scoonts.theminotaur-第109部分

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ced　him。　This　was　the　way　it　had　to　be。　Better　to　sacrifice　one　to　save　the　many。〃　The　secretary　went　back　to　his　chair　and　sat　heavily。　He　shook　his　head　slowly。　〃Too　often；〃　he　said　softly；　〃we　must　assume　some　of　God's　burden。　It　is　not　light。〃
　〃Too　bad；〃　said　Toad　Tarkington；　now　staring　at　the　secretary；　〃that　after　you　gave　an　innocent　civilian　the　chop；　this　whole　thing　fizzled。〃
　〃Did　it？〃　Caplinger's　voice　assumed　an　edge；　a　hard　flinty　edge。　〃Did　it　now？〃
　When　Toad　didn't　respond；　Caplinger　went　on；　his　voice　back　to　normal。　〃So　after　three　years　and　some　damn　tragic　risks；　the　stage　was　set。　After　a　few　carefully　chosen　facts　were　fed　to　Albright；　he　killed　Terry　Franklin。　That　was　a　masterpiece　of　cunning；　well　set　up　by　Camacho。　Of　course　Luis　didn't　like　it；　not　he；　but　he　played　his　part　to　perfection。　Albright　personally　eliminated　the　Soviets'　only　access　to　the　Pentagon　puter。　He　had　to　find　another。　Because　now　the　Minotaur　offered　the　richest　gift　of　all：　Athena。〃
　〃Smoke　Judy；〃　said　Jake　Grafton；　unable　to　keep　silent。
　〃Yes。　Smoke　Judy；　a　bitter　little　man　who　had　killed　once　and　found　how　easy　it　is。　Of　course；　that　was　the　crisis。　When　Judy　failed；　as　fail　he　surely　would　with　Luis　Camacho　watching　him；　Albright　would　have　no　other　choice。　He　would　have　to　go　to　another　deep　plant　on　the　list！　And　he　would　make　this　inevitable　choice　of　his　own　free　will；　unpressured　by　anyone。　That　was　our　thinking；　at　least。　Didn't　work　out　that　way。　Camacho　thought　Albright　was　onto　him　and　made　a　decision　on　his　own　to　warn　Vice　Admiral　Henry　about　the　risk　to　Athena。〃　He　gestured　to　the　heavens。　〃It　was　all　downhill　from　there。　Henry　took　it　upon　himself　to　apprehend　Judy。　You　know　how　that　turned　out。　The　jig　was　up。　Camacho　had　no　choice。　He　sent　men　to　arrest　Albright。〃
　〃You　were　willing　to　give　away　Athena？〃　Jake's　horror　was　in　his　voice…
　〃We　on　the　mittee　were　willing　to　take　the　risk　Albright　would　get　it；　which　isn't　precisely　the　same　thing；　Captain。　By　now　the　Minotaur's　credentials　were　impeccable。　We　thought　that　surely；　for　this　exquisite　technical　jewel；　the　Soviets　would　brush　the　dirt　off　one　or　two　deep　agents。〃
　〃But　they　didn't？〃
　〃No。　Perhaps　Albright　was　suspicious。　Probably　was。　Camacho　knew　that　Albright　saw　the　whole　operation　too　clearly；　so　he　revealed　the　Minotaur's　actual　identity　to　save　the　game。　It　wasn't　enough。　With　Judy　and　Albright　in　hiding；　the　Minotaur　wrote　one　more　letter；　giving　the　access　codes　for　the　new　Athena　file。　Then　we　waited　for　the　Soviets　to　activate　one　of　the　sleepers。　They　didn't。　What　happened　next　was　Albright　kidnapped　you；　swiped　all　the　Athena　information　he　could　readily　lay　hands　on；　then　went　to　Camacho's　house　to　kill　him。　Camacho　had　been　expecting　Albright　to　try　something；　but　we　didn't　know　exactly　what　it　would　be。　When　Luis　Camacho　came　down　those　stairs　and　saw　you　there　that　afternoon…then　he　knew。　The　Soviets　weren't　going　to　invest　any　more　major　assets　in　this　operation。　His　sole　hope　of　getting　the　sleepers'　names　was　Harlan　Albright；　who　might　know。〃
　Jake　said；　〃I　wondered　why　the　Athena　file　was　suddenly　renamed；　all　the　access　codes　changed。〃
　〃Henry　shouldn't　have　done　that。　Camacho　shouldn't　have　warned　him。　But　Camacho　was　worried　he　didn't　have　all　the　possible　holes　covered　and　he　knew　Athena's　real　value。　Still；　it　would　have　worked　if　Henry　hadn't　interfered。〃　Caplinger　sounded　as　if　he　was　trying　to　convince　himself。
　〃We　had　to　let　the　Russians　work　at　it。　If　they　succeeded　too　easily；　they　would　have　smelled　the　setup。　No；　our　mistake　was　giving　them　the　real　Minotaur。　Perhaps　they　found　his　identity　too　troublesome　once　they　knew。〃
　Caplinger　shrugged。　〃After　Judy　failed；　we　wanted　Albright　badly。　Our　thinking　then　was　that　perhaps　we　could　get　the　names　from　him；　willingly　or　with　hypnosis　and　drugs。　We　thought　the　odds　about　three　to　one　that　he　knew　the　names　then。　If　the　GRU　was　even　contemplating　using　a　sleeper；　the　controller　had　to　be　briefed　in　advance；　before　the　possibility　became　the　necessity。　Yet　Albright　evaded　the　clowns　sent　to　pick　him　up。　The　agents　thought　they　were　going　to　arrest　a　mail…fraud　suspect。〃　Caplinger　spread　his　hands；　a　gesture　of　frustration。　〃So　we　waited；　hoping　against　hope　a　sleeping　mole　would　awaken。　It　didn't　happen。〃
