mreilly.icestation-第7部分

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　〃Yes。　You　can't　hear　him　now；　which　means　he's　probably　asleep。　But　when　he's　awake；　believe　me；　you'll　know　it。〃　
　〃Uh…huh。〃　Schofield　examined　the　edges　of　the　door；　saw　the　rivets　holding　it　to　the　frame。　〃Your　friend　did　a　good　job　with　the　door。〃　He　turned　around。　〃If　he's　locked　inside。　That's　good　enough　for　me；　if　you're　sure　there's　no　other　way　out　of　that　room。〃　
　〃This　is　the　only　entrance。〃　
　〃Yeah；　but　is　there　any　other　way　out　of　the　room？　Could　he　dig　his　way　out；　say；　through　the　walls；　or　the　ceiling？〃　
　〃The　ceilings　and　the　floors　are　steel…lined；　so　he　can't　dig　through　them。　And　his　room's　at　the　end　of　the　corridor；　so　there　aren't　any　rooms　on　either　side　of　it…the　walls　are　solid　ice；〃　Sarah　Hensleigh　gave　Schofield　a　crooked　smile。　〃I　don't　think　there's　any　way　out　of　there。〃　
　〃Then　we　leave　him　in　there；〃　Schofield　said　as　he　started　walking　back　down　the　ice　tunnel。　〃We've　got　other　things　to　worry　about。　The　first　of　which　is　finding　out　what　happened　to　your　divers　down　in　that　cave。〃　
　
　
　
　The　sun　shone　brightly　over　Washington；　D。C。　The　Capitol　practically　glowed　white　against　the　magnificent　blue　sky。　
　In　a　lavish　red…carpeted　corner　of　the　Capitol　Building；　the　meeting　broke　for　recess。　Folders　were　closed。　Chairs　were　pushed　back。　Some　of　the　delegates　took　off　their　reading　glasses　and　rubbed　their　eyes。　As　soon　as　the　recess　was　called；　small　clusters　of　aides　immediately　rushed　forward　to　their　bosses'　sides　with　cellular　phones；　folders；　and　faxes。　
　〃What　are　they　up　to？〃　the　U。S。　Permanent　Representative；　George　Holmes；　said　to　his　aide　as　he　watched　the　entire　French　delegation…all　twelve　of　them…leave　the　negotiating　room。　〃That's　the　fourth　time　they've　called　a　recess　today。〃　
　Holmes　watched　France's　Chef　de　Mission…a　pompous；　snobbish　man　named　Pierre　Dufresne…leave　the　room　at　the　head　of　his　group。　He　shook　his　head　in　wonder。　
　George　Holmes　was　a　diplomat；　had　been　all　his　life。　He　was　fifty…five；　short；　and；　though　he　hated　to　admit　it；　a　little　overweight。　
　Holmes　had　a　round；　moonlike　face　and　a　horseshoe　of　graying　hair；　and　he　wore　thick　horn…rimmed　glasses　that　made　his　brown　eyes　appear　larger　than　they　really　were。　
　He　stood　up　and　stretched　his　legs；　looked　around　at　the　enormous　meeting　room。　A　huge　circular　table　stood　in　the　center　of　the　room；　with　sixteen　fortable　leather　chairs　placed　at　equal　distances　around　its　circumference。　
　The　occasion；　the　reaffirmation　of　an　alliance。　
　International　alliances　are　not　exactly　the　friendly　affairs　the　TV　news　makes　them　out　to　be。　When　Presidents　and　Prime　Ministers　emerge　from　the　White　House　and　shake　hands　for　the　cameras　in　front　of　their　interlocking　flags；　they　belie　the　deal　making；　the　promise　breaking；　the　nit…picking；　and　the　catfighting　that　go　on　in　rooms　not　unlike　the　one　in　which　George　Holmes　now　stood。　The　smiles　and　the　handshakes　are　merely　the　icing　on　very　plex；　negotiated　cakes　that　are　made　by　professional　diplomats　like　Holmes。　
　International　alliances　are　not　about　friendship。　They　are　about　advantage。　If　friendship　brings　advantage；　then　friendship　is　desirable。　If　friendship　does　not　bring　advantage；　then　perhaps　merely　civil　relations　may　be　all　that　is　necessary。　International　friendship…in　terms　of　foreign　aid；　military　allegiance；　and　trade　alignment…can　be　a　very　expensive　business。　It　is　not　entered　into　lightly。　
