Chapter 7 Chapter 6 The Blurred Truth

I've come here after a long journey, really long.I have never met you, but you have always been in my life since I was a child.You accompany me to school and supervise my homework.I tell you all my little secrets.I draw a lot of energy from you. Elias Littlefield sat at one end of the conference table, talking to each participant in turn.During the listening process, he was very focused and took notes from time to time.There are a lot of materials on the table, and the meeting has lasted for more than two hours.His cell phone vibrated suddenly, he glanced at it, grabbed it, and walked out of the conference room.

He entered his office directly from the back door of the conference room and sat behind his desk.He sat on the swivel chair and turned around so that he was facing out of the window before telling the other party that he could talk. "Knopf just left." There was a woman's voice on the phone. "What is he going to do?" "I want to know if the two people he wants to protect have come to see me. I told him the truth as you said before." "Did you give them the picture?" "A copy was given, and the address on the reverse was replaced by the one you asked me to write."

"No one suspects it?" "After they left, I immediately exchanged the photo that Knopf gave me, fearing that he would come back to get it at any time, but he didn't take the photo afterward. I never thought he would be alone behind our backs. Act until he comes to see me yesterday." "We are also partly responsible. Knopf is an old-fashioned person, and he is not willing to stand by after being seconded to our team." "What will you do with him?" "Don't worry about him, we'll retire him, and he won't be a hindrance to us after that. Thank you for your help tonight."

Lorraine Gordon hung up the phone and went on to entertain the guests.Elias also returned to the conference room. "Knopf will be back here soon. Until he arrives, everyone will be at their posts. Where did we talk about that wiretap?" "Can't fit downstairs in him, he's too alert to find out. We can't get into his apartment either. His boyfriend works from home and their housekeeper is there to watch even when he's not around." Home." "Then find a way to get them all out of the house. If it doesn't work, set them on fire. I need every word they say, even the song he hums in the shower! Where are Baker and that reporter?"

"We followed them as soon as they came out of the club. Then they went to the New York Times office and we're monitoring all the exits now." "You four," Elias said, turning to the two men and two women on his left, "you go to Norway tomorrow, two teams. As soon as the target shows up in the museum, act immediately. Knopf will go to that before saying Wait for them in a good place, and you also monitor him, but don’t let him find out. If everything goes well, we can catch him after he takes the materials.” "Do you think he really knows where the materials are?" A colleague on his right asked, "Then why didn't he take them out in advance so that they can be handed directly to them?"

"Because he doesn't want to. Knopf is not a traitor. As long as he doesn't endanger his Susie Baker, he wouldn't do it behind our backs. But everyone has a weakness, Knopf's weakness." Senator Walker. He loved Walker and was loyal to him like a dog. I even think he may still love Walker. I don't want to do this to him, but it has reached the point where we have no other choice , All these people can only shut up. Once Knopf is arrested on the spot, he will return to our side, he is not a person who does not know what to do. " "What about his boyfriend?" the colleague continued to ask.

"As long as you install the bugs, you can immediately know whether he was involved in this matter, let's see." "Are we going to loosen the checks on their border crossing?" another said. "They can't leave the US without that, let alone Oslo." "Don't worry, Knopf will help. If they leave the country too smoothly, they will be suspicious." Susie was very used to sleeping on the ground, but Andrew couldn't adapt, and his whole back hurt.He rubbed his back, showing a pained expression. "We can try to go from Canada." He looked at Dorothy's screen.

"try what?" "Mexico would probably be safer. We could go straight from there to Guatemala, and from there to Europe. The NSA shouldn't have a big presence in South America." "It will take six or seven days to reach the destination, which is too long." "I would also like to fly directly from JFK, so that I can reach Oslo tomorrow. But it is also possible that we will die tomorrow." "Can I use this phone? There is no danger of monitoring?" Susie asked. "After the Watergate incident, the office phones of the media are generally not monitored, otherwise the government will take too much risk. Who do you want to call?"

"My travel agency." Susie glanced at Andrew. "Open at 5 in the morning?" Stanley looked at the clock on the bedside table and stared at the ceiling silently.Finally, he yawned and sat up, lifted the quilt and got out of bed.He put on his nightgown and called out "Here we are," but the phone kept ringing. "Did you forget something?" He picked up the receiver. "Stanley, this is Susie, I want to talk to Arnold." "Do you know what time it is?" "I know, but it's really urgent." "Which of your affairs is not urgent?"

"Don't hang up, Stanley, the situation is really serious this time, and Arnold has also been implicated. Wake him up quickly and let him talk to me, please." "He hasn't come home yet, and he won't be back in a few days. I received a message from him before, and you should know that, but I don't know where he went. What are you looking for him for?" "I'm going to get to Oslo in the shortest possible time, and when I say the shortest time, I mean I'm racing against the clock." "Then get on the plane!" "I can't take a normal flight, it's impossible."

