tc.thebearandthedragon-第11部分

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ey　were　the　new　ing　of　Caligula。　Nobody　ever　told　them　that　they　have　a　positive　duty　to　look　after　the　interests　of　the　people　they　rule　…　well；　maybe　that's　not　true；〃　Ryan　allowed；　feeling　a　little　generous。　〃They　have　this　big；　perfect　theoretical　model；　promulgated　by　Karl　Marx；　refined　by　Lenin；　then　applied　in　their　country　by　a　pudgy　sexual　pervert　named　Mao。〃
　〃Oh？　Pervert？〃
　〃Yeah。〃　Ryan　looked　up。　〃We　had　the　data　over　at　Langley。　Mao　liked　virgins；　the　younger　the　better。　Maybe　he　liked　to　see　the　fear　in　their　cute　little　virginal　eyes　…　that's　what　one　of　our　pshrink　consultants　thought；　kinda　like　rape；　not　so　much　sex　as　power。　Well；　I　guess　it　could　have　been　worse　…　at　least　they　were　girls；〃　Jack　observed　rather　dryly；　〃and　their　culture　is　historically　a　little　more　liberal　than　ours　on　that　sort　of　thing。〃　A　shake　of　the　head。　〃You　should　see　the　briefs　I　get　whenever　a　major　foreign　dignitary　es　over；　the　stuff　we　know　about　their　personal　habits。〃
　A　chuckle：　〃Do　I　really　want　to　know？〃
　A　grimace：　〃Probably　not。　Sometimes　I　wish　they　didn't　give　me　the　stuff。　You　sit　them　down　right　here　in　the　office；　and　they're　charming　and　businesslike；　and　you　can　spend　the　whole　fucking　meeting　looking　for　horns　and　hooves。〃　That　could　be　a　distraction；　of　course；　but　it　was　more　generally　thought　that　as　in　playing　poker　for　high　stakes；　the　more　you　knew　about　the　guy　on　the　other　side　of　the　table；　the　better；　even　if　it　might　make　you　want　to　throw　up　during　the　weling　ceremony　on　the　White　House　South　Lawn。　But　that　was　the　business　of　being　President；　Ryan　reminded　himself。　And　people　actually　fought　like　tigers　to　get　there。　And　would　again；　when　he　left；　POTUS　reminded　himself。　And　so；　Jack；　is　it　your　job　to　protect　your　country　from　the　kind　of　rat　who　lusts　to　be　where　all　the　really　good　cheese　is　stored？　Ryan　shook　his　head　again。　So　many　doubts。　It　wasn't　so　much　that　they　never　went　away。　They　just　kept　getting　bigger　all　the　time。　How　strange　that　he　understood　and　could　recount　every　small　step　that　had　led　him　to　this　office；　and　yet　he　still　asked　himself　several　times　every　hour　how　the　hell　he'd　e　to　be　in　this　place。。。　and　how　the　hell　he'd　ever　get　out。　Well；　he　had　no　excuses　at　all　this　time。　He'd　actually　run　for　election　to　the　Presidency。　If　you　could　call　it　that　…　Arnie　van　Damm　didn't；　as　a　matter　of　fact　…　which　you　could；　since　he'd　fulfilled　the　constitutional　requirements；　a　fact　on　which　just　about　every　legal　scholar　in　the　nation　had　agreed；　and　talked　about　on　every　major　news　network　ad　nauseam。　Well；　Jack　reminded　himself；　I　wasn't　watching　much　TV　back　then；　was　I？　But　it　all　really　came　down　to　one　thing：　The　people　you　dealt　with　as　President　were　very　often　people　whom　you　would　never　willingly　invite　into　your　home；　and　it　had　nothing　to　do　with　any　lack　of　manners　or　personal　charm；　which；　perversely；　they　usually　displayed　in　abundance。　One　of　the　things　Arnie　had　told　Jack　early　on　was　that　the　main　requirement　to　enter　the　political　profession　was　nothing　more　nor　less　than　the　ability　to　be　pleasant　to　people　whom　you　despised；　and　then　to　do　business　with　them　as　if　they　were　bosom　friends。
　〃So；　what　do　we　know　about　our　heathen　Chinese　friends？〃　Winston　asked。　〃The　current　ones；　that　is。〃
