scoonts.theminotaur-第64部分

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　Dodgers　wiped　his　mouth　and　tossed　his　napkin　beside　his　plate。　〃Tomorrow。〃　He　nodded　at　everyone　except　Grafton　and　departed。
　When　the　door　had　firmly　closed　behind　the　inventor；　Caplinger　remarked；　〃Senator；　what　will　happen　on　the　Hill　if　it　bees　mon　gossip　that　the　father　of　Athena　is　a　fascist　churl？〃
　〃You'll　be　in　trouble。　That　man　couldn't　sell　water　in　Death　Valley　on　the　Fourth　of　July。〃
　〃My　thought　exactly。　We'll　have　to　make　sure　he　stays　out　of　sight　and　sound。　Little　difficult　to　do　in　America；　but　not　impossible。〃　He　grinned。　When　he　did　his　face　twisted。　It　didn't　look　like　he　made　the　effort　very　often。　〃So　how　do　the　elephant's　feet　look；　Captain？〃
　Jake　Grafton　reached　for　the　coffeepot。　〃I　confess；　sir；　that　I'm　baffled。　Seems　to　me　that　these　new　weapons　systems　under　development；　with　the　sole　exception　of　Athena；　are　going　to　be　too　expensive　for　the　nation　ever　to　afford　enough　of　them　to　do　any　good。〃
　All　traces　of　the　smile　disappeared　from　Caplinger's　face。　〃Go　on。〃
　〃As　the　cost　goes　up；　the　quantity　goes　down。　And　every　technical　breakthrough　seems　to　double　or　triple　the　cost。　If　anything；　Athena　will　be　the　exception　that　proves　the　rule。　Athena　should　be　a　fairly　cheap　system；　all　things　considered；　but　it'll　be　the　only　one。〃
　〃And。。。〃　prompted　the　Secretary　of　Defense。
　〃Well；　if　our　goal　is　to　maintain　forces　which　deny　the　Soviets　any　confidence　in　a　favorable　oute　in　any　probable　nuclear　war　scenario；　we　seem　to　have　reached　the　treadmill。　We　can't　maintain　forces　if　we　can't　afford　them。〃
　〃You　made　a　rather　large　assumption。〃
　〃So　what　is　our　goal？〃
　〃The　general　public　regards　nuclear　war　as　unwinnable。　That's　the　universal　popular　wisdom；　and　like　anything　that　almost　everyone　believes；　it's　wrong。　The　Soviets　have　invested　heavily　in　hardened　bunkers　for　the　top　leadership。　They've　built　underground　cities　for　the　munist　elite。　Somebody　over　there　thinks　they　can　win！　Now　their　idea　of　victory　and　ours　are　two　very　different　things；　but　as　long　as　they　think　they　can　win；　the　likelihood　of　a　nuclear　war　increases。　Nuclear　war　bees　more　likely　to　happen。〃
　Caplinger　glanced　at　the　senator；　then　turned　his　attention　back　to　Jake。　He　seemed　to　be　weighing　his　words。　〃Our　goal；〃　he　finally　said；　〃is　to　prevent　nuclear　war。　To　do　that　we　must　make　them　think　they　can't　win。〃
　〃So　you　are　saying　that　any　method　of　denying　the　Russians　confidence　in　a　favorable　oute…however　they　define　favorable…is　acceptable？〃
　Caplinger　tugged　at　his　lower　lip。　His　eyes　were　unfocused。　Jake　thought　he　seemed　to　be　turning　it　over　in　his　mind　yet　again；　examining　it　for　flaws；　looking。。。　Slowly　the　chin　dipped；　then　rose　again。　〃We　need。。。〃　His　gaze　rose　to　the　ceiling　and　went　slowly　around　it。　〃We　need。。。　we　need　forces　that　can　survive　the　initial　strike　and　respond　in　a　flexible　manner；　forces　that　are　controllable；　programmable；　selective。　It　can't　be　all　or　nothing；　Captain。　It　can't　be　just　one　exchange　of　broadsides。　If　all　we　have　is　that　one　broadside；　we　just　lost。〃
　〃Explain；〃　prompted　Senator　Duquesne…
　〃We'll　never　shoot　our　broadside。　That's　the　dirty　little　secret　that　they　know　and　we　know　and　we　will　never　admit。　No　man　elected　President　of　the　United　States　in　the　nuclear　age　would　order　every　ICBM　fired；　every　Trident　missile　launched；　every　nuclear　weapon　in　our　arsenal　detonated　on　the　Soviets。　Not　even　if　the　Soviets　make　a　massive　first　strike　at　us。　To　massively　retaliate　would　mean　the　end　of　life　on　the　planet　Earth。　No　rational　man　would　do　it。〃　Caplinger　shrugged。　〃That's　the　flaw　in　Mutual　Assured　Destruction。　No　sane　man　would　ever　push　the　button。〃
　Royce　Caplinger　sipped　his　coffee；　now　cold；　and　made　a　face…
　〃We　must　deny　the　munists　the　ability　to　ever　e　out　of　those　bunkers。　We　need　the　ability　to　hit　pinpoint；　mobile　targets　on　a　selective；　as…needed　basis。　That's　the　mission　of　the　F…l　17　and　the　B…2。　If　we　can　achieve　that；　there　will　never　be　a　first　strike。　There　will　never　be　a　nuclear　war。〃
