tc.thebearandthedragon-第131部分

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me　in　charge　of　it。　I　wanted　Domingo　here　to　be　part　of　it；　too。　He's　got　young　legs；　and　he　shoots　okay。〃
　〃Your　operations　in　Europe　were　impressive；　especially　at　the　park　in　Spain。〃
　〃Not　our　favorite。　We　lost　a　kid　there。〃
　〃Yeah；〃　Ding　confirmed　with　a　tiny　sip　of　his　drink。　〃I　was　fifty　yards　away　when　that　bastard　killed　Anna。　Homer　got　him　later　on。　Nice　shot　it　was。〃
　〃I　saw　him　shoot　two　days　ago。　He's　superb。〃
　〃Homer's　pretty　good。　Went　home　last　fall　on　vacation　and　got　himself　a　Dall　sheep　at　eight　hundred…plus　yards　up　in　Idaho。　Hell　of　a　trophy。　He　made　it　into　the　Boone　and　Crockett　book　in　the　top　ten。〃
　〃He　should　go　to　Siberia　and　hunt　tiger。　I　could　arrange　that；〃　Kirillin　offered。
　〃Don't　say　that　too　loud。〃　Chavez　chuckled。　〃Homer　will　take　you　up　on　it。〃
　〃He　should　meet　Pavel　Petrovich　Gogol；〃　Kirillin　went　on。
　〃Where'd　I　hear　that　name？〃　Clark　wondered　at　once。
　〃The　gold　mine；〃　Chavez　handled　the　answer。
　〃He　was　a　sniper　in　the　Great　Patriotic　War。　He　has　two　gold　stars　for　killing　Germans；　and　he's　killed　hundreds　of　wolves。　There　aren't　many　like　him　left。〃
　〃Sniper　on　a　battlefield。　The　hunting　must　get　real　exciting。〃
　〃Oh；　it　is；　Domingo。　It　is。　We　had　a　guy　in　Third　SOG　who　was　good　at　it；　but　he　damned　near　got　his　ass　killed　half　a　dozen　times。　You　know…〃　John　Clark　had　a　satellite　beeper；　and　it　started　vibrating　in　his　belt。　He　picked　it　up　and　checked　the　number。　〃Excuse　me；〃　he　said　and　looked　for　a　good　place。　The　Moscow　officers'　club　had　a　courtyard；　and　he　headed　for　it。
　
　What　does　this　mean？〃　Arnie　van　Damm　asked。　The　executive　meeting　had　started　with　copies　of　the　latest　SORGE/SONGBIRD　being　passed　out。　Arnie　was　the　fastest　reader　of　the　group；　but　not　the　best　strategic　observer。
　〃It　doesn't　mean　anything　good；　pal；〃　Ryan　observed；　turning　to　the　third　page。
　〃Ed；〃　Winston　asked；　looking　up　from　page　two。　〃What　can　you　tell　me　about　the　source？　This　looks　like　the　insider…trading　document　from　hell。〃
　〃A　member　of　the　Chinese　Politburo　keeps　notes　on　his　conversations　with　the　other　ministers。　We　have　access　to　those　notes；　never　mind　how。〃
　〃So；　this　document　and　the　source　are　both　genuine？〃
　〃We　think　so；　yes。〃
　〃How　reliable？〃　TRADER　persisted。
　The　DCI　decided　to　take　a　long　step　out　on　a　thin　limb。　〃About　as　reliable　as　one　of　your　T…bills。〃
　〃Okay；　Ed；　you　say　so。〃　And　Winston's　head　went　back　down。　In　ten　seconds；　he　muttered；　〃Shit。。。〃
　〃Oh；　yeah；　George；〃　POTUS　agreed。　〃　'Shit'　about　covers　it。〃
　〃Concur；　Jack；〃　SecState　agreed。
　Of　those　present；　only　Ben　Goodley　managed　to　get　all　the　way　through　it　without　a　ment。　For　his　part；　Goodley；　for　all　the　status　and　importance　that　came　from　his　job　as　the　President's　National　Security　Adviser；　felt　particularly　junior　and　weak　at　the　moment。　Mainly　he　knew　that　he　was　far　the　President's　inferior　in　knowledge　of　national…security　affairs；　that　he　was　in　his　post　mainly　as　a　high…level　secretary。　He　was　a　carded　National　Intelligence　Officer；　one　of　whom；　by　law　and　custom；　acpanied　the　President　everywhere　he　went。　His　job　was　to　convey　information　to　the　President。　Former　occupants　of　his　corner　office　in　the　West　Wing　of　the　White　House　had　often　told　their　presidents　what　to　think　and　what　to　do。　But　he　was　just　an　information…conveyor；　and　at　the　moment；　he　felt　weak　even　in　that　diminished　capacity。
