tc.thebearandthedragon-第28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！


ught。　Ming　was　glad　to　see　him；　and　that　was　step　one　in　the　plan　for　the　evening。　She　made　her　way　to　his　corner　table　in　the　back。　He　stood；　showing　a　degree　of　gentlemanliness　unusual　in　China；　where　women　were　nowhere　near　as　valued　as　they　were　back　home。　Nomuri　wondered　if　that　would　change；　if　all　the　killing　of　female　babies　could　suddenly　make　Ming　a　valuable　modity；　despite　her　plainness。　He　still　couldn't　get　over　the　casual　killing　of　children；　he　kept　it　in　the　front　of　his　mind；　just　to　keep　clear　who　the　good　guys　were　in　the　world；　and　who　the　bad　guys　were。
　〃It's　so　good　to　see　you；〃　he　said　with　an　engaging　smile。　〃I　was　worried　you　might　not　meet　me　here。〃
　〃Oh；　really？　Why？〃
　〃Well；　your　superior　at　work。。。　I'm　sure　that　he。。。　well。。。　needs　you；　I　suppose　is　the　polite　way　to　put　it；〃　Nomuri　said　with　a　hesitant　voice；　delivering　his　rehearsed　line　pretty　well；　he　thought。　He　had。　The　girl　giggled　a　little。
　〃rade　Fang　is　over　sixty…five；〃　she　said。　〃He　is　a　good　man；　a　good　superior；　and　a　fine　minister；　but　he　works　long　hours；　and　he　is　no　longer　a　young　man。〃
　Okay；　so　he　fucks　you；　but　not　all　that　much；　Nomuri　interpreted　that　to　mean。　And　maybe　you'd　like　a　little　more；　from　somebody　closer　to　your　age；　eh？　Of　course；　if　Fang　was　over　sixty…five　and　still　getting　it　on；　then　maybe　he　is　worthy　of　some　respect；　Nomuri　added　to　himself；　then　tossed　the　thought　aside。
　〃Have　you　eaten　here　before？〃　The　place　was　called　Vincenzo's；　and　pretended　to　be　Italian。　In　fact　the　owner/operator　was　a　half…breed　Italian…Chinese　from　Vancouver；　whose　spoken　Italian　would　have　gotten　him　hit　by　the　Mafia　had　he　tried　it　in　Palermo；　or　even　Mulberry　Street　in　Manhattan；　but　here　in　Beijing　it　seemed　genuinely　ethnic　enough。
　〃No；〃　Ming　replied；　looking　around　at；　to　her；　this　most　exotic　of　locations。　Every　table　had　an　old　wine　bottle；　its　bottom　wrapped　in　twine；　and　an　old　drippy　red　candle　at　the　top。　The　tablecloth　was　checked　white　and　red。　Whoever　had　decorated　this　place　had　evidently　seen　too　many　old　movies。　That　said；　it　didn't　look　anything　like　a　local　restaurant；　even　with　the　Chinese　servers。　Dark　wood　paneling；　hooks　near　the　door　for　hanging　coats。　It　could　have　been　in　any　East　Coast　city　in　America；　where　it　would　have　been　recognized　as　one　of　those　old　family　Italian　places；　a　mom…and…pop　joint　with　good　food　and　little　flash。　〃What　is　Italian　food　like？〃
　〃At　its　best；　Italian　cooking　is　among　the　very　finest　in　the　world；〃　Nomuri　answered。　〃You've　never　had　Italian　food？　Never　at　all？　Then　may　I　select　for　you？〃
　Her　response　was　girlish　in　its　charm。　Women　were　all　the　same。　Treat　them　in　the　right　way；　and　they　turn　into　wax　in　your　hand；　to　be　kneaded　and　shaped　to　your　will。　Nomuri　was　starting　to　like　this　part　of　the　job；　and　someday　it　might　be　useful　in　his　personal　personal　life；　too。　He　waved　to　the　waiter；　who　came　over　with　a　subservient　smile。　Nomuri　first　of　all　ordered　a　genuine　Italian　white　wine　…　strangely；　the　wine　list　here　was　actually　first　rate；　and　quite　pricey　to　boot；　of　course　…　and；　with　a　deep　breath；　fettuccine　Alfredo；　quintessential　Italian　heart…attack　food。　From　looking　at　Ming；　he　figured　that　she'd　not　refuse　rich　food。
　〃So；　the　new　puter　and　printer　systems　continue　to　work　out？〃
