wt.theyearofthequietsun-第24节

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p　their　legs　warm　while　their　sterns　were　freezing；　and　most　of　the　time　the　stockings　matched　their　lipstick：　red　and　red；　blue　and　blue；　whatever。　This　year's　fad；　I　guess。　Ah；　those　girls！〃　He　moved　the　camera　and　turned　a　page。
　　〃I　talked　to　them；　I　took　pictures　of　them；　I　coaxed　a　phone　number；　I　took　a　blonde　lovely　to　lunch…it　only　cost　eight　dollars　for　the　two　of　us。　That's　not　too　much；　everything　considered。　The　people　here　are　just　like　us；　mister。　They're　friendly；　and　they　speak　English。　That　town　was　one　sweet　liberty　port！〃
　　〃But　they　should　be　like　us；〃　Chaney　protested。　〃They're　only　two　years　away。〃
　　〃That　was　a　joke；　civilian。〃
　　〃Excuse　me。〃
　　〃Didn't　they　have　jokes　in　the　tank？〃
　　〃Of　course　they　did。　One　of　the　mathematicians　came　up　with　proof　that　the　solar　system　didn't　exist。〃
　　Saltus　turned　around　to　stare。　〃Paper　proof？〃
　　〃Yes。　It　filled　three　pages；　as　I　recall。　He　said　that　if　he　faced　the　east　and　recited　it　aloud；　everything　would　go　poof。〃
　　〃Well；　I　hope　he　doesn't　do　that；　I　hope　to　hell　he　doesn't　make　a　test　run　just　to　see　if　it　works。　I've　got　a　special　reason。〃　Saltus　studied　the　civilian　for　a　long　space。　〃Mister；　do　you　know　how　to　keep　your　mouth　shut？〃
　　Cautiously：　〃Yes。　Is　this　a　confidence？〃
　　〃You　can't　even　tell　William；　or　Katrina。〃
　　Chaney　was　uneasy。　〃Does　it　involve　me？　My　work？〃
　　〃Nope…you　have　nothing　to　do　with　it；　but　I　want　a　promise　you'll　keep　quiet；　no　matter　what。　I'm　not　going　to　report　it　when　I　go　back。　It's　something　to　keep。〃
　　〃Very　well。　I'll　keep　it。〃
　　Saltus　said：　〃I　stopped　in　at　the　courthouse　and　had　a　look　at　the　records…the　vital　statistics　stuff…your　kind　of　stuff。　I　found　what　I　was　looking　for　last　March；　eight　months　ago。〃　He　grinned。　〃My　marriage　license。〃
　　It　was　a　kick　in　the　stomach。　〃Katrina？〃
　　〃The　one　and　only；　the　fair　Katrina。　Mister；　I'm　a　married　man！　Me；　a　married　man；　chasing　the　girls　and　even　taking　one　to　lunch。　Now；　how　will　I　explain　that？〃
　　Brian　Chaney　remembered　the　note　found　propped　against　his　camera：　it　had　sounded　cool；　impersonal；　even　distant。　He　recalled　the　padlocked　barracks；　the　emptyness；　the　air　of　desertion。　He　and　Major　Moresby　were　gone　from　this　place。
　　He　said：　〃Let　us　therefore　brace　ourselves　to　our　duties；　be　they　favorable　or　not。　John　Wesley；　I　think。〃
　　
　　
　　Chaney　kept　his　face　turned　away　to　mask　his　emotions；　he　suspected　the　sharp　sense　of　loss　was　reflected　on　his　face　and　he　didn't　care　to　stumble　through　an　explanation　or　an　evasion。　He　put　away　the　heavy　clothing　worn　on　the　outside　and　then　replaced　the　unused　camera　and　the　nylon　films。　The　reels　of　tape　were　removed　from　the　recorder；　and　the　recorder　put　back　in　the　stores。　As　an　afterthought；　he　replaced　the　identification　papers　and　the　gate　pass　in　the　torn　envelope…alongside　Katrina's　note…and　propped　the　envelope　on　the　bench　where　she　would　find　it。
　　Saltus　had　finished　his　task　and　was　removing　film　from　the　copying　camera。　He　had　left　the　newspapers　flung　over　the　bench　in　disarray。
