danbrown.deceptionpoint-第48部分

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ibly　NASA　administrator　Lawrence　Ekstrom　with　his　ties　to　the　Pentagon。　Unfortunately；　as　Rachel　considered　the　myriad　of　possibilities；　she　realized　the　controlling　force　behind　the　attack　could　have　been　almost　anyone　with　high…level　political　clout　and　the　right　connections。
　〃I　could　phone　the　President　right　now；〃　Pickering　said；　〃but　I　don't　think　that's　wise；　at　least　until　we　know　who's　involved。　My　ability　to　protect　you　bees　limited　once　we　involve　the　White　House。　In　addition；　I'm　not　sure　what　I　would　tell　him。　If　the　meteorite　is　real；　which　you　all　feel　it　is；　then　your　allegation　of　an　insertion　shaft　and　attack　doesn't　make　sense；　the　President　would　have　every　right　to　question　the　validity　of　my　claim。〃　He　paused　as　if　calculating　the　options。　〃Regardless。。。　whatever　the　truth　is　or　who　the　players　are；　some　very　powerful　people　will　take　hits　if　this　information　goes　public。　I　suggest　we　get　you　to　safety　right　away；　before　we　start　rocking　any　boats。〃
　Get　us　to　safety？　The　ment　surprised　Rachel。　〃I　think　we're　fairly　safe　on　a　nuclear　submarine；　sir。〃
　Pickering　looked　skeptical。　〃Your　presence　on　that　submarine　won't　stay　secret　long。　I'm　pulling　you　out　immediately。　Frankly；　I'll　feel　better　when　the　three　of　you　are　sitting　in　my　office。〃
　
　　
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　Senator　Sexton　huddled　alone　on　his　couch　feeling　like　a　refugee。　His　Westbrooke　Place　apartment　that　had　only　an　hour　ago　been　filled　with　new　friends　and　supporters　now　looked　forsaken；　scattered　with　the　rubble　of　snifters　and　business　cards；　abandoned　by　men　who　had　quite　literally　dashed　out　the　door。
　Now　Sexton　crouched　in　solitude　before　his　television；　wanting　more　than　anything　to　turn　it　off　and　yet　being　unable　to　pull　himself　from　the　endless　media　analyses。　This　was　Washington；　and　it　didn't　take　long　for　the　analysts　to　rush　through　their　pseudoscientific　and　philosophical　hyperbole　and　lock　in　on　the　ugly　stuff…the　politics。　Like　torture　masters　rubbing　acid　in　Sexton's　wounds；　the　newscasters　were　stating　and　restating　the　obvious。
　〃Hours　ago；　Sexton's　campaign　was　soaring；〃　one　analyst　said。　〃Now；　with　NASA's　discovery；　the　senator's　campaign　has　crashed　back　to　earth。〃
　Sexton　winced；　reaching　for　the　Courvoisier　and　taking　a　hit　right　out　of　the　bottle。　Tonight；　he　knew；　would　be　the　longest　and　loneliest　night　of　his　life。　He　despised　Marjorie　Tench　for　setting　him　up。　He　despised　Gabrielle　Ashe　for　ever　mentioning　NASA　in　the　first　place。　He　despised　the　President　for　being　so　goddamned　lucky。　And　he　despised　the　world　for　laughing　at　him。
　〃Obviously；　this　is　devastating　for　the　senator；〃　the　analyst　was　saying。　〃The　President　and　NASA　have　claimed　an　incalculable　triumph　with　this　discovery。　News　like　this　would　revitalize　the　President's　campaign　regardless　of　Sexton's　position　on　NASA；　but　with　Sexton's　admission　today　that　he　would　go　so　far　as　to　abolish　NASA　funding　outright　if　need　be。。。　well；　this　presidential　announcement　is　a　one…two　punch　from　which　the　senator　will　not　recover。〃
　I　was　tricked；　Sexton　said。　The　White　House　fucking　set　me　up。
　The　analyst　was　smiling　now。　〃All　of　the　credibility　NASA　has　lost　with　Americans　recently　has　just　been　restored　in　spades。　There's　a　real　feeling　of　national　pride　out　there　on　the　streets　right　now。〃