Stanley rubbed his hands, looked at Knopf's photo, and put him on the phone table.The photo was taken in Belize, where they had spent a rare vacation, a destination Stanley was sure Knopf had chosen on purpose. "If I helped you to Norway, is it possible that you will never come back? Norway is beautiful, you will be very happy there, you like the cold weather so much." "Stanley, if you can help me, I promise I won't bother you anymore, and I won't bother Arnold anymore." "For God's sake! Let me look into it and see you at the Central Park Ice Rink in an hour." After hanging up the phone, Stanley picked up the photo on the table and said to his boyfriend: "I hope you keep your promise. Otherwise, I might not be there next time you come home." In Central Park, the sky is already slightly bright.There were already people jogging on the trail, and their even panting and footsteps could be heard.Stanley paced back and forth in front of the rink, trying to warm himself up.He was taken aback when Susie came over and patted him on the shoulder. "God, don't scare me like that. My heart is weak." "Sorry, I have to be a little more cautious now." "What did you do again? Well, don't tell me, I don't want to know." "do you have……" "Aren't you in a hurry? Then let me talk!" Stanley looked behind Susie. "Who's that guy behind the tree staring at us?" "a friend." "He looks funny. Go to Teterboro Airport at 11 o'clock with Mrs. Clarke's name and find Atlantic Airlines check-in. If you're going with this monkey-looking guy, just say He's your bodyguard. A man will come and pick you up and put you straight on the plane, no one will check." "and then?" "And then you do what he says, and then you're in Oslo tomorrow." "Thank you, Stanley." "Don't thank me, I think Arnold would have liked me to. I did it because of him, not you, but it seems to be the same. Goodbye, Susie." Stanley put his hands in his pockets and left.As he passed behind the tree Andrew heard him muttering: "Old man, you are so funny!" Stanley disappeared into the morning mist. "Okay," Susie walked in front of Andrew, "we have a ticket to Norway." "What time do you leave? From which airport?" "11 o'clock, Teterboro Airport, I'll explain to you on the way." Andrew took out the envelope Simon gave him from his pocket, and handed Susie two hundred dollars. "Take a taxi. The store in Nolita opens at 8:00 in the morning. Buy us some thick clothes. By the way, I will go to the pharmacy to buy some toiletries and two flashlights. Maybe they can be used. I will buy them later. Something you find useful." "Give me another two hundred." Susie ordered some money. "Why? I asked you to buy some clothes and two toothbrushes, but not a pipe or silk pajamas!" "Then I'm going shopping, what are you going to do?" "None of your business. Meet me back here at 8:45," Andrew flipped through his notepad. "I'll meet you on the sidewalk." The cafe was filled with uniformed police officers.This is no surprise, as the café is directly across from the Stables of the Mounted Police Battalion. Valerie pushed open the door, eyes widening in surprise when he saw Andrew sitting at the bar. She greeted several colleagues and walked towards Andrew through the crowd.A policeman who had just finished his coffee gave her the seat, and she sat next to Andrew. "What are you doing here?" she asked in a low voice. "I'll come and see you." "This is not the right place. You're wanted, and every police station has a picture of you and that lady on the door." "Your colleagues are used to riding on horseback and looking down at others. No one will notice me. Who would have thought that I would throw myself into the trap?" "Andrew, what the hell have you done?" "I was looking for a piece of material, but it seems that some people in power have been alarmed." "Can't things in Argentina teach you a lesson?" "Valerie, I need you." "Do you need my help? That's why you came to me?" "No, I need you so I can live. I miss you and I want to tell you this before I leave." "Where are you going?" "To a place far away." "When are you coming back?" "I don't know, this time is more dangerous than the one in Argentina." Valerie put the glass on the bar and watched the mist rise from above. "Andrew, I can't take it anymore, I don't want to sit all night in a chair in front of my hospital bed, please wake up quickly. All the people who come to see you ask me if you are sick, but no one cares Am I in pain. In fact, I am very sad, but I can only keep silent. I look at you lying there, and my mind is full of the day we got married, and you said you loved another woman. " "You're the only thing that keeps me going. I know you're there, and I can hear your voice