wt.theyearofthequietsun-第22部分

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　　Saltus　had　finished　his　task　and　was　removing　film　from　the　copying　camera。　He　had　left　the　newspapers　flung　over　the　bench　in　disarray。
　　Chaney　gathered　them　up　into　an　orderly　pile。　When　he　had　finished　the　housekeeping　chore；　a　right…side…up　headline　said：　JCS　DENIED　BAIL。
　　〃Who　is　JCS？　What　did　he　do？〃
　　Saltus　stared　in　disbelief。　〃Damn　it；　civilian；　didn't　you　do　anything　out　there？〃
　　〃I　didn't　bother　with　the　papers。〃
　　Incredulously：　〃What　the　hell…are　you　blind？　Why　do　you　think　the　cops　were　patrolling　the　town？　Why　do　you　think　the　state　guards　were　riding　shotgun？〃
　　〃Well…because　of　that　Chicago　business。　The　wall。〃
　　〃Bigod！〃　Arthur　Saltus　stalked　across　the　room　to　face　him；　suddenly　impatient　with　his　naivete。　〃No　offense；　mister；　but　sometimes　I　think　you　never　left　that　ivory　tower；　that　cloud　bank　in　Indiana。　You　don't　seem　to　know　what's　going　on　in　the　world…you've　got　your　nose　buried　too　deep　in　those　damned　old　tables。　Shape　up；　Chaney！　Shape　up　before　you　get　washed　out。〃　He　jabbed　a　long　index　finger　at　the　newspapers　stacked　on　the　bench。　〃This　country　is　under　martial　law。　JCS　is　the　Joint　Chiefs　of　Staff。　General　Grinnell；　General　Brandon；　Admiral　Elstar；　the　top　dogs。　They　tried　to　pull　a　fast　one　but　got　caught；　they…that　French　word。〃
　　〃Which　French　word？〃
　　〃For　take…over。〃
　　Chaney　was　stunned。　〃Coup。〃
　　〃That's　the　word。　Coup。　They　marched　into　the　White　House　to　arrest　the　President　and　the　Vice　President；　they　tried　to　take　over　the　government　at　gun　point。　Our　own　government；　mister！　You　hear　about　that　sort　of　thing　down　in　South　America　all　the　time；　but　now；　right　here　in　our　country！〃　Saltus　stopped　talking　and　made　a　visible　effort　to　control　himself。　After　a　moment　he　said　again：　〃No　offense；　mister。　I　lost　my　temper。〃
　　Chaney　wasn't　listening。　He　was　running　across　the　basement　room　to　the　stacked　newspapers。
　　It　happened　not　at　the　White　House；　but　at　the　Presidential　retreat　at　Camp　David。
　　A　power　failure　blacked　out　the　area　shortly　before　midnight　on　Monday　night；　election　eve。　The　President　had　closed　his　re…election　campaign　and　flown　to　Camp　David　to　rest。　An　emergency　lighting　system　failed　to　operate　and　the　Camp　remained　in　darkness。　Two　hundred　troops　guarding　the　installation　fell　back　upon　the　inner　ring　of　defenses　according　to　a　prearranged　emergency　plan；　and　took　up　positions　about　the　main　buildings　occupied　by　the　President；　the　Vice　President；　and　their　aides。　They　elected　not　to　go　underground　as　there　was　no　indication　of　enemy　action。　Admiral　Elstar　was　with　the　Presidential　party；　discussing　future　operations　in　the　South　Asian　seas。
　　Thirty　minutes　after　the　blackout；　Generals　Grinnell　and　Brandon　arrived　by　car　and　were　admitted　through　the　lines。　At　General　Grinnell's　mand；　the　troops　about…faced　and　established　a　ring　of　quarantine　about　the　buildings；　they　appeared　to　be　expecting　the　order。　The　two　generals　then　entered　the　main　building…with　drawn　weapons…and　informed　the　President　and　the　Vice　President　they　were　under　military　arrest；　together　with　all　civilians　in　the　area。　Admiral　Elstar　joined　them　and　announced　that　the　JCS　were　taking　control　of　the　government　for　an　indefinite　period　of　time；　he　expressed　dissatisfaction　with　civilian　mismanagement　of　the　country　and　the　war　effort；　and　said　the　abrupt　action　was　forced　upon　the　Joint　Chiefs。　The　President　appeared　to　take　the　news　calmly　and　offered　no　resistance；　he　asked　the　members　of　his　party　to　avoid　violence　and　cooperate　with　the　rebellious　officers。
