scoonts.theminotaur-第51部分

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　He　had　seen　it　ing；　like　something　from　a　Greek　tragedy；　after　that　second　kid　augered　in　on　a　night　instrument　solo。　A　fucking　Canoe　U。　grad　no　less！　Then　the　third　one；　that　kid　punched　out　of　a　perfectly　good　airplane　on　a　solo　aero　hop　after　be　flew　into　the　only　cloud　for　fifty　miles　in　any　direction　for　ten　whole　seconds　and　got　the　plane　into　a　high…speed　spiral　and　panicked。　But　he　stood　there　in　the　CO's　office　afterwards　and　said　he　was　sorry！　The　fourth　one；　that　shithead…Judy　had　personally　given　him　a　down　once　already…one　clear；　cloudless　day　that　spastic　bastard　failed　to　get　the　nose　up　to　the　horizon　on　a　pullout　from　a　simulated　strafing　run　and　panicked　in；　smearing　himself　and　his　airplane　across　a　half　mile　of　cow　pasture。　The　manding　officer　is　always　responsible。　And　so　it　had　been；　like　a　judgment　from　the　Doomsday　book。
　Next　year。　With　twenty…two　in。　That　would　give　him　55　percent　of　his　base　pay；　and　if　one　or　two　of　these　little　deals　he　was　working　with　hungry　contractors　came　through；　he　would　do　all　right。　Not　rich；　but　okay。　He　paid　for　the　beer　and　left　two　quarters　for　a　tip。　His　car　was　parked　just　fifty　feet　down　the　street；　but　as　he　walked　toward　it；　the　car　in　front　backed　right　into　it！
　〃A。。〃
　The　driver　got　out　and　walked　back　to　examine　the　damage。
　〃Awww；　shit！〃　Smoke　Judy　exclaimed　when　he　saw　the　broken　grille；　the　smashed　headlight　and　the　bowed…out　fender。　〃Get　your　goddamn　driver's　license　yesterday？〃
　〃Jesus；　mister；　I　am　sorry！　My　foot　just　slipped　off　the　brake。　Don't　know　how　it　happened。〃
　〃Awww；　damn。　The　second　time　this　year　somebody　has　smacked　it　when　it　was　parked。　Look　at　this　fender；　will'ya？　Those　Japs　must　make　these　things　out　of　recycled　beer　cans。　Look　how　this　thing's　sprung！　And　this　headlight　socket！〃
　The　other　driver　turned　from　examining　his　own　bent　fender　and　smashed　taillight　and　surveyed　Judy's　damage。　He　was　chunky；　fifty　or　so；　flecks　of　gray　in　his　hair。　〃Don't　worry。　I　got　insurance。　They'll　fix　it　good　as　new。　But　honest；　I　am　really　sorry。〃
　〃I　suppose。〃　Smoke　Judy　shook　his　head。
　〃Maybe　we'd　better　exchange　information。〃
　〃Yeah。〃　Judy　unlocked　his　car　and　fished　the　registration　and　insurance　certificate　from　the　glove　box　while　the　other　driver　rooted　in　his。
　〃Maybe　we　should　go　inside　and　do　this；〃　the　chunky　man　suggested。　〃Can　I　buy　you　a　beer？〃
　〃Why　not。〃　Smoke　turned　and　led　the　way　back　into　the　bar　he　had　just　e　out　of。　〃My　name's　Judy。　Smoke　Judy。〃
　〃Sorry　we　had　to　meet　like　this。　I'm　Harlan　Albright。〃
　
　Dodgers　kept　his　opinions　to　himself　at　dinner　Sunday　evening；　partially　because　he　was　too　busy　with　his　food　to　waste　effort　on　small　talk；　and　partially　because　he　could　not　have　gotten　a　word　in　edgewise　against　Caplinger's　verbal　flow。　There　were　just　the　four　of　them　around　a　table　in　an　empty　dining　room…empty　because　the　officers'　club　was　usually　closed　on　Sunday　evening　and　Secretary　Caplinger　declined　to　go　off…base　to　eat…Dodgers；　Caplinger；　Senator　Duquesne；　and　Jake　Grafton。　Caplinger　discussed　the　budget　deficit。　Third　World　debt；　global　pollution；　and　the　illegal　drug　industry　with　a　depth　of　knowledge　and　insight　that　amazed　Jake　and　even　quieted　the　senator；　who　was　the　only　person　at　the　table　who　tried　to　participate　in　the　conversation。　It　was　obvious　that　Royce　Caplinger　not　only　had　read　widely　but　had　thought　deeply　about　all　these　issues。　Less　obvious　but　equally　impressive　was　the　way　he　wove　the　strands　of　these　mega…issues　into　one　whole　cloth。