sometimes. I try my best to wake up and ask for your forgiveness. But in my After regaining consciousness, you have left. I know what I did, and I regret it, but I never betrayed you. I can do anything, as long as you can forgive me." Andrew said, "You think I don't want to let To become a better man? I would love to become that person you want to spend your life with.” "Too early, or too late, I don't know," Valerie said. Andrew looked at the wall clock on the wall. "I should go," he sighed, "I just wanted to tell you this before I leave." "Tell me what? Are you sorry?" "No, I want to tell you that I'm yours." Andrew stood up and walked towards the door.He bumped into a cop and apologized to him.The policeman looked at Andrew with a strange look, and Valerie immediately got up and walked over. "Come on, come with me." She took Andrew's arm. She patted the policeman on the shoulder, asked how he was doing, and pulled Andrew out of the cafe. "Thank you," Andrew said to her. "no need thank me?" A taxi pulled up next to them, Susie opened the back door, and Valerie watched her. "You want to go with her?" Andrew just nodded and sat in. "You want to know how I can forgive you? Don't go." "Valerie, you won't get hurt this time, because now I love you more than you love me." Andrew stared at Valerie's face, and finally he lowered his eyes and closed the door of the taxi. In the taxi, he kept looking in the rearview mirror, and then before turning the corner, he saw Valerie go into the cafe again. Valerie mechanically walked across the lobby and sat down at her coffee.The cop that Andrew bumped into walked towards her. "Who's that guy? He looks familiar." "I was a playmate when I was young. But that time is far away from now." "Valerie, is there anything I can do for you? You don't look well." "Can you take me out to dinner tonight?" "You've got yourself caught," said Susie. "It's a wonderful café. You should let me go in and find you, so they can recognize us more easily." "Can you stop talking until you get to the airport?" After that, Susie kept silent.They passed the George Washington Bridge, and Andrew watched Manhattan recede behind him, never feeling so far away from him. Susie came to the Atlantic Airlines duty counter and gave Clark the name as Stanley said.The ground crew asked her to wait in the lounge, and after a while, a man came and found them. "Follow me." He led them out of the terminal. They passed many rooms containing airport equipment and finally came to a pickup truck.The man threw their luggage into the trunk and let them climb in too. On the road, the truck kept bumping.Andrew and Susie put their luggage on their laps and sat cross-legged in the carriage.They heard the sound of iron doors sliding, and then felt the truck accelerate. The car pulled onto the tarmac and pulled up in front of a Gulfstream aircraft registered in Texas. The man let them out of the truck and pointed them to the door of the plane's cargo bay.The place where they are standing is a visual blind spot, which cannot be seen from the terminal building. "From there, stay in the hold until takeoff. The plane is bound for Halifax, but the pilot will ask to divert to St. Pierre and Miquelon. After that, the plane will go to Oslo, but you must hide in the cargo hold before taking off again. When landing in Norway, the pilot will say that the plane has technical problems and ask the ground control center to allow him to land at a small airport 30 kilometers away from Oslo. You are here Get off the plane there and someone will pick you up and take you where you want to go. After that it’s up to you. Any questions?” "No." Susie replied. "By the way, there is one more thing." The man handed an envelope to Susie, "someone asked me to pass this on to you. When you arrive in Oslo, you need to buy a copy of the Herald Guide and read the small advertisement on it. I think you understand what he means. Have a good trip." Andrew and Susie climbed into the cargo hold of the plane.The man signaled to the pilot, the engine roared, and the plane accelerated towards the takeoff runway. The car went through a forest and into the middle of a field.Fields were separated by low walls of earth, like prison courtyards.On the horizon, there are some smoking chimneys.The car went straight along the lake, passed through several villages, and came to the outskirts of Oslo. Susie took the envelope out of her bag.Found a guidebook, some NOK, and the address of a hotel in it.She gave the address to the driver. The conditions of the hotel are very simple, but the boss neither asks them to register, nor asks them to fill out the passenger information form. There were two very narrow