tc.thebearandthedragon-第129部分

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　〃And　what　is　their　state　of　readiness？〃　Tong　Jie　asked。
　〃Generally；　quite　poor。　They　have　one　full…strength　division；　one　at　two…thirds；　and　the　rest　are　hardly　better　than　cadre…strength。　Their　new　Far　East　mander；　a　General…Colonel　Bondarenko；　despairs　of　making　things　better；　our　sources　tell　us。〃
　〃Wait；〃　Fang　objected。　〃Are　we　discussing　the　possibility　of　war　with　Russia　here？〃
　〃Yes；〃　Zhang　Han　San　replied。　〃We　have　done　this　before。〃
　〃That　is　true；　but　on　the　first　such　occasion；　we　would　have　had　Japan　as　an　ally；　and　America　neutralized。　On　the　second；　we　assumed　that　Russia　would　have　been　broken　up　beforehand　along　religious　lines。　Who　are　our　allies　in　this　case？　How　has　Russia　been　crippled？〃
　〃We've　been　a　little　unlucky；〃　Tan　answered。　〃The　chief　minister…well；　the　chief　adviser　to　their　President　Grushavoy　is　still　alive。〃
　〃What　do　you　mean？〃　Fang　asked。
　〃I　mean　that　our　attempt　to　kill　him　misfired。〃　Tan　explained　on　for　two　minutes。　The　reaction　around　the　table　was　one　of　mild　shock。
　〃Tan　had　my　approval；〃　Xu　told　them　calmly。
　Fang　looked　over　at　Zhang　Han　San。　That's　where　the　idea　must　have　originated。　His　old　friend　might　have　hated　capitalists；　but　that　didn't　stop　him　from　acting　like　the　worst　pirate　when　it　suited　his　goals。　And　he　had　Xu's　ear；　and　Tan　as　his　strong　right　arm。　Fang　thought　he　knew　all　of　these　men；　but　now　he　saw　that　his　assumption　had　been　in　error。　In　each　was　something　hidden；　and　sinister。　They　were　far　more　ruthless　than　he；　Fang　saw。
　〃That　is　an　act　of　war；〃　Fang　objected。
　〃Our　operational　security　was　excellent。　Our　Russian　agent；　one　Klementi　Suvorov；　is　a　former　KGB　officer　we　recruited　ages　ago　when　he　was　stationed　here　in　Beijing。　He's　performed　various　functions　for　us　for　a　long　time　and　he　has　superb　contacts　within　both　their　intelligence　and　military　munities…that　is；　those　segments　of　it　that　are　now　in　the　new　Russian　underworld。　In　fact　he's　a　mon　criminal…　a　lot　of　the　old　KGB　people　have　turned　into　that…but　it　works　for　us。　He　likes　money；　and　for　enough　of　it；　he　will　do　anything。　Unfortunately　in　this　case；　a　pure　happenstance　prevented　the　elimination　of　this　Golovko　person；〃　Tan　concluded。
　〃And　now？〃　Fang　asked。　Then　he　cautioned　himself。　He　was　asking　too　many　questions；　taking　too　much　of　a　personal　position　here。　Even　in　this　room；　even　with　these　old　rades；　it　didn't　pay　to　stand　out　too　far。
　〃And　now；　that　is　for　the　Politburo　to　decide；〃　Tan　replied　blandly。　It　had　to　be　affected；　but　was　well　acted　in　any　case。
　Fang　nodded　and　leaned　back；　keeping　his　peace　for　the　moment。
　〃Luo？〃　Xu　asked。　〃Is　this　feasible？〃
　The　Marshal　had　to　guard　his　words　as　well；　not　to　appear　too　confident。　You　could　get　in　trouble　around　this　table　by　promising　more　than　you　could　deliver；　though　Luo　was　in　the　unique　position…somewhat　shared　by　Interior　Minister　Tong…of　having　guns　behind　him　and　his　position。
