tc.thebearandthedragon-第133部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　〃Son　of　a　bitch！〃　Golovko　observed；　finally　showing　some　emotion。
　〃Yeah；　that's　about　what　I　said；〃　Chavez　entered　the　conversation。
　〃They　are　well…informed。　This　does　not　surprise　me。　I　am　sure　they　have　ample　espionage　assets　in　Russia；〃　Golovko　observed；　with　anger　creeping　into　his　voice。　〃But　this　is…this　is　naked　aggression　they　discuss。〃
　Clark　nodded。　〃Yep；　that's　what　it　appears　to　be。〃
　〃This　is　genuine　information？〃　Golovko　asked。
　〃I'm　just　the　mailman；　Chairman；〃　Clark　replied。　〃I　vouch　for　nothing　here。〃
　〃Ryan　is　too　good　a　rade　to　play　agent　provocateur。　This　is　madness。〃　And　Golovko　was　telling　his　guests　that　he　had　no　good　intelligence　assets　in　the　Chinese　Politburo；　which　actually　surprised　John。　It　wasn't　often　that　CIA　caught　the　Russians　short　at　anything。　Golovko　looked　up。　〃We　once　had　a　source　for　such　information；　but　no　longer。〃
　〃I've　never　worked　in　that　part　of　the　world；　Chairman；　except　long　ago　when　I　was　in　the　Navy。〃　And　the　Chinese　part　of　that；　he　didn't　explain；　was　mainly　getting　drunk　and　laid　in　Taipei。
　〃I've　traveled　to　Beijing　several　times　in　a　diplomatic　capacity；　not　recently。　I　cannot　say　that　I've　ever　really　understood　those　people。〃　Golovko　finished　reading　the　document　and　set　it　down。　〃I　can　keep　this？〃
　〃Yes；　sir；〃　Clark　replied。
　〃Why　does　Ryan　give　us　this？〃
　〃I'm　just　the　delivery　boy；　Sergey　Nikolay'ch；　but　I　should　think　the　motive　is　in　the　message。　America　does　not　wish　to　see　Russia　hurt。〃
　〃Decent　of　you。　What　concessions　will　you　require？〃
　〃None　that　I　am　aware　of。〃
　〃You　know；〃　Chavez　observed；　〃sometimes　you　just　want　to　be　a　good　neighbor。〃
　〃At　this　level　of　statecraft？〃　Golovko　asked　skeptically。
　〃Why　not？　It　does　not　serve　American　interests　to　see　Russia　crippled　and　robbed。　How　big　are　these　mineral　finds；　anyway？〃　John　asked。
　〃Immense；〃　Golovko　replied。　〃I'm　not　surprised　you've　learned　of　them。　Our　efforts　at　secrecy　were　not　serious。　The　oil　field　is　one　to　rival　the　Saudi　reserves；　and　the　gold　mine　is　very　rich　indeed。　Potentially；　these　finds　could　save　our　economy；　could　make　us　a　truly　wealthy　nation　and　a　fit　partner　for　America。〃
　〃Then　you　know　why　Jack　sent　this　over。　It's　a　better　world　for　both　of　us　if　Russia　prospers。〃
　〃Truly？〃　Golovko　was　a　bright　man；　but　he'd　grown　up　in　a　world　in　which　both　America　and　Russia　had　often　wished　each　other　dead。　Such　thoughts　died　hard；　even　in　so　agile　a　mind　as　his。
　〃Truly；〃　John　confirmed。　〃Russia　is　a　great　nation；　and　you　are　great　people。　You　are　fit　partners　for　us。〃　He　didn't　add　that；　this　way；　America　wouldn't　have　to　worry　about　bailing　them　out。　Now　they'd　have　the　wherewithal　to　see　to　their　own　enrichment；　and　America　needed　only　offer　expertise　and　advice　about　how　to　enter　the　capitalist　world　with　both　feet；　and　open　eyes。
　〃This　from　the　man　who　helped　arrange　the　defection　of　the　KGB　chairman？〃　Golovko　asked。
　〃Sergey；　as　we　say　at　home；　that　was　business；　not　personal。　I　don't　have　a　hard…on　for　Russians；　and　you　wouldn't　kill　an　American　just　for　entertainment　purposes；　would　you？〃
　Indignation：　〃Of　course　not。　That　would　be　nekulturniy。〃
　〃It　is　the　same　with　us；　Chairman。〃
　〃Hey；　man；〃　Chavez　added。　〃From　when　I　was　a　teenager；　I　was　trained　to　kill　your　people；　back　when　I　was　an　Eleven…Bravo　carrying　a　rifle；　but；　guess　what；　we're　not　enemies　anymore；　are　we？　And　if　we're　not　enemies；　then　we　can　be　friends。　You　helped　us　out　with　Japan　and　Iran；　didn't　you？〃
