cussler.blueandgold-第55章

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ary　confrontation。　A　raid　on　a　Soviet　laboratory　would　be　considered　an　overt　act　of　war　that　could　not　be　ignored。〃
　
　〃That's　correct。　It　would　be　no　different　from　the　Russians　destroying　a　lab　in　New　Mexico。　It　could　have　provoked　a　shooting　war。〃
　
　Sandecker　was　not　exactly　innocent　when　it　came　to　making　end　runs　around　politically　dicey　situations。　〃A　raid　might　be　feasible；　but　it　would　have　to　be　an　ironclad　secret　with　no　way　to　trace　it。〃
　
　LeGrand　nodded。　〃That　was　precisely　what　the　president　said　when　the　situation　was　presented　to　him。〃
　
　〃A　tall　order　indeed；〃　Sandecker　noted。
　
　〃Granted；　but　these　were　not　ordinary　men。　They　had　created　the　greatest　military　industrial　machine　in　history　virtually　from　scratch　and　ruthlessly　used　it　to　squash　two　formidable　foes　on　several　continents　and　seas。　But　even　all　their　determination　and　resourcefulness　wasn't　up　to　this　challenge。　Fortunately　for　them；　two　unconnected　developments　intersected　and　showed　them　the　way。　The　first　was　the　development　of　the　air　craft　that　came　to　be　known　as　the　flying　wing。　The　design　had　its　problems；　but　there　was　one　unplanned　characteristic　that　made　it　very　attractive。　Stealth　technology。　The　plane's　slim　silhouette　and　clean　surface　meant　that　under　the　right　circum　stances　it　could　slip　undetected　past　radar。〃
　
　〃My　guess　is　that　you're　talking　about　Russian　radar；〃　Sandecker　said。
　
　LeGrand　smiled　mysteriously。　〃Supposedly　all　flying　wings；　including　those　still　in　production；　were　destroyed　by　the　Air　Force。　But　the　president　gave　the　go…ahead　for　a　modified　version　to　be　built　in　secret。　It　had　even　greater　range　and　speed　than　any　of　the　original　models。　In　short；　here　was　a　delivery　system　that　could　get　in　and　out　of　Siberia　without　being　detected。〃
　
　〃In　my　experience　the　Russians　are　not　a　dull　people；〃　Sandecker　said。　〃If　their　lab　went　up　in　smoke　they　would　surmise　the　U。S。　was　behind　it。〃
　
　〃Undoubtedly；　which　is　why　the　second　part　of　the　equation　was　crucial；〃　LeGrand　said。　〃That　was　the　discovery　of　anasazium。　It　was　a　by…product　of　the　work　at　Los　Alamos。　The　scientist　who　discovered　the　substance　was　an　amateur　anthropologist。　He　was　fascinated　by　the　old　Pueblo　culture　that　once　lived　in　the　Southwest。　He　named　his　discovery　after　the　Anasazi。　The　material　has　a　number　of　interesting　properties。　The　one　that　attracted　the　most　interest　was　its　ability　to　change　the　hydrogen　atom　in　subtle　ways。　If　anasazium　could　be　secretly　introduced　into　a　Soviet　weapons　lab；　it　might　mess　up　the　fusion　research。　Estimates　were　that　it　would　hamstring　their　bomb　project　by　several　years。　The　U。S。　would　gain　time　to　build　an　intercontinental　bomber　and　missile　fleet　so　advanced　that　the　Soviets　would　never　catch　up。　The　plan　was　to　float　bombs　down　on　parachutes。　They　would　explode；　and　re　lease　the　substance　in　liquid　form；　which　would　get　into　the　lab's　ventilation　systems。　By　itself　the　substance　is　not　any　more　harmful　than　water　to　humans。　Those　under　attack　would　think　they　heard　a　very　strange　thunderstorm　of　extremely　short　duration。〃
　
　〃It　doesn't　sound　exactly　like　pinpoint　bombing。〃
　
　〃It　wasn't。　As　they　say；　desperate　times　call　for　desperate　measures。〃
　
　〃What　if　the　plane　crashed　for　some　mechanical　reason？〃
　
　〃That　possibility　was　taken　into　account。　There　was　no　poi　son　pill　like　the　one　Francis　Gary　Powers　didn't　take　after　his　U…2　crash。　They　wanted　no　talkative　survivors。　No　parachutes　were　packed　for　the　crew。　In　fact；　it　would　have　been　impossible　to　parachute　from　the　plane。　Ejection　seats　had　not　yet　been　developed；　and　the　pilot's　canopy　could　not　be　jettisoned。　If　wreckage　were　found　it　could　always　be　said　that　this　was　an　experimental　plane　tragically　gone　off…course。〃　〃The　crew　knew　this？〃
　
　〃They　were　highly　motivated　volunteers　with　no　sense　of　failure。〃
　
　〃Too　bad　the　plan　failed；〃　Sandecker　said。
　
　〃To　the　contrary；〃　LeGrand　said。　〃The　mission　was　an　un　qualified　success。〃
　
　〃How　so？　The　Soviets　built　a　hydrogen　bomb　close　on　our　heels；　as　I　recall。〃
