tc.redrabbit-第6节

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　booze　for　themselves；　but　to　Ryan's　Catholic　measure　of　personal　conduct；　these　were　venial　sins；　not　mortal。
　　　The　usual　muddle　of　thoughts　in　a　fatigued　brain；　he　recognized。　Cathy　would　never　allow　herself　to　operate　in　this　mental　state。　Sure；　as　an　intern　they'd　kept　her　on　duty　for　endless　hours…the　idea　being　to　get　her　accustomed　to　making　good　decisions　under　miserable　circumstances…but　part　of　her　husband　wondered　how　many　patients　were　sacrificed　on　the　altar　of　medical　boot　camp。　If　trial　lawyers　ever　managed　to　figure　out　how　to　make　money　off　of　that。。。
　　　Cathy…Dr。　Caroline　Ryan；　M。D。；　FACS；　her　white　lab　coat　and　plastic　name　tag　announced…had　struggled　through　that　phase　of　her　training；　and　more　than　once　her　husband　had　worried　about　her　drive　home　in　her　little　Porsche　sports　car；　after　thirty…six　straight　hours　on　duty　in　obstetrics；　or　pediatrics；　or　general　surgery；　fields　she　wasn't　interested　in　herself；　but　about　which　she　had　to　know　a　little　in　order　to　be　a　proper　Johns　Hopkins　doc。　Well；　she'd　known　enough　to　patch　up　his　shoulder　that　afternoon　in　front　of　Buckingham　Palace。　He　hadn't　bled　to　death　in　front　of　his　wife　and　daughter；　which　would　have　been　pretty　ignominious　for　everyone　involved；　especially　the　Brits。　Would　my　knighthood　have　been　awarded　posthumously？　he　wondered　with　a　stifled　chuckle。　Then；　finally；　his　eyes　closed　for　the　first　time　in　thirty…nine　hours。
　　　〃I　hope　he　likes　it　over　there；〃　Judge　Moore　said；　at　his　end…of…the…day　senior　staff　get…together。
　　　〃Arthur；　our　cousins　know　their　hospitality；〃　James　Greer　pointed　out。　〃Basil　ought　to　be　a　good　teacher。〃
　　　Ritter　didn't　say　anything。　This　Ryan　amateur　had　gotten　himself　a　lot　of…way　the　hell　too　much…publicity　for　any　employee　of　the　CIA；　even　more　so　since　he　was　a　DI　guy。　As　far　as　Ritter　was　concerned；　the　Directorate　of　Intelligence　was　the　tail　wagging　the　Operations　Directorate　dog。　Sure；　Jim　Greer　was　a　fine　spook　and　a　good　man　to　work　with；　but　he　wasn't　a　field　spook；　and…Congress　to　the　contrary…that's　what　the　Agency　needed。　At　least　Arthur　Moore　understood　that。　But　on　The　Hill；　if　you　said　〃field　intelligence　officer〃　to　the　representatives　who　controlled　appropriations；　they　recoiled　like　Dracula　from　a　golden　crucifix　and　collectively　went　ewwww　Then　it　was　time　to　speak。
　　　〃What　do　you　suppose　they'll　let　him　in　on？〃　the　DDO　wondered　aloud。
　　　〃Basil　will　regard　him　as　my　personal　representative；〃　Judge　Moore　said；　after　a　moment's　consideration。　〃So；　everything　they　share　with　us；　they　will　share　with　him。〃
　　　〃They're　going　to　co…opt　him；　Arthur；〃　Ritter　warned。　〃He's　into　things　they　don't　know　about。　They　will　try　to　squeeze　things　out　of　Ryan。　He　doesn't　know　how　to　defend　against　that。〃
　　　〃Bob；　I　briefed　him　on　that　myself；〃　Greer　announced。　The　DDO　knew　that　already；　of　course；　but　Ritter　had　a　real　talent　for　acting　grumpy　when　he　didn't　get　his　way。　Greer　wondered　what　it　had　been　like　to　be　Bob's　mother。　〃Don't　underestimate　this　kid；　Bob。　He's　smart。　I'll　wager　you　a　steak　dinner　that　he　gets　more　things　out　of　the　Brits　than　they　get　out　of　him。〃
