tc.thebearandthedragon-第30部分

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　A　long　sigh。　He　could　see　where　this　was　going。　〃Yes；　Arnie；　it　was。
　〃And　so；　doing　this　little　thing　does　help　you　to　do　the　right　thing　for　the　country；　doesn't　it？〃
　〃I　suppose。〃　Ryan　hated　conceding　such　things；　but　arguing　with　Arnie　was　like　arguing　with　a　Jesuit。　You　were　almost　always　outgunned。
　〃Jack；　we　live　in　an　imperfect　world。　You　can't　expect　to　be　doing　the　right　thing　all　the　time。　The　best　you　can　expect　to　do　is　to　make　the　right　thing　happen　most　of　the　time　…　actually；　you　will　do　well　to　have　the　right　things　outbalance　the　not…so…right　things　over　the　long　term。　Politics　is　the　art　of　promise；　the　art　of　getting　the　important　things　you　want；　while　giving　to　others　the　less　important　things　they　want；　and　doing　so　in　such　a　way　that　you're　the　one　doing　the　giving；　not　them　doing　the　taking　…　because　that's　what　makes　you　the　boss。　You　must　understand　that。〃　Arnie　paused　and　took　a　sip　of　coffee。　〃Jack；　you　try　hard；　and　you're　learning　pretty　well　…　for　a　fourth…grader　in　graduate　school　…　but　you　have　to　learn　this　stuff　to　the　point　that　you　don't　even　think　about　it。　It　has　to　bee　as　natural　as　zipping　your　pants　after　you　take　a　piss。　You　still　have　no　idea　how　well　you're　doing。〃　And　maybe　that's　a　good　thing；　Arnie　added　to　himself　alone。
　〃Forty　percent　of　the　people　don't　think　I'm　doing　a　good　job。〃
　〃Fifty…nine　percent　do；　and　some　of　those　forty　percent　voted　for　you　anyway！〃
　The　election　had　been　a　remarkable　session　for　write…in　candidates；　and　Mickey　Mouse　had　done　especially　well；　Ryan　reminded　himself。
　〃What　am　I　doing　to　offend　those　others？〃　Ryan　demanded。
　〃Jack；　if　the　Gallup　Poll　had　been　around　in　ancient　Israel；　Jesus　would　probably　have　gotten　discouraged　and　gone　back　to　carpentry〃
　Ryan　punched　a　button　on　his　desk　phone。　〃Ellen；　I　need　you。〃
　〃Yes；　Mr。　President；〃　Mrs。　Sumter　replied　to　their　not…so…secret　code。　Thirty　seconds　later；　she　appeared　through　the　door　with　her　hand　at　her　side。　Approaching　the　President's　desk；　she　extended　her　hand　with　a　cigarette　in　it。　Jack　took　it　and　lit　it　with　a　butane　lighter；　removing　a　glass　ashtray　from　a　desk　drawer。
　〃Thanks；　Ellen。〃
　〃Surely。〃　She　withdrew。　Every　other　day　Ryan　would　slip　her　a　dollar　bill　to　pay　off　his　cigarette　debt。　He　was　getting　better　at　this；　mooching　usually　no　more　than　three　smokes　on　a　stressful　day。
　〃Just　don't　let　the　media　catch　you　doing　that；〃　Arnie　advised。
　〃Yeah；　I　know。　I　can　get　it　on　with　a　secretary　right　here　in　the　Oval　Office；　but　if　I　get　caught　smoking；　that's　like　goddamned　child　abuse。〃　Ryan　took　a　long　hit　on　the　Virginia　Slim；　also　knowing　what　his　wife　would　say　if　she　caught　him　doing　this。　〃If　I　were　king；　then　I'd　make　the　goddamned　rules！〃
　〃But　you're　not；　and　you　don't；〃　Arnie　pointed　out。
　〃My　job　is　to　preserve；　protect；　and　defend　the　country　…〃
　〃No；　your　job　is　to　preserve；　protect；　and　defend　the　Constitution；　which　is　a　whole　lot　more　plicated。　Remember；　to　the　average　citizen　'preserve；　protect；　and　defend'　means　that　they　get　paid　every　week；　and　they　feed　their　families；　get　a　week　at　the　beach　every　year；　or　maybe　Disney　World；　and　football　every　Sunday　afternoon　in　the　fall。　Your　job　is　to　keep　them　content　and　secure；　not　just　from　foreign　armies；　but　from　the　general　vicissitudes　of　life。　The　good　news　is　that　if　you　do　that；　you　can　be　in　this　job　another　seven…plus　years　and　retire　with　their　love。〃
