tc.thebearandthedragon-第72部分

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een　separated　from　us；　and　the　United　States　has　assisted　in　the　estrangement　of　our　kinsmen。。
　The　remarkable　thing；　Rutledge　thought；　was　that　this　droning　old　fart　hadn't　died　from　smoking　those　damned　things。　They　looked　and　smelled　like　the　Lucky　Strikes　his　grandfather　had　died　of；　at　age　eighty。　It　had　not　been　a　death　to　please　a　physician；　however。　Grandpa　Owens　had　been　driving　his　great…grandson　to　South　Station　in　Boston　when；　lighting　one；　he'd　dropped　it　into　his　lap　and；　in　retrieving　it；　strayed　onto　the　wrong　side　of　the　road。　Grandpa　hadn't　believed　in　seat　belts；　either。。；　the　bastard　actually　chain…smoked；　lighting　a　new　one　with　the　butt　of　the　previous　one；　like　Bogie　in　a　'30s　movie。　Well；　maybe　it　was　a　way　for　the　Chinese　to　pursue　their　population…control　policy。。。　but　in　rather　an　ugly　way。。。
　〃Mr。　Foreign　Minister；〃　Rutledge　started　off；　when　it　was　next　his　turn；　〃the　government　of　the　Republic　of　China　is　one　elected　in　free　and　fair　elections　by　the　people　who　live　in　that　country。　In　America's　eyes；　that　makes　the　government　of　the　Republic　of　China　legitimate〃…he　didn't　say　that　the　government　of　the　People's　Republic　was；　therefore；　illegitimate；　but　the　thought　hung　in　the　room　like　a　dark　cloud…〃and　that　makes　the　government　in　question　worthy　of　international　recognition；　as　you　may　have　noticed　has　been　the　case　in　the　last　year。
　〃It　is　the　policy　of　our　government　to　recognize　such　governments。　We　will　not　change　policies　based　upon　firm　principles　to　suit　the　wishes　of　other　countries　which　do　not　share　those　principles。　We　can　talk　until　you　run　out　of　cigarettes；　but　my　government's　position　in　this　case　is　set　in　stone。　So；　you　can　recognize　this　fact　and　allow　the　meeting　to　move　on　to　productive　areas；　or　you　can　beat　this　dead　horse　until　nothing　is　left　of　it。　The　choice　is　yours；　of　course；　but　is　it　not　better　to　be　productive　than　not？〃
　〃America　cannot　dictate　to　the　People's　Republic　that　which　concerns　us。　You　claim　to　have　your　principles；　and　surely　we　have　our　own；　and　one　of　ours　is　the　importance　of　our　country's　territorial　integrity。〃
　For　Mark　Gant；　the　hard　part　was　keeping　an　impassive　face。　He　had　to　pretend　that　this　all　made　sense　and　was　important；　when　he'd　much　prefer　to　set　up　his　puter　to　review　stock　prices；　or　for　that　matter　read　a　paperback　book　under　the　rim　of　the　table。　But　he　couldn't　do　that。　He　had　to　pretend　that　this　was　all　interesting；　which；　if　successfully　done；　could　get　him　nominated　for　the　next　Academy　Award　ceremonies　for　Best　Actor　in　a　Supporting　Role：　〃For　keeping　awake　during　the　most　boring　contest　since　the　Iowa　grass…growing　championships；　the　winner　is。。。〃　He　concentrated　on　not　shifting　in　his　seat；　but　that　just　made　his　ass　tired；　and　these　seats　hadn't　been　designed　to　fit　his　ass。　Maybe　one　of　those　skinny　Chinese　ones；　but　not　that　of　a　Chicago…raised　professional　who　liked　having　a　beer　and　a　corned…beef　sandwich　for　lunch　at　least　once　a　week　and　didn't　work　out　enough。　His　ass　required　a　broader　and　softer　seat　for　fort；　but　he　didn't　have　one。　He　tried　to　find　something　interesting。　He　decided　that　Foreign　Minister　Shen　had　terrible　skin；　as　though　his　face　had　once　been　on　fire　and　a　friend　had　tried　to　extinguish　the　flames　with　an　ice　pick。　Gant　tried　to　conjure　up　the　image　of　that　supposed　event　without　smiling。　