Текст книги "The Last Gambit"
Автор книги: (IP of the USSR) Internal Predictor of the USSR
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I agree with you completely, Holmes, this circumstance seemed to me suspicious too. By the week it was found only nearly two hundred bodies of perished people or parts of them, and only 30-40 were identified, which of course is considerably less than the most “optimistic” prognoses. By the way, representatives of the press and any other curious people were forbidden to enter the morgues for counting the remains – according to the official version, “for not get people hurt”. Now, however, the journalists invented new category – “people, disappeared without a trace” – and number of them rises day by day. It looks like WTC employed only homeless tramps that weren’t even missed during the first days.
Watson, I ask you to pay your special attention to the concrete numbers of “disappeared without a trace”: in ten days after the catastrophe there was “5422 exactly” of them. Frankly speaking, I must confess, I was expecting for something like that: the sum of the numbers is 13, addition of the first two components gives us nine, and 11 is present too. Phantasmagoria goes on!
Surprising! But tell me, Holmes, when did your suspicions develop into confidence?
After it turned out that quantity of victims was several times less comparing with what was expected, it was quite logical to suggest that the quantity of office workers in the buildings that day was considerably less than usual. Rejecting the possibility of fortunate occasion we may consider that it was known about the preparing attacks beforehand. I came to this very conclusion. Taking it as a working version, I needed to find possible motifs of organizers and participants of the crime. Soon I already had these facts. Americans themselves immediately went in for studying “short sales” of shares, that is – selling the shares to third persons in order to buy them afterwards, when quotations would fall, – particularly with the participation of the companies immediately suffered from assault. Richard Crossly, analyst of the broker’s firm “Teather & Greenwood”, established: such sales took place indeed during the period directly foregoing the “black Tuesday”, and their quantity was dozens times more than usual. Now even American Financial Services Authority and competent financial organs of Japan, Germany, Switzerland, France and Italy take part in the investigation. If the information given by Crossly is officially proved, I won’t be surprised at all. However, taking into account the colossal, almost global political interests involving this affair, it may never happen. Too serious powers are interested in replacing the truth about the tragedy in people’s minds by the official myth. But for us the most interesting detail is that the main lessee of WTC offices was Morgan Stanley Company, which had occupied 30 floors in both buildings. Famous are its connections with International: G. Morgan’s companies were financing yet Leo Trotsky with his terrorist command during the period of preparing to Revolution of 1917 in Russia.
Nevertheless, Watson, in spite of existence of obvious and incontestable economic goals, they are put on the back burner comparing with really grandiose geopolitical prospects, which became opened for definite interested circles in USA thanks to this “little man, who is always blamed”. To obtain such threatening and indistinctly localized enemy like “international terrorism” with distinct Muslim touch not excluding cooperating with any other “criminal nations and states” and “enemies of American people” – that was the dream of American internationalists since USSR collapse. Now this dream has come true, and we’re on the threshold of one more world war of “good against evil”; i.e. USA on one side – always persecuted people-martyr, sufferer and victim of unparalleled terrorist holocaust in New York and Washington, and on the other side, evil power, represented first of all by Bin Ladin, criminal genius, and then – Muslim fundamentalists, other Muslims, Arabs, and at last other individuals, groups and countries which potentially “sympathize with terrorists”.
And Bush, what about him, he made an impression of a man sincerely stunned by what has happened; is it possible, that he takes the side of conspirators too?
Bush’s reaction is quite understandable: he has found himself in husband’s role in that tragic situation which husband is usually last person to know. There’s no doubts, that he was perfectly right taking now famous terrorists phrase “Don’t do anything foolish; you won’t be hurt” as though it refers to himself – it’s not for nothing, that he hurried to hide out on the military base of Louisiana. Perhaps, he found out very soon whose handiwork it was, and even had enough courage to characterize the assault as “cowardly act”. But for many people it was not tragic, but rather amusing to observe the head of superpower state running as a hare from someone he didn’t even know, and in addition calling those incognitos “cowardly persons”. His tears on press conference were also quite ingenious and revealed his serious anxiety with problems of his own safety. Just in case, on the 12th he was repeatedly intimidated in the press by remembering the fate of Kennedy and Reagan, presidents “loved by all Americans”. I had the copy of John Karlin’s article from the Trotskyites newspaper “El Pais”, eloquently titled “The wounded American”. However, by the moment he seems to have come to his senses completely, and judging by his speech in the Congress on the September 20 (which reminded very much of Adolph Hitler’s speech in Nuremberg on the September 11, 1935) he has adjusted to his new role and new tasks rather well. How do you think, Watson, what can the following phrase mean, which Congress applauded on its feet: “Today everyone must make his choice for himself – either he’s with America, or with terrorists!”
