tc.thebearandthedragon-第48部分

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tai　was　vile；　worse　than　the　cheapest　grappa。　With　advancing　years；　the　Cardinal　preferred　gentler　drinks。　It　was　much　easier　on　the　stomach。
　〃I　should　not　drink　this；〃　Yu　admitted；　〃but　it　is　part　of　my　heritage。〃
　〃I　know　of　no　passage　in　Holy　Scripture　that　prohibits　this　particular　human　weakness；〃　the　Catholic　said。　And　besides；　wine　was　part　of　the　Catholic　liturgy。　He　saw　that　his　Chinese　host　barely　sipped　at　his　tiny　cup。　Probably　better　for　his　stomach；　too；　the　Italian　reasoned。
　He'd　have　to　get　used　to　the　food；　too。　A　gourmet　like　many　Italians；　Renato　Cardinal　DiMilo　found　that　the　food　in　Beijing　was　not　as　good　as　he'd　experienced　in　Rome's　numerous　Chinese　restaurants。　The　problem；　he　thought；　was　the　quality　of　the　ingredients　rather　than　the　cook。　In　this　case；　the　Reverand　Yu's　wife　was　away　in　Taiwan　to　see　her　sick　mother；　he'd　said；　apologizing　on　the　Catholic's　arrival。　Monsignor　Schepke　had　taken　over　the　serving；　rather　like　a　young　lieutenant…aide　serving　the　needs　of　his　general；　Yu　had　thought；　watching　'the　drama　play　out　with　some　amusement。　The　Catholics　certainly　had　their　bureaucratic　ways。　But　this　Renato　fellow　was　a　decent　sort；　clearly　an　educated　man；　and　a　trained　diplomat　from　whom　Yu　realized　he　might　learn　much。
　〃So；　you　cook　for　yourself。　How　did　you　learn？〃
　〃Most　Chinese　men　know　how。　We　learn　from　our　parents　as　children。〃
　DiMilo　smiled。　〃I；　as　well；　but　I　have　not　cooked　for　myself　in　years。　The　older　I　get　the　less　they　allow　me　to　do　for　myself；　eh；　Franz？〃
　〃I　have　my　duties　also；　Eminence；〃　the　German　answered。　He　was　drinking　the　mao…tai　with　a　little　more　gusto。　Must　be　nice　to　have　a　young　stomach　lining；　both　the　older　men　thought。
　〃So；　how　do　you　find　Beijing？〃　Yu　asked。
　〃Truly　fascinating。　We　Romans　think　that　our　city　is　ancient　and　redolent　with　history；　but　Chinese　culture　was　old　before　the　Romans　set　one　stone　upon　another。　And　the　art　we　saw　yesterday。。
　〃The　jade　mountain；〃　Schepke　explained。　〃I　spoke　with　the　guide；　but　she　didn't　know　about　the　artists　involved；　or　the　time　required　to　carve　it。〃
　〃The　names　of　artisans　and　the　time　they　needed…these　were　not　matters　of　importance　to　the　emperors　of　old。　There　was　much　beauty　then；　yes；　but　much　cruelty　as　well。〃
　〃And　today？〃　Renato　asked。
　〃Today　as　well；　as　you　know；　Eminence；〃　Yu　confirmed　with　a　long　sigh。　They　spoke　in　English；　and　Yu's　Oklahoma　accent　fascinated　his　visitors。　〃The　government　lacks　the　respect　for　human　life；　which　you　and　I　would　prefer。〃
　〃Changing　that　will　not　be　simple；〃　Monsignor　Schepke　added。　The　problem　wasn't　limited　to　the　munist　PRC　government。　Cruelty　had　long　been　part　of　Chinese　culture；　to　the　point　that　someone　had　once　said　that　China　was　too　vast　to　be　governed　with　kindness；　an　aphorism　picked　up　with　indecent　haste　by　the　left　wings　of　the　world；　ignoring　the　explicit　racism　in　such　a　statement。　Perhaps　the　problem　was　that　China　had　always　been　crowded；　and　in　crowds　came　anger；　and　in　anger　came　a　callous　disregard　for　others。　Nor　had　religion　helped。　Confucius；　the　closest　thing　China　had　developed　to　a　great　religious　leader；　preached　conformity　as　a　person's　best　action。　While　the　Judeo…Christian　tradition　talked　of　transcendent　values　of　right　and　wrong；　and　the　human　rights　that　devolved　from　them；　China　saw　authority　as　Society；　not　God。　