　　　〃Sucker　bet；〃　the　Deputy　Director　（Operations）　snorted。
　　　〃At　Snyder's；〃　the　Deputy　Director　（Intelligence）　goaded　further。　It　was　the　favorite　steak　house　for　both　executives；　located　just　across　the　Key　Bridge　in　Georgetown。
　　　Judge　Arthur　Moore；　the　Director　of　Central　Intelligence；　or　DCI；　watched　the　exchange　with　amusement。　Greer　knew　how　to　twist　Ritter's　tail；　and　somehow　Bob　never　quite　figured　out　how　to　defend　against　it。　Maybe　it　was　Greer's　down…east　accent。　Texans　like　Bob　Ritter　（and　Arthur　Moore　himself）　deemed　themselves　superior　to　anyone　who　talked　through　his　nose；　certainly　over　a　deck　of　playing　cards　or　around　a　bottle　of　bourbon　whiskey。　The　Judge　figured　he　was　above　such　things；　though　they　were　fun　to　watch。
　　　〃Okay；　dinner　at　Snyder's。〃　Ritter　extended　his　hand。　And　it　was　time　for　the　DCI　to　resume　control　of　the　meeting。
　　　〃Now　that　we've　settled　that　one；　gentlemen；　the　President　wants　me　to　tell　him　what's　going　to　happen　in　Poland。〃
　　　Ritter　didn't　leap　at　that。　He　had　a　good　Station　Chief　in　Warsaw；　but　the　guy　only　had　three　proper　field　officers　in　his　department；　and　one　of　them　was　a　rookie。　They　did；　however；　have　one　very　good　source　agent…in…place　inside　the　Warsaw　government's　political　hierarchy；　and　several　good　ones　in　their　military。
　　　〃Arthur；　they　don't　know。　They're　dancing　around　this　Solidarity　thing　on　a　day…to…day　basis；〃　the　DDO　told　the　others。　〃And　the　music　keeps　changing　on　them。〃
　　　〃It's　going　to　e　down　to　what　Moscow　tells　them　to　do；　Arthur；〃　Greer　agreed。　〃And　Moscow　doesn't　know　either。〃
　　　Moore　took　off　his　reading　glasses　and　rubbed　his　eyes。　〃Yeah。　They　don't　know　what　to　do　when　someone　openly　defies　them。　Joe　Stalin　would　have　shot　everyone　in　sight；　but　the　current　bunch　doesn't　have　the　gumption　to　do　that；　thank　the　Good　Lord　for　that。〃
　　　〃Collegial　rule　brings　out　the　coward　in　everyone；　and　Brezhnev　just　doesn't　have　the　ability　to　lead。　From　what　I　hear；　they　have　to　walk　him　to　the　men's　room。〃　It　was　a　slight　exaggeration；　but　it　appealed　to　Ritter　that　Soviet　leadership　was　softening。
　　　〃What's　CARDINAL　telling　us？〃　Moore　referred　to　the　Agency's　premiere　agent…in…place　in　the　Kremlin；　the　personal　assistant　to　Defense　Minister　Dmitriy　Fedorovich　Ustinov。　His　name　was　Mikhail　Semyonovich　Filitov；　but　to　all　but　a　bare　handful　of　active　CIA　personnel；　he　was　simply　CARDINAL。
　　　〃He　says　that　Ustinov　despairs　of　anything　useful　ing　out　of　the　Politburo　until　they　do　have　a　leader　who　can　actually　lead。　Leonid　is　slowing　down。　Everybody　knows　it；　even　the　man　on　the　street。　You　can't　camouflage　a　TV　picture；　can　you？〃
　　　〃How　long　do　you　suppose　he　has　left？〃
　　　A　collection　of　shrugs；　then　Greer　took　the　question：　〃The　doctors　I've　talked　to　say　he　could　drop　over　tomorrow；　or　he　could　dote　along　for　another　couple　of　years。　They　say　they　see　mild　Alzheimer's；　but　only　mild。　His　general　condition　is　progressive　cardiovascular　myopathy；　they　think；　probably　exacerbated　by　incipient　alcoholism。〃