　〃Yes；　but　we　saw　that　we　were　the　ultimate　target　of　both　conflicts；　and　it　was　in　our　national　interest。〃
　〃And　perhaps　the　Chinese　have　us　as　their　ultimate　target。　Then　this　is　in　our　interest。　They　probably　don't　like　us　any　more　than　they　like　you。〃
　Golovko　nodded。　〃Yes；　one　thing　I　do　know　about　them　is　their　sense　of　racial　superiority。〃
　〃Dangerous　way　for　people　to　think；　man。　Racism　means　your　enemies　are　just　insects　to　be　swatted；〃　Chavez　concluded；　impressing　Clark　with　the　mixture　of　East　LA　accent　and　master's…degree　analysis　of　the　situation　at　hand。　〃Even　Karl　Marx　didn't　say　that　he　was　better　than　anybody　else　'cuz　of　his　skin　color；　did　he？〃
　〃But　Mao　did；〃　Golovko　added。
　〃Doesn't　surprise　me；〃　Ding　went　on。　〃I　read　his　Little　Red　Book　in　graduate　school。　He　didn't　want　to　be　just　a　political　leader。　Hell；　he　wanted　to　be　God。　Let　his　ego　get　in　the　way　of　his　brain…not　an　unmon　affliction　for　people　who　take　countries　over；　is　it？〃
　〃Lenin　was　not　such　a　man；　but　Stalin　was；〃　Golovko　observed。　〃So；　then　Ivan　Emmetovich　is　a　friend　of　Russia。　What　shall　I　do　with　this？〃
　〃That's　up　to　you；　pal；〃　Clark　told　him。
　〃I　must　speak　to　my　president。　Yours　es　to　Poland　tomorrow；　doesn't　he？〃
　〃I　think　so。〃
　〃I　must　make　some　phone　calls。　Thank　you　for　ing；　my　friends。　Perhaps　another　time　I　will　be　able　to　entertain　you　properly。〃
　〃Fair　enough。〃　Clark　stood　and　tossed　off　the　end　of　his　drink。　More　handshakes；　and　they　left　the　way　they'd　e。
　〃Christ；　John；　what　happens　now？〃　Ding　asked；　as　they　drove　back　out。
　〃I　suppose　everybody　tries　to　beat　some　sense　into　the　Chinese。〃
　〃Will　it　work？〃
　A　shrug　and　arched　eyebrows：　〃News　at　eleven；　Domingo。〃
　
　Packing　for　a　trip　isn't　easy；　even　with　a　staff　to　do　it　all　for　you。　This　was　particularly　true　for　SURGEON；　who　was　not　only　concerned　about　what　she　wore　in　public　while　abroad；　but　was　also　the　Supreme
　Authority　on　her　husband's　clothes；　a　status　which　her　husband　tolerated　rather　than　entirely　approved。　Jack　Ryan　was　still　in　the　Oval　Office　trying　to　do　business　that　couldn't　wait…actually　it　mostly　could；　but　there　were　fictions　in　government　that　had　to　be　honored…and　also　waiting　for　the　phone　to　ring。
　〃Arnie？〃
　〃Yeah；　Jack？〃
　〃Tell　the　Air　Force　to　have　another　G　go　over　to　Warsaw　in　case　Scott　has　to　fly　to　Moscow　on　the　sly。〃
　〃Not　a　bad　idea。　They'll　probably　park　it　at　some　air　force　base　or　something。〃　Van　Damm　went　off　to　make　the　phone　call。
　〃Anything　else；　Ellen？〃　Ryan　asked　his　secretary。
　〃Need　one？〃
　〃Yeah；　before　Cathy　and　I　wing　off　into　the　sunset。〃　Actually；　they　were　heading　east；　but　Mrs。　Sumter　understood。　She　handed　Ryan　his　last　cigarette　of　the　day。
　〃Damn；〃　Ryan　breathed　with　his　first　puff。　He'd　be　getting　a　call　from　Moscow　sure　as　hell…wouldn't　he？　That　depended　on　how　quickly　they　digested　the　information；　or　maybe　Sergey　would　wait　for　the　morning　to　show　it　to　President　Grushavoy。　Would　he？　In　Washington；　something　that　hot　would　be　graded　CRITIC　and　shoved　under　the　President's　nose　inside　twenty　minutes；　but　different　countries　had　different　rules；　and　he　didn't　know　what　the　Russians　did。　For　damned　sure　he'd　be　hearing　from　one　of　them　before　he　stepped　off　the　plane　at　Warsaw。　But　for　now　。　。　。　