tc.thebearandthedragon-第106部分

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　〃See　ya。〃　Hitch　broke　the　connection。
　
　
　
　
　CHAPTER　　33
　Square　One
　
　〃You　may　not　talk　to　us　this　way；〃　Shen　Tans　observed。
　〃Minister；　my　country　has　principles　which　we　do　not　violate。　Some　of　those　are　respect　for　human　rights；　the　right　of　free　assembly；　the　right　to　worship　God　as　one　wishes；　the　right　to　speak　freely。　The　government　of　the　People's　Republic　has　seen　fit　to　violate　those　principles；　hence　America's　response。　Every　other　great　power　in　the　world　recognizes　those　rights。　China　must　as　well。〃
　〃Must？　You　tell　us　what　we　must　do？〃
　〃Minister；　if　China　wishes　to　be　a　member　of　the　munity　of　nations；　then；　yes。〃
　〃America　will　not　dictate　to　us。　You　are　not　the　rulers　of　the　world！〃
　〃We　do　not　claim　to　be。　But　we　can　choose　those　nations　with　whom　we　have　normal　relations；　and　we　would　prefer　them　to　recognize　human　rights　as　do　all　other　civilized　nations。〃
　〃Now　you　say　we　are　uncivilized？〃　Shen　demanded。
　〃I　did　not　say　that；　Minister；〃　Hitch　responded；　wishing　he'd　not　let　his　tongue　slip。
　〃America　does　not　have　the　right　to　impose　its　wishes　on　us　or　any　other　nation。　You　e　here　and　dictate　trade　terms　to　us；　and　now　also　you　demand　that　we　conduct　our　internal　affairs　so　as　to　suit　you。　Enough！　We　will　not　kowtow　to　you。　We　are　not　your　servants。　I　reject　this　note。〃　Shen　even　tossed　it　back　in　Hitch's　direction　to　give　further　emphasis　to　his　words。
　〃That　is　your　reply；　then？〃　Hitch　asked。
　〃That　is　the　reply　of　the　Peoples　Republic　of　China；〃　Shen　answered　imperiously。
　〃Very　well；　Minister。　Thank　you　for　the　audience。〃　Hitch　bowed　politely　and　withdrew。　Remarkable；　he　thought；　that　normal…if　not　exactly　friendly…relations　could　e　unglued　this　fast。　Only　six　weeks　before；　Shen　had　been　over　to　the　embassy　for　a　cordial　working　dinner；　and　they'd　toasted　each　other's　country　in　the　friendliest　manner　possible。　But　Kissinger　had　said　it：　Countries　do　not　have　friends；　they　have　interests。　And　the　PRC　had　just　shit　on　some　of　America's　most　closely　felt　principles。　And　that　was　that。　He　walked　back　out　to　his　car　for　the　drive　to　the　embassy。
　Cliff　Rutledge　was　waiting　there。　Hitch　waved　him　into　his　private　office。
　〃Well？〃
　〃Well；　he　told　me　to　shove　it　up　my　ass…in　diplo…speak；〃　Hitch　told　his　visitor。　〃You　might　have　a　lively　session　this　morning。〃
　Rutledge　had　seen　the　note　already；　of　course。　〃I'm　surprised　Scott　let　it　go　out　that　way。〃
　〃I　gather　things　at　home　have　gotten　a　little　firm。　We've　seen　CNN　and　all；　but　maybe　it's　even　worse　than　it　appears。〃
　〃Look；　I　don't　condone　anything　the　Chinese　did；　but　all　this　over　a　couple　of　shot　clergymen　。。。〃
　〃One　was　a　diplomat；　Cliff；〃　Hitch　reminded　him。　〃If　you　got　your　ass　shot　off；　you'd　want　them　to　take　it　seriously　in　Washington；　wouldn't　you？〃
　The　reprimand　made　Rutledge's　eyes　flare　a　little。　〃It's　President　Ryan　who's　driving　this。　He　just　doesn't　understand　how　diplomacy　works。〃
　〃Maybe；　maybe　not；　but　he　is　the　President；　and　it's　our　job　to　represent　him；　remember？〃
　〃Hard　to　forget　it；〃　Rutledge　groused。　He'd　never　be　Undersecretary　of　State　while　that　yahoo　sat　in　the　White　House；　and　Undersecretary　was　the　job　he'd　had　his　eye　on　for　the　last　fifteen　years。　But　neither　would　he　get　the　job　if　he　allowed　his　private　feelings；　however　justified；　to　cloud　his　professional　judgment。　〃We're　going　to　be　called　home　or　sent　home；〃　he　estimated。