　　　〃They　all　have　that　problem；〃　Ritter　observed。　〃CARDINAL　confirms　the　heart　problem；　by　the　way；　along　with　the　vodka。〃
　　　〃And　the　liver　is　important；　and　his　is　probably　suboptimum；〃　Greer　went　on；　with　a　gross　understatement。　Then　Moore　finished　the　thought。
　　　〃But　you　can't　tell　a　Russian　to　stop　drinking　any　more　than　you　can　tell　a　grizzly　bear　not　to　shit　in　the　woods。　You　know；　if　anything　ever　brings　these　guys　down；　it　will　be　their　inability　to　handle　the　orderly　transition　of　power。〃
　　　〃Well；　gee；　Your　Honor。〃　Bob　Ritter　looked　up　with　a　wicked　grin。　〃I　guess　they　just　don't　have　enough　lawyers。　Maybe　we　could　ship　them　a　hundred　thousand　of　ours。〃
　　　〃They're　not　that　stupid。　Better　we　shoot　a　few　Poseidon　missiles　at　them。　Less　net　damage　to　their　society；〃　the　DDI　said。
　　　〃Why　do　people　disparage　my　honorable　profession？〃　Moore　asked　the　ceiling。　〃If　anybody　saves　their　system；　it　will　have　to　be　a　lawyer；　gentlemen。〃
　　　〃You　think　so；　Arthur？〃　Greer　asked。
　　　〃You　can't　have　a　rational　society　without　the　rule　of　law；　and　you　can't　have　the　rule　of　law　without　lawyers　to　administer　it。〃　Moore　was　the　former　Chief　Judge　of　the　Texas　State　Court　of　Appeals。　〃They　don't　have　those　rules　yet；　not　when　the　Politburo　can　reach　out　and　execute　anyone　they　don't　like　without　a　semblance　of　an　appeals　process。　It　must　be　like　living　in　hell。　You　can't　depend　on　anything。　It's　like　Rome　under　Caligula…if　he　got　a　notion；　that　notion　had　the　force　of　law。　Hell；　though；　even　Rome　had　some　laws　the　emperors　had　to　abide　by。　Not　our　Russian　friends。〃　The　others　couldn't　really　appreciate　how　horrid　a　concept　that　was　to　their　Director。　He'd　once　been　the　finest　trial　lawyer　in　a　state　noted　for　the　quality　of　its　legal　munity；　and　then　a　learned　judge　on　a　bench　replete　with　thoughtful；　fair　men。　Most　Americans　were　as　accustomed　to　the　rule　of　law　as　to　the　ninety　feet　between　bases　on　a　baseball　diamond。　For　Ritter　and　Greer；　it　was　more　important　that；　before　his　legal　career；　Arthur　Moore　had　been　a　superior　field　spook。　〃So；　what　the　hell　do　I　tell　the　President？〃
　　　〃The　truth；　Arthur；〃　Greer　suggested。　〃We　don't　know　because　they　don't　know。〃
　　　That　was　the　only　truthful　and　rational　thing　he　could　say；　of　course；　but：　〃Damn　it；　Jim；　they　pay　us　to　know！〃
　　　〃It　es　down　to　how　threatened　the　Russians　feel。　Poland　is　just　a　cat's　paw　for　them；　a　vassal　state　that　jumps　when　they　say　'jump；'　〃　Greer　said。　〃The　Russians　can　control　what　their　own　people　see　on　TV　and　in　Pravda…〃
　　　〃But　they　can't　control　the　rumors　that　e　across　the　border；〃　said　Ritter。　〃And　the　stories　their　soldiers　tell　when　they　e　home　from　service　there…and　in　Germany；　and　in　Czechoslovakia；　and　in　Hungary；　and　what　they　hear　on　Voice　of　America　and　Radio　Free　Europe。〃　CIA　controlled　the　first　of　those　outlets　directly；　and；　while　the　other　was　theoretically　almost　independent；　that　was　a　fiction　nobody　believed。　Ritter　himself　had　a　great　deal　of　input　on　both　propaganda　arms　of　the　American　government。　The　Russians　understood　and　respected　good　agitprop。