tc.thebearandthedragon-第18部分

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　No；　I　haven't　seen　the　new　oil　field　yet。　Expect　I'll　have　to　in　a　few　months；　but　I'll　try　for　decent　weather。　Boy；　you　don't　know　what　cold　means　'til　you　go　that　far　north　in　the　winter。　Thing　is；　it's　dark　then；　so　you're　better　off　waiting　'til　summer　anyway。　But　at　best　you　can　leave　the　sticks　at　home。　Ain't　no　golf　a'　tall　in　that　part　of　the　world；　George。〃
　〃So　take　a　rifle　and　bag　yourself　a　bear；　make　a　nice　rug；〃　Winston　offered。
　〃Gave　that　up。　Besides；　I　got　three　polar　bears。　That　one　is　number　eight　in　the　Boone　and　Crockett　all…time　book；〃　Sherman　said；　pointing　to　a　photo　on　the　far　wall。　Sure　enough；　it　showed　a　hell　of　a　big　polar　bear。　〃I've　made　two　kids　on　that　rug；〃　the　president　of　Atlantic　Richfield　observed；　with　a　sly　smile。　The　pelt　in　question　lay　before　his　bedroom　fireplace　in　Aspen；　Colorado；　where　his　wife　liked　to　ski　in　the　winter。
　〃Why'd　you　give　it　up？〃
　〃My　kids　think　there　aren't　enough　polar　bears　anymore。　All　that　ecology　shit　they　learn　in　school　now。〃
　〃Yeah；〃　SecTreas　said　sympathetically；　〃and　they　do　make　such　great　rugs。〃

　〃Right；　well；　that　rug　was　threatening　some　of　our　workers　up　at　Prudhoe　Bay　back　in。。。　'75；　as　I　recall；　and　I　took　him　at　sixty　yards　with　my　。338　Winchester。　One　shot；〃　the　Texan　assured　his　guest。　〃I　suppose　nowadays　you　have　to　let　the　bear　kill　a　human　bein'；　and　then　you're　supposed　to　do　is　just　cage　him　and　transport　him　to　another　location　so　the　bear　doesn't　get　too　traumatized；　right？〃
　〃Sam；　I'm　Secretary　of　the　Treasury。　I　leave　the　birds　and　bees　to　EPA。　I　don't　hug　trees；　not　until　they　turn　the　wood　chips　into　T　…Bills；　anyway。〃
　A　chuckle：　〃Sorry；　George。　I'm　always　hearing　that　stuff　at　home。　Maybe　it's　Disney。　All　wild　animals　wear　white　gloves　and　talk　to　each　other　in　good　Midwestern　Iowa　English。〃
　〃Cheer　up；　Sam。　At　least　they're　laying　off　the　supertankers　out　of　Valdez　now。　How　much　of　the　eastern　Alaska/Western　Canada　strike　is　yours？〃
　〃Not　quite　half；　but　that'll　keep　my　stockholders　in　milk　and　cookies　for　a　long　time。〃
　〃So；　between　that　one　and　Siberia；　how　many　options　will　they　give　you　to　exercise？〃　Sam　Sherman　got　a　nice　salary；　but　at　his　level　the　way　you　earned　your　keep　was　measured　in　the　number　of　options　in　the　stock　whose　value　your　work　had　increased；　invariably　offered　you　by　the　board　of　directors；　whose　own　holdings　you　inflated　in　value　through　your　efforts。
　A　knowing　smile；　and　a　raised　eyebrow：　〃A　lot；　George。　Quite　a　lot。〃
　
　
　Married　life　agrees　with　you；　Andrea；〃　President　Ryan　observed　with　a　smile　at　his　Principal　Agent。　She　was　dressing　better；　and　there　was　a　definite　spring　in　her　step　now。　He　wasn't　sure　if　her　skin　had　a　new　glow；　or　maybe　her　makeup　was　just　different。　Jack　had　learned　never　to　ment　on　a　woman's　makeup。　He　always　got　it　wrong。
　〃You're　not　the　only　one　to　say　that；　sir。〃
　〃One　hesitates　to　say　such　things　to　a　grown　adult　female；　especially　if　you're　fashion…bereft；　as　I　am；〃　Jack　said；　his　smile　broadening　somewhat。　His　wife；　Cathy；　still　said　she　had　to　dress　him　because　his　taste　was　entirely；　she　said；　in　his　mouth。　〃But　the　change　is　sufficiently　marked　that　even　a　man　such　as　myself　can　see　it。〃
　〃Thank　you；　Mr。　President。　Pat　is　a　very　good　man；　even　for　a　Bureau　puke。〃
　〃What's　he　doing　now？〃