　After　the　steward　placed　a　coffeepot　in　the　center　of　the　table　and　departed；　closing　the　door　behind　him；　Caplinger　eyed　Jake　speculatively。　〃Well；　Captain；　it　seems　to　me　that　now　would　be　a　good　time　to　sound　you　out。〃
　〃I'm　just　an　0…6；　Mr。　Secretary。　All　I　see　are　the　elephant's　feet。〃
　Caplinger　poured　himself　a　cup　of　coffee　and　used　a　spoon　to　stir　in　cream。　He　surveyed　Samuel　Dodgers　as　if　seeing　him　this　evening　for　the　first　time。　〃Good　of　you　to　share　your　Sabbath　with　us；　Doctor。　We're　looking　forward　to　seeing　your　handiwork　tomorrow。〃
　Dodgers　wiped　his　mouth　and　tossed　his　napkin　beside　his　plate。　〃Tomorrow。〃　He　nodded　at　everyone　except　Grafton　and　departed。
　When　the　door　had　firmly　closed　behind　the　inventor；　Caplinger　remarked；　〃Senator；　what　will　happen　on　the　Hill　if　it　bees　mon　gossip　that　the　father　of　Athena　is　a　fascist　churl？〃
　〃You'll　be　in　trouble。　That　man　couldn't　sell　water　in　Death　Valley　on　the　Fourth　of　July。〃
　〃My　thought　exactly。　We'll　have　to　make　sure　he　stays　out　of　sight　and　sound。　Little　difficult　to　do　in　America；　but　not　impossible。〃　He　grinned。　When　he　did　his　face　twisted。　It　didn't　look　like　he　made　the　effort　very　often。　〃So　how　do　the　elephant's　feet　look；　Captain？〃
　Jake　Grafton　reached　for　the　coffeepot。　〃I　confess；　sir；　that　I'm　baffled。　Seems　to　me　that　these　new　weapons　systems　under　development；　with　the　sole　exception　of　Athena；　are　going　to　be　too　expensive　for　the　nation　ever　to　afford　enough　of　them　to　do　any　good。〃
　All　traces　of　the　smile　disappeared　from　Caplinger's　face。　〃Go　on。〃
　〃As　the　cost　goes　up；　the　quantity　goes　down。　And　every　technical　breakthrough　seems　to　double　or　triple　the　cost。　If　anything；　Athena　will　be　the　exception　that　proves　the　rule。　Athena　should　be　a　fairly　cheap　system；　all　things　considered；　but　it'll　be　the　only　one。〃
　〃And。。。〃　prompted　the　Secretary　of　Defense。
　〃Well；　if　our　goal　is　to　maintain　forces　which　deny　the　Soviets　any　confidence　in　a　favorable　oute　in　any　probable　nuclear　war　scenario；　we　seem　to　have　reached　the　treadmill。　We　can't　maintain　forces　if　we　can't　afford　them。〃
　〃You　made　a　rather　large　assumption。〃
　〃So　what　is　our　goal？〃
　〃The　general　public　regards　nuclear　war　as　unwinnable。　That's　the　universal　popular　wisdom；　and　like　anything　that　almost　everyone　believes；　it's　wrong。　The　Soviets　have　invested　heavily　in　hardened　bunkers　for　the　top　leadership。　They've　built　underground　cities　for　the　munist　elite。　Somebody　over　there　thinks　they　can　win！　Now　their　idea　of　victory　and　ours　are　two　very　different　things；　but　as　long　as　they　think　they　can　win；　the　likelihood　of　a　nuclear　war　increases。　Nuclear　war　bees　more　likely　to　happen。〃
　Caplinger　glanced　at　the　senator；　then　turned　his　attention　back　to　Jake。　He　seemed　to　be　weighing　his　words。　〃Our　goal；〃　he　finally　said；　〃is　to　prevent　nuclear　war。　To　do　that　we　must　make　them　think　they　can't　win。〃
　〃So　you　are　saying　that　any　method　of　denying　the　Russians　confidence　in　a　favorable　oute…however　they　define　favorable…is　acceptable？〃