It’s hard for me to answer, Holmes.
This is a password of its kind, famous to the entire world in the beginning of 20th century as Trotskyites slogan: “Whoever is not with me is against me!”[14] And if I’m not mistaken, they borrowed it from the Bible.
And what’s the explanation, dear Holmes? Can it be the proof of USA president’s personal fidelity to Trotskyites?
Oh, not so straightforward, Watson. Bush may not even understand it, but his speechwriters, probably, swear in their loyalty to IV International this way.
Just two more questions, my dear Holmes, if you don’t mind, of course.
You’re welcome, Watson.
There was a word in the articles from “The New York Times” which you kindly offered to my attention, it was repeated several times and remained incomprehensible for me.
Holmes willingly took in his hands the same pile of newspapers that I’ve already read.
Apparently, you mean the second upper paragraph from Mr. Kifner’s article about AA11 flight? – And he started to read:
“Capt. John Ogonowsky was at controls, a 50-year-old veteran pilot who lived on a farm north of the city and was looking forward to a family picnic on the weekend”.
Yes, that’s what I mean! But how did you guess?
Well, it wasn’t too hard, Watson; and did you appreciate humour dealing with pilot’s name and age?
Of course, I could do nothing but notice all these things, especially after your tales about IV International and the year of its foundation. Articles of Mr. Glaberson are plenty of such references too. I even remember the name and characteristics of the second pilot from UA175 flight that rammed the southern tower: “Victor J. Saracini, 50, an experienced pilot who had been a Navy flier, was at controls”. One more “experienced pilot, 50-years-old”! And his flight lasted for 50 minutes exactly!
Wonderful, Watson, you have excellent memory and your keenness of observation is worth envying!
That is due to you, Holmes.
A couple of 50-years-old American civilian airlines veterans – it does impress really; they like black humour, these Misters-internationalists which sometimes can’t be distinguished from internazis. The first – John Ogonowsky – I wonder, if his family name was mentioned in Russian press, how they be satisfied! And the other – the victor of Saracens, and for not doubting whom exactly it is they added “J” in the middle, incontestably pointing to jurists and journalists.
Don’t’ you consider, Holmes, that the planes were empty?
Sometime we will know it… but be patient, Watson. Anyway, you were interested in the word “picnic”, weren’t you?
Yes, I met it thrice in these articles and every time it was absolutely irrelevant. I suspected some enciphered sense in it.
Well done, Watson, I can say! I’m glad, that I wasn’t mistaken about you. Have a look at this, – and with these words Holmes handed me a sheet of paper folded twice, with sizes like newspaper sheet’s.
It was either some plan, or scheme for charade game. I stared for long in silhouettes of pictures and inscriptions, which I couldn’t interpret at once using my poor Russian, until at last I encountered a column of numbers in the right lower corner of the picture, which was printed in very small type and consisted of time of sun rising and sunset, as well as the length of a day. Most probably, I would never pay my attention to them, if it wasn’t for the first number in the column, the fatal number – 8.45 – time of ramming of the first (southern) WTC tower. I looked at Holmes questioningly.
Yes, Watson, you understood correctly, the time coincided “accidentally” with New York time of the first attack, made by “kamikaze” on Boeing-767 with 92 passengers on board. And I said “New York time” not by accident, because the next number in the column – 16.37 – too “accidentally” was very similar to first attack time… but in Moscow time zone (it was 16.45 exactly), and since this moment Russian viewers could follow the developing of events in New York and Washington. Without mystics, it is calendar time of sun rising – 8.45 and sunset – 16.37, and the length of a day – 7.52, which refers to January 20 of every year on the latitude of Moscow and Saint Petersburg.
