tc.redrabbit-第12章

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miral　is　interested　in　one　thing；　though。。。〃
　　　〃What's　that？〃　the　DG　asked。
　　　〃Poland。　It　looks　to　us　as　though　it's　ing　a　little　unglued；　and　we're　wondering　how　far；　how　fast；　and　what　it'll　do…the　effects；　I　mean。〃
　　　〃So　are　we；　Jack。〃　A　thoughtful　nod。　People…especially　reporters　in　their　Fleet　Street　pubs…were　speculating　a　lot　about　that。　And　reporters　also　had　good　sources；　in　some　areas　as　good　as　his　own。　〃What　does　James　think？〃
　　　〃It　reminds　both　of　us　of　something　that　happened　in　the　1930s。〃　Ryan　leaned　back　in　the　chair　and　relaxed。　〃The　United　Auto　Workers。　When　they　organized　Ford；　there　was　trouble。　Big　time。　Ford　even　hired　thugs　to　work　the　union　organizers　over。　I　remember　seeing　photos　of…who　was　it？〃　Jack　paused　for　a　moment's　thought。　〃Walter　Reuther？　Something　like　that。　It　was　in　Life　magazine　back　then。　The　thugs　were　talking　to　him　and　a　few　of　his　guys…the　first　few　pictures　show　them　smiling　at　each　other　like　men　do　right　before　the　gloves　e　off…and　then　a　brawl　started。　You　have　to　wonder　about　Ford's　management…letting　something　like　that　happen　in　front　of　reporters　is　bad　enough；　but　reporters　with　cameras？　Damn；　that's　big…league　dumb。〃
　　　〃The　Court　of　Public　Opinion。　Yes；〃　Charleston　agreed。　〃It　is　quite　real；　and　modern　technology　has　made　it　even　more　so；　and；　yes；　that　is　troubling　to　our　friends　across　the　wire。　You　know；　this　CNN　news　network　that　just　started　up　on　your　side　of　the　ocean。　It　just　might　change　the　world。　Information　has　its　own　way　of　circulating。　Rumors　are　bad　enough。　You　cannot　stop　them；　and　they　have　a　way　of　acquiring　a　life　of　their　own…〃
　　　〃But　a　picture　really　is　worth　a　thousand　words；　isn't　it？〃
　　　〃I　wonder　who　first　said　that。　Whoever　he　was；　he　was　no　one's　fool。　It's　even　more　true　for　a　moving　picture。〃
　　　〃I　presume　we're　using　that。。。〃
　　　〃Your　chaps　are　reticent　about　doing　so。　I　am　less　so。　It's　easy　enough　to　have　an　embassy　functionary　have　a　pint　with　some　reporter　and　maybe　drop　the　odd　hint　in　the　course　of　a　conversation。　One　thing　about　reporters；　they　are　not　ungracious　if　you　give　them　the　odd　decent　story。〃
　　　〃At　Langley；　they　hate　the　press；　Sir　Basil。　And　I　do　mean　hate。〃
　　　〃Rather　backward　of　them。　But；　then；　we　can　exercise　more　control　over　the　press　here　than　you　can　in　America；　I　suppose。　Still　and　all；　it's　not　that　hard　to　outsmart　them；　is　it？〃
　　　〃I've　never　tried。　Admiral　Greer　says　that　talking　to　a　reporter　is　like　dancing　with　a　rottweiler。　You　can't　be　sure　if　he's　going　to　lick　your　face　or　rip　your　throat　out。〃
　　　〃They're　not　bad　dogs　at　all；　you　know。　You　just　need　to　train　them　properly。〃
　　　Brits　and　their　dogs；　Ryan　reflected。　They　like　their　pets　more　than　their　kids。　He　didn't　care　for　big　dogs　all　that　much。　A　Labrador　like　Ernie　was　different。　Labs　had　a　soft　mouth。　Sally　really　missed　him。
　　　〃So；　what's　your　take　on　Poland；　Jack？〃
　　　〃I　think　the　pot's　going　to　simmer　until　the　lid　slides　off；　and　then　when　it　boils　over；　there's　going　to　be　a　hell　of　a　mess。　The　Poles　haven't　really　bought　into　munism　all　that　well。　Their　army　has　chaplains；　for　Christ's　sake。　A　lot　of　their　farmers　operate　on　a　free…agent　basis；　selling　hams　and　stuff。　The　most　popular　TV　show　over　there　is　Kojak；　they　even　show　it　on　Sunday　morning　to　draw　people　away　from　going　to　church。　That　shows　two　things。　The　people　there　like　American　culture；　and　the　government　is　still　afraid　of　the　Catholic　Church。　The　Polish　government　is　unstable；　and　they　know　they're　unstable。　Allowing　a　little　wiggle　room　is　probably　smart；　at　least　in　the　short　term；　but　the　fundamental　problem　is　that　they　operate　a　fundamentally　unjust　regime。　Unjust　countries　are　not　stable；　sir。　However　strong　they　appear；　they're　rotten　underneath。〃
　　　Charleston　nodded　thoughtfully。　〃I　briefed　the　PM　just　three　days　ago　out　at　Chequers；　and　told　her　much　the　same　thing。〃　The　Director　General　paused　for　a　moment；　then　decided。　He　lifted　a　file　folder　from　the　pile　on　his　desk　and　handed　it　across。