　〃rades；　we　have　long　examined　the　strategic　issue　here。　When　Russia　was　the　Soviet　Union；　this　operation　was　not　possible。　Their　military　was　much　larger　and　better　supported；　and　they　had　numerous　intercontinental　and　theater　ballistic　missiles　tipped　with　thermonuclear　warheads。　Now　they　have　none；　thanks　to　their　bilateral　agreement　with　America。　Today；　the　Russian　military　is　a　shadow　of　what　it　was　only　ten　or　twelve　years　ago。　Fully　half　of　their　draftees　do　not　even　report　when　called　for　service…if　that　happened　here；　we　all　know　what　would　happen　to　the　miscreants；　do　we　not？　They　squandered　much　of　their　remaining　bat　power　with　their　Chechen　religious　minority…and　so；　you　might　say　that　Russia　is　already　splitting　up　along　religious　lines。　In　practical　terms；　the　task　is　straightforward；　if　not　entirely　easy。　The　real　difficulty　facing　us　is　distance　and　space；　not　actual　military　opposition。　It's　many　kilometers　from　our　border　to　their　new　oil　field　on　the　Arctic　Ocean…much　fewer　to　the　new　gold　field。　The　best　news　of　all　is　that　the　Russian　army　is　itself　building　the　roads　we　need　to　make　the　approach。　It　reduces　our　problems　by　two　thirds　right　there。　Their　air　force　is　a　joke。　We　should　be　able　to　cope　with　it…they　sell　us　their　best　aircraft；　after　all；　and　deny　them　to　their　own　flyers。　To　make　our　task　easier；　we　would　do　well　to　disrupt　their　mand　and　control；　their　political　stability　and　so　forth。　Tan；　can　you　acplish　that？〃
　〃That　depends　on　what；　exactly；　is　the　task；〃　Tan　Deshi　replied。
　〃To　eliminate　Grushavoy；　perhaps；〃　Zhang　speculated。　〃He　is　the　only　person　of　strength　in　Russia　at　the　moment。　Remove　him；　and　their　country　would　collapse　politically。〃
　〃rades；〃　Fang　had　to　say；　taking　the　risk；　〃what　we　discuss　here　is　bold　and　daring；　but　also　fraught　with　danger。　What　if　we　fail？〃
　〃Then；　my　friend；　we　are　no　worse　off　than　we　appear　to　be　already；〃　Zhang　replied。　〃But　if　we　succeed；　as　appears　likely；　we　achieve　the　position　for　which　we　have　striven　since　our　youth。　The　People's　Republic　will　bee　the　foremost　power　in　all　the　world。〃　As　is　our　right；　he　didn't　have　to　add。　〃Chairman　Mao　never　considered　failing　to　destroy　Chiang；　did　he？〃
　There　was　no　arguing　with　that；　and　Fang　didn't　attempt　it。　The　switchover　from　fear　to　adventurousness　had　been　as　abrupt　as　it　was　now　being　contagious。　Where　was　the　caution　these　men　exercised　so　often？　They　were　men　on　a　floundering　ship；　and　they　saw　a　means　of　saving　themselves；　and　having　accepted　the　former　proposition；　they　were　catapulted　into　the　latter。　All　he　could　do　was　lean　back　and　watch　the　talk　evolve；　waiting…hoping…that　reason　would　break　out　and　prevail。
　But　from　whom　would　it　e？
　
　
　
　
　CHAPTER　41
　Plots　of　State
　
　〃Yes；　Minister？〃　Ming　said；　looking　up　from　her　almost…pleted　notes。　〃You　are　careful　with　these　notes；　aren't　you？〃
　〃Certainly；　rade　Minister；〃　she　replied　at　once。　〃I　never　even　print　these　documents　up；　as　you　well　know。　Is　there　a　concern？〃
　Fang　shrugged。　The　stresses　of　today's　meeting　were　gradually　bleeding　off。　He　was　a　practical　man　of　the　world；　and　he　was　an　elderly　man。　If　there　was　a　way　to　deal　with　the　current　problem；　he　would　find　it。　If　there　wasn't；　then　he　would　endure。　He　always　had。　He　was　not　the　one　taking　the　lead　here；　and　his　notes　would　show　that　he　was　one　of　the　few　cautious　skeptics　at　the　meeting。　One　of　the　others；　of　course；　was　Qian　Kun；　who'd　walked　out　of　the　room　shaking　his　head　and　muttering　to　his　senior　aide。　Fang　then　wondered　if　Qian　was　keeping　notes。　It　would　have　been　a　good　move。　If　things　went　badly；　those　could　be　his　only　defense。　At　this　level　of　risk；　the　hazard　wasn't　relegation　to　a　menial　job；　but　rather　having　one's　ashes　scattered　in　the　river。
　〃Ming？〃
　〃Yes；　Minister？〃
　〃What　did　you　think　of　the　students　in　the　square　all　those　years　ago？〃
