scoonts.theminotaur-第7部分

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　〃It's　been　like　that　all　day　with　me；〃　Toad　said　with　a　hint　of　despair　in　his　voice；　then　sent　another　mouthful　of　food　down　behind　his　belt　buckle。　〃At　first　I　thought　I　had　forgotten　my　pants；　but　now　I　think　it's　the　hero　bit。　Asked　two　admirers　for　dates　this　morning　and　got　two　yeses。　Not　bad　for　a　Monday。〃
　〃It'll　pass。　Next　week　you'll　have　to　spell　your　name　twice　just　to　get　into　the　men's　head。　How's　your　leg？〃
　〃Got　a　couple　girders　in　it；　sir。　One　of　them　is　a　metal　rod　about　a　foot　long。　But　I　passed　my　flight　physical。　Those　Israeli　doctors　did　a　good　job。　Aches　some　occasionally。〃
　〃We　were　damned　lucky。〃
　〃That's　an　understatement；〃　Toad　said；　and　proceeded　to　fill　Jake　in　on　how　he　had　spent　the　last　five　months。
　After　lunch　Jake　hiked　back　across　the　streets　and　parking　lots　to　the　Pentagon。　His　temporary　pass　so　excited　the　security　cop　that　he　nodded　his　head　a　quarter　inch　as　Jake　walked　by。
　mander　Rob　Knight　was　several　years　younger　than　Jake　and　had　more　hair；　although　it　was　salt…and…pepper。　He　wore　steel…rimmed　glasses　and　beamed　when　Jake　introduced　himself。
　〃Heard　about　your　little　adventure　in　the　Med　last　year；　Captain。　It's　been　pretty　dull　without　El　Hakim　to　kick　around；〃　Knight　grinned　easily。　He　had　an　air　of　quiet　confidence　that　Jake　found　reassuring。　Like　all　career　officers　getting　acquainted；　Knight　and　Jake　told　each　other　in　broad　terms　of　their　past　tours。　Knight　had　spent　most　of　his　operational　career　in　A…6　outfits；　and　had　been　ordered　to　this　billet　after　a　tour　as　manding　officer　of　an　A…6　squadron。
　〃I　came　by　to　find　out　everything　you　know　about　the　A…12；〃　Jake　said　lightly。
　Knight　chuckled。　〃A　real　kidder；　you　are。　I've　been　soaking　up　info　for　a　year　and　a　half　and　I　haven't　even　scratched　the　surface。　And　you　see　I'm　only　one　guy。　The　A…6　coordinator　sits　here　beside　me；　and　on　the　other　side　of　the　room　we　have　the　F…14　and　F/A…18　guys。　One　for　each　airplane。　We　don't　have　a　secretary　or　a　yeoman。　We　do　our　own　mail。　We　make　our　own　coffee。　I　spend　about　a　third　of　my　time　in　this　office；　which　is　where　I　do　the　unclass　stuff　and　confidential。　Another　third　of　my　time　is　spent　upstairs　in　the　vault　working　on　classified　stuff。　I　have　a　desk　up　there　with　another　puter　and　safes。　The　rest　of　my　time　is　spent　over　at　NAVAIR；　in　your　shop；　trying　to　see　what　you　guys　are　up　to。〃
　〃Just　one　guy。〃　Jake　was　disappointed；　and　it　showed。　He　felt　a　little　like　the　kid　who　met　Santa　for　the　first　time　and　found　he　was　old　and　fat　and　smelled　of　reindeer　shit。　〃One　guy！　Just　exactly　what　is　your　job？〃
　〃I'm　the　man　with　the　money。　I　get　it　from　Rear　Admiral　Costello。　He's　the　Aviation　Plans　and　Programs　honcho。　He　tells　me　what　we　want　the　plane　to　do。　We　draw　up　the　requirements。　You　build　the　plane　we　say　we　want；　you　sell　it　to　me；　and　I　write　the　checks。　That's　it　in　a　nutshell。〃
　〃Sounds　simple　enough。〃
　〃Simple　as　brain　surgery。　There's　an　auditor　that　es　around　from　time　to　time；　and　he's　going　to　cuff　me　and　take　me　away　one　of　these　days。　I　can　see　it　in　his　eyes。〃