　〃Not　much。　We're　working　on　that。　The　Agency　has　a　long　way　to　go；　though　we　are　started　on　the　road。　We　still　get　intercepts。　Their　phone　system　is　leaky；　and　they　use　their　cell　phones　too　much　without　encrypting　them。　Some　of　them　are　men　of　mendable　vigor；　George；　but　nothing　too　terribly　scandalous　that　we　know　about。　Quite　a　few　of　them　have　secretaries　who　are　very　close　to　their　bosses。〃
　The　Secretary　of　the　Treasury　managed　a　chuckle。　〃Well；　a　lot　of　that　going　around；　and　not　just　in　Beijing。〃
　〃Even　on　Wall　Street？〃　Jack　inquired；　with　a　theatrically　raised　eyebrow。
　〃I　can't　say　for　sure；　sir；　but　I　have　heard　the　occasional　rumor。〃　Winston　grinned　at　the　diversion。
　And　even　right　here　in　this　room；　Ryan　reminded　himself。　They'd　changed　the　rug　long　since；　of　course；　and　all　the　furniture；　except　for　the　Presidential　desk。　One　of　the　problems　associated　with　holding　this　job　was　the　baggage　piled　on　your　back　by　previous　officeholders。　They　said　the　public　had　a　short　memory；　but　that　wasn't　true；　was　it？　Not　when　you　heard　the　whispers；　followed　by　chuckles；　and　acpanied　by　knowing　looks　and　the　occasional　gesture　that　made　you　feel　dirty　to　be　the　subject　of　the　chuckles。　And　all　you　could　do　about　it　was　to　live　your　life　as　best　you　could；　but　even　then　the　best　you　could　hope　for　was　for　people　to　think　you　were　smart　enough　not　to　get　caught；　because　they　all　did　it；　right？　One　of　the　problems　with　living　in　a　free　country　was　that　anyone　outside　this　palace/prison　could　think　and　say　whatever　he　wished。　And　Ryan　didn't　even　have　the　right　that　any　other　citizen　might　have　to　punch　out　whatever　twit　said　something　about　his　character　that　the　twit　was　unwilling　to　back　up。　It　hardly　seemed　fair；　but　as　a　practical　matter；　it　would　force　Ryan　to　visit　a　lot　of　corner　bars；　and　break　a　lot　of　knuckles；　to　little　gain。　And　sending　sworn　cops　or　armed　Marines　out　to　handle　matters　wasn't　exactly　a　proper　use　of　Presidential　power；　was　it？
　Jack　knew　that　he　was　far　too　thin…skinned　to　hold　this　job。　Professional　politicians　typically　had　hides　that　made　a　rhinoceros's　look　like　rose　petals；　because　they　expected　to　have　things　hurled　at　them；　some　true；　some　not。　By　cultivating　that　thick　covering；　they　attenuated　the　pain　somehow；　until　eventually　people　stopped　hurling　things　at　them；　or　such　was　the　theory。　Maybe　it　actually　worked　for　some。　Or　maybe　the　bastards　just　didn't　have　consciences。　You　paid　your　money　and　you　took　your　choice。
　But　Ryan　did　have　a　conscience。　That　was　a　choice　he'd　made　long　before。　You　still　had　to　look　in　the　mirror　once　a　day；　usually　at　shaving　time；　and　there　was　no　easy　fix　for　not　being　able　to　like　the　face　you　saw　there。
　〃Okay；　back　to　the　PRC's　problems；　George；〃　the　President　manded。
　〃They're　going　to　juice　up　their　trade　…　one　way；　that　is。　They're　discouraging　their　own　citizens　from　buying　American；　but　all　they　can　sell；　they　sell。　Including　some　of　Mao's　young　virgins；　probably。〃
　〃What　do　we　have　to　prove　that？〃
　〃Jack；　I　pay　close　attention　to　results；　and　I　have　friends　in　various　businesses　who　shake　the　bushes　and　talk　to　people　over　drinks。　What　they　learn　frequently　gets　back　to　me。　You　know；　a　lot　of　ethnic　Chinese　have　some　weird　medical　condition。　You　get　one　drink　into　them；　it's　like　four　or　five　for　us　…　and　the　second　drink　is　like　chugging　a　whole　bottle　of　Jack　Daniel's；　but　some　of　the　dummies　try　to　keep　up　anyway；　some　hospitality　thing；　maybe。　Anyway；　when　that　happens；　well；　the　talk　bees　freer；　y'know？　It's　been　going　on　quite　a　while；　but　lately　Mark　Gant　set　up　a　little　program。　Senior　executives　who　go　to　certain　special　places；　well；　I　do　own　the　Secret　Service　now；　and　the　Secret　Service　does　specialize　in　economic　crimes；　right？　And　a　lot　of　my　old　friends　know　who　I　am　and　what　I　do　now；　and　they　cooperate　pretty　nice；　and　so　I　get　a　lot　of　good　stuff　to　write　up。　It　mainly　goes　to　my　senior　people　across　the　street。〃
