tc.thebearandthedragon-第118部分

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　〃And　talent　goes　where　the　money　is；〃　Jack　agreed。　Junior　partners　at　medium…sized　law　firms　made　more　than　the　President；　which　sometimes　explained　the　sort　of　people　who　ended　up　here。　Public　service　was　supposed　to　be　a　sacrifice。　It　was　for　him…Ryan　had　proven　his　ability　to　make　money　in　the　trading　business；　but　for　him　service　to　his　country　had　been　learned　from　his　father；　and　at　Quantico；　long　before　he'd　been　seduced　into　the　Central　Intelligence　Agency　and　then　later　tricked　into　the　Oval　Office。　And　once　here；　you　couldn't　run　away　from　it。　At　least；　not　and　keep　your　manhood。　That　was　always　the　trap。　Robert　Edward　Lee　had　called　duty　the　most　sublime　of　words。　And　he　would　have　known；　Ryan　thought。　Lee　had　felt　himself　trapped　into　fighting　for　what　was　at　best　a　soiled　cause　because　of　his　perceived　duty　to　his　place　of　birth；　and　therefore　many　would　curse　his　name　for　all　eternity；　despite　his　qualities　as　a　man　and　a　soldier。　So；　Jack；　he　asked　himself；　in　your　case；　where　do　talent　and　duty　and　right　and　wrong　and　all　that　other　stuff　lie？　What　the　hell　are　you　supposed　to　do　now？　He　was　supposed　to　know。　All　those　people　outside　the　White　House's　campuslike　grounds　expected　him　to　know　all　the　time　where　the　right　thing　was；　right　for　the　country；　right　for　the　world；　right　for　every　working　man；　woman；　and　innocent　little　kid　playing　T…ball。　Yeah；　the　President　thought；　sure。　You're　anointed　by　the　wisdom　fairy　when　you　walk　in　here　every　day；　or　kissed　on　the　ear　by　the　muse；　or　maybe　Washington　and　Lincoln　whisper　to　you　in　your　dreams　at　night。　He　sometimes　had　trouble　picking　his　tie　in　the　morning；　especially　if　Cathy　wasn't　around　to　be　his　fashion　adviser。　But　he　was　supposed　to　know　what　to　do　with　taxes；　defense；　and　Social　Security…why？　Because　it　was　his　job　to　know。　Because　he　happened　to　live　in　government　housing　at　One　Thousand　six　Hundred　Pennsylvania　Avenue　and　had　the　Secret　goddamned　Service　protect　him　everywhere　he　went。　At　the　Basic　School　at　Quantico；　the　officers　instructing　newly　missioned　Marine　second　lieutenants　had　told　them　about　the　loneliness　of　mand。　The　difference　between　that　and　what　he　had　here　was　like　the　difference　between　a　fucking　firecracker　and　a　nuclear　weapon。　This　kind　of　situation　had　started　wars　in　the　past。　That　wouldn't　happen　now；　of　course；　but　it　had　once。　It　was　a　sobering　thought。　Ryan　took　a　last　puff　on　his　fifth　smoke　of　the　day　and　killed　it　in　the　brown　glass　ashtray　he　kept　hidden　in　a　desk　drawer。
　〃Thanks　for　bringing　me　this。　Talk　it　over　with　State　and　CIA；〃　he　told　them　again。　〃I　want　a　SNIE　on　this；　and　I　want　it　soon。〃
　〃Right；〃　George　Winston　said；　standing　for　the　underground　walk　back　to　his　building　across　the　street。
　〃Mr。　Gant；〃　Jack　added。　〃Get　some　sleep。　You　look　like　hell。〃
　〃I'm　allowed　to　sleep　in　this　job？〃　TELESCOPE　asked。
　〃Sure　you　are；　just　like　I　am；〃　POTUS　told　him　with　a　lopsided　smile。　When　they　left；　he　looked　at　Arnie：　〃Talk　to　me。〃
　〃Speak　to　Adler；　and　have　him　talk　to　Hitch　and　Rutledge；　which　you　ought　to　do；　too；〃　Arnie　advised。
　Ryan　nodded。　〃Okay；　tell　Scott　what　I　need；　and　that　I　need　it　fast。〃
　
　Good　news；〃　Professor　North　told　her；　as　she　came　back　into　the　room。
　Andrea　Price…O'Day　was　in　Baltimore；　at　the　Johns　Hopkins　Hospital；　seeing　Dr。　Madge　North；　Professor　of　Obstetrics　and　Gynecology。