　〃You　left　out　the　legacy　part。〃
　That　made　Arnie's　eyes　flare　a　bit。　〃Legacy？　Any　president　who　worries　too　much　about　that　is　offending　God；　and　that's　almost　as　dumb　as　offending　the　Supreme　Court。〃
　〃Yeah；　and　when　the　Pennsylvania　case　gets　there　…〃
　Arnie　held　up　his　hands　as　though　protecting　against　a　punch。　〃Jack；　I'll　worry　about　that　when　the　time　es。　You　didn't　take　my　advice　on　the　Supreme　Court；　and　so　far　you've　been　lucky；　but　if　…　no；　when　that　blows　up　in　your　face；　it　won't　be　pretty。〃　Van　Damm　was　already　planning　the　defense　strategy　for　that。
　〃Maybe；　but　I　won't　worry　about　it。　Sometimes　you　just　let　the　chips　fall　where　they　may。〃
　〃And　sometimes　you　look　out　to　make　sure　the　goddamned　tree　doesn't　land　on　you。〃
　Jack's　inter　buzzed　just　as　he　put　out　the　cigarette。　It　was　Mrs。　Sumter's　voice。　〃The　senators　just　came　through　the　West　Entrance。〃
　〃I'm　out　of　here；〃　Arnie　said。　〃Just　remember；　you　will　support　the　dam　and　canal　on　that　damned　river；　and　you　value　their　support。　They'll　be　there　when　you　need　them；　Jack。　Remember　that。　And　you　do　need　them。　Remember　that；　too。〃
　〃Yes；　Dad；〃　Ryan　said。
　
　
　You　walked　here？〃　Nomuri　asked；　with　some　surprise。
　〃It　is　only　two　kilometers；〃　Ming　replied　airily。　Then　she　giggled。　〃It　was　good　for　my　appetite。〃
　Well；　you　went　through　that　fettuccine　like　a　shark　through　a　surfer；　Nomuri　thought。　I　suppose　your　appetite　wasn't　hurt　very　much。　But　that　was　unfair。　He'd　thought　this　evening　through　very　carefully；　and　if　she'd　fallen　into　his　trap；　it　was　his　fault　more　than　hers；　wasn't　it？　And　she　did　have　a　certain　charm；　he　decided　as　she　got　into　his　pany　car。　They'd　already　agreed　that　they'd　e　to　his　apartment　so　that　he　could　give　her　the　present　he'd　already　advertised。　Now　Nomuri　was　getting　a　little　excited。　He'd　planned　this　for　more　than　a　week；　and　the　thrill　of　the　chase　was　the　thrill　of　the　chase；　and　that　hadn't　changed　in　tens　of　thousands　of　years　of　male　humanity。。。　and　now　he　wondered　what　was　going　on　in　her　head。　She'd　had　two　stiff　glasses　of　wine　with　the　meal　…　and　she'd　passed　on　dessert。　She'd　jumped　right　to　her　feet　when　he'd　suggested　going　to　his　place。　Either　his　trap　had　been　superbly　laid；　or　she　was　more　than　ready　herself。。。。　The　drive　was　short；　and　it　passed　without　words。　He　pulled　into　his　numbered　parking　place；　wondering　if　anyone　would　take　note　of　the　fact　that　he　had　pany　today。　He　had　to　assume　that　he　was　watched　here。　The　Chinese　Ministry　of　State　Security　probably　had　an　interest　in　all　foreigners　who　lived　in　Beijing；　since　all　were　potential　spies。　Strangely；　his　apartment　was　not　in　the　same　part　of　the　building　as　the　Americans　and　other　Westerners。　It　wasn't　overt　segregation　or　categorization；　but　it　had　worked　out　that　way；　the　Americans　largely　in　one　section；　along　with　most　of　the　Europeans。。。　and　the　Taiwanese；　too；　Nomuri　realized。　And　so；　whatever　surveillance　existed　was　probably　over　on　that　end　of　the　plex。　A　good　thing　now　for　Ming；　and　later；　perhaps；　a　good　thing　for　himself。
