tc.thebearandthedragon-第86部分

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n　that。〃
　〃Anything　from　our；　uh；　new　source　on　this　issue？〃
　Ryan　shook　his　head。　〃No；　MP　hasn't　sent　anything　over　yet。〃
　〃If　she　does。。。〃
　〃You'll　get　a　copy　real　fast；〃　the　President　promised。　〃Get　me　some　talking　points。　I'll　have　to　make　a　statement…when；　Arnie？〃
　〃Elevenish　ought　to　be　okay；〃　van　Damm　decided。　〃I'll　talk　to　some　media　guys　about　this。〃
　〃Okay；　if　anybody　has　ideas　later　today；　I　want　to　hear　them；〃　Ryan　said；　standing；　and　adjourning　the　meeting。
　
　
　
　
　CHAPTER　26
　Glass　Houses　and　Rocks
　
　Fang　Gan　had　worked　late　that　day　because　of　the　incident　that　had　Washington　working　early。　As　a　result；　Ming　hadn't　transcribed　his　discussion　notes　and　her　puter　hadn't　gotten　them　out　on　the　'Net　as　early　as　usual；　but　Mary　Pat　got　her　e…mail　about　9：45。　This　she　read　over；　copied　to　her　husband；　Ed；　and　then　shot　via　secure　fax　line　to　the　White　House；　where　Ben　Goodley　walked　it　to　the　Oval　Office。　The　cover　letter　didn't　contain　Mary　Pat's　initial　ment　on　reading　the　transmission：　〃Oh；　shit。　。　。〃
　〃Those　cocksuckers！〃　Ryan　snarled；　to　the　surprise　of　Andrea　Price；　who　happened　to　be　in　the　room　just　then。
　〃Anything　I　need　to　know　about；　sir？〃　she　asked；　his　voice　had　been　so　furious。
　〃No；　Andrea；　just　that　thing　on　CNN　this　morning。〃　Ryan　paused；　blushing　that　she'd　heard　his　temper　let　go　again…and　in　that　way。　〃By　the　way；　how's　your　husband　doing？〃
　〃Well；　he　bagged　those　three　bank　robbers　up　in　Philadelphia；　and　they　did　it　without　firing　a　shot。　I　was　a　little　worried　about　that。〃
　Ryan　allowed　himself　a　smile。　〃That's　one　guy　I　wouldn't　want　to　have　a　shoot…out　with。　Tell　me；　you　saw　CNN　this　morning；　right？〃
　〃Yes；　sir；　and　we　replayed　it　at　the　mand　post。〃
　〃Opinion？〃
　〃If　I'd've　been　there；　my　weapon　would　have　e　out。　That　was　cold…blooded　murder。　Looks　bad　on　TV　when　you　do　dumb　stuff　like　that；　sir。〃
　〃Sure　as　hell　does；〃　the　President　agreed。　He　nearly　asked　her　opinion　on　what　he　ought　to　do　about　it。　Ryan　respected　Mrs。　O'Day's　（she　still　went　by　Price　on　the　job）　judgment；　but　it　wouldn't　have　been　fair　to　ask　her　to　delve　into　foreign　affairs；　and；　besides；　he　already　had　his　mind　pretty　well　made　up。　But　then　he　speed…dialed　Adler's　direct　line　on　his　phone。
　〃Yes；　Jack？〃　Only　one　person　had　that　direct　line。
　〃What　do　you　make　of　the　SORGE　stuff？〃
　〃It's　not　surprising；　unfortunately。　You　have　to　expect　them　to　circle　wagons。〃
　〃What　do　we　do　about　it？〃　SWORDSMAN　demanded。
　〃We　say　what　we　think；　but　we　try　not　to　make　it　worse　than　it　already　is；〃　SecState　replied；　cautious　as　ever。
　〃Right；〃　Ryan　growled；　even　though　it　was　exactly　the　good　advice　he'd　expected　from　his　SecState。　Then　he　hung　up。　He　reminded　himself　that　Arnie　had　told　him　a　long　time　ago　that　a　president　wasn't　allowed　to　have　a　temper；　but　that　was　asking　a　hell　of　a　lot；　and　at　what　point　was　he　allowed　to　react　the　way　a　man　needed　to　react？　When　was　he　supposed　to　stop　acting　like　a　goddamned　robot？
　〃You　want　Callie　to　work　up　something　for　you　in　a　hurry？〃　Arnie　asked　over　the　phone。
　〃No；〃　Ryan　replied；　with　a　shake　of　the　head。　〃I'll　just　wing　it。〃
　〃That's　a　mistake；〃　the　Chief　of　Staff　warned。
　〃Arnie；　just　let　me　be　me　once　in　a　while；　okay？〃
　〃Okay；　Jack；〃　van　Damm　replied；　and　it　was　just　as　well　the　President　didn't　see　his　expression。
