tc.thebearandthedragon-第115部分

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　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　she'd　learned　from　SORGE；　it　was　to　turn　the　damned　thing　all　the　way　off　when　she　wasn't　using　it。　There　was　a　further　switch　on　her　phone　line　that　manually　blocked　it；　much　as　if　she'd　pulled　the　plug　out　of　the　wall。　She　flipped　that；　too。　It　was　an　old　story　for　an　employee　of　an　intelligence　service。　Sure；　she　was　paranoid；　but　was　she　paranoid　enough？
　Sure　enough；　there　was　another　e…mail　from　cgood@jadecastle。　Chet　Nomuri　was　still　at　work；　and　this　download　took　a　mere　twenty…three　seconds。　With　the　download　plete；　she　made　sure　she'd　backed　it　up；　then　clobbered　it　out　of　her　in…box　so　that　no　copies　remained　even　in　the　ether　world。　Next；　she　printed　it　all　up　and　called　down　for　Joshua　Sears　to　do　the　translations　and　some　seat…of…the…pants　analysis。　SORGE　had　bee　routine　in　handling　if　not　in　importance；　and　by　a　quarter　to　nine　she　had　the　translation　in　hand。
　〃Oh；　Lord。　Jack's　just　going　to　love　this　one；〃　the　DDO　observed　at　her　desk。　Then　she　walked　the　document　to　Ed's　larger　office　facing　the　woods。　That's　when　she　found　out　about　the　afternoon　trip　to　the　White　House。
　
　Mary　Abbot　was　the　official　White　House　makeup　artist。　It　was　her　job　to　make　the　President　look　good　on　TV；　which　meant　making　him　look　like　a　cheap　whore　in　person；　hut　that　couldn't　be　helped。　Ryan　had　learned　not　to　fidget　too　much；　which　made　her　job　easier；　but　she　knew　he　was　fighting　the　urge；　which　both　amused　and　concerned　her。
　〃How's　your　son　doing　at　school？〃　Ryan　asked。
　〃Just　fine；　thank　you；　and　there's　a　nice　girl　he's　interested　in。〃
　Ryan　didn't　ment　on　that。　He　knew　that　there　had　to　be　some　boy　or　boys　at　St。　Mary's　who　found　his　Sally　highly　interesting　（she　was　pretty；　even　to　disinterested　eyes）；　but　he　didn't　want　to　think　about　that。　It　did　make　him　grateful　for　the　Secret　Service；　however。　Whenever　Sally　went　on　a　date；　there　would　be　at　least　a　chase　car　full　of　armed　agents　close　by；　and　that　would　take　the　starch　out　of　most　teenaged　boys。　So；　the　USSS　did　have　its　uses；　eh？　Girl　children；　Jack　thought；　were　God's　punishment　on　you　for　being　a　man。　His　eyes　were　scanning　his　briefing　sheets　for　the　mini…press　conference。　The　likely　questions　and　the　better　sorts　of　answers　to　give　to　them。　It　seemed　very　dishonest　to　do　it　this　way；　but　some　foreign　heads　of　government　had　the　question　prescreened　so　that　the　answers　could　be　properly　canned。　Not　a　bad　idea　in　the　abstract；　Jack　thought；　but　the　American　media　would　spring　for　that　about　as　quickly　as　a　coyote　would　chase　after　a　whale。
　〃There；〃　Mrs。　Abbot　said；　as　she　finished　touching　up　his　hair。　Ryan　stood；　looked　in　the　mirror；　and　grimaced　as　usual。
　〃Thank　you；　Mary；〃　he　managed　to　say。
　〃You're　wele；　Mr。　President。〃
　And　Ryan　walked　out；　crossing　the　hall　from　the　Roosevelt　Room　to　the　Oval　Office；　where　the　TV　equipment　was　set　up。　The　reporters　stood　when　he　entered；　as　the　kids　at　St。　Matthew's　had　stood　when　the　priest　came　into　class。　But　in　third　grade；　the　kids　asked　easier　questions。　Jack　sat　down　in　a　rocking　swivel　chair。　Kennedy　had　done　something　similar　to　that；　and　Arnie　thought　it　a　good　idea　for　Jack　as　well。　The　gentle　rocking　that　a　man　did　unconsciously　in　the　chair　gave　him　a　homey　look；　the　spin　experts　all　thought…Jack　didn't　know　that；　and　knowing　it　would　have　caused　him　to　toss　the　chair　out　the　window；　but　Arnie　did　and　he'd　eased　the　President　into　it　merely　by　saying　it　looked　good；　and　getting　Cathy　Ryan　to　agree。　In　any　case；　SWORDSMAN　sat　down；　and　relaxed　in　the　fortable　chair；　which　was　the　other　reason　Arnie　had　foisted　it　on　him；　and　the　real　reason　why　Ryan　had　agreed。　It　was　fortable。

