mreilly.icestation-第9部分

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　the　French　delegation　to　return　to　the　meeting　room。　
　His　aide；　a　twenty…five…year…old　Harvard　Law　grad　named　Phillip　Munro；　hesitated　before　he　answered。　He　wasn't　sure　if　it　was　a　rhetorical　question。　Holmes　swiveled　on　his　chair　and　stared　at　Munro　through　his　thick　glasses。　
　〃Ah；　no；　sir；　I　didn't；〃　Munro　said。　
　Holmes　nodded　thoughtfully。　〃They　think　of　us　as　brutes；　unsophisticated　fools。　Beer…swilling　rednecks　who　through　some　accident　of　history　somehow　got　our　hands　on　the　most　powerful　weapons　in　the　world　and；　from　that；　became　its　leader。　The　French　resent　that。　Hell；　they're　not　even　a　full　NATO　member　anymore；　because　they　think　it　perpetuates　U。S。　influence　over　Europe。〃　
　Holmes　snuffed　a　laugh。　He　remembered　when；　in　1966；　France　withdrew　from　NATO's　integrated　military　mand　because　it　did　not　want　French　nuclear　weapons　to　be　placed　under　NATO…and　therefore　U。S。…control。　At　the　time　the　French　President；　Charles　de　Gaulle；　had　said　point…blank　that　NATO　was　〃an　American　organization。〃　Now　France　simply　maintained　a　seat　on　NATO's　North　Atlantic　Council　to　keep　an　eye　on　things。　
　Munro　said；　〃I　know　a　few　people　who　would　agree　with　them。　Academics；　economists。　People　who　would　say　that　that's　exactly　what　NATO　is　designed　to　do。　Perpetuate　our　influence　over　Europe。〃　
　Holmes　smiled。　Munro　was　good　value。　College…educated　and　an　ardent　liberal；　he　was　one　of　those　let's…have…a…philosophical…debate…over…coffee　types。　The　kind　who　argue　for　a　better　world　when　they　have　absolutely　no　experience　in　it。　Holmes　didn't　mind　that。　In　fact；　he　found　Munro　refreshing。　〃But　what　do　you　say；　Phil？〃　he　asked。　
　Munro　was　silent　for　a　few　seconds。　Then　he　said；　〃NATO　makes　European　countries　economically　and　technologically　dependent　upon　the　United　States　for　defense。　Even　highly　developed　countries　like　France　and　England　know　that　if　they　want　the　best　weapons　systems；　they　have　to　e　to　us。　And　that　leaves　them　with　two　options…e　knocking　on　our　door　with　their　hats　in　their　hands　or　join　NATO。　And　so　far　as　I　know；　the　United　States　hasn't　sold　any　Patriot　missile　systems　to　non…NATO　countries。　So；　yes；　I　think　that　NATO　does　perpetuate　our　influence　over　Europe。〃　
　〃Not　a　bad　analysis；　Phil。　But　let　me　tell　you　something；　it　goes　a　lot　further　than　that；　a　lot　further；〃　he　said。　〃So　much　so；　in　fact；　that　the　White　House　maintains　that　the　national　security　of　the　United　States　depends　upon　that　influence。　We　want　to　keep　our　influence　over　Europe；　Phil；　economically　and　especially　technologically。　France；　on　the　other　hand；　would　like　us　to　lose　that　influence。　And　for　the　last　ten　years　successive　French　governments　have　been　actively　pursuing　a　policy　of　eroding　U。S。　influence　in　Europe。〃　
　〃Example？〃　Munro　said。　
　〃Did　you　know　that　it　was　France　who　was　the　driving　force　behind　the　establishment　of　the　European　Union？〃　
　〃Well；　no。　I　thought　it　was…〃　
　〃Did　you　know　that　it　was　France　who　was　the　driving　force　behind　the　establishment　of　a　European　Defense　Charter？〃　
　A　pause。　
　〃No；〃　Munro　said。　
　〃Did　you　know　that　it　is　France　who　subsidizes　the　European　Space　Agency　so　that　the　ESA　can　charge　vastly　cheaper　prices　for　taking　mercial　satellites　up　into　orbit　than　NASA　can？〃　
　〃No；　I　didn't　know　that。〃　
　〃Son；　for　the　last　ten　years；　France　has　been　trying　to　unite　Europe　like　never　before　and　sell　it　to　the　rest　of　the　world。　They　call　it　regional　pride。　We　call　it　an　attempt　to　tell　European　nations　that　they　don't　need　America　anymore。〃　
　〃Does　Europe　need　America　anymore？〃　Munro　asked　quickly。　A　loaded　question。　
　Homes　gave　his　young　aide　a　crooked　smile。　〃Until　Europe　can　match　us　weapon…for…weapon；　yes；　they　do　need　us。　What　frustrates　France　most　about　us　is　our　defense　technology。　They　can't　match　it。　We're　too　far　ahead　of　them。　It　infuriates　them。　
　〃And　as　long　as　we　stay　ahead　of　them；　they　know　that　they've　got　no　option　but　to　follow　us。　But〃…Holmes　held　up　a　finger…〃once　they　get　their　hands　on　something　new；　once　they　develop　something　that　tops　our　technology；　then　I　think　things　may　be　different。　