　〃So　you　failed；〃　Toad　said。
　〃Oh　no；　Mr。　Tarkington。　The　Minotaur　succeeded　beyond　our　wildest　dreams。　Not　exactly　in　the　way　we　expected；　of　course；　but　the　benefits　are　real　and　tangible。　This　operation　was　one　of　the　most　successful　covert　intelligence　operations　ever　undertaken　by　any　nation。　Ever。〃
　〃Please　explain；　sir。〃
　〃I　see　the　disbelief　written　all　over　your　face；　Captain。〃
　〃My　impression　is　that　you　people　gave　away　the　ranch；　sir。　Just　how　many　top　secret　programs　did　you　promise？〃
　〃We　showed　them　the　crown　jewels；　Captain。　We　had　to。　They　would　never　have　taken　the　bait　otherwise。　The　three　buried　moles　are　very　valuable。〃
　〃Pooh。〃　Tarkington　shook　his　head。　〃I'm　not　buying　it。　Those　three　agents　may　have　turned；　exactly　like　Camacho。　If　the　Soviets　ever　try　to　use　them；　those　guys　may　run　straight　to　the　FBI。　The　Russians　may　not　even　know　where　they　are　now。〃
　〃You　are　a　very　young　man；　Lieutenant。〃　Caplinger　was　scathing。　〃You　have　a　lot　to　learn。　The　deep　plants　are　valuable　to　the　Soviets　as　chips　in　the　Cold　War　poker　games；　at　home　and　abroad。　They　are　valuable　in　exactly　the　same　way　that　thermonuclear　weapons　are　valuable；　ICBMs；　boomer　submarines…I　could　go　on。　Those　three　buried　agents　are　hole　cards。　Lieutenant。　They　may　even　be　dead。　Yet　we　can　never　afford　to　ignore　them。　Do　you　begin　I　to　understand？〃
　〃Yessir。〃　Toad　looked　miserable。　〃But…〃
　〃There　are　layers　and　layers　and　layers。〃
　〃But　listen；〃　Toad　objected　reasonably。　〃We　didn't　even　know　these　men　existed　until　four　years　ago。　What　if　they　don't？〃
　〃Aha！　The　light　bees　a　glow！〃
　Caplinger　leaped　from　his　chair；　galvanized。　〃Perhaps　they　don't　exist！　Perhaps　the　defection　of　a　mid…level　KGB　officer　was　a　ploy；　and　the　list　was　bait　to　make　us　think　they　had　three　agents。　They　write　the　list；　they　leave　it　where　a　man　of　dubious　professional　acplishments；　a　man　of　dubious　loyalty　and　dubious　value；　will　see　it。　Very　convenient；　you　must　admit！　And　in　the　fullness　of　time　he　is　given　an　opportunity　to　defect；　which　he；　no　fool；　takes　as　the　best　of　a　poor　range　of　options。〃
　Caplinger's　voice　rose　to　a　shout。　〃And　he　gets　here　and　tells　us　his　little　tale。　We　give　it　credence。　We　must！　We　have　no　other　choice。〃
　〃I'm　slightly　baffled；　Mr。　Secretary；〃　Jake　said　dryly。　〃Just　how　did　the　Minotaur　succeed；　if　that　word　can　even　be　used　in　these　kinds　of…what　the　hell　are　they？…games？〃
　Royce　Caplinger　began　to　walk　back　and　forth；　lost　in　thought。　〃The　Soviet　Union　today　is　a　nation　in　transition。　Their　system　is　against　the　wall。　The　Soviet　people　want　good　wages　and　housing　and　food　to　eat。　The　generals　want　to　maintain　their　privileged　positions。　The　politicians　want　to　stay　in　power。　（That's　human　enough。　Ours　will　sell　their　soul　for　another　term　in　office。）　To　do　all　of　this　the　Soviets　need　money；　vast　quantities　of　it；　money　that　does　not　exist。
　〃So　the　government　is　scrambling　for　money。　What　the　Minotaur　did　was　prove　beyond　a　shadow　of　a　doubt　that　the　amount　they　have　been　spending　for　defense　was　nowhere　near　enough。　The　Soviets　have　spent　as　much　money　in　real　terms　as　we　have　for　defense　over　the　years；　but　it's　a　much　larger　percentage　of　their　Gross　National　Product。　Only　a　dictatorship　can　maintain　that　level　of　defense　spending。〃　He　stopped　his　pacing　and　spread　his　arms。　〃The　Minotaur　put　the　spotlight　on　the　Soviet　system's　failings。　The　Soviet　economy；　if　it　can　be　called　that；　is　an　abject　debacle：　food　must　be　purchased　from　abroad；　there　is　nothing　in　the　stores　to　buy；　the　prosperity　of　the　other　industrial　nations　has　eluded　them。　And　now　the　military　needs　many　more　billions　to　replace　hardware　it　has　spent　billions　to　obtain　which　is　now　obsolete；　years　and　years　before　the　Soviets　planned　to　replace　it。〃
　He　examined　the　faces　of　his　listeners。　〃Don't　you　read　newspapers？　Where　have　you　been？　Gorbach