scoonts.theminotaur-第70章

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dvantage。　You　are　a　better　man　than　that。〃　He　sighed　heavily；　almost　a　belch。　〃Of　course　there　is　another　possibility。　Perhaps　you　just　wanted　to　see　if　I　was　so　stupid　as　to　be　satisfied　with　the　progress　of　the　investigation　to　date。〃
　〃I…〃　The　upraised　palm　stopped　him　again。
　〃I　am　satisfied。　Camacho　has　kept　me　fully　informed　of　the　activities　of　his　subordinates；　of　which　you　are　one；　by　the　way。　His　lines　of　inquiry　have　been　initiated　with　my　knowledge　and；　where　necessary；　my　approval。　He　has　discussed　his　concerns　with　me　and　I　have　informed　him　of　mine。　He　has　followed　orders　to　the　letter。　I　am　pletely　satisfied　with　his　performance。　He　is　one　of　the　most　talented　senior　officers　in　the　bureau。〃
　Dreyfus　just　stared。
　〃Before　you　go　back　to　work；　do　you　wish　for　me　to　arrange　a　meeting　for　you　with　the　Director？〃　Bigelow　managed　to　make　his　face　look　interested　and　mildly　amused　at　the　same　time。　Yes；　Lloyd；　you　miserable；　disloyal；　alarmist　peckerhead；　you　jumped　from　the　top　of　the　cliff；　but　you　seem　to　nave　had　the　luck　to　Strike　a　bush　a　few　feet　below　the　edge；　which　arrested　your　downward　progress。　Do　you　wish　my　help　in　pleting　your　suicidal　plunge？
　Dreyfus　shook　his　head　no。
　〃I　suggest　that　you　not　mention　this　little　conversation　to　any　of　your　colleagues。〃
　〃Yessir。〃
　〃I　don't　want　to　see　you　in　this　office　ever　again；　Dreyfus；　unless　you　have　your　supervisor　with　you；　or　unless　I　send　for　you。〃
　〃Yessir。〃
　〃Let's　both　get　back　to　work。〃　P。　R。　Bigelow　nodded　toward　the　closed　office　door　and　Dreyfus　took　the　hint。
　
　By　mid…May　the　dance　of　the　dwarves　at　the　Pentagon　had　reached　a　critical　frenzy。　A　thousand　details　were　beginning　to　e　together　for　a　trip　into　the　desert　with　the　prototypes　in　June。　The　airplanes　had　been　moved　weeks　earlier　to　the　Tonopah　Test　Range　in　Nevada；　the　same　secret　field　where　the　air　force　had　tested　its　stealth　prototypes。　Also　known　as　Area　58；　or　Groom　Lake；　the　field　lay　about　a　hundred　miles　northwest　of　Las　Vegas　on　a　huge　government　reservation　with　excellent　physical　security。　Here　the　contractors'　field　teams　readied　the　planes　in　separate　hangars　and　installed　telemetry　devices。
　Toad　and　Rita　would　leave　for　Nevada　two　weeks　before　Jake　and　the　rest　of　the　staff。　They　had　intensive　sessions　planned　with　pany　test　pilots　and　engineers　to　learn　everything　they　could　about　the　planes　and　how　they　flew。　The　Saturday　night　before　they　left；　Jake　and　Callie　had　them　to　dinner　at　the　house　in　Rehoboth　Beach。
　〃How　do　you　like　being　married？〃　Callie　asked　Rita　in　the　kitchen。
　〃I　should　have　had　a　brother；〃　Rita　confided。　〃Men　are　such　sloppy　creatures。　They　don't　think　like　we　do。〃
　On　the　screened…in　porch；　Jake　and　Toad　sipped　on　bourbon　and　Amy　slurped　a　Coke。　〃So　how's　married　life；　Toad？〃
　〃Oh；　so…so；　I　guess。　Isn't　exactly　like　I　thought　it　would　be；　but　nothing　ever　is。　Rita　can　think　up　stuff　for　me　to　do　faster　than　I　can　do　it；　and　we　only　live　in　an　apartment。　If　we　had　a　town　house　or　something　with　a　basement　and　a　lawn；　she'd　have　worked　me　to　death　by　now。〃
　Amy　Carol　thought　this　remark　deliriously　fanny　and　giggled　hugely。
　〃Why　don't　you　go　visit　with　Mom　and　Rita？〃
　She　stood　regally　and　tossed　her　hair。　〃I　do　believe　I　will　join　the　ladies；　but　she　isn't　my　mom。　I　wish　you'd　stop　calling　her　that。〃　She　flounced　off　toward　the　kitchen。
　〃The　day　she〃…Jake　pointed　after　the　departing　youngster…〃gets　married；　I　am　going　to　get　down　on　my　knees　and　give　thanks。〃
　〃That　bad；　huh？〃
　〃She's　about　driven　Callie　over　the　edge。　That　poor　woman　had　no　idea　what　she　was　getting　into。　No　matter　how　much　love　she　pours　on　Amy；　the　kid　still　does　exactly　as　she　chooses。　She　intentionally　disobeys　and　cuts　up　just　to　get　her　goal。　And　Callie　never　gets　mad；　never　pops　off；　never　gives　her　anything　but　love。　She's　gonna　go　nuts。〃
　〃Maybe　she　should　get　angry。〃
　〃That's　what　I　think。　And　Callie　insists　she　doesn't　want　my　help　or　advice。〃
