scoonts.theminotaur-第19章

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ready　settling；　so　he　added　a　second　heavy　sweatshirt。　He　was　leaning　into　a　post　supporting　the　roof　over　the　walkway　leading　to　the　officers'　club　when　a　gray　navy　pickup　pulled　up　in　front　of　the　BOQ　and　dropped　Rita　Moravia。　She　was　wearing　an　olive…drab　flight　suit　and　flight　boots。
　〃If　you're　going　running；〃　she　called；　〃will　you　wait　for　me？〃
　〃Sure。〃　Toad　continued　to　stretch　his　right　leg；　the　one　with　the　loins　in　it。　He　hopped　around　and　trotted　in　place　a　few　steps。　The　leg　was　ready。　On　the　grass　was　a　bronze　bust：　Lieutenant　Mike　McCormick；　A…6　pilot　killed　over　North　Vietnam。　The　BOQ　and　officers'　club　were　named　for　him。
　Toad　was　standing　beside　the　bust　watching　the　A…6s　in　the　landing　pattern　overhead　and　listening　to　the　throaty　roar　of　their　engines　when　Moravia　came　out。　She　had　her　hair　pulled　back　into　the　ponytail。　〃Which　way　do　you　want　to　run？〃　she　asked。
　〃I　dunno。　How　about　north　along　the　beach？〃　They　started　off。　〃Were　you　flying　today？〃
　〃Yes。　Twice。〃　She　picked　up　the　pace　to　a　fast　trot。
　〃How'd　you　like　it？〃
　〃Old　airframe；　not　as　fast　and　agile　as　the　Hornet；　of　course；　but　with　better　range　and　more　lifting　capacity。　More　plex。〃　An　A…6　went　over　and　she　waited　for　the　roar　to　fade。　〃It's　a　nice　plane　to　fly。〃
　On　the　western　side　of　the　road　was　a　beach　littered　with　driftwood　and；　beyond；　the　placid　surface　of　the　sound。　Just　visible　in　the　fading　glow　of　the　sunset　was　an　island　five　or　six　miles　away…it　was　hard　to　tell。　Silhouettes　of　mountains　stood　against　the　sky　to　the　southwest。　〃It's　pretty　here；　isn't　it？〃
　〃Oh　yes。　Wait　till　you　see　it　from　the　air。〃
　〃Why'd　you　get　into　flying　anyway？〃
　She　shot　him　a　hard　glance　and　picked　up　the　pace。　He　stayed　with　her。　She　was　going　too　fast　for　conversation。　The　paved　road　ended　and　they　were　on　gravel　when　she　said；　〃Four　miles　be　enough？〃
　〃Yep。〃　Well；　he　had　stepped　on　it　that　time；　got　it　out　and　dragged　it　in　the　din　and　tromped　all　over　it。　What's　a　pretty　girl　like　you　doing　in　this　dirty；　sweaty　business　anyway；　sweetie？　Ye　gods。　Toad；　next　you'll　be　asking　about　her　sign。
　On　the　inbound　leg　they　stopped　running　several　blocks　short　of　the　BOQ　and　walked　to　cool　down。　〃I　got　into　flying　because　I　thought　it　would　be　a　challenge；〃　Rita　said；　watching　him。
　Toad　just　nodded。　In　the　lobby　she　asked；　〃Want　to　change　and　get　some　dinner？〃
　〃Thanks　anyway。　I　gotta　study。〃
　As　he　showered　Toad　realized　that　somewhere　on　the　run　he　had　jettisoned　his　nascent　plan　to　bed　Rita　Moravia。　The　Good　Lord　just　doesn't　have　any　mercy　for　you；　Toad；　my　man。　Not　the　tiniest　pinch。
　
　6
　
　〃The　admiral　can　see　you　in　thirty　minutes；　sir。〃
　〃Thanks。〃　Jake　Grafton　cradled　the　phone　and　doodled　on　his　legal　pad。　It　was　almost　10：30　and　Smoke　Judy　was　at　his　desk。　He　had　said　good　morning　to　Jake　and　spent　an　hour　on　the　phone；　and　now　seemed　to　be　busy　on　the　puter　with　a　report；　but　he　hadn't　mentioned　his　sojourns　of　yesterday。　Jake　had　toyed　with　the　idea　of　questioning　Judy　about　where　he　was　yesterday；　then　decided　against　it。　Whatever　answer　Judy　gave；　truth　or　lie；　what　would　that　prove？　Would　a　lie　incriminate　him？　In　what？　A　murder？　Espionage？　If　Judy　told　the　truth；　what　would　the　truth　be？　That　he　went　to　West　Virginia　yesterday…so　what？　And　if　he　denied　it…what　then？　No；　Jake　didn't　know　enough　to　even　ask　an　intelligent　question。
　Vice　Admiral　Henry；　however；　was　in　a　more　interesting　position。　His　fairy　tale　about　deflecting　a　murder　investigation　left　him　vulnerable。　Vulnerable　to　what？　To　more　questions。　He　would　have　to　answer　reasonable　questions　or。。？　Or？
　I　can't　recognize　truth　when　I　hear　it；　Jake　mused。　What　the　hell　kind　of　job　is　this？　Can　I　trust　the　admiral？
　Do　I　have　a　choice？　He　tossed　the　pencil　on　the　desk　and　rubbed　his　eyes。　He　knew　the　answer　to　that　one。　He　had　no　choice　at　all。　He　stood　and　stretched。　His　doodles　caught　his　eye。　Airplanes。　Gliders。　Long　wings。