Then　came　the　fact　that　Shen　was　smoking　so　much；　lighting　his　smokes　from　cheap　paper　matches　instead　of　a　proper　lighter。　Perhaps　he　was　one　of　those　people　who　set　things　down　and　forgot　where　they　were；　which　would　also　explain　why　he　used　cheap　throwaway　pens　instead　of　something　in　keeping　with　his　rank　and　status。　So；　this　important　son　of　a　bitch　had　suffered　from　terminal　acne　as　a　kid　and　was　a　butterfingers。。。。？　It　was　something　worthy　of　an　inward　smile　as　the　minister　droned　on　in　passable　English。　That　engendered　a　new　thought。　He　had　access　to　an　earphone　for　simultaneous　translation。。；　could　he　get　one　tuned　to　a　local　station？　They　had　to　have　a　radio　station　in　Beijing　that　played　music　of　some　sort　or　other；　didn't　they？
　When　Rutledge's　turn　came；　it　was　almost　as　bad。　The　stated　American　position　was　as　repetitive　as　the　Chinese　one；　perhaps　more　reasonable　but　no　less　boring。　Gant　imagined　that　lawyers　talking　over　a　divorce　settlement　probably　went　through　bullshit　like　this。　Like　diplomats；　they　were　paid　by　the　hour　and　not　by　the　product。　Diplomats　and　lawyers。　What　a　pair；　Gant　thought。　He　was　unable　even　to　look　at　his　watch。　The　American　delegation　had　to　present　a　united　front　of　solid　stone；　Gant　thought；　to　show　the　Heathen　Chinese　that　the　Forces　of　Truth　and　Beauty　were　firm　in　their　resolve。　Or　something　like　that。　He　wondered　if　it　would　feel　different　negotiating　with　the　British；　for　example；　everyone　speaking　much　the　same　language；　but　those　negotiations　were　probably　handled　with　phone　calls　or　e…mails　rather　than　this　formalistic　crap。。。。
　Lunch　came　at　the　expected　hour；　about　ten　minutes　late　because　the　Shen　guy　ran　over；　which　was　hardly　unexpected。　The　American　team　all　headed　to　the　men's　room；　where　no　talking　was　done　for　fear　of　bugs。　Then　they　went　back　outside；　and　Gant　went　to　Rutledge。
　〃This　is　how　you　earn　your　living？〃　the　stock　TRADER　asked　with　no　small　degree　of　incredulity。
　〃I　try　to。　These　talks　are　going　pretty　well；〃　the　Assistant　Secretary　of　State　observed。
　〃What？〃　Gant　inquired　with　total　amazement。
　〃Yeah；　well；　their　Foreign　Minister　is　doing　the　negotiating；　so　we're　playing　with　their　varsity；〃　Rutledge　explained。　〃That　means　that　we'll　be　able　to　reach　a　real　agreement　instead　of　a　lot　of　back…and…forth　between　lower…level　people　and　the　Politburo…the　additional　layer　of　people　can　really　mess　things　up。　There'll　be　some　of　that；　of　course。　Shen　will　have　to　talk　over　his　positions　with　them　every　evening；　maybe　even　right　now…he's　nowhere　to　be　seen。　I　wonder　who　he　reports　to；　exactly。　We　don't　think　he　really　has　plenipotentiary　powers；　that　the　rest　of　the　big　boys　second…guess　him　a　lot。　Like　the　Russians　used　to　be。　That's　the　problem　with　their　system。　Nobody　really　trusts　anybody　else。〃
　〃You　serious？〃　TELESCOPE　asked。
　〃Oh；　yeah；　it's　how　their　system　works。〃
　〃That's　a　clusterfuck；〃　Gant　observed。
　〃Why　do　you　think　the　Soviet　Union　went　belly…up？〃　Rutledge　asked　with　amusement。　〃They　never　had　their　act　together　on　any　level　because　they　fundamentally　didn't　know　how　properly　to　exercise　the　power　they　had。　It　was　rather　sad；　really。　But　they're　doing　a　lot　better　now。〃
　〃But　how　are　the　talks　going；　well？〃
　〃If　all　they　have　to　throw　at　us　is　Taiwan；　their　counter…arguments　on　trade　won't　be　all　that　impressive。　Taiwan's　a　settled　issue；　and　they　know　it。　We　may　have　a　mutual…defense　treaty　with　them　in　ten　or　eleven　months；　and　they　probably　know　that。　They　have　good　intelligence　sources　in　Taipei。〃
