“你的报告我们已经研究了，”奈特先生坐在自己的办公桌后面对克拉克说，“对尼古拉斯岛采取行动已经是不可避免的了，五角大楼同意派出两千名海军陆战队和一些舰艇，由舰载直升飞机协同行动，不过，人质的安全问题一直是困扰我们的难点。”

“这是一场特殊的战斗，强打硬拼可不是好办法，”克拉克说，“那五百多个施瓦辛内格足以使我们付出极大的代价，我认为这事只能智取。”

Chapter 23 Joy Drinker （A）

‘We have studied in your report,’ Mr Knight sat behind his desk facing to Clark to say, ‘take action about Nicolas island is inevitable, and the Pentagon agreed to send two thousand marines and some ships, shipboard helicopter co-ordinate action, however, the difficulties are what the safety problem of the hostages has been bothering us.’

‘This is a special battle, reckless thwack is not a good idea,’ Clark said, ‘that more than five hundred Arnold Schwarzenegger enough to make us pay the great price, I think it only can outwit.’

“言之有理，你有什么打算？”

“我想是不是可以先派出一个小分队潜入岛内，控制住敌方的指挥系统，使其部队丧失战斗力？”

“我认为可以这么筹划，那些施瓦辛内格们实际上是一种新型的生物机器人士兵，五角大楼希望捉活的。”

“目前，让人着急的是， 我们还没有掌握谢尔曼等人的行踪，特别是对如何使冬眠者恢复正常的手段，至今一无所知。”

‘Makes sense, what are you going to do?’

‘I think if we can send an unit into the island first, to control the system of enemy command, to make their troops losing fighting capacity, is it good?"

‘I think it can be planned, the people of model of Arnold Schwarzenegger are actually a kind of new biological robot soldier, the Pentagon hopes to catch the living.’

‘At present, it lets people worry of is that we haven't mastered of the track of Sherman and others, especially on the means of how to make the hibernator back to normal, we are nothing to know.’

“有关谢尔曼的调查报告我们已经收到了，他是欧裔美国人，今年四十五岁。”奈特说着把一份文件递给了克拉克。

那份报告说，谢尔曼的曾祖父是丹麦人，在德国读书的时候找了一位亚裔留学生为妻。后来他的祖父一代，移民到了美国，在中西部经营一个农场。谢尔曼是哈佛大学医学院的毕业生，他聪明好学，学习成绩名列前矛，个性很强，教授们对他的评语普遍不错。他曾经在一所医院工作过，后来侨居国外，去向不明，最近发现他在巴哈马的一家公司任职。

“到了拿骚，你也许有机会碰见他，”奈特先生等克拉克看完了报告接着说，“今天距白宫的期限还有五天，对贝特·道格拉斯公司的事还得抓紧。”

“我明白这一点；我一个小时后出发。”

‘We have received the survey report about the Sherman, he is European Americans, 45 years old this year.’ Mr Knight said, and handed a document to Clark.

It said the report, Sherman's great-grandfather is Danish, when he was studying in Germany found an Asian student to be his wife. Later, his grandfather emigrated to the United States, ran a farm in the midwest. Sherman is a graduate of Harvard University school of medicine, and he is a **art studious the academic record in the top spear; personality is very strong. The comments of professors to him are generally good. He once worked in a hospital, and later living abroad, unaccounted for, recently found that he is working for a company in the Bahamas.

‘To Nassau, you may have a chance to meet him,’ Mr Knight went on to say after Clark had read the report ‘today there are five days before the deadline of the White House, the thing for the Bethe Douglas Company must intensify efforts.’

‘I know this, I set off after an hour.’

一架波音喷气式飞机在这座城市的国际机场降落了。就连克拉克也没想到，离开仅仅一天时间，他又回到了这个中美洲的冬季度假胜地——拿骚。这时，他挽着埃米莉走出机舱。十天前，也是同一架班机，他曾和西莉亚就是这样来到这里，不同的是，上次是来度假的，而这回却担负着重要的任务。对于克拉克来说，现在到海滨去消遣已经是一种奢望。

在下塌的宾馆放下简单的行李之后，他和埃米莉便立刻赶往当地的警察总部。

A Boeing jet landed at the city's international airport. Even Clark didn't know that after leaving only one day he also returned to the central American winter resort -- Nassau. At this time, he took Emily out of the cabin. It was similar scene that before ten days it is also the same plane, he came here with Celia, the difference is that the last time is for leave, but this time for the important task. It is an extravagant hope that Clark to go to the seashore recreation at now.

After putting simple luggage on the hotel that for rest, he and Emily immediately rushed to the local police headquarters.

这个地方克拉克曾经来过。

两年前，为了一宗“巡航**走私案”，这儿的楼梯上上下下，他不知道跑了多少趟。他上了楼，三转两转不一会儿就来到了局长的办公室。在这儿，他遇见了先期到达的马歇尔及特别工作组。

“您好局长先生，我是CIA的克拉克。”雇员

“您好！你的人已经告诉我了，奈特先生也来过两次电话，”局长边说边伸出手来，“两年前，我曾给你做过联络副官，不认得了埃德蒙？”

The place once Clark had come.