　〃Probably；〃　Hitch　agreed。　〃Be　nice　to　catch　some　baseball。　How　do　the　Sox　look　this　season？〃
　〃Forget　it。　A　rebuilding　year。　Once　again。〃

　〃Sorry　about　that。〃　Hitch　shook　his　head　and　checked　his　desk　for　new　dispatches；　but　there　were　none。　Now　he　had　to　let　Washington　know　what　the　Chinese　Foreign　Minister　had　said。　Scott　Adler　was　probably　sitting　in　his　seventh…floor　office　waiting　for　the　secure　direct　line　to　ring。
　〃Good　luck；　Cliff。〃
　〃Thanks　a　bunch；〃　Rutledge　said　on　his　way　out　the　door。
　Hitch　wondered　if　he　should　call　home　and　tell　his　wife　to　start　packing　for　home；　but　no；　not　yet。　First　he　had　to　call　Foggy　Bottom。
　
　So；　what's　going　to　happen？〃　Ryan　asked　Adler　from　his　bed。　He'd　left　orders　to　be　called　as　soon　as　they　got　word。　Now；　listening　to　Adler's　reply；　he　was　surprised。　He'd　thought　the　wording　of　the　note　rather　wimpy；　but　evidently　diplomatic　exchange　had　even　stricter　rules　than　he'd　appreciated。　〃Okay；　now　what；　Scott？〃
　〃Well；　we'll　wait　and　see　what　happens　with　the　trade　delegation；　but　even　money　we　call　them　and　Carl　Hitch　home　for　consultations。〃
　〃Don't　the　Chinese　realize　they　could　take　a　trade　hit　from　all　this？〃
　〃They　don't　expect　that　to　happen。　Maybe　if　it　does；　it'll　make　them　think　over　the　error　of　their　ways。〃
　〃I　wouldn't　bet　much　on　that　card；　Scott。〃
　〃Sooner　or　later；　mon　sense　has　to　break　out。　A　hit　in　the　wallet　usually　gets　a　guy's　attention；〃　SecState　said。
　〃I'll　believe　that　when　I　see　it；〃　POTUS　replied。　〃'Night；　Scott。〃
　〃'Night；　Jack。〃
　〃So　what　did　they　say？〃　Cathy　Ryan　asked。
　〃They　told　us　to　stick　it　up　our　ass。〃
　〃Really？〃
　〃Really；〃　Jack　replied；　flipping　the　light　off。
　The　Chinese　thought　they　were　invincible。　It　must　be　nice　to　believe　that。　Nice；　but　dangerous。
　
　The　265th　Motor　Rifle　Division　was　posed　of　three　regiments　of　conscripts…Russians　who　hadn't　chosen　to　avoid　military　service；　which　made　them　patriotic；　or　stupid；　or　apathetic；　or　sufficiently　bored　with　life　that　the　prospect　of　two　years　in　uniform；　poorly　fed　and　largely　unpaid；　didn't　seem　that　much　of　a　sacrifice。　Each　regiment　was　posed　of　about　fifteen　hundred　soldiers；　about　five　hundred　fewer　than　full　authorized　strength。　The　good　news　was　that　each　regiment　had　an　organic　tank　battalion；　and　that　all　of　the　mechanized　equipment　was；　if　not　new；　then　at　least　recently　manufactured；　and　reasonably　well　maintained。　The　division　lacked　its　organic　tank　regiment；　however；　the　fist　which　gave　a　motor…rifle　division　its　offensive　capabilities。　Also　missing　was　the　divisional　antitank　battalion；　with　its　Rapier　antitank　cannons。　These　were　anachronistic　weapons　which　Bondarenko　nonetheless　liked　because　he'd　played　with　them　as　an　officer　cadet　nearly　forty　years　before。　The　new　model　of　the　BMP　infantry　carrier　had　been　modified　to　carry　the　AT…6　antitank　missile；　the　one　NATO　called　〃Spiral；〃　actually　a　Russian　version　of　the　NATO　Milan；　courtesy　of　some　nameless　KGB　spy　of　the　1980s。　The　Russian　troops　called　it　the　Hammer　for　its　ease　of　use；　despite　a　relatively　small　warhead。　Every　BMP　had　ten　of　these；　which　more　than　made　up　for　the　missing　battalion　of　towed　guns。
