scoonts.theminotaur-第58部分

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ips　and　battles；　with　little　spotlights　to　show　them　to　advantage；　were　arranged　strategically　between　the　windows　and　doors。　Gleaming　brass　bric…a…brac　provided　the　accents。　Sort　of　early　New　York　Yacht　Club；　Jake　decided；　a　nineteenth…century　vision　of　a　great　place　for　railroad　pirates　and　coal　barons　to　socialize　over　whiskey　with　nautical　small　talk　about　spankers　and　jibs　and　their　latest　weekend　sail　to　Newport。　He　would　describe　the　room　for　Callie　this　evening。　He　sipped　his　sugarless　iced　tea　and　turned　his　attention　to　the　conversation。
　In　keeping　with　his　temperament；　Caplinger　was　doing　the　talking：　〃。。。the　Congress　has　ceased　to　exist　as　a　viable　legislative　body　since　Watergate。　They　can't　even　manage　to　give　senior　leaders　or　the　judiciary　a　pay　raise　without　making　a　hash　of　it。　Without　strong；　capable　leaders；　Congress　is　a　collection　of　mediocrities　drifting。。。〃
　Jake　used　his　knife　to　slice　the　fruit　in　his　dish；　two　whole　halves；　to　make　it　go　further。　Already　he　suspected　this　wasn't　going　to　be　much　of　a　meal。
　At　the　opposite　end　of　the　table　from　the　Secretary　of　Defense　sat　today's　host。　Secretary　of　the　Navy　George　Ludlow。　He　was　nibbling　at　pieces　of　pear　he　nicked　off　with　his　fork　and　listening　to　Caplinger。　No　doubt　he　was　used　to　these　monologues；　he　had　married　Caplinger's　second　daughter；　a　modestly　pretty　young　woman　with　a　smile　that　looked　vacuous　in　news　photos。　Jake　Grafton　had　never　met　her　and　probably　never　would。
　〃。。。five　hundred　thirty…five　ants　on　a　soapbox　drifting　down　the　Potomac；　each　of　them　thinking　he's　steering。〃　Caplinger　chuckled　and　everyone　else　smiled　politely。　Jake　had　heard　that　old　show　before。
　Across　the　long　table　from　Jake　sat　Tyler　Henry；　Under　Secretary　of　Defense　for　Acquisition　Russell　Queen；　and　the　Chief　of　Naval　Operations；　Admiral　Jerome　Nathan　Lanham。
　Lanham　was　a　submariner；　a　nuke；　with　all　the　baggage　that　term　implies：　team　player；　risk　minimizer；　technocrat　par　excellence　in　the　service　of　the　nuclear　genie。　His　patron　saint　was　Hyman　Rickover；　the　father　of　the　nuclear　navy；　whose　portrait　hung　in　Lanham's　office。　Like　Rickover；　Jerome　Nathan　Lanham　was　reputed　to　have　little　use　for　nonengineers。　Just　now　he　sat　regarding　Jake　Grafton；　A。B。　in　history；　with　raised　eyebrows。
　Jake　nodded　politely　and　speared　another　tiny　hunk　of　pear。　The　dish　was　half　full　of　juice。　He　wondered　if　he　should　go　after　it　with　a　spoon　and　surveyed　the　table　to　see　if　anyone　else　was。　Nope。　Well；　hell。　He　used　the　spoon　anyway；　trying　to　be　discreet；　as　Caplinger　ruminated　upon　the　current　political　situation　in　Japan　and　the　steward　began　serving　a　tiny　garden　salad。　〃。。。wanted　to　hang　Hirohito　after　the　war；　but　MacArthur　said　no；　which　was　genius。　The　Japanese　would　never　have　forgiven　us。〃
　〃If　we　conquered　Iran　today；　what　would　you　do　with　Khomeini？〃　Helmet　Fritsche；　seated　to　Jake's　right；　asked　the　question　of　Caplinger；　who　grinned　broadly。
　〃Such　a　tiny　hypothetical…he　should　have　been　a　lawyer；〃　Ludlow　muttered　sotto　voce　as　the　others　laughed。
　〃Make　Khomeini　a　martyr？　No。　I'd　ensure　he　didn't　get　any　older；　but　the　autopsy…and　there　would　be　one…would　read　'old　age'。〃
　After　the　salad　came　small　bowls　of　navy　bean　soup　acpanied　by　some　tasteless　crackers。　Even　Caplinger　thought　they　were　insipid。　〃George；　these　crackers　taste　worse　than　some　of　my　old　predictions。〃
　When　the　soup　was　gone；　the　steward　filled　coffee　cups　and　whisked　away　the　dishes；　then　retired。　Jake　watched　incredulously。　Apparently　they　had　just　had　the　entire　meal。　At　least　Ludlow　wasn't　blowing　the　whole　navy　budget　this　year　on　grub。
　〃Well；　Grafton；〃　Caplinger　said；　〃will　Athena　work？〃
　〃Yessir。　It's　the　biggest　technical　advance　in　naval　aviation　since　I've　been　in　the　navy。〃
　〃If　it　works〃…the　Secretary　of　Defense　eyed　Jake　across　the　run　of　his　coffee　cup…〃it'll　be　the　biggest　leap　forward　for　the　military　since　the　invention　of　radar。　The　air　force　is　going　to　want　this　technology　yesterday。　It'll　save　their　strategic　bomber　program。〃　Jake　understood。　The　air　force　would　be　able　to　use　much　cheaper　bombers　than　the　B…2；　which　they　would　never　get　any　significant　number　of　at　a　half　billion　dollars　each。