　〃As　there　should　be。　They　love　Zach　Herney；　and　they　were　losing　faith。　You've　got　to　admit；　the　President　was　lying　down　and　took　some　pretty　big　hits　recently；　but　he's　e　out　of　it　smelling　like　a　rose。〃
　Sexton　thought　of　the　CNN　debate　that　afternoon　and　hung　his　head；　thinking　he　might　be　sick　to　his　stomach。　All　of　the　NASA　inertia　he　had　so　carefully　built　up　over　the　last　months　had　not　only　e　to　a　screeching　halt；　but　it　had　bee　an　anchor　around　his　neck。　He　looked　like　a　fool。　He'd　been　brazenly　played　by　the　White　House。　He　was　already　dreading　all　the　cartoons　in　tomorrow's　paper。　His　name　would　be　the　punch　line　to　every　joke　in　the　country。　Obviously；　there　would　be　no　more　quiet　SFF　campaign　funding。　Everything　had　changed。　All　of　the　men　who　had　been　in　his　apartment　had　just　seen　their　dreams　go　down　the　toilet。　The　privatization　of　space　had　just　struck　a　brick　wall。
　Taking　another　hit　of　cognac；　the　senator　stood　up　and　walked　unevenly　to　his　desk。　He　gazed　down　at　the　unhooked　phone　receiver。　Knowing　it　was　an　act　of　masochistic　self…flagellation；　he　slowly　replaced　the　phone　receiver　in　its　cradle　and　began　counting　the　seconds。
　One。。。　two。。。　The　phone　rang。　He　let　the　machine　pick　up。
　〃Senator　Sexton；　Judy　Oliver　from　CNN。　I'd　like　to　give　you　an　opportunity　to　react　to　the　NASA　discovery　this　evening。　Please　call　me。〃　She　hung　up。
　Sexton　started　counting　again。　One。。。　The　phone　started　ringing。　He　ignored　it；　letting　the　machine　get　it。　Another　reporter。
　Holding　his　bottle　of　Courvoisier；　Sexton　wandered　toward　the　sliding　door　of　his　balcony。　He　pulled　it　aside　and　stepped　out　into　the　cool　air。　Leaning　against　the　railing；　he　gazed　out　across　town　to　the　illuminated　facade　of　the　White　House　in　the　distance。　The　lights　seemed　to　twinkle　gleefully　in　the　wind。
　Bastards；　he　thought。　For　centuries　we've　been　looking　for　proof　of　life　in　the　heavens。　Now　we　find　it　in　the　same　fucking　year　as　my　election？　This　wasn't　propitious；　this　was　goddamned　clairvoyant。　Every　apartment　window　for　as　far　as　Sexton　could　see　had　a　television　on。　Sexton　wondered　where　Gabrielle　Ashe　was　tonight。　This　was　all　her　fault。　She'd　fed　him　NASA　failure　after　NASA　failure。
　He　raised　the　bottle　to　take　another　swig。
　Goddamned　Gabrielle。。。　she's　the　reason　I'm　in　this　so　deep。
　　
　Across　town；　standing　amid　the　chaos　of　the　ABC　production　room；　Gabrielle　Ashe　felt　numb。　The　President's　announcement　had　e　out　of　left　field；　leaving　her　suspended　in　a　semicatatonic　haze。　She　stood；　lock…kneed　in　the　center　of　the　production　room　floor；　staring　up　at　one　of　the　television　monitors　while　pandemonium　raged　around　her。
　The　initial　seconds　of　the　announcement　had　brought　dead　silence　to　the　newsroom　floor。　It　had　lasted　only　moments　before　the　place　erupted　into　a　deafening　carnival　of　scrambling　reporters。　These　people　were　professionals。　They　had　no　time　for　personal　reflection。　There　would　be　time　for　that　after　the　work　was　done。　At　the　moment；　the　world　wanted　to　know　more；　and　ABC　had　to　provide　it。　This　story　had　everything…science；　history；　political　drama…an　emotional　mother　lode。　Nobody　in　the　media　was　sleeping　tonight。
　〃Gabs？〃　Yolanda's　voice　was　sympathetic。　〃Let's　get　you　back　into　my　office　before　someone　realizes　who　you　are　and　starts　grilling　you　on　what　this　means　for　Sexton's　campaign。〃
　Gabrielle　felt　herself　guided　through　a　haze　into　Yolanda's　glass…walled　office。　Yolanda　sat　her　down　and　handed　her　a　glass　of　water。　She　tried　to　force　a　smile。　〃Look　on　the　bright　side；　Gabs。　Your　candidate's　campaign　is　fucked；　but　at　least　you're　not。〃
