tc.patriotgames-第45部分

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　　　　〃Jack　laughed。　Ever　since　they　came　back；　their　diet　had　consisted　mainly　of　basic　American　staples；　and　it　was　a　little　late　for　something　fancy。
　　　　〃Okay。　I'm　going　to　change　and　punch　up　something　on　the　puter　for　a　few　minutes。〃　
　　　　〃Careful　with　the　arm。　Jack。〃
　　　　Five　times　a　day　she　warns　me。　Jack　sighed。　Never　marry　a　doctor。　The　Ryan　home　was　a　deckhouse　design。　The　living/dining　room　had　a　cathedral　ceiling　that　peaked　sixteen　feet　over　the　carpeted　floor　with　an　enormous　wood　beam。　A　wall　of　triple…paned　windows　faced　the　bay；　with　a　large　deck　beyond　the　sliding　glass　doors。　Opposite　the　glass　was　a　massive　brick　fireplace　that　reached　through　the　roof。　The　master　bedroom　was　half　a　level　above　the　living　room；　with　a　window　that　enabled　one　to　look　down　into　it。　Ryan　trotted　up　the　steps。　The　house　design　acmodated　large　closets。　Ryan　selected　casual　clothes；　and　went　through　the　annoying　ritual　of　changing　himself　one…handed。　He　was　still　experimenting；　trying　to　find　an　efficient　way　to　do　it。
　　　　Finished；　he　went　back　down；　and　curved　around　the　stairs　to　the　next　level　down；　his　library。　It　was　a　large　one。　Jack　read　a　lot；　and　also　purchased　books　he　didn't　have　time　to　read；　banking　against　the　time　when　he　would。　He　had　a　large　desk　up　against　the　windows　on　the　bay　side　of　the　house。　Here　was　his　personal　puter；　an　Apple；　and　all　of　its　peripheral　equipment。　Ryan　flipped　it　on　and　started　typing　in　instructions。　Next　he　put　his　modem　on　line　and　placed　a　call　into　puServe。　The　time　of　day　guaranteed　easy　access；　and　he　selected　MicroQuote　II　from　the　entry　menu。
　　　　A　moment　later　he　was　looking　at　Holoware；　Ltd。's　stock　performance　over　the　past　three　years。　The　stock　was　agreeably　unimpressive；　fluctuating　from　two　dollars　to　as　much　as　six；　but　that　was　two　years　back　　it　was　a　pany　which　had　once　held　great　promise；　but　somewhere　along　the　way　investors　had　lost　confidence。　Jack　made　a　note；　then　exited　the　program　and　got　into　another；　Disclosure　II；　to　look　at　the　pany's　SEC　filings　and　last　annual　report。　Okay；　Ryan　told　himself。　The　pany　was　making　money；　but　not　very　much。　One　problem　with　hi…tech　issues　was　that　so　many　investors　wanted　big　returns　very　quickly；　or　they'd　move　on　to　something　else；　forgetting　that　things　didn't　necessarily　happen　that　way。　This　pany　had　found　a　small　though　somewhat　precarious　niche；　and　was　ready　to　try　something　bold。　Ryan　made　a　mental　estimate　of　what　the　Navy　contract　would　be　worth　and　pared　it　with　the　pany's　total　revenues　。　。　。　
　　　　〃Okay！〃　he　told　himself　before　exiting　the　system　pletely　and　shutting　his　puter　down。　Next　he　called　his　broker。　Ryan　worked　through　a　discount　brokerage　firm　that　had　people　on　duty　around　the　clock。　Jack　always　dealt　with　the　same　man。　
　　　　〃Hi；　Mort；　it's　Jack。　How's　the　family？〃
　　　　〃Hello　again；　Doctor　Ryan。　Everything's　fine　with　us。　What　can　we　do　for　you　tonight？〃
　　　　〃An　outfit　called　Holoware；　one　of　the　hi…tech　bunch　on　Highway　128　outside　Boston。　It's　on　the　AMEX。〃
　　　　〃Okay。〃　Ryan　heard　tapping　on　a　keyboard。　Everyone　used　puters。　〃Here　it　is。　Going　at　four　and　seven…eighths；　not　a　very　active　issue　。　。　。　until　lately。　There　has　been　some　modest　activity　over　the　past　month。〃　
　　　　〃What　kind？〃　Ryan　asked。　This　was　another　sign　to　look　for。
　　　　〃Oh；　I　see。　The　pany　is　buying　itself　back　a　little。　No　big　deal；　but　they're　buying　their　own　stock　out。〃
　　　　Bingo！　Ryan　smiled　to　himself。　Thank　you；　Robby。　You　gave　me　a　tip　on　a　real　live　one。　Jack　asked　himself　if　this　constituted　trading　on　inside　information。　His　initial　tip　might　be　called　that；　but　his　decision　to　buy　was　based　on　confirmation　made　legally；　on　the　basis　of　his　experience　as　a　stock　trader。　Okay；　it's　legal。　He　could　do　whatever　he　wanted。
　　　　〃How　much　do　you　think　you　can　get　for　me？〃　
　　　　〃It's　not　a　very　impressive　stock。〃　
　　　　〃How　often　am　I　wrong；　Mort？〃　
　　　　〃How　much　do　you　want？〃
　　　　〃At　least　twenty…K；　and　if　there's　more；　I　want　all　of　it　you　can　find。〃　There　was　no　way　he'd　get　hold　of　more　than　fifty　thousand　shares；　but　Ryan　made　a　snap　decision　to　grab　all　he　could。　If　he　lost；　it　was　only　money；　and　it　had　been　over　a　year　since　he'd　last　had　a　hunch　like　this　one。　If　they　got　the　Navy　contract；　that　stock　would　increase　in　value　tenfold。　The　pany　must　have　had　a　tip；　too。　Buying　back　their　own　stock　on　the　slim　resources　they　had　would；　if　Ryan　was　guessing　right；　dramatically　increase　the　firm's　capital；　enabling　a　rapid　expansion　of　operations。　Holoware　was　betting　on　the　future；　and　betting　big。　
　　　　There　was　five　seconds　of　silence　on　the　phone。　
　　　　〃What　do　you　know；　Jack？〃　the　broker　asked　finally。　
　　　　〃I'm　playing　a　hunch。〃
　　　　〃Okay　。　。　。　twenty…K　plus　。　。　。　I'll　call　you　at　ten　tomorrow。　You　think　I　should　。　。　。？〃　
　　　　〃It's　a　toss　of　the　dice；　but　I　think　it's　a　good　toss。〃　
　　　　〃Thanks。　Anything　else？〃　
　　　　〃No。　I　have　to　go　eat　dinner。　Good　night；　Mort。〃　
　　　　〃See　ya。〃　Both　men　hung　up。　At　the　far　end　of　the　phone；　the　broker　decided　that　he'd　go　in　for　a　thousand　shares；　too。　Ryan　was　occasionally　wrong；　but　when　he　was　right；　he　tended　to　be　very　right。

