Do either of you know him?” The American...
Do either
of you know him?”
The American shrugged, but the Belgian nodded his floating head, his lips flat until he spoke
“His name is Santos and he is espagnol
“Spanish?”
“Or latino-américain
Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, thought JasonCarlos the Jackal, Venezuelan by birth, rejected terrorist,
whom even the Soviets could not handleOf course he would return to his own“How well do you
know him?”
It was the Belgian’s turn to shrug“He is the complete authority where Le Coeur du Soldat is
concernedHe has been known to crush men’s heads if they behave too badlyHe always takes off
his glasses first, and that is the first sign that something will happen that even proven soldiers do
not care to witnessIf he is coming out here to see you, I louis vuitton multicolor would advise you to leave
“He may come because he wants to see me, not because he wants to harm me
“That is not Santos—”
“You don’t have to know the particulars, they don’t concern youBut if he does come out that
door, I want you to engage him in conversation, can you do that?”
“Mais certainementOn several occasions I have slept on his couch upstairs, personally carried
there by Santos himself when the cleaning women came in
“Upstairs?”
Robert Ludlum ?? THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM
226
“He lives above the café on the second floorIt is said that he never leaves, never goes into the
streets, even to the marketsOther people purchase all the supplies, or they are simply delivered Jason pulled out his money and distributed another five rolex submariner watches hundred francs to each weaving
man“Go back into the alley, and if Santos comes out, stop him and behave like you’ve had too
much to drinkAsk him for money, a bottle, whatever
Like children, Maurice-René and Ralph clutched the franc notes, glancing at each other both as
conspirators and as victorsFran?ois, the crazy légionnaire, was passing out money as if he printed
it himself! Their collective enthusiasm grew
“How long do you want us to hassle this turkey?” asked the American from the Deep South
“I will talk the ears off his bald head!” added the Belgian“No, just long enough for me to see
that he’s alone,” said Bourne, “that no one else is with him or comes out after him
“Piece a’ cake, man
“We shall earn not only your francs but black chanel quilted bag celeb your respectYou have the word of a Légion corporal!”
“I’m touchedNow, get back in there The two inebriated men lurched down the alley, Field
Jacket slapping Tank Shirt triumphantly across the shouldersJason pressed his back against the
street-side brick inches from the edge of the building and waitedSix minutes passed, and then he
heard the words he so desperately wanted to hear
“Santos! My great and good friend Santos!”
“What are you doing here, René?”
“My young American friend was sick to his stomach but it has gone—he vomited?”
“Let me introduce you, SantosHe’s about to become a great soldier
“There is a Children’s Crusade somewhere?” Bourne peered around the corner as the bald
bartender looked at Ralph“Good luck, baby faceGo tiffany and co. jewelry find your war in a playground
“You talk French awful fast, mistuh, but I caught some of thatYou’re a big mother, but I can be
a mean son of a bitch!”
The bartender laughed and switched effortlessly to English“Then you’d better be mean
someplace else, baby faceWe only permit peaceable gentlemen in Le Coeur du Soldat
“Santos!” cried Maurice-RenéI left my billfold back at my flat
“If you ever had a billfold, you left it back in North AfricaNot a sou for
any of you
“What money I had went for your lousy fish! It made my friend vomit!”
“For your next meal, go down to Paris and dine at the RitzAh, yes! You did have a meal—
but you did not pay for it Jason pulled quickly back as the bartender snapped his head around and
looked up the chanel jumbo bag a