tc.redrabbit-第47章

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ation　up；　because　it's　not　operationally　important。〃
　　　〃How　he　treats　his　wife　and　kids；　if　any；〃　Greer　pointed　out；　〃can　be　useful　in　profiling　the　guy。〃
　　　〃So　you　want　me　to　task　CARDINAL　on　something　like　that？　He　could　do　it；　I'm　sure；　but　why　waste　his　time　that　way？〃
　　　〃Is　it　a　waste？　If　he's　a　wife…beater；　it　tells　us　something。　If　he's　a　doting　father；　it　tells　us　something　else；〃　the　DDI　persisted。
　　　〃He's　a　thug。　You　can　look　at　his　photo　and　see　that。　Look　how　his　staff　acts　around　him。　They're　stiff；　like　you'd　have　expected　from　Hitler's　staff；　〃　Ritter　responded。　A　few　months　before；　a　gaggle　of　American　state　governors　had　flown　to　Moscow　for　some　sub…rosa　diplomacy。　The　governor　of　Maryland；　a　liberal　Democrat；　had　reported　back　that　when　Andropov　had　entered　the　reception　room；　he'd　spotted　him　at　once　as　a　thug；　then　learned　that　it　was　Yuriy　Vladimirovich；　Chairman　of　the　mittee　for　State　Security。　The　Marylander　had　possessed　a　good　eye　for　reading　people；　and　that　evaluation　had　gone　into　the　Andropov　file　at　Langley。
　　　〃Well；　he　wouldn't　have　been　much　of　a　judge；〃　Arthur　Moore　observed。　He'd　read　the　file；　too。　〃At　least　not　at　the　appeals　level。　Too　interested　in　hanging　the　poor　son　of　a　bitch　just　to　see　if　the　rope　breaks　or　not。〃　Not　that　Texas　hadn't　had　a　few　judges　like　that；　once　upon　a　time；　but　it　was　much　more　civilized　now。　There　were　fewer　horses　that　needed　stealing　than　men　who　needed　killing；　after　all。　〃Okay；　Robert；　what　can　we　do　to　flesh　him　out　a　little？　Looks　like　he's　going　to　be　their　next　General　Secretary；　after　all。　Strikes　me　as　a　good　idea。〃
　　　〃I　can　rattle　some　cages。　Why　not　ask　Sir　Basil　what　he　can　do？　They're　better　at　the　social　stuff　than　we　are；　and　it　takes　the　heat　off　our　people。〃
　　　〃I　like　Bas；　but　I　don't　like　having　him　hold　that　many　markers　for　us；〃　Judge　Moore　answered。
　　　〃Well；　James；　your　protege　is　over　there。　Have　him　ask　the　question。　You　get　him　an　STU　at　home　yet？〃
　　　〃Ought　to　have　gotten　there　today；　yes。〃
　　　〃So　call　your　lad　and　have　him　ask；　nice　and　casual…like。〃
　　　Greer's　eyes　went　to　the　Judge。　〃Arthur？〃
　　　〃Approved。　Lowercase　this；　though。　Tell　Ryan　that　it's　for　his　personal　interest；　not　ours。〃
　　　The　Admiral　checked　his　watch。　〃Okay；　I　can　do　that　before　I　head　home。〃
　　　〃Now；　Bob；　any　progress　on　MASQUE　OF　THE　RED　DEATH？〃　the　DCI　asked　with　amusement；　just　to　close　down　the　afternoon　meeting。　It　was　a　fun　idea；　but　not　a　very　serious　one。
　　　〃Arthur；　let's　not　discount　it　too　much；　shall　we？　They　are　vulnerable　to　the　right　sort　of　bullet；　once　we　load　it　in　the　gun。〃
　　　〃Don't　talk　that　way　in　front　of　Congress。　They　might　foul　their　panties；〃　Greer　warned；　with　a　laugh。　〃We're　supposed　to　enjoy　peaceful　coexistence　with　them。〃
　　　〃That　didn't　work　very　well　with　Hitler。　Stalin　and　Chamberlain　both　tried　to　make　nice　with　the　son　of　a　bitch。　Where　did　it　get　them？　They　are　our　enemies；　gentlemen；　and　the　sad　truth　is　that　we　can't　have　a　real　peace　with　them；　like　it　or　not。　Their　ideas　and　ours　are　too　out　of　sync　for　that。〃　He　held　up　his　hands。　〃Yeah；　I　know；　we're　not　supposed　to　think　that　way；　but　thank　God　the　President　does；　and　we　still　work　for　him。〃
　　　They　didn't　have　to　ment　on　that。　All　three　had　voted　for　the　current　President；　despite　the　institutional　joke　that　the　two　things　one　never　found　at　Langley　were　munists　and。。。　Republicans。　No；　the　new　President　had　a　little　iron　in　his　spine　and　a　fox's　instinct　for　opportunity。　It　especially　appealed　to　Ritter；　who　was　the　cowboy　of　the　three；　if　also　the　most　abrasive。
　　　〃Okay。　I　have　some　budget　work　to　do　for　that　hearing　with　the　Senate　day　after　tomorrow；〃　Moore　announced；　breaking　up　the　meeting。
　　　Ryan　was　at　his　puter；　thinking　over　the　Battle　of　Leyte　Gulf；　when　the　phone　rang。　It　was　the　first　time　for　it；　with　its　oddly　trilling　ringer。　He　reached　in　his　pocket　for　the　plastic　key；　slid　it　into　the　appropriate　slot；　then　lifted　the　receiver。
　　　〃Stand　by；〃　a　mechanical　voice　said；　〃SYNCHRONIZING　THE　LINE；　STAND　BY；　SYNCHRONIZING　THE　LINE；　STAND　BY；　SYNCHRONIZING　THE　LINELINE　is　SECURE；〃　it　said　at　last。
