cyclops-第55节

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tor　Porter；　and　Dan　Fawcett。　Hudson　was　seated　by　himself　at　the　far　end。　Only　Raymond　LeBaron　was　missing。
　　　　They　were　dressed　casually；　sitting　fortably　like　golfers　in　a　clubhouse；　relaxed；　supremely　confident　and　showing　no　signs　of　tension。
　　　　〃Good　morning；　Mr。　President；〃　greeted　Senator　Porter　cheerfully。　〃To　what　do　we　owe　the　honor　of　this　mysterious　summons？〃
　　　　The　President　cleared　his　throat。　〃You　all　know　why　I've　brought　you　here。　So　we　don't　have　to　play　games。〃
　　　　〃You　don't　want　to　congratulate　us？〃　asked　Clyde　Booth　sarcastically。
　　　　〃Tributes　may　or　may　not　be　offered；〃　said　the　President　coldly。　〃That　will　depend。〃
　　　　〃Depend　on　what？〃　Gunnar　Eriksen　demanded　rudely。
　　　　〃I　believe　what　the　President　is　fishing　for；〃　said　Hudson；　〃is　our　blessing　for　allowing　the　Russians　to　claim　a　share　of　the　moon。〃
　　　　〃That　and　a　confession　of　mass　murder。〃
　　　　The　tables　were　turned。　They　just　sat　there；　eyes　with　the　look　of　fish　in　a　freezer；　staring　at　the　President。
　　　　Senator　Porter；　a　fast　thinker；　launched　his　attack　first。　〃Execution　gangland　style　or　Arsenic　and　Old　Lace　poison　in　the　tea？　If　I　may　ask；　Mr。　President；　what　in　hell　are　you　talking　about？〃
　　　　〃A　small　matter　of　nine　dead　Soviet　cosmonauts。〃
　　　　〃Those　lost　during　the　early　Soyuz　missions？〃　asked　Dan　Fawcett。
　　　　〃No；〃　answered　the　President。　〃The　nine　Russians　who　were　killed　on　the　Selenos　lunar　probes。〃
　　　　Hudson　gripped　the　edge　of　the　table　and　stared　as　if　he　had　been　electrocuted。　〃The　Selenos　spacecraft　were　unmanned。〃
　　　　〃The　Russians　wanted　the　world　to　think　so；　but　in　reality　they　each　carried　three　men。　We　have　one　of　the　crews　on　ice　in　the　Walter　Reed　hospital　morgue；　if　you　care　to　examine　the　remains。〃
　　　　No　one　would　have　thought　it　to　look　at　them。　They　considered　themselves　moral…minded　citizens　doing　a　job　for　their　country。　The　last　thing　any　of　them　expected　to　see　in　a　mirror　was　the　reflection　of　a　cold…blooded　killer。　To　say　that　the　President　had　his　audience　in　the　palm　of　his　hand　would　be　an　understatement。
　　　　Hagen　sat　fascinated。　This　was　all　news　to　him。
　　　　〃If　you'll　bear　with　me；〃　the　President　continued；　〃I'll　indulge　in　mixing　facts　with　speculation。　To　begin　with；　you　and　your　moon　colonists　have　acplished　an　incredible　achievement。　I　pliment　you　on　your　perseverance　and　genius；　as　will　the　world　in　the　ing　weeks。　However；　you　have　unwittingly　made　a　terrible　error　that　could　easily　stain　your　acplishment。
　　　　〃In　your　zeal　to　wave　the　Stars　and　Stripes　you　have　ignored　the　international　space　law　treaty　governing　activities　on　the　moon；　which　was　ratified　by　the　United　States；　the　Soviet　Union；　and　three　other　countries　in　1984。　Then　you　took　it　upon　yourselves　to　claim　the　moon　as　a　sovereign　possession　and；　figuratively　speaking；　posted　‘Trespassers　Will　Be　Shot'　signs。　Only　you　backed　it　up　by　somehow　destroying　three　Soviet　lunar　probes。　One　of　them；　Selenos　4；　managed　to　return　to　earth；　where　it　orbited　for　eighteen　months　before　control　was　reestablished。　Soviet　space　engineers　attempted　to　bring　it　down　in　the　steppes　of　Kazakhstan；　but　the　craft　was　damaged　and　it　fell　near　Cuba　instead。
