tc.patriotgames-第39节

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　　　　〃Sure；　engine　noise；　noise　from　the　fuel　pumps；　various　other　things。〃　
　　　　〃Okay。〃　Ryan　filed　that　away。
　　　　〃You　didn't　like　it；　did　you？〃　Robby　was　amused　at　his　friend's　attitude　toward　flying。
　　　　〃Why　does　everybody　pick　on　me　for　that？〃　Ryan　asked　the　ceiling。
　　　　〃Because　it's　so　funny。　Jack。　You're　the　last　person　in　the　world　who's　afraid　to　fly。〃　
　　　　〃Hey；　Rob；　I　do　it；　okay？　I　get　aboard；　and　strap　in；　and　do　it。〃　
　　　　〃I　know。　I'm　sorry。〃　Jackson　eased　off。　〃It's　just　that　it's　so　easy　to　needle　you　on　this　　I　mean；　what　are　friends　for？　You　done　good；　Jack。　We're　proud　of　you。　But　for　Christ's　sake；　be　careful；　okay？　This　hero　shit　gets　people　killed。〃　
　　　　〃I　hear　you。〃　
　　　　〃Is　it　true　about　Cathy？〃　Robby　asked。
　　　　〃Yep。　The　doc　confirmed　it　the　same　day　they　took　the　cast　off。〃
　　　　〃Way　to　go；　pop！　I'd　say　that　calls　for　another　　a　light　one。〃　Robby　held　his　cup　out；　and　Jack　poured。　〃Looks　like　the　bottle's　about　had　it；　too。〃　
　　　　〃It's　my　turn　to　buy　the　next　one；　isn't　it？〃
　　　　〃It's　been　so　long；　I　don't　remember；〃　Robby　admitted。　〃But　I'll　take　your　word　for　it。〃
　　　　〃So　they　have　you　back　in　airplanes？〃
　　　　〃Next　Monday　they'll　let　me　back　in　a　Tomcat；〃　Jackson　replied。　〃And　e　summer；　it's　back　to　the　work　they　pay　me　for。〃　
　　　　〃You　got　orders？〃
　　　　〃Yeah；　you're　looking　at　the　prospective　XO　of　VF…41。〃　Robby　held　his　cup　up　in　the　air。
　　　　The　executive　officer　of　Fighter　Squadron　41；　Ryan　translated。　〃That's　all　right；　Rob！〃
　　　　〃Yeah；　it's　not　bad；　considering　I've　been　a　black　shoe　for　the　past　seven　months。〃　
　　　　〃Right　out　on　carriers？〃
　　　　〃No；　we'll　be　on　the　beach　for　a　while；　down　at　Oceana；　Virginia。　The　squadron's　deployed　now　on　Nimitz。　When　the　boat　es　back　for　refit；　the　fighters　stay　on　the　beach　for　refresher　training。　Then　we'll　probably　redeploy　on　Kennedy。　They're　reshuffling　the　squadron　assignments。　Jack；　it'll　be　good　to　strap　that　fighter　back　on！　I've　been　here　too　long。〃　
　　　　〃We're　gonna　miss　you　and　Sissy。〃
　　　　〃Hey；　we　don't　leave　till　summer　　they're　making　me　finish　out　the　school　year　　and　Virginia　Beach　isn't　all　that　far　away。　e　on　down　and　visit；　for　crying　out　loud。　You　don't　have　to　fly。　Jack。　You　can　drive；〃　Jackson　pointed　out。　
　　　　〃Well；　you'll　probably　be　around　for　the　new　kid。〃　
　　　　〃Good。〃　Jackson　finished　off　his　drink。
　　　　〃Are　you　and　Sissy　going　anywhere　for　Christmas？〃　
　　　　〃Not　that　I　know　of。　I　can't；　really；　most　of　the　holidays　I'm　gonna　be　flying　down　at　Pax。〃　
　　　　〃Okay；　e　on　over　to　our　place　for　dinner　　three…ish。〃　
　　　　〃Cathy's　family　isn't　〃
　　　　〃No；〃　Ryan　said　as　he　tucked　everything　back　where　it　belonged。　Robby　shook　his　head。
　　　　〃Some　folks　just　don't　catch　on；〃　the　pilot　observed。
　　　　〃Well；　you　know　how　it　is。　I　don't　worship　at　the　temple　of　the　Almighty　Dollar　anymore。〃　
　　　　〃But　you　managed　to　do　a　job　on　the　collection　basket。〃　
　　　　Jack　grinned。　〃Yeah；　you　might　say　that。〃
　　　　〃That　reminds　me。　There's　a　little　outfit　outside　Boston　that's　gonna　hit　it　big。〃　
　　　　〃Oh？〃　Jack's　ears　perked　up。