　Caplinger　tugged　at　his　lower　lip。　His　eyes　were　unfocused。　Jake　thought　he　seemed　to　be　turning　it　over　in　his　mind　yet　again；　examining　it　for　flaws；　looking。。。　Slowly　the　chin　dipped；　then　rose　again。　〃We　need。。。〃　His　gaze　rose　to　the　ceiling　and　went　slowly　around　it。　〃We　need。。。　we　need　forces　that　can　survive　the　initial　strike　and　respond　in　a　flexible　manner；　forces　that　are　controllable；　programmable；　selective。　It　can't　be　all　or　nothing；　Captain。　It　can't　be　just　one　exchange　of　broadsides。　If　all　we　have　is　that　one　broadside；　we　just　lost。〃
　〃Explain；〃　prompted　Senator　Duquesne…
　〃We'll　never　shoot　our　broadside。　That's　the　dirty　little　secret　that　they　know　and　we　know　and　we　will　never　admit。　No　man　elected　President　of　the　United　States　in　the　nuclear　age　would　order　every　ICBM　fired；　every　Trident　missile　launched；　every　nuclear　weapon　in　our　arsenal　detonated　on　the　Soviets。　Not　even　if　the　Soviets　make　a　massive　first　strike　at　us。　To　massively　retaliate　would　mean　the　end　of　life　on　the　planet　Earth。　No　rational　man　would　do　it。〃　Caplinger　shrugged。　〃That's　the　flaw　in　Mutual　Assured　Destruction。　No　sane　man　would　ever　push　the　button。〃
　Royce　Caplinger　sipped　his　coffee；　now　cold；　and　made　a　face…
　〃We　must　deny　the　munists　the　ability　to　ever　e　out　of　those　bunkers。　We　need　the　ability　to　hit　pinpoint；　mobile　targets　on　a　selective；　as…needed　basis。　That's　the　mission　of　the　F…l　17　and　the　B…2。　If　we　can　achieve　that；　there　will　never　be　a　first　strike。　There　will　never　be　a　nuclear　war。〃
　Caplinger　pushed　his　chair　back　away　from　the　table。　〃Life　will　continue　on　this　planet　until　pollution　ruins　the　atmosphere　and　sewage　makes　the　seas　a　barren；　watery　desert。　Then　life　on　this　fragile　little　pebble　orbiting　this　modest　star　will　e　to　the　end　that　the　Creator　must　nave　intended　when　he　made　man。　Watching　our　Japanese　televisions；　listening　to　our　pact　laser　disks；　wearing　our　designer　clothes；　we'll　all　starve。〃
　He　rose　abruptly　and　made　for　the　door。　Jake　Grafton　also　got　to　his　feet。　When　the　door　closed　behind　Caplinger；　Jake　shook　the　senator's　hand　and　wished　him　good　night。
　〃He's　a　great　man；〃　the　senator　said；　trying　to　read　Jake's　thoughts。
　〃Yes。〃
　〃But　he　is　not　sanguine。　The　political　give…and…take…it　depresses　him。〃
　〃Yes；〃　Jake　Grafton　said；　and　nodded　his　farewell。　Suddenly　he　too　needed　to　be　alone。
　
　On　Monday　morning　Jake　put　Secretary　Caplinger；　Senator　Duquesne；　and　their　aides　on　a　plane　to　Fallen　with　Helmut　Fritsche　and　Harold　Dodgers。　He　had　decided　to　stay　at　China　Lake　and　supervise　the　good　doctor。
　Sam　Dodgers　was　in　a　foul　mood；　muttering　darkly　about　money　and　conspiracies。　Jake　managed　to　keep　his　mouth　shut。　When　the　Athena　device　was　ready　and　installed　in　the　A…6；　he　helped　strap　Rita　Moravia　and　Toad　Tarkington　into　the　cockpit。　Toad　was　whistling　some　tune　Jake　didn't　recognize。
　〃No　birds　today。　Okay？〃
　〃Whatever　you　say；　boss。〃　Toad　was　in　high　spirits。　Higher　than　usual。　He　must　be　screwing　Moravia；　Jake　decided；　trying　to　catch　some　hint　between　them。　The　pilot　was　all　business。
　〃Work　the　long　distances　today。　Start　at　thirty　miles　and　let　Fritsche　call　you　closer　when　he　has　the　info　he　wants。　Just　keep　the　radar　he's　using　on　your　left　side。〃
　〃Sure；　CAG。　We　understand。〃　He　resumed　his　whistling　as　Jake　helped　him　latch　his　Koch　fittings。
　〃You　know　who　whistles　in　the　navy；　Toad？〃
　〃No；　sir；〃
　〃Bosun's　mates　and　damn　fools。〃
　Toad　grinned。　〃I'm　in　that　second　category；　sir。　Enjoy　your　day　with　Dr。　Dodgers。〃
　Jake　punched　him　on　the　shoulder　and　climbed　down　the　boarding　ladder。
　As　the　Intruder　taxied　out；