tc.thebearandthedragon-第25部分

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up　time　it　used　was　four　or　five　seconds　longer　than　was　the　usual。　What　you　couldn't　tell　was　that　the　last　four　seconds　weren't　random　electronic　noise　at　all；　but　rather　the　mating　of　a　special　encryption　system；　which　when　caught　on　a　phone　tap　sounded　just　like　random　noise　anyway。　So；　all　Chester　had　to　do　was　set　up　his　message　for　transmission　and　punch　it　through。　To　be　on　the　safe　side；　the　messages　were　super…encrypted　with　a　256…bit　system　specially　made　at　the　National　Security　Agency；　and　the　double…encipherment　was　so　plex　that　even　NSA's　own　bank　of　superputers　could　only　crack　it　with　difficulty　and　after　a　lot　of　expensive　time。　After　that；　it　was　just　a　matter　of　setting　up　a　www…dot…something　domain　through　an　easily　available　public　vendor　and　a　local　ISP　…　Internet　Service　Provider　…　with　which　the　world　abounded。　It　could　even　be　used　on　a　direct　call　from　one　puter　to　another　…　in　fact；　that　was　the　original　application；　and　even　if　the　opposition　had　a　hardwire　phone　tap；　it　would　take　a　mathematical　genius　plus　the　biggest　and　baddest　superputer　that　Sun　Microsystems　made　even　to　begin　cracking　into　the　message。
　Lian　Ming；　Mary　Pat　read；　secretary　to。。。　to　him；　eh？　Not　a　bad　potential　source。　The　most　charming　part　of　all　was　that　Nomuri　included　the　sexual　possibilities　implicit　in　the　recruitment。　The　kid　was　still　something　of　an　innocent；　he'd　probably　blushed　writing　this；　the　Deputy　Director　（Operations）　of　the　Central　Intelligence　Agency　thought　to　herself；　but　he'd　included　it　because　he　was　so　damned　honest　in　everything　he　did。　It　was　time　to　get　Nomuri　a　promotion　and　a　raise。　Mrs。　Foley　made　the　appropriate　note　on　a　Post…it　for　attachment　to　his　file。　James　Bond…san；　she　thought　with　an　internal　chuckle。　The　easiest　part　was　the　reply：　Approved；　proceed。　She　didn't　even　have　to　add　the　〃with　caution〃　part。　Nomuri　knew　how　to　handle　himself　in　the　field；　which　was　not　always　the　rule　for　young　field　officers。　Then　she　picked　up　the　phone　and　called　her　husband　on　the　direct　line。
　〃Yeah；　honey？〃　the　Director　of　Central　Intelligence　said。
　〃Busy？〃
　Ed　Foley　knew　that　wasn't　a　question　his　wife　asked　lightly。　〃Not　too　busy　for　you；　baby。　e　on　down。〃　And　hung　up。
　The　CIA　Director's　office　is　relatively　long　and　narrow；　with　floor…to…ceiling　windows　overlooking　the　woods　and　the　special…visitors'　parking　lot。　Beyond　that　are　the　trees　overlooking　the　Potomac　Valley　and　the　George　Washington　Parkway；　and　little　else。　The　idea　of　anyone's　having　a　direct　line　of　sight　into　any　part　of　this　building；　much　less　the　Office　of　the　Director；　would　have　been　the　cause　of　serious　heartburn　for　the　security　pukes。　Ed　looked　up　from　his　paperwork　when　his　wife　came　in　and　took　the　leather　chair　across　from　his　desk。
　〃Something　good？〃
　〃Even　better　than　Eddie's　marks　at　school；〃　she　replied　with　a　soft；　sexy　smile　she　reserved　for　her　husband　alone。　And　that　had　to　be　pretty　good。　Edward　Foley；　Jr。；　was　kicking　ass　up　at　Rensselaer　Polytechnic　in　New　York；　and　a　starter　on　their　hockey　team；　which　damned　near　always　kicked　ass　itself　in　the　NCAA。　Little　Ed　might　earn　a　place　on　the　Olympic　team；　though　pro　hockey　was　out。　He'd　make　too　much　money　as　a　puter　engineer　to　waste　his　time　in　so　pedestrian　a　pursuit。　〃I　think　we　may　have　something　here。〃
　〃Like　what；　honey？〃