　Which　was　the　reason　why　George　Holmes　was　in　Washington　on　this　bright　summer's　day。　He　was　a　negotiator。　More　than　that；　he　was　a　negotiator　skilled　in　the　niceties　and　subtleties　of　diplomatic　exchange。　
　And　he　would　need　all　his　skills　in　this　diplomatic　exchange；　for　this　was　no　ordinary　reaffirmation　of　an　alliance。　
　This　was　a　reaffirmation　of　what　was　arguably　the　most　important　alliance　of　the　twentieth　century。　
　The　North　Atlantic　Treaty　Organization。　
　NATO。　
　
　〃Phil；　did　you　know　that　for　the　last　forty　years；　the　one　and　only　goal　of　French　foreign　policy　has　been　to　destroy　the　United　States'　hegemony　over　the　Western　world？〃　Holmes　mused　as　he　waited　for　the　French　delegation　to　return　to　the　meeting　room。　
　His　aide；　a　twenty…five…year…old　Harvard　Law　grad　named　Phillip　Munro；　hesitated　before　he　answered。　He　wasn't　sure　if　it　was　a　rhetorical　question。　Holmes　swiveled　on　his　chair　and　stared　at　Munro　through　his　thick　glasses。　
　〃Ah；　no；　sir；　I　didn't；〃　Munro　said。　
　Holmes　nodded　thoughtfully。　〃They　think　of　us　as　brutes；　unsophisticated　fools。　Beer…swilling　rednecks　who　through　some　accident　of　history　somehow　got　our　hands　on　the　most　powerful　weapons　in　the　world　and；　from　that；　became　its　leader。　The　French　resent　that。　Hell；　they're　not　even　a　full　NATO　member　anymore；　because　they　think　it　perpetuates　U。S。　influence　over　Europe。〃　
　Holmes　snuffed　a　laugh。　He　remembered　when；　in　1966；　France　withdrew　from　NATO's　integrated　military　mand　because　it　did　not　want　French　nuclear　weapons　to　be　placed　under　NATO…and　therefore　U。S。…control。　At　the　time　the　French　President；　Charles　de　Gaulle；　had　said　point…blank　that　NATO　was　〃an　American　organization。〃　Now　France　simply　maintained　a　seat　on　NATO's　North　Atlantic　Council　to　keep　an　eye　on　things。　
　Munro　said；　〃I　know　a　few　people　who　would　agree　with　them。　Academics；　economists。　People　who　would　say　that　that's　exactly　what　NATO　is　designed　to　do。　Perpetuate　our　influence　over　Europe。〃　
　Holmes　smiled。　Munro　was　good　value。　College…educated　and　an　ardent　liberal；　he　was　one　of　those　let's…have…a…philosophical…debate…over…coffee　types。　The　kind　who　argue　for　a　better　world　when　they　have　absolutely　no　experience　in　it。　Holmes　didn't　mind　that。　In　fact；　he　found　Munro　refreshing。　〃But　what　do　you　say；　Phil？〃　he　asked。　
　Munro　was　silent　for　a　few　seconds。　Then　he　said；　〃NATO　makes　European　countries　economically　and　technologically　dependent　upon　the　United　States　for　defense。　Even　highly　developed　countries　like　France　and　England　know　that　if　they　want　the　best　weapons　systems；　they　have　to　e　to　us。　And　that　leaves　them　with　two　options…e　knocking　on　our　door　with　their　hats　in　their　hands　or　join　NATO。　And　so　far　as　I　know；　the　United　States　hasn't　sold　any　Patriot　missile　systems　to　non…NATO　countries。　So；　yes；　I　think　that　NATO　does　perpetuate　our　influence　over　Europe。〃　
　〃Not　a　bad　analysis；　Phil。　But　let　me　tell　you　something；　it　goes　a　lot　further　than　that；　a　lot　further；〃　he　said。　〃So　much　so；　in　fact；　that　the　White　House　maintains　that　the　national　security　of　the　United　States　depends　upon　that　influence。　We　want　to　keep　our　influence　over　Europe；　Phil；　economically　and　especially　technologically。　France；　on　the　other　hand；　would　like　us　to　lose　that　influence。　And　for　the　last　ten　years　successive　French　governments　have　been　actively　pursuing　a　policy　of　eroding　U。S。　influence　in　Europe。〃　