　Don't　make　things　worse　than　they　already　are；　Ryan　told　himself　at　his　desk。　Yeah；　sure；　like　that's　possible　。　。　。
　
　〃Hi；　Pap；〃　Robby　Jackson　was　saying　in　his　office　at　the　northwest　corner　of　the　West　Wing。　〃Robert；　have　you　seen…〃
　〃Yes；　we've　all　seen　it；〃　the　Vice　President　assured　his　father。　〃And　what　are　y'all　going　to　do　about　it？〃
　〃Pap；　we　haven't　figured　that　out　yet。　Remember　that　we　have　to　do　business　with　these　people。　The　jobs　of　a　lot　of　Americans　depend　on　trade　with　China　and…〃
　〃Robert〃…the　Reverend　Hosiah　Jackson　used　Robby's　proper　name　mainly　when　he　was　feeling　rather　stern…〃those　people　murdered　a　man　of　God…no；　excuse　me；　they　murdered　two　men　of　God；　doing　their　duty；　trying　to　save　the　life　of　an　innocent　child；　and　one　does　not　do　business　with　murderers。〃
　〃I　know　that；　and　I　don't　like　it　any　more　than　you　do；　and；　trust　me；　Jack　Ryan　doesn't　like　it　any　more　than　you　do；　either。　But　when　we　make　foreign　policy　for　our　country；　we　have　to　think　things　through；　because　if　we　screw　it　up；　people　can　lose　their　lives。〃
　〃Lives　have　already　been　lost；　Robert；〃　Reverend　Jackson　pointed　out。
　〃I　know　that。　Look；　Pap；　I　know　more　about　this　than　you　do；　okay？　I　mean；　we　have　ways　of　finding　out　stuff　that　doesn't　make　it　on　CNN；〃　the　Vice　President　told　his　father；　with　the　latest　SORGE　report　right　in　his　hand。　Part　of　him　wished　that　he　could　show　it　to　his　father；　because　his　father　was　easily　smart　enough　to　grasp　the　importance　of　the　secret　things　that　he　and　Ryan　knew。　But　there　was　no　way　he　could　even　approach　discussing　that　sort　of　thing　with　anyone　without　a　TS/SAR　clearance；　and　that　included　his　wife；　just　as　it　included　Cathy　Ryan。　Hmm；　Jackson　thought…maybe　that　was　something　he　should　discuss　with　Jack。　You　had　to　be　able　to　talk　this　stuff　over　with　someone　you　trusted；　just　as　a　reality　check　on　what　was　right　and　wrong。　Their　wives　weren't　security　risks；　were　they？
　〃Like　what？〃　his　father　asked；　only　halfway　expecting　an　answer。
　〃Like　I　can't　discuss　some　things　with　you；　Pap；　and　you　know　that。　I'm　sorry。　The　rules　apply　to　me　just　like　they　do　to　everybody　else。〃
　〃So；　what　are　we　going　to　do　about　this？〃
　〃We're　going　to　let　the　Chinese　know　that　we　are　pretty　damned　angry；　and　we　expect　them　to　clean　their　act　up；　and　apologize；　and…〃
　〃Apologize！〃　Reverend　Jackson　shot　back。　〃Robert；　they　murdered　two　people！〃
　〃I　know　that；　Pap；　but　we　can't　send　the　FBI　over　to　arrest　their　government　for　this；　can　we？　We're　very　powerful　here；　but　we　are　not　God；　and　as　much　as　I'd　like　to　hurl　a　thunderbolt　at　them；　I　can't。〃
　〃So；　we're　going　to　do　what？〃
　〃We　haven't　decided　yet。　I'll　let　you　know　when　we　figure　it　out；〃　TOMCAT　promised　his　father。
　〃Do　that；〃　Hosiah　said；　hanging　up　far　more　abruptly　than　usual。
　〃Christ；　Pap；〃　Robby　breathed　into　the　phone。　Then　he　wondered　how　representative　of　the　religious　munity　his　father　was。　The　hardest　thing　to　figure　was　public　reaction。　People　reacted　on　a　subintellectual　level　to　what　they　saw　on　TV。　If　you　showed　some　chief　of　state　tossing　a　puppy　dog　out　the　window　of　his　car；　the　ASPCA　might　demand　a　break　in　diplomatic　relations；　and　enough　people　might　agree　to　send　a　million　telegrams　or　e…mails　to　the　White　House。　Jackson　remembered　a　case　in　California　where　the　killing　of　a　dog　had　caused　more　public　outrage　than　the　kidnap…murder　of　a　little　girl。　