cc.floodtide-第12部分

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　a　library　whose　four　walls　were　packed　from　floor　to　ceiling　with　over　a　thousand　books。　As　the　door　was　closed　behind　him；　Sandecker　saw　the　President　standing　in　the　center　of　the　room；　his　eyes　fixed　on　the　admiral　but　showing　no　trace　of　recognition。　There　were　three　other　men　in　the　room。　One　Sandecker　knew；　the　other　two　were　unfamiliar。　The　President　held　a　coffee　cup　in　his　left　hand　as　Laird　made　the　introductions。
　
　〃Mr。　President；　Admiral　James　Sandecker　and　mander　Rudi　Gunn。〃
　
　The　President　gave　the　impression　of　being　older　than　he　was。　He　looked　sixty…five　but　was　still　in　his　late　fifties。　The　premature　gray　hair；　red　veins　streaming　through　his　facial　skin；　the　beady　eyes　that　always　seemed　reddened；　inspired　political　cartoonists　often　to　caricature　him　as　a　wino；　when　in　fact　he　rarely　drank　anything　more　than　an　occasional　glass　of　beer。　He　was　an　intense　man　with　a　round　face　and　low　forehead　and　thin　eyebrows。　He　was　the　consummate　politician。　Within　days　of　replacing　his　ailing　boss；　no　decision　regarding　his　lifestyle　or　the　state　of　the　union　was　made　without　considering　the　potential　for　gathering　votes　for　his　run　for　office　in　the　next　election。
　
　Dean　Cooper　Wallace　would　not　bee　one　of　Sandecker's　favorite　presidents。　It　was　no　secret　that　Wallace　detested　Washington　and　refused　to　play　the　required　social　games。　He　and　the　Congress　pulled　in　harness　together　like　a　lion　and　a　bear；　both　wanting　to　eat　the　other。　He　was　not　an　intellectual；　but　was　adept　at　cutting　deals　and　acting　on　intuition。　Since　replacing　the　man　who　had　been　duly　elected；　he　had　quickly　surrounded　himself　with　aides　and　advisers　who　shared　his　distrust　of　the　entrenched　bureaucracy　and　were　always　looking　for　innovative　ways　to　circumvent　tradition。
　
　The　President　extended　his　free　hand　while　still　holding　the　coffee　cup。　〃Admiral　Sandecker；　a　pleasure　to　finally　meet　you。〃
　
　Sandecker　involuntarily　blinked。　The　President's　grip　was　anything　but　hardy；　not　what　he　expected　from　a　politician　who　pressed　flesh　year　in　and　year　out。　〃Mr。　President。　I　hope　this　will　be　only　the　first　of　many　times　we　meet　face…to…face。〃
　〃I　expect　so；　since　the　prognosis　for　my　predecessor　is　not　good　for　a　full　recovery。〃
　〃I'm　sorry　to　hear　it。　He　is　a　good　man。〃　Wallace　did　not　reply。　He　merely　nodded　at　Gunn；　acknowledging　his　presence；　as　Laird　continued　playing　host。　The　chief　of　staff　took　the　admiral　by　the　arm　and　led　him　over　to　the　three　men　standing　in　front　of　a　gas　fire　that　burned　in　a　stone　fireplace。
　〃Duncan　Monroe；　missioner　of　the　Immigration　and　Naturalization　Service；　and　his　executive　associate　missioner　for　field　operations；　Peter　Harper。〃　Monroe　had　a　tough；　no…nonsense　look　about　him。　Harper　seemed　as　if　he　melted　into　the　bookcase　behind　him。　Laird　turned　to　the　third　man。　〃Admiral　Dale　Ferguson；　mandant　of　the　Coast　Guard。〃　〃Dale　and　I　are　old　friends；〃　said　Sandecker。　A　large　ruddy　man　with　a　ready　smile；　Ferguson　gripped　Sandecker　by　the　shoulder。　〃Good　to　see　you；　Jim。〃
　〃How　are　Sally　and　the　kids？　I　haven't　seen　them　since　we　took　that　cruise　together　around　Indonesia。〃
