tc.thebearandthedragon-第82部分

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；　which　was　not　something　to　be　done　casually　to　the　mander…in…Chief。　A　mere　FLASH　could　wait　a　little　longer；　like…the　watch　officer　checked　the　wall　clock…yeah；　like　until　breakfast。　So；　instead；　they　called　the　President's　National　Security　Adviser；　Dr。　Benjamin　Goodley。　They'd　let　him　make　the　call。　He　was　a　carded　National　Intelligence　Officer。
　〃Yeah？〃　Goodley　snarled　into　the　phone　while　he　checked　the　clock　radio　next　to　his　bed。
　〃Dr。　Goodley；　this　is　Signals。　We　just　copied　something　off　CNN　from　Beijing　that　the　Boss　is　going　to　be　interested　in。〃
　〃What　is　it？〃　CARDSHARP　asked。　Then　he　heard　the　reply。　〃How　certain　are　you　of　this？〃
　〃The　Italian　guy　looks　like　he　might　possibly　have　survived；　from　the　video…I　mean　if　there　was　a　good　SURGEON　close…but　the　Chinese　minister　had　his　brains　blowed　right　out。　No　chance　for　him　at　all；　sir。〃
　〃What　was　it　all　about？〃
　〃We're　not　sure　of　that。　NSA　might　have　the　phone　conversation　between　this　Wise　guy　and　Atlanta；　but　we　haven't　seen　anything　about　it　yet。〃
　〃Okay；　tell　me　what　you　got　again；〃　Goodley　ordered；　now　that　he　was　approximately　awake。
　〃Sir；　we　have　a　visual　of　two　guys　getting　shot　and　a　baby　being　born　in　Beijing。　The　video　es　from　Barry　Wise　of　CNN。　The　video　shows　three　gunshots。　One　is　upwards　into　the　ceiling　of　what　appears　to　be　a　hospital　delivery　room。　The　second　shot　catches　a　guy　in　the　back。　That　guy　is　identified　as　the　Papal　Nuncio　to　Beijing。　The　third　shot　goes　right　into　the　head　of　a　guy　identified　as　a　Baptist　minister　in　Beijing。　That　one　appears　to　be　a　Chinese　national。　In　between；　we　have　a　baby　being　born。　Now　we…stand　by　a　minute；　Dr。　Goodley；　okay；　I　have　FLASH　traffic　from　Fort　Meade。　Okay；　they　got　it；　too；　and　they　got　a　voice　transmission　via　their　ECHELON　system；　reading　it　now。　Okay；　the　Catholic　cardinal　is　dead；　according　to　this；　says　Cardinal　Renato　DiMilo…can't　check　the　spelling；　maybe　State　Department　for　that…and　the　Chinese　minister　is　a　guy　named　Yu　Fa　An；　again　no　spelling　check。　They　were　there　to；　oh；　okay；　they　were　there　to　prevent　a　late…term　abortion；　and　looks　like　they　succeeded；　but　these　two　clergy　got　their　asses　killed　doing　it。　Third　one；　a　monsignor　named　Franz　Schepke…that　sounds　pretty　German　to　me…was　there；　too；　and　looks　like　he　survived…oh；　okay；　he　must　be　the　tall　one　you　see　on　the　tape。　You　gotta　see　the　tape。　It's　a　hell　of　a　confused　mess；　sir；　and　when　this　Yu　guy　gets　it；　well；　it's　like　that　video　from　Saigon　during　the　Tet　Offensive。　You　know；　where　the　South　Vietnamese　police　colonel　shot　the　North　Vietnamese　spy　in　the　side　of　the　head　with　a　Smith　Chief's　Special；　you　know；　like　a　fountain　of　blood　ing　out　the　head。　Ain't　something　to　watch　with　your　Egg　McMuffin；　y'know？〃　the　watch　officer　observed。　The　reference　came　across　clearly　enough。　The　news　media　had　celebrated　the　incident　as　an　example　of　the　South　Vietnamese　government's　bloodthirstiness。　They　had　never　explained…probably　never　even　knew…that　the　man　shot　had　been　an　officer　of　the　North　Vietnamese　army　captured　in　a　battle　zone　wearing　civilian　clothing；　therefore；　under　the　Geneva　Protocols　was　a　spy　liable　to　summary　execution；　which　was　exactly　what　he'd　received。
　〃Okay；　what　else？〃
　〃Do　we　wake　the　Boss　up　for　this？　I　mean；　we　got　a　diplomatic　team　over　there；　and　this　has　some　serious　implications。〃
