tc.redrabbit-第64部分

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　　　〃Sorry；　babe。　It's　the　rules。〃
　　　〃And　you　never　break　them？〃
　　　〃Bad　habit　to　get　into。　Better　not　to　start。〃
　　　〃What　about　when　some　Russian　decides　to　work　for　us？〃
　　　〃That's　different。　Then　he's　working　for　the　forces　of　Truth　and　Beauty　in　the　world。　We；〃　Ryan　emphasized；　〃are　the　Good　Guys。〃
　　　〃What　do　they　think？〃
　　　〃They　think　they　are。　But　so　did　a　guy　named　Adolf；〃　he　reminded　her。　〃And　he　wouldn't　have　liked　Bernie　very　much。〃
　　　〃But　he's　long　dead。〃
　　　〃Not　everybody　like　him　is；　babe。　Trust　me　on　that　one。〃
　　　〃You're　worried　about　something；　Jack。　I　can　see　it。　Can't　say；　eh？〃
　　　〃Yes。　And　no；　I　can't。〃
　　　〃Okay。〃　She　nodded。　Intelligence　information　didn't　interest　her　beyond　her　abstract　desire　to　learn　what　was　going　on　in　the　world。　But　as　a　physician　there　were　many　things　she　really　wanted　to　know…like　the　cure　for　cancer…but　didn't；　and；　reluctantly；　she'd　e　to　accept　that。　But　medicine　didn't　allow　much　in　the　way　of　secrets。　When　you　found　something　that　helped　patients；　you　published　your　discovery　in　your　favorite　medical　journal　so　the　whole　world　could　know　about　it　right　away。　Damned　sure　CIA　didn't　do　that　very　often；　and　part　of　that　offended　her。　Another　tack；　then。　〃Okay；　when　you　do　find　out　something　important；　what　happens　then？〃
　　　〃We　kick　it　upstairs。　Here；　it　goes　right　to　Sir　Basil；　and　I　call　it　in　to　Admiral　Greer。　Usually　a　phone　call　over　the　secure　phone。〃
　　　〃Like　the　one　upstairs？〃
　　　〃Yep。　Then　we　send　it　over　by　secure　fax　or；　if　it's　really　hot；　it　goes　by　diplomatic　courier　out　of　the　embassy；　when　we　don't　want　to　trust　the　encryption　systems。〃
　　　〃How　often　does　that　happen？〃
　　　〃Not　since　I've　been　here；　but　I　don't　make　those　decisions。　What　the　hell；　the　diplomatic　bag　goes　over　in　eight　or　nine　hours。　Damned　sight　faster　than　it　used　to　happen。〃
　　　〃I　thought　that　phone　thingee　upstairs　was　unbreakable？〃
　　　〃Well；　some　things　you　do　are　nearly　perfect；　too；　but　you　still　take　extra　care　with　them；　right？　Same　with　us。〃
　　　〃What　would　that　be　for？　Theoretically　speaking；　that　is。〃　She　smiled　at　her　cleverness。
　　　〃Babe；　you　know　how　to　phrase　a　question。　Let's　say　we　got　something；　oh；　on　their　nuclear　arsenal；　something　from　an　agent　way　the　hell　inside；　and　it's　really　good　stuff；　but　losing　it　might　ID　the　agent　for　the　opposition。　That　is　what　you　send　via　the　bag。　The　name　of　the　game　is　protecting　the　source。〃
　　　〃Because　if　they　ID　the　guy…〃
　　　〃He's　dead；　maybe　in　a　very　unpleasant　way。　There's　a　story　that　once　they　loaded　a　guy　into　a　crematorium　alive　and　then　turned　on　the　gas…and　they　made　a　film　of　it；　pour　encourager　les　autres；　as　Voltaire　put　it。〃
　　　〃Nobody　does　that　anymore！〃　Cathy　objected　immediately。
　　　〃There's　a　guy　at　Langley　who　claims　to　have　seen　the　film。　The　poor　bastard's　name　was　Popov；　a　GRU　officer　who　worked　for　us。　His　bosses　were　very　displeased　with　him。〃
　　　〃You're　serious？〃　Cathy　persisted。
