.
The voice that had once been ringing and dominant2 was now reduced toa gentleness that had still an unexpectedly special appeal. It seemed tocome gently out of the shadows of the past, but to be emotionally movingin a way that a more dominant tone would not have been.
James Kleek was taking down the words as they came, pausing everynow and then when a moment of hesitation3 came, allowing for it andwaiting gently himself.
‘Idealism,’ said Lord Altamount, ‘can arise and indeed usually does sowhen moved by a natural antagonism4 to injustice5. That is a natural revul-sion from crass6 materialism7. The natural idealism of youth is fed moreand more by a desire to destroy those two phases of modern life, injusticeand crass materialism. That desire to destroy what is evil, sometimes leadsto a love of destruction for its own sake. It can lead to a pleasure in viol-ence and in the infliction8 of pain. All this can be fostered and strengthenedfrom outside by those who are gifted by a natural power of leadership.
This original idealism arises in a non-adult stage. It should and could leadon to a desire for a new world. It should lead also towards a love of all hu-man beings, and of goodwill9 towards them. But those who have oncelearnt to love violence for its own sake will never become adult. They willbe fixed10 in their own retarded11 development and will so remain for theirlifetime.’
The buzzer12 went. Lord Altamount gestured and James Kleek lifted it upand listened.
‘Mr Robinson is here.’
‘Ah yes. Bring him in. We can go on with this later.’
James Kleek rose, laying aside his notebook and pencil.
Mr Robinson came in. James Kleek set a chair for him, one sufficientlywidely proportioned to receive his form without discomfort13. Mr Robinsonsmiled his thanks and arranged himself by Lord Altamount’s side.
‘Well,’ said Lord Altamount. ‘Got anything new for us? Diagrams?
Circles? Bubbles?’
He seemed faintly amused.
‘Not exactly,’ said Mr Robinson imperturbably14, ‘it’s more like plottingthe course of a river–’
‘River?’ said Lord Altamount. ‘What sort of a river?’
‘A river of money,’ said Mr Robinson, in the slightly apologetic voice hewas wont15 to use when referring to his speciality. ‘It’s really just like ariver, money is–coming from somewhere and definitely going to some-where. Really very interesting– that is, if you are interested in thesethings–It tells its own story, you see–’
James Kleek looked as though he didn’t see, but Altamount said, ‘I un-derstand. Go on.’
‘It’s flowing from Scandinavia–from Bavaria–from the USA–from South-east Asia–fed by lesser16 tributaries17 on the way–’
‘And going–where?’
‘Mainly to South America–meeting the demands of the now securely es-tablished Headquarters of Militant18 Youth–’
‘And representing four of the five interwined Circles you showed us–Armaments, Drugs, Scientific and Chemical Warfare19 Missiles as well asFinance?’
‘Yes–we think we know now fairly accurately20 who controls these vari-ous groups–’
‘What about Circle J–Juanita?’ asked James Kleek.
‘As yet we cannot be sure.’
‘James has certain ideas as to that,’ said Lord Altamount. ‘I hope he maybe wrong–yes, I hope so. The initial J is interesting. What does it stand for–Justice? Judgment21?’
‘A dedicated22 killer,’ said James Kleek. ‘The female of the species is moredeadly than the male.’
‘There are historical precedents,’ admitted Altamount. ‘Jael setting but-ter in a lordly dish before Sisera–and afterwards driving the nail throughhis head. Judith executing Holofernes, and applauded for it by her coun-trymen. Yes, you may have something there.’
‘So you think you know who Juanita is, do you?’ said Mr Robinson.
‘That’s interesting.’
‘Well, perhaps I’m wrong, sir, but there have been things that made methink–’
‘Yes,’ said Mr Robinson, ‘we have all had to think, haven’t we? Better saywho you think it is, James.’
‘The Countess Renata Zerkowski.’
‘What makes you pitch upon her?’
