tc.thebearandthedragon-第114部分

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　cat's　ass。
　Just　then；　a　messenger　arrived　with　the　day's　copies　of　the　morning's　Early　Bird。　Jack　took　one　along　with　the　coffee　and　headed　back　to　read　it　over。　A　few　editorials　bemoaning　the　recall　of　the　trade　delegation…　maybe　it　was　the　lingering　liberalism　in　the　media；　the　reason　they　were　not；　never　had　been；　and　probably　never　would　be　entirely　fortable　with　the　amateur　statesman　in　the　White　House。　Privately；　Ryan　knew；　they　called　him　other　things；　some　rather　less　polite；　but　the　average　Joe　out　there；　Arnie　van　Damm　told　Jack　once　a　week　or　so；　still　liked　him　a　lot。　Ryan's　approval　rating　was　still　very　high；　and　the　reason　for　it；　it　seemed；　was　that　Jack　was　perceived　as　a　regular　guy　who'd　gotten　lucky…if　they　called　this　luck；　POTUS　thought　with　a　stifled　grunt。
　He　returned　to　reading　the　news　articles；　wandering　back　to　the　breakfast　room；　as　he　did　so；　where；　he　saw；　people　were　hustling　to　get　things　set　up…notified；　doubtless；　by　the　Secret　Service　that　SWORDSMAN　was　up　and　needed　to　be　fed。　Yet　more　of　the　His　Majesty　Effect；　Ryan　groused。　But　he　was　hungry；　and　food　was　food；　and　so　he　wandered　in；　picked　what　he　wanted　off　the　buffet；　and　flipped　the　TV　on　to　see　what　was　happening　in　the　world　as　he　attacked　his　eggs　Benedict。　He'd　have　to　devour　them　quickly；　before　Cathy　appeared　to　yell　at　him　about　the　cholesterol　intake。　All　around　him；　to　a　radius　of　thirty　miles　or　so；　the　government　was　ing　to　consciousness；　or　what　passed　for　it；　dressing；　getting　in　their　cars；　and　heading　in；　just　as　he　was；　but　not　as　fortably。
　〃Morning；　Dad；〃　Sally　said；　ing　in　next　and　walking　to　the　TV；　which　she　switched　to　MTV　without　asking。　It　was　a　long　way　since　that　bright　afternoon　in　London　when　he'd　been　shot；　Jack　thought。　He'd　been　〃daddy〃　then。
　
　In　Beijing；　the　puter　on　Ming's　desk　had　been　in　auto…sleep　mode　for　just　the　right　number　of　minutes。　The　hard　drive　started　turning　again；　and　the　machine　began　its　daily　routine。　Without　lighting　up　the　monitor；　it　examined　the　internal　file　of　recent　entries；　pressed　them；　and　then　activated　the　internal　modem　to　shoot　them　out　over　the　'Net。　The　entire　process　took　about　seventeen　seconds；　and　then　the　puter　went　back　to　sleep。　The　data　proceeded　along　the　telephone　lines　in　the　city　of　Beijing　until　it　found　its　destination　server；　which　was；　actually；　in　Wisconsin。　There　it　waited　for　the　signal　that　would　call　it　up；　after　which　it　would　be　dumped　out　of　the　server's　memory；　and　soon　thereafter　written　over；　eliminating　any　trace　that　it　had　ever　existed。
　In　any　case；　as　Washington　woke　up；　Beijing　was　heading　for　sleep；　with　Moscow　a　few　hours　behind。　The　earth　continued　its　turning；　oblivious　of　what　transpired　in　the　endless　cycle　of　night　and　day。
　
　Well？〃　General　Diggs　looked　at　his　subordinate。　〃Well；　sir；〃　Colonel　Giusti　said；　〃I　think　the　cavalry　squadron　is　in　pretty　good　shape。〃　Like　Diggs；　Angelo　Giusti　was　a　career　cavalryman。　His　job　as　mander　of　1st　Armored's　cavalry　squadron　（actually　a　battalion；　but　the　cav　had　its　own　way　of　speaking）　was　to　move　out　ahead　of　the　division　proper；　locating　the　enemy　and　scouting　out　the　land；　being　the　eyes　of　Old　Ironsides；　but　with　enough　bat　power　of　its　own　to　look　after　itself。　A　bat　veteran　of　the　Persian　Gulf　War；　Giusti　had　smelled　the　smoke　and　seen　the　elephant。　