　〃How　do　we　know　that？〃　Gant　demanded。
　〃Because　our　friends　in　Taipei　make　sure　they　do。　You　want　your　adversaries　to　know　a　lot　of　things。　It　makes　for　better　understandings；　cuts　down　on　mistakes　and　stuff。〃　Rutledge　paused。　〃I　wonder　what's　for　lunch。。。
　Jesus；　Gant　thought。　Then　he　thanked　God　that　he　was　just　here　to　offer　economic　backup　for　this　diplomat。　They　were　playing　a　game　so　different　from　anything　he'd　ever　encountered　before　that　he　felt　like　a　truck　driver　doing　some　day…trading　on　his　laptop　at　a　highway　phone　booth。
　
　The　newsies　showed　up　for　lunch　so　that　they　could　get　more　B…roll　tape　of　diplomats　chatting　amiably　about　such　things　as　the　weather　and　the　food…the　viewers　would　think　they　were　handling　matters　of　state；　of　course；　when　in　fact　at　least　half　of　the　talks　between　diplomats　at　such　affairs　were　limited　to　the　problems　of　raising　children　or　killing　the　crabgrass　in　your　lawn。　It　was　all；　in　fact；　a　kind　of　gamesmanship　with　few　parallels　in　other　forms　of　endeavor；　Gant　was　only　beginning　to　understand。　He　saw　Barry　Wise　approach　Rutledge　without　a　microphone　or　camera　in　attendance。
　〃So；　how's　it　going；　Mr。　Secretary？〃　the　reporter　asked。
　〃Pretty　well。　In　fact；　we　had　a　fine　opening　session；〃　Rutledge　replied　in　Gant's　earshot。　It　was　a　shame；　TELESCOPE　decided；　that　the　people　couldn't　see　what　really　happened。　It　would　be　the　funniest　thing　this　side　of　Chris　Rock。　It　made　Laverne　&　Shirley　look　like　King　Lear　in　its　lunacy；　and　the　world　chess　championship　look　like　a　heavyweight…championship　fight　in　its　torpor。　But　every　field　of　human　endeavor　had　its　rules；　and　these　were　just　different　ones。
　
　〃There's　our　friend；〃　the　cop　observed；　as　the　car　pulled　out。　It　was　Suvorov/Koniev　in　his　Mercedes　C…class。　The　license　tag　number　checked；　as　did　the　face　in　the　binoculars。
　Provalov　had　gotten　the　local　varsity　to　handle　this　case；　with　even　some　help　now　from　the　Federal　Security　Service；　formerly　the　Second　Chief　Directorate　of　the　former　KGB；　the　professional　spy…chasers　who'd　made　life　in　Moscow　difficult　for　foreign　intelligence　operations。　They　remained　superbly　equipped；　and　though　not　so　well　funded　as　in　the　past；　there　was　little　to　criticize　in　their　training。　　The　problem；　of　course；　was　that　they　knew　all　that　themselves；　and　took　on　a　degree　of　institutional　arrogance　that　had　gotten　the　noses　of　his　homicide　investigators　severely　out　of　joint。　Despite　all　that；　they　were　useful　allies。　There　were　a　total　of　seven　vehicles　to　handle　the　surveillance。　In　America；　the　FBI　would　have　arranged　a　helicopter　as　well；　but　Michael　Reilly　wasn't　here　to　make　that　condescending　observation；　somewhat　to　Provalov's　relief。　The　man　had　bee　a　friend；　and　a　gifted　mentor　in　the　business　of　investigation；　but　enough　was　sometimes　enough。　There　were　trucks　containing　TV　cameras　to　tape　the　business　of　the　morning；　and　every　automobile　had　two　people　in　it　so　that　driving　wouldn't　interfere　with　watching。　They　followed　Suvorov/Koniev　into　central　Moscow。
　
　Back　at　his　apartment；　another　team　had　already　defeated　his　lock　and　was　inside　his　flat。　What　happened　there　was　as　graceful　as　any　performance　by　the　Bolshoi　Ballet。　Once　inside；　the　investigative　team　stood　still　at　first；　scanning　for　telltales；　left…behind　items　as　innocuous　as　a　hu