　　　　〃It's　called　Holoware；　Ltd。；　I　think。　They　came　up　with　new　software　for　the　puters　on　fighter　planes　　really　good　stuff；　cuts　a　third　off　the　processing　time；　generates　intercept　solutions　like　magic。　It's　set　up　on　the　simulator　down　at　Pax；　and　the　Navy's　going　to　buy　it　real　soon。〃　
　　　　〃Who　knows？〃
　　　　Jackson　laughed　as　he　got　his　things。　〃The　pany　doesn't　know　yet。　Captain　Stevens　down　at　Pax　just　got　the　word　from　the　guys　out　at　Topgun。　Bill　May　out　there　　I　used　to　fly　with　Bill　　ran　the　stuff　for　the　first　time　a　month　ago；　and　he　liked　it　so　much　that　he　almost　got　the　Pentagon　boys　to　cut　through　all　the　bullshit　and　just　buy　the　stuff。　It　got　hung　up；　but　DCNO…Air　is　on　it　now；　and　they　say　Admiral　Rendall　is　really　hot　for　it。　Thirty　more　days；　and　that　little　pany　is　going　to　get　a　Christmas　present。　A　little　late；〃　Robby　said；　〃but　it'll　fill　one　big　stocking。　Just　for　the　hell　of　it；　I　checked　the　paper　this　morning；　and　sure　enough；　they're　listed　on　the　American　Exchange。　You　might　want　to　check　it　out。〃　
　　　　〃What　about　you？〃
　　　　The　pilot　shook　his　head。　〃I　don't　play　the　market；　but　you　still　fool　around　there；　right？〃　
　　　　〃A　little。　Is　this　classified　or　anything？〃　Jack　asked。
　　　　〃Not　that　I　know　of。　The　classified　part　is　how　the　software　is　written；　and　they　got　a　real　good　classification　system　on　that　　nobody　understands　it。　Maybe　Skip　Tyler　could　figure　it　out；　but　I　never　will。　You　have　to　be　a　nuc　to　think　in　ones　and　zeros。　Pilots　don't　think　digital。　We're　analog。〃　Jackson　chuckled。　〃Gotta　run。　Sissy's　got　a　recital　tonight。〃　
　　　　〃　'Night；　Rob。〃
　　　　〃Low　and　slow；　Jack。〃　Robby　closed　the　door　behind　him。　Jack　leaned　back　in　his　chair　for　a　moment。　He　smiled　to　himself；　then　rose　and　packed　some　papers　into　his　briefcase。
　　　　〃Yeah；〃　he　said　to　himself。　〃Just　to　show　him　that　I　still　know　how。〃
　　　　Ryan　got　his　coat　on　and　left　the　building；　walking　downhill　past　the　Preble　Memorial。　His　car　was　parked　on　Decatur　Road。　Jack　drove　a　five…year…old　VW　Rabbit。　It　was　a　very　practical　car　for　the　narrow　streets　of　Annapolis；　and　he　refused　to　have　a　Porsche　like　his　wife　used　for　muting　back　and　forth　to　Baltimore。　It　was　dumb；　he'd　told　Cathy　about　a　thousand　times；　for　two　people　to　have　three　cars。　A　Rabbit　for　him；　a　911　for　her；　and　a　station　wagon　for　the　family。　Dumb。　Cathy's　suggestion　that　he　should　sell　the　Rabbit　and　drive　the　wagon　was；　of　course；　unacceptable。　The　little　gas　engine　fired　up　at　once。　It　sounded　too　noisy。　He'd　have　to　check　the　muffler。　Jack　pulled　out；　turning　right；　as　always；　onto　Maryland　Avenue　through　Gate　Three　in　the　grimly　undecorous　perimeter　wall　that　surrounded　the　Academy。　A　Marine　guard　saluted　him　on　the　way　out。　Ryan　was　surprised　by　that　　they'd　never　done　it　before。
