scoonts.theminotaur-第27部分

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　able　to　fight　in　brushfire　wars　in　places　like　Lebanon　and　North　Africa；　Afghanistan；　Iran；　Korea；　Vietnam。　Maybe　China。　Could　it？　With　million…dollar　missiles　and　a　five…G　restriction？
　When　he　had　recovered　his　temper；　he　motioned　to　Knight　and　Fritsche；　who　ascended　the　ladder　again。　〃What　would　Sam　Dodgers'　gizmo　do　for　this　plane？〃
　〃Lower　the　RCS　from　a　bird　to　a　June　bug。〃　Fritsche　frowned。　〃It's　so　stealthy　now　that　making　it　more　so　wouldn't　be　cost…effective；　at　least　not　in　the　lifetime　of　this　machine。　That's　just　my　opinion；　of　course。〃
　〃On　the　other　hand；〃　Knight　said；　〃this　plane　wouldn't　be　junk　if　Dodgers'　suppressor　can't　be　made　to　work　in　a　real　airplane。　Dodgers　knows　the　reflective　characteristics　of　that　tabernacle　wall　precisely　when　viewed　from　the　old　outhouse　by　one　radar。　Protecting　a　shape　as　plex　as　an　aircraft　from　numerous　transmitters　and　God　knows　how　many　receivers　situated　in　ail　three　dimensions…that's　another　thing　altogether。〃
　〃Tell　me　what　all　this　stuff　is；〃　Jake　said。　〃This　doesn't　look　like　any　cockpit　I　ever　saw。〃
　〃Both　prototypes　have　exactly　the　same　layout。　This　is　all　the　stuff　that　was　going　into　the　A…6G。　What　these　television…screen　things　are　are　Multifunction　Displays。　This　lower　middle　one　is　a　map　that　moves　as　the　plane　moves。　The　plane　always　stays　in　the　center。　This　should　do　away　with　the　necessity　for　the　crew　to　always　carry　awkward　charts　in　the　cockpit。
　〃Now　these　upper　two　MFDs　present　literally　all　the　information　the　pilot　might　wish　to　know；　or　the　info　can　be　presented　on　the　HUD。　A　touch　of　the　button　calls　up　engine　information；　another　button　calls　up　the　radar　presentation　from　the　rear　cockpit；　still　another　the　presentation　from　either　one　of　the　two　IR　sensors；　and　so　on。　Then　there's　a　variety　of　tactical　displays。。。〃　He　droned　on。
　Jake　was　astounded。　This　was　several　generations　beyond　the　A…6　cockpit。　It　was　technically　as　far　beyond　an　A…6　as　an　A…6　was　from　a　World　War　II　B…17。　〃I　had　no　idea；〃　he　muttered；　awed。
　Knight　showed　him　the　rear　cockpit。　It　was　equally　futuristic。　Instead　of　the　HUD　control　panel；　it　possessed　a　third　MFD；　so　three　of　them　were　arranged　in　a　row　right　across　the　panel。　Under　the　center　one　was　the　map　display。　〃This　moving　map…didn't　James　Bond　have　one　like　this　in　one　of　the　movies？〃
　〃Yep。　But　this　is　better。〃
　〃Mamma　Mia！〃
　The　BN　in　an　A…6　had　one　cursor　control　stick。　The　BN　in　this　plane　had　two；　one　on　each　side　panel；　and　instead　of　just　a　couple　of　buttons　sticking　out；　each　stick　was　festooned　with　buttons；　like　warts。　〃The　idea　is　that　the　BN　won't　have　to　reach　for　controls。　Everything　he　needs　is　on　those　control　sticks。〃
　After　Jake　spent　another　half　hour　walking　around　the　airplane　and　looking　at　every　inch；　he　asked　each　of　the　manders　what　they　thought。　One　plained　about　range　and　payload；　another　about　the　intake　problems；　a　third　about　the　difficulty　of　maintenance。　All　were　aghast　at　the　cost。　〃But　five　years　from　now　we'll　all　probably　think　sixty…two　million　dollars　for　a　plane　was　a　hell　of　a　buy；〃　Smoke　Judy　mented。
　〃You　know；〃　Jake　said　later　as　he　stood　in　the　doorway　with　Helmut　Fritsche　and　looked　back　at　the　all…black　airplane；　〃I　had　an　uncle　who　went　to　the　car　dealer　one　morning　to　buy　a　station　wagon　for　the　family；　and　that　evening　he　went　home　with　a　little　red　convertible　coupe。〃
