scoonts.theminotaur-第51章

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the　day　she　braced　and　marched　and　ran　and　endured　the　hazing　and　shouting　to　the　point　of　exhaustion；　and　at　night　she　sobbed　herself　to　sleep　wondering　if　she　had　made　the　right　choice。　Finally　one　day　she　realized　that　she　hadn't　cried　in　a　week。　Her　second；　more　important　revelation　occurred　one　morning　at　breakfast　when　an　upperclassman　had　demanded　to　know　the　name　of　the　Soviets'　chief　arms　negotiator。　She　had　answered　the　question　correctly；　and　as　he　turned　his　attention　to　a　gawky　boy　from　Georgia　seated　beside　her；　she　realized　that　these　people　were　demanding　nothing　from　her　she　could　not　acplish。　From　then　on　she　had　cheerfully　endured；　and　finally　excelled。
　She　thought　of　those　times　this　morning　as　the　Intruder　flew　out　from　under　the　thin　cloud　layer　into　a　crystal…clear　desert　sky　and　Toad　Tarkington；　the　professional　who　had　been　there　and　back；　caressed　the　system　with　a　loving　touch。　She　had　made　the　right　choice。
　Sixty　miles　out　she　once　again　disengaged　the　autopilot　and　lowered　the　nose　slightly；　then　slowly　pulled　the　throttles　aft　as　her　speed　crept　up　toward　300　knots　indicated。　She　always　liked　the　feel　of　the　plane　as　it　descended　in　these　long；　shallow；　power…on　glides；　gravity　helping　the　engines　drive　the　plane　down　into　the　thicker；　denser　air　near　the　earth。　She　could　feel　every　knot　of　the　airspeed　the　engines　didn't　generate…free　airspeed　it　seemed；　though　of　course　it　wasn't。　Because　she　was　the　airplane　and　it　was　her；　the　energy　was　hers：　the　speed　and　the　life　and　the　power；　she　absorbed　and　possessed　and　became　all　of　it。
　Wingtip　speed　brakes　cracked；　but　not　enough。　She　flicked　them　out　some　more　and　felt　the　buffeting　of　the　disturbed　air；　a　gentle　shaking　that　imparted　itself　to　her　through　the　stick　and　throttles　and　the　seat　in　which　she　sat。　Satisfied；　she　slid　the　speed…brake　switch　forward　with　her　left　thumb。　The　boards　closed　obediently　and　the　buffeting　ceased。
　The　desert　below　was　baked　brown　and　red　and　grayish　black　unleavened　by　the　green　of　life。　As　she　came　down　she　could　see　sand　and　dirt　in　valleys　and　washes　and　rock　the　color　of　new　iron　in　jagged　cliffs　and　ridges。
　Toad　was　chatting　with　Jake　Grafton　on　the　radio。　〃Never　fear；　the　pros　are　here。〃
　〃Amen；〃　Grafton　replied。　It's　a　good　thing　Dodgers　is　back　in　China　Lake；　Rita　thought。
　〃Okay；　Misty；　I　have　you　in　sight。　Drop　to　about　8；000　on　the　pressure　altimeter。〃…the　land　here　was　4。000　feet　above　sea　level…〃and　e　north　up　the　valley　until　you　see　the　van。　It's　red　and　has　a　yellow　cross　on　the　top。〃
　〃What　kind　of　a　cross；〃　she　asked　curiously。
　〃Dodgers'　son　painted　it。　Three　guesses。〃
　〃I　see　it。〃　At　this　height　it　was　just　a　speck　amid　the　dirt　and　boulders。
　〃Okay；　circle　the　van　at　a　distance　of　three　miles　or　so　and　I'll　tell　you　when　to　turn　on　your　gadget。〃
　〃Roger　that；〃　Toad　said；　and　Rita　flew　away　from　the　van；　then　turned　to　establish　herself　on　the　circle　with　her　left　wingtip　pointed　at　the　van。
　Toad　again　examined　the　little　box　that　had　been　taped　to　the　top　of　the　glare　shield　in　front　of　him。　The　box　wasn't　much。　It　had　a　three…position　power　switch　which　he　had　had　in　the　middle；　or　standby；　position　for　the　last　five　minutes。　While　in　standby　the　coolant　was　circulating　around　the　Athena　puter。　Beside　the　power　switch　was　a　little　green　light　that　would　e　on　to　verify　that　the　puter　was　receiving　electrical　power；　and　another　light；　yellow；　to　show　when　the　system　was　detecting　signals　from　an　outside　source。　When　that　yellow　tight　was　on；　the　Athena　system　was　doing　its　thing。　There　was　a　red　light　too；　but　that　would　illuminate　only　when　the　temperature　of　the　super…cooled　puter　exceeded　a　level　that　endangered　it。　If　that　light　came　on；　Toad　was　to　turn　off　the　system。
　Down　on　the　ground　Jake　watched　Harold　Dodgers　and　Helmut　Fritsche　at　the　radar　control　panel。　〃Got　'em；〃　Fritsche　said　after　a　bit；　speaking　loudly　over　the　steady　snoring　of　the　engine　of　the　generator　mounted　on　the　trailer　behind　the　van。　The　engine　noise　muffled　the　moan　of　the　Intruder's　engines　except　when　it　had　passed　almost　overhead。　Jake　looked　at　the　green　display。　〃Tell　'em　to　turn　it　on。〃
