tc.thebearandthedragon-第43部分

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ll　that　necessary。。；　or　apparently　so；　Ryan　corrected　himself。　You　could　never　tell。　He'd　learned　that　one　at　Langley；　too。
　〃Maybe　I'll　call　her　about　it；〃　POTUS　said；　flipping　the　page。　〃Whoa！〃
　〃The　Russian　oil　and　gas？〃
　〃Are　these　numbers　for　real？〃
　〃It　appears　so。　They　track　with　what　TRADER'S　been　feeding　us　from　his　sources；　step　for　step。〃
　〃Ummhmm；〃　Ryan　breathed；　looking　over　the　resulting　forecasts　for　the　Russian　economy。　Then　he　frowned　with　some　disappointment。　〃George's　people　did　a　better　evaluation　of　results。〃
　〃Think　so？　CIA's　economics　troops　have　a　pretty　decent　track　record。〃
　〃George　lives　in　that　business。　That's　better　than　being　an　academic　observer　of　events；　Ben。　Academia　is　fine；　but　the　real　world　is　the　real　world；　remember。〃
　Goodley　nodded。　〃Duly　noted；　sir。〃
　〃Throughout　the　'80s；　CIA　overestimated　the　Soviet　economy。　Know　why？〃
　〃No；　I　don't。　What　went　wrong？〃
　Jack　smiled　wryly。　〃It　wasn't　what　was　wrong。　It　was　what　was　right。　We　had　an　agent　back　then　who　fed　us　the　same　information　the　Soviet　Politburo　got。　It　just　never　occurred　to　us　that　the　system　was　lying　to　itself。　The　Politburo　based　its　decisions　on　a　chimera。　Their　numbers　were　almost　never　right　because　the　underlings　were　covering　their　own　asses。　Oops。〃
　〃Same　thing　in　China；　you　suppose？〃　Goodley　asked。　〃They're　the　last　really　Marxist　country；　after　all。〃
　〃Good　question。　Call　Langley　and　ask。　You'll　get　an　answer　from　the　same　sort　of　bureaucrat　the　Chinese　have　in　Beijing；　but　to　the　best　of　my　knowledge　we　don't　have　a　penetration　agent　in　Beijing　who　can　give　us　the　numbers　we　want。〃　Ryan　paused　and　looked　at　the　fireplace　opposite　his　desk。　He'd　have　to　have　the　Secret　Service　put　a　real　fire　in　it　someday　。　。　。　〃No；　I　expect　the　Chinese　have　better　numbers。　They　can　afford　to。　Their　economy　is　working；　after　a　fashion　They　probably　deceive　themselves　in　other　ways。　But　they　do　deceive　themselves。　It's　a　universal　human　characteristic；　and　Marxism　doesn't　ameliorate　it　very　much。〃　Even　in　America；　with　its　free　press　and　other　safeguards；　reality　often　slapped　political　figures　in　the　face　hard　enough　to　loosen　some　teeth。　Everywhere；　people　had　theoretical　models　based　on　ideology　rather　than　facts；　and　those　people　usually　found　their　way　into　academia　or　politics；　because　real…world　professions　punished　that　sort　of　dreamer　more　than　politics　ever　did。
　〃Morning；　Jack；〃　a　voice　said　from　the　corridor　door。
　〃Hey；　Robby。〃　POTUS　pointed　to　the　coffee　tray。　Vice　President　Jackson　got　himself　a　cup；　but　passed　on　the　croissants。　His　waistline　looked　a　little　tight。　Well；　Robby　had　never　looked　like　a　marathoner。　So　many　fighter　pilots　tended　to　have　thick　waists。　Maybe　it　was　good　for　fighting　g…forces；　Jack　speculated。
　〃Read　the　PDB　this　morning。　Jack；　this　Russian　oil　and　gold　thing。　Is　it　really　that　big？〃
　〃George　says　it's　even　bigger。　You　ever　sit　down　with　him　to　learn　economics？〃
　〃End　of　the　week；　we're　going　to　play　a　round　at　Burning　Tree；　and　I'm　reading　Milton　Friedman　and　two　other　books　to　bone　up　for　it。　You　know；　George　es　across　as　pretty　smart。〃
　〃Smart　enough　to　make　a　ton　of　money　on　The　Street…　and　I　mean　if　you　put　his　money　in　hundred…dollar　bills　and　weigh　them；　it　is　a　fucking　ton　of　money。〃
　〃Must　be　nice；〃　breathed　a　man　who'd　never　made　more　than　130；000　in　a　year　before　taking　on　his　current　job。