　They　talked　for　an　hour；　or　rather　Knight　talked　and　Jake　listened；　with　his　hands　on　his　thighs。　Knight　had　a　habit　of　tapping　aimlessly　on　the　puter　terminal　on　his　desk；　striking　keys　at　random。　When　Jake　wasn't　looking　at　Knight　he　was　looking　at　the　Sports　Illustrated　swimsuit　girl　over　Knight's　desk　（April　1988　was　a　very　good　month）；　or　the　three　airplane　pictures；　or　the　Farrah　Fawcett　pinup　over　the　A…6　guru's　desk。　Between　the　two　desks　sat　a　flung　cabinet　with　bination　locks　on　every　drawer。　Similar　cabinets　filled　the　room。　Twice　Knight　rooted　through　an　open　cabinet　drawer　and　handed　Jake　classified　memos　to　read；　but　not　to　keep。　Each　was　replaced　in　its　proper　file　as　soon　as　Jake　handed　it　back。
　Then　Knight　took　Jake　up　a　floor　to　the　vault；　where　he　signed　a　special　form　acknowledging　the　security　regulations　associated　with　black　programs。　In　this　chamber；　surrounded　by　safes　and　locks　and　steel　doors；　mander　Knight　briefed　him　on　the　technical　details　of　the　prototypes；　the　program　schedules　and　so　on。
　At　three　o'clock　Jake　was　back　on　the　twelfth　floor　of　the　Crystal　City　plex　to　meet　with　Vice　Admiral　Dunedin。　His　office　was　not　quite　as　plush　as　Henry's　but　it　was　every　bit　as　large。　Out　the　large　windows　airliners　were　landing　and　taking　off　from　National　airport
　〃Do　you　have　any　idea　what　you're　getting　into？〃　Dunedin　asked。　He　was　soft…spoken；　with　short　gray　hair　and　workman's　hands；　thick；　strong　fingers　that　even　now　showed　traces　of　oil　and　grease。　Jake　remembered　hearing　that　his　hobby　was　restoring　old　cars。　〃In　a　vague；　hazy　way。〃
　〃Normally　we　assign　Aeronautical　Engineering　Duty　Officers；　AEDOs；　to　be　program　managers。　By　definition；　an　AEDO's　specialty　is　the　procurement　business。　Harold　Strong　was　an　AEDO。　But；　considering　the　status　of　the　A…12；　we　figured　that　we　needed　a　war　fighter　with　credibility　on　the　Hill。〃　The　Hill；　Jake　knew；　was　Capitol　Hill；　Congress。　But　who；　he　wondered；　were　the　〃we〃　of　whom　the　admiral　spoke？　〃You're　our　warrior。　There's　not　enough　time　to　send　you　to　the　five…month　program　manager　school；　so　we've　waived　it。　You're　going　to　have　to　hit　the　ground　running。　Your　deputy　is　a　GS…15　civilian。　Dr。　Helmut　Fritsche。　He's　only　been　here　three　years　or　so　but　he　knows　the　ropes。　And　you've　got　some　AEDOs　on　your　staff。　Use　them；　but　remember；　you're　in　charge。〃
　〃I　won't　forget；〃　Jake　Grafton　said。
　Dunedin's　secretary；　Mrs。　Forsythe；　gave　him　a　list　of　the　officers　who　would　be　under　his　supervision。　She　was　a　warm；　motherly　lady　with　silver…gray　hair　and　pictures　of　children　on　her　desk。　Jake　asked。　Her　grandchildren。　She　offered　him　a　brownie　she　had　baked　last　night；　which　he　accepted　and　munched　with　approving　ments　while　she　placed　a　call　to　the　Personnel　Support　Detachment。　She　gave　him　detailed　directions　on　how　to　find　PSD；　which　was；　she　explained；　six　buildings　south。　When　Jake　arrived　fifteen　minutes　later　a　secretary　was　busy　pulling　the　service　records　for　him　to　examine。
　He　found　an　empty　desk　and　settled　in。
　The　civilian　files　stood　out　from　the　others。　Helmut　Fritsche。　Ph。D。　in　electrical　engineering；　formerly　professor　at　Caltech；　before　that　on　the　research　staff　of　NASA。　Publications；　wow！　Thirty　or　forty　scientific　papers。　Jake　ran　his　eye　down　the　list。　All　were　about　radar：　wave　propagation；　Doppler　effect；　numerical　determination　of　three…dimensional　electromagnetic　scattering；　and　so　on。
　George　Wilson　was　a　professor　of　aeronautical　engineering　at　MIT　on　a　one…year　sabbatical。　He　had　apparently　been　recruited　by　Admiral　Henry　and　came　aboard　the　first　of　the　year。　He　would　be　leaving　at　the　end　of　December。　Like　Fritsche's；　Wilson's　list　of　professional　publications　was　long　and　plicated。　He　had　co…authored　at　least　one　textbook；　but　the　title　that　caught　Jake's　eye　was　an　article　for　a　scientific　journal：　〃Aerodynamic　Challenges　in　Low　Radar　Cross　Section　Platforms。〃