　〃Really？〃
　〃Really；〃　Dr。　North　assured　her　with　a　smile。　〃You're　pregnant。〃
　Before　anything　else　could　happen；　Inspector　Patrick　O'Day　leapt　to　his　feet　and　lifted　his　wife　in　his　arms　for　a　powerful　kiss　and　a　rib…cracking　hug。
　〃Oh；〃　Andrea　said　almost　to　herself。　〃I　thought　I　was　too　old。〃
　〃The　record　is　well　into　the　fifties；　and　you're　well　short　of　that；〃　Dr。　North　said；　smiling。　It　was　the　first　time　in　her　professional　career　that　she'd　given　this　news　to　two　people　carrying　guns。　〃Any　problems？〃　Pat　asked。
　〃Well；　Andrea；　you　are　prime…ep。　You're　over　forty　and　this　is　your　first　pregnancy；　isn't　it？〃
　〃Yes。〃　She　knew　what　was　ing；　but　she　didn't　invite　it　by　speaking　the　word。
　〃That　means　that　there　is　an　increased　likelihood　of　Down's　syndrome。　We　can　establish　that　with　an　amniocentesis。　I'd　remend　we　do　that　soon；〃
　〃How　soon？〃
　〃I　can　do　it　today　if　you　wish。〃
　〃And　if　the　test　is　。。。？〃
　〃Positive？　Well；　then　you　two　have　to　decide　if　you　want　to　bring　a　Down's　child　into　the　world。　Some　people　do；　but　others　don't。　It's　your　decision　to　make；　not　mine；〃　Madge　North　told　them。　She'd　done　abortions　in　her　career；　but　like　most　obstetricians；　she　much　preferred　to　deliver　babies。
　〃Down's…how　and　。。。　I　mean　。　。　。〃　Andrea　said；　squeezing　her　husband's　hand。
　〃Look；　the　odds　are　very　much　in　your　favor；　like　a　hundred　to　one　or　so；　and　those　are　betting　odds。　Before　you　worry　about　it；　the　smart　thing　is　to　find　out　if　there's　anything　to　worry　about　at　all；　okay？〃
　〃Right　now？〃　Pat　asked　for　his　wife。
　Dr。　North　stood。　〃Yes；　I　have　the　time　right　now。〃
　〃Why　don't　you　take　a　little　walk；　Pat？〃　Special　Agent　Price…O'Day　suggested　to　her　husband。　She　managed　to　keep　her　dignity　intact；　which　didn't　surprise　her　husband。
　〃Okay；　honey。〃　A　kiss；　and　he　watched　her　leave。　It　was　not　a　good　moment　for　the　career　FBI　agent。　His　wife　was　pregnant；　but　now　he　had　to　wonder　if　the　pregnancy　was　a　good　one　or　not。　If　not…then　what？　He　was　an　Irish　Catholic；　and　his　church　forbade　abortion　as　murder；　and　murders　were　things　he'd　investigated…and　even　witnessed　once。　Ten　minutes　later；　he'd　killed　the　two　terrorists　responsible　for　it。　That　day　still　came　back　to　him　in　perverse　dreams；　despite　the　heroism　he'd　displayed　and　the　kudos　he'd　received　for　all　of　it。
　But　now；　he　was　afraid。　Andrea　had　been　a　fine　stepmother　for　his　little　Megan；　and　both　he　and　she　wanted　nothing　in　all　the　world　more　than　this　news…if　it　was；　really；　good　news。　It　would　probably　take　an　hour；　and　he　knew　he　couldn't　spend　it　sitting　down　in　a　doctor's　outer　office　full　of　pregnant　women　reading　old　copies　of　People　and　US　Weekly。　But　where　to　go？　Whom　to　see？
　Okay。　He　stood　and　walked　out；　and　decided　to　head　over　to　the　Maumenee　Building。　It　ought　not　be　too　hard　to　find。　And　it　wasn't。
　Roy　Altman　was　the　telltale。　The　big　former　paratrooper　who　headed　the　SURGEON　detail　didn't　stand　in　one　place　like　a　potted　plant；　but　rather　circulated　around；　not　unlike　a　lion　in　a　medium…sized　cage；　always　checking；　looking　with　highly　trained　and　experienced　eyes　for　something　that　wasn't　quite　right。　He　spotted　O'Day　in　the　elevator　lobby　and　waved。
　〃Hey；　Pat！　What's　happening？〃　All　the　rivalry　between　the　FBI　and　the　USSS　stopped　well　short　of　this　point。　O'Day　had　saved　the　life　of　SANDBOX　and　avenged　the　deaths　of　three　of　Altman's　fellow　agents；　including　Roy's　old　friend；　Don　Russell；　who'd　died　like　a　man；　gun　in　hand　and　three　dead　assassins　in　front　of　him。　O'Day　had　finished　Don's　work。
