scoonts.theminotaur-第46部分

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　Toad　looked　up　and　down　the　hall　for　help；　someone　or　something　to　rescue　him。　No　such　luck。　He　looked　again　at　Rita；　who　was　absorbing　every　twitch　of　his　facial　muscles。　〃Women　my　own　age　I　don't　understand。　Now　it's　true；　I've　picked　up　a　smattering　of　experience　here　and　there　with　the　gentle　sex；　but　eighty…year…old　ladies　with　busted　hips　are　pletely　out　of…〃
　〃You　can　do　it；〃　Rita　said　with　simple；　matter…of…fact　faith；　and　grasping　his　hand；　she　led　him　back　along　the　hallway。
　In　the　room　she　nudged　him　toward　the　chair　near　Mrs。　Douglas。　He　started　to　give　Rita　a　glare；　but　when　he　realized　Mrs。　Douglas　was　watching　him；　he　changed　it　to　a　smile。　It　came　out　as　a　silly；　nervous　smile。
　Women！　If　they　didn't　screw　there'd　be　a　bounty　on　'em。
　〃Rita　says　you're　facing　some　very　significant　changes　in　your　life。〃
　The　elderly　woman　nodded。　She　was　still　chewing　on　her　lip。　At　that　moment　Toad　forgot　Rita　and　saw　before　him　his　own　mother　as　she　would　be　in　a　few　years。　〃Pretty　damned　tough；〃　he　said；　meaning　it。
　〃My　life　now　is　my　garden；　the　roses　and　bulbs　and　the　annuals　that　I　plant　every　spring。　I　do　my　housework　and　spend　my　time　watching　the　cycle　of　life　in　my　garden。　I　wasn't　ready　to　give　that　up。〃
　〃I　see。〃
　〃I　have　most　of　my　things　planted　now。　The　bulbs　have　been　up　for　a　month　or　so。　They　were　so　pretty　this　spring。〃
　〃I　don't　suppose　any　of　us　are　ever　ready　to　give　up　something　we　love。〃
　〃I　suppose　not。　But　I　had　hoped　that　I　wouldn't　have　to。　My　husband…he　died　fifteen　years　ago　with　a　heart　attack　while　he　was　playing　golf。　He　so　loved　golf。　I　was　hoping　that　someday　in　my　garden　I。。。〃　She　closed　her　eyes。
　When　she　opened　them　again　Toad　asked　about　her　garden。　It　was　not　large；　he　was　told。　Very　small；　in　fact。　But　it　was　enough。　That　was　one　of　life's　most　important　lessons；　learning　what　was　enough　and　what　was　too　much。　Understanding　what　was　sufficient　〃But；〃　Mrs。　Douglas　sighed；　〃what　is　sufficient　changes　as　you　get　older。　It's　one　thing　for　a　child；　another　for　an　adult；　another　thing　still　when　you　reach　my　age。　I　think　as　you　age　life　gets　simpler；　more　basic。〃
　〃I'm　curious；〃　said　Toad　Tarkington；　feeling　more　than　a　little　embarrassed。　He　shot　a　hot　glance　at　Rita。　〃Do　you　pray　much？〃
　〃Na。　It's　too　much　like　begging。　The　professional　prayers　always　want　things　they　will　never　get；　things　they　just　can't　have。　Like　peace　on　earth　and　conversion　of　the　sinners　and　cures　for　all　die　sick。　And　to　prove　they　really　want　all　these　things　that　can　never　be；　they　grovel　and　beg。〃
　〃At　least　they're　sincere；〃　Rita　said。
　〃Beggars　always　are；〃　Mrs。　Douglas　shot　back。　〃That's　their　one　virtue。〃
　Toad　grinned。　Mrs。　Douglas　appeared　to　be　a　fellow　cynic；　which　he　found　quite　agreeable。　Perhaps　the　age　difference　doesn't　matter　that　much　after　all。　A　few　minutes　later　he　asked　one　more　question。　〃What　will　heaven　be　like；　do　you　think？〃
　〃A　garden。　With　roses　and　flowers　of　all　kinds。　My　heaven　will　be　that　anyway。　What　yours　will　be；　I　don't　know。〃　Mrs。　Douglas　waggled　a　finger　at　him　without　lifting　her　hand　from　the　bed。　〃You　are　two　very　nice　young　people；　to　spend　time　with　an　old　woman　to　cheer　her　up。　When　are　you　going　to　marry？〃
　Toad　laughed　and　stood。　〃You　tell　her；　Mrs。　Douglas。　She　absolutely　refuses　to　bee　an　honest　woman。〃　He　said　his　goodbyes　and　Rita　followed　him　into　the　hall。