　　Chaney　gathered　them　up　into　an　orderly　pile。　When　he　had　finished　the　housekeeping　chore；　a　right…side…up　headline　said：　JCS　DENIED　BAIL。
　　〃Who　is　JCS？　What　did　he　do？〃
　　Saltus　stared　in　disbelief。　〃Damn　it；　civilian；　didn't　you　do　anything　out　there？〃
　　〃I　didn't　bother　with　the　papers。〃
　　Incredulously：　〃What　the　hell…are　you　blind？　Why　do　you　think　the　cops　were　patrolling　the　town？　Why　do　you　think　the　state　guards　were　riding　shotgun？〃
　　〃Well…because　of　that　Chicago　business。　The　wall。〃
　　〃Bigod！〃　Arthur　Saltus　stalked　across　the　room　to　face　him；　suddenly　impatient　with　his　naivete。　〃No　offense；　mister；　but　sometimes　I　think　you　never　left　that　ivory　tower；　that　cloud　bank　in　Indiana。　You　don't　seem　to　know　what's　going　on　in　the　world…you've　got　your　nose　buried　too　deep　in　those　damned　old　tables。　Shape　up；　Chaney！　Shape　up　before　you　get　washed　out。〃　He　jabbed　a　long　index　finger　at　the　newspapers　stacked　on　the　bench。　〃This　country　is　under　martial　law。　JCS　is　the　Joint　Chiefs　of　Staff。　General　Grinnell；　General　Brandon；　Admiral　Elstar；　the　top　dogs。　They　tried　to　pull　a　fast　one　but　got　caught；　they…that　French　word。〃
　　〃Which　French　word？〃
　　〃For　take…over。〃
　　Chaney　was　stunned。　〃Coup。〃
　　〃That's　the　word。　Coup。　They　marched　into　the　White　House　to　arrest　the　President　and　the　Vice　President；　they　tried　to　take　over　the　government　at　gun　point。　Our　own　government；　mister！　You　hear　about　that　sort　of　thing　down　in　South　America　all　the　time；　but　now；　right　here　in　our　country！〃　Saltus　stopped　talking　and　made　a　visible　effort　to　control　himself。　After　a　moment　he　said　again：　〃No　offense；　mister。　I　lost　my　temper。〃
　　Chaney　wasn't　listening。　He　was　running　across　the　basement　room　to　the　stacked　newspapers。
　　It　happened　not　at　the　White　House；　but　at　the　Presidential　retreat　at　Camp　David。
　　A　power　failure　blacked　out　the　area　shortly　before　midnight　on　Monday　night；　election　eve。　The　President　had　closed　his　re…election　campaign　and　flown　to　Camp　David　to　rest。　An　emergency　lighting　system　failed　to　operate　and　the　Camp　remained　in　darkness。　Two　hundred　troops　guarding　the　installation　fell　back　upon　the　inner　ring　of　defenses　according　to　a　prearranged　emergency　plan；　and　took　up　positions　about　the　main　buildings　occupied　by　the　President；　the　Vice　President；　and　their　aides。　They　elected　not　to　go　underground　as　there　was　no　indication　of　enemy　action。　Admiral　Elstar　was　with　the　Presidential　party；　discussing　future　operations　in　the　South　Asian　seas。
　　Thirty　minutes　after　the　blackout；　Generals　Grinnell　and　Brandon　arrived　by　car　and　were　admitted　through　the　lines。　At　General　Grinnell's　mand；　the　troops　about…faced　and　established　a　ring　of　quarantine　about　the　buildings；　they　appeared　to　be　expecting　the　order。　The　two　generals　then　entered　the　main　building…with　drawn　weapons…and　informed　the　President　and　the　Vice　President　they　were　under　military　arrest；　together　with　all　civilians　in　the　area。　Admiral　Elstar　joined　them　and　announced　that　the　JCS　were　taking　control　of　the　government　for　an　indefinite　period　of　time；　he　expressed　dissatisfaction　with　civilian　mismanagement　of　the　country　and　the　war　effort；　and　said　the　abrupt　action　was　forced　upon　the　Joint　Chiefs。　The　President　appeared　to　take　the　news　calmly　and　offered　no　resistance；　he　asked　the　members　of　his　party　to　avoid　violence　and　cooperate　with　the　rebellious　officers。