Two years ago, for a "cruise missiles **uggling case", the stairs here are familiar with the up and down, even he cannot be statistical how many times run the train. He went upstairs, soon came to the chief's office with a few turns. Here, he met with the first arrival of Marshall and the task force.

‘How are you Sir, I'm a CIA employee, Clark.’

‘Hello, your people have told me, Mr Knight the telephones called twice,’ the chief said as he held Clark’s hand and said, ‘two years ago, I was once a liaison aide-de-camp to you, dear Edmund, do not know who is me?’

“噢！你是奥古斯丁。”克拉克这时也认出了他。

“这是我的助手埃米莉·沃德小姐。”克拉克在奥古斯丁和埃米莉之间做了介绍。

奥古斯丁局长把他们两人引入套间，吩咐秘书准备几杯咖啡送过来。他问道：“事态紧急吗？”

‘Oh! You are Augustine.’ Clark also recognized him.

‘This is my assistant of Miss Emily Ward.’ Clark introduced between Augustine and Emily.

Augustine Director introduced of the two one into suites, and told the secretary to prepare a few cups of coffee to send up. He asked, ‘Is this an emergency?’

“是的，非常紧急。”

“这两天来自美国的电话特别多。听说你们国内发生了不少绑架案？”

“是的，告诉你一个绝密的消息，”克拉克压低了声音说，“被绑架的受害者包括一些美国**高级官员的亲属，已经失踪好几天了。”

‘Yes, very urgent.’

‘These two days，there is a lot of calls from the United States. I've heard that in your country where have taken many kidnappings?’

‘Yes, tells you a secret,’ Clark said lower his voice, ‘The victims that were kidnapped including some relatives of senior officials of the United States Govemment have been missing for a few days.’

“喔！这可太糟糕了！”

“这事与你们这儿一家叫贝特·道格拉斯的公司有关连。”

‘Oh! It's too bad!’

‘This matter is correlated with a company which named Bethe Douglas Company that it is at here of you.’

“不过，我有些不相信，”奥古斯丁局长皱着眉头说，“今天早上的电视新闻里没有一点儿迹象，你们的总统先生还在与德国总理笑眯眯地祝酒呢！”

“那又能说明什么，难道你要他在记者面前哭吗？”

“这件事的保密工作做得不错，必须继续沉默，”奥古斯丁局长转而问道：“要我们做什么？”

‘However, I have some don't believe,’ Director Augustine said with a frown, ‘It has no sign in the TV news this morning, your Mr. President is also working with Germany's Chancellor, toast and **iling!’

‘That can explain what again, do you want him in front of reporters to cry?’

‘This secrecy work well done, must continue to silence." Director Augustine turned and asked, ‘What should we do?’

“这个贝特·道格拉斯公司有一项业务活动叫‘青春一月游’，他们声称可以使任何人返老还童，或者更换原有的体貌。他们将客户送到一个地方，这个地方我们怀疑可能就在尼古拉斯南岛，在那里，有他们称之为‘生命隧道’的设施。我们需要掌握那个公司的内部情况和谢尔曼等人的行踪。这事要快，解决这家公司的问题，白宫只给了我们一周的时间，现在还剩四天。你能不能通过什么渠道让我的人进入贝特·道格拉斯公司，打入尼古拉斯岛，靠近‘生命隧道’。”

‘This Bethe Douglas Company that it has a business activity which named Playing a Month for Youth, they claim that they can make anyone to rejuvenation, or replacing of existing the posture and facial features. They send customers to a place where it we suspect maybe in the south island of Nicholas, there is a facility that they named The Tunnel of Life. We need to know the company's internal situation and Sherman's whereabouts. It’s to be faster, because to solve the problem of the company the White House sent us only a week, and then there is four days now. Could you through what channels let my people enter the Bethe Douglas Company, into Nicholas island and to go near The Tunnel of Life?’

“这事可能很麻烦，让我想想看，”奥古斯丁说，“我记得两个月前，西利探长曾为一起军火库失窃案调查过该公司，也许他有办法。”

“那么请马上找到他！”克拉克急切地说。

‘It may be troublesome, let me think about it,’ Augustine said, ‘I remember a couple of months ago, Sealy Detective had inquired the company for a stolen arsenal, so maybe he has a way.’

‘So please find him right away!’ Clark said urgently.

在靠近海滨的一条大街上，不少人来来往往走在人行道上。有的人匆忙地赶路，对四周的闲事不屑一顾；有的人漫步溜达，悠闲自得；有的人从海滨回来，刚呼吸完那边的新鲜空气。

On a street near the beach, many people who come and go walked down the sidewalk. Some person was in a hurry to go, shrugged off around the other people’s business, some people leisurely walked around, some people came back from the beach, just breathing the fresh air there.

