tc.redstormrising-第15部分

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ething　funny　is　happening。　They　do　shoot　officers　and　EM's…but　not　full　colonels　who've　written　for　the　journal　of　the　general　staff；　and　not　for　faking　a　few　lines　in　a　readiness　statement。〃　He　let　out　a　long　breath；　happy　to　have　gotten　this　off　his　chest。　The　workboat　was　proceeding　south；　her　wake　rippling　out　toward　them　in　parallel　lines　on　the　mirrored　surface。　The　image　made　Toland　wish　for　his　camera。
〃Makes　sense；〃　Keegan　mumbled。
〃Huh？〃
〃What　you　just　said。　That　does　sound　out　of　pattern。〃
〃Yep。　I　stayed　in　late　last　night；　running　down　a　hunch。　In　the　past　five　years；　the　Red　Army　has　published　the　names　of　exactly　fourteen　executed　officers；　none　higher　than　a　full　colonel；　and　even　then　only　on　manpower　officer　in　Soviet　Georgia。　The　guy　was　taking　payoffs　for　deferments。　The　others　broke　down　into　one　case　of　spying；　for　us　or　somebody；　three　derelictions　of　duty　while　under　the　influence　of　alcohol；　and　nine　conventional　corruption　cases；　selling　everything　from　gasoline　to　a　whole　mainframe　puter　nalyevo；　'on　the　left；'　the　shadow　market。　Now　all　of　a　sudden　they　waste　four　regimental　manders；　all　in　the　same　military　district。〃
〃You　could　take　that　to　Redman；〃　Keegan　suggested。
〃Waste　of　time。〃
〃Those　other　cases…I　seem　to　remember　the　three　guys　who…〃
〃Yeah；　that　was　part　of　the　temperance　campaign。　Too　many　guys　turn　up　drunk　on　duty；　and　they　pick　three　volunteers；　pour　encourager　les　autres。〃　Bob　shook　his　head。　〃Jeez；　Voltaire　would　have　loved　these　guys。〃
〃You　talk　with　people　who're　into　civilian　intelligence？〃
〃No；　my　crowd　is　all　military　telemunications。〃
〃At　lunch　last…Monday；　I　think；　I　was　talking　with　a　guy　from　Langley。　Ex…Army；　we　go　way　back。　Anyway；　he　was　joking　that　there's　a　new　shortage　over　there。〃
〃Another　one？〃　Bob　was　amused。　Shortages　were　nothing　new　in　Russia。　One　month　toothpaste；　or　toilet　paper；　or　windshield　wipers…he　had　heard　of　many　such　things　over　lunch　at　the　NSA　missary。
〃Yeah；　car　and　truck　batteries。〃
〃Really？〃
〃Yeah；　for　the　last　month　you　can't　get　a　battery　for　your　car　or　truck　over　there。　A　lot　of　cars　are　not　moving；　and　batteries　are　being　stolen　left　and　right；　so　people　are　disconnecting　their　batteries　at　night　and　taking　them　home；　would　you　believe？〃
〃But　Togliattishtadt…〃　Toland　said；　and　stopped。　He　referred　to　the　massive　auto　factory…city　in　European　Russia；　the　construction　of　which　was　a　〃Hero　Project〃　for　which　thousands　of　workers　had　been　mobilized。　Among　the　most　modem　auto　plexes　in　the　world；　it　had　been　built　mainly　with　Italian　technology。　〃They　have　a　hell　of　a　battery　manufacturing　facility　there。　Hasn't　blown　up；　has　it？〃
〃Working　three　shifts。　What　do　you　think　of　that？〃

