The Bear and the Dragon - Tom Clancy [181]
"Possessive bastard," Ryan saw, skimming that section. "Well, I guess at that age you hold on to what you need. Does this tell us anything?"
"Sir, it tells us something about the kind of people who make decisions over there. Here we call them sexual predators."
"Of which we have a few in government service ourselves," Ryan observed. The papers had just broken a story on a member of the Senate.
"At least not in this office," Goodley told his President. He didnt add anymore.
"Well, this President is married to a surgeon. She knows how to use sharp instruments," Ryan said, with a wry grin. "So, the Taiwan stuff yesterday was just a ploy because they havent figured out how to address the trade issues yet?"
"So it would appear, and yes, that does seem a little odd. Also, MP thinks that they might have a low-level source in State. They know a little more than they could have gotten from the press, she thinks."
"Oh, great," Jack noted. "So what happened? The Japanese corporations sold their old sources to the Chinese?"
Goodley shrugged. "No telling at this time."
"Have Mary Pat call Dan Murray about this. Counterespionage is the FBIs department. Is this something we want to move on at once, or will this compromise SONGBIRD?"
"Thats for somebody else to judge, sir," Goodley said, reminding the President that he was good, but not quite that good at this business.
"Yeah, somebody other than me, too. What else?"
"The Senate Select Intelligence Committee wants to look into the Russian situation."
"Thats nice. Whats the beef?"
"They seem to have their doubts about how trustworthy our friends in Moscow are. Theyre worried that theyre going to use the oil and gold money to become the USSR again, and maybe threaten NATO."
"NATOs moved a few hundred miles east, last time I looked. The buffer zone will not hurt our interests."
"Except that we are obligated to defend Poland now," Goodley reminded his boss.
"I remember. So, tell the Senate to authorize funds to move a tank brigade east of Warsaw. We can take over one of the old Soviet laagers, cant we?"
"If the Poles want us to. They dont seem overly concerned, sir."
"Probably more worried by the Germans, right?"
"Correct, and there is a precedent for that concern."
"When will Europe get the word that peace has finally broken out for good and all?" Ryan asked the ceiling.
"Theres a lot of history, some of it pretty recent, for them to remember, Mr. President. And much of it militates in the other direction."
"Ive got a trip to Poland scheduled, dont I?"
"Yes, not too far off, and theyre working out the itinerary right now."
"Okay, Ill tell the Polish president personally that he can depend on us to keep the Germans under control. If they step out of line—well, well take Chrysler back." Jack sipped his coffee and checked his watch. "Anything else?"
"That should do it for today."
The President looked up slyly. "Tell Mary Pat if she sends me more of this WARBLER stuff, I want the pictures to go with it."
"Will do, sir." Goodley had himself a good hoot at that.
Ryan picked up the briefing papers again and read through them more slowly this time, between sips of coffee and snorts, with a few grumbles thrown in. Life had been much easier when he was the guy who prepared these briefing papers than it was now that he was the guy who had to read them. Why was that? Shouldnt it have been the other way around? Before, hed been the one to find the answers and anticipate the questions, but now that other people had done all that stuff for him … it was harder. That didnt make any sense at all, damn