tc.thebearandthedragon-第137部分

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'd　need　help；　however；　and　while　that　abraded　his　sense　of　amour　propre；　his　patriotism；　his　duty　to　his　country　required　that　he　set　self　aside。
　〃We　shall　see；　Sergey　Nikolay'ch。　We　shall　see。〃
　
　〃The　time　is　ripe；〃　Zhang　Han　San　told　his　colleagues　in　the　room　of　polished　oak。　〃The　men　and　weapons　are　in　place。　The　prize　lies　right　before　our　eyes。　That　prize　offers　us　economic　salvation；　economic　security　such　as　we　have　dreamed　of　for　decades；　the　ability；〃　he　went　on；　〃to　make　China　the　world's　preeminent　power。　That　is　a　legacy　to　leave　our　people　such　as　no　leader　has　ever　granted　his　descendants。　We　need　only　take　it。　It　lies　almost　in　our　hands；　like　a　peach　upon　a　tree。〃
　〃It　is　feasible？〃　Interior　Minister　Tong　Jie　asked　cautiously。
　〃Marshal？〃　Zhang　handed　the　inquiry　off　to　the　Defense　Minister。
　Luo　Cong　leaned　forward。　He　and　Zhang　had　spent　much　of　the　previous　evening　together　with　maps；　diagrams；　and　intelligence　estimates。　〃From　a　military　point　of　view；　yes；　it　is　possible。　We　have　four　Type　A　Group　armies　in　the　Shenyang　Military　District；　fully　trained　and　poised　to　strike　north。　Behind　them　are　six　Type　B　Group　armies　with　sufficient　infantry　to　support　our　mechanized　forces；　and　four　more　Type　C　Group　armies　to　garrison　the　land　we　take。　From　a　strictly　military　point　of　view；　the　only　issues　are　moving　our　forces　into　place　and　then　supplying　them。　That　is　mainly　a　question　of　railroads；　which　will　move　supplies　and　men。　Minister　Qian？〃　Luo　asked。　He　and　Zhang　had　considered　this　bit　of　stage…managing　carefully；　hoping　to　co…opt　a　likely　opponent　of　their　proposed　national　policy　early　on。
　The　Finance　Minister　was　startled　by　the　question；　but　pride　in　his　former　job　and　his　innate　honesty　pelled　him　to　respond　truthfully：　〃There　is　sufficient　rolling　stock　for　your　purposes；　Marshal　Luo；〃　he　replied　tersely。　〃The　concern　will　be　repairing　damage　done　by　enemy　air　strikes　on　our　rights…of…way　and　bridges。　That　is　something　the　Railroad　Ministry　has　examined　for　decades；　but　there　is　no　precise　answer　to　it；　because　we　cannot　predict　the　degree　of　damage　the　Russians　might　inflict。〃
　〃I　am　not　overly　worried　about　that；　Qian；〃　Marshal　Luo　responded。　〃The　Russian　air　force　is　in　miserable　shape　due　to　all　their　activity　against　their　Muslim　minorities。　They　used　up　a　goodly　fraction　of　their　best　weapons　and　spare　parts。　We　estimate　that　our　air…defense　groups　should　preserve　our　transportation　assets　with　acceptable　losses。　Will　we　be　able　to　send　railroad…construction　personnel　into　Siberia　to　extend　our　railheads？〃
　Again　Qian　felt　himself　trapped。　〃The　Russians　have　surveyed　and　graded　multiple　rights…of…way　over　the　years　in　their　hopes　for　extending　the　Trans…Siberian　Railroad　and　settling　people　into　the　region。　Those　efforts　date　back　to　Stalin。　Can　we　lay　track　rapidly？　Yes。　Rapidly　enough　for　your　purposes？　Probably　not；　rade　Marshal；〃　Qian　replied　studiously。　If　he　didn't　answer　honestly；　his　scat　at　this　table　would　evaporate；　and　he　knew　it。
　〃I　am　not　sanguine　on　this　prospect；　rades；〃　Shen　Tang　spoke　for　the　Foreign　Ministry。
　〃Why　is　that；　Shen？〃　Zhang　asked。
　〃What　will　other　nations　do？〃　he　asked　rhetorically。　〃We　do　not　know；　but　I　would　not　be　optimistic；　especially　with　the　Americans。　They　bee　increasingly　friendly　with　the　Russians。　President　Ryan　is　well　known　to　be　friendly　with　Golovko；　chief　advisor　to　President　Grushavoy。〃
　〃A　pity　that　Golovko　still　lives；　but　we　were　unlucky；〃　Tan　Deshi　had　to　concede。
　〃Depending　on　luck　is　dangerous　at　this　level；〃　Fang　Gan　told　his　colleagues。　〃Fate　is　no　man's　friend。〃
　〃Perhaps　the　next　time；〃　Tan　responded。
　〃Next　time；〃　Zhang　thought　aloud；　〃better　to　eliminate　Grushavoy　and　so　throw　their　country　into　total　chaos。　A　country　without　a　president　is　like　a　snake　without　a　head。　It　may　thrash　about；　but　it　harms　no　one。〃