　〃My　wife's　over　being　checked　out；〃　the　FBI　inspector　answered。
　〃Nothing　serious？〃　Altman　asked。
　〃Routine；〃　Pat　responded；　and　Altman　caught　the　scent　of　a　lie；　but　not　an　important　one。
　〃Is　she　around？　While　I'm　here；　I　thought　I'd　stop　over　and　say　hi。〃
　〃In　her　office。〃　Altman　waved。　〃Straight　down；　second　on　the　right。〃
　〃Thanks。〃
　〃Bureau　guy　ing　back　to　see　SURGEON；〃　he　said　into　his　lapel　mike。
　〃Roger；〃　another　agent　responded。
　O'Day　found　the　office　door　and　knocked。
　〃e　in；〃　the　female　voice　inside　said。　Then　she　looked　up。　〃Oh；　Pat；　how　are　you？〃
　〃No　plaints；　just　happened　to　be　in　the　neighborhood；　and…〃
　〃Did　Andrea　see　Madge？〃　Cathy　Ryan　asked。　FLOTUS　had　helped　make　the　appointment；　of　course。
　〃Yeah；　and　the　little　box　doodad　has　a　plus　sign　in　it；〃　Pat　reported。
　〃Great！〃　Then　Professor　Ryan　paused。　〃Oh；　you're　worried　about　something。〃　In　addition　to　being　an　eye　doctor；　she　knew　trouble　when　she　saw　it。
　〃Dr。　North　is　doing　an　amniocentesis。　Any　idea　how　long　it　takes？〃
　〃When　did　it　start？〃
　〃Right　about　now；　I　think。〃
　Cathy　knew　the　problem。　〃Give　it　an　hour。　Madge　is　very　good；　and　very　careful　in　her　procedures。　They　tap　into　the　uterus　and　withdraw　some　of　the　amniotic　fluid。　That　will　give　them　some　of　the　tissue　from　the　embryo；　and　then　they　examine　the　chromosomes。　She'll　have　the　lab　people　standing　by。　Madge　is　senior　staff；　and　when　she　talks；　people　listen。〃
　〃She　seems　pretty　petent。〃
　〃She's　a　wonderful　doc。　She's　my　OB。　You're　worried　about　Down's；　right？〃
　A　nod。　〃Yep。〃
　〃Nothing　you　can　do　but　wait。〃
　〃Dr。　Ryan；　I'm…〃
　〃My　name's　Cathy；　Pat。　We're　friends；　remember？〃　There　was　nothing　like　saving　the　life　of　a　woman's　child　to　get　on　her　permanent　good　side。
　〃Okay；　Cathy。　Yeah；　I'm　scared。　It's　not…I　mean；　Andrea's　a　cop；　too；　but…〃
　〃But　being　good　with　a　gun　or　just　being　tough　doesn't　help　much　right　now；　does　it？〃
　〃Not　worth　a　damn；〃　Inspector　O'Day　confirmed　quietly。　He　was　about　as　used　to　being　frightened　as　he　was　of　flying　the　Space　Shuttle；　but　potential　danger　to　his　wife　and/or　kid…kids　now；　maybe…the　kind　of　danger　in　which　he　was　utterly　helpless…well；　that　was　one　of　the　buttons　a　capricious　Fate　could　push　while　she　laughed。
　〃The　odds　are　way　in　your　favor；〃　Cathy　told　him。
　〃Yeah；　Dr。　North　said　so　。。。　but。。。〃
　〃Yeah。　And　Andrea's　younger　than　I　am。〃
　O'Day　looked　down　at　the　floor；　feeling　like　a　total　fucking　wimp。　More　than　once　in　his　life；　he'd　faced　down　armed　men…criminals　with　violent　pasts…and　intimidated　them　into　surrender。　Once　in　his　life　he'd　had　to　use　his　Smith　&　Wesson　1076　automatic　in　anger；　and　both　times　he'd　double…tapped　the　heads　of　the　terrorists；　sending　them　off　to　Allah…so　they'd　probably　believed…to　answer　for　the　murder　of　the　innocent　woman。　It　hadn't　been　easy；　exactly；　but　neither　had　it　been　all　that　hard。　The　endless　hours　of　practice　had　made　it　nearly　as　routine　as　the　working　of　his　service　automatic。　But　this　wasn't　danger　to　himself。　He　could　deal　with　that。　The　worst　danger；　he　was　just　learning；　was　to　those　you　loved。
　〃Pat；　it's　okay　to　be　scared。　John　Wayne　was　just　an　actor；　remember？〃
　But　that　was　it。　The　code　of　manhood　to　which　most　Americans　subscribed　was　that　of　the　Duke；　and　that　code　did　not　allow　fear。　In　truth　i