按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
with the best of them。 Years ago his subordinates had labeled him 〃the cannibal；〃 whispering that he liked the taste of raw flesh。
Caplinger had the brain of Caesar and the soul of a lizard； all housed in the body of a chimpanzee； or so one of his more daring victims had groused to Time magazine。 This quote crossed Jake Grafton's mind just now as he watched the secretary's gaze dart back and forth across the faces of the men at the luncheon table as they were served pear halves in china dishes bearing the seal of the Navy Department by a steward in a white jacket。
Jake was back in Washington for a week while the China Lake crowd fixed their A…6； Rita Moravia recovered； and Samuel Dodgers tinkered with the Athena device。 This was Jake's first meal in the Secretary of the Navy's dining/conference room； so today he was playing tourist and taking it all in。
The room was spacious and paneled with dark wood； perhaps mahogany。 Deep…blue drapes dressed up the windows。 A half dozen oil paintings of sailing ships and battles； with little spotlights to show them to advantage； were arranged strategically between the windows and doors。 Gleaming brass bric…a…brac provided the accents。 Sort of early New York Yacht Club； Jake decided； a nineteenth…century vision of a great place for railroad pirates and coal barons to socialize over whiskey with nautical small talk about spankers and jibs and their latest weekend sail to Newport。 He would describe the room for Callie this evening。 He sipped his sugarless iced tea and turned his attention to the conversation。
In keeping with his temperament； Caplinger was doing the talking： 〃。。。the Congress has ceased to exist as a viable legislative body since Watergate。 They can't even manage to give senior leaders or the judiciary a pay raise without making a hash of it。 Without strong； capable leaders； Congress is a collection of mediocrities drifting。。。〃
Jake used his knife to slice the fruit in his dish； two whole halves； to make it go further。 Already he suspected this wasn't going to be much of a meal。
At the opposite end of the table from the Secretary of Defense sat today's host。 Secretary of the Navy George Ludlow。 He was nibbling at pieces of pear he nicked off with his fork and listening to Caplinger。 No doubt he was used to these monologues； he had married Caplinger's second daughter； a modestly pretty young woman with a smile that looked vacuous in news photos。 Jake Grafton had never met her and probably never would。
〃。。。five hundred thirty…five ants on a soapbox drifting down the Potomac； each of them thinking he's steering。〃 Caplinger chuckled and everyone else smiled politely。 Jake had heard that old show before。
Across the long table from Jake sat Tyler Henry； Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition Russell Queen； and the Chief of Naval Operations； Admiral Jerome Nathan Lanham。
Lanham was a submariner； a nuke； with all the baggage that term implies： team player； risk minimizer； technocrat par excellence in the service of the nuclear genie。 His patron saint was Hyman Rickover； the father of the nuclear navy； whose portrait hung in Lanham's office。 Like Rickover； Jerome Nathan Lanham was reputed to have little use for nonengineers。 Just now he sat regarding Jake Grafton； A。B。 in history； with raised eyebrows。
Jake nodded politely and speared another tiny hunk of pear。 The dish was half full of juice。 He wondered if he should go after it with a spoon and surveyed the table to see if anyone else was。 Nope。 Well； hell。 He used the spoon anyway； trying to be discreet； as Caplinger ruminated upon the current political situation in Japan and the steward began serving a tiny garden salad。 〃。。。wanted to hang Hirohito after the war； but MacArthur said no； which was genius。 The Japanese would never have forgiven us。〃
〃If we conquered Iran today； what would you do with Khomeini？〃 Helmet Fritsche； seated to Jake's right； asked the question of Caplinger； who grinned broadly。
〃Such a tiny hypothetical…he should have been a lawyer；〃 Ludlow muttered sotto voce as the others laughed。
〃Make Khomeini a martyr？ No。 I'd ensure he didn't get any older； but the autopsy…and there would be one…would read 'old age'。〃
After the salad came small bowls of navy bean soup acpanied by some tasteless crackers。 Even Caplinger thought they were insipid。 〃George； these crackers taste worse than some of my old predictions。〃
When the soup was gone； the steward filled coffee cups and whisked away the dishes； then retired。 Jake watched incredulously。 Apparently they had just had the entire meal。 At least Ludlow wasn't blowing the whole navy budget this year on grub。
〃Well； Grafton；〃 Caplinger said； 〃will Athena work？〃
〃Yessir。 It's the biggest technical advance in naval aviation since I've been in the navy。〃
〃If it works〃…the Secretary of Defense eyed Jake across the run of his coffee cup…〃it'll be the biggest leap forward for the military since the invention of radar。 The air force is going to want this technology yesterday。 It'll save their strategic bomber program。〃 Jake understood。 The air force would be able to use much cheaper bombers than the B…2； which they would never get any significant number of at a half billion dollars each。
〃I want it right now；〃 Admiral Lanham said。 〃These devices will make surface ships invisible to radar satellites and cruise missiles。 The entire Soviet naval air arm will be obsolete。 I want a crash program that puts Athena in the fleet right now； and damn the cost。〃
Caplinger shifted his gaze to Helmut Fritsche； on Jake's right。 〃Will it work？ Can it be made to work？〃
〃Anything's possible given enough time and money。〃
〃How much？〃 demanded Under SECDEF Russell Queen。 In civilian life he had been president of a large accounting firm。 White skin； banker's hands； bald； Queen had long ago lost the battle of the bulge。 He was a humorless man with thick glasses。 Jake decided it would require prodigious faith to believe Russell Queen had once been young or ever loved a woman。 〃How much do you think will be enough？〃
Fritsche's shoulders rose a quarter inch and fell。 〃Depends on how you go about it…how you structure the contract； how many units you buy annually； how big a risk you're willing to take on unproven technology。 We didn't test a full…up system。 All we did was prove the concept； and we have some more work to do on that next week。 We're a long way from an operational system that will protect just one tactical airplane。〃
〃How long？〃
Helmut Fritsche took out a cigar and rolled it thoughtfully between his hands。 He didn't reach for a match。 〃Two or three years…if you can make all the paper pushers keep hands off。 Four or five if it's business as usual。〃 Every head at the table bobbed its owner's concurrence。
〃Humph；〃 snorted Caplinger； who sucked in a bushel of air and sent it down as far as it would go； then exhaled slowly。 〃I can try to put…maybe slip it under the stealth stuff…but。。。〃 His enthusiasm wouldn't fill a thimble。 Even the Secretary of Defense couldn't control the legions of bureaucrats with rice bowls to protect。 They were too well armed with statutes and regulations and pet congressmen。 〃Russell； you'll have to