　　　　〃Christmas　Day；〃　O'Donnell　said　quietly。　〃Perfect。〃　
　　　　〃Is　that　the　day　they're　moving　Sean？〃　McKenney　asked。
　　　　〃He　leaves　London　by　van　at　four　in　the　morning。　That's　bloody　good　news。　I　was　afraid　they'd　use　a　helicopter。　No　word　on　the　route　they'll　use　。　。　。〃　He　read　on。　〃But　they're　going　to　take　him　across　on　the　Lymington　ferry　at　eight…thirty　Christmas　morning。　Excellent　timing；　when　you　think　about　it。　Too　early　for　heavy　traffic。　Everyone'll　be　opening　his　presents　and　getting　dressed　for　church。　The　van　might　even　have　the　ferry　to　itself　　who'd　expect　a　prisoner　transfer　on　Christmas　Day？〃　
　　　　〃So；　we　are　going　to　break　Sean　out；　then？〃
　　　　〃Michael；　our　men　do　us　little　good　when　they're　inside；　don't　they？　You　and　I　are　flying　over　tomorrow　morning。　I　think　we'll　drive　down　to　Lymington　and　look　at　the　ferry。〃

Chapter　9　A　Day　for　Celebration

　　　　〃God；　it'll　be　nice　to　have　two　arms　again；〃　Ryan　observed。
　　　　〃Two　more　weeks；　maybe　three；〃　Cathy　reminded　him。　〃And　keep　your　hand　still　inside　the　damned　sling！〃　
　　　　〃Yes；　dear。〃
　　　　It　was　about　two　in　the　morning；　and　things　were　going　badly　　and　well。　Part　of　the　Ryan　family　tradition　　a　tradition　barely　three　years　old；　but　a　tradition　nevertheless　　was　that　after　Sally　was　in　bed　and　asleep；　her　parents　would　creep　down　to　the　basement　storage　area　　a　room　with　a　padlocked　door　　and　bring　the　toys　upstairs　for　assembly。　The　previous　two　years；　this　ceremony　had　been　acpanied　by　a　couple　of　bottles　of　champagne。　Assembling　toys　was　a　wholly　different　sort　of　exercise　when　the　assemblers　were　half　blasted。　It　was　their　method　of　relaxing　into　the　Christmas　spirit。
　　　　So　far　things　had　gone　well。　Jack　had　taken　his　daughter　to　the　seven　o'clock　children's　mass　at　St。　Mary's；　and　gotten　her　to　bed　a　little　after　nine。　His　daughter　had　slid　her　head　around　the　fireplace　wall　only　twice　before　a　loud　mand　from　her　father　had　banished　her　to　her　bedroom　for　good；　her　arm　clasping　an　overly　talkative　AG　Bear　to　her　chest。　By　midnight　it　was　decided　that　she　was　asleep　enough　for　her　parents　to　make　a　little　noise。　This　had　begun　the　toy　trek；　as　Cathy　called　it。　Both　parents　removed　their　shoes　to　minimize　noise　on　the　hardwood　steps　and　went　downstairs。　Of　course；　Jack　forgot　the　key　to　the　padlock；　and　had　to　climb　back　upstairs　to　the　master　bedroom　to　search　for　it。　Five　minutes　later　the　door　was　opened　and　the　two　of　them　made　four　trips　each；　setting　up　a　lavish　pile　of　multicolored　boxes　near　the　tree；　next　to　Jack's　tool　kit。
　　　　〃You　know　what　the　two　most　obscene　words　in　the　English　language　are；　Cathy？〃　Ryan　asked　nearly　two　hours　later。
　　　　〃　'Assembly　required；'　〃　his　wife　answered　with　a　giggle。　〃Honey；　last　year　I　said　that。〃
　　　　〃A　small　Phillips。〃　Jack　held　his　hand　out。　Cathy　smacked　the　screwdriver　into　his　hand　like　a　surgical　instrument。　Both　of　them　were　sitting　on　the　rug；　fifteen　feet　from　the　eight…foot　tree。　Around　them　was　a　crescent　of　toys；　some　in　boxes；　some　already　assembled　by　the　now…exasperated　father　of　a　little　g