　〃Like　the　executive　secretary　to　Fang　Gan；〃　she　replied。　〃Nomuri's　trying　to　recruit　her；　and　he　says　the　prospects　are　good。〃
　〃GENGHIS；〃　Ed　observed。　They　ought　to　have　picked　a　different　name；　but　unlike　most　CIA　operations；　the　name　for　this　one　hadn't　been　generated　by　a　puter　in　the　basement。　The　fact　of　the　matter　was　that　this　security　measure　hadn't　been　applied　for　the　simple　reason　that　nobody　had　ever　expected　anything　to　e　of　it。　CIA　had　never　gotten　any　kind　of　agent　into　the　PRC　government。　At　least　not　above　the　rank　of　captain　in　the　People's　Liberation　Army。　The　problems　were　the　usual　ones。　First；　they　had　to　recruit　an　ethnic　Chinese；　and　CIA　hadn't　had　much　success　at　that；　next；　the　officer　in　question　had　to　have　perfect　language　skills；　and　the　ability　to　disappear　into　the　culture。　For　a　variety　of　reasons；　none　of　that　had　ever　happened。　Then　Mary　Pat　had　suggested　trying　Nomuri。　His　corporation　did　a　lot　of　business　in　China；　after　all；　and　the　kid　did　have　good　instincts。　And　so；　Ed　Foley　had　signed　off　on　it；　not　really　expecting　much　to　result。　But　again　his　wife's　field　instincts　had　proven　superior　to　his。　It　was　widely　believed　that　Mary　Pat　Foley　was　the　best　field　officer　the　Agency　had　had　in　twenty　years；　and　it　looked　as　if　she　was　determined　to　prove　that。　〃How　exposed　is　Chet？〃
　His　wife　had　to　nod　her　concern　at　that　one。　〃He's　hanging　out　there；　but　he　knows　how　to　be　careful；　and　his　munications　gear　is　the　best　we　have。　Unless　they　brute…force　him；　you　know；　just　pick　him　up　because　they　don't　like　his　haircut；　he　ought　to　be　pretty　safe。　Anyway　…〃　She　handed　over　the　munication　from　Beijing。
　The　DCI　read　it　three　times　before　handing　it　back。　〃Well；　if　he　wants　to　get　laid　…　it's　not　good　fieldcraft；　honey。　Not　good　to　get　that　involved　with　your　agent　…〃
　〃I　know　that；　Ed；　but　you　play　the　cards　you're　dealt；　remember？　And　if　we　get　her　a　puter　like　the　one　Chet's　using；　her　security　won't　be　all　that　bad　either；　will　it？〃
　〃Unless　they　have　somebody　pick　it　apart；〃　Ed　Foley　thought　aloud。
　〃Oh；　Jesus；　Ed；　our　best　people　would　have　a　cast…iron　mother…fucker　of　a　time　figuring　it　all　out。　I　ran　that　project　myself；　remember？　It's　safe！〃
　〃Easy；　honey。〃　The　DCI　held　up　his　hand。　When　Mary　used　that　sort　of　language；　she　was　really　into　the　matter　at　hand。　〃Yeah；　I　know；　it's　secure；　but　I'm　the　worrier　and　you're　the　cowgirl；　remember？〃
　〃Okay；　honey…bunny。〃　The　usual　sweet　smile　that　went　with　seduction　and　getting　her　way。
　〃You've　already　told　him　to　proceed？〃
　〃He's　my　officer；　Eddie。〃
　A　resigned　nod。　It　wasn't　fair　that　he　had　to　work　with　his　wife　here。　He　rarely　won　any　arguments　at　the　office；　either。　〃Okay；　baby。　It's　your　operation；　run　with　it；　but　…〃
　〃But　what？〃
　〃But　we　change　GENGHIS　to　something　else。　If　this　one　pans　out；　then　we　go　to　a　monthly　name　cycle。　This　one　has　some　serious　implications；　and　we've　got　to　go　max…security　on　it。〃
　She　had　to　agree　with　that。　As　case　officers；　the　two　of　them　had　run　an　agent　known　in　CIA　legend　as　CARDINAL；　Colonel　Mikhail　Semyonovich　Filitov；　who'd　worked　inside　the　Kremlin　for　more　than　thirty　years；　feeding　gold…plated　information　on　every　aspect　of　the　Soviet　military；　plus　some　hugely　valuable　political　intelligence。　For　bureaucratic　reasons　lost　in　the　mists　of　time；　CARDINAL　had　not　been　handled　as　a　regular　agent…in…place；　and　that　had　saved　him　from　Aldrich　Ames　and　his　treacherous　betrayal　of　a　dozen　Soviet　citizens　who'd　worked　for　America。　For　Ames　it　had　worked　out　to　roughly　100；000　per　life　given　away。　Both　of　the　Foleys　regretted　the　fact　that　Ames　was　allowed　to　live；　but　they　weren't　in　the　law…enforcement　business。
