mc.risingsun-第42章

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need　you　to　polish　the　details　by　hand。　Things　like　bad　blur　can　give　it　all　away。〃
　〃Bad　blur？〃　I　said。　I　found　I　liked　asking　her　questions。　I　liked　looking　at　her　face。
　〃Bad　motion　blur；〃　Sanders　said。　〃Video　runs　at　thirty　frames　a　second。　You　can　think　of　each　frame　of　video　as　a　picture　that's　shot　at　a　shutter　speed　of　one…thirtieth　of　a　second。　Which　is　very　slow　…　much　slower　than　pocket　cameras。　If　you　film　a　runner　at　a　thirtieth　of　a　second；　the　legs　are　just　streaks。　Blurs。
　〃That's　called　motion　blur。　And　if　you　alter　it　by　a　mechanical　process；　it　starts　to　look　wrong。　The　image　appears　too　sharp；　too　crisp。　Edges　look　odd。　It's　back　to　the　Russians：　you　can　see　it's　been　changed。　For　realistic　motion；　you　need　the　right　amount　of　blur。〃
　〃I　see。〃
　Theresa　said；　〃And　there's　the　color　shift。〃
　〃Right；〃　Sanders　said。　〃Inside　the　blur　itself；　there　is　a　color　shift。　For　example；　look　there　on　the　monitor。　The　man　is　wearing　a　blue　suit；　and　his　coat　is　swinging　out　as　he　spins　the　girl　around　the　room。　Now。　If　you　take　a　frame　of　that　action；　and　blow　it　up　to　its　pixels；　you　will　find　that　the　coat　is　navy；　but　the　blur　is　progressive　shades　of　lighter　blue；　until　at　the　edge　it　seems　almost　transparent　…　you　can't　tell　from　a　single　frame　exactly　where　the　coat　ends　and　the　background　begins。〃
　I　could　vaguely　imagine　it。　〃Okay　。　。　。〃
　〃If　the　edge　colors　don't　blend　smoothly；　you　will　notice　it　immediately。　It　can　take　hours　to　clean　up　a　few　seconds　of　tape；　as　in　a　mercial。　But　if　you　don't　do　it；　you　will　see　it　like　that。〃　He　snapped　his　fingers。
　〃So　even　though　they　duplicated　the　tapes；　they　couldn't　have　altered　them？〃
　〃Not　in　five　hours；〃　Sanders　said。　〃They　just　didn't　have　time。〃
　〃Then　we　are　seeing　what　actually　happened。〃
　〃No　doubt　about　it；〃　Sanders　said。　〃But　we'll　poke　around　with　this　image；　anyway；　after　you　go。　Theresa　wants　to　fiddle　with　it；　I　know　she　does。　So　do　I。　Check　in　with　us　later　today。　We'll　tell　you　if　there's　anything　funny。　But　basically；　it　can't　be　done。　And　it　wasn't　done　here。〃
　
　？
　As　I　pulled　into　the　parking　circle　at　the　Sunset　Hills　Country　Club；　I　saw　Connor　standing　in　front　of　the　big　stucco　clubhouse。　He　bowed　to　the　three　Japanese　golfers　standing　with　him；　and　they　bowed　back。　Then　he　shook　hands　with　them　all；　tossed　the　clubs　into　the　back　seat；　and　got　into　my　car。
　〃You're　late；　kōhai。〃
　〃Sorry。　It's　only　a　few　minutes。　I　was　held　up　at　U。S。C。〃
　〃Your　lateness　inconvenienced　everyone。　As　a　matter　of　politeness；　they　felt　obliged　to　keep　me　pany　in　front　of　the　club　while　I　waited　for　you。　Men　of　their　position　are　not　fortable　standing　around。　They　are　busy。　But　they　felt　obligated　and　could　not　leave　me　there。　You　embarrassed　me　very　much。　And　you　reflected　poorly　on　the　department。〃
　〃I'm　sorry。　I　didn't　realize。〃
　〃Start　to　realize；　kōhai。　You're　not　alone　in　the　world。〃
　I　put　the　car　in　gear；　and　drove　out。　I　looked　at　the　Japanese　in　the　rearview　mirror。　They　were　waving　as　we　left。　They　did　not　appear　unhappy；　or　in　a　rush　to　leave。　〃Who　were　you　playing　with？〃
　〃Aoki…san　is　the　head　of　Tokio　Marine　in　Vancouver。　Hanada…san　is　a　vice…president　of　Mitsui　Bank　in　London。　And　Kenichi　Asaka　runs　all　of　Toyota's　Southeast　Asian　plants　from　K。L。　to　Singapore。　He's　based　in　Bangkok。〃
　〃What　are　they　doing　here？〃
　〃They're　on　vacation；〃　Connor　said。　〃A　short　holiday　in　the　States　for　golf。　They　find　it　pleasant　to　relax　in　a　slower…paced　country　like　ours。〃
　I　drove　up　the　winding　drive　to　Sunset　Boulevard；　and　stopped　to　wait　for　the　light。　〃Where　to？〃
　〃The　Four　Seasons　Hotel。〃
　I　turned　right；　heading　toward　Beverly　Hills。　〃And　why　are　these　men　playing　golf　with　you？〃
　〃Oh；　we　go　way　back；〃　he　said。　〃A　few　favors　here　and　there；　over　the　years。　I'm　nobody　important。　But　relationships　must　be　maintained。　A　phone　call；　a　small　gift；　a　game　when　you're　in　town。　Because　you　never　know　when　you　will　need　your　network。　Relationships　are　your　source　of　information；　your　safety　valve；　and　your　early　warning　system。　In　the　Japanese　way　of　seeing　the　world。〃