　〃Sally　is　still　saving　the　forests；　and　the　boys　are　wiping　out　my　pension　with　their　college　expenses。〃　Impatient　with　the　small　talk；　the　President　gathered　them　all　around　a　conference　table　and　kicked　off　the　meeting。　〃I　apologize　for　asking　you　to　leave　your　beds　on　a　rainy　night；　but　Duncan　has　brought　to　my　attention　a　crisis　that　is　exploding　on　our　doorstep　that　involves　illegal　immigration。　I'm　counting　on　you　gentlemen　to　e　up　with　a　viable　program　to　cut　the　flow　of　aliens；　particularly　the　Chinese　who　are　being　smuggled　across　our　shorelines　in　vast　numbers。〃
　
　Sandecker　raised　his　eyebrows；　puzzled。　〃I　can　certainly　see；　Mr。　President；　where　INS　and　the　Coast　Guard　fit　into　the　picture；　but　what　does　unlawful　immigration　have　to　do　with　the　National　Underwater　and　Marine　Agency？　Our　work　is　based　on　underwater　research。　Chasing　down　Chinese　smugglers　is　out　of　our　territory。〃
　
　〃We're　in　dire　need　of　any　source　that　can　help　us；〃　said　Duncan　Monroe。　〃With　congressional　budget　cuts；　INS　is　overstretched　far　beyond　our　capacity。　Congress　appropriated　a　sixty…percent　increase　in　INS　border…patrol　agents；　but　provided　no　funds　for　expanding　our　investigations　division。　Our　entire　department　has　only　eighteen　hundred　special　agents　to　cover　the　entire　United　States　and　foreign　investigations。　The　FBI　has　eleven　hundred　agents　in　New　York　City　alone。　Here　in　Washington　twelve　hundred　Capitol　police　patrol　an　area　that　is　measured　in　city　blocks。　Simply　put；　there　are　nowhere　near　enough　INS　criminal　investigative　assets　to　put　a　dent　in　the　flow　of　illegal　immigrants。〃
　
　〃Sounds　like　you're　operating　with　an　army　of　patrolmen　on　the　beat　but　few　detectives　to　back　them　up；〃　said　Sandecker。
　
　〃We　fight　a　losing　battle　as　it　is　with　illegals　pouring　across　our　border　with　Mexico；　many　who　e　from　as　far　away　as　Chile　and　Argentina；〃　Monroe　continued。　〃We　might　as　well　hold　back　ocean　surf　with　kitchen　sieves。　People…smuggling　has　grown　into　a　multibillion…dollar　industry　that　rivals　arms　and　drug　smuggling。　Moving　human　cargo　in　an　underworld　apathetic　to　borders　and　political　ideologies；　people…smuggling　will　be　the　major　crime　of　the　twenty…first　century。〃
　
　Harper　inclined　his　head。　〃To　make　matters　worse；　large…scale　alien　smuggling　from　the　People's　Republic　of　China　is　reaching　epidemic　proportions。　Smugglers；　with　the　blessing　and　support　of　their　government；　who　are　looking　to　decrease　their　tremendous　population　any　way　they　can；　have　launched　a　program　to　export　tens　of　millions　of　their　people　to　every　corner　of　the　globe；　especially　to　Japan；　the　U。S。　and　Canada；　Europe　and　South　America。　Strange　as　it　sounds；　they're　even　infiltrating　the　whole　of　Africa　from　Capetown　to　Algiers。〃
　
　Harper　continued　for　his　boss。　〃The　smuggling　syndicates　have　organized　a　plex　labyrinth　of　transportation　routes。　Air；　sea；　and　land　are　all　used　to　smuggle　human　cargo。　Over　forty　advanced　staging　and　dispersion　areas　have　been　set　up　throughout　Eastern　Europe；　Central　America　and　Africa。〃
　
　〃The　Russians　are　especially　hard　hit；〃　added　Monroe。　〃They　see　massive；　uncontrolled　migration　of　Chinese　nationals　into　Mongolia　and　Siberia　as　a　threat　to　their　security。　The　intelligence　directorate　of　the　Russian　Defense　Ministry　has　warned　their　leaders　that　Russia　is　on　the　verge　of　losing　its　Far　Eastern　territories　because　the　flow　of　Chinese　is　already　accounting　for　a　greater　part　of　the　population　in　the　region。〃
　〃Mongolia　is　already　a　lost　cause；〃　said　the　President。　〃Russia　has　allowed　her　power　base　to　slip　through　her　fingers。　Siberia　is　next。〃
　