　　　〃As　a　heart　attack。　Supposedly；　they　used　to　show　the　film　to　people　in　the　GRU　Academy　as　a　warning　about　not　crossing　the　line…it　strikes　me　as　bad　psychology　but；　like　I　said；　I've　met　a　guy　who　says　he　saw　the　film。　Anyway；　that's　one　of　the　reasons　we　try　to　protect　our　sources。〃
　　　〃That's　a　little　hard　to　believe。〃
　　　〃Oh；　really？　You　mean；　like　a　surgeon　breaking　for　lunch　and　having　a　beer？〃
　　　〃Well。。。　yes。〃
　　　〃It's　an　imperfect　world　we　live　in；　babe。〃　He'd　let　things　go。　She'd　have　all　weekend　to　think　things　over；　and　he'd　get　some　work　done　on　his　Halsey　book。
　　　Back　in　Moscow；　fingers　were　flying。　How　u　gonna　tell　Lan＇gley＇；　she　asked。
　　　N＇ot＇　sure；　he　replied。
　　　Cour＇ier＇；　she　suggested。　This　could　be　re＇ally＇　hot。
　　　Ed　nodded　agreement。　Rit＇ter＇　will　be　exci＇ted＇。
　　　D＇amn＇　st＇raight＇；　she　agreed。　Want　m＇e＇　2　han＇dle＇　the　me＇et＇？　she　asked。
　　　Y＇our＇　Russian＇　is　pre＇etty＇　g＇ood＇；　he　agreed。
　　　This　time　she　nodded。　She　spoke　an　elegant　literary　Russian　reserved　to　the　well…educated　over　here；　Ed　knew。　The　average　Soviet　couldn't　believe　that　a　foreigner　spoke　his　language　that　well。　When　walking　the　street　or　conversing　with　a　shop　clerk；　she　never　let　that　skill　slip；　instead　stumbling　over　plex　phrases。　To　do　otherwise　would　have　been　noticed　at　once；　and　so　avoiding　it　was　an　important　part　of　her　cover；　even　more　than　her　blond　hair　and　American　mannerisms。　It　would　finger　her　immediately　to　their　new　agent。
　　　When？　she　asked　next。
　　　Iv＇an＇　sez　tom＇orrow＇。　Up　4　it？　he　responded。
　　　She　patted　his　hip　and　gave　a　cute；　playful　smile；　which　translated　to　bet　your　ass。
　　　Foley　loved　his　wife　as　fully　as　a　man　could；　and　part　of　that　was　his　respect　for　her　love　of　the　game　they　both　played。　Paramount　Central　Casting　could　not　have　given　him　a　better　wife。　They'd　be　making　love　tonight。　The　rule　in　boxing　might　be　no　sex　before　a　fight；　but　for　Mary　Pat　the　rule　was　the　reverse；　and　if　the　microphones　In　the　walls　noticed；　well；　fuck　'em；　the　Chief　of　Station　Moscow　thought；　with　a　sly　smile　of　his　own。
　　　〃When　do　you　leave；　Bob？〃　Greer　asked　the　DDO。
　　　〃Sunday。　ANA　to　Tokyo；　and　from　there　on　to　Seoul。〃
　　　〃Better　you　than　me。　I　hate　those　long　flights；〃　the　DDI　observed。
　　　〃Well；　you　try　to　sleep　about　half　the　way；〃　and　Ritter　was　good　at　that。　He　had　a　conference　scheduled　with　the　KCIA；　to　go　over　things　on　both　North　Korea　and　the　Chinese；　both　of　which　he　was　worried　about…as　were　the　Koreans。　〃Nothing　much　happening　in　my　shop　at　the　moment；　anyway。〃
　　　〃Smart　of　you　to　skip　town　while　we　have　the　President　chewing　my　backside　about　the　Pope；〃　Judge　Moore　thought　aloud。
　　　〃Well；　I'm　sorry　about　that；　Arthur；〃　Ritter　retorted；　with　an　ironic　smile。　〃Mike　Bostock　will　be　handling　things　in　my　absence。〃　Both　senior　executives　knew　and　liked　Bostock；　a　career　field　spook　and　an　expert　on　the　Soviets　and　the　Central　Europeans。　He　was　a　little　too　much　of　a　cowboy　to　be　trusted　on　The　Hill；　though；　which　everyone　thought　was　a　pity。　Cowboys　had　their　uses…like　Mary　Pat　Foley；　for　example。
　　　〃Still　nothing　out　of　the　Politburo　meeting？〃
　　　〃Not　yet；　Arthur。　Maybe　they　just　talked　about　routine　stuff。　You　know；　they　don't　always　sit　there　and　plan　the　next　nuclear　war。〃