　Finally；　Jack　Ryan　looked　up　with　blank　eyes　and　a　vacant　face。　〃Okay。　Ed；　Mary　Pat；　what　do　we　have　here？〃
　〃It　looks　as　if　Secretary　Winston's　predictions　on　the　financial　consequences　of　the　Beijing　Incident　might　be　ing　true。〃
　〃They're　talking　about　precipitous　consequences；〃　Scott　Adler　observed　coolly。　〃Where's　Tony？〃
　〃Secretary　Bretano's　down　at　Fort　Hood；　Texas；　looking　at　the　heavy　troopers　at　Third　Corps。　He　gets　back　late　tonight。　If　we　yank　him　back　in　a　hurry；　people　will　notice；〃　van　Damm　told　the　rest。
　〃Ed；　will　you　object　if　we　get　this　to　him；　secure？〃
　〃No。〃
　〃Okay。〃　Ryan　nodded　and　reached　across　his　desk　for　his　phone。　〃Send　Andrea　in；　please。〃　That　took　less　than　five　seconds。
　〃Yes；　Mr。　President？〃
　〃Could　you　walk　this　over　to　Signals；　and　have　them　TAPDANCE　it　to　THUNDER？〃　He　handed　her　the　document。　〃Then　please　bring　it　back　here？〃
　〃Yes；　sir。〃
　〃Thanks；　Andrea；〃　Ryan　told　the　disappearing　form。　Then　he　took　a　drink　of　water　and　turned　to　his　guests。　〃Okay；　it　looks　pretty　serious。　How　serious　is　it？〃
　〃We're　bringing　Professor　Weaver　down　from　Brown　to　evaluate　it　for　us。　He's　about　the　best　guy　in　the　country　for　reading　their　minds。〃
　〃Why　the　hell　doesn't　he　work　for　me？〃　Jack　asked。
　〃He　likes　it　at　Brown。　He　es　from　Rhode　Island。　We've　offered　him　a　job　across　the　river　half　a　dozen　times　that　I　know　of；〃　DCI　Foley　told　Ryan；　〃but　he　always　says　the　same　thing。〃
　〃Same　at　State；　Jack。　I've　known　George　for　fifteen　years　or　more。　He　doesn't　want　to　work　for　the　government。〃
　〃Your　kind　of　man；　Jack；〃　Arnie　added　for　a　little　levity。
　〃Besides；　he　can　make　more　money　as　a　contractor；　can't　he？　Ed；　when　he　es　down；　make　sure　he　es　in　to　see　me。〃
　〃When？　You're　flying　out　in　a　few　hours；〃　Ed　pointed　out。
　〃Shit。〃　Ryan　remembered　it　now。　Callie　Weston　was　just　finishing　up　the　last　of　his　official　speeches　in　her　office　across　the　street。　She　was　even　ing　across　on　Air　Force　One　with　the　official　party。　Why　was　it　that　you　couldn't　deal　with　things　one　at　a　time？　Because　at　this　level；　they　just　didn't　arrive　that　way。
　〃All　right；〃　Jack　said　next。　〃We　need　to　evaluate　how　serious　this　is；　and　then　figure　a　way　to　forestall　it。　That　means…what？〃
　〃One　of　several　things。　We　can　approach　them　quietly；〃　SecState　Adler　said。　〃You　know；　tell　them　that　this　has　gone　too　far；　and　we　want　to　work　with　them　on　the　sly　to　ameliorate　the　situation。〃
　〃Except　Ambassador　Hitch　is　over　here　now；　consulting；　remember？　Where's　he　doing　it　today；　Congressional　or　Burning　Tree？〃　POTUS　asked。　Hitch　enjoyed　golf；　a　hobby　he　could　hardly　pursue　in　Beijing。　Ryan　could　sympathize。　He　was　lucky　to　get　in　one　round　a　week；　and　what　swing　he'd　once　had　was　gone　with　the　wind。
　〃The　DCM　in　Beijing　is　too　junior　for　something　like　this。　No　matter　what　we　said　through　him；　they　wouldn't　take　it　seriously　enough。〃
　〃And　what；　exactly；　could　we　give　them？〃　Winston　asked。　〃There's　nothing　big　enough　to　make　them　happy　that　we　could　keep　quiet。　They'd　have　to　give　us　something　so　that　we　could　justify　giving　them　anything；　and　from　what　I　see　here；　they　don't　want　to　give　us　anything　but　a　bellyache。　We're　limited　in　our　action　by　what　the　country　will　tolerate。〃
　〃You　think　they'd　tolerate　a　shooting　war？〃　Adler　snapped。