He　knew　what　his　job　was；　and　he　figured　he　had　his　troopers　trained　up　about　as　well　as　circumstances　in　Germany　allowed。　He　actually　preferred　the　free…form　play　allowed　by　simulators　to　the　crowded　training　fields　of　the　bat　Maneuver　Training　Center；　which　was　barely　seventy…five　square　kilometers。　It　wasn't　the　same　as　being　out　there　in　your　vehicles；　but　neither　was　it　restricted　by　time　and　distance；　and　on　the　global　SimNet　system　you　could　play　against　a　plete　enemy　battalion；　even　a　brigade　if　you　wanted　your　people　to　get　some　sweat　in　their　play。　Except　for　the　bumpy…float　sensation　of　driving　your　Abrams　around　（some　tankers　got　motion　sickness　from　that）；　it　conveyed　the　plexity　better　than　any　place　except　the　NTC　at　Fort　Irwin　in　the　California　desert；　or　the　parable　facility　the　Army　had　established　for　the　Israelis　in　the　Negev。
　Diggs　couldn't　quite　read　the　younger　officer's　mind；　but　he'd　just　watched　the　Quarter　Horse　move　around　with　no　lack　of　skill。　They'd　played　against　some　Germans；　and　the　Germans；　as　always；　were　pretty　good　at　the　war　business…but　not；　today；　as　good　as　First　Tanks'　cavalry　troopers；　who'd　first　outmaneuvered　their　European　hosts；　and　then　（to　the　surprise　and　distaste　of　the　German　brigadier　who'd　supervised　the　exercise）　set　an　ambush　that　had　cost　them　half　a　battalion　of　their　Leos；　as　the　Americans　called　the　Leopard…II　main　battle　tanks。　Diggs　would　be　having　dinner　with　the　brigadier　later　today。　Even　the　Germans　didn't　know　night…fighting　as　well　as　the　Americans　did…which　was　odd；　since　their　equipment　was　roughly　parable；　and　their　soldiers　pretty　well　trained　。。。　but　the　German　army　was　still　largely　a　conscript　army；　most　of　whose　soldiers　didn't　have　the　time…in…service　the　Americans　enjoyed。
　In　the　wider　exercise…the　cavalry　part　had　just　been　the　〃real〃　segment　of　a　wider　mand　post　exercise；　or　CPX…Colonel　Don　Lisle's　2nd　Brigade　was　handling　the　fuller；　if　theoretical；　German　attack　quite　capably。　On　the　whole；　the　Bundeswehr　was　not　having　a　good　day。　Well；　it　no　longer　had　the　mission　of　protecting　its　country　against　a　Soviet　invasion；　and　with　that　had　gone　the　rather　furious　support　of　the　citizenry　that　the　West　German　army　had　enjoyed　for　so　many　years。　Now　the　Bundeswehr　was　an　anachronism　with　little　obvious　purpose；　and　the　occupier　of　a　lot　of　valuable　real　estate　for　which　Germans　could　think　up　some　practical　uses。　And　so　the　former　West　German　army　had　been　downsized　and　mainly　trained　to　do　peacekeeping　duty；　which；　when　you　got　down　to　it；　was　heavily　armed　police　work。　The　New　World　Order　was　a　peaceful　one；　at　least　so　far　as　Europeans　were　concerned。　The　Americans　had　engaged　in　bat　operations　to　the　rather　distant　interest　of　the　Germans；　who；　while　they'd　always　had　a　healthy　interest　in　war…fighting；　were　now　happy　enough　that　their　interest　in　it　was　entirely　theoretical；　rather　like　a　particularly　intricate　Hollywood　production。　It　also　forced　them　to　respect　America　a　little　more　than　they　would　have　preferred。　But　some　things　couldn't　be　helped。
　〃Well；　Angelo；　I　think　your　troopers　have　earned　themselves　a　beer　or　two　at　the　local　Gasthauses。　That　envelopment　you　acplished　at　zero…two…twenty　was　particularly　adroit。〃
　Giusti　grinned　and　nodded　his　appreciation。　〃Thank　you；　General。　I'll　pass　that　one　along　to　my　S…3。　He's　the　one　who　thought　it　up。〃
　〃Later；　Angelo。〃