　
　〃Quite　true。　They　exploded　their　first　thermonuclear　device　in　1953；　two　years　after　the　U。S。　Remember　what　I　said　about　hubris。　Our　people　couldn't　imagine　that　an　ignorant　peasant　like　Stalin　could　outsmart　them。　He　was　extremely　suspicious　of　everyone。　He　ordered　Igor　Kurchatov；　the　Soviet　equivalent　of　our　man　Oppenheimer；　to　set　up　a　duplicate　hydrogen　research　lab　in　the　Ural　Mountains。　Their　research　was　successful。　Stalin　thought　the　Siberian　lab　had　failed　on　purpose　and　ordered　its　technicians　liquidated。〃
　
　〃I'm　surprised　a　strike　wasn't　ordered　into　the　Ural　operation。〃
　
　〃A　raid　was　contemplated；　but　the　mission　was　canceled。　Maybe　it　was　considered　too　dangerous；　or　perhaps　the　flying　wing　had　insurmountable　technical　problems。〃
　
　〃What　happened　to　the　plane？〃
　
　〃It　was　sealed　in　its　hangar　with　the　cargo。　The　Alaskan　base　it　flew　from　was　abandoned。　The　men　at　the　base　were　scattered　all　over　the　globe。　None　of　them　had　a　plete　picture　of　the　operation。　That　was　almost　the　end　of　it。〃
　
　〃Almost。　You　mean　the　protocol　and　the　killing　of　the　pilot？〃
　
　LeGrand　stirred　unfortably　in　his　chair。　〃That　and　more。　Actually　the　entire　flight　crew　was　killed；〃　he　said　quietly。　〃The~　were　the　only　nonpolitical　types　who　knew　the　mission　and　the　target　intimately。　Four　men　died。　Their　families　were　told　they　were　in　an　accident。　They　were　buried　with　full　military　honors　at　Arlington。〃　〃A　lovely　gesture。〃
　
　LeGrand　nervously　cleared　his　throat。　〃You　all　know　that　I've　done　my　best　to　clean　things　up　at　the　Agency。　Sometimes　I'll　scrape　off　one　layer　of　dirt　to　reveal　another　even　more　filthy。　Unfortunately　much　of　the　good　work　we've　done　has　gone　un　heralded　for　obvious　reasons。　But　the　intelligence　munity　did　some　things　that　are　nothing　to　be　proud　of。　This　sad　episode　was　one　of　them。〃
　
　〃Austin　filled　me　in　on　his　findings。　The　pilot　was　at　Arlington　attending　his　own　funeral。　I　understand　his　son　saw　him。〃
　
　〃He　insisted　that　he　be　allowed　one　more　look　at　his　wife　and　child；〃　the　director　said。　〃He　was　told　he　was　going　into　protective　custody　for　an　indefinite　time。　Of　course　it　was　only　a　ruse。　Shortly　after　he　was　placed　under　protection；　he　was　killed　by　his　protector。〃
　
　〃The　man　who　lived　in　upstate　New　York。〃
　
　〃That's　right。〃
　
　Sandecker's　blue　eyes　hardened。　〃Sorry　I　don't　feel　any　sad　ness　for　the　assassin。　He　was　a　cold…blooded　killer　at　an　age　when　we　supposedly　attain　wisdom。　And　he　would　have　murdered　Austin。　What　was　the　reason　for　the　protocol？　Wasn't　murdering　those　crewmen　enough？〃
　
　〃The　brass　who　decided　this　thing　didn't　want　the　faintest　chance　the　secret　would　get　out。　They　thought　it　could　start　an　other　war。　Relations　were　bad　enough　as　it　was　between　us　and　the　Soviets。　The　protocol　was　set　up　to　react　blindly　to　any　at　tempt　to　unravel　the　secret。　They　thought　any　spy　snooping　would　e　from　abroad。　No　one　dreamed　the　threat　would　e　from　the　U。S。　congress。　It　was　all　totally　unnecessary。　The　speaker　of　the　House　was　defeated　for　reelection；　and　his　expose　never　got　off　the　ground。　It　was　probably　assumed　that　the　little　land　mine　they　left　to　blow　up　in　the　face　of　anyone　following　their　trail　would　deactivate　itself。　They　never　thought　it　would　still　be　dangerous　fifty　years　later。〃　
　
　　Sandecker　leaned　back　in　his　chair　and　tented　his　fingers。　〃So　this　ancient　scheme　cooked　up　by　a　bunch　of　macho　cow　boys　is　what　almost　got　my　man　killed。　I　understand　that　the　assassin　had　his　bags　packed　ready　to　go　with　a　sniper's　rifle　and　explosives。　Apparently　planning　quite　a　retirement　party　for　himself。　Too　bad　we　can't　let　the　American　public　know　what　tomfoolery　their　tax　dollars　were　used　for　in　the　name　of　democracy。〃
　
　LeGrand　said；　〃That　would　be　a　mistake。　It　is　still　extremely　sensitive。　Reducing　Russia's　nuclear　arsenal　has　been　a　struggle。　If　this　story　got　out　it　would　strengthen　the　hand　of　the　nationalists　who　say　the　U。S。　can't　be　trusted。〃
　
　〃They　would　think　that　anyhow；〃　Sandecker　said　dryly。　〃In　my　experience　there　is　one　thing　powerful　people　f