beds, covered with velvet covers, and a pine bedside table between them.The windows are facing the gate of a factory where workers come and go.Susie drew the cotton curtains and went into the bathroom inside to take a shower.The bathroom is small, but better than nothing. The atmosphere in the restaurant is quiet.The woman who brought them food was too old to tell her age, and she left without a word after delivering the food.A traveling couple sat at the table of Andrew and Susie, and behind them was the cabinet for the cutlery.The husband has been reading the newspaper while the wife is earnestly spreading jam on her bread.They just greeted each other with their eyes, and then continued to bury their heads in their own affairs. Andrew went upstairs to get something.He took his notebook and a folded map.The map has a map of Oslo on the front and a rail map on the back. Susie used to complain that winters in Boston were too cold, and now she complained even more: Winters in Norway are much colder, and there is nowhere to escape the cold wind. They walked all the way to Usk Railway Station, and Andrew asked the staff which platform the train to Oslo should board on.The man showed him the way in very standard English. Fifteen minutes later, the train pulled into the station.This is a regional line, and like other big cities around the world, there are fast trains around Oslo.But there are only some benches in the carriage, and there are many snowflakes blowing in from the outside when the doors are opened. At Oslo Central Station, Susie went to the newsstand.She bought two copies of the Herald-Leader and sat down with Andrew in a cafe. "Would you butter a piece of bread for me?" she said to Andrew, opening her newspaper. Andrew moved his head closer. "What are we looking for?" he asked Susie. "A notice." "Where did you learn this?" "Knopf was my godfather. He gave me a little head start," Susie said. "He told me that during the Cold War, all the spy agencies used were small advertisements in the Herald-Leader. That's how the messages were sent out quietly. Then the counterintelligence got to know it, and every morning they read every bulletin carefully to see if there was something hidden in it. Look, I found the letter addressed to us That message is gone." Susie pointed to a notice: "Is this notice for you?" "The acacia flower was my grandmother's favorite flower, and only Knopf and I knew it." "Then what's the meaning of the rest?" "There should be something wrong," Susie replied, "I think Knopf is in Norway." "You still trust him that much?" "There's never been more trust than now." Andrew opened the travel guide. "Shall we still visit that history museum?" Susie closed the newspaper and put it in her backpack. "I don't know. If Knopf told us that everything was fine, something must have happened. He said that he came to Clark Island, and he should be reminding us to be vigilant." "If you really want herring, the town of Bryggen is here, on the coast to the west. We can go by train or hire a car. Either way we need about seven hours. I tend to take the train, because renting a car will definitely require a document, so let's try to avoid it." He closed the guide book. "Or we can take a seaplane." Susie said, pointing to the advertisement on the back of the guidebook. They left the train station, hopped into a taxi, and arrived at the pier. The seaplane is parked on the shore and rises and falls with the movement of the waves.There is a hut at the head of the pontoon bridge, even if it is the business place of the Norwegian water tourism company.Andrew pushed open the door.Inside, a man with a puffy stomach was sitting on a recliner, with his legs stretched out under the desk, snoring softly. His snoring sounded like a pot boiling over a small fire.Susie coughed, and he opened his eyes and gave Susie a big smile.His white beard is reminiscent of Santa Claus, which originated in Nordic folklore. Susie asked him if he could take them to Bryggen.He stretched himself and said that it would cost 10,000 kroner and he would arrive in two hours, but he now has a batch of hardware to deliver, and he would be back around 1 p.m.Susie added another two thousand to him, and he changed his mind and said that the shipment was not in such a hurry. The seaplane looked just as stocky as its pilot, with a red nose and a large cabin.Andrew sat in the co-pilot's seat, while Susie sat in the back.This arrangement is not because Andrew knows how to drive this kind of vehicle, but because the man insists on this arrangement of seats.The engine roared, some black smoke spewed out from the exhaust pipe, and the whole plane trembled.The pilot undid the cables that