scoonts.theminotaur-第13部分

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　Jake　whistled。　〃Can't　we　put　this　on　all　our　ships？〃
　〃No　doubt　we　will；〃　Henry　said　sourly；　〃and　the　Russians　will　steal　it　before　our　first　ship　gets　out　of　the　harbor。　For　now　let's　just　see　if　we　can　get　it　in　one　airplane　without　someone　stealing　it。　That'll　be　plenty　for　you　and　Roger　Dunedin　to　chew。〃
　〃Existing　aircraft？　How　about　retrofitting　them？〃
　〃Right　now；　as　the　technology　exists；　the　best　approach　is　to　design　the　plane　for　it。　The　power　output　required　to　hide　a　stealthy　plane　would　be　very　small。　The　device　would　be　easy　enough　to　put　on　a　ship；　when　we　get　the　bugs　worked　out。　As　usual　there　are　bugs。　Expensive；　though。〃
　Admiral　Henry　glanced　at　his　watch。　〃Our　work's　cut　out　for　us。　The　air　force　will　want　this　technology　when　they　get　wind　of　it；　and　right　now　everything　they　see　winds　up　in　the　Kremlin。　It's　not　their　fault；　of　course；　but　that's　the　way　it　is。　The　manufacturer　of　our　plane　will　see　it　and　from　there　it　may　end　up　in　the　Minotaur's　clutches。　Ditto　the　ship　drivers。　And　the　politicians　who　have　been　trick…fucked　on　the　F…l　17　won't　sit　still　for　more　stealth　hocus…pocus；　they're　gonna　want　justification　for　the　four　or　five　billion　dollars　the　ATA　will　require　just　to　develop；　and　there　it　goes　again。　So　right　now　I'm　sitting　on　a　volcano　that's　about　to　erupt　and　my　ass　is　getting　damn　warm。　You　see　why　I　wanted　you　on　board。〃
　〃Not　really；〃　Jake　said；　wondering　how　far　he　should　push　this。　After　all；　who　the　hell　was　Jake　Grafton？　What　could　an　over…the…hill　attack　pilot　in　glasses　with　four　stripes　on　his　sleeve　do　for　a　three…star　admiral？　Bomb　the　Pentagon？　〃So　what's　your　plan？　How　are　you　going　to　do　this？〃
　Henry　was　so　nervous　he　couldn't　hold　still。　〃I'm　going　to　hold　the　cards　real　close　to　my　chest　and　catch　the　Minotaur　peeking　over　my　shoulder。　Or　that's　what　I'm　going　to　try　to　do；　anyway。〃
　〃Admiral；　with　all　respect；　sir；　what　does　CNO　say　about　all　this？〃　CNO　was　the　Chief　of　Naval　Operations；　the　senior　uniformed　naval　officer。
　Henry　squared　off　in　front　of　Jake。　〃I'm　not　stupid　enough　to　try　to　run　my　own　private　navy；　Captain。　CNO　knows　exactly　what　I'm　doing。　So　does　SECNAV　and　SECDEF。　But　you　sure　as　hell　didn't　get　it　all　in　this　little　conversation。〃
　〃Admiral；　I'11　lay　it　on　the　tine　for　you。　I'm　not　going　to　do　anything　illegal　or　tell　even　one　solitary　little　lie。　I'm　not　a　very　good　liar。〃
　Admiral　Henry　grinned。　〃You　just　haven't　had　the　experience　it　takes。　I've　been　single　for　ten　years；　so　I've　done　a　good　bit　of　it。　Seriously；　all　I　want　you　to　do　is　play　it　straight。　Do　your　job　for　NAVAIR。　Just　keep　it　under　your　hat　that　we　have　an　active　system　we're　going　to　put　into　this　bird。　Roger　will　tell　you　the　same。〃
　〃How　many　people　know　about　this　active　system？〃
　〃Here　in　Washington？　Eight　now。　The　Secretary　of　the　Navy；　CNO；　SECDEF。　NAVAIR；　OP…50…which　is　Rear　Admiral　Costello…me；　you　and　Helmut　Fritsche。　And　let's　keep　it　that　way　for　a　while。〃
　〃Have　you　tested　this　system？　Does　it　work？〃
　Henry　made　a　face。　〃Fritsche's　seen　it　work　on　a　teat　bench。　Your　first　job；　after　you　look　at　the　prototypes；　is　to　put　part　of　it　into　an　A…6　and　test　it　on　the　ground　and　in　flight。〃
　Jake　eyed　the　older　man。　He　had　this　sinking　feeling　in　the　pit　of　his　stomach。　There　was　a　hell　of　a　lot　he　wasn't　being　told。　〃So　how　do　you　know　Fritsche？〃
　〃He　was　a　professor　at　Caltech　when　I　was　there　for　a　master's。　We　became　good　friends。　He　did　some　consulting　work　for　the　inventor　on　some　theoretical　problems。　He　saw　what　the　guy　had　and　came　to　roe。　That　was　three　years　ago。　It　was　coincidence　that　there　was　a　deputy　project　manager　job　opening　in　the　ATA　program。　I　talked　Fritsche　into　taking　it。　He　wants　to　be　a　part　of　Athena。　The　theoretical　problems　intrigue　him。〃
　〃You　said　you　didn't　know　all　the　players。〃
　Henry　took　this　opportunity　to　look　around　again。　〃Yeah。　I　don't。　Your　predecessor；　Harold　Strong？　Great　guy；　knew　naval　aviation　from　catapult　to　tailhook；　everything　there　is　to　know；　but　he　wasn't　a　politician；　not　a　diplomat。　He　was　a　blunt；　brilliant；　take…no…prisoners　kind　of　guy。　Somebody　killed　him。〃
