tc.thebearandthedragon-第52部分

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　〃She'll　flip　out　when　she　sees　that　pelt。〃　With　the　money　from　his　investment　portfolio；　Ryan　had　bee　a　connoisseur　of　fine　jewelry　and　furs。　For　the　former；　he　had　an　arrangement　with　Blickman's；　a　very　special　firm　in　Rockefeller　Center。　Two　weeks　before　the　previous　Christmas；　one　of　their　salespeople　had　e　by　train　to　Washington；　acpanied　by　two　armed　guards；　who　hadn't　been　allowed　into　the　White　House　proper…the　outside　guards　had　gone　slightly　nuts　on　learning　that　armed　men　were　on　campus；　but　Andrea　Price…O'Day　had　smoothed　that　over…and　shown　the　President　about　five　million　dollars'　worth　of　estate　jewelry；　and　some　pieces　newly　made　just　across　the　street　from　their　office；　some　of　which　Ryan　had　purchased。　His　reward　had　been　to　see　Cathy's　eyes　pop　nearly　out　of　her　head　under　the　Christmas　tree；　and　lament　the　fact　that　all　she'd　gotten　him　was　a　nice　set　of　Taylor　golf　clubs。　But　that　was　fine　with　SWORDSMAN。　To　see　his　wife　smile　on　Christmas　morning　was　as　fine　a　prize　as　he　expected　in　life。　Besides；　it　was　proof　that　he　had　taste　in　jewelry；　one　of　the　better　things　for　a　man　to　have…at　least　in　his　woman's　eyes。　But　damn；　if　he　could　have　gotten　her　one　of　those　wolf…fur　coats。。。　could　he　cut　a　deal　with　Sergey　Golovko？　Jack　wondered　briefly。　But　where　the　hell　could　you　wear　such　a　thing？　He　had　to　be　practical。
　〃Would　look　nice　in　the　closet；〃　Goodley　agreed；　seeing　the　distant　look　in　his　boss's　eyes。
　Color　would　go　so　nice　with　her　butter…blond　hair　Ryan　mused　on　for　a　few　more　seconds；　then　shook　his　head　to　dismiss　the　thought。
　〃What　else　today？〃
　〃SORGE　has　developed　new　information。　It's　being　couriered　down　even　as　we　speak。〃
　
　
　〃Important？〃
　〃Mrs。　Foley　didn't　say　so；　but　you　know　how　it　works。〃
　〃Oh；　yeah；　even　the　minor　stuff　fits　together　into　a　real　pretty　picture　when　you　need　it。〃　The　major　download　still　sat　in　his　private　safe。　The　sad　truth　was　that　while　he　did；　technically；　have　the　time　to　read　it；　that　would　have　entailed　taking　time　away　from　his　family；　and　it　would　have　had　to　have　been　really　important　for　the　President　to　do　that。
　
　〃So；　what　will　the　Americans　do？〃　Fang　asked　Zhang。
　〃On　the　trade　issue？　They　will；　finally；　bow　to　the　inevitable；　and　grant　us　most…favored…nation　status　and　remove　their　objection　to　our　full　entry　into　the　World　Trade　Organization；〃　the　minister　replied。
　〃None　too　soon；〃　Fang　Gan　observed。
　〃That　is　true；〃　Zhang　Han　San　agreed。　The　financial　conditions　in　the　PRC　had　been　well　concealed　to　this　point；　which　was　one　advantage　of　the　munist　form　of　government；　both　ministers　would　have　agreed；　if　they　had　ever　considered　another　form　of　government。　The　cold　truth　of　the　matter　was　that　the　PRC　was　nearly　out　of　foreign　exchange；　having　spent　it　mainly　on　armaments　and　arms…related　technology　all　over　the　world。　Only　incidental　goods　had　e　from　America…mainly　puter　chips；　which　could　be　used　in　nearly　any　sort　of　mechanical　contrivance。　The　overtly　military　material　they'd　purchased　came　most　often　from　Western　Europe；　and　sometimes　from　Israel。　America　sold　what　arms　it　released　to　this　part　of　the　world　to　the　renegades　on　Taiwan；　who　paid　cash；　of　course。　That　was　like　a　mosquito　bite　to　the　mainland　regime；　not　large；　not　life…threatening；　but　an　annoyance　that　they　continuously　scratched　at；　in　the　process　making　it　worse　instead　of　better。　