@@@@@ “I’m sure there’s a reason,” stated
@@@@@
“I’m sure there’s a reason,” stated Bernardine, still looking at the enigmatically passive face of
Dominique Lavier“I mean, this sweet old lady says nothing
“I’m not old!” cried the woman vehemently
“Of course not, my dear,” agreed the Deuxième veteran“Only more desirable in your mature
years
“Boy, did you hit it!”
“Why the Meurice?” asked Bernardine
“It’s the Jackal’s final trap for me,” answered Bourne“Courtesy of our persuasive Magdalen
Sister of Charity hereHe expects me to be there and I’ll be there
“I’ll call in the DeuxièmeThanks to a frightened bureaucrat, they’ll do anything I askDon’t
endanger yourself, my friend
Robert Ludlum ?? THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM
283
“I don’t mean to insult you, Francois, but you yourself told me you didn’t know all of the people
in the Bureau these daysI can’t take the chance of a leakOne man could send out an alarm The low soft-spoken voice of Dominique Lavier broke the hum of the outside
traffic like the initial burr of a chain saw
“I listened to your help before, lady, and it was leading me to my own execution
“That was before, not nowAs must be obvious to you, my position now is truly hopeless
“Didn’t I hear those words recently?”
“No, you did notI just added the word ‘nowFor God’s sake, put yourself in my placeI
can’t pretend to understand, but this ancient boulevardier beside me casually mentions that he’ll
call in the Deuxième—the Deuxième, Monsieur Bourne! For some that is no less than France’s
Gestapo! Even if I survived, I’m marked by that infamous branch of the governmentI’d no doubt
be sent to some horrible penal colony halfway across the world—oh, I’ve heard the stories of the
Deuxième!”
“Really?” said BernardineSounds positively marvelou