　〃Roger　that　one；　sir。〃　Lieutenant　Colonel　Giusti　saluted　his　divisional　mander　on　his　way。
　〃Well；　Duke？〃
　Colonel　Masterman　pulled　a　cigar　out　of　his　BDU　jacket　and　lit　it　up。　One　nice　thing　about　Germany　was　that　you　could　always　get　good　Cuban　ones　here。　〃I've　known　Angelo　since　Fort　Knox。　He　knows　his　stuff；　and　he　had　his　officers　particularly　well　trained。　Even　had　his　own　book　on　tactics　and　battle…drill　printed　up。〃
　〃Oh？〃　Diggs　turned。　〃Is　it　any　good？〃
　〃Not　bad　at　all；〃　the　G…3　replied。　〃I'm　not　sure　that　I　agree　with　it　all；　but　it　doesn't　hurt　to　have　everyone　singing　out　of　the　same　hymnal。　His　officers　all　think　pretty　much　the　same　way。　So；　Angelo's　a　good　football　coach。　Sure　enough　he　kicked　the　Krauts'　asses　last　night。〃　Masterman　closed　his　eyes　and　rubbed　his　face。　〃These　night　exercises　take　it　out　of　you。〃
　〃How's　Lisle　doing？〃
　〃Sir；　last　time　I　looked；　he　had　the　Germans　well　contained。　Our　friends　didn't　seem　to　know　what　he　had　around　them。　They　were　putzing　around　trying　to　gather　information…short　version；　Giusti　won　the　reconnaissance　battle；　and　that　decided　things…again。〃
　〃Again；〃　Diggs　agreed。　If　there　was　any　lesson　out　of　the　National　Training　Center；　it　was　that　one。　Reconnaissance　and　counter…reconnaissance。　Find　the　enemy。　Don't　let　the　enemy　find　you。　If　you　pulled　that　off；　it　was　pretty　hard　to　lose。　If　you　didn't；　it　was　very　hard　to　win。
　〃How's　some　sleep　grab　you；　Duke？〃
　〃It's　good　to　have　a　CG　who　looks　after　his　troopers；　mon　General。〃　Masterman　was　sufficiently　tired　that　he　didn't　even　want　a　beer　first。
　And　so　with　that　decided；　they　headed　for　Diggs's　mand　UH…60　Blackhawk　helicopter　for　the　hop　back　to　the　divisional　kazerne。　Diggs　particularly　liked　the　four…point　safety　belt。　It　made　it　a　lot　easier　to　sleep　sitting　up。
　
　One　of　the　things　I　have　to　do　today；　Ryan　told　himself；　is　figure　out　what　to　do　about　the　Chinese　attempt　on　Sergey。　He　checked　his　daily　briefing　sheet。　Robby　was　out　west　again。　That　was　too　bad。　Robby　was　both　a　good　sounding　board　and　a　source　of　good　ideas。　So；　he'd　talk　it　over　with　Scott　Adler；　if　he　and　Scott　both　had　holos　in　their　day；　and　the　Foleys。　Who　else？　Jack　wondered。　Damn；　whom　else　could　he　trust　with　this？　If　this　one　leaked　to　the　press；　there'd　be　hell　to　pay。　Okay；　Adler　had　to　be　there。　He'd　actually　met　that　Zhang　guy；　and　if　some　Chinese　minister…type　had　owned　a　piece　of　this；　then　he'd　be　the　one；　wouldn't　he？
　Probably。　Not　certainly；　however。　Ryan　had　been　in　the　spook　business　too　long　to　make　that　mistake。　When　you　made　certainty　assumptions　about　things　you　weren't　really　sure　about；　you　frequently　walked　right　into　a　stone　wall　headfirst；　and　that　could　hurt。　Ryan　punched　a　button　on　his　desk。　〃Ellen？〃
　〃Yes；　Mr。　President。〃
　〃Later　today；　I　need　Scott　Adler　and　the　Foleys　in　here。　It'll　take　about　an　hour。　Find　me　a　hole　in　the　schedule；　will　you？〃
　〃About　two…thirty；　but　it　means　putting　off　the　Secretary　of　Transportation's　meeting　about　the　air…traffic…control　proposals。〃
　〃Make　it　so；　Ellen。　This　one's　important；〃　he　told　her。
　〃Yes；　Mr。　President。〃
　It　was　by　no　means　perfect。　Ryan　preferred　to　work　on　things　as　they　popped　into　his　mind；　but　as　President　you　quickly　learned　that　you　served　the　schedule；　not　the　other　way　around。　Jack　grimaced。　So　much　for　the　illusion　of　power。
　
　Mary　Pat　Foley　strolled　into　her　office；　as　she　did　nearly　every　morning；　and　as　always　turned　on　her　puter…if　there　was　one　thing