　His　place　was　a　corner　second…story　walk…up　in　a　Chinese　interpretation　of　an　American　garden…apartment　plex。　The　apartment　was　spacious　enough；　about　a　hundred　square　meters；　and　was　probably　not　bugged。　At　least　he'd　found　no　microphones　when　he'd　moved　in　and　hung　his　pictures；　and　his　sweep　gear　had　discovered　no　anomalous　signals　…　his　phone　had　to　be　bugged；　of　course；　but　just　because　it　was　bugged　didn't　mean　that　there　was　somebody　going　over　the　tapes　every　day　or　even　every　week。　MSS　was　just　one　more　government　agency；　and　in　China　they　were　probably　little　different　from　those　in　America；　or　France　for　that　matter；　lazy；　underpaid　people　who　worked　as　little　as　possible　and　served　a　bureaucracy　that　didn't　encourage　singular　effort。　They　probably　spent　most　of　their　time　smoking　the　wretched　local　cigarettes　and　jerking　off。
　He　had　an　American　Yale　lock　on　the　door；　with　a　pick…resistant　tumbler　and　a　sturdy　locking　mechanism。　If　asked　about　this；　he'd　explain　that　when　living　in　California　for　NEC；　he'd　been　burglarized　…　the　Americans　were　such　lawless　and　uncivilized　people　…　and　he　didn't　want　that　to　happen　again。
　〃So；　this　is　the　home　of　a　capitalist；〃　Ming　observed；　looking　around。　The　walls　were　covered　with　prints；　mainly　movie　posters。
　〃Yes；　well；　it's　the　home　of　a　salaryman。　I　don't　really　know　if　I'm　a　capitalist　or　not；　rade　Ming；〃　he　added；　with　a　smile　and　arched　eyebrow。　He　pointed　to　his　couch。　〃Please　have　a　seat。　Can　I　get　you　anything？〃
　〃Another　glass　of　wine；　perhaps？〃　she　suggested；　spotting　and　then　looking　at　the　wrapped　box　on　the　chair　opposite　the　couch。
　Nomuri　smiled。　〃That　I　can　do。〃　He　headed　off　into　the　kitchen；　where　he　had　a　bottle　of　California　Chardonnay　chilling　in　the　fridge。　Popping　the　cork　was　easy　enough；　and　he　headed　back　to　the　living　room　with　two　glasses；　one　of　which　he　handed　to　his　guest。　〃Oh；〃　he　said　then。　〃Yes；　this　is　for　you；　Ming。〃　With　that　he　handed　over　the　box；　wrapped　fairly　neatly　in　red　…　of　course　…　gift　paper。
　〃May　I　open　it　now？〃
　〃Certainly。〃　Nomuri　smiled；　in　as　gentlemanly　a　lustful　way　as　he　could　manage。　〃Perhaps　you　would　want　to　unwrap　it；　well。。。〃
　〃Are　you　saying　in　your　bedroom？〃
　〃Excuse　me。　just　that　you　might　wish　some　privacy　when　you　open　it。　Please　pardon　me　if　I　am　too　forward。〃
　The　mirth　in　her　eyes　said　it　all。　Ming　took　a　deep　sip　of　her　white　wine　and　walked　off　into　that　room　and　closed　the　door。　Nomuri　took　a　small　sip　of　his　own　and　sat　down　on　the　couch　to　await　developments。　If　he'd　chosen　unwisely；　she　might　throw　the　box　at　him　and　storm　out。。。　not　much　chance　of　that；　he　thought。　More　likely；　even　if　she　found　him　too　forward；　she'd　keep　the　present　and　the　box；　finish　her　wine；　make　small　talk；　and　then　take　her　leave　in　thirty　minutes　or　so；　just　to　show　good　manners　…　effectively　the　same　result　without　the　overt　insult　…　and　Nomuri　would　have　to　search　for　another　recruitment　prospect。　No；　the　best　oute　would　be。。。
　。。。the　door　opened；　and　there　she　stood　with　a　small；　impish　smile。　The　boiler　suit　was　gone。　Instead　she　wore　the　red…orange　bra　and　panties　set；　the　one　with　the　front　closure。　She　stood　there　holding　her　wine　glass　in　salute；　and　it　looked　as　if　she'd　taken　another　sip　of　her　drink；　maybe　to　work　up　her　courage。。。　or　to　loosen　her　inhibitions。
　Nomuri　found　himself　suddenly　apprehensive。　He　took　another　drink　himself　before　standing；　and　he　walked　slowly；　and　a　little　uneasily；　to　the　bedroom　doorway。
　Her　eyes；　he　saw；　were　a　little　uneasy　themselves；　a　little　frightened；　and　with　luck　maybe　his　were；　too；　because　women　everywhere　liked　their　men　to　be　just　a　little　vulnerable。　Maybe　John　Wayne　hadn't　gotten　all　the　action　he　wanted；　Nomuri　thought　q