　〃This　isn't　1966　anymore。　Things　have　changed。　The　world　has　changed。　If　France　walked　out　of　NATO　now；　I　think　half　of　the　other　European　nations　in　the　organization　would　walk　out　with　her…〃　
　At　that　moment；　the　doors　to　the　meeting　room　opened　and　the　French　delegation；　led　by　Pierre　Dufresne；　came　back　into　the　room。　
　As　the　French　delegates　returned　to　their　seats；　Holmes　leaned　close　to　Munro。　〃What　worries　me　most；　though；　is　that　the　French　may　be　closer　to　that　new　discovery　than　we　think。　Look　at　them　today。　They've　recessed　this　meeting　four　times　already。　Four　times。　Do　you　know　what　that　means？〃　
　〃What？〃　
　〃They're　stalling　the　meeting。　Drawing　it　out。　You　only　stall　like　that　when　you're　waiting　for　information。　That's　why　they　keep　recessing…so　they　can　talk　with　their　intelligence　people　and　get　an　update　on　whatever　it　is　they're　up　to。　And　by　the　looks　of　things；　whatever　that　is；　it　could　be　the　difference　between　the　continued　existence　of　NATO　and　its　plete　destruction。〃　
　
　
　
　The　sleek　black　head　broke　the　surface　without　a　sound。　It　was　a　sinister　head；　with　two　dark；　lifeless　eyes　on　either　side　of　a　glistening　snub…nosed　snout。　
　A　few　moments　later；　a　second；　identical　head　appeared　next　to　the　first；　and　the　two　animals　curiously　observed　the　activity　taking　place　on　E…deck。　
　The　two　killer　whales　in　the　pool　of　Wilkes　Ice　Station　were　rather　small　specimens；　despite　the　fact　that　they　each　weighed　close　to　five　tons。　From　tip　to　tail　they　were　each　at　least　fifteen　feet　long。　
　Having　evaluated　and　dismissed　the　activity　taking　place　on　the　deck　around　them…where　Lieutenant　Schofield　was　busy　getting　a　couple　of　divers　suited　up…the　two　killer　whales　began　to　circle　the　pool；　gliding　around　the　diving　bell　that　sat　half…submerged　in　the　very　center　of　the　pool。　
　Their　movements　seemed　odd；　almost　coordinated。　As　one　killer　would　look　one　way；　the　other　would　look　in　the　opposite　direction。　It　was　almost　as　if　they　were　searching　for　something；　searching　for　something　in　particular。。。。　
　〃They're　looking　for　Wendy；〃　Kirsty　said；　looking　down　at　the　two　killers　from　the　C…deck　catwalk。　Her　voice　was　flat；　cold…unusually　harsh　for　a　twelve…year…old　girl。　
　It　had　been　almost　two　hours　since　Schofield　and　his　team　had　arrived　at　Wilkes；　and　now　Schofield　was　down　on　E…deck；　preparing　to　send　two　of　his　men　down　in　the　Douglas　Mawson　to　find　out　what　had　happened　to　Austin　and　the　others。　
　Fascinated；　Kirsty　had　been　watching　him　and　the　two　divers　from　up　on　C…deck　when　she　had　seen　the　two　killer　whales　surface。　Beside　her；　stationed　on　C…deck　to　work　the　winch　controls；　were　two　of　the　Marines。　
　Kirsty　liked　these　two。　Unlike　a　couple　of　the　older　ones　who　had　merely　grunted　when　she　had　said　hello；　these　two　were　young　and　friendly。　One　of　them；　Kirsty　was　happy　to　note；　was　a　woman。　
　Lance　Corporal　Elizabeth　Gant　was　pact；　fit；　and　she　held　her　MP…5　as　though　it　were　an　extension　of　her　right　hand。　Hidden　beneath　her　helmet　and　her　silver　antiflash　glasses　was　an　intelligent　and　attractive　twenty…six…year…old　woman。　Her　call　sign；　〃Fox；〃　was　a　pliment　bestowed　upon　her　by　her　admiring　male　colleagues。　Libby　Gant　looked　down　at　the　two　killer　whales　as　they　glided　slowly　around　the　pool。　
　〃They're　looking　for　Wendy？〃　she　asked；　glancing　at　the　little　black　fur　seal　on　the　catwalk　beside　her。　Wendy　backed　nervously　away　from　the　edge　of　the　catwalk；　trying；　it　seemed；　to　avoid　being　seen　by　the　two　whales　circling　in　the　pool　forty　feet　below。　
　〃They　don't　like　her　very　much；〃　Kirsty　said。　
　〃Why　not？〃　
　〃They're　juveniles；〃　Kirsty　said。　〃Male　juveniles。　They　don't　like　anybody。　It's　like　they　have　something　to　prove…　prove　that　they're　bigger　and　stronger　than　the　other　animals。　Typical　boys。　The　killer　whales　around　these　parts　mostly　eat　baby　crabeaters；　but　these　two　saw　Wendy　swimming　in　the　pool　a　few　days　ago　and　they've　been　ing　by　ever　since。〃　
　〃What's　a　crabeater？〃　Hollywood　Todd　asked　from　over　by　the　winch　controls。　
　〃It's　another　kind　of　seal；〃　Kirsty　said。　〃A　b