scoonts.theminotaur-第75部分

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　〃Tell　me　again；〃　Toad　said；　〃just　what　that　Consolidated　test　pilot　said　about　stalls　when　you　pumped　him。　What's　his　name？〃
　〃Stu　Vinich。　He　just　said　they　had　had　some　pressor…stall　problems　at　high　angles　of　attack。〃
　〃Nothing　else？　Nothing　about　how　serious　they　were？〃
　〃He　couldn't；　Toad。　The　pany　was　downplaying　the　whole　subject。　People　who　talk　out　of　school　draw　unemployment　checks。〃
　〃We　were　damned　lucky　that　thing　didn't　spin。　And　we　were　lucky　the　engines　relit。〃
　〃Luck　is　a　part　of　the　job；〃　Rita　told　him。
　〃Yeah。　If　we　had　punched　and　our　chutes　hadn't　opened；　Vinich　would　have　just　stood　at　our　graves　and　shook　his　head。〃
　〃He　said　enough。　I　knew　what　to　expect。〃
　Toad　turned　out　the　light　and　snuggled　down　beside　her。
　
　Jake　Grafton　was　poking　and　prodding　the　plane；　trying　to　stay　out　of　the　technicians'　way。　when　he　noticed　Adele　DeCrescentis　watching　him。　He　walked　over。　〃You　know；〃　he　said；　〃this　thing　reminds　me　of　a　twelve…ton　Swiss　watch。〃
　〃A　quartz　watch；〃　the　vice　president　said。
　〃Yeah。　Anyway；　I　was　wondering。　Just　how　hard　would　it　be　for　your　folks　to　put　a　twenty…millimeter　cannon　on　this　plane？〃
　〃A　gun？〃　She　appeared　dumbfounded；　as　if　the　idea　had　never　occurred　to　her。
　〃Uh…huh。　A　gun。　A　little　Catling；　snuggled　inside　the　fuselage　with　five　hundred　rounds　or　so。　What　do　you　think？〃
　〃When　we　were　designing　this　plane；　not　a　single；　solitary　air　force　officer　ever　even　breathed　the　word　'gun'。〃
　〃Somehow　that　doesn't　surprise　me。　But　would　it　be　feasible？〃
　〃With　some　fairly　major　design　changes；　which　will　cost　a　good　deal　of　money；　I　suppose　it　might　be。　It　would　take　a　fall…blown　engineering　study　to　determine　that　for　sure。　But　why？　A　machine　like　this？　You　want　it　down　in　the　weeds　dueling　with　antiaircraft　guns？　Shooting　at　tanks？〃
　〃When　tanks　are　the　threat；　Ms。　DeCrescentis；　we　won't　be　able　to　shoot　million…dollar　missiles　at　all　of　'em。　The　Warsaw　Pact　has　over　fifty　thousand　tanks。　A　nice　little　twenty…millimeter　with　armor…piercing　shells　would　be　just　the　right　prescription。〃
　
　Senator　Hiram　Duquesne　was　not　philosophical　when　he　telephoned　George　Ludlow。　〃You　keeping　up　on　what's　going　on　out　in　Tonopah？〃　he　thundered。
　〃Well；　I　get　reports　from　Vice　Admiral　Dunedin。　Captain　Grafton　reports　to　him　several　times　a　day。〃
　〃I　want　to　know　why　the　officer　in　charge　out　there　insisted　on　performing　maneuvers　that　the　manufacturer　did　not　feel　the　plane　was　ready　for；　or　safe　to　perform。〃
　〃He's　doing　an　op　eval。　He　knows　what　he's　doing。〃
　〃Oh　does　he？　He's　got　a　twenty…five…year…old　woman　with　no　previous　test　experience　flying　that　plane；　a　four…hundred…million…dollar　prototype！〃
　〃She's　not　twenty…five。　She's　twenty…seven。〃
　〃Have　you　seen　her？〃
　〃What　do　you　mean？〃
　〃I　mean　what　the　hell　is　going　on　over　there；　George？　A　lot　of　people　have　a　lot　riding　on　the　oute　of　this　fly…off。　And　you　got　Bo　Derek's　little　sister　out　there　flying　the　planes！　Is　she　the　best　test　pilot　you　people　have？　My　God；　we've　been　spending　millions　for　that　Test　Pilot　School　in　Pax　River…is　she　the　best　you've　got？〃
　〃If　you　have　any　information　that　implies　she's　inpetent；　I'd　like　to　hear　it。〃
　〃I　hear　she　intentionally　shut　down　both　engines　while　she　was　up　in　the　sky。　Now　Consolidated　is　spending　a　ton　checking　them　far　damage。　I'll　bet　duck　Yeager　never　shut　down　both　engines　on　a　test　flight　at　the　same　time！〃
　〃I　wouldn't　know。　You'd　have　to　ask　the　air　force。〃
　〃Don't　get　cute。　I'm　serious。　Dead　serious。　Don't　let　that　hero　fly…boy　Grafton　and　his　bimbo　test　pilot　screw　this　up；　George。　I'm　warning　you。〃
　〃Thanks。〃
　〃By　the　way；　the　authorization　for　reactors　for　that　new　carrier　you　guys　want　to　start？　My　mittee　voted　this　morning　to　delete　it。　Maybe　next　year；　huh？〃
　The　senator　hung　up　before　Ludlow　could　respond。
　
　Jake　Grafton　changed　Rita's　test　profile　for　the　last　three　flights。　He　had　her　avoid　all　high…angle…of…attack　maneuvers；　though　he　did　let　her　ease　toward　the　advertised　five…G　limit；　where　the　airflow　to　the　engines　once　again　became　turbulent　and　began　to　rumble。