Saying that, Holmes took a pencil and wrote in sprawling letters on the sheet of paper – 20.01, as they used to mark the date in Russia.
If take away the dot between the day and the month, what can indicate this combination of numbers, to your opinion, Watson?
2001 year! – I forced slowly. – But what this all can mean, dear Holmes? And how did you obtain this strange charade?
It was sent to me with two similar articles yet in 1994 from Russia. Notice the date when package with charades arrived to London pointed on the seal of London main post office – September 7, 1994, – and try to establish if something special had happened that day in London. In the envelope, besides the rebus in three parts, each having the word “picnic” in its title, and a calendar for 1994, there also was a little note: “Dear Holmes. Knowing your passion for solving the enigmas of the century, we send to you this “rebus of millennium” in three parts. We hope that time will come, and you’ll give your professional interpretation of their purpose. Yours sincerely, the admirers of your talent.” Return address: Russia, 190001, Saint Petersburg, subscriber’s mailbox 911, Pchelovod Victor Vladimirovich. I have been collecting information for seven years, and now I’m ready to give some variants of solution.
Sherlock Holmes unfolded two more copies of strange pictures before me.
As you can see, Watson, the charade you’re looking at, under the strange title “Post Historical Picnic”, appeared on the third page of Saint-Petersburg newspaper “Chas Pick” №33 (130) on August 17, 1992. But two not less enigmatical rebuses, printed in two more issues of the same newspaper “Chas Pick” on June 24 and August 5, 1991, and entitled “Historical Picnic” and the “Defence Picnic” respectively preceded it.
Watching the strange pictures, I was listening to Holmes, and felt that I’m in for serious and fascinating work. We have never discussed the secret rules of our joint activity. I had no intension to do it now too, because I was always sure that any new case, which my friend investigated, he studied thoroughly by himself. Moreover, I thought that he already knew all the answers for the questions appearing during the investigation, and he needed me only for checking their correctness. But something told me, that this case was special and I should have to do something more important than simply working for a touchstone on which the famous detective is sharpening his mind and craft. As usual, unexpectedly, Holmes interrupted my pondering.
Dear Watson, can you explain me, why was your attention drawn to the word “picnic” in two articles from “The New York Times” of September 13?
I thought that this word, from one side, was irrelevant to the context of the articles written by so sorrowful reasons; and, from the other side, somehow elusively conformed them. I suggest that some ambivalence, incomprehensible to me, conceals in this word. Well, and after you have shown me three Russian “picnics” with such strange titles, I have no more doubts, that three-time mentioning of picnic in “The New York Times” is far from being accidental. But what stands behind all this?
Meanwhile Holmes, attentively listening to me, sorted out some notes, picking them from big leather file, where he kept “picnics”.
Of course, you are right, my dear Watson, the “picnics” in “The New York Times” of September 13 are mentioned three times not by accident. But, to understand their interlinks with Russian “picnics” from “Chas Pick”, I should explain something not only to you, but for the first rate to myself, dealing with what you called “mystics”, when we were discussing strange coincidences connected with 11. Here, – he’s found at last what he needed, – listen, dear Watson, what the most honoured poet and writer in Russia, Alexander Pushkin, says in this connection:
“The human mind, as common people say, is not a prophet, but guesser; it sees the general current of events and can make profound suggestions of it, often proved by time afterwards, but it can’t foresee the chance – which is mighty and immediate tool of Providence”.
Many western people consider Pushkin an expresser of outlook of Russian people, whose occurrence in the world happened to be their answer to pro-western reforms of their first emperor Peter the Great. It seems to me, that Russian philosopher Berdyaev wrote about it. And you, dear Watson, aren’t you acquainted with his works?
No, Holmes, I don’t know any works of Berdyaev, but I’ve heard about tender attitude to Pushkin in Russia, tried to read something of him, but, unfortunately, not in the original.
Holmes was obviously waiting for continuing Pushkin theme and so I wasn’t surprised when he asked what exactly I read among Pushkin’s works.
May be, the novel in verses “Eugene Onegin”, – I was trying with difficulty to remember the impressions this work made on me, and not waiting for Holmes to answer, carried on.
The narration seemed to me then somehow verbose, and sometimes even boring. Yes, it reminded me of sensational in its time James Joyce’s novel “Ulysses”, which some of our critics of past century were calling an encyclopaedia of western life. But may be the point is in translation – it’s written in verses, all the same.
