tc.thebearandthedragon-第132部分

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　〃It's　something；〃　Winston　thought。
　〃But　what　about　the　other　NATO　counties？　Will　they　buy　into　this？　The　whole　purpose　of　NATO；〃　Goodley　reminded　them；　〃was　to　protect　them　from　the　Russians。〃
　〃The　Soviets；〃　Adler　corrected。　〃Not　the　same　thing　anymore；　remember？〃
　〃The　same　people；　the　same　language；　sir；〃　Goodley　persisted。　He　felt　pretty　secure　on　this　one。　〃What　you　propose　is　an　elegant　possible　solution　to　the　present　problem；　but　to　make　it　happen　we'd　have　to　share　SORGE　with　other　countries；　wouldn't　we？〃　The　suggestion　made　the　Foleys　both　wince。　There　were　few　things　on　the　planet　as　talkative　as　a　chief　of　government。
　〃What　the　hell；　we've　been　watching　their　military　with　overheads　for　a　long　time。　We　can　say　that　we're　catching　stuff　there　that　makes　us　nervous。　Good　enough　for　the　unwashed；〃　the　DCI　offered。
　〃Next；　how　do　we　persuade　the　Russians？〃　Jack　wondered　aloud。　〃This　could　be　seen　in　Moscow　as　a　huge　loss　of　face。〃
　〃We　have　to　explain　the　problem　to　them。　The　danger　is　to　their　country；　after　all；〃　Adler　pronounced。
　〃But　they're　not　unwashed。　They'll　want　to　know　CHAPTER　and　verse；　and　it　is　their　national　security　we're　talking　about　here；〃　Goodley　added。
　〃You　know　who's　in　Moscow　now？〃　Foley　asked　POTUS。
　〃John？〃
　〃RAINBOW　SIX。　John　and　Ding　both　know　Golovko；　and　he's　Grushavoy's　number…one　boy。　It's　a　nice；　convenient　back　channel。　Note　that　this　also　confirms　that　the　Moscow　rocket　was　aimed　at　him。　Might　not　make　Sergey　Nikolay'ch　feel　better；　but　he'd　rather　know　than　guess。〃
　〃Why　can't　those　stupid　fucking　people　just　say　they're　sorry　they　shot　those　two　people？〃　Ryan　wondered　crossly。
　〃Why　do　you　think　pride　is　one　of　the　Seven　Deadly　Sins？〃　the　DCI　asked　in　reply。
　
　Clark's　portable　phone　was　a　satellite　type　with　a　built…in　encryption　system；　really　just　a　quarter…inch…thick　plastic　pad　that　actually　made　the　phone　easier　to　cradle　against　his　shoulder。　Like　most　such　phones；　it　took　time　to　synchronize　with　its　panion　on　the　other　end；　the　task　made　harder　by　the　delay　inherent　in　the　use　of　satellites。
　〃Line　is　secure；〃　the　synthetic　female　voice　said　finally。
　〃Who's　this？〃
　〃Ed　Foley；　John。　How's　Moscow？〃
　〃Pleasant。　What　gives；　Ed？〃　John　asked。　The　DCI　didn't　call　from　D。C。　on　a　secure　line　to　exchange　pleasantries。
　〃Get　over　to　the　embassy。　We　have　a　message　we　want　you　to　deliver。〃
　〃What　sort？〃
　〃Get　to　the　embassy。　It'll　be　waiting。　Okay？〃
　〃Roger。　Out。〃　John　killed　the　phone　and　walked　back　inside。
　〃Anything　important？〃　Chavez　asked。
　〃We　have　to　go　to　the　embassy　to　see　somebody；〃　Clark　replied；　simulating　anger　at　the　interruption　of　his　quiet　time　of　the　day。
　〃See　you　tomorrow　then；　Ivan　and　Domingo；〃　Kirillin　saluted　them　with　his　glass。
　〃What　gives？〃　Chavez　asked　from　thirty　feet　away。
　〃Not　sure；　but　it　was　Ed　Foley　who　paged　me。〃
　〃Something　important？〃
　〃I　guess　we'll　just　have　to　wait　and　see。〃
　〃Who　drives？〃
　〃Me。〃　John　knew　Moscow　fairly　well；　having　learned　it　first　on　missions　in　the　1970s　that　he　was　just　as　happy　to　forget　about；　when　his　daughters　had　been　the　age　of　his　new　grandson。
　The　drive　took　twenty　minutes；　and　the　hard　part　turned　out　to　be　persuading　the　Marine　guard　that　they　really　were　entitled　to　e　inside　after　normal　business　hours。　To　this　end；　the　man　waiting　for　them；　Tom　Barlow；　proved　useful。　The　Marines　knew　him；　and　he　knew　them；　and　that　made　everything　okay；　sort　of。
