“Commander Ryan,” Ramius said, drawing himself to attention, “my officers and I request political asylum in the United States – and we bring you this small present.” Ramius gestured toward the steel bulkheads [of Red October].
Captain Ramius and Jack Ryan, The Hunt for Red October, Tom Clancy
Ryan had already framed his reply. “Captain, on behalf of the president of the United States, it is my honor to grant your request. Welcome to freedom, gentlemen.”
Tag: The Hunt for Red October (Page 2 of 3)
Senescence – growing old; aging
“Ethan Allen‘s was generation-old technology. Her S5W reactor was too dated for much more use. Nuclear radiation had bombarded the metal vessel and its internal fittings with many billions of neutrons. As recent examination of test strips had revealed, over time the character of the metal had changed, becoming dangerously brittle. The system had at most another three years of useful life. A new reactor was too expensive. The Ethan Allen was doomed by her senescence.”
The Hunt for Red October, Tom Cancy
Feint – a movement made in order to deceive an adversary; an attack aimed at one place or point to distract from the real target
“A hundred miles behind the four fighters, ninety aircraft were following at thirty thousand feet in what would look very much to the Soviets like an alpha strike, a weighted attack mission of armed tactical fighters. It was exactly that – and also a feint. The real mission belonged to the low-level team of four.”
The hunt for red october, Tom Clancy
Supernumerary – being in excess of the usual, proper, or prescribed number; addition; extra
“Everyone was busy – except him. The pilots were up twice a day or more, exercising with their U.S. Air Force and Navy Counterparts working from shore bases. The ships were practicing surface war tactics. As Admiral White had said at breakfast, it had developed into a jolly good extension of NIFTY DOLPHIN. Ryan didn’t like being supernumerary.
The hunt for red october, Tom Clancy
Deadpan – marked by a fixed air of seriousness or calm detachment
“Dr. Tyler thinks we should hold onto [Red October] if we get her,” Harris said deadpan. “And he thinks he has a way we can do it.”
General Harris, The Hunt for Red October, Tom Clancy
Obfuscate – to confuse; to make unclear
“[Ambassador] Arbatov probably has his instructions on what to tell us already, but he’ll play for all the time he can. It’s also vaguely possible that he’s in the dark. We know how they compartmentalize information. You suppose we’re reading too much into his talent for obfuscation?”
The President, The Hunt for Red October, Tom Clancy
Folderol – useless accessory; trifle, nonsense
“Anyway, I hardly thing we need to attach legal folderol to a situation involving nuclear weapons.”
Admiral Daniel Foster, The hunt for red october, Tom Clancey
“We have our differences, gentlemen, but the sea doesn’t care about that. The sea – well, she tries to kill us all regardless what flag we fly.”
Dr. Tait, The Hunt for Red October, Tom Clancy
“He decided that the Russians were on some sort of fishing expedition. His job was to show them that the fish in these waters were dangerous.”
Commodore Zachary Eaton of the USS New Jersey, The Hunt for Red October, Tom Clancy
Ramius chuckled. “Remember the incident on Lenin?” He referred to the nuclear-powered icebreaker that had spent two years tied to the dock, unusable because of a nuclear mishap. “A ship’s cook had some badly crusted pans, and a madman of an engineer suggested that he use live steam to get them cleaned. So the idiot walked down to the steam generator and opened an inspection valve, with his pots under it!”
Melekhin rolled his eyes. “I remember it! I was a staff engineering officer then. The captain had asked for a Kazakh cook – “
“He liked horsemen with his kasha,” Ramius said.
” – and the fool didn’t know the first thing about a ship. Killed himself and three other men, contaminated the whole… compartment for twenty months. The captain only got out of the gulag last year.”
“I bet the cook got his pans cleaned, though,” Ramius observed.
“Indeed Marko Aleksandrovich – they may even be safe to use in another fifty years.” Melekhin laughed raucously.
Captain Ramius and Engineer Melekhin, The Hunt for red october, Tom Clancy
This led the doctor on board to wonder at this phlegmatic conversation.