　〃Has　its　moments；　but　the　coffee　here's　still　pretty　good。〃
　〃It　was　better　on　Big　John；　once　upon　a　time。〃
　〃Where？〃
　〃John　F　Kennedy；　back　when　I　was　an　0…3；　and　doing　fun　work；　like　driving　TOMCATs　off　the　boat。〃
　〃Robby；　hate　to　tell　you；　my　friend；　but　you're　not　twenty…six　anymore。〃
　〃Jack；　you　have　such　a　way　of　brightening　up　my　days　for　me。　I've　walked　past　death's　door　before；　but　it's　safer　and　a　hell　of　a　lot　more　fun　to　do　it　with　a　fighter　plane　strapped　to　your　back。〃
　〃What's　your　day　look　like？〃
　〃Believe　it　or　not；　I　have　to　drive　down　to　the　Hill　and　preside　at　the　Senate　for　a　few　hours；　just　to　show　I　know　what　the　Constitution　says　I'm　supposed　to　do。　Then　a　dinner　speech　in　Baltimore　about　who　makes　the　best　brassieres；〃　he　added　with　a　smile。
　〃What？〃　Jack　asked；　looking　up　from　the　PDB。　The　thing　about　Robby's　sense　of　humor　was　that　you　never　really　knew　when　he　was　kidding。
　〃National　meeting　of　artificial　fiber　manufacturers。　They　also　make　bulletproof　vests；　but　bras　get　most　of　their　fibers；　or　so　my　research　staff　tells　me。　They're　trying　to　make　a　few　jokes　for　the　speech。〃
　〃Work　on　your　delivery；〃　the　President　advised　the　Vice　President。
　〃You　thought　I　was　funny　enough　way　back　when；〃　Jackson　reminded　his　old　friend。
　〃Rob；　I　thought　I　was　funny　enough　way　back　when；　but　Arnie　tells　me　I'm　not　sensitive　enough。〃
　〃I　know；　no　Polish　jokes。　Some　Polacks　learned　to　turn　on　their　TVs　last　year；　and　there's　six　or　seven　who　know　how　to　read。　That　doesn't　count　the　Polish　gal　who　doesn't　use　a　vibrator　because　it　chips　her　teeth。〃
　〃Jesus；　Robby！〃　Ryan　almost　spilled　his　coffee　laughing。　〃We're　not　even　allowed　to　think　things　like　that　anymore。〃
　〃Jack；　I'm　not　a　politician。　I'm　a　fighter　jock。　I　got　the　flight　suit；　the　hack　watch；　and　the　dick　to　go　along　with　the　job　title；　y'dig？〃　the　Vice　President　asked　with　a　grin。　〃And　I　am　allowed　to　tell　a　joke　once　in　a　while。〃
　〃Fine；　just　remember　this　isn't　the　ready　room　on　the　Kennedy　The　media　lacks　the　sense　of　humor　enjoyed　by　naval　aviators。〃
　〃Yeah；　unless　they　catch　us　in　something。　Then　it's　funnier　'n　hell；〃　the　retired　Vice　Admiral　observed。
　〃Rob；　you're　finally　catching　on。　Glad　to　see　it。〃　Ryan's　last　sight　of　the　departing　subordinate　was　the　back　of　a　nicely　tailored　suit；　acpanied　by　a　muttered　vulgarity：
　
　So；　Misha；　any　thoughts？〃　Provalov　asked。　Reilly　took　a　sip　of　his　vodka。　It　was　awfully　smooth　here。　〃Oleg；　you　just　have　to　shake　the　tree　and　see　what　falls　out。　It　could　be　damned　near　anything；　but　'don't　know'　means　'don't　know。'　And　at　the　moment；　we　don't　know。〃　Another　sip。　〃Does　it　strike　you　that　two　former　Spetsnaz　guys　are　a　lot　of　firepower　to　go　after　a　pimp？〃
　The　Russian　nodded。　〃Yes；　of　course；　I've　thought　of　that；　but　he　was　a　very　prosperous　pimp；　wasn't　he；　Misha？　He　had　a　great　deal　of　money；　and　very　many　contacts　inside　the　criminal　establishment。　He　had　power　of　his　own。　Perhaps　he'd　had　people　killed　as　well。　We　never　had　his　name　e　up　in　a　serious　way　in　any　murder　investigations；　but　that　doesn't　mean　that　Avseyenko　was　not　a　dangerous　man　in　his　own　right；　and　therefore　worthy　of　such　high…level　attention。〃
　〃Any　luck　with　this　Suvorov　guy？〃
　Provalov　shook　his　head。　〃No。　We　have　a　KGB　file　for　him　and　a　photograph；　but　even　if　that　is　for　the　right　person；　we　haven't　found　him　yet。〃