For　that　reason；　Cardinal　DiMilo　thought；　munism　had　taken　root　here。　Both　societal　models　were　alike　in　their　absence　of　an　absolute　rule　of　right　and　wrong。　And　that　was　dangerous。　In　relativism　lay　man's　downfall；　because；　ultimately；　if　there　were　no　absolute　values；　what　difference　was　there　between　a　man　and　a　dog？　And　if　there　were　no　such　difference；　where　was　man's　fundamental　dignity？　Even　a　thinking　atheist　could　mark　religion's　greatest　gift　to　human　society：　　human　dignity；　the　value　placed　on　a　single　human　life；　the　simple　idea　that　man　was　more　than　an　animal。　That　was　the　foundation　of　all　human　progress；　because　without　it；　human　life　was　doomed　to　Thomas　Hobbes's　model；　〃nasty；　brutish；　and　short。〃
　Christianity…and　Judaism；　and　Islam；　which　were　also　religions　of　The　Book…required　merely　that　man　believe　in　that　which　was　self…evident：　There　was　order　in　the　universe；　and　that　order　came　from　a　source；　and　that　source　was　called　God。　Christianity　didn't　even　require　that　a　man　believe　in　that　idea…not　anymore；　anyway…just　that　he　accept　the　sense　of　it；　and　the　result　of　it；　which　was　human　dignity　and　human　progress。　Was　that　so　hard？
　It　was　for　some。　Marxism；　in　condemning　religion　as　〃the　opiate　of　the　people；〃　merely　prescribed　another；　less　effective　drug…〃the　radiant　future；〃　the　Russians　had　called　it；　but　it　was　a　future　they'd　never　been　able　to　deliver。　In　China；　the　Marxists　had　shown　the　good　sense　to　adopt　some　of　the　forms　of　capitalism　to　save　their　country　s　economy；　but　not　to　adopt　the　principle　of　human　freedom　that　usually　came　along　with　it。　That　had　worked　to　this　point；　DiMilo　thought；　only　because　Chinese　culture　had　a　preexisting　model　of　conformity　and　acceptance　of　authority　from　above。　But　how　long　would　that　last？　And　how　long　could　China　prosper　without　some　idea　of　the　difference　between　what　was　right　and　what　was　wrong？　Without　that　information；　China　and　the　Chinese　were　doomed　to　perdition。　Someone　had　to　bring　the　Good　News　of　Jesus　to　the　Chinese；　because　with　that　came　not　only　eternal　salvation；　but　temporal　happiness　as　well。　Such　a　fine　bargain；　and　yet　there　were　those　too　stupid　and　too　blind　to　accept　it。　Mao　had　been　one。　He'd　rejected　all　forms　of　religion；　even　Confucius　and　the　Lord　Buddha。　But　when　he'd　lain　dying　in　his　bed；　what　had　Chairman　Mao　thought？　To　what　Radiant　Future　had　he　looked　forward　then？　What　did　a　munist　think　on　his　deathbed？　The　answer　to　that　question　was　something　none　of　the　three　clergymen　wanted　to　know；　or　to　face。
　〃I　was　disappointed　to　see　the　small　number　of　Catholics　here…not　counting　foreigners　and　diplomats；　of　course。　How　bad　is　the　persecution？〃
　Yu　shrugged。　〃It　depends　on　where　you　are；　and　the　political　climate；　and　the　personality　of　the　local　party　leadership。　Sometimes　they　leave　us　alone…especially　when　foreigners　are　here；　with　their　TV　cameras。　Sometimes　they　can　bee　very　strict；　and　sometimes　they　can　harass　us　directly。　I　have　been　questioned　many　times；　and　been　subjected　to　political　counseling。〃　He　looked　up　and　smiled。　〃It's　like　having　a　dog　bark　at　you；　Eminence。　You　need　not　answer　back。　Of　course；　you　will　be　spared　any　of　that；〃　the　Baptist　pointed　out；　noting　DiMilo's　diplomatic　status；　and　his　resulting　personal　inviolability。