Bravo, Watson! They can’t say you’re not observant. The point is that Pushkin has written one very truthful phrase explaining everything, to my mind: “Translators – are false horses of enlightenment”. And one Russian critic even defined the novel in verses, which you considered to be boring, as “encyclopaedia of Russian life”. Don’t you remember an author of translation, Watson?
Of course, Holmes, I remember his name clearly. My fellow chess-player recommended me to read the best translation made by famous Russian writer and poet Vladimir Nabokov[15], whose parents had emigrated from Russia after Revolution, and who had a great success on the West.
Perfectly, Watson. It was Nabokov who, after he began to write good poems in English, tried to understand why western reader couldn’t understand Pushkin as good, as Russian readers did. He too, as well as you, thought that only translators are to blame, that they are incapable to express in their native languages an elusive spirit of Pushkin’s poetry, and so he decided to prove that he could do it in the language of great Shakespeare. How he was surprised however when at the end of his translating he exclaimed in despair: “Golden cage remained, but the bird has flied away!” The “flied away bird” of Pushkin is the subject that we will try to understand in outlook of Russians. You may be surprised, Watson, why, investigating causes of New York and Washington tragedy, do I pay so much attention to the “sun of Russian poetry” – so Pushkin was called by Dostoevsky, another Russian writer very popular on the West?
Yes, indeed, dear Holmes, at the beginning I was rather puzzled by your interest to Pushkin. Knowing you, I supposed that you have thoroughly studied everything connected with works of honoured Russian poet, and also I know that you do nothing without a particular reason. And so I won’t be surprised very much, if Pushkin will at last turn out to be involved in the events of September 11 somehow.
Yes, Watson, and Pushkin… he is involved too, – Holmes repeated my words thoughtfully. – But now I still can’t explain it to you, Watson. What else have you read of Pushkin?
Oh, probably nothing, – I started to rummage through the corners of my memory of which I could never complain. – But wait! Yes, yes, I’ve read – of course I’ve read, but in certain sense, under duress.
Who could make you reading Pushkin, my dear Watson, I wonder?
Circumstances, Holmes. That’s it – circumstances. You may remember that about ten years ago some Russian theatre with very difficult title, something like “Marinka”, was in London on tour.
Yes, Watson, I remember it – it was the tour of very famous, since pre-Revolutionary times, Russian “Mariinsky Theatre”, and I still regret, that I hadn’t a chance to present on its performances. But, please, go on, my dear friend, I’m really looking forward to know what circumstances could make you reading Pushkin.
It was already after my returning from Afghanistan, when I was striving unsuccessfully for the favour of one lady, great music lover. For attracting her attention to myself, I obtained, with great difficulties, two tickets to the first-night of the opera “The Queen of spades”. Knowing that all parts would be sung in Russian, I decided to get acquainted with Pushkin’s story with the same title. The subject then seemed to me mystical and the end of a hero – too sorrowful. I remember exactly, that he has gone mad in the end, and so, when horrors on the stage heated up to the extreme and my companion was waiting for the tragic outcome, I, desiring to demonstrate my knowledge in the sphere where she felt her total superiority, started to calm her, saying that she hadn’t to worry so much – the hero and heroine (unfortunately, I don’t remember their names) would stay alive. How much I was surprised, when the shot, expected by the house, sounded on the stage! My lady didn’t express astonishment; she just understood that her unsuccessful admirer was ignoramus. And when I tried to explain that I have read the story by Pushkin, she, looking at me regretfully, pointed out to the programme which she used as a fan: libretto of the opera was written by brother of Tchaikovsky, the composer, who perhaps knew better than Pushkin how the hero of “Queen of Spades” was to end his life. And it was the end of my attempts to seek the favour of a lady that I called “the queen of spades” in my mind.
You should think you’re awfully lucky, Watson; and your encounters with the queen of spades are not accidental in any case. Don’t you remember the cause of Hermann’s (this was the name of the main character in the story) tragic end?
If I’m not mistaken, Watson, he was ruined by his passion to playing cards. Wait a minute, I remembered! Hermann was trying to learn some secret from an old woman – on what card one should put money for breaking the bank.