　〃Okay；　Eddie；　monthly　change…cycle。　You're　always　so　careful；　honey。　You　call　or　me？〃
　〃We'll　wait　until　she　gives　us　something　useful　before　going　to　all　the　trouble；　but　let's　change　GENGHIS　to　something　else。　It's　too　obviously　a　reference　to　China。〃
　〃Okay。〃　An　impish　smile。　〃How　about　SORGE　for　the　moment？〃　she　suggested。　The　name　was　that　of　Richard　SORGE；　one　of　the　greatest　spies　who'd　ever　lived；　a　German　national　who'd　worked　for　the　Soviets；　and　just　possibly　the　man　who'd　kept　Hitler　from　winning　his　Eastern　Front　war　with　Stalin。　The　Soviet　dictator；　knowing　this；　hadn't　lifted　a　hand　to　save　him　from　execution。　〃Gratitude；〃　Iosif　Vissarionovich　had　once　said；　〃is　a　disease　of　dogs。〃
　The　DCI　nodded。　His　wife　had　a　lively　sense　of　humor；　especially　as　applied　to　business　matters。　〃When　do　you　suppose　we'll　know　if　she'll　play　ball　with　us？〃
　〃About　as　soon　as　Chet　gets　his　rocks　off；　I　suppose。〃
　〃Mary；　did　you　ever。。。？〃
　〃In　the　field？　Ed；　that's　a　guy　thing；　not　a　girl　thing；〃　she　told　her　husband　with　a　sparkling　grin　as　she　lifted　her　papers　and　headed　back　out。　〃Except　with　you；　honey…bunny。〃
　
　
　The　Alitalia　DC…10　touched　down　about　fifteen　minutes　early　due　to　the　favorable　winds。　Renato　Cardinal　DiMilo　was　pleased　enough　to　think　through　an　appropriate　prayer　of　thanksgiving。　A　longtime　member　of　the　Vatican's　diplomatic　service；　he　was　accustomed　to　long　flights；　but　that　wasn't　quite　the　same　as　enjoying　them。　He　wore　his　red　…　〃cardinal〃　…　and　black　suit　that　was　actually　more　akin　to　an　official　uniform；　and　not　a　conspicuously　fortable　one　at　that；　despite　the　custom　tailoring　that　came　from　one　of　Rome's　better　shops。　One　of　the　drawbacks　to　his　clerical　and　diplomatic　status　was　that　he'd　been　unable　to　shed　his　suitcoat　for　the　flight；　but　he'd　been　able　to　kick　off　his　shoes；　only　to　find　that　his　feet　had　swollen　on　the　flight；　and　getting　them　back　on　was　more　difficult　than　usual。　That　evoked　a　sigh　rather　than　a　curse；　as　the　plane　taxied　to　the　terminal。　The　senior　flight　attendant　ushered　him　to　the　forward　door　and　allowed　him　to　leave　the　aircraft　first。　One　advantage　to　his　diplomatic　status　was　that　all　he　ever　had　to　do　was　wave　his　diplomatic　passport　at　the　control　officers；　and　in　this　case　a　senior　PRC　government　official　was　there　to　greet　him　at　the　end　of　the　jetway。
　〃Wele　to　our　country；〃　the　official　said；　extending　his　hand。
　〃It　is　my　pleasure　to　be　here；〃　the　cardinal　replied；　noting　that　this　munist　atheist　didn't　kiss　his　ring；　as　was　the　usual　protocol。　Well；　Catholicism　in　particular　and　Christianity　in　general　were　not　exactly　wele　in　the　People's　Republic　of　China；　were　they？　But　if　the　PRC　expected　to　live　in　the　civilized　world；　then　they'd　have　to　accept　representation　with　the　Holy　See；　and　that　was　that。　And　besides；　he'd　go　to　work　on　these　people；　and；　who　knew；　maybe　he　could　convert　one　or　two。　Stranger　things　had　happened；　and　the　Roman　Catholic　Church　had　handled　more　formidable　enemies　than　this　one。
　With　a　wave　and　a　small　escort　group；　the　demi…minister　conducted　his　distinguished　visitor　through　the　concourse　toward　the　place　where　the　official　car　and　escort　waited。
　〃