按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
st have gone through this ritual so many times at the end of some official visit the journalist conducted into his presence for a few minutes’ exclusive access； the tape machine nervously examined to make sure it works； the illusion of informality over the relaxing prime ministerial drink。 In the recording you can hear the exhaustion in his voice。
“So；” he said； “how’s it going？”
“It’s going；” I said。 “It’s certainly going。”
When I listen to the disk； my register’s so high from the anxiety； it sounds as I’ve been sucking helium。
“Found out anything interesting？”
There was a gleam of something in his eyes。 Contempt？ Amusement？ I sensed he was playing with me。
“This and that。 How was Washington？”
“Washington was great； actually。” There’s a rustling noise as he straightens slightly in his chair； drawing himself up to give one last performance before the theater closes for the night。 “I got the most terrific support everywhere—on the Hill； of course； as you probably saw； but also the vice president and the secretary of state。 They’re going to help me in every way they can。”
“And is the bottom line that you’ll be able to settle in America？”
“Oh； yes。 If worst comes to worst； they’ll offer me asylum； certainly。 Maybe even a job of some kind； as long as it doesn’t involve overseas travel。 But it won’t get that far。 They’re going to supply something much more valuable。”
“Really？”
Lang nodded。 “Evidence。”
“Right。” I hadn’t a clue what he was talking about。
“Is that thing working？” he asked。
There is a deafening clunk as I pick up the recorder。
“Yes； I think so。 Is that okay？”
With a thump； I replace it。
“Sure；” said Lang。 “I just want to make sure you get this down； because I definitely think we can use this。 This is important。 We should keep it as an exclusive for the memoirs。 It will do wonders for the serialization deal。” He leaned forward to emphasize his words。 “Washington is prepared to provide sworn testimony that no United Kingdom personnel were directly involved in the capture of those four men in Pakistan。”
“Really？”Really？ Really？ I keep on parroting it； and I wince every time I hear the sycophancy in my voice。 The fawning courtier。 The self…effacing ghost。
“You bet。 The director of the CIA himself will provide a deposition to the court in The Hague； saying that this was an entirely American covert operation； and if that doesn’t do the trick he’s prepared to let the actual officers who were running the mission provide evidence in camera。” Lang sat back and sipped his brandy。 “That should give Rycart something to think about。 How’s he going to make a charge of war crimes stick now？”
“But your memorandum to the Ministry of Defence—”
“That’s genuine；” he conceded with a shrug。 “It’s true； I can’t deny that I urged the use of the SAS。 And it’s true the British government can’t deny that our special forces were in Peshawar at the time of Operation Tempest。 And we also can’t deny that it was our intelligence services that tracked down those men to the particular location where they were arrested。 But there’s no proof that we passed that intelligence on to the CIA。”
Lang smiled at me。
“But we did？”
“There’s no proof that we passed that intelligence on to the CIA。”
“But if we did； surely that would be aiding and abetting—”
“There’s no proof that we passed that intelligence on to the CIA。”
He was still holding his smile； albeit now with just a crease of concentration in his brow； as a tenor might hold a note at the end of a difficult aria。
“Then how did it get to them？”
“That’s a difficult question。 Not through any official channel； that’s for sure。 And certainly it was nothing to do with me。” There was a long pause。 His smile died。 “Well；” he said。 “What do you think？”
“It sounds a bit”—I tried to find some diplomatic way of saying it—“technical。”
“Meaning？”
My reply on the tape is so slippery； so sweaty with nervous circumlocutions； it’s enough to make one laugh out loud。
“Well…you know…you admit yourself you wanted the SAS to pick them up—no doubt for； you know； understandable reasons—and even if they didn’t actually do the job themselves； the Ministry of Defence—as I understand it—hasn’t really been able todeny they were involved； presumably because they were； in a way； even if…even if…they were only parked in a car around the corner。 And apparently British； you know； intelligence gave the CIA the location where they could be picked up。 And when they were tortured； you didn’t condemn it。”
The last line was delivered in a rush。 Lang said coldly； “Sid Kroll was very pleased with the commitment he was given by the CIA。 He believes the prosecutor may even have to drop the case。”
“Well； if Sid says that—”
“Butfuck it ；” said Lang suddenly。 He banged his hand on the edge of the table。 On the tape it sounds like an explosion。 The dozing Special Branch man on the nearby sofa looked up sharply。 “I don’t regret what happened to those four men。 If we’d relied on the Pakistanis we’d never have got them。 We had to grab them while we had the chance； and if we’d missed them； they’d have gone underground and the next time we’d have known anything about them would’ve been when they were killing our people。”
“You really don’t regret it？”
“No。”
“Not even the one who died under interrogation？”
“Oh； him；” said Lang dismissively。 “He had a heart problem； an undiagnosed heart problem。 He
could have died anytime。 He could have died getting out of bed one morning。”
I said nothing。 I pretended to make a note。
“Look；” said Lang； “I don’t condone torture； but let me just say this to you。 First； it does actually produce results—I’ve seen the intelligence。 Second； having power； in the end； is all about balancing evils； and when you think about it； what are a couple of minutes of suffering for a few individuals compared to the deaths—thedeaths ； mark you—of thousands。 Third； don’t try telling me this is something unique to the war on terror。 Torture’s always been part of warfare。 The only difference is that in the past there were no fucking media around to report it。”
“The men arrested in Pakistan claim they were innocent；” I pointed out。
“Of course they claim they were innocent！ What else are they going to say？” Lang studied me
closely； as if seeing me properly for the first time。 “I’m beginning to think you’re too na。ve for this job。”
I couldn’t resist it。 “Unlike Mike McAra？”
“Mike！” Lang laughed and shook his head。 “Mike was na。ve in a different way。”
The plane was beginning to descend quite rapidly now。 The moon and stars had gone。 We were
dropping through cloud。 I could feel the pressure change in my ears； and I had to pinch my nose and swallow hard。
Amelia made her way down the aisle。
“Is everything all right？” she asked。 She looke