　〃I'm　impressed；　George。　You　cross…deck　it　to　CIA？〃
　〃I　suppose　I　could；　but　I　was　afraid　they'd　get　all　pissy　over　turf　rights　and　stuff。〃
　Ryan　rolled　his　eyes　at　that　bit　of　information。　〃Not　Ed　Foley。　He's　a　real　pro　from　way　back；　and　the　bureaucracy　over　at　Langley　hasn't　captured　him　yet。　Have　him　over　to　your　office　for　lunch。　He　won't　mind　what　you're　doing。　Same　thing　with　Mary　Pat。　She　runs　the　Directorate　of　Operations。　MP's　a　real　cowgirl；　and　she　wants　results；　too。〃
　〃Duly　noted。　You　know；　Jack；　it's　amazing　how　much　people　talk；　and　the　things　they　talk　about　under　the　proper　circumstances。〃
　〃How'd　you　make　all　that　money　on　The　Street；　George？〃　Ryan　asked。
　〃Mainly　by　knowing　a　little　more　than　the　guy　across　the　street；〃　Winston　replied。
　〃Works　the　same　way　for　me　here。　Okay；　if　our　little　friends　go　forward　with　this；　what　should　we　do？〃
　〃Jack　…　no；　now　it's　Mr。　President　…　we've　been　financing　Chinese　industrial　expansion　for　quite　a　few　years　now。　They　sell　things　to　us；　we　pay　cash　for　them；　and　then　they　either　keep　the　money　for　their　own　purposes　on　the　international　money　markets；　or　they　purchase　things　they　want　from　other　countries；　often　things　they　could　as　easily　buy　from　us；　but　maybe　half　a　percent　more　expensive　from　an　American　manufacturer。　The　reason　it's　called　'trade'　is　that　you　theoretically　exchange　something　of　yours　for　something　of　the　other　guy's　…　just　like　kids　with　baseball　cards；　okay？　…　but　they're　not　playing　the　game　that　way。　They're　also　dumping　some　products　just　to　get　dollars；　selling　items　here　for　less　than　what　they　sell　them　to　their　own　citizens。　Now；　that　is　technically　in　violation　of　a　couple　federal　statues。　Okay；〃　Winston　shrugged；　〃it's　a　statute　we　enforce　somewhat　selectively；　but　it　is　on　the　books；　and　it　is　the　law。　Toss　in　the　Trade　Reform　Act　that　we　passed　a　few　years　ago　because　of　the　games　the　Japs　were　playing　…〃
　〃I　remember；　George。　It　kinda　started　a　little　shooting　war　in　which　some　people　got　killed；〃　POTUS　observed　dryly。　Worst　of　all；　perhaps；　it　had　begun　the　process　that　had　ended　up　with　Ryan　in　this　very　room。
　SecTreas　nodded。　〃True；　but　it's　still　the　law；　and　it　was　not　a　bill　of　attainder　meant　only　to　apply　to　Japan。　Jack；　if　we　apply　the　same　trade　laws　to　China　that　the　Chinese　apply　to　us；　well；　it'll　put　a　major　crimp　in　their　foreign　exchange　accounts。　Is　that　a　bad　thing？　No；　not　with　the　trade　imbalance　we　have　with　them　now。　You　know；　Jack；　if　they　start　building　automobiles　and　play　the　same　game　they're　playing　on　everything　else；　our　trade　deficit　could　get　real　ugly　real　fast；　and　frankly　I'm　tired　of　having　us　finance　their　economic　development；　which　they　then　execute　with　heavy　equipment　bought　in　Japan　and　Europe。　If　they　want　trade　with　the　United　States　of　America；　fine；　but　let　it　be　trade。　We　can　hold　our　own　in　any　truly　fair　trade　war　with　any　country；　because　American　workers　can　produce　as　well　as　anybody　in　the