tc.thebearandthedragon-第135部分

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They　have　the　ability　to　attack　us；　and　we　do　not　have　the　ability　to　defeat　them。　We　have　less　than　three　full…strength　divisions；　and　the　level　of　their　training　is　inadequate。　We　have　much　to　do　before　I　will　begin　to　feel　fortable。　Firming　up　this　line　is　the　easiest　thing　to　do；　and　the　easiest　part　of　firming　it　up　is　hiding　the　bunkers。　Next；　we'll　start　rotating　the　soldiers　back　to　the　training　range　and　have　them　work　on　their　gunnery。　That　will　be　easy　for　them　to　do；　but　it　hasn't　been　done　in　ten　months！　So　much　to　do；　Andrushka；　so　much　to　do。〃
　〃That　is　so；　rade　General；　but　we've　made　a　good　beginning。〃
　Bondarenko　waved　his　hand　and　growled；　〃Ahh；　a　good　beginning　will　be　a　year　from　now。　We've　taken　the　first　morning　piss　in　what　will　be　a　long　day；　Colonel。　Now；　let's　fly　east　and　see　the　next　sector。〃
　
　General　Peng　Xi…Wang；　mander　of　the　Red　Banner　34th　Shock　Army；　only　sixteen　kilometers　away；　looked　through　powerful　spotting　glasses　at　the　Russian　frontier。　Thirty…fourth　Shock　was　a　Type　A　Group　Army；　and　prised　about　eighty　thousand　men。　He　had　an　armored　division；　two　mechanized　ones；　a　motorized　infantry　division；　and　other　attachments；　such　as　an　independent　artillery　brigade　under　his　direct　mand。　Fifty　years　of　age；　and　a　party　member　since　his　twenties；　Peng　was　a　long…term　professional　soldier　who'd　enjoyed　the　last　ten　years　of　his　life。　Since　manding　his　tank　regiment　as　a　senior　colonel；　he'd　been　able　to　train　his　troops　incessantly　on　what　had　bee　his　home　country。
　The　Shenyang　Military　District　prised　the　north…easternmost　part　of　the　People's　Republic。　It　was　posed　of　hilly；　wooded　land；　and　had　warm　summers　and　hitter　winters。　There　was　a　touch　of　early　ice　on　the　Amur　River　below　Peng　now；　but　from　a　military　point　of　view；　the　trees　were　the　real　obstacle。　Tanks　could　knock　individual　trees　down；　but　not　every　ten　meters。　No；　you　had　to　drive　between　and　around　them；　and　while　there　was　room　for　that；　it　was　hard　on　the　drivers；　and　it　ate　up　fuel　almost　as　efficiently　as　tipping　the　fuel　drum　over　on　its　side　and　just　pouring　it　out。　There　were　some　roads　and　railroad　rights…of…way；　and　if　he　ever　went　north；　he'd　be　using　them；　though　that　made　for　good　ambush　opportunities；　if　the　Russians　had　a　good　collection　of　antitank　weapons。　But　the　Russian　doctrine；　going　back　half　a　century；　was　that　the　best　antitank　weapon　was　a　better　tank。　In　their　war　with　the　fascists；　the　Soviet　army　had　enjoyed　possession　of　a　superb　tank　in　the　T…34。　They'd　built　a　lot　of　the　Rapier　antitank　guns；　and　duly　copied　NATO　guided　antitank　weapons；　but　you　dealt　with　those　by　blanketing　an　area　with　artillery　fire；　and　Peng　had　lots　of　guns　and　mountains　of　shells　to　deal　with　the　unprotected　infantrymen　who　had　to　steer　the　missiles　into　their　targets。　He　wished　he　had　the　Russian…designed　Arena　anti…missile　system；　which　had　been　designed　to　protect　their　tanks　from　the　swarm　of　NATO's　deadly　insects；　but　he　didn't；　and　he　heard　it　didn't　work　all　that　well　anyway。