　〃High　tech　is　sexy。〃
　Jake　thought　about　it。　〃It's　so　damn　neat　that　you　try　to　convince　yourself　that　you　need　it。　All　the　bells　and　whistles　and　doohickeys　and　thingamajigs。　And　the　day　you　have　to　bet　your　ass　on　these　gadgets；　they　don't　work。〃
　〃Shapes　and　absorbers　work。〃
　〃I　suppose。　But　how　is　Sam　Dodgers'　superconductive　puter　with　multiple　CPUs　going　to　work　after　five　hundred　catapult　shots　and　five　hundred　arrested　landings　when　some　kid　racks　the　plane　through　a　six…G　pull　to　evade　an　optically　aimed　missile？　How　are　all　these　MFDs　and　IR　sensors　and　ring…laser　gyros　going　to　hold　up？　Is　this　techno…junk　gonna　work　then？〃
　
　9
　
　Terry　Franklin　stood　with　his　back　against　a　pillar　and　tried　to　keep　his　face　pointed　at　Lincoln's　Second　Inaugural　Address。　The　pillar　was　the　second　one　on　the　right　after　you　came　through　the　main　entrance。　The　man　on　the　phone　had　been　very　precise　about　that。　Second　pillar　on　the　right；　on　the　side　toward　the　Inaugural　Address。
　His　eyes　kept　moving。　He　was　nervous；　so　nervous。　He　had　vomited　up　his　breakfast　an　hour　ago。。。　Not　that　person；　a　teenage　girl。　Not　that　old　fat　woman　with　the　cane　and　the　two　kids。　Maybe　that　man　in　the　suit　over　there。。。　he　could　be　FBI。　Was　he　looking　this　way？　Why　was　he　turning？　That　long…haired　guy　in　jeans。。。
　He　had　been　here　ten　minutes　and　had　already　spotted　five　men　who　could　be　FBI。　Maybe　they　all　were。　What　if　they　had　him　staked　out；　like　a　goat？　Maybe　he　should　just　leave；　walk　away　and　forget　all　of　this。　He　had　plenty　of　money。　Enough。　He　had　enough。　If　they　weren't　on　to　him　he　could　live　carefully　and　fortably　for　years　with　no　one　the　wiser。　But　what　if　they　knew？
　〃It's　one　of　the　world's　great　speeches；　isn't　it？〃
　He　turned　and　stared。　A　man；　in　his　fifties　with　a　tan　face；　stocky；　wearing　a　short　jacket；　looking　at　the　speech　carved　in　the　marble。　On　his　head　a　brimmed　hat。　What's　the　response？　Holy。。。　think！　〃Yeah。。。　uh；　but　I　think　the　Gettysburg　Address　is　better。〃
　〃Stay　twenty　feet　or　so　behind　me。〃　The　man　turned　and　walked　for　the　entrance；　not　fast；　not　slow；　just　walking。　After　he　had　gone　three　paces　Terry　Franklin　could　wait　no　longer　and　followed。
　The　man　was　only　ten　feet　ahead　going　down　the　wide；　broad　steps　in　front　of　the　Memorial。　Franklin　forced　himself　to　slow　down　and　lag　behind。　The　distance　had　increased　to　fifteen　feet　by　the　time　they　reached　the　sidewalk；　but　it　narrowed　again　as　Franklin　strode　along。　He　stood　right　behind　the　man　as　he　waited　for　a　tour　bus　to　roll　by。
　On　the　other　side　of　the　street　the　man　said；　〃Walk　beside　me。〃　He　led　Terry　along　the　north　side　of　the　Reflecting　Pool　until　he　found　an　empty　bench。　〃Here；〃　he　said。
　〃Can't　we　go　somewhere　private？〃　Franklin　asked；　still　on　his　feet　and　looking　around　in　all　directions。
　〃This　is　private。　Sit！〃　The　petty　officer　obeyed。　〃Look　at　me。　Stop　looking　around。　You're　as　nervous　as　a　schoolboy　smoking　his　first　cigarette。〃
　〃Something　went　wrong。　Really　wrong。　Why　in　hell　did　you　people　have　a　drop　in　a　black　ghetto？　Some　nigger　doper　could　have　torn　my　head　off　over　there。〃
　〃The　drops　were　selected　in　Moscow；　from　a　list。　That　drop　was　originally　chosen　for　another　agent。〃　The　man　shrugged；　resigned；　〃Bureaucrats。　These　things　happen。〃
　〃So　who　got　the　message？　Answer　me　that！　Who　saw　me　there？　The　cops？　The　FBI？　NIS？〃　The　pitch　of　his　voice　started　rising。　〃What　am　I　supposed　to　do　now？　Wait　until…〃
