tc.thebearandthedragon-第32部分

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　the　encryption　system　works。　The　PRC　guys　would　have　to　go　from　scratch。　The　trapdoor　in　the　ISP　was　very　cleverly　designed；　and　the　way　we　tap　into　it　should　also　be　secure　…　even　then；　just　because　an　embassy　phone　taps　into　an　ISP　doesn't　mean　anything。　We　have　a　consular　official　downloading　pornography　from　a　local　Web　site　through　that　ISP　as　another　cover；　in　case　anybody　over　there　gets　real　clever。〃　That　had　been　carefully　thought　through。　It　would　be　something　that　one　would　wish　to　be　covert；　something　the　counterintelligence　agency　in　Beijing　would　find　both　understandable　and　entertaining　in　its　own　right；　if　and　when　they　cracked　into　it。
　〃Anything　good？〃　Ed　Foley　asked；　again；　just　to　bedevil　his　wife。
　〃Not　unless　you're　into　child　abuse。　Some　of　the　subjects　for　this　site　are　too　young　to　vote。　If　you　downloaded　it　over　here；　the　FBI　might　e　knocking　on　your　door。〃
　〃Capitalism　really　has　broken　out　over　there；　eh？〃
　〃Some　of　the　senior　Party　officials　seem　to　like　this　sort　of　thing。　I　guess　when　you're　pushing　eighty；　you　need　something　special　to　help　jump…start　the　motor。〃　Mary　Pat　had　seen　some　of　the　photographs；　and　once　had　been　plenty。　She　was　a　mother；　and　all　of　those　photographic　subjects　had　been　infants　once；　strange　though　that　might　seem　to　a　subscriber　to　that　Web　site。　The　abusers　of　girls　must　have　thought　that　they　all　sprang　into　life　with　their　legs　spread　and　a　weling　look　in　their　doll…child　faces。　Not　quite；　the　DDO　thought；　but　her　job　wasn't　to　be　a　clergyman。　Sometimes　you　had　to　do　business　with　such　perverts；　because　they　had　information　which　her　country　needed。　If　you　were　lucky；　and　the　information　was　really　useful；　then　you　often　arranged　for　them　to　defect；　to　live　in　the　United　States；　where　they　could　live　and　enjoy　their　perversions　to　some　greater　or　lesser　degree；　after　being　briefed　on　the　law；　and　the　consequences　of　breaking　it。　Afterward　there　was　always　a　bathroom　and　soap　to　wash　your　hands。　It　was　a　need　of　which　she'd　availed　herself　more　than　once。　One　of　the　problems　with　espionage　was　that　you　didn't　always　do　business　with　the　sort　of　people　whom　you'd　willingly　invite　into　your　home。　But　it　wasn't　about　Miss　Manners。　It　was　about　getting　information　that　your　country　needed　to　guard　its　strategic　interests；　and　even　to　prevail　in　war；　if　it　came　to　that。　Lives　were　often　at　stake；　either　directly　or　indirectly。　And　so；　you　did　business　with　anyone　who　had　such　information；　even　if　he　or　she　wasn't　exactly　a　member　of　the　clergy。
　〃Okay；　babe。　Keep　me　posted；〃　Foley　told　his　wife。
　〃Will　do；　honey…bunny。〃　The　DDO　headed　back　to　her　own　office。　There　she　drew　up　her　reply　to　Nomuri：　MESSAGE　RECEIVED。　KEEP　US　POSTED　ON　YOUR　PROGRESS。　MP。　ENDS。
　
　
　The　reply　came　as　a　relief　to　Nomuri　when　he　woke　and　checked　his　e…mail。　It　was　a　disappointment　that　he　didn't　wake　up　with　pany；　but　to　expect　that　would　have　been　unrealistic。　Ming　would　have　been　ill…advised　to　spend　the　night　anywhere　but　in　her　own　bed。　Nomuri　couldn't　even　drive　her　back。　She'd　just　left；　carrying　her　presents　…　well；　wearing　some　of　them　…　for　the　walk　back　to　her　own　shared　flat　where；　Nomuri　fervently　hoped；　she　wouldn't　discuss　her　evening's　adventures　with　her　roommates。　You　never　knew　about　women　and　how　they　talked。　