cc.vixen03-第39章

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！


e　lamp　on　his　night　table；　and　soon　drifted　asleep。
　Settling　himself　in；　Jarvis　arranged　two　pillows　behind　his　back；　bent　the　high…intensity　light　to　the　proper　angle；　and　pulled　his　Ben　Franklin　specs　low　on　his　nose。　He　propped　the　folder　lent　him　by　John　Gossard　on　his　raised　knees　and　began　reading。　As　he　turned　the　pages；　he　jotted　notes　on　a　small　pad。　At　two　o'clock　in　the　morning；　he　closed　the　folder　on　Operation　Wild　Rose。
　He　lay　back　and　stared　into　nothingness　for　several　minutes；　consider…ing　whether　to　drop　the　folder　back　in　Gossard's　lap　and　forget　about　it　or　have　the　outlandish　plan　investigated。　He　decided　to　promise。
　Easing　slowly　out　of　bed　so　as　not　to　disturb　his　wife；　Jarvis　padded　to　his　den；　where　he　picked　up　a　telephone　and　expertly　punched　its　touch　system　in　the　dark。　His　call　was　answered　on　the　first　ring。
　〃This　is　Jarvis。　I　want　a　rundown　on　the　current　status　of　all　foreign　and　United　States　battleships。　Yes；　that's　right…battleships。　On　my　desk　sometime　tomorrow。　Thank　you。　Good　night。〃
　Then　he　returned　to　bed；　kissed　his　wife　lightly　on　the　cheek；　and　turned　out　the　lamp。
　
　40
　
　The　House　Foreign　Affairs　submittee　hearing　on　economic　aid　to　African　nations；　chaired　by　Frederick　Daggat；　opened　to　a　half…empty　conference　chamber　and　a　platoon　of　bored　reporters。　Daggat　was　flanked　by　Democrat　Earl　Hunt；　of　Iowa；　and　Republican　Roscoe　Meyers；　of　Oregon。　Loren　Smith　sat　off　by　herself　near　one　end　of　the　table。
　The　hearing　stretched　into　the　afternoon　as　representatives　of　several　African　governments　made　their　pitch　for　monetary　aid。　It　was　four　o'clock　when　Hiram　Lusana　took　his　turn　and　sat　down　before　the　submittee。　The　chamber　was　crowded　now。　Photographers　stood　on　seats；　their　flashbulbs　stabbing　the　walls；　while　reporters　began　furi…ously　scribbling　on　note　pads　or　muttering　into　tape　recorders。　Lusana　paid　no　attention　to　the　motion。　He　sat　poised　at　the　table；　like　a　croupier　who　knew　the　odds　were　in　his　favor。
　〃General　Lusana；〃　said　Daggat。　〃Wele　to　our　hearing。　I　think　you　know　the　procedures。　This　is　purely　a　preliminary　fact…finding　session。　You　will　be　allowed　twenty　minutes　to　state　your　case。　Afterward；　the　mittee　will　put　their　inquiries　to　you。　Our　opinions　and　findings　will　later　be　reported　to　the　House　Foreign　Affairs　mittee　as　a　whole。〃
　〃I　understand；〃　said　Lusana。
　〃Mr。　Chairman。〃
　Daggat　turned　to　Loren。　〃Yes；　Congresswoman　Smith。〃
　〃I　must　object　to　the　appearance　of　General　Lusana　at　this　hearing　on　the　grounds　that　he　does　not　represent　an　established　African　govern…ment。〃
　An　undercurrent　of　murmurs　swept　the　room。
　〃It　is　true；〃　Lusana　said；　leveling　his　gaze　at　Loren；　〃I　represent　no　established　government。　I　do；　however；　represent　the　free　soul　of　every　black　on　the　African　continent。〃
　〃Eloquently　put；〃　said　Loren。　〃But　rules　are　rules。〃
　〃You　cannot　turn　a　deaf　ear　to　the　pleas　of　millions　of　my　people　over　a　technicality。〃　Lusana　sat　immobile；　his　voice　almost　too　soft　for　those　in　the　back　of　the　room　to　hear。　〃A　man's　most　prized　possession　is　his　nationality。　Without　it　he　is　nothing。　In　Africa　we　are　in　a　fight　to　claim　a　nationality　that　rightfully　belongs　to　us。　I　am　here　to　beg　for　black　dignity。　I　do　not　ask　for　money　to　buy　arms。　I　do　not　ask　for　your　soldiers　to　fight　alongside　ours。　I　plead　only　for　the　necessary　funds　to　buy　food　and　medical　supplies　for　the　thousands　who　have　suffered　in　their　war　against　inhumanity。〃
　It　was　a　masterful　performance；　but　Loren　was　not　suckered　by　it。
　〃You　are　a　clever　man；　General。　If　I　argue　your　appeal；　I'd　be　condon…ing　your　presence　at　this　hearing。　My　objection　still　stands。〃
　Daggat　made　an　imperceptible　nod　to　one　of　his　aides　in　the　back…ground　and　turned　to　Earl　Hunt。　〃Congresswoman　Smith's　protest　is　duly　noted。　How　say　you；　Congressman　Hunt？〃
　While　Daggat　was　polling　Hunt　and　Roscoe　Meyers　for　their　opinions；　his　aide　moved　behind　Ljren　and　handed　her　a　large　white　envelope。
　〃What　is　this？〃