　〃Example？〃　Munro　said。　
　〃Did　you　know　that　it　was　France　who　was　the　driving　force　behind　the　establishment　of　the　European　Union？〃　
　〃Well；　no。　I　thought　it　was…〃　
　〃Did　you　know　that　it　was　France　who　was　the　driving　force　behind　the　establishment　of　a　European　Defense　Charter？〃　
　A　pause。　
　〃No；〃　Munro　said。　
　〃Did　you　know　that　it　is　France　who　subsidizes　the　European　Space　Agency　so　that　the　ESA　can　charge　vastly　cheaper　prices　for　taking　mercial　satellites　up　into　orbit　than　NASA　can？〃　
　〃No；　I　didn't　know　that。〃　
　〃Son；　for　the　last　ten　years；　France　has　been　trying　to　unite　Europe　like　never　before　and　sell　it　to　the　rest　of　the　world。　They　call　it　regional　pride。　We　call　it　an　attempt　to　tell　European　nations　that　they　don't　need　America　anymore。〃　
　〃Does　Europe　need　America　anymore？〃　Munro　asked　quickly。　A　loaded　question。　
　Homes　gave　his　young　aide　a　crooked　smile。　〃Until　Europe　can　match　us　weapon…for…weapon；　yes；　they　do　need　us。　What　frustrates　France　most　about　us　is　our　defense　technology。　They　can't　match　it。　We're　too　far　ahead　of　them。　It　infuriates　them。　
　〃And　as　long　as　we　stay　ahead　of　them；　they　know　that　they've　got　no　option　but　to　follow　us。　But〃…Holmes　held　up　a　finger…〃once　they　get　their　hands　on　something　new；　once　they　develop　something　that　tops　our　technology；　then　I　think　things　may　be　different。　
　〃This　isn't　1966　anymore。　Things　have　changed。　The　world　has　changed。　If　France　walked　out　of　NATO　now；　I　think　half　of　the　other　European　nations　in　the　organization　would　walk　out　with　her…〃　
　At　that　moment；　the　doors　to　the　meeting　room　opened　and　the　French　delegation；　led　by　Pierre　Dufresne；　came　back　into　the　room。　
　As　the　French　delegates　returned　to　their　seats；　Holmes　leaned　close　to　Munro。　〃What　worries　me　most；　though；　is　that　the　French　may　be　closer　to　that　new　discovery　than　we　think。　Look　at　them　today。　They've　recessed　this　meeting　four　times　already。　Four　times。　Do　you　know　what　that　means？〃　
　〃What？〃　
　〃They're　stalling　the　meeting。　Drawing　it　out。　You　only　stall　like　that　when　you're　waiting　for　information。　That's　why　they　keep　recessing…so　they　can　talk　with　their　intelligence　people　and　get　an　update　on　whatever　it　is　they're　up　to。　And　by　the　looks　of　things；　whatever　that　is；　it　could　be　the　difference　between　the　continued　existence　of　NATO　and　its　plete　destruction。〃　
　
　
　
　The　sleek　black　head　broke　the　surface　without　a　sound。　It　was　a　sinister　head；　with　two　dark；　lifeless　eyes　on　either　side　of　a　glistening　snub…nosed　snout。　
　A　few　moments　later；　a　second；　identical　head　appeared　next　to　the　first；　and　the　two　animals　curiously　observed　the　activity　taking　place　on　E…deck。　
　The　two　killer　whales　in　the　pool　of　Wilkes　Ice　Station　were　rather　small　specimens；　despite　the　fact　that　they　each　weighed　close　to　five　tons。　From　tip　to　tail　they　were　each　at　least　fifteen　feet　long。　
　Having　evaluated　and　dismissed　the　activity　taking　place　on　the　deck　around　them…where　Lieutenant　Schofield　was　busy　getting　a　couple　of　divers　suited　up…the　two　killer　whales　began　to　circle　the　pool；　gliding　around　the　diving　bell　that　sat　half…submerged　in　the　very　center　of　the　pool。　
　Their　movements　seemed　odd；　almost　coordinated。　As　one　killer　would　look　one　way；　the　other　would　look　in　the　opposite　direction。　It　was　almost　as　if　they　were　searching　fo