　Caplinger　pushed　his　chair　back　away　from　the　table。　〃Life　will　continue　on　this　planet　until　pollution　ruins　the　atmosphere　and　sewage　makes　the　seas　a　barren；　watery　desert。　Then　life　on　this　fragile　little　pebble　orbiting　this　modest　star　will　e　to　the　end　that　the　Creator　must　nave　intended　when　he　made　man。　Watching　our　Japanese　televisions；　listening　to　our　pact　laser　disks；　wearing　our　designer　clothes；　we'll　all　starve。〃
　He　rose　abruptly　and　made　for　the　door。　Jake　Grafton　also　got　to　his　feet。　When　the　door　closed　behind　Caplinger；　Jake　shook　the　senator's　hand　and　wished　him　good　night。
　〃He's　a　great　man；〃　the　senator　said；　trying　to　read　Jake's　thoughts。
　〃Yes。〃
　〃But　he　is　not　sanguine。　The　political　give…and…take…it　depresses　him。〃
　〃Yes；〃　Jake　Grafton　said；　and　nodded　his　farewell。　Suddenly　he　too　needed　to　be　alone。
　
　On　Monday　morning　Jake　put　Secretary　Caplinger；　Senator　Duquesne；　and　their　aides　on　a　plane　to　Fallen　with　Helmut　Fritsche　and　Harold　Dodgers。　He　had　decided　to　stay　at　China　Lake　and　supervise　the　good　doctor。
　Sam　Dodgers　was　in　a　foul　mood；　muttering　darkly　about　money　and　conspiracies。　Jake　managed　to　keep　his　mouth　shut。　When　the　Athena　device　was　ready　and　installed　in　the　A…6；　he　helped　strap　Rita　Moravia　and　Toad　Tarkington　into　the　cockpit。　Toad　was　whistling　some　tune　Jake　didn't　recognize。
　〃No　birds　today。　Okay？〃
　〃Whatever　you　say；　boss。〃　Toad　was　in　high　spirits。　Higher　than　usual。　He　must　be　screwing　Moravia；　Jake　decided；　trying　to　catch　some　hint　between　them。　The　pilot　was　all　business。
　〃Work　the　long　distances　today。　Start　at　thirty　miles　and　let　Fritsche　call　you　closer　when　he　has　the　info　he　wants。　Just　keep　the　radar　he's　using　on　your　left　side。〃
　〃Sure；　CAG。　We　understand。〃　He　resumed　his　whistling　as　Jake　helped　him　latch　his　Koch　fittings。
　〃You　know　who　whistles　in　the　navy；　Toad？〃
　〃No；　sir；〃
　〃Bosun's　mates　and　damn　fools。〃
　Toad　grinned。　〃I'm　in　that　second　category；　sir。　Enjoy　your　day　with　Dr。　Dodgers。〃
　Jake　punched　him　on　the　shoulder　and　climbed　down　the　boarding　ladder。
　As　the　Intruder　taxied　out；　Jake　climbed　into　the　yellow　ramp　truck　that　the　base　ops　people　had　loaned　him。　He　had　no　desire　to　return　to　the　hangar　and　watch　Dodgers　tinker　with　a　puter。
　He　drove　down　a　taxiway　and　parked　near　the　duty　runway。　He　got　out　and　sat　on　the　hood。　Already　the　morning　was　warm；　growing　hotter　by　the　minute　as　the　sun　climbed　higher　and　higher　into　the　deep　blue　sky。　Singing　birds　were　audible　here；　away　from　the　hustle　and　bustle　of　the　ramp。　A　large　jackrabbit　watched　him　from　the　safety　of　a　clump　of　brush。
　He　could　hear　the　faint　murmur　of　engines　in　the　distance；　and　assumed　that　was　Rita　and　Toad。　The　minutes　passed　as　he　sat　there　in　the　sun　with　the　breeze　in　his　hair。　He　had　joined　the　navy　those　many　years　ago　to　fly；　and　now　he　was　reduced　to　sitting　beside　a　runway　waiting　for　younger　people　to　take　off。　Yet　this　was　the　world　he　knew。　The　world　Royce　Caplinger　had　spoken　of　last　night…nuclear　deterrence；　global　tragedy…that　was　an　alien　environment；　as　foreign　to　him　as　the　concerns　of　headhunters　in　the　jungles　of　the　Amazon。
　He　saw　the　tiny　tail　of　the　warplane　moving　above　the　swell　in　the　runway。　It　turned　and　became　a　knife　edge。　Still　at　least　a　mile　away；　the　visible　tail　came　to　a　stop　and　remained　motionless　for　several　minutes。
　Caplinger's　pessimism　troubled　him。　Sure；　the　world　had　its　problems；　but　every　generation　had　faced　problems：　problems　were　the　stuff　life　was　made　of。　A　man　as　brilliant　as　Caplinger；　he　shouldn't　be　so。。。　so　bitter。
　He　heard　the　engines　snarl；　yet　the　tiny　white　speck　of　tail　did　not　move。　No　doubt　Rita　was　standing　on　the　brakes；　letting　the　engines　wind　up　to　full　power　and　the　temps　stabilize　before　she　let　it　roll。　Now。。。　now　the　tail　began　to　move；　slowly　at　first；　then　faster　and　faster。
　The　Intruder　came　over　the　swell　in　the　runway　accelerating　quickly。　A　river　of　hot；　shimmering　air　poured　down　and　away　behind　the　bird。
　He　pressed　his　fingers　in　his　ears　as　the　sound　swelled　in　volume　and　intensity。　The　nose　wheel　rose　a　foot　or　so　above　the　concrete。　With　a　delicat