The sum of all fears - Tom Clancy [167]
"We're ready for departure. All buckled, sir?" the sergeant-attendant asked.
"You bet! Let's get this show on the road," Durling replied with a smile. On Air Force One, he knew, people often showed their confidence in the aircraft and the crew by not buckling. More evidence that his airplane was second-best, but he could hardly growl at the sergeant for being a pro, and to this man Roger Durling was important. The Vice President reflected that this made the sergeant E-6 in the U.S. Air Force a more honorable man than most of the people in politics, but that wasn't much of a surprise, was it? "That's a roger."
"Again?" Ryan asked.
"Yes, sir," the voice on the other end of the phone said.
"Okay, give me a few minutes."
"Yes, sir."
Ryan finished off his coffee and walked off towards Cabot's office. He was surprised to see Goodley in there again. The youngster was keeping his distance from the Director's cigar smoke, and even Jack thought that Marcus was overdoing the Patton act, or whatever the hell Cabot thought he was trying to look like.
"What is it, Jack?"
"CAMELOT," Jack replied with visible annoyance. "Those White House pukes have bowed out again. They want me to join in instead."
"Well, are you that tied up?"
"Sir, we talked about that four months ago. It's important for the people at the White House to -"
"The President and his people are busy on some things," the DCI explained tiredly.
"Sir, these things are scheduled weeks in advance, and it's the fourth straight time that -"
"I know, Jack."
Ryan stood his ground. "Director, somebody has to explain to them how important this is."
"I've tried, dammit!" Cabot shot back. He had done so, Jack knew.
"Have you tried working through Secretary Talbot, or maybe Dennis Bunker?" Jack asked. At least the President listens to them, Jack didn't add.
He didn't have to. Cabot got the message. "Look, Jack, we can't give orders to the President. We can only give advice. He doesn't always take it. You're pretty good at this, anyway. Dennis likes playing with you."
"Fine, sir, but it's not my job - do they even read the wash-up notes?"
"Charlie Alden did. I suppose Liz Elliot does, too."
"I bet," Ryan observed icily, ignoring Goodley's presence. "Sir, they are being irresponsible."
"That's a little strong, Jack."
"It's a little true, Director," Ryan said, as calmly as he could.
"Can I ask what CAMELOT is?" Ben Goodley asked.
"It's a game," Cabot answered. "Crisis-management, usually."
"Oh, like SAGA and GLOBAL?"
"Yeah." Ryan said. "The President never plays. The reason is that we cannot risk knowledge of how he would act in a given situation - and yes, that is overly Byzantine, but it's always been that way. Instead, the National Security Advisor or some other senior staff member takes his place, and the President is supposed to be briefed on how it goes. Except that President Fowler thinks that he doesn't have to bother, and now his people are starting to act the same dumb way." Jack was sufficiently annoyed that he used the words 'President Fowler' and 'dumb' in the same sentence.
"Well, I mean, is it really necessary?" Goodley asked. "Sounds like an anachronism to me."
"You have car insurance, Ben?" Jack asked.
"Yes, sure."
"Ever have an auto accident?"
"Not one that was my fault," Goodley replied.
"Then why bother with insurance?" Jack answered the question: "Because it's insurance, right? You don't expect to need it, you never want to need it, but because you might need