　Jake　laid　the　civilians'　files　aside　and　began　to　flip　through　the　naval　officers'。　Halfway　through　he　found　one　that　he　slowed　down　to　examine　with　care。　Lieutenant　Rita　Moravia。　Naval　Academy　Class　of　'82。　Second　in　her　class　at　the　Academy；　first　in　her　class　in　flight　school　and　winner　of　an　outstanding　achievement　award。　Went　through　A…7　training；　then　transferred　to　F/A…ISs；　where　she　became　an　instructor　pilot　in　the　West　Coast　replacement　squadron。　Next　came　a　year　at　the　Naval　Postgraduate　School　in　Monterey；　California；　for　a　master's　in　aeronautical　engineering；　and　another　year　at　Test　Pilot　School　at　NAS　Patuxent　River；　Maryland；　where　she　graduated　first　in　her　class。
　There　were　three　line　manders：　an　A…6　bombardier…navigator；　an　F…14　pilot　and　an　EA…6B　Electronic　Countermeasures　Officer…ECMO。　Jake　knew　the　A…6　BN　and　the　Prowler　ECMO。　There　was　an　aircraft　maintenance　specialist；　whom　Jake　knew；　and　five　AEDOs；　all　of　whom　wore　pilot　or　naval　flight　officer　wings。　Except　for　the　A…6　BN　and　the　Prowler　ECMO；　the　rest　had　fighter　backgrounds；　including　Tarkington；　who　was　one　of　only　two　lieutenants。　The　rest　were　manders　and　lieutenant　manders。
　If　the　navy　wanted　a　stealth　attack　plane；　why　so　many　fighter　types？　The　air　force　caned　all　their　tactical　drivers　fighter　pilots；　but　the　navy　had　long　ago　divided　the　tactical　fraternity　into　attack　and　fighter。　The　missions　and　the　aircraft　were　pletely　different；　so　the　training　and　tactics　were　also　different。　And　according　to　the　amateur　psychologists　in　uniform　who　thought　about　these　things　and　announced　their　conclusions　at　Happy　Hour；　the　men　were　different　too。　Either　their　personalities　were　altered　by　the　training　or　the　missions　attracted　men　of　certain　types。　According　to　the　attack　munity；　fighter　pukes　were　devil…may…care；　kiss…tomorrow…goodbye　romantics　who　lived　and　lusted　for　the　dubious　glory　of　individual　bat　in　the　skies。　The　fighter　crowd　said　the　attack　pukes　were　phlegmatic　plodders　with　brass　balls…and　no　imaginations…who　dropped　bombs　because　they　didn't　know　any　better。　Most　of　it　was　good；　clean　fun；　but　with　a　tinge　of　truth。
　When　Jake　finished　going　through　the　records　he　stacked　them　carefully　and　stared　thoughtfully　at　the　pile。　Dunedin　and　Strong　had　assembled　a　good　group；　he　concluded；　officers　with　excellent　though　varied　backgrounds；　from　all　over　tactical　naval　aviation。　The　test　pilot　was　the　only　real　question　mark。　Moravia　certainly　had　her　tickets　punched　and　was　probably　smarter　than　Einstein；　but　she　had　no　actual　experience　in　flight…testing　new　designs。　He　would　ask　Dunedin　about　her。
　Tomorrow　he　would　meet　them。　That　was　soon　enough。　First　he　had　to　find　out　what　was　really　happening　from　Henry　or　Dunedin。
　Henry　spoke　of　minefields…a　grotesque　understatement。　The　problems　inherent　in　overing　the　inertia　of　the　bureaucracy　to　produce　a　new　state…of…the…art　weapons　system　were　nothing　short　of　mind…boggling。　Dunedin　must　feel　like　he's　been　ordered　to　build　the　Great　Pyramid　armed　with　nothing　but　a　used　condom　and　a　flyswatter。　And　for　God's　sake；　do　it　quietly；　top　secret　and　all。　Aye　aye；　sir。
　In　the　Crystal　City　underground　mall　he　found　a　toy　store　and　purchased　a　plastic　model　of　the　air　force