tethered the plane to the stakes and closed the hatch. The plane glides quickly on the water and bumps up and down when it encounters waves. "If you don't want us all in the water, take your foot off the lever!" the driver said to Andrew, "Hell, don't step on those pedals, put your leg up!" Andrew carried out the order, and the plane took off. "Weather conditions are good, it seems that we should not need rescue." He pulled up the plane and left the pier in Oslo. Sunlight streams in through the gun holes in the walls of the ancient fortifications of Bergenhus Castle.The furniture in the room for the soldiers to rest is all imitated from the original ones at that time. There is a wooden table and several benches, all of which faithfully restore the old scene.Restoration of the museum is not yet complete and the entire area is not yet open to the public. Knopf walked up and down the room.Suddenly, he heard footsteps going upstairs, and this sound came all the way to the door.Knopf had always had the illusion that he had returned to centuries ago, but the appearance of that man immediately brought him back to reality. "I thought you were retired." Ashton walked towards Knopf. "Some people don't have the right to retire." "Do we need to meet?" "Here she is," Knopf replied. "I arrived a few hours before her." "Matilde is here?" "No, Mathilde is dead, and her daughter is here." "She knows everything?" "Of course not, we're the only ones who know about that." "Then what is she doing in Norway?" "Saving her own life." "Then I guess you should have come to help her." "I hope I can help her, but it's up to you whether you can." "It's up to me?" "Give me the materials, Ashton, this is the only bargaining chip that can save her life." "My God, Knopf, listening to you say this, I feel like I'm back forty years ago." "I felt the same way after seeing you, but it wasn't that complicated. We weren't going to kill each other." "Are your colleagues tracking her? Do they know the material is still there?" "They're already getting suspicious." "You want to hand over the materials to them in exchange for the safety of Lilian's granddaughter?" "She is the last surviving member of the Walker family. I swore to his grandfather that I would protect her as long as I lived." "Then you should try to understand how to live before you come here. Knopf, I can't do anything, I can't help you. Believe me, I'm sorry too. But the material is not in my hands, although I know it where, but I don't have the key." "What key?" "Without the key to the safe, if you open it forcibly, the materials inside will definitely be destroyed." "It means you know where it is." "Go back, Knopf, you shouldn't have come, and we shouldn't have met." "Ashton, I can't go back empty-handed. Are you going to make me..." "You want to kill me? With your stick? It's really a fight between two old men. Come on, Knopf, that's too bleak." Knopf grabbed Ashton by the neck and pinned him against the wall. "I'm strong for my age. I can see in your eyes that you want to live a few more years. Where's the material?" Ashton's face began to turn purple as the oxygen was leaking from his lungs. He tried to break free, but Knopf was stronger than him.His legs slipped to the ground, and Knopf followed him and fell down. "I'll give you one last chance." Knopf let go. Ashton coughed for a long time before he could continue to breathe normally. "We two old men are fighting to the death here," he gasped. "Think about the instructor who trained us. If he sees us like this, I don't know how sad it will be!" "Ashton, I have kept your secret secret. I know you have not done your job. If I had told it then, you would have been silenced." "Edward told you, was it in bed?" Knopf slapped Ashton, who fell to the ground.He covered his face and stood up. "I know all about you and that senator." "Did she tell you?" "Of course it was her. I chased her into the woods fifty kilometers away from here. I wanted to kill her, but she fell to the ground and told me about her life, including that day. She walks into the bedroom and sees you lying in bed with her husband. You see, I know your little secret too. It seems touching that your affection for Walker hasn't faded over the years. If you want, you You can strangle me at any time, but I still won't do anything. I will not save Lilian's granddaughter's life, protecting her is your task, not mine." Knopf went to a loophole and tore off the plastic covering it.From this position, you can see the seaside port and the fjords along the North Sea coast.Maybe in a few years, he wondered, the fjords would be completely submerged, lost beneath the waves.Twenty years, thirty years, or a little