　〃Thanks。　Terrific。〃
　Yolanda's　tone　turned　serious。　〃Gabrielle；　I　know　you　feel　like　shit。　Your　candidate　just　got　hit　by　a　Mack　truck；　and　if　you　ask　me；　he's　not　getting　up。　At　least　not　in　time　to　turn　this　thing　around。　But　at　least　nobody's　splashing　your　picture　all　over　the　television。　Seriously。　This　is　good　news。　Herney　won't　need　a　sex　scandal　now。　He's　looking　far　too　presidential　right　now　to　talk　sex。〃
　It　seemed　a　small　consolation　to　Gabrielle。
　〃As　for　Tench's　allegations　of　Sexton's　illegal　campaign　finance。。。　〃　Yolanda　shook　her　head。　〃I　have　my　doubts。　Granted；　Herney　is　serious　about　no　negative　campaigning。　And　granted；　a　bribery　investigation　would　be　bad　for　the　country。　But　is　Herney　really　so　patriotic　that　he　would　forgo　a　chance　to　crush　his　opposition；　simply　to　protect　national　morale？　My　guess　is　Tench　stretched　the　truth　about　Sexton's　finances　in　an　effort　to　scare。　She　gambled；　hoping　you'd　jump　ship　and　give　the　President　a　free　sex　scandal。　And　you've　got　to　admit；　Gabs；　tonight　would　have　been　a　hell　of　a　night　for　Sexton's　morals　to　e　into　question！〃
　Gabrielle　nodded　vaguely。　A　sex　scandal　would　have　been　a　one…two　punch　from　which　Sexton's　career　never　would　have　recovered。。。　ever。
　〃You　outlasted　her；　Gabs。　Marjorie　Tench　went　fishing；　but　you　didn't　bite。　You're　home　free。　There'll　be　other　elections。〃
　Gabrielle　nodded　vaguely；　unsure　what　to　believe　anymore。
　〃You've　got　to　admit；〃　Yolanda　said；　〃the　White　House　played　Sexton　brilliantly…luring　him　down　the　NASA　path；　getting　him　to　mit；　coaxing　him　to　put　all　his　eggs　in　the　NASA　basket。〃
　Totally　my　fault；　Gabrielle　thought。
　〃And　this　announcement　we　just　watched；　my　God；　it　was　genius！　The　importance　of　the　discovery　entirely　aside；　the　production　values　were　brilliant。　Live　feeds　from　the　Arctic？　A　Michael　Tolland　documentary？　Good　God；　how　can　you　pete？　Zach　Herney　nailed　it　tonight。　There's　a　reason　the　guy　is　President。〃
　And　will　be　for　another　four　years。。。　
　〃I've　got　to　get　back　to　work；　Gabs；〃　Yolanda　said。　〃You　sit　right　there　as　long　as　you　want。　Get　your　feet　under　you。〃　Yolanda　headed　out　the　door。　〃Hon；　I'll　check　back　in　a　few　minutes。〃
　Alone　now；　Gabrielle　sipped　her　water；　but　it　tasted　foul。　Everything　did。　It's　all　my　fault；　she　thought；　trying　to　ease　her　conscience　by　reminding　herself　of　all　the　glum　NASA　press　conferences　of　the　past　year…the　space　station　setbacks；　the　postponement　of　the　X…33；　all　the　failed　Mars　probes；　continuous　budget　bailouts。　Gabrielle　wondered　what　she　could　have　done　differently。
　Nothing；　she　told　herself。　You　did　everything　right。
　It　had　simply　backfired。
　
　　
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　The　thundering　navy　SeaHawk　chopper　had　been　scrambled　under　a　covert　operation　status　out　of　Thule　Air　Force　Base　in　northern　Greenland。　It　stayed　low；　out　of　radar　range；　as　it　shot　through　the　gale　winds　across　seventy　miles　of　open　sea。　Then；　executing　the　bizarre　orders　they　had　been　given；　the　pilots　fought　the　wind　and　brought　the　craft　to　a　hover　above　a　pre…ordained　set　of　coordinates　on　the　empty　ocean。
　〃Where's　the　rendezvous？〃　the　copilot　yelled；　confused。　They　had　been　told　to　bring　a　chopper　with　a　rescue　winch；　so　he　anticipated　a　search…and…retrieve　operation。　〃You　sure　these　are　the　right　coordinates？〃　He　scanned　the　chop