‘The places she’s been, the people she’s been in contact with. There’sbeen too much coincidence about the way she has been turning up in dif-ferent places, and all that. She’s been in Bavaria. She’s been visiting BigCharlotte there. What’s more, she took Stafford Nye with her. I think that’ssignificant–’
‘You think they’re in this together?’ asked Altamount.
‘I wouldn’t like to say that. I don’t know enough about him, but…’ Hepaused.
‘Yes,’ said Lord Altamount, ‘there have been doubts about him. He wassuspected from the beginning.’
‘By Henry Horsham?’
‘Henry Horsham for one, perhaps. Colonel Pikeaway isn’t sure, I ima-gine. He’s been under observation. Probably knows it too. He’s not a fool.’
‘Another of them,’ said James Kleek savagely23. ‘Extraordinary, how wecan breed them, how we trust them, tell ’em our secrets, let them knowwhat we’re doing, go on saying: “If there’s one person I’m absolutely sureof it’s–oh, McLean, or Burgess, or Philby, or any of the lot.” And now–Stafford Nye.’
‘Stafford Nye, indoctrinated by Renata alias24 Juanita,’ said Mr Robinson.
‘There was that curious business at Frankfurt airport,’ said Kleek, ‘andthere was the visit to Charlotte. Stafford Nye, I gather, has since been inSouth America with her. As for she herself– do we know where she isnow?’
‘I dare say Mr Robinson does,’ said Lord Altamount. ‘Do you, Mr Robin-son?’
‘She’s in the United States. I’ve heard that after staying with friends inWashington or near it, she was in Chicago, then in California and that shewent from Austin to visit a top-flight scientist. That’s the last I’ve heard.’
‘What’s she doing there?’
‘One would presume,’ said Mr Robinson, in his calm voice, ‘that she istrying to obtain information.’
‘What information?’
Mr Robinson sighed.
‘That is what one wishes one knew. One presumes that it is the same in-formation that we are anxious to obtain and that she is doing it on our be-half. But one never knows–it may be for the other side.’
He turned to look at Lord Altamount.
‘Tonight, I understand, you are travelling to Scotland. Is that right?’
‘Quite right.’
‘I don’t think he ought to, sir,’ said James Kleek. He turned an anxiousface to his employer. ‘You’ve not been so well lately, sir. It’ll be a very tir-ing journey whichever way you go. Air or train. Can’t you leave it toMunro and Horsham?’
‘At my age it’s a waste of time to take care,’ said Lord Altamount. ‘If Ican be useful I would like to die in harness, as the saying goes.’
He smiled at Mr Robinson.
‘You’d better come with us, Robinson.’
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
dictating
|
|
| v.大声讲或读( dictate的现在分词 )；口授；支配；摆布 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
dominant
|
|
| adj.支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的；n.主因，要素，主要的人(或物)；显性基因 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
hesitation
|
|
| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
antagonism
|
|
| n.对抗，敌对，对立 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
injustice
|
|
| n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
crass
|
|
| adj.愚钝的，粗糙的；彻底的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
materialism
|
|
| n.［哲］唯物主义，唯物论；物质至上 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
infliction
|
|
| n.（强加于人身的）痛苦，刑罚 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
goodwill
|
|
| n.善意，亲善，信誉，声誉 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
fixed
|
|
| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
retarded
|
|
| a.智力迟钝的，智力发育迟缓的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
buzzer
|
|
| n.蜂鸣器；汽笛 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
discomfort
|
|
| n.不舒服，不安，难过，困难，不方便 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
imperturbably
|
|
| adv.泰然地，镇静地，平静地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
wont
|
|
| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
lesser
|
|
| adj.次要的，较小的；adv.较小地，较少地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
tributaries
|
|
| n. 支流 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
militant
|
|
| adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
warfare
|
|
| n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
accurately
|
|
| adv.准确地，精确地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
judgment
|
|
| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
dedicated
|
|
| adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
savagely
|
|
| adv. 野蛮地，残酷地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
alias
|
|
| n.化名；别名；adv.又名 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |