tc.thebearandthedragon-第74部分

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　〃What's　this？〃　the　President　asked　at　his　morning　intelligence　briefing。
　〃A　new　SORGE　source；　this　one's　called　WARBLER。　I'm　afraid　it's　not　as　good　from　an　intelligence　point　of　view；　though　it　does　tell　us　things　about　their　ministers；〃　Dr。　Goodley　added　with　some　feigned　delicacy。
　Whoever　WARBLER　was；　Ryan　saw；　she…it　was　definitely　a　she…kept　a　very　intimate　diary。　She；　too；　worked　with　this　Minister　Fang　Gan；　and；　it　appeared；　he　was　enamored　of　her；　and　she；　if　not　exactly　enamored　of　him；　certainly　kept　records　of　his　activities。　All　of　them；　Ryan　saw。　It　was　enough　to　make　his　eyes　go　a　little　wide　this　early　in　the　morning。
　〃Tell　Mary　Pat　that　she　can　sell　this　stuff　to　Hustler　if　she　wants；　but　I　really　don't　need　it　at　eight　in　the　goddamned　morning。〃
　〃She　included　it　to　give　you　a　feel　for　the　source；〃　Ben　explained。　〃The　material　isn't　as　narrowly　political　as　we're　getting　from　SONGBIRD；　but　MP　thinks　it　tells　us　a　lot　about　the　guy's　character；　which　is　useful；　and　also　there's　some　political　content　to　go　along　with　the　information　on　Fang's　sex　life。　It　would　appear　he's　a　man　of；　well；　mendable　vigor；　I　guess；　though　the　girl　in　question　would　clearly　prefer　a　younger　lover。　It　appears　that　she　had　one；　but　this　Fang　guy　scared　him　off。〃
　〃Possessive　bastard；〃　Ryan　saw；　skimming　that　section。　〃Well；　I　guess　at　that　age　you　hold　on　to　what　you　need。　Does　this　tell　us　anything？〃
　〃Sir；　it　tells　us　something　about　the　kind　of　people　who　make　decisions　over　there。　Here　we　call　them　sexual　predators。〃
　〃Of　which　we　have　a　few　in　government　service　ourselves；〃　Ryan　observed。　The　papers　had　just　broken　a　story　on　a　member　of　the　Senate。
　〃At　least　not　in　this　office；〃　Goodley　told　his　President。　He　didn't　add　anymore。
　〃Well；　this　President　is　married　to　a　SURGEON。　She　knows　how　to　use　sharp　instruments；〃　Ryan　said；　with　a　wry　grin。　〃So；　the　Taiwan　stuff　yesterday　was　just　a　ploy　because　they　haven't　figured　out　how　to　address　the　trade　issues　yet？〃
　〃So　it　would　appear；　and　yes；　that　does　seem　a　little　odd。　Also；　MP　thinks　that　they　might　have　a　low…level　source　in　State。　They　know　a　little　more　than　they　could　have　gotten　from　the　press；　she　thinks。〃
　〃Oh；　great；〃　Jack　noted。　〃So　what　happened？　The　Japanese　corporations　sold　their　old　sources　to　the　Chinese？〃
　Goodley　shrugged。　〃No　telling　at　this　time。〃
　〃Have　Mary　Pat　call　Dan　Murray　about　this。　Counterespionage　is　the　FBI's　department。　Is　this　something　we　want　to　move　on　at　once；　or　will　this　promise　SONGBIRD？〃
　〃That's　for　somebody　else　to　judge；　sir；〃　Goodley　said；　reminding　the　President　that　he　was　good；　but　not　quite　that　good　at　this　business。
　〃Yeah；　somebody　other　than　me；　too。　What　else？〃
　〃The　Senate　Select　Intelligence　mittee　wants　to　look　into　the　Russian　situation。〃
　〃That's　nice。　What's　the　beef？〃
　〃They　seem　to　have　their　doubts　about　how　trustworthy　our　friends　in　Moscow　are。　They're　worried　that　they're　going　to　use　the　oil　and　gold　money　to　bee　the　USSR　again；　and　maybe　threaten　NATO。〃
　〃NATO's　moved　a　few　hundred　miles　east；　last　time　I　looked。　The　buffer　zone　will　not　hurt　our　interests。〃
　〃Except　that　we　are　obligated　to　defend　Poland　now；〃　Goodley　reminded　his　boss。
　〃I　remember。　So；　tell　the　Senate　to　authorize　funds　to　move　a　tank　brigade　east　of　Warsaw。　We　can　take　over　one　of　the　old　Soviet　laagers；　can't　we？〃