　〃I　was　only　in　school　then　myself；　Minister；　as　you　know。〃
　〃Yes；　but　what　did　you　think？〃
　〃I　thought　they　were　reckless。　The　tallest　tree　is　always　the　first　to　be　cut　down。〃　It　was　an　ancient　Chinese　adage；　and　therefore　a　safe　thing　to　say。　Theirs　was　a　culture　that　discouraged　taking　such　action…but　perversely；　their　culture　also　lionized　those　who'd　had　the　courage　to　do　so。　As　with　every　human　tribe；　the　criterion　was　simple。　If　you　succeeded；　then　you　were　a　hero；　to　be　remembered　and　admired。　If　you　failed；　nobody　would　remember　you　anyway；　except；　perhaps；　as　a　negative　example。　And　so　safety　lay　always　in　the　middle　course；　and　in　safety　was　life。
　The　students　had　been　too　young　to　know　all　that。　Too　young　to　accept　the　idea　of　death。　The　bravest　soldiers　were　always　the　young　ones；　those　spirits　of　great　passions　and　beliefs；　those　who　had　not　lived　long　enough　to　reflect　on　what　shape　the　world　took　when　it　turned　against　you；　those　too　foolish　to　know　fear。　For　children；　the　unknown　was　something　you　spent　almost　all　your　time　exploring　and　finding　out。　Somewhere　along　the　line；　you　discovered　that　you'd　learned　all　that　was　safe　to　learn；　and　that's　where　most　men　stopped；　except　for　the　very　few　upon　whom　progress　depended；　the　brave　ones　and　the　bold　ones　who　walked　with　open　eyes　into　the　unknown；　and　humanity　remembered　those　few　who　came　back　alive　。　。　。
　。　。　。　and　soon　enough　forgot　those　who　did　not。
　But　it　was　the　substance　of　history　to　remember　those　who　did；　and　the　substance　of　Fang's　society　to　remind　them　of　those　who　didn't。　Such　a　strange　dichotomy。　What　societies；　he　wondered；　encourage　people　to　seek　out　the　unknown？　How　did　they　do？　Did　they　thrive；　or　did　they　blunder　about　in　the　darkness　and　lose　their　substance　in　aimless；　undirected　wanderings？　In　China；　everyone　followed　the　words　and　thoughts　of　Marx；　as　modified　by　Mao；　because　he　had　boldly　walked　into　the　darkness　and　returned　with　revolution；　and　changed　the　path　of　his　nation。　But　there　things　had　stopped；　because　no　one　was　willing　to　proceed　beyond　the　regions　Mao　had　explored　and　illuminated…and　proclaimed　to　be　all　that　China　and　the　world　in　general　needed　to　know　about。　Mao　was　like　some　sort　of　religious　prophet；　wasn't　he？　Fang　reflected。
　。　。　。　Hadn't　China　just　killed　a　couple　of　those？
　〃Thank　you；　Ming；〃　he　told　her；　waiting　there　for　his　next　order。　He　didn't　see　her　close　the　door　as　she　went　to　her　desk　to　transcribe　the　notes　of　this　Politburo　meeting。
　
　〃Dear　God；〃　Dr。　Sears　whispered　at　his　desk。　As　usual；　the　SORGE　document　had　been　printed　up　on　the　DDO's　laser　jet　and　handed　over　to　him；　and　he'd　walked　back　to　his　office　to　do　the　translation。　Sometimes　the　documents　were　short　enough　to　translate　standing　in　front　of　her　desk；　but　this　one　was　pretty　long。　It　was；　in　fact；　going　to　take　eight　line…and…a…half…spaced　pages　off　his　laser　printer。　He　took　his　time　on　this　because　of　its　content。　He　rechecked　his　translation。　Suddenly　he　had　doubts　about　his　understanding　of　the　Chinese　language。　He　couldn't　afford　to　mistranslate　or　misrepresent　this　sort　of　thing。　It　was　just　too　hot。　All　in　all；　he　took　two　and　a　half　hours；　more　than　double　what　Mrs。　Foley　probably　expected；　before　he　walked　back。
　〃What　took　so　long？〃　MP　asked　when　he　returned。
　〃Mrs。　Foley；　this　is　hot。〃
　〃How　hot？〃
　〃Magma；〃　Sears　said；　as　he　handed　the　folder　across。
　〃O