　The　spotting　glasses　were　Chinese　copies　of　a　German　Zeiss　model　adopted　for　use　by　the　Soviet　Army　of　old。　They　zoomed　from　twenty　to　fifty…power；　allowing　him　an　intimate　view　of　the　other　side　of　the　river。　Peng　came　up　here　once　a　month　or　so；　which　allowed　him　to　inspect　his　own　border　troops；　who　stood　what　was　really　a　defensive　watch；　and　a　light　one　at　that。　He　had　little　concern　about　a　Russian　attack　into　his　country。　The　People's　Liberation　Army　taught　the　same　doctrine　as　every　army　back　to　the　Assyrians　of　old：　The　best　defense　is　a　good　offense。　If　a　war　began　here；　better　to　begin　it　yourself。　And　so　Peng　had　cabinets　full　of　plans　to　attack　into　Siberia；　prepared　by　his　operations　and　intelligence　people；　because　that　was　what　operations　people　did。
　〃Their　defenses　look　ill…maintained；〃　Peng　observed。
　〃That　is　so；　rade；〃　the　colonel　manding　the　border…defense　regiment　agreed。　〃We　see　little　regular　activity　there。〃
　〃They　are　too　busy　selling　their　weapons　to　civilians　for　vodka；〃　the　army　political　officer　observed。　〃Their　morale　is　poor；　and　they　do　not　train　anything　like　we　do。〃
　〃They　have　a　new　theater　mander；〃　the　army's　intelligence　chief　countered。　〃A　General…Colonel　Bondarenko。　He　is　well　regarded　in　Moscow　as　an　intellect　and　as　a　courageous　battlefield　mander　from　Afghanistan。〃
　〃That　means　he　survived　contact　once；〃　Political　observed。　〃Probably　with　a　Kabul　whore。〃
　〃It　is　dangerous　to　underestimate　an　adversary；〃　Intelligence　warned。
　〃And　foolish　to　overestimate　one。〃
　Peng　just　looked　through　the　glasses。　He'd　heard　his　intelligence　and　political　officer　spar　before。　Intelligence　tended　to　be　an　old　woman；　but　many　intelligence　officers　were　like　that；　and　Political；　like　so　many　of　his　colleagues；　was　sufficiently　aggressive　to　make　Genghis　Khan　seem　womanly。　As　in　the　theater；　officers　played　the　roles　assigned　to　them。　His　role；　of　course；　was　to　be　the　wise　and　confident　mander　of　one　of　his　country's　premier　striking　arms；　and　Peng　played　that　role　well　enough　that　he　was　in　the　running　for　promotion　to　General　First　Class；　and　if　he　played　his　cards　very　carefully；　in　another　eight　years　or　so；　maybe　Marshal。　With　that　rank　came　real　political　power　and　personal　riches　beyond　counting；　with　whole　factories　working　for　his　own　enrichment。　Some　of　those　factories　were　managed　by　mere　colonels；　people　with　the　best　of　political　credentials　who　knew　how　to　kowtow　to　their　seniors；　but　Peng　had　never　gone　that　route。　He　enjoyed　soldering　far　more　than　he　enjoyed　pushing　paper　and　screaming　at　worker…peasants。　As　a　new　second　lieutenant；　he'd　fought　the　Russians；　not　very　far　from　this　very　spot。　It　had　been　a　mixed　experience。　His　regiment　had　enjoyed　initial　success；　then　had　been　hammered　by　a　storm　of　artillery。　That　had　been　back　when　the　Red　Army；　the　real　Soviet　Army　of　old；　had　fielded　whole　artillery　divisions　whose　concentrated　fire　could　shake　the　very　earth　and　sky；　and　that　border　clash　had　incurred　the　wrath　of　the　nation　the　Russians　had　once　been。　But　no　longer。　Intelligence　told　him　that　the　Russian　troops　on　the　far　side　of　this　cold　river　were　not　even　a　proper　shadow　of　what　had　once　been　there。　Four　divisions；　perhaps；　and　not　all　of　them　at　full　strength。　So；　however　clever　this　Bondarenko　fellow　was；　if　a　clash　came；　he'd　have　his　hands　very　full　indeed。
　But　that　was　a　political　question；　wasn't　it？　Of　course。　All　the　really　important　things　were。
　〃How　are　the　bridging　engineers？〃　Peng　asked；　surveying　the　watery　obstacle　below。