　What　worried　Bondarenko　and　Aliyev　most　was　the　lack　of　artillery。　Historically　the　best　trained　and　best　drilled　part　of　the　Russian　army；　the　artillery　was　only　half　present　in　the　Far　East's　maneuver　forces；　battalions　taking　the　place　of　regiments。　The　rationale　for　this　was　the　fixed　defense　line　on　the　Chinese　border；　which　had　a　goodly　supply　of　fixed　and　fortified　artillery　positions；　albeit　of　obsolete　designs；　though　with　trained　crews　and　massive　stocks　of　shells　to　pour　into　predetermined　positions。
　The　general　scowled　in　the　confines　of　his　staff　car。　It　was　what　he　got　for　being　smart　and　energetic。　A　properly　prepared　and　trained　military　district　didn't　need　a　man　like　him；　did　it？　No；　his　talents　were　needed　by　a　shithole　like　this　one。　Just　once；　he　thought；　might　a　good　officer　get　a　reward　for　good　performance　instead　of　another　〃challenge；〃　as　they　called　it？　He　grunted。　Not　in　this　lifetime。　The　dunces　and　dolts　drew　the　fortable　districts　with　no　threats　and　lots　of　equipment　to　deal　with　them。
　His　worst　worry　was　the　air　situation。　Of　all　the　Russian　military　arms；　the　air　forces　had　suffered　the　most　from　the　fall　of　the　Soviet　Union。　Once　Far　East　had　had　its　own　fleets　of　tactical　fighters；　poised　to　deal　with　a　threat　from　American　aircraft　based　in　Japan　or　on　aircraft　carriers　of　their　Pacific　Fleet；　that　plus　what　was　needed　to　face　off　the　Chinese。　No　more。　Now　he　had　perhaps　fifty　usable　aircraft　in　theater；　and　the　pilots　for　those　got　perhaps　seventy　flight　hours　per　year；　barely　enough　to　make　sure　they　could　take　off　and　land　safely。　Fifty　modern　fighter…class　aircraft；　mainly　for　air…to…air　bat；　not　air…to…ground。　There　were　several　hundred　more；　rotting　at　their　bases；　mainly　in　hardened　shelters　to　keep　them　dry；　their　tires　dry…rotted　and　internal　seals　cracked　from　lack　of　use　because　of　the　spare…parts　shortage　that　grounded　nearly　the　entire　Russian　air　force。
　〃You　know；　Andrey；　I　can　remember　when　the　world　shook　with　fear　of　our　country's　army。　Now；　they　shake　with　laughter；　those　who　bother　to　take　note　of　us。〃　Bondarenko　took　a　sip　of　vodka　from　a　flask。　It　had　been　a　long　time　since　he'd　drunk　alcohol　on　duty；　but　it　was　cold…the　heater　in　the　car　was　broken…and　he　needed　the　solace。
　〃Gennady　Iosifovich；　it　is　not　as　bad　as　it　appears…〃
　〃I　agree！　It　is　worse！〃　CINC…FAR　EAST　growled。　〃If　the　Chinks　e　north；　I　shall　learn　to　eat　with　chopsticks。　I've　always　wondered　how　they　do　that；〃　he　added　with　a　wry　smile。　Bondarenko　was　always　one　to　see　the　humor　in　a　situation。
　〃But　to　others　we　appear　strong。　We　have　thousands　of　tanks；　rade　General。〃
　Which　was　true。　They'd　spent　the　morning　inspecting　monstrous　sheds　containing　of　all　things　T…34/85　tanks　manufactured　at　Chelyabinsk　in　1946。　Some　had　virgin　guns；　never　fired。　The　Germans　had　shaken　in　their　jackboots　to　see　these　tanks　storm　over　the　horizon；　but　that's　what　they　were；　World　War　II　tanks；　over　nine　hundred　of　them；　three　plete　division　sets。　And　there　were　even　troops　to　maintain　them！　The　engines　still　turned　over；　serviced　as　they　were　by　the　grandchildren　of　the　men　who'd　used　them　in　bat　operations　against　the　fascisti。　And　in　the　same　sheds　were　shells；　some　made　as　recently　as　1986；　for　the　85…mm　guns。　The　world　was　mad；　and　surely　the　Soviet　Union　had　been　mad；　first　to　store　such　antiques；　then　to　spend　money　and　effort　maintaining　them。　And　even　now；　more　than　ten　years　after　the　demise　of　that　nation…state；　the　sheer　force　of　bureaucratic　inertia　still　sent　conscripts　into　the　sheds　to　maintain　the　antique　collection。　For　what　purpose？　No　one　knew。　It　woul