Yes, Watson, they played “faro” there, – Holmes started and added as for himself, – very strange title for a card game. Hermann, achieving the secret of three cards while sleeping, wins great sums of money, making stakes firstly on three, then on seven and…
Ace wins! – I cried out, alike the hero of the story, – but, as I remember, he’s got the queen of spades instead of ace. I begin to understand the roots of your interest to Pushkin. Again number 11, and again tragedy, but by now not of universal scale[16].
And now look at that, Watson.
Holmes appealed again to the “Post Historical Picnic” and pointed to a piece of text in the left upper corner of a picture, to the right of which there was a female sculpture, and under it – a figure, dealing with ancient Egypt.
Can you read it, Watson?
A map of some terrain, – I began, finding words slowly, to translate the title printed with thick letters. Then there was text in smaller type:
“Card game is the second … occupation in our country. The first place … Revolutions. Revolutions … upset the applecart, … game becomes more interesting, because without rules. Passing the time at cards, the most important thing – is to remember which … have left the game. We remind to players and revolution Eram[17], that this card[18] is already beaten”.
That’s approximately what it is, and more perfect translation I could do using the dictionary.
Having finished reading I glanced at Holmes curiously, giving to understand with all my appearance that I comprehended a little in this abracadabra written either as an instruction or some humorous admonition. But whom from and whom to, I wondered?
I feel the same embarrassment as you, Watson, and don’t wait for any explanations from me. I have a translation of this strange text, but I don’t show it to you, hoping that you will do it better, but only after more close acquaintance with the rebus. By now I only want to draw your attention to plenty of events, seemingly not interlinked in any way, but joint by the words with the root “pic”: “picnics” in “The New York Times”, “picnics” in “Chas Pick”, “Queen of Spades”[19] by Pushkin. Isn’t it too much of “pics”, dear Watson, especially remembering that a “chance” as understood by the author of “Queen of Picks” is a mighty and immediate tool of Providence and its appearance in people’s life can’t be understood without seeing the general current of events?
By now only one thing is clear to me: we should work out the role of numerical measure in the tragic events of “black Tuesday”[20]. I can’t promise an easy work, but I suppose that by joint efforts we’ll be able to achieve a success, if we’re persistent and patient sufficiently. It seems to me that for deciphering the last rebus which as far as I understand deals somehow with the tragedy in New York and Washington, we need to know the purpose of the first and the second “picnics”, and that’s why I’d like you, my friend, to speculate in your spare time on the materials I’ve collected. Here, – he handed his file to me, – besides enigmatic Russian “picnics”, is a selection of different reports from the press of all countries in the world. I think that these materials will help us to understand better the problems waiting to be solved.
Once an office worker in auditing firm “Ernst & Young”, where I have been working for the recent years as a consultant, showed me one Russian site in the Internet. Some curious works were found there, and I asked my Russian friends in London to translate some of them. Frankly speaking, they complained the complexity of these texts, especially when it was the question of theology. But two of those works, to my mind, very interesting, are placed in English translation on this site. They were printed and now lay in this file.
I’m sorry, Watson, but today I’m flying off for Zurich on affairs of the firm I’ve just told you. Probably, I will have to visit Spain, there’s not only a centre of our firm there but … also many people who know the history of Trotskyism well. The civil war in Spain is Trotskyites handiwork. It was not by accident, that Spanish judge Garson brought the lawsuit of Pinochet, who upset Marxist-Trotskyite planes in Chile by his putsch. I think that this voyage will take me about two or three weeks, and I hope that when I return, I’ll hear many interesting things from you.
Holmes shook my hand and was about to go, but suddenly stopped, glanced at me strangely and smiling enigmatically asked me:
I have one more question to you, Watson, as chess-player: what do you really think about all this?
Firstly I was bewildered, thinking, that Holmes again was ironical about my fascination with chess, and I even was going to answer him with one of jokes popular among chess-players. But then, watching his face, I found out, that the eyes of my friend were extremely serious and waited for unusual answer.
Gambit[21] … may be, – I articulated slowly the first words I’ve remembered, dealing with chess terminology, – … may be, the last gambit, – I added more confidently – yes, the last gambit of the second millennium passing by.
