The Fifth DayIn an old house in a quiet road a woman waited. She waited day and night, and did not sleep. At nine o’clock in the evening of the fifth day, she heard a noise at the window at the back of the house.
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她很快跑过去把窗户打开了。一分钟后,她已经在亚历克斯的怀抱里了。他们沉默了很长时间。
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Quickly, she ran and opened the window. A minute later she was in Alex’s arms. They did not speak for a long time.
Then they talked quietly about their friends and their family. ’The children are with my sister,’ Olivia said. ’It’s better for them there. But I came here to Rudi’s house. Rudi’s away, and Pauli told me this was the best place to wait. I wanted to see you before you leave the country. Oh Alex, I’m so afraid for you.’
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“是啊,逃亡将会很困难。”亚历克斯说,“我跟保利通过电话,警察……”
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’Yes, escape is going to be difficult,’ Alex said. ’I talked to Pauli on the phone. The police...’
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“是的,但你已经从监狱里逃出来了,”奥利维亚语速很快,“你有很多朋友,也许保利能帮你,或者……”
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’Yes, but you escaped from prison,’ Olivia said quickly. ’You have a lot of friends. Perhaps Pauli can help you. Or...’
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“也许吧,我有一些好朋友,这我知道。但是我也有很多敌人,”亚历克斯若有所思地说,“很危险的敌人。”
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’Perhaps. I’ve got some good friends. I know that. But I’ve got a lot of enemies too,’ Alex said slowly. ’Very dangerous enemies.’
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奥利维亚突然看着他的手。“你的手!噢,亚历克斯,你的手是怎么回事?”
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Suddenly Olivia saw his hands. ’Your hands! Oh Alex, what happened to your hands?’
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亚历克斯低头看着自己的手。“在监狱里弄的。”他缓缓地说,“他们用刀子……还有烟头。”
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Alex looked down at them. ’It happened in prison,’ he said slowly. ’They did it with a knife... and cigarettes.’
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“但是为什么?”奥利维亚小声问,“他们为什么要那样做?”
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’But why?’ Olivia whispered. ’Why did they do that?’
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“他们想知道一个名字,但是我没告诉他们。”
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’They wanted a name, but I didn’t tell them.’
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“谁的名字?”
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’What name?’
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“谋杀总统的凶手的名字。”
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’The name of the President’s murderer.’
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“但他们说是你杀了他……”奥利维亚说。
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’But they say you killed him...’ Olivia began.
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“他们是这样说的,但是我没杀总统,而且这一点警察也知道。”
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’Yes, but I did not kill the President. And the police know that.’
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“所以他们把你关进了监狱,”奥利维亚说,“因为他们需要一个凶手。”
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’So they put you in prison,’ Olivia said, ’because they needed a murderer.’
’Yes. And because of my book about the old President, and the government of this country. It was a very angry book. Do you remember?’ Alex smiled. ’But the old President read it, and liked it. He wasn’t a bad man, and he wanted a better life for the people. He wanted to change things in this country, but he couldn’t. The police and the army stopped him. And the new President, of course, is a good friend of the police and the army. A very good friend.’ Alex laughed angrily. ’You see, Olivia, the police know the murderer’s name, but it’s a secret. They don’t want people in this country to know the name. And so they were angry with me in prison, because they think that I know the murderer’s name.’
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奥利维亚一脸恐惧。“那你……你到底知不知道?”她轻声问道。
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Olivia’s face was afraid. ’Do... Do you know?’ she whispered.
In his office Felix waited for more news. He waited, and he thought—about his job, about the dead President and the new President, about the old woman Marta, about Eva Hine, the Chief of Police—and about Alex Dinon.
At 9.05 p. m. the telephone rang on Felix’s desk. He listened, then quickly jumped to his feet and called to Adam. ’Dinon’s in his home town,’ he shouted. ’He’s in his old teacher’s house. He went in three minutes ago.’
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亚当笑了。“我们现在终于找到他了。”他开心地说。
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Adam laughed. ’We’ve got him now,’ he said happily.
’Listen,’ Felix said quickly. ’Take ten more men with you and drive down to Dinon’s town at once. Wait near the house and watch, but don’t go in. I’m going to phone the Chief now, and then follow you.’
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“好的。”亚当说着,很快地离开了。
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’Right,’ Adam said, and quickly left the room.
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费利克斯打电话给警长,向她报告这个消息。
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Felix phoned the Chief and told her the news.
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“很好,”警长说,“你现在就在那儿等着。我十分钟后给你打电话。”
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’Good,’ the Chief said. ’Now wait there. I want to speak to you again in ten minutes.’
Felix waited angrily. He wanted to leave at once. He wanted to talk to Alex Dinon. Perhaps Dinon knew the answers to Felix’s questions. The phone rang and Felix picked it up quickly.
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“听着,警员,不要进入那所房子,在路上等着,监视他。”
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’Now listen, Inspector. Don’t go into the house. Wait in the road and watch.’
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“但是我们可以进去抓住他!”费利克斯说,“为什么不呢?”
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’But we can go into the house and get him!’ Felix said. ’Why not?’
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“不行,那样很危险。也许他的妻子和孩子也在房子里。”
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’No, that’s dangerous. Perhaps his wife and children are in the house.’
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“我们已经查明,他的孩子在他的妻妹家里。”费利克斯说,“所以……”
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’But his children are with his wife’s sister. We know that,’ Felix said. ’So...’
’This man Dinon is very, very important, Inspector. You need help, and the army is going to help you. They’re putting three hundred men in all the roads near the house. I want Dinon tonight, Inspector!’
The Chief put the phone down, and Felix stared at his desk. ’Alive... or dead?’ he thought. ’Which does she—and our new President—want? I think I know the answer. They want him dead. And I want to know why!’
The police car took Felix to Dinon’s home town, an hour away, and Felix found Adam in a quiet street behind the house. They sat in Adam’s car and talked.
Adam looked at Felix’s face. ’What are you angry about?’ he asked. ’Dinon’s in the house. And he can’t escape now. When he comes out—Wham! We’ve got him!’
’I’m angry,’ Felix said, ’because half the army with its guns is in this town tonight. I wanted to go into the house, but I can’t because the Chief said "no", and the soldiers are watching the house. But I wanted to get to Dinon first.’
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“那会很难。”亚当说,“士兵们总是先开枪,后问话。”
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’That’s going to be difficult,’ Adam said. ’Soldiers shoot first, and ask questions later.’
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“是呀,”费利克斯慢慢地说,“他们会杀了迪农,而我却无法阻止。”
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’Yes,’ Felix said slowly. ’They’re going to kill Alex Dinon, and I can’t stop them.’