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predecessor was on the staff at TPS and picked her for this project。 I saw no reason to fire her and get someone else。〃
〃Yet she crashed the TRX prototype？〃
〃It crashed while she was flying it。 The E…PROM chips in the fly…by…wire system were defective。〃
〃Would the plane have crashed with a more experienced pilot at the controls？〃
〃Well； that's impossible to say； really。〃
〃You； for instance？〃
〃Senator； any answer I gave to that question would be pure speculation。 I feel Lieutenant Moravia did a fine job handling that plane before and after it went out of control。 There may be a pilot somewhere on this planet who could have saved it； but I don't know。〃
Duquesne led him into the buy…rate and cost projections for the A…12。 〃I see here that you remend a total buy of three hundred sixty planes： a dozen the first year； twenty…four the second； then forty…eight each year subsequently。〃
〃That's correct。〃 Jake went into the cost equations。 Before he could get very deep into the subject； Duquesne moved on。
Finally Duquesne got down to it。
〃Captain； you have also been in charge of the Athena program； have you not？〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
〃This morning Dr。 Dodgers testified that this device would be cheap to build〃…he gave the figures…〃could be in production in a year or fifteen months and could protect any object it was placed upon。 In view of that； why does the navy want a stealth attack plane？〃
〃Athena can be made to work； with enough research； time and money。 But it's not going to be easy。 Right now the only way to determine the radar…reflective characteristics of an object is to test the entire object on a specially constructed range。 And these characteristics change based on the frequency of the radar doing the looking。 So every frequency must be tested。 Consequently the data base that the Athena puter must use is very； very large。 That's why we need a superconductive puter to perform all the calculations required in a minimum amount of time。 Still； it is impossible to build a system that could effectively counter every conceivable frequency。 Athena will counter every frequency the Soviets are known to use。 Yet if they shift frequencies quickly enough； with a semi…stealthy aircraft design we would not lose all our airplanes before Athena could be modified。
〃Secondly； Athena will not be ready for the fleet in a year。 More like three or four。 Third； new technology may be developed to counter Athena。 Ws believe； based on what we know now； that we need an attack plane with at least A…6 performance and payload capabilities； state…of…the…art avionics； and stealthy characteristics。 That's the A…12。 The TRX plane is the best that American industry can give us now； and now is the time when we need to put this airplane into production。〃
〃Why not kill the A…12 program and build a conventional attack plane that uses Athena to hide？〃
〃As I mentioned； Athena is added protection for our aircraft。 but not the sole source； due to the limitations inherent in the technology。 Quick change is the rule in electronic warfare； not the exception。 The Israelis almost lost their 1973 war with Egypt due to advances in electronic warfare made by the Soviets and supplied to Egypt of which the West was not aware。 The United States cannot afford to lose a war with the Soviets； Senator。〃
Jake reached for his briefcase。 Knight had it ready。 〃My staff has done some calculations。 To kill this program now and start all over again on another one； writing off all the development money spent to date and adding the inevitable inflationary factor； I figure it will cost just about the same per plane。 Assuming Athena works well enough to bee operational。 If it doesn't； we'll have a brand…new； obsolete airplane。 Regardless； in the interim we'll have to make do with the A…6； which is not aging gracefully。 We may even need to fund the A…6G program； just to keep the A…6s in the air until the follow…on airplane arrives。〃
An aide passed a copy of Jake's figures to every member。 Jake spent the next hour defending the methodology and the numbers。
Duquesne opened the floor to questions from other members； who had a variety of concerns。 One of them asked； 〃I understand you were awarded the Medal of Honor by this Congress； Captain？〃
〃That's correct； sir。〃
〃Why aren't you wearing it now？〃
〃It's a little gaudy； don't you think？〃
Another congressman asked； 〃Why is the navy going to name the A…12 the Avenger？〃 The propeller…driven Grumman TBF Avenger was the plane the President flew during World War II。
〃In a survey of A…6 flight crews conducted navy…wide； that was the most popular suggestion。 The people in the navy are very proud of the navy's tradition and history。〃
〃The choice of that name looks a little like bootlicking； don't you think？〃
〃Sir； I happen to like that name。 The Avenger torpedo…bomber was a fine airplane in its day； with a proud name and a great bat record。 We've named other jets after prop planes…Phantom and Corsair are two…so it's a choice popular with the people in naval aviation。 Should Avenger get derailed somewhere along the way； my personal second choice would be Hellcat； another good old navy name。〃
〃That choice wouldn't be popular with Dr。 Dodgers；〃 the congressman said dryly。
〃I doubt if it would；〃 Jake agreed。
And then it was over。 He was excused。 It was 4 P。M。 Out on the steps Knight said； 〃One down； two to go。〃
That was right。 Assuming the Armed Services mittees authorized some airplanes and the full House and Senate agreed； then the battle would begin to convince the appropriations mittees to provide the dollars to pay for them。
Jake groaned。
〃Relax。 You did very well。〃
〃C'mon。 Let's go get a beer somewhere。 I'm dying of thirst。〃
On Sunday morning as they walked on the beach and Amy played in the surf； Jake and Callie talked again about the Minotaur。 〃As I understand it；〃 Jake said； 〃he's not a mole in the usual sense of the word。 He's not a Russian who slipped in years ago and worked his way into a position of trust。 He's an American。 A traitor。〃
〃This world of espionage and counterespionage；〃 Callie said； 〃it reminds me of Alice in Wonderland。 Nothing is ever as it seems。〃
〃What made you think of that？〃
〃If you lose something and look for it in all the usual places and you don't find it； what conclusion do you reach？〃
〃It isn't in a usual place。〃
〃Precisely。 And if the FBI has been looking for a mole for three years； then the mole is not in the usual place。〃
〃But the usual places are positions where a person would have access to the information being passed。〃
〃Perhaps the mole was never there at all。〃
Jake stared at her。
〃How do you know the FBI has been looking？〃 she asked。
〃Henry said so。 Camacho said so。〃
〃Henry merely repeated what he was told。 Camacho told you what he wanted you to hear。 What if there is no mole at all？ What if the Minotaur is merely a character； an actor assigned to play a part？〃
Amy called her to look at something that had washed up on the beach during the night； and she went。 Jake stood and watched them。 The surf broke and swirled around their ankles as the seabirds circled and called。
〃You are a very smart wo