　　　　〃Under　the　guise　of　a　treasure　hunt；　you　sent　Raymond　LeBaron　to　find　it　before　the　Russians。　Telltale　marks　of　damage　inflicted　by　your　colonists　had　to　be　obliterated。　But　the　Cubans　beat　you　both　to　the　downed　craft　and　retrieved　it。　You　weren't　aware　of　that　until　now；　and　the　Russians　still　don't　know。　Unless。　。　。〃
　　　　The　President　hung　on　the　word。　〃Unless　Raymond　LeBaron　has　spilled　his　knowledge　of　the　Jersey　Colony　under　torture。　I　have　it　on　good　authority　he　was　captured　by　the　Cubans　and　turned　over　to　Soviet　military　intelligence；　the　GRU。〃
　　　　〃Raymond　won't　talk；〃　Hudson　said　wrathfully。
　　　　〃He　may　not　have　to；〃　the　President　replied。　〃A　few　hours　ago　intelligence　analysts；　whom　I　asked　to　reexamine　Soviet　space　signals　received　during　Selenos　4's　reentry　orbits；　have　discovered　that　its　data　on　the　lunar　surface　were　transmitted　to　a　ground　tracking　station　on　the　island　of　Socotra；　near　Yemen。　Do　you　prehend　the　consequences；　gentlemen？〃
　　　　〃We　prehend　what　you're　driving　at。〃　It　was　General　Fisher　who　spoke；　his　voice　reflective。　〃The　Soviets　may　have　visual　proof　of　the　Jersey　Colony。〃
　　　　〃Yes；　and　they've　probably　put　two　and　two　together　and　figured　your　people　up　there　had　something　to　do　with　the　Selenos　disasters。　You　can　be　sure　they　will　retaliate。　No　calls　on　the　hot　line；　no　messages　slipped　through　diplomatic　channels；　no　announcements　in　Toss　or　Pravda。　The　battle　for　the　moon　will　be　kept　secret　by　both　sides。　When　you　total　the　score；　gentlemen；　the　result　is　you　have　launched　a　war　that　may　prove　impossible　to　stop。〃
　　　　The　men　seated　around　the　table　were　shocked　and　confused；　dazed　and　angry。　But　they　were　angry　only　because　of　a　miscalculation　of　an　event　that　was　beyond　their　knowledge。　The　awful　truth　took　several　moments　to　register。
　　　　〃You　speak　of　Soviet　retaliation；　Mr。　President；〃　said　Fawcett。　〃Do　you　have　any　insight　on　the　possibility？〃
　　　　〃Put　yourself　in　Soviet　shoes。　They　were　on　to　you　a　good　week　before　their　Selenos　8　lunar　station　was　launched。　If　I　were　President　Antonov；　I'd　have　ordered　the　mission　converted　from　scientific　exploration　to　a　military　operation。　There　is　little　doubt　in　my　mind　that　when　Selenos　8　touches　down　on　the　moon　twenty　hours　from　now；　a　special　team　of　Soviet　mandos　will　encircle　and　attack　the　Jersey　Colony。　Now　you　tell　me；　can　the　base　defend　itself？〃
　　　　General　Fisher　looked　at　Hudson；　then　turned　to　the　President　and　shrugged　his　shoulders。　〃I　can't　say。　We've　never　made　contingency　plans　for　an　armed　assault　on　the　colony。　As　I　recall；　their　only　weapons　are　two　handguns　and　a　missile　launcher。〃
　　　　〃Incidentally；　when　were　your　colonists　scheduled　to　leave　the　moon？〃
　　　　〃They　should　lift　off　in　about　thirty…six　hours；〃　answered　Hudson。
　　　　〃I'm　curious；〃　said　the　President。　〃How　do　they　intend　to　return　through　earth's　atmosphere？　Certainly　their　lunar　transport　vehicle　doesn't　have　the　capability。〃