　〃Yes；　and　Minister　Fang　has　praised　me　before　the　rest　of　the　staff　for　choosing　it。　You　have　made　me　something　of　a　hero；　rade　Nomuri。〃
　〃I　am　pleased　to　hear　that；〃　the　CIA　officer　replied；　wondering　if　being　called　〃rade〃　was　a　good　thing　for　the　current　mission　or　a　bad　one。　〃We　are　bringing　out　a　new　portable　puter　now；　one　you　could　take　home　with　you；　but　which　has　the　same　power　as　your　office　mainframe；　with　all　the　same　features　and　software；　of　course；　even　a　modem　for　accessing　the　Internet。〃
　〃Really？　I　get　to　do　that　so　seldom。　At　work；　you　see；　it　is　not　encouraged　for　us　to　surf　the　'Net；　except　when　the　Minister　wants　something　specific。〃
　〃Is　that　so？　What　'Net　interests　does　Minister　Fang　have？〃
　〃Mainly　political　mentary；　and　mainly　in　America　and　Europe。　Every　morning　I　print　up　various　pieces　from　the　newspapers；　the　Times　of　London；　New　York　Times；　Washington　Post；　and　so　on。　The　Minister　especially　likes　to　see　what　the　Americans　are　thinking。〃
　〃Not　very　much；〃　Nomuri　observed；　as　the　wine　arrived。
　〃Excuse　me？〃　Ming　asked；　getting　him　to　turn　back。
　〃Hmph；　oh；　the　Americans；　they　don't　think　very　much。　The　shallowest　people　I　have　ever　encountered。　Loud；　poorly　educated；　and　their　women。。。〃　Chet　let　his　voice　trail　off。
　〃What　of　their　women；　rade　Nomuri？〃　Ming　asked；　virtually　on　mand。
　〃Ahh。〃　He　took　a　sip　of　the　wine　and　nodded　for　the　waiter　to　serve　it　properly。　It　was　a　pretty　good　one　from　Tuscany。　〃Have　you　ever　seen　the　American　toy；　the　Barbie　doll？〃
　〃Yes；　they　are　made　here　in　China；　aren't　they？〃
　〃That　is　what　every　American　woman　wishes　to　be；　hugely　tall；　with　massive　bosoms；　a　waist　you　can　put　your　hands　around。　That　is　not　a　woman。　It's　a　toy；　a　mannequin　for　children　to　play　with。　And　about　as　intelligent　as　your　average　American　woman。　Do　you　think　they　have　language　skills；　as　you　do？　Consider：　We　now　converse　in　English；　a　language　native　to　neither　of　us；　but　we　converse　well；　do　we　not？〃
　〃Yes；〃　Ming　agreed。
　〃How　many　Americans　speak　Mandarin；　do　you　suppose？　Or　Japanese？　No；　Americans　have　no　education；　no　sophistication。　They　are　a　backward　nation；　and　their　women　are　very　backward。　They　even　go　to　SURGEONs　to　have　their　bosoms　made　bigger；　like　that　stupid　child's　doll。　It's　ical　to　see　them；　especially　to　see　them　nude；〃　he　concluded　with　a　dangle。
　〃You　have？〃　she　asked；　on　cue。
　〃Have　what　…　you　mean　seen　American　women　nude？〃　He　got　a　wele　nod　for　his　question。　This　was　going　well。　Yes；　Ming；　I　am　a　man　of　the　world。　〃Yes；　I　have。　I　lived　there　for　some　months；　and　it　was　interesting　in　a　grotesque　sort　of　way。　Some　of　them　can　be　very　sweet；　but　not　like　a　decent　Asian　woman　with　proper　proportions；　and　womanly　hair　that　doesn't　e　from　some　cosmetics　bottle。　And　manners。　Americans　lack　the　manners　of　an　Asian。〃
　〃But　there　are　many　of　our　people　over　there。　Didn't　you。。。？〃
　〃Meet　one？　No；　the　round…eyes　keep　them　for　themselves。　I　suppose　their　men　appreciate　real　women；　even　while　their　own　women　turn　into　something　else。〃　He　reached　to　pour　some　more　wine　into　Ming's　glass。　〃But　in　fairness；　there　are　some　things　Americans　are　good　at。〃
　〃Such　as？〃　she　asked。　The　wine　was　already　loosening　her　tongue。
　〃I　will　show　you　later。　Perhaps　I　owe　you　an　apology；　but　I　have　taken　the　liberty　of　buying　you　some　American　things。〃