　〃If　the　Poles　want　us　to。　They　don't　seem　overly　concerned；　sir。〃
　〃Probably　more　worried　by　the　Germans；　right？〃
　〃Correct；　and　there　is　a　precedent　for　that　concern。〃
　〃When　will　Europe　get　the　word　that　peace　has　finally　broken　out　for　good　and　all？〃　Ryan　asked　the　ceiling。
　〃There's　a　lot　of　history；　some　of　it　pretty　recent；　for　them　to　remember；　Mr。　President。　And　much　of　it　militates　in　the　other　direction。〃
　〃I've　got　a　trip　to　Poland　scheduled；　don't　I？〃
　〃Yes；　not　too　far　off；　and　they're　working　out　the　itinerary　right　now。〃
　〃Okay；　I'll　tell　the　Polish　president　personally　that　he　can　depend　on　us　to　keep　the　Germans　under　control。　If　they　step　out　of　line…well；　we'll　take　Chrysler　back。〃　Jack　sipped　his　coffee　and　checked　his　watch。　〃Anything　else？〃
　〃That　should　do　it　for　today。〃
　The　President　looked　up　slyly。　〃Tell　Mary　Pat　if　she　sends　me　more　of　this　WARBLER　stuff；　I　want　the　pictures　to　go　with　it。〃
　〃Will　do；　sir。〃　Goodley　had　himself　a　good　hoot　at　that。
　Ryan　picked　up　the　briefing　papers　again　and　read　through　them　more　slowly　this　time；　between　sips　of　coffee　and　snorts；　with　a　few　grumbles　thrown　in。　Life　had　been　much　easier　when　he　was　the　guy　who　prepared　these　briefing　papers　than　it　was　now　that　he　was　the　guy　who　had　to　read　them。　Why　was　that？　Shouldn't　it　have　been　the　other　way　around？　Before；　he'd　been　the　one　to　find　the　answers　and　anticipate　the　questions；　but　now　that　other　people　had　done　all　that　stuff　for　him　。　。　。　it　was　harder。　That　didn't　make　any　sense　at　all；　damn　it。　Maybe；　he　decided；　it　was　because；　after　him；　the　information　stopped。　He　had　to　make　the　decisions；　and　so　whatever　other　decisions　and　analyses　had　been　made　at　lower　levels；　the　process　came　to　one　place　and　stopped　cold。　It　was　like　driving　a　car：
　Someone　else　could　tell　him　to　turn　right　at　the　corner；　but　he　was　the　guy　at　the　wheel　who　had　to　execute　the　turn；　and　if　somebody　clobbered　the　car；　he　was　the　guy　who'd　get　the　blame。　For　a　moment；　Jack　wondered　if　he　was　better　suited　to　being　a　step　or　two　down　in　the　process；　able　to　do　the　analysis　work　and　make　his　remendations　with　confidence　。　。　。　but　always　knowing　that　someone　else　would　always　get　the　credit　for　making　the　right　move；　or　the　blame　for　making　the　wrong　one。　In　that　insulation　from　consequence；　there　was　safety　and　security。　But　that　was　cowardice　talking；　Ryan　reminded　himself。　If　there　were　anyone　in　Washington　better　suited　for　making　decisions；　he　hadn't　met　the　guy　yet；　and　if　that　was　arrogance　talking；　then　so　be　it。
　But　there　ought　to　be　someone　better；　Jack　thought；　as　the　clock　wound　to　his　first　appointment　of　the　day；　and　it　wasn't　his　fault　that　there　wasn't。　He　checked　his　appointment　sheet。　The　whole　day　was　political　bullshit。。。　except　it　wasn't　bullshit。　Everything　he　did　in　this　office　affected　the　lives　of　American　citizens　in　one　way　or　another；　and　that　made　it　important；　to　them　and　to　him。　But　who　had　decided　to　make　him　the　national　daddy？　What　the　hell　made　him　so　damned　smart？　The　people　behind　his　back；　as　he　thought　of　it；　outside　the　overly　thick　windows　of　the　Oval　Office；　all　expected　him　to　know　how　to　do　the　right　thing；　and　over　the　dinner　table　or　a　low…stakes　card　game；　they'd　bitch　and　moan　and　plain　about　the　decisions　he'd　made　that　they　didn't　like；　as　though　they　knew　better…　which　was　easy　to　say　out　there。　In　here　it　was　different。　