一位十几岁黑头发的女孩，和她的女伴在小贩那里买了两个蛋卷冰淇淋，正津津有味地吃着。无意之中，她突然发现从公寓十层楼的窗户里掉下来一样东西，似乎还在动。那东西在路灯的长臂上挂了一下，重重地摔在她面前不到三码[1]的地方。

A teenage girl with black hair and her companion bought two ice cream cones from vendor to eat with relish. Inadvertently, she suddenly found something that fell from the apartment window as a 10-story building, it seemed to be still moving. That thing brushed on the long arm of a street lamp, to fall in front of her less than three yards.

“啊！……”一种频率极高的叫声，从这个女孩的嘴里传出，蛋卷冰淇淋已经不知甩到什么地方去了。

原来，从窗户里掉下来的不是东西，而是一个三十多岁的成年男子。这时，他趴在血泊里，看来已经死了。

‘Ah!’ A high-frequency sound came from the girl's mouth, and the ice cream cone was to fly somewhere does not know.

It turns out that fell from the window was not a thing, but a grown man over thirty years old. At this time, he lay prone in the blood and seemed to have died.

看希奇的人群使这里变的拥挤了，一切都发生得那么突然，以至于没有一个警察能很快地赶到。卖冷饮的小贩手忙脚乱地张罗着，恨不能再生出两只手来，谁能料到，从天而降的惨剧却给她带来了一个意外的惊喜。

还没看到其他警车的影子，西利探长已经赶到了现场，因为出事的时候，他离这儿只有两三个街区。他看了一眼趴在地上的尸体，马上转身往公寓楼上跑去。然而

For seeing strange of the crowd made here be congestion, everything happened so suddenly and none of the police could quickly arrive. Peddler of selling cold drinks sold to be hurry-scurry, hating cannot regenerate two hands, but who knew what the tragedy in the sky has brought to her a surprise.

It hadn't seen the shadow of the other police car, however the Sealy Detective had arrived at the scene, because he was only two or three blocks from here when the accident happening. He glanced at that body on the ground, immediately turned and ran on upstairs of the apartment building.

椐公寓管理员介绍，这套公寓房的住客是一对情侣，男的跌在楼下，女的却失踪了。细心的西利探长在房间的角落里捡到一个针剂小药瓶，他把这件小东西交给了搜证的警员。除此以外，他再也找不到其他的可疑之物。从压在玻璃板下面的一张相片来看，这对男女正处在深深的爱恋之中。那男的约三十五岁，褐发，面部消瘦，大鼻子。这使得西利探长想起了几年前，他曾追辑过的一名毒贩，那人叫多米尼克·皮金。他后来不知什么原因突然销声匿迹，想不到在这儿冒了出来。那女的，长的十分漂亮，很难想象到底是什么原因把他们拉扯到一起的。西利探长把这张相片轻轻地放入了自己的口袋。

The apartment administrator introduced that residents of set of room，they were a pair of loves, the man felled downstairs, but the woman was missing. Careful the Sealy Detective picked up a **all bottle for injection in the corner of the room, he put the thing to the search of police officers. In addition, he couldn't find another of suspicious thing in the room. From the perspective of the photo under the glass plate, the couple is in love. The man is about thirty-five years old, brown hair, thin face, big nose. Which made Sealy Detective thinking of a few years ago, what he chased a drug dealer who the man called Dominique Pigeon. Later he vanished somehow suddenly, unexpected come up here. The appearance of the girl is very beautiful, it's hard to imagine what factor pulls them together. Sealy the inspector put this photo gently in his pocket.

街上的尸体已经被运走了，警戒线外看热闹的人群渐渐散去。这时，一名警察匆匆跑来对西利探长说：“奥古斯丁局长在总部紧急召见，要你立刻就去！”

“说了什么事吗？”

“没有，局长助理很少用这样的口气说话，你还是赶快去吧！”

The dead body on the street had been carted away, cordon outside the crowd for watching gradually dispersed. At this moment, a policeman ran to the Sealy Detective and said: ‘The Director Augustine summons emergency in headquarters, want you to go immediately!’

‘Said what can I do?’

‘No, director assistant rarely speaks in this tone, so you still quickly go!’

“知道了。”

西利探长把现场留给了别人，自己一人驱车赶往警察总部。

下午三时，西利探长走进了奥古斯丁的办公室。

‘I see.’

Sealy Detective took the scene leave to others and drove to the police headquarter oneself.

In the afternoon of three o’clock, Sealy went into the Augustine's office.

“等你很久了，”奥古斯丁指着克拉克两人说，“这是美国中央情报局的克拉克先生和沃德小姐。”

西利探长伸出手与他们握手了一下以后，奥古斯丁局长说：“贝特·道格拉斯公司与美国国内的一些绑架案有牵连，克拉克先生需要了解他们的情况，我想也许你能提供一些线索。”

‘Waiting for you for a long time,’ Augustine said pointing to Clark of two people, ‘they are Mr Clark and Miss Ward of the CIA.’

After the Sealy Detective with them a handshake, the Director Augustine said: ‘There are some cases in the United States that are implicated with the Bethe Douglas Company, Mr Clark needs to know about their situation, I think maybe you can provide some clues.’

注释：[1]三码，英制长度单位，约2·7米。