　As　if　reading　lines　from　a　play；　Harper　chimed　in　again。　〃Before　Russia　forfeits　her　ports　in　the　Pacific；　with　rich　deposits　of　gold；　oil　and　gas；　all　vital　for　her　entry　into　the　exploding　Asia…Pacific　economy；　her　president　and　his　parliament　may　out　of　desperation　declare　war　on　China。　That　would　make　for　an　impossible　situation　for　the　United　States　to　choose　sides。〃
　
　〃There　is　also　another　cataclysm　in　the　making；〃　said　the　President。　〃The　gradual　takeover　of　eastern　Russia　is　only　the　tip　of　the　iceberg。　The　Chinese　think　in　the　long　term。　Besides　the　impoverished　peasants　being　rounded　up　and　loaded　aboard　ships；　a　great　many　migrants　are　by　no　means　poor。　Many　have　the　financial　means　to　buy　property　and　launch　businesses　in　whichever　country　they　settle。　Given　enough　time　this　can　lead　to　enormous　changes　in　political　and　economic　influence；　particularly　if　their　culture　and　loyalty　remain　tied　to　the　mother　country。〃
　〃If　the　tide　of　Chinese　migration　goes　unchecked；〃　said　Laird；　〃there　is　no　predicting　the　enormous　upheaval　the　world　will　experience　in　the　next　hundred　years。〃
　〃It　sounds　to　me　like　you're　implying　the　People's　Republic　of　China　is　engaged　in　a　Machiavellian　scheme　to　take　over　the　world；〃　said　Sandecker。
　Monroe　nodded。　〃They're　in　it　up　to　their　necks。　China's　mass　of　humanity　is　growing　by　twenty…one　million　people　a　year。　Their　population　of　one…point…two　billion　represents　twenty…two　percent　of　the　world's　total　people。　Yet　their　land　area　is　only　seven　percent。　Starvation　is　a　fact　of　life　over　there。　Laws　enacted　to　allow　couples　only　one　child　to　slow　the　birthrate　are　a　drop　in　the　bucket。　Poverty　breeds　children　despite　threats　of　prison。　China's　leaders　see　illegal　immigration　as　a　simple　and　inexpensive　solution　to　their　population　problem。　By　literally　licensing　criminal　syndicates　that　specialize　in　smuggling；　they　capitalize　on　both　ends　of　the　spectrum。　The　profits　can　be　nearly　as　high　as　trafficking　in　drugs；　and　they　decrease　the　numbers　of　those　who　drain　their　economy。〃
　Gunn　looked　across　the　table　at　the　INS　missioners。　〃It　was　always　my　impression　that　organized…crime　syndicates　directed　the　smuggling　operations。〃
　Monroe　nodded　toward　Harper。　〃I'll　let　Peter　reply；　since　he　is　our　expert　on　Asian　organized　crime　and　transnational　criminal　groups。〃
　〃There　are　two　sides　to　the　smuggling；〃　explained　Harper。　〃One　is　operated　by　an　alliance　of　criminal　groups　that　also　deals　in　drugs；　extortion；　prostitution　and　international　car　theft。　They　account　for　nearly　thirty　percent　of　aliens　smuggled　into　Europe　and　the　Western　Hemisphere。　The　second　is　legitimate　business　fronts　that　engage　in　the　traffic　from　behind　the　cloak　of　respectability；　licensed　and　supported　by　their　governments。　This　part　of　the　activity　accounts　for　seventy　percent　of　all　aliens　run　across　world　borders。
　〃Although　many　illegal　Chinese　immigrants　e　hi　by　air；　the　great　mass　cross　into　foreign　countries　by　sea。　Air　requires　passports　and　heavy　bribery。　The　use　of　ships　to　smuggle　aliens　has　bee　more　widespread。　The　overhead　costs　are　lower；　many　more　bodies　can　be　transported　in　one　operation；　the　logistics　are　simpler　and　the　profits　are　higher。〃
　Admiral　Ferguson　cleared　his　throat　and　said；　〃When　the　flood　was　a　trickle；　old　dilapidated　and　run…down　tramp　freighters　were　used　to　transport　the　immigrants　before　sending　them　ashore　in　leaky　boats　and　rafts。　Many　were　given　life　jackets　and　thrown