　　　The　cover　read　MOST　SECRET。　So；　Jack　thought；　now　it　starts。　He　wondered　if　Basil　had　learned　to　swim　by　falling　into　the　Thames；　and　thought　everyone　should　learn　the　same　way。
　　　Flipping　the　cover　open；　he　saw　that　this　information　came　from　a　source　called　WREN。　He　was　clearly　Polish；　and　by　the　look　of　the　report；　well　placed；　and　what　he　said…
　　　〃Damn；〃　Ryan　observed。　〃This　is　reliable？〃
　　　〃Very　much　so。　It's　a　five…five；　Jack。〃　By　that　he　meant　that　the　source　was　rated　5　on　a　scale　of　5　for　reliability；　and　the　importance　of　the　information　reported　was　graded　the　same　way。　〃You're　Catholic；　I　think。〃　He　knew；　of　course。　It　was　just　the　English　way　of　talking。
　　　〃Jesuits　at　high　school；　Boston　College；　and　Georgetown；　plus　the　nuns　at　Saint　Matthew's。　I'd　better　be。〃
　　　〃What　do　you　think　of　your　new　Pope？〃
　　　〃First　non…Italian　in　four　centuries；　maybe　more：　That's　saying　something　right　there。　When　I　heard　the　new　one　was　Polish；　I　expected　it　to　be　Cardinal　Wiszynski　from　Warsaw…guy's　got　the　brains　of　a　genius　and　the　cunning　of　a　fox。　This　guy；　I　didn't　know　beans　about；　but　from　what　I've　read　since；　he's　a　very　solid　citizen。　Good　parish　priest；　good　administrator；　politically　very　astute。。。〃　Ryan　paused。　He　was　discussing　the　head　of　his　church　as　though　he　were　a　political　candidate；　and　he　was　damned　sure　there　was　more　substance　to　him　than　that。　This　had　to　be　a　man　of　deep　faith；　with　the　sort　of　core　convictions　that　an　earthquake　couldn't　budge　or　crack。　He'd　been　chosen　by　other　such　men　to　be　the　leader　and　spokesman　for　the　world's　largest　church；　which；　by　the　way；　also　happened　to　be　Ryan's　church。　He'd　be　a　man　who　didn't　fear　much　of　anything；　a　man　for　whom　a　bullet　was　his　get…out…of…jail…free　card；　a　key　to　God's　own　presence。　And　he'd　be　a　man　who　felt　God's　presence　in　everything　he　did。　He　was　not　someone　you　could　scare；　not　someone　you　could　turn　away　from　what　he　deemed　the　right　thing。
　　　〃If　he　wrote　this　letter；　Sir　Basil；　it's　not　a　bluff。　When　was　it　delivered？〃
　　　〃Less　than　four　days　ago。　Our　chap　broke　a　rule　getting　it　to　us　so　quickly；　but　its　importance　is　patently　clear；　is　it　not？〃
　　　Wele　to　London；　Jack；　Ryan　thought。　He'd　just　fallen　into　the　soup。　A　big　pot；　like　they　used　to　boil　missionaries　in　the　cartoons。
　　　〃Okay；　it's　been　forwarded　to　Moscow；　right？〃
　　　〃So　our　chap　tells　us。　So；　Sir　John；　what　will　Ivan　have　to　say　about　this？〃　And　with　that　question；　Sir　Basil　Charleston　lit　the　fire　under　Jack's　personal　cauldron。
　　　〃That's　a　multifaceted　question；〃　Ryan　said；　dodging　as　artfully　as　the　situation　allowed。
　　　It　wasn't　very　far：　〃He　will　say　something；〃　Charleston　observed；　leveling　his　hazel　eyes　at　Ryan。
　　　〃Okay；　they　won't　like　it。　They　will　see　it　as　a　threat。　The　questions　are　how　seriously　they　will　take　it　and　how　much　credence　they　will　attach　to　it。　Stalin　might　have　laughed　it　off。。。　or　maybe　not。　Stalin　defined　paranoia；　didn't　he？〃　Ryan　paused　and　looked　out　the　windows。　Was　that　a　rain　cloud　blowing　in？　〃No；　Stalin　would　have　acted　somehow。〃
　　　〃Think　so？〃　Charleston　was　evaluating　him；　Jack　knew。　This　was　like　the　orals　for　his　doctorate　at　Georgetown。　Father　Tim　Riley's　rapier　wit　and　needlepoint　questions。　Sir　Basil　was　more　civilized　than　the　acerbic　priest；　but　this　exam　was　not　going　to　be　an　easy　one。
　　　〃Leon　Trotsky　was　no　threat　to　him。　That　assassination　came　from　a　bination　of　paranoia　and　pure　meanness。　It　was　a　personal　thing。　Stalin　made　enemies；　and　he　never　forgot　them。　But　the　current　Soviet　leadership　doesn't　have　the　guts　to　do　the　stuff　he　did。〃
　　　Charleston　pointed　out　the　plate　glass　window　toward　Westminster　Bridge。　〃My　lad；　the　Russians　had　the　intestinal　fortitude　to　kill　a　man　right　on　that　bridge；　less　than　five　years　ago…〃
　　　〃And　got　blamed　for　it；〃　Ryan　reminded　his　host。　It　had　been　a　bination　of　good　luck　and　a　very　smart　British　doctor；　and　it　hadn't　been　worth　a　damn　in　saving　the　poor　bastard's　life。　They　had　identified　the　cause　of　death；　though；　and　it　hadn't　resulted　from　a　street　hood。
　　　〃Think　they　lost　any　sleep　over　that　incident？　I　do　not；〃　C　assured　him。
　　　〃Looks　bad。　They　don't　do　much　of　this　anymore；　not