　　　〃No。〃　Greer　chuckled。　〃They　think　we're　always　doing　that。　Jesus；　they're　a　paranoid　bunch。〃
　　　〃Remember　what　Henry　said：　'Even　paranoids　have　enemies。'　And　that　is　our　job；〃　Ritter　reminded　them。
　　　〃Still　ruminating　over　your　MASQUE　OF　THE　RED　DEATH　plan；　Robert？〃
　　　〃Nothing　specific　yet。　The　in…house　people　I've　talked　to　about　it…damn　it；　Arthur；　you　tell　our　people　to　think　outside　of　the　box；　and　what　do　they　do？　They　build　a　better　box！〃
　　　〃We　don't　have　many　entrepreneur　types　here；　remember。　Government　agency。　Pay　caps。　Tends　to　militate　against　creative　thinking。　That's　what　we're　for；〃　Judge　Moore　pointed　out。　〃How　do　we　change　that？〃
　　　〃We　have　a　few　people　from　the　real　world。　Hell；　I've　got　one　on　my　team…he　doesn't　know　how　to　think　inside　the　box。〃
　　　〃Ryan？〃　Ritter　asked。
　　　〃That's　one　of　them；〃　Jim　Greer　confirmed　with　a　nod。
　　　〃He's　not　one　of　us；〃　the　DDO　observed　at　once。
　　　〃Bob；　you　can't　have　it　both　ways；〃　the　DDI　shot　back。　〃Either　you　want　a　guy　who　thinks　like　one　of　our　bureaucrats；　or　a　guy　who　thinks　creatively。　Ryan　knows　the　rules；　he's　an　ex…Marine　who　even　knows　how　to　think　on　his　feet；　and　pretty　soon　he's　going　to　be　a　star　analyst。〃　Greer　paused。　〃He's　about　the　best　young　officer　I've　seen　in　a　few　years；　and　what　your　beef　with　him　is；　Robert；　I　do　not　understand。〃
　　　〃Basil　likes　him；〃　Moore　added　to　the　conversation；　〃and　Basil's　a　hard　man　to　fool。〃
　　　〃Next　time　I　see　Jack；　I'd　like　to　let　him　know　about　RED　DEATH。〃
　　　〃Really？〃　Moore　asked。　〃It's　way　over　his　pay　grade。〃
　　　〃Arthur；　he　knows　economics　better　than　anyone　I　have　in　the　DI。　I　didn't　put　him　in　my　economics　section　only　because　he's　too　smart　to　be　limited　that　way。　Bob；　if　you　want　to　wreck　the　Soviet　Union…without　a　war…the　only　way　to　do　it　is　to　cripple　their　economy。　Ryan　made　himself　a　pile　of　money　because　he　knows　all　that　stuff。　I'm　telling　you；　he　knows　how　to　separate　the　wheat　from　the　chaff。　Maybe　he　can　figure　a　way　to　burn　down　a　wheat　field。　Anyway；　what　does　it　hurt？　Your　project　is　entirely　theoretical；　isn't　it？〃
　　　〃Well？〃　the　DCI　turned　to　Ritter。　Greer　was　right；　after　all。
　　　〃Oh；　what　the　hell；　okay；〃　the　DDO　conceded　the　point。　〃Just　so　he　doesn't　talk　about　this　to　The　Washington　Post。　We　don't　need　that　idea　out　in　the　open。　Congress　and　the　press　would　have　a　meltdown。〃
　　　〃Jack；　talk　to　the　press？〃　Greer　asked。　〃Not　likely。　He　doesn't　curry　favor　with　people；　including　us。　He's　one　guy　I　think　we　can　trust。　The　whole　Russian　KGB　doesn't　have　enough　hard　currency　to　buy　him　off。　That's　more　than　I　can　say　for　myself；〃　he　joked。
　　　〃I'll　remember　you　said　that；　James；〃　Ritter　promised；　with　a　thin　smile　of　his　own。　Such　jokes　were　usually　limited　to　the　Seventh　Floor　at　Langley。
　　　A　department　store　was　a　department　store　anywhere　in　the　world；　and　GUM　was　supposedly　Moscow's　counterpart　to　Macy's　in　New　York。　Theoretically；　Ed　Foley　thought；　walking　in　the　main　entrance。　Just　like　the　Soviet　Union　was　theoretically　a　voluntary　union　of　repub