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hey were too well armed with statutes and regulations and pet congressmen。 〃Russell； you'll have to make this work； find some dollars in one of your little hidey…holes； keep it too small for anyone to get curious about。 And no fucking memos。〃
Queen nodded slowly； his smooth round face revealing his disfort。 He looked； Jake thought； like a man staring into a dark abyss that he has been told to lower himself into。
〃I don't think that's the way to do it。〃 Ludlow said。 〃Admiral Lanham wants it now and the air force will too。 We're going to have to fund Athena as one of our highest…priority items。 We're going to have to throw money at it and hope the technology works。〃
〃Do you agree； Admiral？〃
〃Yes； sir。 I'd rather have Athena than a whole lot of projects I can name； including the A…12。〃
〃We need them both；〃 Caplinger said。 〃So we'll keep Athena in with the ATA and request funding for them both。〃
〃What about Congress？〃 Ludlow murmured。 When no one replied； he expanded the question。 〃How will Athena be seen by the liberals dying to chop the defense budget？ Will they think it gives us such a large qualitative technical advantage over the Soviets that they can chop our capital budget？ Shrink the navy？〃 To maintain a navy； worn…out； obsolete ships must be constantly replaced with new ones。 New ships are expensive and require years to construct。 A decision not to build as many as necessary to maintain current force levels was a decision to shrink the navy。 Insufficient ships to fulfill continuing worldwide mitments forced planners to delay ship overhauls and keep sailors at sea for grotesquely long periods； which wore out ships prematurely and devastated enlisted retention rates。 It was a cruel downward spiral。 This was the post…Vietnam nightmare from which the navy was just recovering。
〃No democracy will ever buy enough ships；〃 Jake Grafton said。 〃Not over the long haul。〃
〃You're saying we can't maintain a six…hundred…ship navy；〃 Lanham said； frowning。
〃We don't have six hundred ships now； sir； and we're not likely to ever get them；〃 Jake shot back； suddenly sure he didn't want Lanham to think he could be cowed。
〃Lessen the primary threat and we won't need as many ships。 That's the argument；〃 said Ludlow。
〃Politicians never understand mitments；〃 Royce Caplinger said dryly； 〃perhaps because they make so many of them。 The federal deficit is totally out of control due to mandated increases in social program expenditures。 They borrowed money and never asked if they could afford the interest。 They approved treaties and never weighed the cost in defense expenditures。〃
The CNO made a gesture of frustration。 〃We have more practical concerns。 The air force is facing institutional death。 They gave up the close air support mission to the army a generation ago。 The strategic bomber mission is on the ropes。 All they have left are ICBMs…which the army could run…and tactical air and airlift。 Their bases are fixed； vulnerable to ICBMs and political upheavals。 The world is passing them by。 They're panicking。 And they have a lot of friends。 If they don't get Athena and get it now。。。〃
〃It'll get ugly；〃 Ludlow agreed。
〃I am the Secretary of Defense；〃 Caplinger said； his voice hard。 〃I will take care of the air force。 You people take care of the navy。〃
The heavy silence that followed was broken by Tyler Henry。 〃No one has mentioned the Minotaur。〃 All eyes turned to the vice admiral。 An unfortable look crossed his face； as if he had just farted in church。
〃What about him？〃 Caplinger asked。
〃He hasn't gotten Athena yet； but the minute we start bringing defense contractors into the loop； he will。〃
Caplinger leaned forward。 〃Where will we be if he gives Athena to the Russians？〃
Henry had recovered his posure。 〃We'll have lost our advantage；〃 he said with a trace of irritation in his voice。 〃They outgun us two to one。 We need the technological edge to stay in the game。〃
Caplinger got to his feet and reached for the jacket draped over the back of his chair。 〃Thanks for lunch； George。 Russell； you talk to these people and get this Athena business on track。 I want it in production as soon as possible。 We'll include it with the ATA in the budget。 Black all the way。〃 He paused and surveyed the faces at the table。 〃The navy can develop this。 Keep it under wraps。 Security as tight as a miser's money belt。 Develop it for planes and ships。 But the air force must be brought into this as soon as we have to start talking to Congress。 This may kill the B…2； but it'll save the B…L。〃
〃But what about the billions we're pouring into stealth planes now？〃 Russell Queen the bean counter asked his boss。
〃Heck； Russell； this Athena gizmo may not work。 Probably won't。 Sorry； Tyler； but after all！ A religious crackpot in a backyard workshop？ It's too good to be true。 Sounds like something Tom Clancy dreamed up after he had a bad pizza。〃
An hour later as Tyler Henry and Jake Grafton walked along the E…Ring back toward the admiral's office； Jake remarked； 〃At lunch； Admiral； you said we need a technological edge to stay in the game。 What if the game has changed？〃
〃You mean Gorbachev reforming the Kremlin； converting the mies？ Bull fucking shit。〃
〃The Soviets packed up and pulled out of Afghanistan。 They helped get the Cubans out of Angola。 They're relaxing their hold on Eastern Europe。 They're even talking to the Chinese。 Something's going on。〃
〃So the sons of Uncle Joe Stalin have given up their goal of world domination？ The fucking thugs who murdered twenty million of their own people？ My aching ass。 That's all big…lie propaganda that liberal half…wits want to believe。 Twenty million men； women and children！ They make Adolf Hitler look like a weenie waver。 We'd better have the edge when the shit splatters； because we'll never get a second chance。〃
〃So you're maintaining an open mind on the question。〃
〃You've been hanging around with that loose…screw Tarkington too long； Grafton。 You're beginning to sound like him。〃 Dunedin must have mentioned Tarkington to Henry； Jake surmised。 He was sure Henry had never met the lieutenant。
〃But what if Royce Caplinger and the politicos in Congress think the game has changed？〃
〃Caplinger isn't a fool。〃 Two paces later Henry added； 〃Thinking politician is an oxymoron。〃
After Jake parted from the admiral he walked to the cafeteria； where he bought a packet of Nabs and washed them down with a half…pint of milk。 Humans are unique animals； he reflected。 What other species has man's ability to see the world as he wants it to be； rather than as it actually is？ He couldn't think of any。 The worst of it is that this human trait deprives you of the ability to recognize reality when you see it。 On this gloomy note his thoughts turned to Callie。
〃What d'ya think's wrong with it？〃 Camacho asked nervously as he and Harlan Albright stood listening to Luis' car。 It had a ragged； sick sound； most likely because Camacho had taken out one of the spark plugs and pounded the hide arm against the core until there was no gap at all； then reinstalled it。
〃Sounds to me like you got a cylinder missing； but I'm no mechanic；〃 Albright said； and made notations on the service form。