　〃He's　up　in　Philadelphia　right　now。　Director　Murray　sent　him　off　on　a　bank　robbery；　two　local　cops　got　killed　in　that　one。〃
　〃Caught　that　one　on　TV　last　week。　Bad。〃
　The　Secret　Service　agent　nodded。　〃The　way　the　subjects　killed　the　cops；　both　in　the　back　of　the　head；　that　was　pretty　ruthless；　but　there's　people　out　there　like　that。　Anyway；　Director　Murray　decided　to　handle　that　one　with　a　Roving　Inspector　out　of　Headquarters　Division；　and　that　usually　means　Pat　gets　to　go　do　it。〃
　〃Tell　him　to　be　careful；〃　Ryan　said。　Inspector　Pat　O'Day　had　saved　his　daughter's　life　less　than　a　year　before；　and　that　act　had　earned　him　undying　Presidential　solicitude。
　〃Every　day；　sir；〃　Special　Agent　Price…O'Day　made　clear。
　〃Okay；　what's　the　schedule　look　like？〃　His　〃business〃　appointments　were　on　his　desk　already。　Andrea　Price…O'Day　filled　him　in　every　morning；　after　his　national…security　briefing　from　Ben　Goodley。
　〃Nothing　unusual　until　after　lunch。　National　Chamber　of　merce　delegation　at　one…thirty；　and　then　at　three　the　Detroit　Red　Wings；　they　won　the　Stanley　Cup　this　year。　Photo　op；　TV　pukes　and　stuff；　take　about　twenty　minutes　or　so。〃
　〃I　ought　to　let　Ed　Foley　do　that　one。　He's　the　hockey　fanatic　…〃
　〃He's　a　Caps　fan；　sir；　and　the　Red　Wings　swept　the　Caps　four　straight　in　the　finals。　Director　Foley　might　take　it　personally；〃　PriceO'Day　observed　with　half　a　smile。
　〃True。　Well；　last　year　we　got　the　jerseys　and　stuff　for　his　son；　didn't　we？〃
　〃Yes；　sir。〃
　〃Good　game；　hockey。　Maybe　I　ought　to　catch　a　game　or　two。　Trouble　to　arrange　that？〃
　〃No；　sir。　We　have　standing　agreements　with　all　the　local　sports　facilities。　Camden　Yards　even　has　that　special　box　for　us　…　they　let　us　help　design　it；　the　protective　stuff；　that　is。〃
　Ryan　grunted。　〃Yeah；　I　have　to　remember　all　the　people　who'd　like　to　see　me　dead。〃
　〃My　job　to　think　about　that；　sir；　not　yours；〃　Price…O'Day　told　him。
　〃Except　when　you　won't　let　me　go　shopping　or　to　a　movie。〃　Neither　Ryan　nor　his　family　was　entirely　used　to　the　restrictions　imposed　on　the　life　of　the　President　of　the　United　States　or　his　immediate　family　members。　It　was　getting　especially　tough　on　Sally；　who'd　started　dating　（which　was　hard　on　her　father）；　and　dating　was　difficult　with　a　lead　car　and　a　chase　car　（when　the　young　gentleman　drove　himself）　or　an　official　car　with　a　driver　and　a　second　armed　agent　up　front　（when　he　did　not）；　and　guns　all　over　the　place。　It　tended　to　restrain　the　young　gentlemen　in　question　…　and　Ryan　hadn't　told　his　daughter　that　this　was　just　fine　with　him；　lest　she　stop　speaking　to　him　for　a　week　or　so。　Sally's　Principal　Agent；　Wendy　Merritt；　had　proven　to　be　both　a　good　Secret　Service　agent　and　a　superb　big　sister　of　sorts。　They　spent　at　least　two　Saturdays　per　month　shopping　with　a　reduced　detail　…　actually　it　wasn't　reduced　at　all；　but　it　appeared　so　to　Sally　Ryan　when　they　went　out　to　Tyson's　Corner　or　the　Annapolis　Mall　for　the　purpose　of　spending　money；　something　for　which　all　women　seemed　to　have　a　genetic　predisposition。　That　these　shopping　expeditions　had　been　planned　days　in　advance；　with　every　site　scouted　by　the　Secret　Service；　and　a　supplementary　detail　of　young　agents　selected　for　their　relative　invisibility　who　showed　up　there　an　hour　before　SHADOW's　arrival；　had　never　occurred　to　Sally　Ryan。　That　was　just　as　well；　as　the　dating　problems　grated　on　her　badly　enough；　along　with　being　followed　around　St。　Mary's　School　in　Annapolis　by　the　rifle　squad；　as　she　sometimes　termed　it。　