tc.thebearandthedragon-第16部分

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f　political　prejudices　that　wealth　didn't　e　from　work；　but　rather　from　something　else；　a　something　never　really　described；　but　always　implied　to　be　suspect。
　〃Yeah；　Jack；〃　Winston　said；　with　a　laugh　of　his　own。　〃We've　got　enough　that　we　can　afford　to　be　honest。　Besides；　who　the　hell　needs　an　oilfield　or　gold　mine？〃
　〃Further　developments　on　the　size　of　either？〃
　Goodley　shook　his　head。　〃No；　Sir。　The　initial　information　is　firming　up　nicely。　Both　discoveries　are　big。　The　oil　especially；　but　the　gold　as　well。〃
　〃The　gold　thing　will　distort　the　market　somewhat；〃　SecTreas　opined。　〃Depending　on　how　fast　it　es　on　stream。　It　might　also　cause　a　shutdown　of　the　mine　we　have　operating　in　the　Dakotas。〃
　〃Why？〃　Goodley　asked。
　〃If　the　Russian　strike　is　as　good　as　the　data　suggests；　they'll　be　producing　gold　for　about　twenty…five　percent　less　than　what　it　costs　there；　despite　environmental　conditions。　The　attendant　reduction　of　the　world　price　of　gold　will　then　make　Dakota　unprofitable　to　operate。〃　Winston　shrugged。　〃So；　they'll　mothball　the　site　and　sit　until　the　price　goes　back　up。　Probably　after　the　initial　flurry　of　production；　our　Russian　friends　will　scale　things　back　so　that　they　can　cash　in　in　a　more；　uh；　orderly　way。　What'll　happen　is　that　the　other　producers；　mainly　South　Africans；　will　meet　with　them　and　offer　advice　on　how　to　exploit　that　find　more　efficiently。　Usually　the　new　kids　listen　to　advice　from　the　old　guys。　The　Russians　have　coordinated　diamond　production　with　the　De　Beers　people　for　a　long　time；　back　to　when　the　country　was　called　the　Soviet　Union。　Business　is　business；　even　for　mies。　So；　you　going　to　offer　our　help　to　our　friends　in　Moscow？〃　TRADER　asked　SWORDSMAN。
　Ryan　shook　his　head。　〃I　can't　yet。　I　can't　let　them　know　that　we　know。　Sergey　Nikolay'ch　would　start　wondering　how；　and　he'd　probably　e　up　with　SIGINT；　and　that's　a　method　of　gathering　information　that　we　try　to　keep　covert。〃　Probably　a　waste　of　time；　Ryan　knew；　but　the　game　had　rules；　and　everyone　played　by　those　rules。　Golovko　could　guess　at　signals　intelligence；　but　he'd　never　quite　know。　I'll　probably　never　stop　being　a　spook；　the　President　admitted　to　himself。　Keeping　and　guarding　secrets　was　one　of　the　things　that　came　so　easily　to　him　…　a　little　too　easily；　Arnie　van　Damm　often　warned。　A　modern　democratic　government　was　supposed　to　be　more　open；　like　a　torn　curtain　on　the　bedroom　window　that　allowed　people　to　look　in　whenever　they　wished。　That　was　an　idea　Ryan　had　never　grown　to　appreciate。　He　was　the　one　who　decided　what　people　were　allowed　to　know　and　when　they'd　know　it。　It　was　a　point　of　view　he　followed　even　when　he　knew　it　to　be　wrong；　for　no　other　reason　than　it　was　how　he'd　learned　government　service　at　the　knee　of　an　admiral　named　James　Greer。　Old　habits　were　hard　to　break。
　〃I'll　call　Sam　Sherman　at　Atlantic　Richfield；〃　Winston　suggested。　〃If　he　breaks　it　to　me；　then　it's　in　the　open；　or　at　least　open　enough。〃
　〃Can　we　trust　him？〃
　Winston　nodded。　〃Sam　plays　by　the　rules。　We　can't　ask　him　to　screw　over　his　own　board；　but　he　knows　what　flag　to　salute；　Jack。〃
　〃Okay；　George；　a　discreet　inquiry。〃
　〃Yes；　sir；　Mr。　President；　sir。〃
　〃God　damn　it；　George！〃
　〃Jack；　when　the　hell　are　you　going　to　learn　to　relax　in　this　fucking　job？〃　SecTreas　asked　POTUS。