　〃No　one　saw　you。　Some　child　or　derelict　probably　removed　the　cigarette　pack；　or　it　was　blown　out　of　the　hole　by　the　wind。　If　you　had　been　observed　they　would　be　tailing　you　now。〃
　Franklin　couldn't　help　himself。　He　turned　his　head　quickly；　scanning。
　〃Sit　still！　You　only　call　attention　to　yourself　by　doing　that；　and　believe　me；　there　is　nothing　to　see。　You　are　clean。　I　wouldn't　be　here　if　you　weren't。〃
　Franklin　stared　at　his　feet。　He　was　so　miserable。　〃I　called　in　sick　today。〃
　〃And　you　rode　the　subways　just　as　we　instructed；　and　we　checked　you　all　the　way。　No　one　followed。　No　one　pulled　up　to　Metro　stations　to　see　if　you　got　off。　No　one　made　phone　calls　or　ran　for　a　car　after　you　passed　by。　You　are　clean。　You　are　not　being　watched。〃
　〃So　who　are　you？〃
　〃You　don't　need…〃　He　took　a　deep　breath　and　exhaled　slowly。　〃My　name　is　Yuri。〃　The　man　extracted　a　pack　of　cigarettes　from　an　inside　jacket　pocket　and　lit　one。　Marlboro　Gold　100s；　Franklin　noticed。　The　fingers　that　held　the　cigarette　were　thick；　the　nails　short。　No　rings。
　〃So　what　do　you　want　me　to　do？〃
　〃I'm　here　to　evaluate　you；　to　see　if　you　are　capable　of　going　on；　of　continuing　to　serve。〃
　Franklin　thought　about　it。　Lucy　hadn't　spoken　to　him　for　four　days　now。　God　only　knows　what　that　bitch　will　do。　Still；　ten　thousand　bucks　a　disk　was　damn　good　money。　And　if。。。
　〃If　you　wish　to　continue；　you　must　calm　down。　You　must　get　a　grip　on　yourself。〃　Yuri's　voice　was　low　and　steady。　〃Your　greatest　asset　is　that　no　one　suspects　you；　and　if　you　bee　nervous；　irrational；　irritable；　not　your　usual　self；　then　you　call　attention　to　yourself　and　make　yourself　suspect。　Do　you　understand？〃
　〃Yes。〃　He　glanced　at　the　man；　who　was　looking　at　him　carefully　with　inquisitive；　knowing　eyes。　Franklin　averted　his　gaze。
　〃We'll　give　you　a　rest；〃　Yuri　said。　〃We'll　wait　a　few　months　before　we　give　you　another　assignment。　Will　that　help？〃
　Terry　Franklin　was　torn。　He　wanted　the　money；　quickly；　but　as　he　sat　here　on　this　bench　knowing　they　could　be　watching　he　knew　just　how　close　he　was　to　the　end　of　his　emotional　rope。　For　the　first　time　in　his　life　he　realized　how　little　real　courage　he　had。　But　for　this　kind　of　money　maybe　he　could　screw　up　enough　stuff　to　keep　going；　for　a　while　at　least。　If　he　had　some　time。　He　rubbed　his　eyes；　trying　to　quell　the　tic　in　his　left　eyelid。　〃Yes；〃　he　said　slowly；　〃perhaps　it　would　be　better　to　let　things　cool　off；　settle　down。〃
　〃Okay。　So　tomorrow　you　go　back　to　work　as　usual。　Do　all　the　usual　things；　all　the　things　you　normally　do。　Keep　to　your　routine。　Do　nothing　out　of　the　ordinary。　Be　pleasant　to　your　colleagues。　Can　you　manage　that？〃
　He　considered　it；　visions　of　the　office　and　the　chief　flashing　before　his　eyes；　fear　welling　up。
　〃Yes？〃
　〃Yes。〃　He　got　it　out。
　〃Do　you　want　to　talk　about　anything　else？〃
　He　shook　his　head　no。
　〃You　are　doing　important　work。　You　have　made　a　great　contribution。　Your　work　is　known　in　Moscow。〃
　Terry　Franklin　said　nothing。　Of　course　his　work　was　known　in　Moscow。　Just　as　long　as　no　one　here　found　out　about　it；　everything　would　be　fine。　Ensuring　that　that　didn't　happen　was　the　whole　problem。
　〃To　show　you　how　valuable　your　work　is；　we　are　raising　your　pay。　To　eleven　thousand　a　disk。〃
　Franklin　just　nodded。　The　enormity　of　the　risks　he　was　running　to　earn　that　money　had　finally　sunk　in　the　last　four　days。　He　no　longer　thought