There　were　over　a　billion…a　thousand　million…people　in　mainland　China；　and　less　than　thirty　million　on　the　island　across　the　strait。　The　misnamed　Republic　of　China　used　its　people　well；　producing　more　than　a　quarter　of　the　goods　and　services　the　PRC　turned　out　in　a　given　year　with　forty　times　as　many　workers　and　peasants。　However；　while　the　mainland　coveted　the　goods　and　services　and　the　riches　that　resulted；　they　did　not　covet　the　political　and　economic　system　that　made　it　possible。　Their　system　was　far　superior；　of　course；　because　theirs　was　the　better　ideology。　Mao　himself　had　said　so。
　Neither　of　these　two　Politburo　members；　nor　any　of　the　others；　reflected　much　on　the　objective　realities　at　hand。　They　were　as　certain　in　their　beliefs　as　any　Western　clergyman　was　in　his。　They　even　ignored　the　self…evident　fact　that　what　prosperity　the　People's　Republic　possessed　came　from　capitalist　enterprise　allowed　by　previous　rulers；　often　over　the　screams　and　howls　of　other　ministerial…rank　politicians。　The　latter　contented　themselves　by　denying　political　influence　to　the　people　who　were　enriching　their　country；　confident　that　this　situation　would　go　on　forever；　and　that　those　businessmen　and　industrialists　would　be　satisfied　to　make　their　money　and　live　in　relative　luxury　while　they；　the　political　theorists；　continued　to　manage　the　nation's　affairs。　After　all；　the　weapons　and　the　soldiers　belonged　to　them；　didn't…they？　And　power　still　grew　out　of　the　barrel　of　a　gun。
　〃You　are　certain　of　this？〃　Fang　Gan　asked。
　〃Yes；　rade；　I　am　quite　certain。　We　have　been　'good'　for　the　Yankees；　haven't　we？　We　have　not　rattled　our　saber　at　the　Taiwanese　bandits　lately；　have　we？〃
　〃What　of　American　trade　plaints？〃
　〃Do　they　not　understand　business？〃　Zhang　asked　grandly。　〃We　sell　goods　to　them　because　of　their　quality　and　price。　We　shop　the　same　way。　Yes；　I　admit；　their　Boeing　airplane　pany　makes　fine　airplanes；　but　so　does　Airbus　in　Europe；　and　the　Europeans　have　been　more。。。　acmodating　to　us　politically。　America　rants　on　about　opening　our　markets　to　their　goods；　and　we　do　this…slowly；　of　course。　We　need　to　keep　the　surplus　they　so　kindly　give　us；　and　spend　it　on　items　of　importance　to　us。　Next；　we　will　expand　our　automobile　production　and　enter　their　auto　market；　as　the　Japanese　once　did。　In　five　years；　Fang；　we　will　be　taking　another　ten　billion　dollars　from　America　annually…　and　that；　my　friend；　is　a　very　conservative　estimate。〃
　〃You　think　so？〃
　
　
　An　emphatic　nod。　〃Yes！　We　will　not　make　the　mistake　the　Japanese　made　early　on；　selling　ugly　little　cars。　We　are　already　looking　for　American　styling　engineers　who　will　help　us　design　automobiles　which　are　aesthetically　pleasing　to　the　white　devils。〃
　〃If　you　say　so。〃
　〃When　we　have　the　money　we　need　to　build　up　our　military；　we　will　be　the　world's　leading　power　in　every　respect。　Industrially；　we　will　lead　the　world。　Militarily；　we　are　at　the　center　of　the　world。〃
　〃I　fear　these　plans　are　too　ambitious；〃　Fang　said　cautiously。　〃They　will　take　more　years　than　we　have　to　implement　in　any　case；　but　what　legacy　will　we　leave　to　our　country　if　we　point　her　on　a　erroneous　path？〃
　〃What　error　is　this；　Fang？〃　Zhang　asked。　〃Do　you　doubt　our　ideas？〃
　Always　that　question；　Fang　thought　with　an　inward　sigh。　〃I　remember　when　Deng　said；　'It　doesn't　matter　if　the　cat　is　black　or　white；　so　long　as　it　catches　mice。'　To　which　Mao　responded　with　a　livid　snarl：　'What　emperor　said　that？〃'