　Goodley　thought　about　that　for　a　second　or　two。　〃No。　I'll　brief　him　in　a　few　hours。〃
　〃Sir；　it's　sure　as　hell　going　to　be　on　CNN's　seven　o'clock　morning　report；〃　the　watch　officer　warned。
　〃Well；　let　me　brief　him　when　he　has　more　than　just　pictures。〃
　〃Your　call；　Dr。　Goodley。〃
　〃Thanks。　Now；　I　think　I'll　try　to　get　one　more　hour　before　I　drive　over　to　Langley。〃　The　phone　went　down　before　Goodley　heard　a　reaction。　His　job　carried　a　lot　of　prestige；　but　it　denied　him　sleep　and　much　of　a　social　or　sex　life；　and　at　moments　like　this　he　wondered　what　the　hell　was　so　goddamned　prestigious　about　it。
　
　
　
　
　CHAPTER　25
　Fence　Rending
　
　The　speed　of　modern　munications　makes　for　curious　disconnects。　In　this　case；　the　American　government　knew　what　had　happened　in　Beijing　long　before　the　government　of　the　People's　Republic　did。　What　appeared　in　the　White　House　Office　of　Signals　appeared　also　in　the　State　Department's　Operations　Center；　and　there　the　senior　officer　present　had　decided；　naturally　enough；　to　get　the　information　immediately　to　the　U。S。　Embassy　in　Beijing。　There　Ambassador　Carl　Hitch　took　the　call　at　his　desk　on　the　encrypted　line。　He　forced　the　caller　from　Foggy　Bottom　to　confirm　the　news　twice　before　making　his　first　reaction；　a　whistle。　It　wasn't　often　that　an　accredited　ambassador　of　any　sort　got　killed　in　a　host　country；　much　less　by　a　host　country。　What　the　hell；　he　wondered；　was　Washington　going　to　do　about　this？
　〃Damn；〃　Hitch　whispered。　He　hadn't　even　met　Cardinal　DiMilo　yet。　The　official　reception　had　been　planned　for　two　weeks　from　now　in　a　future　that　would　never　e。　What　was　he　supposed　to　do？　First；　he　figured；　get　off　a　message　of　condolence　to　the　Vatican　mission。　（Foggy　Bottom　would　so　notify　the　Vatican　through　the　Nuncio　in　Washington；　probably。　Maybe　even　Secretary　Adler　would　drive　over　himself　to　offer　official　condolences。　Hell；　President　Ryan　was　Catholic；　and　maybe　he　would　go　himself；　Hitch　speculated。）　Okay；　Hitch　told　himself；　things　to　do　here。　He　had　his　secretary　call　the　Nuncio's　residence；　but　all　he　got　there　was　a　Chinese　national　answering　the　phone；　and　that　wasn't　worth　a　damn。　That　would　have　to　go　on　the　back　burner。。；　what　about　the　Italian　Embassy？　he　thought　next。　The　Nuncio　was　an　Italian　citizen；　wasn't　he？　Probably。　Okay。　He　checked　his　card　file　and　dialed　up　the　Italian　ambassador's　private　line。
　〃Paulo？　This　is　Carl　Hitch。　Thanks；　and　you？　I　have　some　bad　news；　I'm　afraid　。　。　。　the　Papal　Nuncio；　Cardinal　DiMilo；　he's　been　shot　and　killed　in　some　Beijing　hospital　by　a　Chinese　policeman　。　。　。　it's　going　to　be　on　CNN　soon；　not　sure　how　soon　。　。　。　we're　pretty　certain　of　it；　I'm　afraid　。　。　。　I'm　not　entirely　sure；　but　what　I've　been　told　is　that　he　was　there　trying　to　prevent　the　death　of　a　child；　or　one　of　those　late…term　abortions　they　do　here　。　。　。　yeah　。　。　。　say；　doesn't　he　e　from　a　prominent　family？〃　Then　Hitch　started　taking　notes。　〃Vincenzo；　you　said？　I　see　。　。　。　Minister　of　Justice　two　years　ago？　I　tried　to　call　over　there；　but　all　I　got　was　some　local　answering　the　phone。　German？　Schepke？〃　More　notes。　〃I　see。　Thank　you；　Paulo。　Hey；　if　there's　anything　we　can　help　you　with　over　here　。　。　。　right。　Okay。　Bye。〃　He　hung　up。　〃Damn。　Now　what？〃　he　asked　the　desk。　He　could　spread　the　bad　news　to　the　German　Embassy；　but；　no；　he'd　let　someone　else　do　that。　For　now　。。。　he　checked　his　watch。　