　〃They're　all　alike；〃　Toad　said；　now　vastly　experienced。　Amy　was　back　in　five　minutes；　hopping　from　foot　to　foot；　so　excited　she　bounced。　〃Can　we　fly　the　glider　now；　so　I　can　show　Rita？　She's　a　pilot。〃
　Toad　gasped。　〃She　is？〃
　〃You're　teasing　me；〃　Amy　said；　stamping　her　foot。
　〃The　wind's　wrong；〃　Jake　pointed　out。　〃It　isn't　ing　in　from　the　sea。　This　evening　it's　a　land　breeze。〃
　〃David　said　we　might　be　able　to　fly　the　glider　above　the　house　in　a　land　breeze。　He　said　the　wind　just　goes　right　up　and　over　our　house。〃
　〃I　never　thought　of　that。　Well；　run　down　the　street　and　see　if　he　can　spend　a　half　hour　consulting　with　us。〃　As　Amy　scampered　off；　Jake　told　Toad；　〃There's　an　aviation　expert　right　down　the　street　who　is　kind　enough　to　offer　advice　from　time　to　time。〃
　The　aviation　expert　was　apparently　unoccupied　at　the　moment　He　showed　up　wearing　a　monster…truck　T…shirt　bearing　the　legend　〃Eat　Street。〃　His　shoelaces　were　untied；　his　cowlicks　fully　aroused；　and　his　grin　as　impish　as　ever。　He　listened　carefully　to　Jake's　plan。
　〃Sounds　to　me　like　it　might　work；　Cap'n；〃　he　said　with　a　sidelong　glance　at　Toad。　〃Might　ding　up　your　plane　a　tittle；　though。〃
　〃I'll　risk　it　if　you'll　fix　the　damage。〃
　〃Callie！　Rita！〃　Amy　called　excitedly。　〃We're　going　to　fly。〃
　Jake　readied　the　plane　for　flight　in　the　front　yard　under　David's　supervision。　Eight　rubber　bands　were　stretched　to　hold　the　six…foot　wing　to　the　fuselage。　Batteries　were　tested　and　inserted；　the　cover　closed；　switch　on；　controls　waggled　to　the　fall　extent　of　their　travel　using　the　radio　control　box：　Amy　checked　each　item　after　Jake　performed　it　while　David　briefed　Toad　on　proper　launch　procedure。　In　five　minutes　they　were　ready　for　the　sky。　Toad　climbed　the　ladder　from　the　garage　and　scaled　the　sloping　roof　until　he　sat　perched　on　the　ridgepole　with　the　plane　in　hand。
　〃Pretty　good　breeze　up　here；〃　he　informed　the　crowd　below；　which　now　included　Callie　and　Rita。
　〃Don't　you　jump　off　there；　Darius　Green；〃　Rita　called　as　Toad　sucked　on　a　finger　and　held　it　aloft
　〃As　you　can　plainly　see；　dear　wife；　I'm　not　wearing　my　wings　tonight；〃　Tarkington　replied　lightly。　He　flapped　his　elbows　experimentally。　〃'I'll　astonish　the　nation　and　all　creation；　by　flyin'　over　the　celebration！　I'll　dance　on　the　chimneys；　I'll　stand　on　the　steeple；　I'll　flop　up　to　winders　and　scare　all　the　people；'〃　quoted　he；　striking　a　precarious　pose；　or　trying　to；　up　there　on　the　ridge　of　the　roof　with　an　airplane　grasped　carefully　in　his　right　hand。
　〃Maybe　I'd　better　alert　the　emergency　room　at　the　hospital；〃　Callie　said；　laughing。
　〃Oh；　Callie；〃　Amy　groaned。　〃He's　not　going　to　jump！　Really！〃
　Toad　finished　his　recitation　with　a　flourish：　〃'And　I'll　say　to　the　gawpin'　fools　below；　What　world's　this　here　that　I've　e　near？'〃
　Jake　Grafton　handed　the　radio　control　box　to　David。　〃You're　up　first。　Whenever　you're　ready。〃
　The　youngster　centered　the　control　levers　and　shouted　to　Toad。
　〃Let　'er　go！〃
　With　the　gentlest　of　tosses；　Toad　laid　the　glider　into　the　rising　air　currents。　The　boy　immediately　banked　left　and　raised　the　nose　until　the　aircraft　was　barely　moving　in　relation　to　the　ground。　As　it　reached　the　end　of　the　house；　he　reversed　the　controls　and　flew　it　back　the　other　way。　The　ship　soared　upward　on　the　rising　current　of　air。　It　floated　above　Toad's　head；　back　and　forth　along　the　peak　of　the　roof；　banking　gently　to　maintain　position　and　rising　and　falling　as　the　air　currents　dictated。
　〃All　right！〃　Toad　shouted　and　began　to　clap。　On　the　ground　the　spectators　all　did　likewise。
　〃There's　just　enough　wind；〃　Jake　told　David；　grinning　broadly。　〃Now；　by　God；　that's　flying。〃
　〃Awesome；〃　David　agreed；　his　pixie　grin　spreading　uncontrollably。
　After　a　few　minutes；　David　handed　the　control　box　to　Jake。　He　overbanked　and　the　plane　lost　altitude　precipitously；　threatening　to　strike　Toad　straddling　the　roof's　ridge。　〃Keep　your　nose　up。〃　David　advised　hurriedly。　〃You　can　fly　slower　than　that。〃　As　the　glider　responded；　he　continued。　〃That's　it！　She's　got　plenty　of　camber　in　those　wings　and　good　washout。　She'll　fly　real；　real　slow；　just　riding　those　updrafts。　That's　it！　Let　'er　fly。　Just　sorta　urge　'er　along。〃
　He　was　right。　The　plane　soare