It　wasn't　all　that　dissimilar　with　some　men；　Nomuri　remembered　from　college；　where　some　of　his　chums　had　talked　at　length　about　their　conquests；　as　though　they'd　slain　a　dragon　with　a　Popsicle　stick。　Nomuri　had　never　indulged　in　this　aural　spectator　sport。　Either　he'd　had　a　spy's　mentality　even　then；　or　he'd　been　somehow　imbued　with　the　dictum　that　a　gentleman　didn't　kiss　and　tell。　But　did　women？　That　was　a　mystery　to　him；　like　why　it　was　that　women　seemed　to　go　to　the　bathroom　in　pairs　…　he'd　occasionally　joked　that　that　was　when　they'd　held　their　〃union　meetings。〃　Anyway；　women　talked　more　than　men　did。　He　was　sure　of　that。　And　while　they　kept　many　secrets　from　men；　how　many　did　they　keep　from　other　women？　Jesus；　all　that　had　to　happen　was　for　her　to　tell　a　roomie　that　she'd　had　her　brains　fucked　out　by　a　Japanese　salaryman；　and　if　that　roomie　was　an　informant　to　the　MSS；　Ming　would　get　a　visit　from　a　security　officer；　who　at　the　very　least　would　counsel　her　never　to　see　Nomuri　again。　More　likely；　the　counseling　would　involve　a　demand　to　send　that　degenerate　American　bourgeois　trash　（the　Victoria's　Secret　underthings）　back　to　him；　plus　a　threat　to　lose　her　ministry　job　if　she　ever　appeared　on　the　same　street　with　him　again。　And　that　also　meant　that　he'd　be　tailed　and　observed　and　investigated　by　the　MSS；　and　that　was　something　he　had　to　take　seriously。　They　didn't　have　to　catch　him　mitting　espionage。　This　was　a　munist　country；　where　due　process　of　law　was　a　bourgeois　concept　unworthy　of　serious　consideration；　and　civil　rights　were　limited　to　doing　what　one　was　told。　As　a　foreigner　doing　business　in　the　PRC；　he　might　get　some　easiness　of　treatment；　but　not　all　that　much。
　So；　he　hadn't　just　gotten　his　rocks　off；　Nomuri　told　himself；　past　the　delightful　memories　of　a　passionate　evening。　He'd　crossed　a　wide　red　line　in　the　street；　and　his　safety　depended　entirely　upon　on　how　discreet　Ming　was。　He　hadn't　…　could　not　have　…　warned　her　to　keep　her　mouth　shut　about　their　time　together。　Such　things　weren't　said；　because　they　added　a　level　of　gravity　to　what　was　supposed　to　have　been　a　time　of　joy　and　friendship。。。　or　even　something　potentially　bigger　than　friendship。　Women　thought　in　such　terms；　Chester　reminded　himself；　and　for　that　reason　he　might　see　a　pointed　nose　and　whiskers　the　next　time　he　looked　in　the　mirror；　but　this　was　business；　not　personal；　he　told　himself　as　he　shut　down　his　puter。
　Except　for　one　small　thing。　He'd　had　sexual　relations　with　an　intelligent　and　not　entirely　unattractive　young　female　human　being；　and　the　problem　was　that　when　you　gave　a　little　bit　of　your　heart　away；　you　never　really　got　it　back。　And　his　heart；　Nomuri　belatedly　realized；　was　distantly　connected　to　his　dick。　He　wasn't　James　Bond。　He　could　not　embrace　a　woman　as　a　paid　whore　embraced　a　man。　It　just　wasn't　in　him　to　be　that　sort　of　heartless　swine。　The　good　news　was　that　for　this　reason　he　could　stand　to　look　in　a　mirror　for　the　time　being。　The　bad　news　was　that　this　ability　might　be　short…lived；　if　he　treated　Ming　as　a　thing　and　not　a　person。