longer?Maybe at that time, from this fortification, you can only see some oil drilling platforms, and only the flames on those platforms are left in the polar night sky.Humans are crazy enough to destroy this beautiful ocean. "The material is still there, isn't it?" asked Knopf. "You hid it under Lillian's dress, because there was a secret in the Snow Maiden that would kill her. It was a clever idea, who thought of it?" of?" "It's me." Ashton walked to Knopf's side. He whipped out a knife and drove it into Knopf's chest, up to the hilt. The huge pain made Knopf sit down against the wall, his face was full of pain. "Lillian has kept those materials," Ashton whispered in his ear, "and when she dies, the materials will disappear with her." "Why?" Knopf trembled in pain. Ashton straightened Knopf's body, even gently.He knelt beside Knopf and sighed. "I've never liked killing people. It's been a huge test for me every time I've been forced to do it. It's not a joy to watch old friends die. Your mission is to protect Senator Walker's daughter and granddaughter, but my task is to look after his wife. You have been obsessed with this matter, I have no other choice." Knopf smiled, but couldn't hide the pain on his face.Ashton took his hand. "Is it painful?" "It doesn't hurt as much as you think." "I'll be here with you till the end, and I'll at least do this for you." "No," Knopf whispered, "I'd rather be alone." Ashton patted his hands, stood up, and walked out of the soldiers' lounge.Before going out, he turned around and took one last look at Knopf, the sadness in his eyes was not faked. "I'm very sorry." "I know," Knopf replied, "let's go." Ashton raised his hands to his eyes and saluted a standard military salute, which was his last farewell to his old friend. "We'll be there soon," the driver said, "and we can already see the wooden houses in Bryggen. The sea doesn't look calm, so I'll stop at the entrance of the main channel. Fasten your seat belts and get on the water." It’s very easy to land a plane dangerously, and when an accident happens it’s often serious.” "Which Bergen are we going to call?" Andrew asked Suzy. "I don't know either. We'll see when we get there. Maybe it's a herring restaurant. If that's the case, Knopf will probably leave us a message in a nearby phone booth." "Bergen isn't a restaurant," the driver laughed. "It's an old fortification. It's just below, to your right, and the oldest building was built in 1240. During the war, The Dutch planted bombs here, and blew up a lot of the fortifications. What a disaster! The fires from the explosion destroyed a lot of houses. Well, we're going to land!" Elias Littlefield locked the office door, sat down in a chair, and took off the receiver of the telephone. "It's me, Mr. Vice President." "Dear Elias, you're the only one who calls me that now. How are you doing?" "They left us at the Oslo docks, but we know where they are going and a small group has already set off." "Did you set a trap for them?" "Knopf seems to have noticed that he should have found some way to notify Walker. They didn't keep the appointment." "Then where are they?" "In the town of Bryggen, our people can only follow them by car. Walker and the reporter arrived four hours earlier than us, but I'm not worried. We can definitely stop them." "Do you know what they're going to do?" "I guess it's to see Knopf." "He ran away from you too?" "He is a tough opponent who knows all our methods. This prey is hard to catch..." "Don't talk about these excuses. Does he have those materials in his hand, does he have them?" "I hope he has. Once he has the material, he will certainly trade it for Susie Walker's safety. That's why I called you, what would you like us to do?" The vice president ordered his butler, who had brought him medication, to leave the bedroom. "Retrieve the material and let everyone disappear with it, including Knopf. The Walker family ruined my life. Let that woman go to hell with her grandfather, although I'm afraid I won't I'm going to accompany them. The materials of 'Snow Maiden' must be destroyed, this is a major matter related to national security." "Mr. Vice President, I know this. Please rest assured." The Vice President opened the drawer of the bedside table, and there was a Bible inside.Inside the Bible was a photograph he used as a bookmark, which he had taken on Clark Island forty-seven years earlier. "Call me when you're done. I have another call right now." He hung up the phone and picked up another one. "Knopf is dead," said the other party. "Are you sure? This man is full of tricks." Ashton didn't answer. "What happened, there seems to be something wrong with you," the vice president