But　at　least　the　bastard　who'd　killed　the　girl　had　been　caught；　tried；　and　sentenced　to　death；　whereas　the　asshole　who'd　tossed　the　little　dog　into　traffic　had　never　been　identified；　despite　the　ton　of　reward　money　that　had　been　raised。　Well；　it　had　all　happened　in　the　San　Francisco　area。　Maybe　that　explained　it。　America　wasn't　supposed　to　make　policy　on　the　basis　of　emotion；　but　America　was　a　democracy；　and　therefore　her　elected　officials　had　to　pay　attention　to　what　the　people　thought…and　it　wasn't　easy；　especially　for　rational　folk；　to　predict　the　emotions　of　the　public　at　large。　Could　the　television　image　they'd　just　seen；　theoretically　upset　international　trade？　Without　a　doubt；　and　that　was　a　very　big　deal。
　Jackson　got　up　from　his　desk　and　walked　to　Arnie's　office。　〃Got　a　question；〃　he　said；　going　in。
　〃Shoot；〃　the　President's　Chief　of　Staff　replied。
　〃How's　the　public　going　to　react　to　this　mess　in　Beijing？〃
　〃Not　sure　yet；〃　van　Damm　answered。
　〃How　do　we　find　out？〃
　〃Usually　you　just　wait　and　see。　I'm　not　into　this　focus…group　stuff。　I　prefer　to　gauge　public　opinion　the　regular　way：　newspaper　editorials；　letters　to　the　editor；　and　the　mail　we　get　here。　You're　worried　about　this？〃
　〃Yep。〃　Robby　nodded。
　〃Yeah；　so　am　I。　The　Right…to…Lifers　are　going　to　be　on　this　like　a　lion　on　a　crippled　gazelle；　and　so　are　the　people　who　don't　like　the　PRC。　Lots　of　them　in　Congress。　If　the　Chinese　think　they're　going　to　get
　MFN　this　year；　they're　on　drugs。　It's　a　public　relations　nightmare　for　the　PRC；　but　I　don't　think　they're　capable　of　understanding　what　they　started。　And　I　don't　see　them　apologizing　to　anybody。〃
　〃Yeah；　well；　my　father　just　tore　me　a　new　asshole　over　this　one；〃　Vice　President　Jackson　said。　〃If　the　rest　of　the　clergy　picks　this　one　up；　there's　going　to　be　a　firestorm。　The　Chinese　have　to　apologize　loud　and　fast　if　they　want　to　cut　their　losses。〃
　Van　Damm　nodded　agreement。　〃Yeah；　but　they　won't。　They're　tod　damned　proud。〃
　〃Pride　goeth　before　the　fall；〃　TOMCAT　observed。
　〃Only　after　you　feel　the　pain　from　the　broken　assbone；　Admiral；〃　van　Damm　corrected　the　Vice　President。
　
　Ryan　entered　the　White　House　press　room　feeling　tense。　The　usual　cameras　were　there。　CNN　and　Fox　would　probably　be　running　this　news　conference　live　and　maybe　C…SPAN　as　well。　The　other　networks　would　just　tape　it；　probably；　for　use　in　their　news　feeds　to　the　local　stations　and　their　own　flagship　evening　news　shows。　He　came　to　the　lectern　and　took　a　sip　of　water　before　staring　into　the　faces　of　the　assembled　thirty　or　so　reporters。
　〃Good　morning；〃　Jack　began；　grasping　the　lectern　tightly；　as　he　tended　to　do　when　angry。　He　didn't　know　that　reporters　knew　about　it；　too；　and　could　see　it　from　where　they　sat。
　〃We　all　saw　those　horrible　pictures　on　the　television　this　morning；　the　deaths　of　Renato　Cardinal　DiMilo；　the　Papal　Nuncio　to　the　People's　Republic　of　China；　and　the　Reverend　Yu　Fa　An；　who；　we　believe；　was　a　native　of　the　Republic　of　China　and　educated　at　Oral　Roberts　University　in　Oklahoma。　First　of　all；　the　United　States　of　America　extends　our　condolences　to　the　families　of　both　men。　Second；　we　call　upon　the　government　of　the　People's　Republic　to　launch　an　immediate　and　full　investigation　of　this　horrible　tragedy；　to　determine　who；　if　anyone；　was　at　fault；　and　if　someone　was　at　fault；　for　such　person　or　persons　to　be　prosecuted　to　the　full　extent　of　the　law。
　〃The　death　of　a　diplomat　at　the　hands　of　an　agent　of　a　go