　　The　civilians　were　herded　into　a　large　dining　room　and　locked　in。　As　soon　as　they　were　alone　the　aides　brought　out　gas　masks　which　had　previously　been　concealed　there；　the　party　donned　the　masks　and　crawled　under　heavy　dining　tables　to　wait。　Mortar　fire　was　heard　outside。
　　Electric　power　was　restored　at　just　one　o'clock。　The　firing　stopped。
　　FBI　agents　also　wearing　masks　breached　the　door　from　the　opposite　side　and　informed　the　President　the　rebellion　was　ended。　The　Joint　Chiefs　of　Staff　and　the　disloyal　troops　had　been　taken　under　cover　of　a　gas　barrage；　by　an　undisclosed　number　of　agents　backed　by　Federal　marshals。　Casualties　among　the　troops　were　held　to　a　minimum。　The　Joint　Chiefs　were　unharmed。
　　Helicopters　ferried　the　Presidential　party　back　to　Washington；　where　the　President　requested　immediate　reactivation　of　the　TV　networks　to　announce　the　news　of　the　attempted　coup　and　its　subsequent　failure。　Congress　was　called　into　an　emergency　session；　and　at　the　request　of　the　President　declared　the　country　under　martial　law。　The　affair　was　done。
　　A　White　House　spokesman　admitted　that　the　plot　was　known　well　in　advance；　but　refused　to　reveal　the　source　of　the　tip。　He　said　the　action　was　allowed　to　go　as　far　as　it　did　only　to　ascertain　the　number　and　the　identities　of　the　troops　who　supported　the　Joint　Chiefs。　The　spokesman　denied　rumors　that　those　troops　had　been　nervegassed。　He　said　the　plotters　were　being　charged　with　treason　and　were　being　held　in　separate　jails；　he　would　not　disclose　the　locations　other　than　to　say　they　were　dispersed　away　from　Washington。　The　spokesman　declined　to　answer　questions　regarding　the　number　of　FBI　agents　and　Federal　marshals　involved　in　the　action；　he　shrugged　off　unofficial　reports　that　thousands　had　been　mustered。
　　The　only　reliable　information　known　was　that　large　numbers　of　them　had　lain　in　concealment　about　Camp　David　for　several　days　prior　to　the　action。　The　spokesman　would　say　only　the　two　groups　had　courageously　rescued　the　President　and　his　party。
　　
　　
　　Brian　Chaney　was　unaware　that　the　lights　dimmed　and　the　hurtful　rubber　band　smashed　against　his　eardrums；　he　didn't　hear　the　massive　mallet　smash　into　the　block　pf　pressed　air　and　then　rebound　with　a　soft；　oily　sigh。　He　didn't　know　that　Arthur　Saltus　had　left　him　until　he　turned　around　and　found　himself　alone。
　　Chaney　stared　around　the　empty　shelter　and　shouted　aloud：　〃Saltus！〃
　　There　was　no　answer。
　　He　strode　to　the　door　and　shouted　into　the　corridor。　〃Saltus！〃
　　Booming　echoes；　and　then　silence。　The　mander　was　emerging　from　the　vehicle　at　home　base。
　　〃Listen　to　the　word　from　the　ivory　tower；　Saltus！　Listen　to　me！　What　do　you　want　to　bet　the　President　didn't　risk　his　precious　skin　under　a　dining　room　table？　What　do　you　want　to　bet　that　he　sent　a　double　to　Camp　David？　He's　no　Greatheart；　no　Bayard；　he　couldn't　be　certain　of　the　oute。〃　Chaney　stepped　into　the　corridor。
　　〃We　tipped　him　off；　you　idiot…we　passed　the　word。　We　told　him　of　the　plot　and　of　his　re…election。　Do　you　really　think　he　has　the　guts　to　expose　himself？　Knowing　that　he　would　be　re…elected　the　next　day　for　another　four…year　ride？　Do　you　think　that；　Saltus？〃