NORFOLK；　VIRGINIA
Toland　examined　himself　in　the　full…sized　mirror　in　the　Norfolk　BOQ　plex。　He'd　made　the　drive　down　the　evening　before。　The　uniform　still　fit；　he　noted；　maybe　a　little　tight　at　the　waist；　but　that　was　nature　at　work；　wasn't　it？　His　〃salad　bar〃　of　decorations　was　a　bleak　row　and　a　half；　but　he　had　his　surface　warfare　officer's　badge；　his　〃water　wings〃　he　hadn't　always　been　a　glorified　radio　operator。　His　sleeves　bore　the　two　and　a　half　stripes　of　a　lieutenant　mander。　A　final　swipe　of　a　cloth　across　his　shoes　and　he　was　out　the　door；　ready　on　this　bright　Monday　morning　for　his　annual　two　weeks　of　duty　with　the　fleet。
Five　minutes　later；　he　was　driving　down　Mitcher　Avenue　toward　headquarters　of　the　mander…in…Chief；　Atlantic　Fleet…CINCLANTFLT　…a　flat；　thoroughly　undistinguished　building　that　had　once　been　a　hospital。　An　habitual　early　riser；　Toland　found　the　Ingersoll　Street　parking　lot　half　empty；　but　he　was　still　careful　to　take　an　unmarked　space　lest　he　incur　the　wrath　of　a　senior　officer。
〃Bob？　Bob　Toland！〃　a　voice　called。
〃Ed　Morris！〃
It　was　now　mander　Edward　Morris；　USN；　Toland　noted；　and　a　shiny　gold　star　on　his　uniform　jacket　designated　him　as　the　mander　of　some　ship　or　other。　Toland　saluted　his　friend　before　shaking　hands。
〃Still　playing　bridge；　Bob？〃　Toland；　Morris；　and　two　other　officers　had　once　established　the　most　regular　bridge　foursome　at　the　Pearl　Harbor　officers　club。
〃Some。　Marty　isn't　much　of　a　card　player；　but　we　got　a　bunch　at　work　that　meets　once　a　week。〃
〃Good　as　we　used　to　be？〃　　Morris　asked　as　they　headed　off　in　the　same　direction。
〃Are　you　kidding？　You　know　where　I　work　now？〃
〃I　heard　you　ended　up　at　Fort　Meade　after　you　hung　it　up。〃
〃Yeah；　and　there's　bridge　players　at　NSA　who're　wired　into　the　damn　puters…I'm　talking　assassins！〃
〃So　how's　the　family？〃
〃Just　great。　How's　yours？〃
〃Growing　up　too　damned　fast…makes　you　feel　old。〃
〃That's　the　truth；〃　Morris　chuckled。　He　jabbed　a　finger　at　his　friend's　star。　〃Now　you　can　tell　me　about　your　new　kid。〃
〃Look　at　my　car。〃
Toland　turned　around。　Morris's　Ford　had　a　personalized　license　plate：　FF…1094。　To　the　uninitiated　it　was　an　ordinary　license　number；　but　to　a　sailor　it　advertised　his　mand：　antisubmarine　frigate　number　one　thousand　ninety…four；　USS　PHARRIS。
〃You　always　were　nice　and　modest；〃　Toland　noted　with　a　grin。　〃That's　all　right；　Ed。　How　long　you　had　her？〃
〃Two　years。　She's　big；　she's　pretty；　and　she's　mine！　You　should　have　stayed　in；　Bob。　The　day　I　took　mand…hell；　it　was　like　the　day　Jimmy　was　born。〃
〃I　hear　you。　The　difference；　Ed；　is　that　I　always　knew　you'd　have　your　ship；　and　I　always　knew　I　wouldn't。〃　In　Toland's　personnel　jacket　was　a　letter　of　admonishment　for　grounding　a　destroyer　while　he　had　the　deck。　It　had　been　no　more　than　bad　luck。　An　ambiguity　on　the　chart　and　adverse　tidal　conditions　had　caused　the　error；　but　it　didn't　take　much　to　ruin　a　Navy　career。
〃So；　doing　your　two　weeks？〃
〃That's　right。〃
〃Celia　is　off　visiting　her　parents；　and　I'm　baching　it。　What're　you　doing　for　dinner　tonight？〃
〃McDonald's？〃　Toland　laughed。
〃Like　hell。　Danny　McCafferty's　in　town；　too。　He's　got　the　Chicago；　tied　up　at　Pier　22。　You　know；　if　we　can　scare　up　a　fourth；　maybe　we　can　play　a　little　bridge；　just　like　the　old　days。〃　Morris　poked　his　friend　in　the　chest　〃I　gotta　head　along。　Meet　me　in　the　O…Club　lobby　at　1710；　Bob。　　Danny　invited　me　over　to　his　boat　for　dinner　at　1830；　and　we'll　have　an　hour's　worth　of　Attitude　Adjustment　before　we　drive　over。　We'll　have　dinner　in　the　wardroom　and　a　few　hours　of　cards；　just　like　old　times。〃
〃Aye；　aye；　mander。〃

〃Anyway；　there　I　was　on　Will　Rogers；　〃　McCafferty　said。　〃Fifty　days　out　on　patrol　and　I　got　the　watch；　right？　Sonar　says　they　have　a　goofy　signal；　bearing　zero…five…two。　We're　at　periscope　depth；　so　I　put　the　search　scope　up；　train　it　out　to　zero…five…two；　and　sure　enough；　there's　this　Gulfstream36　sailboat；　moving　along　at　four　or　five　knots　with　the　autosteering　set。　What　the　hell；　it's　a　dull　day；　so　I　flip　the　scope　to　hi…power；　and　guess　what？　The　captain　and　the　mate…there's　one　gal　who'll　never　drown！…are　on　top　the　deckhouse；　horizontal　and　superimposed。　The　boat　was　maybe　a　thousand　yards　away…just　like　being　there。　So　we　turn　on　the　scope　TV　camera　and　get　the　tape　machine　running。　Had　to　maneuver　for　a　better　view；　of　course。　Lasted　fifteen　minutes。　The　crew　ran　the　tape　for　the　next　week。　Great　for　morale　to　know　just　what　you're　fighting　for。〃　All　three　officers　laughed。
〃Like　I　always　told　you；　Bob；〃　Morris　noted。　〃These　sub…drivers　are　a　nasty；　sneaky　bunch。　Not　to　mention　perverts。〃
〃So　how　long　you　had　the　Chicago；　Danny〃　Toland　asked　over　his　second　cup　of　after…dinner　coffee。　The　three　had　the　submarine's　wardroom　to　themselves。　The　only　officers　aboard　were　either　standing　watch　or　asleep。
〃Three　busy　months；　not　counting　yard　time；〃　McCafferty　said；　finishing　off　his　milk。　He　was　the　first　skipper　for　the　new　attack　sub；　the　best　of　all　possible　worlds；　a　captain　and　a　〃plankowner。〃　Toland　noted　that　Dan　had　not　joined　him　and　Morris　for　〃attitude　adjustment〃　at　the　base　officers'　club；　during　which　they'd　tossed　down　three　stiff　drinks　apiece。　It　wasn't　like　the　McCafferty　of　old。　Perhaps　he　was　unwilling　to　leave　his　sub；　lest　the　dream　of　his　career　somehow　end　while　he　was　away　from　her。
〃Can't　you　tell　from　the　pale；　pasty　look　mon　to　cave…dwellers　and　submariners？〃　Morris　joked。　〃Not　to　mention　the　faint　glow　associated　with　nuclear　reactor　types〃〃　McCafferty　grinned；　and　the