　〃I　want　it　right　now；〃　Admiral　Lanham　said。　〃These　devices　will　make　surface　ships　invisible　to　radar　satellites　and　cruise　missiles。　The　entire　Soviet　naval　air　arm　will　be　obsolete。　I　want　a　crash　program　that　puts　Athena　in　the　fleet　right　now；　and　damn　the　cost。〃
　Caplinger　shifted　his　gaze　to　Helmut　Fritsche；　on　Jake's　right。　〃Will　it　work？　Can　it　be　made　to　work？〃
　〃Anything's　possible　given　enough　time　and　money。〃
　〃How　much？〃　demanded　Under　SECDEF　Russell　Queen。　In　civilian　life　he　had　been　president　of　a　large　accounting　firm。　White　skin；　banker's　hands；　bald；　Queen　had　long　ago　lost　the　battle　of　the　bulge。　He　was　a　humorless　man　with　thick　glasses。　Jake　decided　it　would　require　prodigious　faith　to　believe　Russell　Queen　had　once　been　young　or　ever　loved　a　woman。　〃How　much　do　you　think　will　be　enough？〃
　Fritsche's　shoulders　rose　a　quarter　inch　and　fell。　〃Depends　on　how　you　go　about　it…how　you　structure　the　contract；　how　many　units　you　buy　annually；　how　big　a　risk　you're　willing　to　take　on　unproven　technology。　We　didn't　test　a　full…up　system。　All　we　did　was　prove　the　concept；　and　we　have　some　more　work　to　do　on　that　next　week。　We're　a　long　way　from　an　operational　system　that　will　protect　just　one　tactical　airplane。〃
　〃How　long？〃
　Helmut　Fritsche　took　out　a　cigar　and　rolled　it　thoughtfully　between　his　hands。　He　didn't　reach　for　a　match。　〃Two　or　three　years…if　you　can　make　all　the　paper　pushers　keep　hands　off。　Four　or　five　if　it's　business　as　usual。〃　Every　head　at　the　table　bobbed　its　owner's　concurrence。
　〃Humph；〃　snorted　Caplinger；　who　sucked　in　a　bushel　of　air　and　sent　it　down　as　far　as　it　would　go；　then　exhaled　slowly。　〃I　can　try　to　put…maybe　slip　it　under　the　stealth　stuff…but。。。〃　His　enthusiasm　wouldn't　fill　a　thimble。　Even　the　Secretary　of　Defense　couldn't　control　the　legions　of　bureaucrats　with　rice　bowls　to　protect。　They　were　too　well　armed　with　statutes　and　regulations　and　pet　congressmen。　〃Russell；　you'll　have　to　make　this　work；　find　some　dollars　in　one　of　your　little　hidey…holes；　keep　it　too　small　for　anyone　to　get　curious　about。　And　no　fucking　memos。〃
　Queen　nodded　slowly；　his　smooth　round　face　revealing　his　disfort。　He　looked；　Jake　thought；　like　a　man　staring　into　a　dark　abyss　that　he　has　been　told　to　lower　himself　into。
　〃I　don't　think　that's　the　way　to　do　it。〃　Ludlow　said。　〃Admiral　Lanham　wants　it　now　and　the　air　force　will　too。　We're　going　to　have　to　fund　Athena　as　one　of　our　highest…priority　items。　We're　going　to　have　to　throw　money　at　it　and　hope　the　technology　works。〃
　〃Do　you　agree；　Admiral？〃
　〃Yes；　sir。　I'd　rather　have　Athena　than　a　whole　lot　of　projects　I　can　name；　including　the　A…12。〃
　〃We　need　them　both；〃　Caplinger　said。　〃So　we'll　keep　Athena　in　with　the　ATA　and　request　funding　for　them　both。〃
　〃What　about　Congress？〃　Ludlow　murmured。　When　no　one　replied；　he　expanded　the　question。　〃How　will　Athena　be　seen　by　the　liberals　dying　to　chop　the　defense　budget？　Will　they　think　it　gives　us　such　a　large　qualitative　technical　advantage　over　the　Soviets　that　they　can　chop　our　capital　budget？　Shrink　the　navy？〃　To　maintain　a　navy；　worn…out；　obsolete　ships　must　be　constantly　replaced　with　new　ones。　New　ships　are　expensive　and　require　years　to　construct。　A　decision　not　to　build　as　many　as　necessary　to　maintain　current　force　levels　was　a　decision　to　shrink　the　navy。　Insufficient　ships　to　fulfill　continuing　worldwide　mitments　forced　planners　to　delay　ship　overhauls　and　keep　sailors　at　sea　for　grotesquely　long　periods；　which　wore　out　ships　prematurely　and　devastated　enlisted　retention　rates。　It　was　a　cruel　downward　spiral。　This　was　the　post…Vietnam　nightmare　from　which　the　navy　was　just　recovering。
　〃No　democracy　will　ever　buy　enough　ships；〃　Jake　Grafton　said。　〃Not　over　the　long　haul。〃
　〃You're　saying　we　can't　maintain　a　six…hundred…ship　navy；〃　Lanham　said；　frowning。
　〃We　don't　have　six　hundred　ships　now；　sir；　and　we're　not　likely　to　ever　get　them；〃　Jake　shot　back；　suddenly　sure　he　didn't　want　Lanham　to　think