　〃Who　asked　for　this　game？〃
　〃Hanada…san　was　already　intending　to　play。　I　just　joined　him。　I'm　quite　a　good　golfer；　you　know。〃
　〃Why　did　you　want　to　play？〃
　〃Because　I　wanted　to　know　more　about　the　Saturday　meetings；〃　Connor　said。
　I　remembered　the　Saturday　meetings。　On　the　video　we　had　seen　at　the　newsroom；　Sakamura　had　grabbed　Cheryl　Austin　and　said：　You　don't　understand；　this　is　all　about　the　Saturday　meetings。
　〃And　did　they　tell　you？〃
　Connor　nodded。　〃Apparently　they　began　a　long　time　ago；〃　he　said。　〃Nineteen　eighty　or　so。　First　they　were　held　in　the　Century　Plaza；　and　later　in　the　Sheraton；　and　finally　in　the　Biltmore。〃
　Connor　stared　out　the　window。　The　car　jounced　over　the　potholes　on　Sunset　Boulevard。
　〃For　several　years；　the　meetings　were　a　regular　event。　Prominent　Japanese　industrialists　who　happened　to　be　in　town　would　attend　an　ongoing　discussion　of　what　should　be　done　about　America。　Of　how　the　American　economy　should　be　managed。〃
　〃What？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃That's　outrageous！〃
　〃Why？〃　Connor　said。
　〃Why？　Because　this　is　our　country。　You　can't　have　a　bunch　of　foreigners　sitting　around　in　secret　meetings　and　deciding　how　to　manage　it！〃
　〃The　Japanese　don't　see　it　that　way；〃　Connor　said。
　〃I'm　sure　they　don't！　I'm　sure　they　think　they　have　a　goddamn　right！〃
　Connor　shrugged。　〃As　a　matter　of　fact；　that's　exactly　what　they　think。　And　the　Japanese　believe　they　have　earned　the　right　to　decide…　〃
　〃Christ…　〃
　〃Because　they　have　invested　heavily　in　our　economy。　They　have　lent　us　a　lot　of　money；　Peter；　a　lot　of　money。　Hundreds　of　billions　of　dollars。　For　most　of　the　last　fifteen　years；　the　United　States　has　run　a　billion　dollars　of　trade　deficit　a　week　with　Japan。　That's　a　billion　dollars　every　week　that　they　must　do　something　with。　A　torrent　of　money　roaring　toward　them。　They　don't　especially　want　so　many　dollars。　What　can　they　do　with　all　their　excess　billions？
　〃They　decided　to　lend　the　money　back　to　us。　Our　government　was　running　a　budget　deficit；　year　after　year。　We　weren't　paying　for　our　own　programs。　So　the　Japanese　financed　our　budget　deficit。　They　invested　in　us。　And　they　lent　their　money；　based　on　certain　assurances　from　our　government。　Washington　assured　the　Japanese　that　we　would　set　our　house　in　order。　We　would　cut　our　deficit。　We　would　improve　education；　rebuild　our　infrastructure；　even　raise　taxes　if　necessary。　In　short；　we　would　clean　up　our　act。　Because　only　then　does　an　investment　in　America　make　sense。〃
　〃Uh…huh；〃　I　said。
　〃But　we　did　none　of　those　things。　We　let　the　deficit　get　worse；　and　we　devalued　the　dollar。　We　cut　its　value　in　half　in　1985。　You　know　what　that　did　to　Japanese　investments　in　America？　It　fucked　them。　Whatever　they　invested　in　1984　now　paid　half　its　previous　return。〃
　I　vaguely　remembered　something　about　this。　I　said；　〃I　thought　we　did　that　to　help　our　trade　deficit；　to　boost　exports。〃
　〃We　did；　but　it　didn't　work。　Our　trade　balance　with　Japan　got　worse。　Normally；　if　you　devalue　your　currency　by　half；　the　cost　of　everything　imported　doubles。　But　the　Japanese　slashed　prices　on　their　VCRs　and　copiers；　and　held　their　market　share。　Remember；　business　is　war。
　〃All　we　really　acplished　was　to　make　American　land　and　American　panies　cheap　for　the　Japanese　to　buy；　because　the　yen　was　now　twice　as　strong　as　it　had　been。　We　made　the　biggest　banks　in　the　world　all　Japanese。　And　we　made　America　a　poor　country。〃
　〃What　does　this　have　to　do　with　the　Saturday　meetings？〃
　〃Well；〃　Connor　said；　〃suppose　you　have　an　uncle　who　is　a　drunk。　He　says　if　you　lend　him　money　he'll　stop　drinking。　But　he　doesn't　stop　drinking。　And　you'd　like　to　get　your　money。　You　want　to　salvage　what　you　can　from　your　bad　investment。　Also；　you　know　that　your　uncle；　being　a　drunk；　is　likely　to　get　loaded　and　hurt　somebody。　Your　uncle　is　out　of　control。　So　something　has　to　be　done。　And　the　family　sits　down　together　to　decide　what　to　do　about　their　problem　uncle。　That's　what　the　Japanese　decided　to　do。〃
　〃Uh…huh。〃　Connor　must　have　heard　the　skepticism　in　my　voice。
　〃Look；〃　he　said；　〃Get　this　conspiracy　stuff　out　of