　In　front　of　the　breezeway　between　JP…1　and　JP…2；　he　caught　the　shuttle　bus　and　rode　it　over　to　the　Pentagon。　The　chief　offered　him　a　cup　of　coffee；　which　he　accepted。　Then　he　waved　him　in　to　see　Henry；　who　was　busy　locking　his　desk　and　office　safe。
　〃Good　morning；　sir。〃
　〃Morning。　Don't　sit。　We're　going　to　a　meeting　with　SECNAV。〃
　〃Okay。〃　Jake　had　never　met　F。　George　Ludlow；　but　he　had　heard　a　lot　about　him。　Scion　of　an　old　New　England　family…was　there　any　other　kind？…Ludlow　was　in　his　early　forties；　a　Vietnam　vet　with　a　B。S。　from　Yale　and　a　business　doctorate　from　Harvard。　He　had　spent　ten　years　knocking　around　the　gray…suit　defense　think　tanks　before　being　tapped　as　Secretary　of　the　Navy　three　years　ago　by　his　father…in…law；　Royce　Caplinger；　the　Secretary　of　Defense。　Nepotism；　fumed　the　Senate　Democrats；　but　they　confirmed　the　nomination　anyway：　Ludlow's　credentials　were　as　bluechip　as　his　family　connections　and　dividends　from　the　family　investment　trusts。
　〃What　this　meeting　about；　sir？〃　Jake　asked　as　he　and　the　admiral　walked　the　outer　ring　of　the　Pentagon…the　B…ring…toward　Ludlow's　office。
　〃Don't　know。　When　Ludlow　wants　you；　he　summons　you…　now。〃
　It　was　mon　knowledge　that　Ludlow　had　vigorous　hands　on　the　throttle　and　helm　of　the　navy。　He　had　firm　ideas　about　what　ships　and　weapons　systems　the　navy　needed；　how　they　should　be　acquired；　how　they　should　be　employed。　With　his　insider's　knowledge　of　Washington　and　the　upper　reaches　of　the　defense　establishment　he　outraged　most　admirals。　Those　he　couldn't　win　over　he　shuffled　off　to　sinecures　or　retirement。　Unlike　the　usual　dilettante　who　spent　a　year　or　two　as　a　service　secretary　on　his　way　to　a　bright　political　future　or　the　vice　presidency　of　a　major　defense　contractor；　Ludlow　behaved　exactly　like　a　man　whose　present　job　was　the　fulfillment　of　a　lifelong　quest。　If　Ludlow　had　any　other　political　or　business　ambitions；　no　hint　of　them　had　percolated　down　to　Jake's　level。　His　saving　grace；　or　so　it　appeared　to　the　rank　and　file；　was　his　strong　mitment　to　the　navy　as　an　institution；　to　its　people　and　its　traditions。　This　was　probably　one　of　the　reasons　for　unease　at　the　flag　level；　since　the　admirals　were　unwilling　to　defer　to　anyone　as　keeper　of　the　faith；　the　role　in　which　they　cast　themselves。
　The　corridor　in　which　the　secretary's　office　was　located　was　decorated　for　the　general　public。　Large　oil　portraits　of　naval　heroes　of　the　past　were　prominently　displayed；　Farragut；　Dewey；　Halsey　and　many　others。　The　old　admirals　stared　dourly　at　Jake　and　Vice　Admiral　Henry　as　they　went　to　their　appointment　to　discuss　the　navy　of　the　future。
　Ludlow's　large　office　was　paneled　in　dark　wood；　the　real　thing；　not　veneer；　Jake　noticed　as　he　took　his　first；　curious　look…and　nautical　memorabilia　were　everywhere；　on　the　desk；　the　credenza；　the　little　sitting　desk。　Oil　paintings　of　famous　naval　scenes…also　original；　Jake　noted…adorned　the　walls。　The　chairs　were　black　leather。　One　of　them　was　occupied　by　a　fat　gent　in　his　mid…sixties　whose　skin　looked　as　tough　as　the　chair　covering。　Jake　recognized　him　from　his　picture…Senator　Hiram　Duquesne；　chairman　of　the　Senate　Armed　Services　mittee。　Ludlow　was　behind　his　desk　and　didn't　rise　from　his　chair。
　〃You　gentlemen　know　the　senator；〃　Ludlow　said　after　Admiral　Henry　had　introduced　Jake。
　Duquesne　eyed　Jake　speculatively。　〃Aren't　you　the　pilot　that　strapped　on　El　Hakim　last　year？〃
　〃Yessir。〃
　〃Sit　down；　gentlemen。　Please。〃　Ludlow　gestured　to　the　chairs。　Jake　ended　up　on　Henry's　left；　Duquesne　on　the　admiral's　right　Ludlow's　executive　assistant　sat　on　the　sofa　with　a　legal　pad　on　his　lap；　ready　to　take　notes。
　The　senator　and　the　two　naval　officers　faced　the　secretary　across　his　massive　mahogany　desk　strewn　with　paper。　Ludlow　had　one　leg　draped　over　his　chair　arm；　revealing　hairy　skin　in　the　gap　between　the　top　of　his　sock　and　his　trouser　leg。　In　his　hands　he　held　a　rifle　cartridge　that　still　contained　a　bullet。　He　worked　the　cartridge　back　and　forth　between　his　fingers　as　he　spoke　to　Jake。　〃Senator　Duquesne　wanted　to　meet　you　when　I　informed　him　you　would　be　doing　the　testing　and　evaluation　of　the　ATA　prototypes。〃
　〃Now；　as　I　understand　it；　George；　you　people　are　not　going　to　do　your　usual　T　and　E　routine；〃　Senator