　〃Their　last　exercise　went　very　well；　rade　General；〃　Operations　replied。　Like　every　other　army　in　the　world；　the　PLA　had　copied　the　Russian　〃ribbon〃　bridge；　designed　by　Soviet　engineers　in　the　1960s　to　force　crossings　of　all　the　streams　of　Western　Germany　in　a　NATO/Warsaw　Pact　war　so　long　expected；　but　never　realized。　Except　in　fiction；　mainly　Western　fiction　that　had　had　the　NATO　side　win　in　every　case。　Of　course。　Would　capitalists　spend　money　on　books　that　ended　their　culture？　Peng　chuckled　to　himself。　Such　people　enjoyed　their　illusions　。　。　。
　。。。　almost　as　much　as　his　own　country's　Politburo　members。　That's　the　way　it　was　all　over　the　world；　Peng　figured。　The　rulers　of　every　land　held　images　in　their　heads；　and　tried　to　make　the　world　conform　to　them。　Some　succeeded；　and　those　were　the　ones　who　wrote　the　history　books。
　〃So；　what　do　we　expect　here？〃
　〃From　the　Russians？〃　Intelligence　asked。　〃Nothing　that　I　have　heard　about。　Their　army　is　training　a　little　more；　but　nothing　to　be　concerned　about。　If　they　wanted　to　e　south　across　that　river；　I　hope　they　can　swim　in　the　cold。〃
　〃The　Russians　like　their　forts　too　much　for　that。　They've　grown　soft　with　their　new　political　regime；〃　Political　proclaimed。
　〃And　if　we　are　ordered　north？〃　Peng　asked。
　〃If　we　give　them　one　hard　kick；　the　whole　rotten　mess　will　fall　down；〃　Political　answered。　He　didn't　know　that　he　was　exactly　quoting　another　enemy　of　the　Russians。
　
　
　
　
　CHAPTER　43
　Decisions
　
　The　colonel　flying　Air　Force　One　executed　an　even　better　landing　than　usual。　Jack　and　Cathy　Ryan　were　already　awake　and　showered　to　alertness；　helped　by　a　light　breakfast　heavy　on　fine　coffee。　The　President　looked　out　the　window　to　his　left　and　saw　troops　formed　up　in　precise　lines；　as　the　aircraft　taxied　to　its　assigned　place。　〃Wele　to　Poland；　babe。　What　do　you　have　planned？〃　〃I'm　going　to　spend　a　few　hours　at　their　big　teaching　hospital。　Their　chief　eye…cutter　wants　me　to　look　at　his　operation。〃　It　was　always　the　same　for　FLOTUS；　and　she　didn't　mind。　It　came　from　being　an　academic　physician；　treating　patients；　but　also　teaching　young　docs；　and　observing　how　her　counterparts　around　the　world　did　their　version　of　her　job。　Every　so　often；　you　saw　something　new　that　was　worth　learning　from；　or　even　copying；　because　smart　people　happened　everywhere；　not　just　at　the　Johns　Hopkins　University　School　of　Medicine。　It　was　the　one　part　of　the　First　Lady　folderol　that　she　actually　enjoyed；　because　she　could　learn　from　it；　instead　of　just　being　a　somewhat　flat…chested　Barbie　doll　for　the　world　to　gawk　at。　To　this　end　she　was　dressed　in　a　beige　business　suit；　whose　jacket　she　would　soon　exchange　for　a　doc's　proper　white　lab　coat；　which　was　always　her　favorite　item　of　apparel。　Jack　was　wearing　one　of　his　dark…blue　white…pinstriped　President…of…the…United…States　suits；　with　a　maroon　striped　tie　because　Cathy　liked　the　color　bination；　and　she　really　did　decide　what　Jack　wore；　except　for　the　shirt。　SWORDSMAN　wore　only　white　cotton　shirts　with　button…down　collars；　and　despite　Cathy's　lobbying　for　something　different；　on　that　issue　he　stood　firm。　This　had　caused　Cathy　to　observe　more　than　once　that　he'd　wear　the　damned　things　with　his　tuxedos　if　convention　didn't　demand　otherwise。
　The　aircraft　came　to　a　halt；　and　the　stagecraft　began。　The　Air　Force　sergeant…this　one　always　a　man…opened　the　door　on　the　left　side　of　the　aircraft　to　see　that　the　truck…mounted　stairs　were　already　in　place。　Two　more　non…s　scurried　down　so　that　they　could　salute　Ryan　when　he　walked　down。　Andrea　Price…O'Day　was　talking　over　her　digital　radio　circuit　to　the　chief　of　the　Secret　Service　advance　team　to　make　sure　it