It　was　still　short　of　sunrise　in　Washington；　and　the　people　there　would　wake　up　to　find　a　firestorm。　His　job；　he　figured；　was　to　verify　what　had　happened　so　that　he　could　make　sure　Washington　had　good　information。　But　how　the　hell　to　do　that？　His　best　potential　source　of　information　was　this　Monsignor　Schepke；　but　the　only　way　to　get　him　was　to　stake　out　the　Vatican　Embassy　and　wait　for　him　to　e　home。　Hmm；　would　the　Chinese　be　holding　him　somewhere？　No；　probably　not。　Once　their　Foreign　Ministry　found　out　about　this；　they'd　probably　fall　all　over　themselves　trying　to　apologize。　So；　they'd　put　extra　security　on　the　Nuncio's　place；　and　that　would　keep　newsies　away；　but　they're　not　going　to　mess　with　accredited　diplomats；　not　after　killing　one。　This　was　just　so　bizarre。　Carl　Hitch　had　been　a　foreign…service　officer　since　his　early　twenties。　He'd　never　e　across　anything　like　this　before；　at　least　not　since　Spike　Dobbs　had　been　held　hostage　in　Afghanistan　by　guerrillas；　and　the　Russians　had　screwed　up　the　rescue　mission　and　gotten　him　killed。　Some　said　that　had　been　deliberate；　but　even　the　Soviets　weren't　that　dumb；　Hitch　thought。　Similarly；　this　hadn't　been　a　deliberate　act　either。　The　Chinese　were　munists；　and　munists　didn't　gamble　that　way。　It　just　wasn't　part　of　their　nature　or　their　training。

　So；　how　had　this　happened？　And　what；　exactly；　had　happened？
　And　when　would　he　tell　Cliff　Rutledge　about　it？　And　what　effect　might　this　have　on　the　trade　talks？　Carl　Hitch　figured　he'd　have　a　full　evening。
　
　The　People's　Republic　will　not　be　dictated　to；〃　Foreign　Minister　Shen　Tang　concluded。
　〃Minister；〃　Rutledge　replied；　〃it　is　not　the　intention　of　the　United　States　to　dictate　to　anyone。　You　make　your　national　policy　to　suit　your　nation's　needs。　We　understand　and　respect　that。　We　require；　however；　that　you　understand　and　respect　our　right　to　make　our　national　policy　as　well；　to　suit　our　country's　needs。　In　this　case；　that　means　invoking　the　provisions　of　the　Trade　Reform　Act。〃
　That　was　a　big；　sharp　sword　to　wave；　and　everyone　in　the　room　knew　it；　Mark　Gant　thought。　The　TRA　enabled　the　Executive　Branch　to　replicate　any　nation's　trade　laws　as　applied　to　American　goods；　and　mirror…image　them　against　that　nation's　own　goods。　It　was　international　proof　of　the　adage　that　the　shoe　could　sure　pinch　if　it　was　on　the　other　foot。　In　this　case；　everything　China　did　to　exclude　American　manufactured　goods　from　the　Chinese　marketplace　would　simply　be　invoked　in　order　to　do　the　same　to　Chinese　goods；　and　with　a　trade　surplus　of　seventy　billion　dollars　per　year；　that　could　well　mean　seventy　billion　dollars…all　of　it　hard　currency。　The　money　to　buy　the　things　the　PRC　government　wanted　from　America　or　elsewhere　wouldn't　be　there　anymore。　Trade　would　bee　trade；　one　of　mine　for　one　of　yours；　which　was　the　theory　that　somehow　never　became　reality。
　〃If　America　embargoes　Chinese　trade；　China　can　and　will　do　the　same　to　America；〃　Shen　shot　back。
　〃Which　serves　neither　your　purposes　nor　our　own；〃　Rutledge　responded。　And　that　dog　ain't　gonna　hunt；　he　didn't　have　to　say。　The　Chinese　knew　that　well　enough　without　being　told。
　〃And　what　of　most…favored…nation　status　for　our　country？　What　of　entry　into　the　World　Trade　Organization？〃　the　Chinese　foreign　minister　demanded。
　〃Mr。　Minister；　America　cannot　look　favorably　upon　either　so　long　as　your　country　expects　open　export　markets　while　closing　your　import　markets。　Trade；　sir；　means　trade；　the　even　exchange　of　your　goods