　〃Why？〃
　〃I　wish　I　knew。〃　Henry　described　how　he　personally　drove　to　West　Virginia　on　Saturday　morning　after　the　Friday…night　automobile　accident。　He　summarized　the　conversation　he　had　had　with　the　West　Virginia　state　trooper　who　investigated　the　accident。　The　trooper　had　served　four　years　in　the　marine　corps　and　by　a　stroke　of　fortune　Henry　bad　been　in　uniform。　The　trooper　had　been　good；　he　knew　murder　when　he　saw　it。　He　had　taken　the　admiral　to　see　the　local　prosecuting　attorney；　who　had　been　splitting　firewood　in　his　backyard　when　the　two　of　them　arrived　in　the　police　cruiser。　After　two　hours　of　talking；　Henry　induced　the　prosecutor　and　the　trooper　to　agree　to　a　wording　of　the　accident　report　that　did　not　mention　homicide　and　yet　would　not　preclude　a　homicide　prosecution　if　the　identity　of　the　murderer　could　ever　be　established。
　〃My　theory〃…Henry　shrugged…〃I　got　no　evidence；　you　understand…my　theory　is　Harold　found　out　something；　teamed　something　somebody　didn't　want　him　to　know…so　he　got　rubbed　out。〃
　The　navy　Ford　pulled　up　to　the　curb；　but　Henry　put　a　hand　on　Jake's　arm。　〃This　is　big；　Jake。　Real　big。　You　don't　understand　how　big。　The　Russians　will　figure　out　we're　going　to　do　something　different　and　wonderful　with　the　A…12　and　they'll　pull　out　all　the　stops　to　get　Athena。　And　five　billion　dollars　in　development　money　is　on　the　line；　plus　twenty　to　thirty　billion　in　production　money…that　much　shit　will　draw　every　blowfly　and　bloodsucker　in　the　country。　A　lot　of　these　people　would　kill　for　this　technology。〃
　〃Maybe　someone　already　has。〃
　〃Just　don't　trust　anybody。〃
　〃I've　figured　that　out；　sir。　I　think　there's　a　hell　of　a　lot　here　you　haven't　told　me。　So　I　don't　trust　you。〃
　Henry　threw　back　his　head　and　guffawed。　〃I　knew　you　were　the　right　man　for　this　job。〃　He　became　instantly　serious。　〃I　don't　give　a　damn　whether　you　trust　me　or　not。　Just　do　your　job　and　keep　your　mouth　shut　and　we'll　get　the　navy　a　good　airplane。〃
　〃By　the　way；　did　Strong　know　about　the　active　system？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　The　admiral's　driver　dropped　Jake　at　his　office　building。　One　of　the　few　benefits　of　working　a　black　program　was　that　he　could　e　to　work　in　civilian　clothes。
　Vice　Admiral　Dunedin　was　finishing　a　conference；　so　Jake　visited　with　Mrs。　Forsythe。　In　fifteen　minutes　the　door　opened　and　people　streamed　out；　in　a　hurry。
　〃Good　morning；　Admiral；〃　Jake　said。
　〃How'd　your　talk　go　with　Admiral　Henry？〃
　〃Very　well；　sir。〃
　〃Don't　lie　to　me；　Captain。　I'm　your　boss。〃
　〃Yessir。〃　Jake　found　a　seat　and　looked　straight　at　the　blue…eyed　Scotsman　behind　the　desk。　〃He　told　me　what　he　wanted　me　to　know　and　that　was　that。〃
　〃How　long　you　been　in　the　navy？〃
　Long　enough　to　know　how　to　take　orders；　Jake　thought。　〃Yessir。〃
　〃Let's　talk　about　the　A…12。　It's　now　your　baby。〃
　An　hour　later　the　admiral　rose　from　his　chair。　〃Let's　go　meet　the　crew。〃
　Jake　mentioned　to　the　admiral　that　he　had　been　looking　at　the　personnel　folders。　〃Lieutenant　Moravia。　She's　got　platinum　credentials　but　no　experience。　How'd　she　get　on　the　team？〃
　〃Strong　wanted　her。　He　was　down　at　Pax　River　when　she　went　through　as　a　student。　He　said　she's　one　of　a　kind。　Since　he　was　a　test　pilot　himself；　I　figured　he　had　the　experience　even　if　she　didn't；　so　I　said　okay。〃
　〃I'm　not　a　test　pilot；〃　Jake　said。
　〃I　know。　These　people　work　for　you。　If　you　want　someone　else；　just　say　so。　That　goes　for　any　of　them；　except　for　Fritsche。　If　they　stay　it's　because　you　think　they　can　do　the　job　and　you　trust　them。〃
　〃I　read　you　loud　and　clear；　sir。〃
　〃Anybody　doesn't　pull　his　weight；　or　you　get　goosey　about　any　of　them；　I'll　have　them　sitting　on　the　ice　cap　in　the　Antarctic　so　quick　they　wont　have　time　to　pack　their　long　Johns。〃
　The　office　in　Crystal　City　where　the　A…12　program　team　worked　was　a　square　space　with　twenty　metal　desks　jammed　in。　Five…drawer　filing　cabinets　with　bination　locks　on　the　drawers　had　been　arranged　to　divide　the　room　into　work　areas。　The　scarred　tops　and　askew　drawers　of　the　desks　proclaimed　them　veterans　of　other　offices；　other　bureaucrati