　　The　civilians　were　herded　into　a　large　dining　room　and　locked　in。　As　soon　as　they　were　alone　the　aides　brought　out　gas　masks　which　had　previously　been　concealed　there；　the　party　donned　the　masks　and　crawled　under　heavy　dining　tables　to　wait。　Mortar　fire　was　heard　outside。
　　Electric　power　was　restored　at　just　one　o'clock。　The　firing　stopped。
　　FBI　agents　also　wearing　masks　breached　the　door　from　the　opposite　side　and　informed　the　President　the　rebellion　was　ended。　The　Joint　Chiefs　of　Staff　and　the　disloyal　troops　had　been　taken　under　cover　of　a　gas　barrage；　by　an　undisclosed　number　of　agents　backed　by　Federal　marshals。　Casualties　among　the　troops　were　held　to　a　minimum。　The　Joint　Chiefs　were　unharmed。
　　Helicopters　ferried　the　Presidential　party　back　to　Washington；　where　the　President　requested　immediate　reactivation　of　the　TV　networks　to　announce　the　news　of　the　attempted　coup　and　its　subsequent　failure。　Congress　was　called　into　an　emergency　session；　and　at　the　request　of　the　President　declared　the　country　under　martial　law。　The　affair　was　done。
　　A　White　House　spokesman　admitted　that　the　plot　was　known　well　in　advance；　but　refused　to　reveal　the　source　of　the　tip。　He　said　the　action　was　allowed　to　go　as　far　as　it　did　only　to　ascertain　the　number　and　the　identities　of　the　troops　who　supported　the　Joint　Chiefs。　The　spokesman　denied　rumors　that　those　troops　had　been　nervegassed。　He　said　the　plotters　were　being　charged　with　treason　and　were　being　held　in　separate　jails；　he　would　not　disclose　the　locations　other　than　to　say　they　were　dispersed　away　from　Washington。　The　spokesman　declined　to　answer　questions　regarding　the　number　of　FBI　agents　and　Federal　marshals　involved　in　the　action；　he　shrugged　off　unofficial　reports　that　thousands　had　been　mustered。
　　The　only　reliable　information　known　was　that　large　numbers　of　them　had　lain　in　concealment　about　Camp　David　for　several　days　prior　to　the　action。　The　spokesman　would　say　only　the　two　groups　had　courageously　rescued　the　President　and　his　party。
　　
　　
　　Brian　Chaney　was　unaware　that　the　lights　dimmed　and　the　hurtful　rubber　band　smashed　against　his　eardrums；　he　didn't　hear　the　massive　mallet　smash　into　the　block　pf　pressed　air　and　then　rebound　with　a　soft；　oily　sigh。　He　didn't　know　that　Arthur　Saltus　had　left　him　until　he　turned　around　and　found　himself　alone。
　　Chaney　stared　around　the　empty　shelter　and　shouted　aloud：　〃Saltus！〃
　　There　was　no　answer。
　　He　strode　to　the　door　and　shouted　into　the　corridor。　〃Saltus！〃
　　Booming　echoes；　and　then　silence。　The　mander　was　emerging　from　the　vehicle　at　home　base。
　　〃Listen　to　the　word　from　the　ivory　tower；　Saltus！　Listen　to　me！　What　do　you　want　to　b