asked. "He got the materials?" "No one has been able to find the material and our contract remains in effect." "Then why did you kill Knopf?" "Because he is about to get the material, and he wants to use it as a bargaining chip in exchange for the life of Lilian's granddaughter." "Ashton, please think about it, we are old, and after we die, our agreement will not be sustainable. There will be others like Knopf, or Susie Walker and this reporter. Looking for materials, we must destroy it, otherwise what we did before will be discovered..." "It's what you did," Ashton interrupted, "I killed Knopf because he's getting weaker now. He'll probably give you the material, but I don't trust You. Don't touch Susie, she's no danger to you without Knopf." "Maybe she's harmless, but what about the reporter? They're a team. Give me the material and I'll order her to be let go if it makes you feel better." "I've already told you that our contract remains the same. If something happens to Susie, you will have to bear the consequences." "Don't threaten me again, Ashton, those who dare to do this with me are dead!" "I did it once, forty-seven years ago." Ashton hung up the phone.The Vice President flew into a rage and called Elias Littlefield again. Susie and Andrew arrived at the fortifications of Hus Castle in Bergen, mingling with some British tourists, and a guide was presenting the history of the castle. “我没看到你的朋友。”安德鲁说。 苏茜问导游这附近是不是有能吃鲱鱼的地方。 听到她的问题后，导游笑了起来，告诉她这里的厨房很久以前就不再使用了，但是城里有供应鲱鱼的馆子。 “那这座城堡原来的餐厅在哪里？”安德鲁问道。 “士兵们当时就在他们的房间里吃饭，但是现在这部分还没有对公众开放。”导游回答道。 接着他表示因为还要带其他的游客参观，就不能一一回答他们的问题了。 “中世纪的时候，这个地区叫作奥尔蒙，这个地名有两个意思，一个是岛，一个是山，因为这座城堡四面环水，”导游边说边带领大家走上了楼梯，“这个工事的里面有好几座教堂，其中就包括那座著名的克里斯丁天主堂，那儿也是中世纪时卑尔根王朝的国王们的坟墓。” 苏茜拉住了安德鲁的胳膊，指了指前方那条红色的围栏，围栏之后的区域是禁止游客进入的。他们放缓了步伐，等待导游带领其他游客继续向上走。 “这个大厅是哈肯四世在位时修建的，大约是在13世纪中叶……” 导游的声音逐渐远去。苏茜和安德鲁看着导游消失在他们的视线外，立刻跨过了围栏，走进了一条狭窄的走廊。他们向上走了几步，右转之后就看到了一扇门。 克诺夫坐在地上，背靠着墙壁。他旁边的地面已经被血浸透了，这些血液甚至已经开始渐渐变黑。他抬起头笑了一下，脸上没有丝毫血色。苏茜快步走到他的身边，拿出手机要叫救护车，但是克诺夫阻止了她。 “亲爱的，我们最后再做这件事吧。”他无法掩饰自己的痛苦，“我还以为你不会来了。” “什么都别说，尽量保存体力，我们这就把你送到医院。” “我本来不想用一些枯燥的长篇大论作为自己的遗言，但是已经太晚了，我必须要说。” “克诺夫，不要丢下我，求你了，我只有你了。” “我的孩子，你说得太夸张了。别哭，算我求你，我会受不了的，而且我也不配让你为我哭。我背叛了你。” “别说了，”苏茜已经泣不成声，“你别胡说。” “不，我一定要告诉你，我不惜一切代价就是为了找到那份材料，甚至不惜利用你。我想用它换取你的安全，但是不管怎样，我最后一定会毁掉它。我对祖国的爱超出了其他一切情感。反正在我这个年纪，想要改变一些固有的想法已经太晚了。现在，听我说，我留着最后一点儿力气就是要把我知道的都告诉你。” “是谁伤了你？”苏茜抓住了克诺夫满是鲜血的手。 “这个一会儿再说，先让我说完。关于'雪姑娘'计划的证据，我想我知道它们在哪里。它们可以保住你的命，但是我还是想让你答应我一件事。” “什么事？”安德鲁问道。 “我正是想请你答应这件事情。不要把文章发表出来，我知道这能给你带来普利策奖，还能带来巨额的财富，但是也肯定会引发灾难性的后果。我寄希望于你的爱国主义精神。” “我的爱国主义精神？”安德鲁显然不以为然，“你知道就因为你的爱国主义精神，这件事已经害死了多少人吗？” “其中也包括我自己，”克诺夫的声音已经完全沙哑了，“他们是为国家而死的，算得上死得其所。如果你把我要告诉你的事情说出去，美国在整个国际社会上将成为众矢之的。民众的怒火会让他们做一些可怕的事情，他们会烧毁我们的使馆，我们的人民也会因此蒙羞。就算是在美国内部，大家也会分成两个阵营，国家就会从内部分裂。不要想着这件事能给你带来多少荣誉，只是请你想想可能的后果。现在，你们听我说。20世纪50年代的时候，美国还不是世界上最大的石油生产国，无法保障自己的能源安全。那个时候，一桶石油才值一美元。1956年，因为苏伊士运河的危机，中东的能源无法运达，我们已经能暂时满足欧洲国家的要求，避免它们因此发生的大萧条。但是1959年，美国的一些石油公司害怕中东的便宜石油会断了他们的财路，就向艾森豪威尔总统提议通过一些贸易保护法案。那些支持这项法案的人认为这会促进美国的石油生产，但是反对的人却认为这会导致我国的石油能源过早枯竭。后来也的确是这样。从1960年起，美国的石油产量就不断下跌。我们在十年的时间里就开采了占我国总储量60%的石油，所以我们必须把目光移向北冰洋，希望能在那里发现足够的石油来捍卫我们的能源主权。几家大的石油公司都在阿拉斯加进行了探测，结果很是乐观。但是，就像飓风一直威胁着我们在墨西哥湾的能源开采工作一样，在大西洋上，那些浮冰就成了最大的障碍。只能想办法让它们消失。你的外祖母在她丈夫的房间里发现了她本来不应该看到的材料。” “就是'雪姑娘'计划的那份材料吧？” “是的，那是一群野心勃勃的人想出来的，他们无视所有的自然规律，巨大的经济收益冲昏了他们的头脑。他们提议让核潜艇潜入浮冰下方。你肯定想不到他们是怎么想到这个主意的。其中有个石油业的巨头酷爱喝威士忌，他发现小的冰块比大的冰块要化得更快。所以他们就想到了这个简单易行的主意。从深处弄裂那些浮冰，然后就等待洋流把它们冲散。最乐观的看法是五十年内这些冰块就会全部碎裂，就算是在冬天也无法再次凝结。后来，你的外祖母又看到了一份关于这个计划的生态后果的报告。对沿海地区的几百万居民而言，甚至对整个地球而言，这都将是一个巨大的灾难。她坚信自己的丈夫一定会反对这个计划，因为大家都还记得亚马孙雨林的故事，为了获得木材，人类摧毁了大片雨林，之后也付出了惨重代价。但是，想想那些人在石油面前有多么疯狂！莉莉安太天真了，就和现在的你们一样。实际上，爱德华是这个方案最初的发起人之一。他们从此就渐行渐远，几乎不再说话。几个月的时间里，你的外祖母一直都在监视她的丈夫。她有一个朋友是爱德华安保团队的成员之一，在他的帮助下，莉莉安成功得到了保险箱的钥匙。那天晚上，她偷偷溜进了你外祖父的书房里，把计划复印了一份。然后，她就决定要阻止这个计划，想来想去，她决定把材料交给当时的敌对阵营，虽然她自己可能也会因此丧命。之后，在一次晚会上，一个年轻的政客为莉莉安的魅力所折服，他们成了秘密情人，爱德华知道了他们的私情，但是决定睁一只眼闭一只眼，因为他当时是副总统职位最有力的竞争者之一，不能允许别人在那个关口发现他的家庭丑闻。他只是暗示莉莉安她可以继续这段关系，唯一的条件就是不要让别人发现。莉莉安在克拉克岛上有一份家族产业，她就把那里当成了避难所。有一天，她决定把一切都告诉那个她深爱的男人。那个男人认为自己找到了打击政敌的有效手段，但是，'雪姑娘'计划的利益太大了，共和党人和民主党人早就达成了共识。要求他对这个计划严格保密，并且要利用这个机会打击民主党人。就策划了一个一石二鸟之计，不单除去了莉莉安，也彻底断送了爱德华的政治生涯。事情激起了轩然大波，总统也不得不放弃了连任的机会。在莉莉安被逮捕前的几天，这个男人突然良心发现，告诉莉莉安会有人来抓她。莉莉安就找到了她唯一信任的朋友，请他帮助自己逃走。她利用最后几天的自由时间藏起了所有线索，希望玛蒂尔德能完成她的计划。随后她就声称自己要去克拉克岛，却暗地让飞机把自己送到了加拿大，又带着资料从那里坐船去了挪威。她希望能把材料交给挪威政府，因为挪威是当时唯一的中立国，既不属于资本主义阵营，也不属于社会主义阵营。但是命运跟她开了一个绝大的玩笑，那个她唯一信任的朋友竟然亲手把她送上了绝路。作为一名安保人员，这个朋友执行了上级的命令，所以抵达奥斯陆之后，莉莉安就消失了，资料也不复存在了。 " “这个朋友到底是谁？” “就是刺伤我的人。” 克诺夫吐出了一口血，他的目光开始涣散了。 “在她雪白的大衣上……”他说。 “什么大衣？” “雪姑娘的大衣，他希望让她和自己一同消失。这是他唯一可以守住秘密的办法。” “克诺夫，你在说什么？” “天哪，就在那里，”他用手指着墙上的枪眼，“就在极圈以内。阿什顿知道准确的位置。” “阿什顿又是谁？” “苏茜，我要拜托你最后一件事情。不要告诉史丹利，让他置身事外吧，就说我是突发心梗死去的，死之前没有受苦，告诉他我很爱他。你走吧，看着一个人咽气总不是一件愉快的事。” 克诺夫闭上了眼睛，苏茜握着他的手，守在他的身边，直到他咽下最后一口气。安德鲁也一直坐在她的身边。 十五分钟后，克诺夫离开了人世。苏茜站起身来，替他整理了头发，就和安德鲁离开了这里。 他们来到了布吕根镇的一家咖啡馆。这里有很多游客，国安局的人应该没那么容易发现他们。