That’s very interesting solution, perhaps – final, – said Holmes as to himself only.
There was no smile on his face now, and his glance looking somewhere far away seemed to seek the elusive final solution.
And why, if Dr. Watson is right? – he suddenly addressed a question to someone who was absent among us, and, like summing up the long argument between him and unknown to me third person, finished, – Someone, concerning directly with the questions of global administration, sacrifices much, for having the result which goes much farther than any fantasies of contemporary man.
Holmes’s glance returned to the reality and he smiled to me again with his cunning smile.
That’s good, Watson. Our new investigation will go under the secret name of “The Last Gambit”. In my notebook computer I’ve collected much information on this case and from this moment the file with my notes on Russian “picnics” will carry the same name – “The Last Gambit”. And I advise you too to collect all your thoughts with regard to “picnics” and the papers I’ve given to you into the separate file.
Part II. Watson’s investigation
Evening. September 22. Russian “picnics”
In the afternoon Holmes left for Heathrow, and after dinner I occupied myself with his papers. Comforting myself in my old armchair, I took a leather file from the table and started to rummage through its content curiously. Notes – for the beginning. Some of them, the most brief, I will cite here.
Note №1. May 15, 1976. “Weekly news” reported that an obstetrician named Triplett had delivered triplets three times already.
Note №2. December 5, 1664, an English ship “Maney” drown in Pas de Calais; only one crewmember was saved, and his name was Hugo Williams. 121 years later on that very date, December 5, 1785, another ship has drowned in Irish Sea near Man Island. And only one sailor has survived, and his name was Hugo Williams.
Note №3. In 1883 some Texas scoundrel named Henry Siegland left his beloved; she couldn’t get through this and laid hands on herself. Her brother decided to take revenge on the offender. But the bullet he fired only rubbed Siegland’s face against and got stuck in the trunk of the tree. Siegland has fallen down on the ground, and the brother thinking that the revenge was complete shot himself immediately… 30 years later, in 1913, Siegland, still alive, was going to saw down the tree where the bullet has stuck. The tree was rather tough, and Siegland tried to explode it with dynamite. When he did so, the bullet fired out from the trunk and struck him in the head. The girl was revenged at last!
Note №4. 1975, a little child fell down from the window on 14th (!) storey in Detroit and landed right on the head of someone named Mr. Joseph Figlock… The next year on the same date Mr. Figlock was strolling by the same place, and surely the same child dived on his head. And though little fidget became rather heavier than a year ago, this time all was OK too.
Note №5. In XVII century all Japan was talking about an evil fate dominating on some child kimono. Each of three girls which had it as a present or a simply purchase has died before putting it on for the first time. February 1657, a Japan priest decided that it would be better to burn the “unhappy” kimono. But hardly had he burnt it, suddenly the strong gust of the wind fanned the fire, and soon it was entirely uncontrolled… And that’s the result: three quarters of Tokyo were burnt, there were destroyed: 300 churches, 500 palaces, 9000 stores and 61 bridges, 100 thousands of people were killed…
About dozen of more lengthy, but not less interesting notes proved rather convincingly the rightness of Pushkin’s statement: “the chance” indeed is mighty and immediate instrument of Providence. Having finished reading, I pondered about that “above”-world reality of which existence common western people think only while visiting a church under the pressure of circumstances. And curious coincidences attracting my friend’s Holmes attention do make us remember about lots of “chances” in human history, when plans of acting, thoroughly organized and well equipped with all necessary things, just couldn’t come true. Sometimes, due to them, the current of events changed its tend or got a new quality entirely by accident.
So, thinking about the role of a chance as an instrument of Providence, which every man has ever encountered this way or that in his short life, I looked at last at the page with the first “picnic”. It was copy from the last page of the newspaper of Leningrad union of journalists, named “Chas Pick”, dated by 24.06.1991, and its loud title claimed: “Historical Picnic”. I knew that many cities in Russia have changed their names after 1991, as well as after 1917. Then Petersburg was called Leningrad, and now Leningrad is Petersburg again. The pictures of “picnic” resembled cartoon drawings, and there were five of them. It was the theme of ancient Egypt that caught the eye firstly, and it seemed to me for my first impression that it was artificially summoned to events in Russia.
