demille.thegeneralsdaughter-第73部分

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ing。
　Ann　Campbell　was　given　a　drug　to　prevent　pregnancy；　she　was　tested　and　retested　for　sexually　municated　diseases；　her　mother　flew　in　from　Germany　and　brought　her　a　favorite　childhood　doll；　her　cuts　and　bruises　healed；　and　everyone　held　their　breath。
　Daddy　was　convincing；　Mommy　was　not　as　convinced。　Ann　trusted　Daddy；　and；　at　twenty　years　old；　for　all　her　world　travel　as　a　military　brat；　she　was　still　Daddy's　girl　and　she　wanted　to　please　him；　so　she　forgot　she　was　raped。　But　later；　she　remembered；　which　was　why　we　were　all　sitting　in　the　general's　office　that　evening。
　So　that　was　the　sad　story；　and　the　general's　voice　cracked　now　and　then；　got　husky；　got　quiet。　I　heard　Cynthia　sniffle　a　few　times；　too；　and　I'd　be　a　liar　if　I　said　I　didn't　feel　a　lump　in　my　throat。
　The　general　stood　but　motioned　us　to　remain　seated。　He　said；　〃Excuse　me　a　moment。〃　He　disappeared　through　a　door；　and　we　could　hear　water　running。　As　melodramatic　as　it　sounds　now；　I　almost　expected　to　hear　a　gunshot。
　Cynthia　kept　her　eye　on　the　door　and　said　softly；　〃I　understand　why　he　did　what　he　did；　but　as　a　woman；　I'm　outraged。〃
　〃As　a　man；　I'm　outraged；　too；　Cynthia。　Five　men　have　a　memory　of　a　fun　night；　and　here　we　are　dealing　with　the　mess。　Five　men；　if　they　were　all　cadets；　went　on　to　graduate　and　bee　officers　and　gentlemen。　They　were　classmates　of　hers　and　probably　saw　her　every　day。　Indirectly；　or　perhaps　directly；　they　were　responsible　for　her　death。　Certainly　they　were　responsible　for　her　mental　condition。〃
　Cynthia　nodded。　〃And　if　they　were　soldiers；　they　went　back　to　their　post　and　bragged　about　how　they　all　fucked　this　little　West　Point　bitch　cadet。〃
　〃Right。　And　they　got　away　with　it。〃
　General　Campbell　returned　and　sat　again。　After　a　while；　he　said；　〃So　you　see；　I　got　what　I　deserved；　but　Ann　was　the　one　who　paid　for　my　betrayal。　Within　months　of　the　incident；　she　went　from　a　warm；　outgoing；　and　friendly　girl　to　a　distrustful；　quiet；　and　withdrawn　woman。　She　did　well　at　the　Point；　graduated　in　the　top　of　her　class；　and　went　on　to　postgraduate　school。　But　things　were　never　the　same　between　us；　and　I　should　have　thought　of　that　consequence　of　my　behavior。〃　He　added；　〃I　lost　my　daughter　when　she　lost　her　faith　in　me。〃　He　took　a　deep　breath。　〃You　know；　it　feels　good　to　talk　it　out。〃
　〃Yes；　sir。〃
　〃You　know　about　her　promiscuousness；　and　professionals　have　explained　to　me　what　that　was　all　about。　It　wasn't　just　that　she　was　trying　to　corrupt　the　people　around　me　or　to　embarrass　me。　She　was　saying　to　me；　'You　thought　nothing　of　my　chastity；　my　decision　to　remain　a　virgin　until　I　was　ready；　so　what　I'm　giving　to　every　man　who　wants　it　is　nothing　you　care　about。　So　don't　lecture　me。'　〃
　I　nodded　but　could　not　and　would　not　ment。
　The　general　said；　〃So　the　years　pass；　and　she　arrives　here。　Not　by　accident；　but　by　design。　A　person　in　the　Pentagon；　a　person　who　was　closely　involved　with　the　West　Point　decision；　strongly　suggested　that　I　consider　two　options。　One；　that　I　leave　the　service　so　that　Ann　might　decide　to　leave　also　or　might　decide　that　her　misbehavior　was　no　longer　profitable。〃　He　added；　〃They　were　quite　honestly　afraid　to　ask　for　her　resignation；　because　she　obviously　had　something　on　the　Army；　though　she　never　had　a　name。　My　second　option　was　to　take　this　uncoveted　mand　at　Fort　Hadley；　where　the　Psy…Ops　School　has　its　submand。　They　said　they　would　have　Ann　transferred　here；　which　would　be　a　natural　career　assignment　for　her；　and　I　could　solve　the　problem　in　close　quarters。　I　chose　the　second　option；　though　my　resignation　would　not　have　been　unusual　after　the　success　in　the　Gulf　and　my　years　of　service。〃　He　added；　〃However；　she　told　me　once　that　if　I　ever　accepted　a　White　House　appointment；　or　ever　accepted　a　political　nomination；　she　would　go　public　with　this　story。　In　effect；　I　was　being　held　hostage　in　the　Army　by　my　daughter；　and　my　only　options　were　to　stay　or　to　retire　into　private　life。〃