　The　three　flights　took　another　ten　days。　When　they　were　finished　the　navy　crowd　spent　three　more　days　correlating　their　data　and　talking　to　Consolidated　engineers；　then　packed　up　for　the　return　to　Washington。　It　would　be　three　weeks　before　they　came　back　to　try　the　TRX　prototype。
　On　their　last　night　in　Tonopah　the　navy　contingent　threw　a　party　in　the　officers'　club　for　a　very　subdued　group　from　Consolidated。　Adele　DeCrescentis　didn't　attend；　which　was　perhaps　just　as　well。　Along　toward　midnight；　after　Toad　Tarkington　had　enjoyed　the　entire　salubrious　effect　of　alcohol　and　had　begun　the　downhill　slide；　he　spotted　Stu　Vinich　in　a　corner　putting　the　moves　on　some　woman　from　Consolidated's　avionics　division。　He　strolled　over；　tapped　Vinich　on　the　shoulder；　and　as　the　test　pilot　turned；　flattened　him　with　one　roundhouse　punch。
　
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　Jake　Grafton　was　amazed　when　he　saw　Amy　at　the　passenger　terminal　at　Andrews　Air　Force　Base。　In　the　three　weeks　he　had　been　gone　the　child　had　visibly　grown。　〃Hi；　Jake；〃　she　warbled；　and　ran　to　throw　her　arms　around　him。
　〃Miss　me？〃　he　asked。
　〃Not　as　much　as　Callie　did；〃　was　the　sophisticated　reply。　As　he　and　Callie　waited　for　the　luggage　to　be　off…loaded　from　the　airplane；　Callie　visited　with　the　other　officers　who　had　ridden　the　DC…9　from　Tonopah。　Jake　made　a　fuss　over　Amy　and　teased　her　a　little；　causing　her　cheeks　to　redden。　But　she　stayed　right　there　beside　him；　saying　hello　to　everyone　and　smiling　broadly　when　spoken　to。
　〃So　how'd　it　go？〃　Callie　asked　him　as　they　walked　to　the　car。　Jake　shrugged。　Everything　was　classified。　〃Okay；　I　guess。　And　you？〃
　〃I　stopped　going　to　Dr。　Arnold。　Last　Friday　was　my　last　appointment。〃
　Jake　set　his　luggage　on　the　pavement　and　gave　her　a　tight　squeeze　as　Amy　skipped　on　ahead；　her　black　hair　bobbing　with　every　bound。　Callie　looked　happier　than　Jake　had　seen　her　in　a　long；　long　time。
　The　next　morning；　a　Tuesday；　he　spent　closeted　with　Admiral　Dunedin　going　over　the　test　results。　They　watched　videotapes　and　looked　at　numbers；　and　began　writing　down　tentative　conclusions。
　〃So　how　did　Moravia　do？〃　the　admiral　asked　at　one　point
　〃Fine。　Good　stick；　keeps　her　wits　about　her；　knows　more　aeronautical　engineering　than　I　even　knew　existed。〃
　〃So　you　want　to　keep　her　for　the　TRX　bird？〃
　〃No　reason　not　to。〃
　The　admiral　told　him　about　the　conversation　Senator　Duquesne　had　had　with　George　Ludlow。　〃The　secretary　didn't　tell　me　to　fire　her；　or　keep　her；　or　anything　else；〃　Dunedin　concluded。　〃He　just　relayed　the　conversation。〃
　〃Let　me　see　if　I　understand　this；　Admiral。　Duquesne's　mittee　deleted　the　appropriation　for　reactors　for　the　new　carrier　from　this　year's　budget。　Is　he　implying　that　if　we　get　another　test　pilot　he'll　put　it　back　in？〃
　〃No。　I　think　the　message　is　that　unless　the　navy　buys　the　Consolidated　plane；　he's　not　going　to　be…he'll　be　less　enthusiastic　about　navy　budget　requests。〃
　〃Sir；　I　don't　think　Consolidated's　plane　can　be　modified　enough　to　meet　tile　mission　requirements　for　a　new　attack　plane。　And　you　have　to　factor　Athena　into　the　equation。　With　Athena　we　won't　need　to　buy　all　that　expensive　stealth　stuff　on　every　airplane。〃
　〃Try　the　TRX　plane。　Then　we'll　see。〃
　〃Do　you　want　me　to　get　another　test　pilot？〃
　〃I　just　wanted　you　to　understand　what's　going　on。　The　temperature　is　rising。　Ludlow　and　all　the　politicos　in　SECDEFs　office　are　playing　politics　right　along　with　everyone　else　in　this　town。　The　admirals　and　generals　are　parading　over　to　the　hill　for　hearings。　It's　that　merry　time　of　year。〃
　〃I　think　we　have　to　keep　Moravia。　After　she's　flown　both　planes　she　can　make　point…by…point　parisons　that　can't　be　questioned　for　extraneous　reasons。　Consolidated　will　beat　us　to　death　with　Rita's　corpse　if　we　use　another　test　pilot　to　fly　the　TRX　plane；　and　then　remend　it　instead　of　theirs。　They'll　claim　they　got　shafted　by　an　inpetent；　inexperienced　pilot。　You　and　I　will　look　like　blundering　idiots；　or　worse。〃
　〃I　agree；〃　the　admiral　said。
　Proposals　from　contractors　were　arriving　based　on　the　navy's。　Request　for　Proposal　（RFP）