　〃We　ready？〃　Jack　asked。　When　the　President　asked　that；　it　usually　meant　Let's　get　this　fucking　show　on　the　road！　But　Ryan　thought　it　was　just　a　question。
　Krystin　Matthews　was　there　to　represent　NBC。　There　were　also　reporters　from　ABC　and　Fox；　plus　a　print　reporter　from　the　Chicago　Tribune。　Ryan　had　e　to　prefer　these　more　intimate　press　conferences；　and　the　media　went　along　with　it　because　the　reporters　were　assigned　by　lot；　which　made　it　fair；　and　everyone　had　access　to　the　questions　and　answers。　The　other　good　thing　from　Ryan's　perspective　was　that　a　reporter　was　less　likely　to　be　confrontational　in　the　Oval　Office　than　in　the　raucous　locker…room　atmosphere　of　the　pressroom；　where　the　reporters　tended　to　bunch　together　in　a　mob　and　adopt　a　mob　mentality。
　〃Mr。　President；〃　Krystin　Matthews　began。　〃You've　recalled　both　the　trade　delegation　and　our　ambassador　from　Beijing。　Why　was　that　necessary？〃
　Ryan　rocked　a　little　in　the　chair。　〃Krystin；　we　all　saw　the　events　in　Beijing　that　so　grabbed　the　conscience　of　the　world；　the　murder　of　the　cardinal　and　the　minister；　followed　by　the　roughing…up…to　use　a　charitable　term　for　it…of　the　minister's　widow　and　some　members　of　the　congregation。〃
　　　　He　went　on　to　repeat　the　points　he'd　made　in　his　previous　press　conference；　making　particular　note　of　the　Chinese　government's　indifference　to　what　had　happened。
　〃One　can　only　conclude　that　the　Chinese　government　doesn't　care。　Well；　we　care。　The　American　people　care。　And　this　administration　cares。　You　cannot　take　the　life　of　a　human　being　as　casually　as　though　you　are　swatting　an　insect。　The　response　we　received　was　unsatisfactory；　and　so；　I　recalled　our　ambassador　for　consultations。〃
　〃But　the　trade　negotiations；　Mr。　President；〃　the　Chicago　Tribune　broke　in。
　〃It　is　difficult　for　a　country　like　the　United　States　of　America　to　do　business　with　a　nation　which　does　not　recognize　human　rights。　You've　seen　for　yourself　what　our　citizens　think　of　all　this。　I　believe　you　will　find　that　they　find　those　murders　as　repellent　as　I　do；　and；　I　would　imagine；　as　you　do　yourself。〃
　〃And　so　you　will　not　remend　to　Congress　that　we　normalize　trading　relations　with　China？〃
　Ryan　shook　his　head。　〃No；　I　will　not　so　remend；　and　even　if　I　did；　Congress　would　rightly　reject　such　a　remendation。〃
　〃At　what　time　might　you　change　your　position　on　this　issue？〃
　〃At　such　time　as　China　enters　the　world　of　civilized　nations　and　recognizes　the　rights　of　its　mon　people；　as　all　other　great　nations　do。〃
　〃So　you　are　saying　that　China　today　is　not　a　civilized　country？〃
　Ryan　felt　as　though　he'd　been　slapped　across　the　face　with　a　cold；　wet　fish；　but　he　smiled　and　went　on。　〃Killing　diplomats　is　not　a　civilized　act；　is　it？〃
　〃What　will　the　Chinese　think　of　that？〃　Fox　asked。
　〃I　cannot　read　their　minds。　I　do　call　upon　them　to　make　amends；　or　at　least　to　consider　the　feelings　and　beliefs　of　the　rest　of　the　world；　and　then　to　reconsider　their　unfortunate　action　in　that　light。〃
　〃And　what　about　the　trade　issues？〃　This　one　came　from　ABC。