　So；　I　thought；　that　explained　General　Campbell's　coyness　regarding　political　office　or　a　presidential　appointment。　Like　everything　else　about　this　case；　this　Army　post；　and　the　people　here；　what　you　saw；　and　what　you　heard；　were　not　what　was　actually　happening。
　He　looked　around　his　office　as　though　seeing　it　for　the　first　time；　or　the　last　time。　He　said；　〃So　I　chose　to　e　here　to　try　to　make　amends；　to　try　to　rectify　not　only　my　mistake　but　the　mistake　of　my　superiors；　many　of　whom　are　still　in　the　service　or　in　public　life；　and　most　of　whose　names　you　would　know。〃　He　paused　and　said；　〃I'm　not　blaming　my　superiors　for　putting　pressure　on　me。　It　was　wrong　what　they　did；　but　the　ultimate　decision　to　cooperate　in　the　cover…up　was　mine。　I　thought　I　was　doing　what　I　did　for　good　and　valid　reasons…for　Ann　and　for　the　Army…but　in　the　final　analysis；　they　were　not　good　reasons；　and　I　was　selling　out　my　daughter　for　myself。〃　He　added；　〃Within　a　year　of　the　incident；　I　had　my　second　star。〃
　At　the　risk　of　sounding　too　empathetic；　I　said；　〃General；　you　are　responsible　for　everything　your　subordinates　do　or　fail　to　do。　But　in　this　case；　your　superiors　betrayed　you。　They　had　no　right　to　ask　that　of　you。〃
　〃I　know。　They　know。　All　that　talent；　experience；　and　brainpower；　and　there　we　were　meeting　in　a　motel　room　in　upstate　New　York　in　the　middle　of　the　night；　like　criminals　talking　ourselves　into　a　pletely　dishonorable　and　stupid　decision。　But　we're　human；　and　we　make　bad　decisions。　However；　had　we　truly　been　men　of　honor　and　integrity；　as　we　said　we　were；　we'd　have　reversed　that　bad　decision　no　matter　what　the　cost。〃
　I　couldn't　have　agreed　more；　and　he　knew　it；　so　I　didn't　say　it。　I　said　instead；　〃So　for　two　years；　you　and　your　daughter　engaged　in　close…quarter　hand…to…hand　bat。〃
　He　smiled　grimly。　〃Yes。　It　turned　out　to　be　not　a　healing　process　at　all。　It　was　war；　and　she　was　better　prepared　for　it　than　I　was。　She　had　right　on　her　side；　and　that　made　for　might。　She　beat　me　at　every　turn；　while　I　offered　to　make　peace。　I　thought；　if　she　won；　she'd　accept　my　apology　and　sincere　regrets。　It　tore　me　apart；　as　a　father；　to　see　what　she　was　doing　to　herself　and　her　mother。　I　didn't　care　about　myself　any　longer。　But　I　was　also　concerned　for　the　men　she　was　using　。。。〃　He　added；　〃Though　in　some　odd　way；　I　was　happy　just　to　have　her　around　on　any　terms。　I　missed　her；　and　I　miss　her　now。〃
　Cynthia　and　I　sat　quietly　and　listened　to　him　breathe。　Clearly；　the　man　had　aged　ten　years　in　the　last　few　days；　and　probably　another　ten　in　the　last　two　years。　It　struck　me　that　this　was　not　the　same　man　who　had　returned　in　triumph　and　glory　from　the　Gulf　not　so　long　ago。　It　was　amazing；　I　thought；　how　even　kings　and　emperors　and　generals　could　be　brought　down　by　domestic　discord；　by　the　wrath　and　fury　of　a　wronged　woman。　Somehow；　amid　all　the　sophistication　and　diversions　of　this　world；　we　forgot　the　basics：　take　care　of　business　at　home　first；　and　never　betray　your　blood。
　I　said　to　him；　〃Tell　us　about　rifle　range　six；　and　then　we'll　leave　you；　General。〃
　He　nodded。　〃Yes　。。。　well；　I　saw　her　there　on　the　ground；　and　。。。　and　I　。。。　I　honestly　thought　at　first　that　she'd　been　assaulted　。。。　but　then　she　called　out　to　me　。。。　she　said；　'Here's　the　answer　to　your　damned　ultimatum。'
　〃I　didn't　understand　at　first　what　she　was　talking　about；　but　then；　of　course；　I　remembered　what　they'd　done　to　her　at　West　Point。　She　asked　me　where　her　mother　was；　and　I　told　her　that　her　mother　didn't　know　anything　about　this。　She　called　me　a　damned　coward；　then　she　said；　'Do　you　see　what　they　did　to　me？　Do　you　see　what　they　did　to　me？'　And　I　。。。　I　did　see　。。。　I　mean；　if　her　purpose　was　to　make　me　see；　then　she　achieved　her　purpose。〃
　〃And　what　did　you　say　to　her；　General？〃
　〃I　。。。　just　called　out　to　her　。。。　'Ann；　you　didn't　have　to　do　this。'　But　she　was　。。。　she　was　wild　with　anger；　as　though　she'd　pletely　lost　her　sanity。　She　yelled　out　for　me　to　e　closer；　to　see　what　they　did　to　her；　to　see　what　she'd　suffered。　She　went　on　like　that　for　some　time；　then　she　said　since　I'd　given　her　some　choices；　she　was　going　to　give　me　some　choices。〃　General　Campbell　paused　a　moment；　then　continued。　〃She　said　she　had　a　rope　around　her　neck　。。。　and　I　could　strangle　her　if　I　wanted