　〃Thanks。　That　wasn't　so　hard；　was　it？〃…She　had　her　arms　folded　across　her　chest
　〃Hang　tough；　Rita。　If　they　let　you　take　a　hike　tonight　or　tomorrow；　give　me　a　call　at　the　BOQ。　Captain　Grafton　or　I　will　e　get　you　and　bring　you　some　clothes。〃
　She　nodded。　〃You　e　if　you　can。〃
　〃Sure。〃　He　paused。　〃What　do　you　want　from　life；　Rita？　What　will　be　sufficient？〃
　She　shook　her　head。　He　winked　and　walked　away。
　
　16
　
　In　an　era　when　the　average　American　male　stood　almost　six　feet　tall；　Secretary　of　Defense　Royce　Caplinger　towered　just　five　feet　six　inches　in　his　custom…made　shoes　with　two…inch　heels。　Perhaps　understandably；　his　hero　and　role　model　was　Douglas　MacArthur；　of　whom　he　had　written　a　biography　ten　years　before。　The　critics　had　savaged　it　and　the　post…Vietnam　public　had　ignored　it。　Caplinger；　said　one　wag；　would　have　won　MacArthur　sainthood　had　the　book　been　even　half　true。
　How　deeply　this　experience　hurt　Caplinger　only　his　family　might　have　known。　The　world　was　allowed　to　see　only　the　merciless　efficiency　and　detached　intellect　that　had　made　him　a　millionaire　by　the　time　he　was　thirty　and　president　and　CEO　of　one　of　the　twenty　largest　industrial　panies　in　the　nation　when　he　was　forty…two。　Now　worth　in　excess　of　a　hundred　million　dollars；　he　was　a　man　who　believed　in　himself　with　a　maniacal　faith；　in　the　world　of　titanic　egos　in　which　he　moved　he　saw　himself　as　a　giant　and；　to　his　credit；　others　saw　him　the　same　way。
　Rude　and　abrasive；　Caplinger　never　forgot　or　forgave。　He　had　never　been　accused　of　possessing　a　sense　of　humor。　He　won　many　more　battles　than　he　lost　because　he　was　right；　often　terrifically　right；　as　his　many　enemies　freely　acknowledged。　He　often　won　when　he　was　wrong　too；　because　he　could　play　major…league　hardball　with　the　best　of　them。　Years　ago　his　subordinates　had　labeled　him　〃the　cannibal；〃　whispering　that　he　liked　the　taste　of　raw　flesh。
　Caplinger　had　the　brain　of　Caesar　and　the　soul　of　a　lizard；　all　housed　in　the　body　of　a　chimpanzee；　or　so　one　of　his　more　daring　victims　had　groused　to　Time　magazine。　This　quote　crossed　Jake　Grafton's　mind　just　now　as　he　watched　the　secretary's　gaze　dart　back　and　forth　across　the　faces　of　the　men　at　the　luncheon　table　as　they　were　served　pear　halves　in　china　dishes　bearing　the　seal　of　the　Navy　Department　by　a　steward　in　a　white　jacket。
　Jake　was　back　in　Washington　for　a　week　while　the　China　Lake　crowd　fixed　their　A…6；　Rita　Moravia　recovered；　and　Samuel　Dodgers　tinkered　with　the　Athena　device。　This　was　Jake's　first　meal　in　the　Secretary　of　the　Navy's　dining/conference　room；　so　today　he　was　playing　tourist　and　taking　it　all　in。
　The　room　was　spacious　and　paneled　with　dark　wood；　perhaps　mahogany。　Deep…blue　drapes　dressed　up　the　windows。　A　half　dozen　oil　paintings　of　sailing　ships　and　battles；　with　little　spotlights　to　show　them　to　advantage；　were　arranged　strategically　between　the　windows　and　doors。　Gleaming　brass　bric…a…brac　provided　the　accents。　Sort　of　early　New　York　Yacht　Club；　Jake　decided；　a　nineteenth…century　vision　of　a　great　place　for　railroad　pirates　and　coal　barons　to　socialize　over　whiskey　with　nautical　small　talk　about　spankers　and　jibs　and　their　latest　weekend　sail　to　Newport。　He　would　describe　the　room　for　Callie　this　evening。　He　sipped　his　sugarless　iced　tea　and　turned　his　attention　to　the　conversation。