　　Monitoring　cameras　looked　at　him　under　bright　lights。
　　In　the　closed…off　operations　room；　the　TDV　came　back　for　him　with　an　explosive　burst　of　air。
　　Chaney　turned　on　his　heel　and　walked　into　the　shelter。　The　newspapers　were　stacked；　the　gear　was　stored　away；　the　clothing　was　neatly　hung　on　racks。　He　had　arrived　and　was　preparing　to　leave　with　scarcely　a　trace　of　his　passage。
　　The　torn　envelope　caught　his　eye…the　instructions　from　Katrina；　and　his　identification　papers；　his　gate　pass。　Cool；　impersonal；　distant…impassive；　reserved。　The　wife　of　Arthur　Saltus　giving　him　last　minute　instructions　for　the　field　trial。　She　still　lived　on　station；　she　still　worked　for　the　Bureau　and　the　secret　project…and　unless　the　mander　had　been　reassigned　to　the　war　theater　he　was　living　with　her。
　　But　the　barracks　were　dark；　padlocked。
　　Brian　Chaney　knew　the　strong　conviction　that　he　was　gone…that　he　and　the　Major　had　left　the　station。　He　didn't　believe　in　crystal　balls；　in　clairvoyance；　hunches；　precognition…Major　Moresby　could　have　all　that　claptrap　to　add　to　his　library　of　phony　prophets；　but　this　one　conviction　was　deeply　fixed　in　his　mind。
　　He　was　not　here　in　November；　1980。
　　
　　
　　ELEVEN
　　
　　Chaney　sensed　a　subtle　change　in　relationships。　It　was　nothing　he　could　clearly　identify；　mark；　pin　down；　but　a　shade　of　difference　was　there。
　　Gilbert　Seabrooke　had　sponsored　a　victory　party　on　the　night　of　their　return；　and　the　President　telephoned　from　the　White　House　to　offer　his　congratulations　on　a　good　job　well　done。　He　spoke　of　an　award；　a　medal　to　convey　the　grateful　appreciation　of　a　nation…even　though　the　nation　could　not　be　informed　of　the　stunning　breakthrough。　Brian　Chaney　responded　with　a　polite　thank　you；　and　held　his　tongue。　Seabrooke　hovered　nearby；　watchful　and　alert。
　　The　party　wasn't　as　successful　as　it　might　have　been。　Some　indefinable　element　of　spontaneity　was　missing；　some　elusive　spark　which；　when　struck；　changes　over　an　ordinary　party　into　a　memorable　evening　of　pleasure。　Chaney　would　remember　the　celebration；　but　not　with　heady　delight。　He　passed　over　the　champagne　in　favor　of　bourbon；　but　drank　that　sparingly。　Major　Moresby　seemed　withdrawn；　troubled；　brooding　over　some　inner　problem；　and　Chaney　guessed　he　was　already　preoccupied　with　the　startling　power　struggle　which　was　yet　two　years　away。　Moresby　had　made　a　stiff；　awkward　little　speech　of　thanks　to　the　President；　striving　to　assure　him　without　words　of　his　continued　loyalty。　Chaney　was　embarrassed　for　him。
　　Arthur　Saltus　danced。　He　monopolized　Katrina；　even　to　the　point　of　ignoring　her　whispered　suggestions　that　he　give　unequal　time　to　Chaney　and　the　Major。　Chaney　didn't　want　to　cut　in。　On　another　evening；　another　party　before　the　field　trials；　he　could　have　cut　in　as　often　as　he　dared；　but　now　he　sensed　the　same　subtle　change　in　Kathryn　van　Hise　which　was　sensed　in　the　others。　The　mountain　of　information　brought　back　from　Joliet；　November　1980；　had　altered　many　viewpoints　and　the　glossy　overlay　of　the　party　could　not　conceal　that　alteration。
　　There　was　a　stranger　at　the　party；　the　liaison　agent　dispatched　by　the　Senate　submittee。　Chaney　discovered　the　man　surreptitiously　watching　him。
　　
　　
　　The　briefing　room　offered　the　familiar　tableau。
　　Major　Moresby　was　again　studying　a　map　of　the　Chicago　area。　He　used　a　finger　to　mark　the　several　major　routes　and　backroads　between　Joliet　and　the　metropolis；　the　finge