　　　　Hudson　smiled。　〃They'll　return　to　the　Kennedy　spaceport　at　Cape　Canaveral　on　the　shuttle。〃
　　　　The　President　sighed。　〃The　Gettysburg。　Stupid　of　me　not　to　think　of　it。　She's　already　docked　at　our　space　station。〃
　　　　〃Her　crew　hasn't　been　advised　yet；〃　said　Steve　Busche　of　NASA；　〃but　once　they　get　over　the　shock　of　seeing　the　colonists　suddenly　show　up　on　the　transport　vehicle；　they'll　be　more　than　willing　to　take　on　extra　passengers。〃
　　　　The　President　paused　and　stared　at　the　members　of　the　〃inner　core；〃　his　expression　suddenly　bleak。　〃The　burning　question　we　all　have　to　face；　gentlemen；　is　whether　the　Jersey　colonists　will　survive　to　make　the　trip。〃




　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　



　　　　〃Do　you　really　expect　to　get　away　with　it？〃　Pitt　asked。
　　　　Colonel　Ramon　Kleist；　U。S。　Marine　Corps；　Retired；　rocked　on　his　heels　and　scratched　an　itch　on　his　back　with　a　swagger　stick。　〃So　long　as　we　can　withdraw　as　a　unit　with　our　casualties；　yes；　I　believe　the　mission　can　be　pulled　off　successfully。〃
　　　　〃Nothing　this　plicated　can　go　letter　perfect；〃　said　Pitt。　〃Destroying　the　pound　and　the　antenna；　plus　killing　off　Velikov　and　his　entire　staff；　sound　to　me　like　you're　biting　off　more　than　you　can　chew。〃
　　　　〃Your　eyewitness　observation　and　our　stealth　aircraft　photos　corroborate　the　light　defensive　measures。〃
　　　　〃How　many　men　make　up　your　team？〃　asked　Pitt。
　　　　〃Thirty…one　including　yourself〃
　　　　〃The　Russians　are　bound　to　find　out　who　trashed　their　secret　base。　You'll　be　kicking　a　hornet's　nest。〃
　　　　〃All　part　of　the　plan；〃　Kleist　said　airily。
　　　　Kleist　stood　ramrod　straight；　his　chest　threatening　to　burst　from　a　flowered　shirt。　Pitt　guessed　his　age　as　late　fifties。　He　was　a　medium　skinned　black；　born　in　Argentina；　the　only　child　of　a　former　SS　officer　who　had　fled　Germany　after　the　war　and　the　daughter　of　a　Liberian　diplomat。　Sent　to　a　private　school　in　New　York；　he　decided　to　drop　out　and　make　a　career　in　the　Marines。
　　　　〃I　thought　there　was　an　unwritten　agreement　between　the　CIA　and　the　KGB　we　won't　waste　your　agents　if　you　don't　waste　ours。〃
　　　　The　colonel　gave　Pitt　an　innocent　look。　〃Whatever　gave　you　the　idea　our　side　will　do　the　dirty　work？〃
　　　　Pitt　did　not　reply；　only　stared　at　Kleist；　waiting。
　　　　〃The　mission　will　be　conducted　by　Cuban　Special　Security　Forces；〃　he　explained。　〃Their　equivalent　to　our　SEALS。　Or　to　be　honest；　expertly　trained　exiles　dressed　in　genuine　Cuban　battle　fatigues。　Even　their　underwear　and　socks　will　be　standard　Cuban　military　issue。　Weapons；　wristwatches；　and　other　equipment　will　be　of　Soviet　manufacture。　And；　just　so　we　keep　up　appearances；　the　landing　will　e　from　the　Cuban　side　of　the　island。〃
　　　　〃All　neat　and　tidy。〃
　　　　〃We　try　to　be　efficient。〃
　　　　〃Are　you　leading　the　mission？〃
　　　　Kleist　smiled。　〃No；　I'm　getting　too　old　to　leap　out　of　the　surf　onto　beaches。　The　assault　team　will　be　led　by　Major　Angelo　Quintana。　You'll　meet　him　at　our　camp　in　San　Salvador。　I'll　be　standing　by　on　the　SPUT。〃
　　　　〃Say　again。〃
　　　　〃Special…purpose　undersea　transport；〃　answered　Kleist；　〃a　vessel　constructed　expressly　for　missions