Little　Jack；　on　the　other　hand；　thought　it　was　pretty　neat；　and　had　recently　learned　to　shoot　at　the　Secret　Service　Academy　in　Beltsville；　Maryland；　with　his　father's　permission　（and　something　he'd　not　allowed　the　press　to　learn；　lest　he　get　hammered　on　the　front　page　of　The　New　York　Times　for　the　social　indiscretion　of　encouraging　his　own　son　to　touch；　much　less　actually　to　fire；　something　so　inherently　evil　as　a　pistol！）。　Little　Jack's　Principal　Agent　was　a　kid　named　Mike　Brennan；　a　South　Boston　Irishman；　a　third…generation　Secret　Service　agent　with　fiery　red　hair　and　a　ready　laugh；　who'd　played　baseball　at　Holy　Cross　and　frequently　played　catch　and　pepper　with　the　President's　son　on　the　South　Lawn　of　the　White　House。
　〃Sir；　we　never　don't　let　you　do　anything；〃　Price　said。
　〃No；　you're　pretty　subtle　about　it；〃　Ryan　allowed。　〃You　know　that　I'm　too　considerate　of　other　people；　and　when　you　tell　me　about　all　the　crap　you　people　have　to　go　through　so　that　I　can　buy　a　burger　at　Wendy's；　I　usually　back　off。。。　like　a　damned　wimp。〃　The　President　shook　his　head。　Nothing　frightened　him　more　than　the　prospect　that　he'd　somehow　get　used　to　all　this　panoply　of　〃specialness；〃　as　he　thought　of　it。　As　though　he'd　only　recently　discovered　royal　parentage；　and　was　now　to　be　treated　like　a　king；　hardly　allowed　to　wipe　his　own　ass　after　taking　a　dump。　Doubtless　some　people　who'd　lived　in　this　house　had　gotten　used　to　it；　but　that　was　something　John　Patrick　Ryan；　Sr。；　wanted　to　avoid。　He　knew　that　he　was　not　all　that　special；　and　not　deserving　of　all　this　folderol。。。　and　besides；　like　every　other　man　in　the　world；　when　he　woke　up　in　the　morning　the　first　thing　he　did　was　head　to　the　bathroom。　Chief　Executive　he　might　be；　but　he　still　had　a　working…class　bladder。　And　thank　God　for　that；　the　President　of　the　United　States　reflected。
　〃Where's　Robby　today？〃
　〃Sir；　the　Vice　President　is　in　California　today；　the　Navy　base　at　Long　Beach；　giving　a　speech　at　the　shipyard。〃
　Ryan　grinned　a　little　sideways。　〃I　work　him　pretty　hard；　don't　I？〃
　〃That's　the　Vice　President's　job；〃　Arnie　van　Damm　said　from　the　door。　〃And　Robby's　a　big　boy　about　it；〃　added　the　President's　Chief　of　Staff。
　〃Your　vacation　was　good　for　you；〃　Ryan　observed。　He　had　a　very　nice　tan。　〃What　did　you　do？〃
　〃Mainly　I　laid　on　the　beach　and　read　all　the　books　I　haven't　had　time　for。　Thought　I'd　die　of　boredom；〃　van　Damm　added。
　〃You　actually　thrive　on　this　crap；　don't　you？〃　Jack　asked；　a　little　incredulous　at　the　thought。
　〃It's　what　I　do；　Mr。　President。　Hey；　Andrea；〃　he　added　with　a　slight　turn　of　the　head。
　〃Good　morning；　Mr。　van　Damm。〃　She　turned　to　Jack。　〃That's　all　I　have　for　you　this　morning。　If　you　need　me；　I'll　be　in　the　usual　place。〃　Her　office　was　in　the　Old　Executive　Office　Building；　just　across　the　street；　and　upstairs　from　the　new　Secret　Service　mand　post；　called　JOC；　for　Joint　Operations　Center。
　〃Okay；　Andrea；　thanks。〃　Ryan　nodded；　as　she　withdrew　into　the　secretaries'　room；　from　which　she'd　head　down　to　the　Secret　Service　mand　Post。　〃Arnie；　get　some　coffee？〃
　〃Not　a　bad　idea；　boss。〃　The　Chief　of　Staff　took　his　usual　seat　and　poured　a　cup。　The　coffee　in　the　White　House　was　especially　good；　a　rich　blend；　about　half　Colombian　and　half　Jamaica　Blue　Mountain；　the　sort　of　thing　that　Ryan　could　get　used　to　as　President。　There　had　to　be　some　place　he　could　buy　this　after　escaping　from　his　current　job；　he　hoped。
　〃Okay；　I've　had　my　na