　The　cardinal　caught　that　reference；　somewhat　to　his　disfort。　He　didn't　see　his　life　as　any　more　valuable　than　anyone　else's。　Nor　did　he　wish　his　faith　to　appear　less　sincere　than　this　Chinese　Protestant's；　who'd　been　educated　at　some　pretentious　pseudo…university　in　the　American　prairie；　whereas　he　had　acquired　his　knowledge　in　some　of　the　most　ancient　and　honored　institutions　of　higher　learning　on　the　planet；　whose　antecedents　went　back　to　the　Roman　empire；　and　beyond　that；　to　the　chambers　of　Aristotle　himself。　If　there　was　one　vanity　Renato　Cardinal　DiMilo　possessed；　it　was　in　his　education。　He'd　been　superbly　educated；　and　he　knew　it。　He　could　discuss　Plato's　Republic　in　Attic　Greek；　or　the　law　cases　of　Marcus　Tullius　Cicero　in　Imperial　Latin。　He　could　debate　a　mitted　Marxist　on　the　attributes　of　that　political　philosophy　in　the　same　language　the　German　Marx　himself　had　spoken…and　win；　because　Marx　had　left　a　lot　of　unfilled　holes　in　the　walls　of　his　political　theories。　He'd　forgotten　more　about　human　nature　than　some　psychologists　knew。　He　was　in　the　Vatican's　diplomatic　service　because　he　could　read　minds…better　than　that；　he　could　read　the　minds　of　politicians　and　diplomats　highly　skilled　in　concealing　their　thoughts。　He　could　have　been　a　gambler　of　talent　and　riches　with　these　skills；　but　instead　he　applied　them　for　the　Greater　Glory　of　God。
　His　only　failing　was　that；　like　all　men；　he　could　not　predict　the　future；　and　thus　could　not　see　the　world　war　that　this　meeting　would　ultimately　bring　about。
　〃So；　does　the　government　harass　you？〃　the　Cardinal　asked　his　host。
　A　shrug。　〃Occasionally。　I　propose　to　hold　a　prayer　service　in　public　to　test　their　willingness　to　interfere　with　my　human　rights。　There　is　some　danger　involved；　of　course。〃
　It　was　a　challenge　skillfully　delivered；　and　the　elderly　Catholic　cleric　rose　to　it：　〃Keep　Franz　and　me　informed；　if　you　would。〃
　
　
　〃SONGBIRD？〃　Ryan　asked。　〃What　can　you　tell　me　about　him？〃
　〃Do　you　really　want　to　know；　Jack？〃　Ed　Foley　asked；　somewhat　pointedly。
　〃You　telling　me　I　ought　not　to　know？〃　Ryan　responded。　Then　he　realized　that　Robby　Jackson　and　Ben　Goodley　were　here　as　well；　and　he　could　know　things　which　they　could　not。　Even　at　this　level；　there　were　rules　of　classification。　The　President　nodded。　〃Okay；　we'll　let　that　one　go　for　now。〃
　
　
　〃The　overall　operation　is　called　SORGE。　That'll　change　periodically；〃　Mary　Pat　told　the　assembled　audience。　Unusually；　the　Secret　Service　had　been　hustled　out　of　the　Oval　Office　for　this　briefing…which　told　the　USSS　a　lot　more　than　CIA　would　have　liked…and　also　a　special　jamming　system　had　been　switched　on。　It　would　interfere　with　any　electronic　device　in　the　room。　You　could　see　that　from　the　TV　set　to　the　left　of　the　President's　desk；　tuned　to　CNN。　The　screen　was　now　full　of　snow；　but　with　the　sound　turned　all　the　way　down；　there　was　no　annoying　noise　to　disturb　the　meeting。　The　possibility　of　a　bug　in　this　most　secure　of　rooms　was　slight；　but　so　great　was　the　value　of　SORGE　that　this　card　was　being　played　as　well。　The　briefing　folders　had　already　been　passed　out。　Robby　looked　up　from　his。
　〃Notes　from　the　Chinese　Politburo？　Lordy；〃　Vice　President　Jackson　breathed。　〃Okay；　no　sources　and　methods。　That's　cool　with　me；　guys。　Now；　how　reliable　is　it？〃
　〃For　the　moment；　reliability　is　graded　'B＋'　〃Mary　Pat　answered。　〃We　expect　to　upgrade　that　later　on。　The　problem　is　that　we　don't　grade　'A'　or　higher　without　outside　confirmation；　and　this　stuff　is　so　deep　inside　that　we　have　no　other　asset　to　verify　what　we　have　here。〃
　〃Oops；〃　Jackson