　〃I　was　told　to　tell　you　it　is　most　urgent　that　you　open　the　envelope　now；　ma'am。〃　Then　he　hastily　turned　away　and　left　the　chamber　through　a　side　door。
　Loren　undid　the　unsealed　flap　of　the　envelope　and　eased　out　one　of　several　eight…by…ten　photographs。　It　had　captured　her　naked　body　entwined　with　Pitt's　in　one　of　a　wild　series　of　orgiastic　positions。　Quickly；　she　shoved　the　photo　back　in　the　envelope；　her　face　gone　white；　reflecting　fear　and　disgust。
　Daggat　turned　to　her。　〃Congresswoman　Smith；　we　seem　to　have　a　hung　mittee。　Congressman　Hunt　and　I　agree　that　General　Lusana　should　be　heard。　Congressman　Meyers　stands　with　you。　As　chairman　of　this　hearing；　may　I　prevail　upon　you　in　the　interest　of　fair　play　to　permit　the　general　to　speak　his　piece。〃
　Loren　felt　the　hairs　on　the　back　of　her　neck　stiffen。　Daggat　was　leering　at　her。　It　was　all　there　in　his　expression：　he　was　no　stranger　to　the　contents　of　the　envelope。　She　struggled　to　contain　the　sickness　that　was　rising　in　her　throat；　suddenly　realizing　that　Felicia　Collins　had　sold　her　out　to　Lusana's　cause。　Silently　she　cursed　her　stupidity　in　allowing　herself　to　be　set　up　as　naively　as　a　teenage　runaway　with　a　big…city　pimp。
　〃Congresswoman　Smith？〃　Daggat　said；　prompting　her。
　There　was　no　out。　Daggat　controlled　her　now。　She　lowered　her　eyes　and　trembled。
　〃Mr。　Chairman；〃　she　said　in　total　defeat；　〃I　withdraw　my　objection。〃
　Barbara　Gore；　at　forty…three；　still　cut　the　figure　of　a　Vogue　fashion　model。　She　remained　trim　and　had　shapely　legs；　and　her　high…cheekboned　features　had　yet　to　flesh　with　age。　She　had　once　had　an　affair　with　Dale　Jarvis；　but　that　had　long　since　passed　through　the　sexual　phase；　and　now　she　was　simply　a　good　friend　as　well　as　his　personal　secretary。
　She　sat　across　from　his　desk；　those　beautiful　legs　crossed　at　an　angle　fortable　only　to　women　and　showy　to　the　male　eye。　Jarvis；　however；　took　no　notice　of　them。　He　sat　engrossed　in　dictation。　After　a　while　he　abruptly　broke　off　and　began　probing　through　a　mountainous　batch　of　highly　classified　reports。
　〃Perhaps　if　you　tell　me　what　it　is　you're　looking　for；〃　Barbara　said　patiently；　〃I　can　help　you。〃
　〃A　status　check　on　all　existing　battleships。　I　was　promised　delivery　for　today。〃
　She　sighed　and　reached　into　the　pile　and　extracted　a　stapled　sheaf　of　blue　papers。　〃Been　on　your　desk　since　eight　this　morning。〃　There　were　times　when　Barbara　was　moved　to　exasperation　over　Jarvis's　sloppy　work　habits；　but　she　had　long　ago　learned　to　accept　his　idiosyncrasies　and　flow　with　the　tide。
　〃What　does　it　say？〃
　〃What　do　you　want　it　to　say？〃　she　asked。　〃You　haven't　bothered　to　tell　me　what　you're　after。〃
　〃I　want　to　buy　a　battleship；　of　course。　Who　has　one　for　sale？〃
　Barbara　shot　him　a　dour　expression　and　studied　the　blue　papers。　〃I'm　afraid　you're　out　of　luck。　The　Soviet　Union　has　one　left；　which　is　used　to　train　naval　cadets。　France　has　long　since　scrapped　hers。　Same　with　Great　Britain；　even　though　she　still　keeps　one　on　the　rolls　for　the　sake　of　tradition。〃
　〃The　United　States？〃
　〃Five　of　them　have　been　preserved　as　memorials。〃
　〃What　are　their　present　locations？〃
　〃They're　enshrined　in　the　states　they　were　named　after：　North　Carolina；　Texas；　Alabama；　and　Massachusetts。〃
　〃You　said　five。〃
　〃The　Missouri　is　maintained　by　the　Navy　in　Bremerton；　Washington。　Oh；　I　almost　forgot：　the　Arizona　is　still　sentimentally　kept　on　naval　rolls　as　a　missioned　ship。〃
　Jarvis　put　his　hands　behind　his　head　and　stared　at　the　ceiling。　〃I　seem　to　recall　the　battlewagons　Wisconsin　and　Iowa　were　tied　up　at　the　Philadelphia　Navy　Yard　a　few　years　back。〃
　〃Good　memory；〃　said　Barbara。　〃According　to　the　report；　the　Wiscon…sin　went　to　the　ship…breakers　in　1984。〃
　〃And　the　Iowa？〃
　〃Sold　for　scrap。〃
　Jarvis　rose　and　walked　to　the　window。　He　looked　out；　hands　in　pockets；　for　several　moments。　Then　he　said；　〃The　Wild　Rose　folder。〃
　As　if　reading　his　thoughts；　Barbara　pointed　to　its　cover。　〃I　have　it。〃
　〃Send　it　over　to　John　Gossard　in　the　Africa　Section　and　tell　him　the　operation　made　damn　fine　reading。〃
　〃Is　that　all？〃
　Jarvis　turned。　〃Yes；〃　he　said　pensively。　〃All　things　considered；　that's　all　there　was　to　it。〃
　At　the　same　mo