　〃Really？〃　Excitement　in　her　eyes。　This　was　really　going　well；　Nomuri　told　himself。　He'd　have　to　go　easier　on　the　wine。　Well；　half　a　bottle；　two　of　these　glasses；　wouldn't　hurt　him　in　any　way。　How　did　that　song　go。。。　It's　okay　to　do　it　on　the　first　date。。。　Well；　he　didn't　have　to　worry　about　much　in　the　way　of　religious　convictions　or　inhibitions　here；　did　he？　That　was　one　advantage　to　munism；　wasn't　it？
　The　fettuccine　arrived　right　on　time；　and　surprisingly　it　was　pretty　good。　He　watched　her　eyes　as　she　took　her　first　forkful。　（Vincenzo's　used　silverware　instead　of　chopsticks；　which　was　a　better　idea　for　fettuccine　Alfredo　anyway）　Her　dark　eyes　were　wide　as　the　noodles　entered　her　mouth。
　〃This　is　fine。。。　lots　of　eggs　have　gone　into　it。　I　love　eggs；〃　she　confided。
　They're　your　arteries；　honey；　the　case　officer　thought。　He　watched　her　inhale　the　first　bit　of　the　fettuccine。　Nomuri　reached　across　the　table　to　top　off　her　wine　glass　once　more。　She　scarcely　noticed；　she　attacked　her　pasta　so　furiously。
　Halfway　through　the　plate　of　pasta；　she　looked　up。　〃I　have　never　had　so　fine　a　dinner；〃　Ming　told　him。
　Nomuri　responded　with　a　warm　grin。　〃I　am　so　pleased　that　you　are　enjoying　yourself。〃　Wait'll　you　see　the　drawers　I　just　got　you；　honey。
　
　
　Attention　to　orders！〃
　Major　General　Marion　Diggs　wondered　what　his　new　mand　would　bring　him。　The　second　star　on　his　shoulder。。。　well；　he　told　himself　that　he　could　feel　the　additional　weight；　but　the　truth　was　that　he　couldn't；　not　really。　His　last　five　years　in　the　uniform　of　his　country　had　been　interesting。　The　first　mander　of　the　reconstituted　10th　Armored　Cavalry　Regiment　…　the　Buffalo　Soldiers　…　he'd　made　that　ancient　and　honored　regiment　into　the　drill　masters　of　the　Israeli　army；　turning　the　Negev　Desert　into　another　National　Training　Center；　and　in　two　years　he'd　hammered　every　Israeli　brigade　mander　into　the　ground；　then　built　them　up　again；　tripling　their　bat　effectiveness　by　every　quantifiable　measure；　so　that　now　the　Israeli　troopers'　swagger　was　actually　justified　by　their　skills。　Then　he'd　gone　off　to　the　real　NTC　in　the　high　California　desert；　where　he'd　done　the　same　thing　for　his　own　United　States　Army。　He'd　been　there　when　the　Bio　War　had　begun；　with　his　own　11th　ACR；　the　famous　Blackhorse　Cavalry；　and　a　brigade　of　National　Guardsmen；　whose　unexpected　use　of　advanced　battlefield…control　equipment　had　surprised　the　hell　out　of　the　Blackhorse　and　their　proud　mander；　Colonel　Al　Hamm。　The　whole　bunch　had　deployed　to　Saudi；　along　with　the　10th　from　Israel；　and　together　they'd　given　a　world…class　bloody　nose　to　the　army　of　the　short…lived　United　Islamic　Republic。　After　acing　his　colonel…mand；　he'd　really　distinguished　himself　as　a　one…star；　and　that　was　the　gateway　to　the　second　sparkling　silver　device　on　his　shoulder；　and　also　the　gateway　to　his　new　mand；　known　variously　as　〃First　Tanks；〃　〃Old　Ironsides；〃　or　〃America's　Armored　Division。〃　It　was　the　1st　Armored　Division；　based　in　Bad　Kreuznach；　Germany；　one　of　the　few　remaining　heavy　divisions　under　the　American　flag。
　Once　there　had　been　a　lot　of　them。　Two　full　corps　of　them　right　here　in　Germany；　1st　and　3rd　Armored；　3rd　and　8th　Infantry；　plus　a　pair　of　Armored　Cavalry　Regiments；　2nd　and　11th；　and　the　POMCUS　sites　…　monster　equipment　warehouses　…　for　stateside　units　like　the　2nd　Armored；　and　the　1st　Infantry；　the　Big　Red　One　out　of　Fort　Riley；　Kansas；　which　could　redeploy　to　Europe　just　as　fast　as　the　airlines　could　deliver　them；　there　to　load　up　their　equipment　and　move　out。　All　that　force　…　and　it　was　a　whole　shitload　of　force；　Dig