　Nomuri　needed　advice　on　how　to　feel　about　this　operation；　and　he　didn't　have　a　place　to　get　it。　It　wasn't　the　sort　of　thing　to　e…mail　to　Mary　Pat　or　to　one　of　the　pshrinks　the　Agency　employed　for　counseling　DO　people　who　needed　a　little　guidance　with　their　work。　This　sort　of　thing　had　to　be　handled　face…to…face　with　a　real　person；　whose　body　language　you　could　read　and　whose　tone　of　voice　would　deliver　its　own　content。　No；　email　wasn't　the　medium　he　needed　right　now。　He　needed　to　fly　to　Tokyo　and　meet　a　senior　officer　of　the　Directorate　of　Operations　who　could　counsel　him　on　how　to　handle　things。　But　if　the　guy　told　him　to　cut　himself　off　from　intimate　contact　with　Ming；　then　what　would　he　do？　Nomuri　asked　himself。　It　wasn't　as　though　he　had　a　girlfriend　of　any　kind；　and　he　had　his　needs　for　intimacy；　too　…　and　besides；　if　he　cut　her　off；　what　effect　would　that　have　on　his　potential；　prospective　agent？　You　didn't　check　your　humanity　by　the　door　when　you　joined　up　with　the　Agency；　despite　what　all　the　books　said　and　the　public　expectations　were。　All　the　chuckles　over　beer　during　the　nights　after　training　sessions　seemed　a　distant　thing　now；　and　all　the　expectations　he　and　his　colleagues　had　had　back　then。　They'd　been　so　far　off　the　mark；　in　spite　of　what　their　training　officers　had　told　them。　He'd　been　a　child　then；　and　to　some　extent　even　in　Japan；　but　suddenly　he　was　a　man；　alone　in　a　country　that　was　at　best　suspicious；　and　at　worst　hostile　to　him　and　his　country。　Well；　it　was　in　her　hands　now；　and　that　was　something　he　couldn't　change。
　
　
　Her　co…workers　noted　a　slight　difference　in　their　colleague。　She　smiled　a　little　more；　and　in　a　somewhat　different　way。　Something　good　must　have　happened　to　her；　some　of　them　thought；　and　for　this　they　rejoiced；　albeit　in　a　reserved　and　private　way。　If　Ming　wished　to　share　the　experience　with　them；　all　well　and　good；　and　if　not；　that；　too；　was　okay　with　them；　because　some　things　were　private；　even　among　a　group　of　women　who　shared　virtually　everything；　including　stories　of　their　minister　and　his　fumbling；　lengthy；　and　occasionally　futile　efforts　at　lovemaking。　He　was　a　wise　man；　and　usually　a　gentle　one；　though　as　a　boss　he　had　his　bad　points。　But　Ming　would　notice　none　of　those　today。　Her　smile　was　sweeter　than　ever；　and　her　eyes　twinkled　like　little　diamonds；　the　rest　of　the　admin/secretarial　staff　all　thought。　They'd　all　seen　it　before；　though　not　with　Ming；　whose　love　life　had　been　an　abbreviated　one；　and　whom　the　minister　liked　a　little　too　much；　but　whom　he　serviced　imperfectly　and　too　seldom。　She　sat　at　her　puter　to　do　her　correspondence　and　translations　of　Western　news　articles　that　might　be　of　interest　to　the　Minister。　Ming　had　the　best　English　skills　of　anyone　in　this　corner　of　the　building；　and　the　new　puter　system　worked　superbly。　The　next　step；　so　the　story　went；　was　a　puter　into　which　you'd　just　speak；　making　the　characters　appear　by　voice　mand；　sure　to　bee　the　curse　of　every　executive　secretary　in　the　world；　because　it　would　largely　make　them　obsolete。　Or　maybe　not。　The　boss　couldn't　fuck　a　puter；　could　he？　Not　that　Minister　Fang　was　all　that　intrusive　in　his　demands。　And　the　perks　he　delivered　in　return　weren't　bad　at　all。
　Her　first　morning　assignment　took　the　customary　ninety　minutes；　after　which　she　printed　up　the　resulting　copy　and　stapled　the　pages　together　by　article。　This　morning　she'd　translated　pieces　by　the　Times　of　London；　and　The　New　York　Times；　plus　The　Washington　Post；　so　that　her　Minister　would　know　what　the　barbarians　around　the　world　thought　of　the　enlightened　policy　of　the　People's　Republic。
　
　
　In　his　private　office；　Minister　Fang　was　going　over　other　things。　The　MSS　had　a　double　report　on　the　Russians：　both　oil　and　gold；　the　reports　said。　So；　he　thought；　Zhang　had　been　right　all　along；　even　more　right　than　he　knew。　Eastern　Siberia　was　indeed　a　tr