　〃The　day　I　move　out　of　this　goddamned　museum　and　bee　a　free　man　again；〃　Ryan　replied　with　a　submissive　nod。　Winston　was　right。　He　had　to　learn　to　stay　on　a　more　even　keel　in　the　office　of　President。　In　addition　to　not　being　helpful　to　himself；　it　wasn't　especially　helpful　to　the　country　for　him　to　be　jumpy　with　the　folderol　of　office…holding。　That　also　made　it　easy　for　people　like　the　Secretary　of　the　Treasury　to　twist　his　tail；　and　George　Winston　was　one　of　the　people　who　enjoyed　doing　that。。。　maybe　because　it　ultimately　helped　him　relax；　Ryan　thought。　Backwards　English　on　the　ball　or　something。　〃George；　why　do　you　think　I　should　relax　in　this　job？〃
　〃Jack；　because　you're　here　to　be　effective；　and　being　tight　all　the　time　does　not　make　you　more　effective。　Kick　back；　guy；　maybe　even　learn　to　like　some　aspect　of　it。〃
　〃Like　what？〃
　〃Hell。〃　Winston　shrugged；　and　then　nodded　to　the　secretaries'　office。　〃Lots　of　cute　young　interns　out　there。〃
　〃There's　been　enough　of　that；〃　Ryan　said　crossly。　Then　he　did　manage　to　relax　and　smile　a　little。　〃Besides；　I'm　married　to　a　SURGEON。　Make　that　little　mistake　and　I　could　wake　up　without　something　important。〃
　〃Yeah；　I　suppose　it's　bad　for　the　country　to　have　the　President's　dick　cut　off；　eh？　People　might　not　respect　us　anymore。〃　Winston　stood。　〃Gotta　go　back　across　the　street　and　look　at　some　economic　models。〃
　〃Economy　looking　good？〃　POTUS　asked。
　〃No　plaints　from　me　or　Mark　Gant。　Just　so　the　Fed　Chairman　leaves　the　discount　rate　alone；　but　I　expect　he　will。　Inflation　is　pretty　flat；　and　there's　no　upward　pressure　anywhere　that　I　see　happening。〃
　〃Ben？〃
　Goodley　looked　through　his　notes；　as　though　he'd　forgotten　something。　〃Oh；　yeah。　Would　you　believe；　the　Vatican　is　appointing　a　Papal　Nuncio　to　the　PRC？〃
　〃Oh？　What's　that　mean；　exactly？〃　Winston　asked；　stopping　halfway　to　the　door。
　〃The　Nuncio　is　essentially　an　ambassador。　People　forget　that　the　Vatican　is　a　nation…state　in　its　own　right　and　has　the　usual　trappings　of　statehood。　That　includes　diplomatic　representation。　A　nuncio　is　just　that；　an　ambassador　…　and　a　spook；〃　Ryan　added。
　〃Really？〃　Winston　asked。
　〃George；　the　Vatican　has　the　world's　oldest　intelligence　service。　Goes　back　centuries。　And；　yeah；　the　Nuncio　gathers　information　and　forwards　it　to　the　home　office；　because　people　talk　to　him　…　who　better　to　talk　to　than　a　priest；　right？　They're　good　enough　at　gathering　information　that　we've　made　the　occasional　effort　to　crack　their　munications。　Back　in　the　'30s；　a　senior　cryppie　at　the　State　Department　resigned　over　it；〃　Ryan　informed　his　SecTreas；　reverting　back　to　history　teacher。
　〃We　still　do　that？〃　Winston　directed　this　question　at　Goodley；　the　President's　National　Security　Adviser。　Goodley　looked　first　to　Ryan；　and　got　a　nod。　〃Yes；　sir。　Fort　Meade　still　takes　a　look　at　their　messages。　Their　ciphers　are　a　little　old…fashioned；　and　we　can　brute…force　them。〃
　〃And　ours？〃
　〃The　current　standard　is　called　TAPDANCE。　It's　totally　random；　and　therefore　it's　theoretically　unbreakable　…　unless　somebody　screws　up　and　reuses　a　segment　of　it；　but　with　approximately　six　hundred　forty…seven　million　transpositions　on　every　daily　CD…ROM　diskette；　that's　not　very　likely。〃
　〃What　about　the　phone　systems？〃