　〃What's　the　big　deal？〃　Jack　asked；　when　they　got　to　Barlow's　office。
　〃This。〃　He　handed　the　fax　across；　a　copy　to　each。　〃Might　want　to　take　a　seat；　guys。〃
　〃Madre　de　Dios〃　Chavez　gasped　thirty　seconds　later。
　〃Roger　that；　Domingo；〃　his　boss　agreed。　They　were　reading　a　hastily　laundered　copy　of　the　latest　SORGE　dispatch。
　〃We　got　us　a　source　in　Beijing；　'mano。〃
　〃Hang　a　big　roger　on　that　one；　Domingo。　And　we're　supposed　to　share　the　take　with　Sergey　Nikolay'ch。　Somebody　back　home　is　feeling　real　ecumenical。〃
　〃Fuck！〃　Chavez　observed。　Then　he　read　on　a　little。　〃Oh；　yeah；　I　see。　This　does　make　some　sense。〃
　〃Barlow；　we　have　a　phone　number　for　our　friend？〃
　〃Right　here。〃　The　CIA　officer　handed　over　a　Post…it　note　and　pointed　to　a　phone。　〃He'll　be　out　at　his　dacha；　out　in　the　Lenin　Hills。　They　haven't　changed　the　name　yet。　Since　he　found　out　he　was　the　target；　he's　gotten　a　little　more　security…conscious。〃
　〃Yeah；　we've　met　his　baby…sitter；　Shelepin；〃　Chavez　told　Barlow。　〃Looks　pretty　serious。〃
　〃He'd　better　be。　If　I　read　this　right；　he　might　be　called　up　to　bat　again；　or　maybe　Grushavoy's　detail。〃
　〃Is　this　for　real？〃　Chavez　had　to　wonder。　〃I　mean；　this　is　cams　belli　stuff。〃
　〃Well；　Ding；　you　keep　saying　that　international　relations　is　two　countries　fucking　each　other。〃　Then　he　dialed　the　phone。　〃Tovarisch　Golovko；〃　he　told　the　voice　that　answered　it；　adding　in　Russian；　〃It's　Klerk；　Ivan　Sergeyevich。　That'll　get　his　attention；〃　John　told　the　other　two。
　〃Greetings；　Vanya；〃　a　familiar　voice　said　in　English。　〃I　will　not　ask　how　you　got　this　number。　What　can　I　do　for　you？〃
　〃Sergey；　we　need　to　see　you　at　once　on　an　important　matter。〃
　〃What　sort　of　matter？〃
　〃I　am　the　mailman；　Sergey。　I　have　a　message　to　deliver　to　you。　It　is　worthy　of　your　attention。　Can　Domingo　and　I　see　you　this　evening？〃
　〃Do　you　know　how　to　get　here？〃
　Clark　figured　he'd　find　his　way　out　to　the　woods。　〃Just　tell　the　people　at　the　gate　to　expect　two　capitalist　friends　of　Russia。　Say　about　an　hour　from　now？〃
　〃I　will　be　waiting。〃
　〃Thank　you；　Sergey。〃　Clark　replaced　the　phone。　〃Where's　the　piss…parlor；　Barlow？〃
　〃Down　the　hall　on　the　right。〃
　The　senior　field　intelligence　officer　folded　the　fax　and　tucked　it　into　his　coat　pocket。　Before　having　a　talk　about　something　like　this；　he　needed　a　bathroom。
　
　
　
　
　CHAPTER　42
　Birch　Trees
　
　They　drove　into　the　sunset；　west　from　the　Russian　capital。　Traffic　had　picked　up　in　Moscow　since　his　last　real　adventure　here；　and　you　could　use　the　center　lane　in　the　wide　avenues。　Ding　handled　navigation　with　a　map；　and　soon　they　were　beyond　the　ring　roads　around　the　Russian　capital　and　entering　the　hills　that　surrounded　the　city。　They　passed　a　memorial　which　neither　had　ever　seen　before；　three　huge…
　〃What　the　hell　is　that？〃　Ding　asked。
　〃This　is　as　close　as　the　Germans　got　in　1941；〃　John　explained。　〃This　is　where　they　stopped　'em。〃
　〃What　do　you　call　those　things？〃　〃Those　things〃　were　immense　steel　I…beams；　three　of　them　welded　at　ninety…degree　angles　to　look　like　enormous　jacks。
　〃Hedgehogs；　but　in　the　SEALs　we　called　'em　horned　scullies。　Hard　to　drive　a　tank　over　one；〃　Clark　told　his　younger　partner。
　〃They　take　their　history　serious　here；　don't　they？〃
　〃You　would；　too；　if　you　stopped　somebody　who　wanted　to　erase　your　country　right　off　the　map；　sonny。　The　Germans　were　pretty　serious　back　then；　too。　It　was　a　very　nasty　war；　that　one。〃