And　so；　Ryan　had　to　apply　himself　to　every　little　decision；　even　menus　for　school　lunches…that　one　was　a　real　son　of　a　bitch。　If　you　gave　kids　what　they　liked　to　eat；　nutritionists　would　plain　that　they　really　ought　to　eat　healthy　twigs　and　berries；　but　for　the　most　part；　parents　would　probably　opt　for　burgers　and　fries；　because　that's　what　the　kids　would　eat；　and　even　healthy　food；　uneaten；　did　them　little　good。　He'd　talked　that　one　over　with　Cathy　once　or　twice；　but　he　really　didn't　need　to。　She　let　their　own　kids　eat　pizza　whenever　they　wished；　claiming　that　pizza　was　high　in　protein；　and　that　a　kid's　metabolism　could　eat　almost　anything　without　ill　effect；　but　when　cornered；　she'd　admit　that　put　her　at　odds　with　some　of　her　fellow　professors　at　Johns　Hopkins。　And　so　what　was　Jack　Ryan；　President　of　the　United　States；　Doctor　of　Philosophy　in　History；　Bachelor　of　Arts　in　Economics；　and　a　Certified　Public　Accountant　（Ryan　couldn't　even　remember　why　he　had　bothered　taking　that　exam）；　supposed　to　think；　when　experts…including　the　one　he　was　married　to…disagreed？　That　was　worth　another　snort；　when　his　desk　buzzer　went　off　and　Mrs。　Sumter　announced　that　his　first　appointment　of　the　day　was　here。　Already　Jack　was　wishing　for　a　bummed　cigarette；　but　he　couldn't　do　that　until　he　had　a　break　in　his　schedule；　because　only　Mrs。　Sumter　and　a　few　of　his　Secret　Service　detail　were　allowed　to　know　that　the　President　of　the　United　States　suffered；　intermittently；　from　that　vice。
　Jesus；　he　thought；　as　he　did　so　often　when　the　workday　began；　how　did　I　ever　get　stuck　in　here？　Then　he　stood　and　faced　the　door；　conjuring　up　his　weling　Presidential　smile　as　he　tried　to　remember　who　the　hell　was　ing　in　first　to　discuss　farm　subsidies　in　South　Dakota。
　
　The　flight；　as　usual；　was　out　of　Heathrow；　this　one　in　a　Boeing　737；　because　it　wasn't　all　that　long　a　hop　to　Moscow。　The　RAINBOW　troopers　filled　the　entire　first…class　section；　which　would　please　the　cabin　staff；　though　they　didn't　know　it　yet；　because　the　passengers　would　be　unusually　polite　and　undemanding。　Chavez　sat　with　his　father…in…law；　politely　watching　the　safety…briefing　video；　though　both　knew　that　if　the　airplane　hit　the　ground　at　four　hundred　knots；　it　really　wouldn't　help　all　that　much　to　know　where　the　nearest　emergency　exit　was。　But　such　things　were　rare　enough　to　be　ignored。　Ding　grabbed　the　magazine　from　the　pocket　in　front　and　flipped　through　it　in　the　hope　of　finding　something　interesting。　He'd　already　bought　all　the　useful　items　from　the　〃flying　mall〃　magazine；　some　to　his　wife's　pitying　amusement。
　〃So；　the　little　guy's　walking　better？〃　Clark　asked。
　〃You　know；　the　enthusiasm　he　has　for　it　is　kinda　funny；　the　big　grin　every　time　he　makes　it　from　the　TV　to　the　coffee　table；　like　he's　won　the　marathon；　got　a　big　gold　medal；　and　a　kiss　from　Miss　America　on　his　way　to　Disney　World。〃
　〃The　big　things　are　made　up　of　a　lot　of　little　things；　Domingo；〃　Clark　observed；　as　the　aircraft　started　its　takeoff　run。　〃And　the　horizon's　a　lot　closer　when　you're　that　short。〃
　〃I　suppose；　Mr。　C。　Does　seem　kinda　amusing；　though。。。　and　kinda　cute；〃　he　allowed。
　〃Not　bad　duty　being　the　father　of　a　little　guy；　is　it？〃
　〃I　got　no　plaints；〃　Chavez　agreed；　leaning　his　seat　back　now　that　the　gear　was　up。
　〃How's　Ettore　working　out？〃　Back　to　business；　Clark　decided。　This　grandpa　stuff　had　its　limitations。
　〃He's　in　better　shape　now。　Needed　about　a　month　to　get　ca