　〃The　STU？〃　Goodley　asked；　getting　a　nod。　〃That's　puter…based；　with　a　two…fifty…six…kay　puter…generated　encryption　key。　It　can　be　broken；　but　you　need　a　puter；　the　right　algorithm；　and　a　couple　of　weeks　at　least；　and　the　shorter　the　message　the　harder　it　is　to　crack　it；　instead　of　the　other　way　around。　The　guys　at　Fort　Meade　are　playing　with　using　quantum…physics　equations　to　crack　ciphers；　and　evidently　they're　having　some　success；　but　if　you　want　an　explanation；　you're　going　to　have　to　ask　somebody　else。　I　didn't　even　pretend　to　listen；〃　Goodley　admitted。　〃It's　so　far　over　my　head　I　can't　even　see　the　bottom　of　it。
　〃Yeah；　get　your　friend　Gant　involved；〃　Ryan　suggested。　〃He　seems　to　know　'puters　pretty　well。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　you　might　want　to　get　him　briefed　in　on　these　developments　in　Russia。　Maybe　he　can　model　the　effects　they'll　have　on　the　Russian　economy。〃
　〃Only　if　everyone　plays　by　the　rules；〃　Winston　said　in　warning。　〃If　they　follow　the　corruption　that's　been　gutting　their　economy　the　last　few　years；　you　just　cant　predict　anything；　Jack。〃
　
　
　We　cannot　let　it　happen　again；　rade　President；〃　Sergey　Nikolay'ch　said　over　a　half…empty　glass　of　vodka。　This　was　still　the　best 　in　the　world；　if　the　only　such　Russian　product　of　which　he　could　make　that　boast。　That　thought　generated　an　angry　frown　at　what　his　nation　had　bee。
　〃Sergey　Nikolay'ch；　what　do　you　propose？〃
　〃rade　President；　these　two　discoveries　are　a　gift　from　Heaven　itself。　If　we　utilize　them　properly；　we　can　transform　our　country　…　or　at　least　make　a　proper　beginning　at　doing　that。　The　earnings　in　hard　currencies　will　be　colossal；　and　we　can　use　that　money　to　rebuild　so　much　of　our　infrastructure　that　we　can　transform　our　economy。　If；　that　is〃　…　he　held　up　a　cautionary　finger　…　〃if　we　don't　allow　a　thieving　few　to　take　the　money　and　bank　it　in　Geneva　or　Liechtenstein。　It　does　us　no　good　there；　rade　President。〃
　Golovko　didn't　add　that　a　few　people；　a　few　well…placed　individuals；　would　profit　substantially　from　this。　He　didn't　even　add　that　he　himself　would　be　one　of　them；　and　so　would　his　president。　It　was　just　too　much　to　ask　any　man　to　walk　away　from　such　an　opportunity。　Integrity　was　a　virtue　best　found　among　those　able　to　afford　it；　and　the　press　be　damned；　the　career　intelligence　officer　thought。　What　had　they　ever　done　for　his　country　or　any　other？　All　they　did　was　expose　the　honest　work　of　some　and　the　dishonest　work　of　others；　doing　little　actual　work　themselves　…　and　besides；　they　were　as　easily　bribed　as　anyone　else；　weren't　they？
　〃And　so；　who　gets　the　concession　to　exploit　these　resources？〃　the　Russian　president　asked。
　〃In　the　case　of　the　oil；　our　own　exploration　pany；　plus　the　American　pany；　Atlantic　Richfield。　They　have　the　most　experience　in　producing　oil　in　those　environmental　conditions　anyway；　and　our　people　have　much　to　learn　from　them。　I　would　propose　a　fee…for…service　arrangement；　a　generous　one；　but　not　an　ownership　percentage　in　the　oil　field　itself。　The　exploration　contract　was　along　those　lines；　generous　in　absolute　terms；　but　no　share　at　all　in　the　fields　discovered。〃
　〃And　the　gold　strike？〃
　〃Easier　still。　No　foreigners　were　involved　in　that　discovery　at　all。　rade　Gogol　will　have　an　interest　in　the　discovery；　of　course；　but　he　is　an　old　man　with　no　heirs；　and；　it　would　seem；　a　man　of　the　simplest　tastes。　A　properly　heated　hut　and　a　new　hunting　rifle　will　probably　make　him　very　happy；　from　what　these　reports　tell　us。〃
　〃And　the　value　of　this　venture？〃
　〃Upwards　of　seventy　billions。　And　all　we　need　do　is　purchase　some　special　equipment；　the　best　of　which　es　from　the　American　pany　Caterpillar。〃
　〃Is　that　necessary；　Sergey？〃
　〃rade　Presid