　〃Well；　Oleg　Gregoriyevich；　it　looks　as　though　you　have　a　real　head…scratcher　on　your　hands。〃　Reilly　lifted　his　hand　to　order　another　round。
　〃You　are　supposed　to　be　the　expert　on　organized　crime；〃　the　Russian　lieutenant　reminded　his　FBI　guest。
　〃That's　true；　Oleg；　but　I　ain't　no　gypsy　fortune…teller；　and　I　ain't　the　Oracle　of　Delphi　either。　You　don't　know　who　the　real　target　was　yet；　and　until　you　learn　that；　you　don't　know　jack　shit。　Problem　is；　to　find　out　who　the　target　was；　you　have　to　find　somebody　who　knows　something　about　the　crime。　The　two　things　are　wrapped　up　together；　bro。　Get　one；　get　both。　Get　neither；　get　nothing。〃　The　drinks　arrived。　Reilly　paid　and　took　another　hit。
　〃My　captain　is　not　pleased。〃
　The　FBI　agent　nodded。　〃Yeah；　bosses　are　like　that　in　the　Bureau；　too；　but　he's　supposed　to　know　what　the　problems　are；　right？　If　he　does；　he　knows　he　has　to　give　you　the　time　and　the　resources　to　play　it　out。　How　many　men　you　have　on　it　now？〃
　〃Six　here；　and　three　more　in　St。　Petersburg。〃
　〃May　want　to　get　some　more；　bro。〃　In　the　FBI's　New　York　OC　office；　a　case　like　this　could　have　as　many　as　twenty　agents　working　it；　half　of　them　on　a　full…time　basis。　But　the　Moscow　Militia　was　stretched　notoriously　thin。　For　as　much　crime　as　there　was　now　in　Moscow；　the　local　cops　were　still　sucking　hind　tit　when　it　came　to　government　support。　But　it　could　have　been　worse。　Unlike　much　of　Russian　society；　the　militiamen　were　getting　paid。
　
　〃You　tire　me　out；〃　Nomuri　protested。
　〃There　is　always　Minister　Fang；〃　Ming　replied　with　a　playful　look。
　Was　the　enraged　reply。　〃You　pare　me　with　an　old　man？〃
　〃Well；　both　of　you　are　men；　but　better　a　sausage　than　a　string　bean；〃　she　answered；　grasping　the　former　in　her　soft　left　hand。
　〃Patience；　girl；　allow　me　to　recover　from　the　first　race。〃　With　that　he　lifted　her　body　over　his　and　let　it　down。　She　must　really　like　me；　Nomuri　reflected。　Three　nights　in　a　row。　I　suppose　Fang　isn't　the　man　he　thinks　he　is。　Well；　can't　win　'em　all；　Charlie。　Plus　the　advantage　of　being　forty　years　younger。　There　was　probably　something　to　that；　the　CIA　officer　admitted　to　himself。
　〃But　you　run　so　fast！〃　Ming　protested；　rubbing　her　body　on　his。
　〃There　is　something　I　want　you　to　do。〃
　A　very　playful　smile。　〃What　might　that　be？〃　she　asked　while　her　hand　wandered　a　little。
　〃Not　that！〃
　〃Oh。。　。〃　The　disappointment　in　her　voice　was　noteworthy。
　〃Something　for　work；〃　Nomuri　explained　on。　Just　as　well　she　couldn't　feel　the　shaking　inside　his　body；　which；　remarkably　enough；　didn't　show。
　〃For　work？　I　can't　bring　you　into　the　office　for　this！〃　she　said　with　a　laugh；　followed　by　a　warm；　affectionate　kiss。
　〃Yes；　something　to　upload　onto　your　puter。〃　Nomuri　reached　into　the　night…table　drawer　and　pulled　out　a　CDROM。　〃Here；　you　just　load　this　into　your　machine；　click　INSTALL；　and　then　dispose　of　it　when　you're　done。〃
　〃And　what　will　it　do？〃　she　asked。
　〃Do　you　care？〃
　〃Well。　。　。　。〃　Hesitation。　She　didn't　understand。　〃I　must　care。〃
　〃It　will　allow　me　to　look　at　your　puter　from　time　to　time。〃
　〃But　why？〃
　〃Because　of　Nippon　Electric…we　make　your　puter；　don't　you　see？〃　He　allowed　his　body　to　relax。　〃It　is　useful　for　my　pany　to　know　how　economic　decisions　are　made　in　the　People's　Republic；〃　Nomuri　explained；　with　a　well…rehearsed　lie。　〃This　will　allow　us　to　understand　that　process　a　little　better；　so　that　we　can　do　business　more　effectively。　And　the　better　I　do