　　　　Driving　wasn't　easy。　When　he　shifted；　Ryan　twisted　his　left　hand　inside　the　sling　to　grab　the　wheel　while　his　right　hand　worked　the　gearshift。　The　rush…hour　traffic　didn't　help。　Several　thousand　state　workers　were　disgorging　themselves　from　various　government　buildings；　and　the　crowded　streets　gave　Ryan　plenty　of　opportunity　to　stop　and　restart　from　first　gear。　His　Rabbit　had　five；　plus　reverse；　and　by　the　time　he　got　to　the　Central　Avenue　light　he　was　asking　himself　why　he　hadn't　gotten　the　Rabbit　with　an　automatic。　Fuel　efficiency　was　the　answer　　is　this　worth　an　extra　two　miles　per　gallon〃。　Ryan　laughed　at　himself　as　he　headed　east　toward　the　Chesapeake　Bay；　then　right　onto　Falcon's　Nest　Road。
　　　　There　was　rarely　any　traffic　back　here。　Falcon's　Nest　Road　came　to　a　dead　end　not　too　far　down　from　Ryan's　place；　and　on　the　other　side　of　the　road　were　several　farms；　also　dormant　at　the　beginning　of　winter。　The　stubby　remains　of　cornstalks　lay　in　rows　on　the　brown；　hard　fields。　He　turned　left　into　his　driveway。　Ryan　had　thirty　acres　on　Peregrine　Cliff。　His　nearest　neighbor；　an　engineer　named　Art　Palmer；　was　half　a　mile　away　through　heavily　wooded　slopes　and　across　a　murky　stream。　The　cliffs　on　the　western　shore　of　the　Chesapeake　Bay　were　nearly　fifty　feet　high　where　Jack　lived　　those　farther　south　got　a　little　higher；　but　not　much　　and　made　of　crumbly　sandstone。　They　were　a　paleontologist's　delight。　Every　so　often　a　team　from　a　local　college　or　museum　would　scour　at　the　base　and　find　fossilized　shark　teeth　that　had　once　belonged　to　a　creature　as　large　as　a　midget　submarine；　along　with　the　bones　of　even　more　unlikely　creatures　that　had　lived　here　a　hundred　million　years　earlier。
　　　　The　bad　news　was　that　the　cliffs　were　prone　to　erosion。　His　house　was　built　a　hundred　feet　back　from　the　edge；　and　his　daughter　was　under　strict　orders　　twice　enforced　with　a　spanking　　not　to　go　anywhere　near　the　edge。　In　an　attempt　to　protect　the　cliff　face；　the　state　environmental…protection　people　had　persuaded　Ryan　and　his　neighbors　to　plant　kudzu；　a　prolific　weed　from　the　American　South。　The　weed　had　thoroughly　stabilized　the　cliff　face；　but　it　was　now　attacking　the　trees　near　the　cliff；　and　Jack　periodically　had　to　go　after　them　with　a　weed…eater　to　save　the　trees　from　being　smothered。　But　that　wasn't　a　problem　this　time　of　year。
　　　　Ryan's　lot　was　half　open　and　half　wooded。　The　part　near　the　road　had　once　been　fanned；　though　not　easily；　as　the　ground　was　not　flat　enough　to　drive　a　tractor　across　it　safely。　As　he　approached　his　house；　the　trees　began；　some　gnarled　old　oaks；　and　other　deciduous　trees　whose　leaves　were　gone　now；　leaving　skeletal　branches　to　reach　out　into　the　thin；　cold　air。　As　he　approached　the　carport；　he　saw　that　Cathy　was　already　home；　her　Porsche　and　the　family　wagon　parked　in　the　carport。　He　had　to　leave　his　Rabbit　in　the　open。
　　　　〃Daddy！〃　Sally　yanked　open　the　door　and　ran　out　without　her　jacket　to　meet　her　father。
　　　　〃It's　too　cold　out　here；〃　Jack　told　his　daughter。
　　　　〃No；　isn't；〃　Sally　replied。　She　grabbed　his　briefcase　and　carried　it　with　two　hands；　puffing　as　she　climbed　up　the　three　steps　into　the　house。
　　　　Ryan　got　out　of　his　coat　and　hung　it　in　the　entry　closet。　As　with　everything　else；　it　was　hard　to　do　with　one　hand。　He　was　cheating　a　little　now。　As　with　steering　the　car；　he　was　starting　to　use　his　left　hand；　careful　to　avoid　putting　a