　〃Guess　so。　Take　the　next　right；　Mr。　C。〃
　Ten　minutes　later；　they　were　in　a　forest　of　birch　trees；　as　much　a　part　of　the　Russian　soul　as　vodka　and　borscht。　Soon　thereafter　they　came　to　a　guard　shack。　The　uniformed　guard　held　an　AK…74　and　looked　surprisingly　grim。　Probably　briefed　on　the　threat　to　Golovko　and　others；　John　imagined。　But　he'd　also　been　briefed　on　who　was　authorized　to　pass；　and　they　only　had　to　show　their　passports　to　get　cleared；　the　guard　also　giving　them　directions　about　which　country　lane　to　take。
　〃The　houses　don't　look　too　bad；〃　Chavez　observed。
　〃Built　by　German　POWs；〃　John　told　him。　〃Ivan　doesn't　exactly　like　the　Germans　very　much；　but　he　does　respect　their　workmanship。　These　were　built　for　the　Politburo　members；　mainly　after　the　war；　probably。　There's　our　place。〃
　It　was　a　wood…frame　house；　painted　brown　and　looking　like　a　cross　between　a　German　country　house　and　something　from　an　Indiana　farm；　Clark　thought。　There　were　guards　here；　too；　armed　and　walking　around。　They'd　been　called　from　the　first　shack；　John　figured。　One　of　them　waved。　The　other　two　stood　back；　ready　to　cover　the　first　one　if　something　untoward　happened。
　〃You　are　Klerk；　Ivan　Sergeyevich？〃
　〃Da；〃　John　answered。　〃This　is　Chavez；　Domingo　Stepanovich。〃
　〃Pass；　you　are　expected；〃　the　guard　told　them。
　It　was　a　pleasant　evening。　The　sun　was　down　now；　and　the　stars　were　making　their　appearance　in　the　sky。　There　was　also　a　gentle　westerly　breeze；　but　Clark　thought　he　could　hear　the　ghosts　of　war　here。　Hans　von　Kluge's　panzer　grenadiers；　men　wearing　the　feldgrau　of　the　Wehrmacht。　World　War　II　on　this　front　had　been　a　strange　conflict；　like　modern　TV　wrestling。　No　choice　between　good　and　bad；　but　only　between　bad　and　worse；　and　on　that　score　it　had　been　six…five　and　pick　'em。　But　their　host　probably　wouldn't　see　history　that　way；　and　Clark　had　no　intention　of　bringing　up　the　subject。
　Golovko　was　there；　standing　on　the　sheltered　porch　by　the　furniture；　dressed　casually。　Decent　shirt；　but　no　tie。　He　wasn't　a　tall　man；　about　halfway　between　Chavez　and　himself　in　height；　but　the　eyes　always　showed　intelligence；　and　now　they　also　showed　interest。　He　was　curious　about　the　purpose　of　this　meeting；　as　well　he　might　be。
　〃Ivan　Sergeyevich；〃　Golovko　said　in　greeting。　Handshakes　were　exchanged；　and　the　guests　conducted　inside。　Mrs。　Golovko；　a　physician；　was　nowhere　in　evidence。　Golovko　first　of　all　served　vodka；　and　directed　them　to　seats。
　〃You　said　you　had　a　message　for　me。〃　The　language　for　this　meeting　was　to　be　English；　John　saw。
　〃Here　it　is。〃　Clark　handed　the　pages　across。
　〃Spasiba。〃　Sergey　Nikolay'ch　sat　back　in　his　chair　and　started　to　read。
　He　would　have　been　a　fine　poker　player；　John　thought。　His　face　changed　not　at　all　through　the　first　two　pages。　Then　he　looked　up。
　〃Who　decided　that　I　needed　to　see　this？〃　he　asked。
　〃The　President；〃　Clark　answered。
　〃Your　Ryan　is　a　good　rade；　Vanya；　and　an　honorable　man。〃　Golovko　paused。　〃I　see　you　have　improved　your　human…intelligence　capabilities　at　Langley。〃
　〃That's　probably　a　good　supposition；　but　I　know　nothing　of　the　source　here；　Chairman　Golovko；〃　Clark　answered。
　〃This　is；　as　you　say；　hot。〃
　〃It　is　all　of　that；〃　John　agreed；　watching　him　turn　another　page。
　〃Son　of　a　bitch！〃　Golovko　observed；　finally　showing　some　emotion。
　〃Yeah；　that's　abou