　　　〃Hello；〃　Ryan　said；　wondering　who　had　an　STU　and　would　call　him　this　late。　It　turned　out　to　be　the　obvious　answer。
　　　〃Hi；　Jack；〃　a　familiar　voice　greeted　him。　One　nice　thing　about　the　STU：　The　digital　technology　made　voices　as　clear　as　if　the　speaker　were　sitting　in　the　room。
　　　Ryan　checked　the　desk　clock。　〃Kinda　late　there；　sir。〃
　　　〃Not　as　late　as　in　Jolly　Old　England。　How's　the　family？〃
　　　〃Mainly　asleep　at　the　moment。　Cathy　is　probably　reading　a　medical　journal；〃　which　was　what　she　did　instead　of　watching　TV；　anyway。　〃What　can　I　do　for　you；　Admiral？〃
　　　〃I　have　a　little　job　for　you。〃
　　　〃Okay；〃　Ryan　responded。
　　　〃Ask　around…casual…like…about　Yuriy　Andropov。　There　are　a　few　things　about　him　we　don't　know。　Maybe　Basil　has　the　information　we　want。〃
　　　〃What　exactly；　sir？〃　Jack　asked。
　　　〃Is　he　married；　and　does　he　have　any　kids？〃
　　　〃We　don't　know　if　he's　married？〃　Ryan　realized　that　he　hadn't　seen　that　information　in　the　dossier；　but　he'd　assumed　it　was　elsewhere；　and　had　taken　no　particular　note　of　it。
　　　〃That's　right。　The　Judge　wants　to　see　if　Basil　might　know。〃
　　　〃Okay；　I　can　ask　Simon。　How　important　is　this？〃
　　　〃Like　I　said；　casual…like；　like　it's　your　own　interest。　Then　call　me　back　from　there；　your　home；　I　mean。〃
　　　〃Will　do；　sir。　We　know　his　age；　birthday；　education；　and　stuff；　but　not　if　he's　married　or　has　any　kids；　eh？〃
　　　〃That's　how　it　works　sometimes。〃
　　　〃Yes；　sir。〃　And　that　got　Jack　thinking。　They　knew　everything　about　Brezhnev　but　his　dick　size。　They　did　know　his　daughter's　dress　size…12…which　someone　had　thought　important　enough　to　get　from　the　Belgian　milliner　who'd　sold　the　silken　wedding　dress　to　her　doting　father；　through　the　ambassador。　But　they　didn't　know　if　the　likely　next　General　Secretary　of　the　Soviet　Union　was　married。　Christ；　the　guy　was　pushing　sixty；　and　they　didn't　know？　What　the　hell？　〃Okay；　I　can　ask。　That　ought　not　to　be　too　hard。〃
　　　〃Otherwise；　how's　London？〃
　　　〃I　like　it　here；　and　so　does　Cathy；　but　she's　a　little　dubious　about　their　state　medical…care　system。〃
　　　〃Socialized　medicine？　I　don't　blame　her。　I　still　get　everything　done　at　Bethesda；　but　it　helps　a　little　that　I　have　'admiral'　in　front　of　my　name。　It's　not　quite　as　fast　for　a　retired　chief　bosun's　mate。〃
　　　〃I　bet。〃　In　Ryan's　case；　it　helped　a　whole　lot　that　his　wife　was　on　the　faculty　at　Johns　Hopkins。　He　didn't　talk　to　anyone　in　a　lab　coat　without　〃professor〃　on　his　nametag；　and　he'd　learned　that　in　the　field　of　medicine；　the　really　smart　ones　were　the　teachers；　unlike　the　rest　of　society。
　　　The　dreams　came　after　midnight；　though　he　had　no　way　of　knowing　that。　It　was　a　clear　Moscow　summer　day；　and　a　man　in　white　was　walking　across　the　Red　Square。　St。　Basil's　Cathedral　was　behind　him；　and　he　was　walking　against　the　traffic　past　Lenin's　mausoleum。　Some　children　were　with　him；　and　he　was　talking　to　them　in　a　kindly　way；　as　a　favored　uncle　might。。。　or　perhaps　a　parish　priest。　Then　Oleg　knew　that's　what　he　was；　a　parish　priest。　But　why　in　white？　With　gold　brocade；　even。　The　children；　four　or　five　each　of　boys　and　girls；　were　holding　his　hands　and　looking　up　at　him　with　innocent　smiles。　Then　Oleg　turned　his　head。　Up　at　the　top　of　the　tomb；　where　they　stood　for　the　May　Day　parades；　were　the　Politburo　members：　Brezhnev；　Suslov；　Ustinov；　and　Andropov。　Andropov　was　holding　a　rifle　and　pointing　at　the　little　procession。　There　were　other　people　around…faceless　people　walking　aimlessly；　going　about　their　business。　Then　Oleg　was　standing　with　Andropov；　listening　to　his　words。　He　was　arguing　for　the　right　to　shoot　the　man。　Be　careful　of　the　children；　Yuriy　Vladimirovich；　Suslov　warned。　Yes；　be　careful；　Brezhnev　agreed。　Ustinov　reached　over　to　adjust　the　sights　on　the　rifle。　They　all　ignored　Zaitzev；　who　moved　among　them；　trying　to　get　their　attention。
　　　But　why？　Zaitzev　asked。　Why　are　you　doing　this？
　　　Who　is　this？　Brezhnev　asked　Andropov。
　　　Never　mind　him；　Suslov　snarled。　Just　shoot　the　bastard！
　　　Very　well；　Andropov　said。　He　took　his　aim　carefully；　and　Zaitzev　was　unable　to　intervene；　despite　being　right　there