　〃If　China　wants　normalized　trade　relations　with　the　United　States；　then　China　will　have　to　open　its　markets　to　us。　As　you　know；　we　have　a　law　on　the　books　here　called　the　Trade　Reform　Act。　That　law　allows　us　to　mirror…image　other　countries'　trade　laws　and　practices；　so　that　whatever　tactics　are　used　against　us；　we　can　then　use　those　very　same　tactics　with　respect　to　trade　with　them。　Tomorrow；　I　will　direct　the　Department　of　State　and　the　Department　of　merce　to　set　up　a　working　group　to　implement　TRA　with　respect　to　the　People's　Republic；〃　President　Ryan　announced；　making　the　story　for　the　day；　and　a　bombshell　it　was。
　
　Christ；　Jack；〃　the　Secretary　of　the　Treasury　said　in　his　office　across　the　street。　He　was　getting　a　live　feed　from　the　Oval　Office。　He　lifted　his　desk　phone　and　punched　a　button。　〃I　want　a　read　of　the　PRC's　current　cash　accounts；　global；〃　he　told　one　of　his　subordinates　from　New　York。　Then　his　phone　rang。
　〃Secretary　of　State　on　Three；〃　his　secretary　told　him　over　the　inter。　SecTreas　grunted　and　picked　up　the　phone。　〃Yeah；　I　saw　it　too；　Scott。〃
　
　So；　Yuriy　Andreyevich；　how　did　it　go？〃　Clark　asked。　It　had　taken　over　a　week　to　set　up　and　mainly　because　General　Kirillin　had　spent　a　few　hours　on　the　pistol　range　working　on　his　technique。　Now　he'd　just　stormed　into　the　officers'　club　bar　looking　as　though　he'd　taken　one　in　the　guts。
　〃Is　he　a　Mafia　assassin？〃
　Chavez　had　himself　a　good　laugh　at　that。　〃General；　he　came　to　us　because　the　Italian　police　wanted　to　get　him　away　from　the　Mafia。　He　got　in　the　way　of　a　mob　assassination；　and　the　local　chieftain　made　noises　about　going　after　him　and　his　family。　What　did　he　get　you　for？〃
　〃Fifty　euros；〃　Kirillin　nearly　spat。
　〃You　were　confident　going　in；　eh？〃　Clark　asked。　〃Been　there；　done　that。〃
　〃Got　the　fuckin'　T…shirt；〃　Ding　finished　the　statement　with　a　laugh。　And　fifty　euros　was　a　dent　even　in　the　salary　of　a　Russian　three…star。
　〃Three　points；　in　a　five…hundred…point　match。　I　scored　four　ninety…three！〃
　〃Ettore　only　got　four　ninety…six？〃　Clark　asked。　〃Jesus；　the　boy's　slowing　down。〃　He　slid　a　glass　in　front　of　the　Russian　general　officer。
　〃He's　drinking　more　over　here；〃　Chavez　observed。
　〃That　must　be　it。〃　Clark　nodded。　The　Russian　general　officer　was　not；　however；　the　least　bit　amused。
　〃Falcone　is　not　human；〃　Kirillin　said；　gunning　down　his　first　shot　of　vodka。
　〃He　could　scare　Wild　Bill　Hickok；　and　that's　a　fact。　And　you　know　the　worst　part　about　it？〃
　〃What　is　that；　Ivan　Sergeyevich？〃
　〃He's　so　goddamned　humble　about　it；　like　it's　fucking　normal　to　shoot　like　that。　Jesus；　Sam　Snead　was　never　that　good　with　a　five…iron。〃
　〃General；〃　Domingo　said　after　his　second　vodka　of　the　evening。　The　problem　with　being　in　Russia　was　that　you　tended　to　pick　up　the　local　customs；　and　one　of　those　was　drinking。　〃Every　man　on　my　team　is　an　expert　shot；　and　by　expert；　I　mean　close　to　being　on　his　country's　Olympic　team；　okay？　Big　Bird's　got　us　all　beat；　and　none　of　us　are　used　to　losing　any　more'n　you　are。　But　I'll　tell　you；　I'm　goddamned　glad　he's　on　my　team。〃　Just　then；　Falcone　walked　through　the　door。　〃Hey；　Ettore；　e　on　over！〃
　He　hadn't　gotten　any　shorter。　Ettore　towered　over　the　diminutive　Chavez；　and　still　looked　like　a　figure　from　an　El　Greco　painting。　〃General；〃　he　said　in　greeting　to　Kirillin。　〃You　shoot　extremely　well。〃
　〃Not　so　good　as　you；　Falcone；〃　the　Russian　responded。
　The　I