　Jake　did　so。　In　less　than　two　seconds　the　blip　faded　from　the　scope。　Magic！　Involuntarily　he　looked　toward　that　spot　in　the　sky　where　the　plane　had　to　be。　Yes。　there　it　was；　just　now　a　flash　as　the　sun　glinted　from　the　canopy；　then　fading　to　a　dull　yet　visible　white　spot　in　the　washed…out　blue。　He　looked　again　at　the　scope。　Nothing。
　〃Maybe　if　they　tightened　the　circle；　flew　closer；〃　Fritsche　suggested。
　The　plane　was　still　invisible。　However；　at　five　miles　from　the　radar　the　strength　of　the　emissions　from　Athena　was　too　much：　it　beaconed　and　a　false　blip　appeared　at　two　miles　and　another　at　five。
　〃Dad's　gonna　have　to　tweak　it；〃　Harold　Dodgers　said；　his　voice　confident　and　cheerful。　〃But　by　gum；　it　works。〃
　〃Sure　enough　does；〃　Jake　Grafton　said；　and　wiped　the　perspiration　from　his　forehead。　Hard　to　believe；　but　that　crackpot　and　his　genius　son　had　invented　a　device　that　would　revolutionize　warfare。　Just　as　Admiral　Henry　had　known　it　would。
　After　another　twenty　minutes；　during　which　the　Intruder　flew　back　and　forth　in　straight　lines　tangent　to　the　five…mile　circle　so　that　Fritsche　could　chart　the　Athena's　protection　envelope；　Jake　told　Rita　and　Toad　to　go　on　back　to　China　Lake；　where　Dr。　Dodgers　would　tweak　the　puter。　Then　Rita　and　Toad　would　bring　the　plane　back　here　for　another　session。　Jake　would　have　preferred　to　stage　the　plane　from　NAS　Fallen；　just　a　few　miles　west；　but　Admiral　Dunedin　had　vetoed　that　on　the　grounds　that　base　security　there　would　be　inadequate。
　〃Helmut；　you　better　drive　over　to　the　range　office　and　call　Dodgers　on　the　scrambler　and　tell　him　how　it　went。　Then　call　Admiral　Dunedin　in　Washington。〃
　〃Sure。〃　Fritsche　trotted　over　to　the　gray　navy　sedan　parked　near　the　van　and　left　in　a　cloud　of　dust。　Harold　Dodgers　killed　the　generator；　which　backfired　once　and　fell　silent。　Now　the　Intruder's　engines　were　plainly　audible；　the　moan　echoing　from　the　rocky　ridges　and　outcrops。
　〃CAG；〃　said　a　male　voice　on　the　radio。　〃Are　we　sweet　or　what？〃
　〃You're　sweet；　Misty。　See　you　this　afternoon　back　here。〃
　Jake　watched　the　white　dot　shrink　to　nothing　in　the　blue　sky　as　Rita　climbed　away　to　the　south。　When　even　the　engine　noise　was　gone　and　all　he　could　hear　was　the　wind　whispering　across　the　sand；　he　walked　over　to　the　shade　by　the　side　of　the　van　and　sat　down。
　Any　way　you　looked　at　it；　Athena　was　mind…boggling。　A　religious　crackpot　working　in　a　shop　that　looks　as　if　it　should　be　full　of　broken…down　cars　es　up　with　an　invention　that　will　instantly　obsolesce　all　conventional　radar　technology。　But　perhaps　it　wasn't　as　wild　as　it　appeared。　After　all；　without　the　benefit　of　budgets；　bureaucrats；　and　MBA　supervisors　worried　about　short…term　profitability；　Thomas　Edison　had　single…handedly　electrified　the　world　and　along　the　way　fathered　the　recording　and　motion…picture　industry。　With　the　same　advantages　Samuel　Dodgers　had　made　junk　of　all　existing　Quinary　radar　systems　and　the　tactics　and　strategy　built　around　those　systems。　And　if　you're　keeping　score；　he　also　just　blew　the　B…2　program　out　of　the　sky。　Why　buy　stealth　bombers　for　516　million　each　when　you　can　make　an　existing　plane　invisible　with　a　250；000　device　and　some　superglue？
　A　lot　of　people　were　going　to　be　seriously　unhappy　when　they　heard。　Powerful　people；　the　kind　that　had　both　their　senators'　unlisted　Washington　numbers　on　their　Rolodex。
　Jake　Grafton　picked　up　a　handful　of　dirt　and　let　it　trickle　through　his　fingers；　Tyler　Henry；　Ludlow；　Royce　Caplinger…they　were　sitting　on　a　bomb。　No　doubt　they'll　let　Jake　Grafton　go　it　alone　for　a　while；　stand　out　there　by　himself　in　front　of　the　crowd　as　the　duty　expert。　After　he　had　run　the　bloomers　up　the　flagpole　and　they　had　precisely　measured　the　direction　and　velocity　of　the　wind；　then　and　only　then　would　they　decide　what　to　do。
　They　must　have　been　ecstatic　when　they　realized　that　Jake　Grafton　was　just　the　man　they　needed：　a　genuine；　decorated　live　hero　whom　they　could　stand　with　shoulder　to　shoulder　or　disavow　as　a　crazed　maverick；　whichever　way　the　cook