　In　keeping　with　his　temperament；　Caplinger　was　doing　the　talking：　〃。。。the　Congress　has　ceased　to　exist　as　a　viable　legislative　body　since　Watergate。　They　can't　even　manage　to　give　senior　leaders　or　the　judiciary　a　pay　raise　without　making　a　hash　of　it。　Without　strong；　capable　leaders；　Congress　is　a　collection　of　mediocrities　drifting。。。〃
　Jake　used　his　knife　to　slice　the　fruit　in　his　dish；　two　whole　halves；　to　make　it　go　further。　Already　he　suspected　this　wasn't　going　to　be　much　of　a　meal。
　At　the　opposite　end　of　the　table　from　the　Secretary　of　Defense　sat　today's　host。　Secretary　of　the　Navy　George　Ludlow。　He　was　nibbling　at　pieces　of　pear　he　nicked　off　with　his　fork　and　listening　to　Caplinger。　No　doubt　he　was　used　to　these　monologues；　he　had　married　Caplinger's　second　daughter；　a　modestly　pretty　young　woman　with　a　smile　that　looked　vacuous　in　news　photos。　Jake　Grafton　had　never　met　her　and　probably　never　would。
　〃。。。five　hundred　thirty…five　ants　on　a　soapbox　drifting　down　the　Potomac；　each　of　them　thinking　he's　steering。〃　Caplinger　chuckled　and　everyone　else　smiled　politely。　Jake　had　heard　that　old　show　before。
　Across　the　long　table　from　Jake　sat　Tyler　Henry；　Under　Secretary　of　Defense　for　Acquisition　Russell　Queen；　and　the　Chief　of　Naval　Operations；　Admiral　Jerome　Nathan　Lanham。
　Lanham　was　a　submariner；　a　nuke；　with　all　the　baggage　that　term　implies：　team　player；　risk　minimizer；　technocrat　par　excellence　in　the　service　of　the　nuclear　genie。　His　patron　saint　was　Hyman　Rickover；　the　father　of　the　nuclear　navy；　whose　portrait　hung　in　Lanham's　office。　Like　Rickover；　Jerome　Nathan　Lanham　was　reputed　to　have　little　use　for　nonengineers。　Just　now　he　sat　regarding　Jake　Grafton；　A。B。　in　history；　with　raised　eyebrows。
　Jake　nodded　politely　and　speared　another　tiny　hunk　of　pear。　The　dish　was　half　full　of　juice。　He　wondered　if　he　should　go　after　it　with　a　spoon　and　surveyed　the　table　to　see　if　anyone　else　was。　Nope。　Well；　hell。　He　used　the　spoon　anyway；　trying　to　be　discreet；　as　Caplinger　ruminated　upon　the　current　political　situation　in　Japan　and　the　steward　began　serving　a　tiny　garden　salad。　〃。。。wanted　to　hang　Hirohito　after　the　war；　but　MacArthur　said　no；　which　was　genius。　The　Japanese　would　never　have　forgiven　us。〃
　〃If　we　conquered　Iran　today；　what　would　you　do　with　Khomeini？〃　Helmet　Fritsche；　seated　to　Jake's　right；　asked　the　question　of　Caplinger；　who　grinned　broadly。
　〃Such　a　tiny　hypothetical…he　should　have　been　a　lawyer；〃　Ludlow　muttered　sotto　voce　as　the　others　laughed。
　〃Make　Khomeini　a　martyr？　No。　I'd　ensure　he　didn't　get　any　older；　but　the　autopsy…and　there　would　be　one…would　read　'old　age'。〃
　After　the　salad　came　small　bowls　of　navy　bean　soup　acpanied　by　some　tasteless　crackers。　Even　Caplinger　thought　they　were　insipid。　〃George；　these　crackers　taste　worse　than　some　of　my　old　predictions。〃
　When　the　soup　was　gone；　the　steward　filled　coffee　cups　and　whisked　away　the　dishes；　then　retired。　Jake　watched　incredulously。　Apparently　they　had　just　had　the　entire　meal。　At　least　Ludlow　wasn't　blowing　the　whole　navy　budget　this　year　on　grub。
　〃Well；　Grafton；〃　Caplinger　said；　〃will　Athena　work？〃
　〃Yessir。　It's　the　biggest　technical　advance　in　naval　aviation　since　I've　been　in　the　navy。〃
　〃If　it　works〃…the　Secretary　of　Defense　eyed　Jake　across　the　run　of　his　coffee　cup…〃it'll　be　the　biggest　leap　forward　for　the　military　since　the　invention　of　radar。　The　air　force　is　going　to　want　this　technology　yesterday。　It'll　save　their　strategic　bomber　program。〃　Jake　understood。　T