苏茜的眼神中满是怒火，她再也没有说一个字。之前她已经几乎想放弃了，但克诺夫的死又激起了她调查的愿望。 她打开自己的背包，翻了一下，从里面取出了那个她用来装材料的文件袋。她拿出了一封看起来很破旧的信，安德鲁立刻想起了这封信的内容。 “这就是那封你在勃朗峰上找到的信？” “看看最后的署名是谁。” 安德鲁打开信读了起来。 “我的外祖父从来没有去过柏林。这封信说的都是些暗语。” “那你知道该如何破解吗？” “1956，1959，29日，7月是一年的第7个月份，然后有79，37和71。这些数字一定有特殊的含义。” “好吧，但是要怎么排列，含义又在哪里呢？对不起，我其实是想说到底是什么含义？我一直在想克诺夫最后的几句话，猜测那份材料到底藏在哪里。” 苏茜一下子跳了起来，她捧着安德鲁的脸，在上面留下了无数个吻。 “你真是个天才！”她激动地说。 “为什么？我根本不知道这是什么意思，不过既然能让你这么高兴，那也不错。” “关于数字的顺序，我反复试了好几遍，一直不知道到底该如何排列，可是你已经告诉我了！” “我告诉了你什么？” “哪里！” “我说过'哪里'这个词吗？” “这些数字代表着一个地点。阿什顿在信里把材料的位置告诉了我的外祖父！” “他为什么要把这些告诉你的外祖父？” “因为他是他的安保人员，肯定知道他的一些事情！外祖父给他的妻子买了一份巨额的人寿保险，阿什顿杀死她之后，没有交出材料，而是把它藏了起来，希望我的外祖父能用钱来换取他的沉默！只是这封信最后也没能交给我的外祖父。” 苏茜把这些数字写在笔记本上。 “59°56'29''7'''，这是东经经度，79°7'37''71'''，这是北纬纬度。这就是'雪姑娘'计划的准确藏匿地点！你身上还有多少现金？”她问安德鲁。 “我之前跟西蒙借的钱还剩下一半。” “这钱是你借来的？” “我已经尽力了，我希望主编能预支一笔经费给我，可是她拒绝了。你要拿这五千美金做什么？” “让那个驾驶员带我们去极圈以内。” 苏茜跟那个驾驶员通了电话。在四千美元的诱惑下，他又重新发动了飞机，到布吕根镇来载他们飞向目的地。 机上的GPS设备显示出了“东经59°56'29''7'''北纬79°7'37''71'''”的地理位置。飞机在天空中盘旋了一圈，准备降落在浮冰上。从空中看下去，能看到海水冲走了一部分碎冰。滑行的过程中，飞机的轮子激起了一片雪花。极地的大风把机身吹得左右摇晃，最后，发动机完全静止下来，飞机终于稳稳地停在了冰盖上。 在他们的周围，是满眼的白色。打开机舱门之后，苏茜和安德鲁嗅到了一股纯净的气息，这种气息是他们从未感受过的。周围一片安静，只有呼呼的风声，还有远处某个地方传来的某种嘎吱作响的声音。他们都朝那个方向看了过去。 “你们找的地方应该就在这个方向，最多有一两公里的路程，”驾驶员说，“但是一定要注意，在冰上是很容易迷路的，光线的反射会让你们错估距离，你们很可能会在冰上绕圈子。如果你们看不到飞机的话，就很可能永远回不来了。我给你们一个小时的时间，一个小时以后我就会发动飞机离开。应该是要刮大风了，我可不想把命送在这里。如果你们到了时间还没回来，我也不能再等了。我会打电话叫救援队，但是救援队到来之前你们要自己想办法。不过温度这么低，我只能祝你们好运。” 苏茜看了看表，向安德鲁使了个眼色，他们就开始向那个方向走去。 驾驶员说得对。风越来越大，他们的脸上已经盖满了雪花和冰霜。嘎吱声越来越清晰了，听起来很像有时会在乡下田野里看到的那些破旧的风车发出的声音。 他们没有带足够的装备，安德鲁觉得很冷，如果天气条件继续恶化的话，他们恐怕就不能继续调查了。 他试图走在前面开路，苏茜却立刻超过了他，并用目光示意他跟上。 突然，在前面的雪地上，出现了一个废弃气象站的临时营房。其中有三座铁皮小屋都已经变得灰蒙蒙的，那个颜色让人想起了海里的沉船。在这些小屋的中心，立着一根旗杆，但是上面并没有旗帜。更远一点儿的地方，有一个屋顶已经破掉的仓库。这里最显眼的建筑就是一座金属材质的因纽特式雪屋，直径大概有三十米长，屋顶上矗立着两根带有防风罩的烟囱。 这间屋子的大门没有上锁，的确，在这种地方根本没有锁门的必要。但是门把手却已经冻住了，苏茜拿手转了几下，门都纹丝不动，最后还是安德鲁用脚踢开了门。 里面的装饰很简单，只有一些木质的桌椅、几个铁质的架子，还有几只空空如也的储物箱。看来这座主楼应该是进行科研活动的主要场所，而两侧的配楼则是宿舍和餐厅。在旁边的储物架上，放满了各种各样的计量工具。有天平、试管、风速表、干燥箱、过滤器，还有离心泵和几块地质标本。但是在这个架子的旁边，还有一些东西，说明了气候研究不是在这里进行的唯一一项活动。有一把火枪靠在旁边的墙壁上，旁边还有二十几个用来悬挂武器的挂钩，柜子里还有一个烧烤架。不知道这个地方已经废弃多久了，安德鲁和苏茜挨个打开了所有的柜子，拉开了桌子的每一个抽屉，甚至检查了所有的箱子，但还是一无所获。 “肯定在这里。”苏茜的声音都变得急切了。 “我不想说什么扫兴的话，但是时间不多了。你听到风声了吗？我们该回到飞机那儿去了。” “那就不要说，过来帮我找。” “但是能去哪儿找呢？看看周围这些东西，全部都是些没用的旧货。” 他们又用二十分钟检查了一下宿舍。除去那些满是冰霜的野营床和几只空箱子之外，还是什么都没有。餐厅里则是一片狼藉，也许之前的人离开的时候就没有想过再回来，他们甚至连餐具都没有收拾，而是任由那些盘子和刀叉摊在餐桌上。灶台上放着一个旧水壶。旁边堆着的食材看起来也都不怎么诱人，可见那些人的伙食并不算丰盛。 安德鲁和苏茜迎着狂风又跑回了实验室。 “我们该走了，”安德鲁不停地重复着，“我甚至都不知道怎么才能走回飞机那里。” “你要是想走就走吧。” 苏茜跑到那些储物架旁边，用尽全部的力气把一个架子推倒在地上，检查了后面的墙壁。接着就是第二个、第三个。安德鲁只想着赶紧回到飞机上去，他知道苏茜不把所有的地方都检查一遍肯定不会罢休，所以他开始推那些架子。在最后一个架子也倒在地上的时候，他们看到后面的墙上嵌着一个小小的保险箱。箱子上有一把锁。 苏茜走上前看了看那把锁，转过头冲安德鲁笑了一下，安德鲁从来没有见过她这么舒心的笑容。 她拉开了上衣的拉链，把手伸到了衣服里面，取出了挂在胸前的一把钥匙。那是把红色的钥匙，是她几个月前在勃朗峰找到的。 苏茜拿起一个小小的酒精炉，打开了开关。锁里的冰融化了以后，钥匙很容易地插了进去，好像这把锁一直在等待着被人开启。 保险箱里有一个塑料袋，里面放着一大摞材料。苏茜把它们捧在手上，就好像是一个虔诚的信徒手持着圣人的遗骨。她把材料放在桌上，坐在板凳上开始翻阅。 所有关于“雪姑娘”计划的细节都记录在了里面，包括所有牵涉其中的政界人物的姓名、出资人的身份，其中还有很多信件的照片。这些来往的信件涉及政府成员、两党参议员、政府机构的负责人，还有金融业的巨头以及几大石油公司的老板，人数过百人，其中的内容让安德鲁甚至不敢相信自己的眼睛。 “雪姑娘”计划开始于1966年。很多核潜艇都潜入了浮冰下方，定期对其进行破坏，而这个气象站的科学家们当时则是在这里估算行动的进度和对环境造成的影响。 安德鲁从口袋里掏出了手机。 “我不是要打电话。”他看到了苏茜不解的目光，立刻解释道。 他用手机把所有的材料都拍了下来。 等到他拍完了所有的照片，他们就听到了一阵发动机的轰鸣声，而这阵轰鸣声很快就在风声中消失了。 “希望他能遵守承诺，为我们叫来救援人员。”苏茜看着外面灰蒙蒙的天。 “这对我们可不是什么好消息，”安德鲁回答道，“你觉得有谁会来救我们呢？” “我。”一个男人走进了房间，手里拿着一支枪。 他脱下了风帽。消瘦的脸颊出卖了他的年纪，如果不是他手里有枪的话，安德鲁完全有信心可以制伏他。 “坐下吧。”他平静地说，然后关上了门。 苏茜和安德鲁服从了他的命令。男人坐在了旁边的桌子上，距离太远了，安德鲁根本无法做什么。 “不要乱想，”男人注意到安德鲁在试图靠近酒精炉，立刻继续说道，“外面有我的驾驶员，还有一个全副武装的保镖。我可不是一个人来的。无论如何，我到这里来都不是为了杀死你们，而是要救你们。” “你想怎么样？”安德鲁问道。 “把这份材料放回原处，把你们找到的保险箱钥匙交给我。” “然后呢？”苏茜问道。 “然后我们就一起离开这里。我把你们送到雷克雅未克，你们可以在那儿随便搭乘一个航班。” “这样的话'雪姑娘'计划就永远是个秘密了？” "you are right." “是他们派你来的？” “看来你远不如你的外祖母聪明，我很失望。如果我真的是他们的人，我肯定会二话不说杀死你们，然后再取走材料。” “那你究竟是谁？” “乔治·阿什顿，”男人回答道，“我是莉莉安的朋友。” “拜托，”苏茜冷冰冰地说，“你是杀死莉莉安和克诺夫的凶手。” 阿什顿站起身来，走到窗前。 “我们没有太多时间。最多只有半个小时，不然我们就再也走不了了。在这个地方，风暴可能会持续好几个星期，我们可没有什么生活用品。” “他们付了你多少钱，你才来要求我们闭嘴？”苏茜说，“我可以付双倍的价钱。” “看来你什么都不明白。你要揭发的那些人，全部都是些碰不得的人物。他们到今天还统治着这个世界，也不会轻易给你什么许诺。对他们来说，只要经过家族里连续几代人的努力，就可以把持住体制内的所有环节，没有人，也没有什么事情能妨碍他们。能源行业、食品业、药品业，还有金融业、交通业，到处都是他们的人。就算是那些最著名的大学，教授给那些未来的精英的东西也都是这个体制所认可的事情。我们的法律实在太复杂了，复杂到根本无法实行，唯一有用的法则就是丛林法则。石油就是黑色的金子，我们已经为之疯狂了。我们放弃了对公平和正义的期望，觉得它们甚至还没有电器、汽车、药品和照明器材重要，而这些东西都要靠石油才能制造出来。而石油就完全掌握在那些人手里。石油是社会建筑的混凝土，谁掌握了石油，谁就拥有了至高无上的权力。就在最近几年，我们假借民主的名义，为了石油发动了多少场战争？你有没有想过曾经有多少人因此送命？那些政客的选举经费很多都是那些能源公司提供的，一旦当选，他们就要为这些公司谋夺利益。所有的重要职位，包括中央银行、财政部、最高法院、参议院、议会，都被这些人把持，而他们只遵循一个原则：那就是牢牢把握住手中的权力。在他们的影响下，贪污腐化无孔不入。如果人民一旦要求夺回属于自己的权力，事情一旦有了失控的迹象，这些人就会故意引发市场震荡。只要发生一场经济危机，民众就会再次选择服从，因为再自由的企业家也不可能违反借款给他的银行的意志，我们的民主体制其实也只不过是这些跨国公司手中的玩具。这些公司的营业额甚至比整个国家的财产还要多。人民节衣缩食，忍受着越来越严苛的政策，这些公司的活动却不受到任何限制。经济危机的时候，当权者曾保证要重建金融秩序，这么长时间过去了，他们的承诺却根本没有实现！如果你要揭露这桩四十七年前的秘密，你所触及的根本不是他们，而是我们的国家。” “就是因为这种爱国主义情怀，你才要替他们保守秘密？”苏茜嗤笑道。 “我是一个老人，而且已经很久没有国籍了。” “如果我们拒绝的话，”苏茜说，“你会杀了我们吗？” 阿什顿转过身来，面对着苏茜。他把手枪放在了桌上。 “不会，但是如果你拒绝了，你就会亲手杀死你的外祖母。” “我会杀死谁？” “你的外祖母，贝克小姐，她已经是一位白发苍苍的老夫人了，从我救下她的那天起，这份材料就是她的护身符。莉莉安想阻止'雪姑娘&#