　〃Be　cool；　Scott。　There　are　practical　considerations。　Anything　juicy　enough　to　make　these　Chinese　bastards　happy　has　to　be　approved　by　Congress；　right？　To　get　such　a　concession　through　Congress　would　mean　giving　them　the　justification　for　it。〃　Winston　waved　the　secret　document　in　his　hand。　〃But　we　can't　do　that　because　Ed　here　would　have　a　fit；　and　even　if　we　did；　somebody　on　the　Hill　would　leak　it　to　the　papers　in　a　New　York　minute；　and　half　of　them　would　call　it　danegeld；　and　say　fuck　the　Chinks；　millions　for　defense　but　not　one　penny　for　tribute。　Am　I　right？〃
　〃Yes；〃　Arnie　answered。　〃The　other　half　would　call　it　responsible　statesmanship；　but　the　average　Joe　out　there　wouldn't　much　like　it。　The　average　citizen　would　expect　you　to　call　Premier　Xu　on　the　phone　and　say；　'Better　not　do　this；　buddy；'　and　expect　it　to　stick。〃
　〃Which　would；　by　the　way；　kill　SONGBIRD；〃　Mary　Pat　added　as　a　warning；　lest　they　take　that　option　seriously。　〃That　would　end　a　human　life；　and　deny　us　further　information　that　we　need　to　have。　And　from　my　reading　of　this　report；　Xu　would　deny　everything　and　just　keep　going　forward。　They　really　think　they're　in　a　corner；　but　they　can't　see　a　way　to　smart　themselves　out　of　it。〃
　〃The　danger　is　。。。？〃　TRADER　asked。
　〃Internal　political　collapse；〃　Ryan　explained。　〃They're　afraid　that　if　anything　upsets　the　political　or　economic　conditions　inside　the　country；　the　whole　house　of　cards　es　tumbling　down。　With　serious　consequences　for　the　current　royal　family　of　the　PRC。〃
　〃Called　the　chop。〃　Ben　Goodley　had　to　say　something；　and　that　was　an　easy　one。　〃Actually　a　rifle　bullet　today。〃　It　didn't　help　him　feel　much　better。　He　was　out　of　his　depth　and　he　knew　it。
　That's　when　the　President's　STU　rang。　It　was　SecDef　Tony　Bretano；　THUNDER。　〃Yeah；〃　Ryan　said。　〃Putting　you　on　speaker；　Tony。　Scott；　George；　Arnie；　Ed；　Mary　Pat；　and　Ben　are　here；　and　we　just　read　what　you　got。〃
　〃I　presume　this　is　real？〃
　〃Real　as　hell；〃　Ed　Foley　told　the　newest　member　of　the　SORGE/SONGBIRD　chorus。
　〃This　is　worrisome。〃
　〃On　that　we　are　agreed；　Tony。　Where　are　you　now？〃
　〃Standing　on　top　of　a　Bradley　in　the　parking　lot。　Never　seen　so　many　tanks　and　guns　in　my　life。　Feels　like　real　power　here。〃
　〃Yeah；　well；　what　you　just　read　shows　you　the　limits　of　our　power。〃
　〃So　I　gather。　If　you　want　to　know　what　I　think　we　should　do　about　it…well；　make　it　clear　to　them　somehow　that　this　would　be　a　really　bad　play　for　them。〃
　〃How　do　we　do　that；　Tony？〃　Adler　asked。
　〃Some　animals…the　puffer　fish；　for　example。　When　threatened；　it　swallows　a　gallon　of　water　and　expands　its　size…makes　it　look　too　big　to　eat。〃
　Ryan　was　surprised　to　hear　that。　He'd　no　idea　that　Bretano　knew　anything　about　animals。　He　was　a　physics　and　science　guy。　Well；　maybe　he　watched　the　Discovery　Channel　like　everyone　else。
　〃Scare　them；　you　mean？〃
　〃Impress　them；　better　way　of　putting　it。〃
　〃Jack；　we're　going　to　Warsaw…we　can　let　Grushavoy　know　about　this　。　。　。　how　about　we　invite　him　into　NATO？　The　Poles　are　there　already。　It　would　mit　all　of　Europe　to　e　to　Russia's　defense　in　the　event　of　an　invasion。　I　mean；　that's　what　alliances　and　mutual…defense　treaties　are　all　about。　'You're　not　just　messing　with　me；　Charlie。　You're　messing　with　all　my　friends；　too。'　It's　worked　for　a　long　time。〃
　Ryan　considered　that　one；　and　looked　around　the　room。　〃Thoughts？〃
　〃It's　something；〃　Winston　thought。
　〃But　what　about　the　other　NATO　counties？　Will　they　buy　into　this？　The　whole　purpose　of　NATO；〃　Goodley　reminded　them；　〃was　to　protect　them　from　the　R