He　stubbed　the　smoke　out；　reached　inside　his　desk　for　the　breath　spray；　and　zapped　his　mouth　with　the　acidic　stuff　before　leaving　the　office　and　heading　outside…the　West　Wing　and　the　White　House　proper　are　not　connected　by　an　indoor　corridor；　due　to　some　architectural　oversight。　In　any　case；　inside　six　minutes　he　was　on　the　residential　level；　watching　the　ushers　organize　his　bags。　Cathy　was　there；　trying　to　supervise；　under　the　eyes　of　the　Secret　Service　as　well；　who　acted　as　though　they　worried　about　having　a　bomb　slipped　in。　But　paranoia　was　their　job。　Ryan　walked　over　to　his　wife。　〃You　need　to　talk　to　Andrea。〃
　〃What　for？〃
　〃Stomach　trouble；　she　says。〃
　〃Uh…oh。〃　Cathy　had　suffered　from　queasiness　with　Sally；　but　that　was　ages　ago；　and　it　hadn't　been　severe。　〃Not　really　much　you　can　do　about　it；　you　know。〃
　〃So　much　for　medical　progress；〃　Jack　mented。　〃She　probably　could　use　some　girl…girl　support　anyway。〃
　Cathy　smiled。　〃Oh；　sure；　womanly　solidarity。　So；　you're　going　to　bond　with　Pat？〃
　Jack　grinned　back　at　her。　〃Yeah；　maybe　he'll　teach　me　to　shoot　a　pistol　better。〃
　〃Super；〃　SURGEON　observed　dryly。
　〃Which　dress　for　the　big　dinner？〃　POTUS　asked　FLOTUS。
　〃The　light…blue　one。〃
　〃Slinky；〃　Jack　said；　touching　her　arm。
　The　kids　showed　up　then；　shepherded　up　to　the　bedroom　level　by　their　various　detail　leaders；　except　for　Kyle；　who　was　carried　by　one　of　his　lionesses。　Leaving　the　kids　was　never　particularly　easy；　though　all　concerned　were　somewhat　accustomed　to　it。　The　usual　kisses　and　hugs　took　place；　and　then　Jack　took　his　wife's　hand　and　led　her　to　the　elevator。
　It　let　them　off　at　the　ground　level；　with　a　straight　walk　out　to　the　helicopter　pad。　The　VH…3　was　there；　with　Colonel　Malloy　at　the　controls。　The　Marines　saluted；　as　they　always　did。　The　President　and　First　Lady　climbed　inside　and　buckled　into　the　fortable　seats；　under　the　watchful　eyes　of　a　Marine　sergeant；　who　then　went　forward　to　report　to　the　pilot　in　the　right…front　seat。
　Cathy　enjoyed　helicopter　flight　more　than　her　husband　did；　since　she　flew　in　one　twice　a　day。　Jack　was　no　longer　afraid　of　it；　but　he　did　prefer　driving　a　car；　which　he　hadn't　been　allowed　to　do　in　months。　The　Sikorsky　lifted　up　gently；　pivoted　in　the　air；　and　headed　off　to　Andrews。　The　flight　took　about　ten　minutes。　The　helicopter　alighted　close　to　the　VC…25A；　the　Air　Force's　version　of　the　Boeing　747；　it　was　just　a　few　seconds　to　the　stairs；　with　the　usual　TV　cameras　to　mark　the　event。
　〃Turn　and　wave；　honey；〃　Jack　told　Cathy　at　the　top　of　the　steps。　〃We　might　make　the　evening　news。〃
　〃Again？〃　Cathy　grumped。　Then　she　waved　and　smiled；　not　at　people；　but　at　cameras。　With　this　task　pleted；　they　went　inside　the　aircraft　and　forward　to　the　presidential　partment。　There　they　buckled　in；　and　were　observed　to　do　so　by　an　Air　Force　NCO；　who　then　told　the　pilot　it　was　okay　to　spool　up　the　engines　and　taxi　to　the　end　of　Runway
　Zero…one…right。　Everything　after　that　was　ordinary；　including　the　speech　from　the　pilot；　followed　by　the　usual；　stately　takeoff　roll　of　the　big　Boeing；　and　the　climb　out　to　thirty…eight　thousand　feet。　Aft；　Ryan　was　sure；　everyone　was　fortable；　because　the　worst　seat　on　this　aircraft　was　as　good　as　the　best　first…class　seat　on　any　airline　in　the　world。　On　the　whole　this　seemed　a　serious　waste　of　the　taxpayers'　money；　but　to　the　best　of　his　knowledge　no　taxpayer　had　ever　plained　very　loudly。
　The　expected　happened　off　the　coast　of　Maine。
　〃Mr。　Pr