　〃But　it　does　matter；　my　old　friend；　and　well　you　know　it。〃
　〃That　is　true；〃　Fang　agreed　with　a　submissive　nod；　not　wanting　a　confrontation　this　late　in　the　day；　not　when　he　had　a　headache。　Age　had　made　Zhang　even　more　ideologically　pure　than　he'd　been　in　his　youth；　and　it　hadn't　tempered　his　imperial　ambition。　Fang　sighed　once　more。　He　was　of　a　mind　to　set　the　issue　aside。　It　wasn't　worth　the　trouble。　Though　he'd　mention　it　just　once　more；　to　cover　his　political　backside。
　〃What　if　they　don't？〃　Fang　asked　finally。
　〃What？〃
　〃What　if　they　don't　go　along？　What　if　the　Americans　are　troublesome　on　the　trade　issue？〃
　〃They　will　not　be；〃　Zhang　assured　his　old　friend。
　〃But　if　they　are；　rade；　what　then　will　we　do？　What　are　our　options？〃
　〃Oh；　I　suppose　we　could　punish　with　one　hand　and　encourage　with　the　other；　cancel　some　purchases　from　America　and　then　inquire　about　making　some　other　ones。　It's　worked　before　many　times；〃　Zhang　assured　his　guest。　〃This　President　Ryan　is　predictable。　We　need　merely　control　the　news。　We　will　give　him　nothing　to　use　against　us。〃
　Fang　and　Zhang　continued　their　discussion　into　other　issues；　until　the　latter　returned　to　his　office；　where；　again；　he　dictated　his　notes　of　the　discussion　to　Ming；　who　then　typed　them　into　her　puter。　The　minister　considered　inviting　her　to　his　apartment；　but　decided　against　it。　Though　she'd　bee　somewhat　more　attractive　in　the　preceding　weeks；　catching　his　eye　with　her　gentle　smiles　in　the　outer　office；　it　had　been　a　long　day　for　him；　and　he　was　too　tired　for　it；　enjoyable　though　it　often　was　with　Ming。　Minister　Fang　had　no　idea　that　his　dictation　would　be　in　Washington；　D。C。；　in　less　than　three　hours。
　
　〃What　do　you　think；　George？〃
　〃Jack；〃　TRADER　began；　〃what　the　hell　is　this；　and　how　the　hell　did　we　get　it？〃
　〃George；　this　is　an　internal　memorandum…well；　of　sorts…from　the　government　of　the　People's　Republic　of　China。　How　we　got　it；　you　do　not；　repeat；　not　need　to　know。〃
　The　document　had　been　laundered…scrubbed…better　than　Mafia　ine。　All　the　surnames　had　been　changed；　as　had　the　syntax　and　adjectives；　to　disguise　patterns　of　speech。　It　was　thought…hoped　would　be　a　better　term…　that　even　those　whose　discourse　was　being　reported　would　not　have　recognized　their　own　words。　But　the　content　had　been　protected…even　improved；　in　fact；　since　the　nuances　of　Mandarin　had　been　fully　translated　in　to　American　English　idiom。　That　had　been　the　hardest　part。　Languages　do　not　really　translate　into　one　another　easily　or　well。　The　denotations　of　words　were　one　thing。　The　connotations　were　another；　and　these　never　really　paralleled　from　one　tongue　to　another。　The　linguists　employed　by　the　intelligence　services　were　among　the　best　in　the　country；　people　who　regularly　read　poetry；　and　sometimes　published　journal　pieces；　under　their　own　names；　so　that　they　could　municate　their　expertise　in…and　indeed；　love　of…their　chosen　foreign　language　with　others　of　a　similar　mind。　What　resulted　were　pretty　good　translations；　Ryan　thought；　but　he　was　always　a　little　wary　of　them。
　〃These　cocksuckers！　They're　talking　about　how　they　plan　to　fuck　us　over。〃　For　all　his　money；　George　Winston　retained　the　patois　of　his　working…class　origins。
　〃George；　it's　business；　not　personal；〃　the　President　tried　as　a　tension…release　gambit。
　The　Secretary　of　the　Treasury　looked　up　from　the　briefing　document。　〃Jack；　when　I　ran　Columbus　G