　〃Even　a　severed　head　can　bite；〃　Fang　observed。　〃And　who　is　to　say　that　Fate　will　smile　upon　this　enterprise？〃
　〃A　man　can　wait　for　fate　to　decide　for　him；　or　he　can　seize　the　foul　woman　by　the　throat　and　take　her　by　force…as　we　have　all　done　in　our　time；〃　Zhang　added　with　a　cruel　smile。
　Much　more　easily　done　with　a　docile　secretary　than　with　Destiny　herself；　Zhang；　Fang　didn't　say　aloud。　He　could　go　only　so　far　in　this　forum；　and　he　knew　it。　〃rades；　I　counsel　caution。　The　dogs　of　war　have　sharp　teeth；　but　any　dog　may　turn　and　bite　his　master。　We　have　all　seen　that　happen；　have　we　not？　Some　things；　once　begun；　are　less　easily　halted。　War　is　such　a　thing；　and　it　is　not　to　be　undertaken　so　lightly。〃
　〃What　would　you　have　us　do；　Fang？〃　Zhang　asked。　〃Should　we　wait　until　we　run　out　of　oil　and　wheat？　Should　we　wait　until　we　need　troops　to　quell　discord　among　our　own　people？　Should　we　wait　for　Fate　to　decide　for　us；　or　should　we　choose　our　own　destiny？〃
　The　only　reply　to　that　came　from　Chinese　culture　itself；　the　ancient　beliefs　that　came　to　all　of　the　Politburo　members　almost　as　genetic　knowledge；　unaffected　by　political　conditioning：　〃rades；　Destiny　awaits　us　all。　It　chooses　us；　not　we　it。　What　you　propose　here；　my　old　friend　could　merely　accelerate　what　es　for　us　in　any　case；　and　who　among　us　can　say　if　it　will　please　or　displease　us？〃　Minister　Fang　shook　his　head。　〃Perhaps　what　you　propose　is　necessary；　even　beneficial；〃　he　allowed；　〃but　only　after　the　alternatives　have　been　examined　fully　and　discarded。〃
　〃If　we　are　to　decide；〃　Luo　told　them；　〃then　we　must　decide　soon。　We　have　good　campaigning　weather　before　us。　That　season　will　only　last　so　long。　If　we　strike　soon…in　the　next　two　weeks…we　can　seize　our　objectives；　and　then　time　works　for　us。　Then　winter　will　set　in　and　make　offensive　campaigning　virtually　impossible　against　a　determined　defense。　Then　we　can　depend　upon　Shen's　ministry　to　safeguard　and　consolidate　what　we　have　seized；　perhaps　to　share　our　winnings　with　the　Russians　。。。　for　a　time；〃　he　added　cynically。　China　would　never　share　such　a　windfall；　they　all　knew。　It　was　merely　a　ploy　fit　to　fool　children　and　mushy…headed　diplomats；　which　the　world　had　in　abundance；　they　all　knew。
　Through　all　this；　Premier　Xu　had　sat　quietly；　observing　how　the　sentiments　went；　before　making　his　decision　and　calling　for　a　vote　whose　oute　would；　of　course；　be　predetermined。　There　was　one　more　thing　that　needed　asking。　Not　surprisingly；　the　question　came　from　Tan　Deshi；　chief　of　the　Ministry　of　State　Security：
　〃Luo；　my　friend；　how　soon　would　the　decision　have　to　be　made　to　ensure　success？　How　easily　could　the　decision　be　called　back　if　circumstances　warrant？〃
　〃Ideally；　the　'go'　decision　would　be　made　today；　so　that　we　can　start　moving　our　forces　to　their　preset　jumping…off　places。　To　stop　them…well；　of　course；　you　can　stop　the　offensive　up　to　the　very　moment　the　artillery　is　to　open　fire。　It　is　much　harder　to　advance　than　it　is　to　stay　in　place。　Any　man　can　stand　still；　no　matter　where　he　is。〃　The　preplanned　answer　to　the　preplanned　question　was　as　clever　as　it　was　misleading。　Sure；　you　could　always　stop　an　army　poised　to　jump　off；　about　as　easily　as　you　could　stop　a　Yangtze　River　flood。
　〃I　see；〃　Tan　said。　〃In　that　case；　I　propose　that　we　vote　on　conditional　approval　of　a　'go'　order；　subject　to　change　at　any　time　by　majority　vote　of　the　Politburo。〃
　Now　it　was　Xu's　turn　to　take　charge　of　the　meeting：　〃rades；　thank　you　all　for　your　views　on　the　issue　before　us。　Now　we　must　decide　what　is　best　for　our　country　and　our　people。　We　shall　vote　on　Tan's　proposal；　a　conditional　authorization　for　an　attack　to　seize　and　exploit　the　oil　and　gold　fields　in　Siberia。〃
　As　Fang　had　feared；　the　vote　was　already　decided；　and　in　the　interests　of　solidarity；　he　voted　with　the　rest。　Only　Qian　Kun　wavered；　but　like　all　the　others；　he　sided　with　the　majority；　because　it　was　dangerous　to　stand　alone　in　any　group　in　the　People's　Republic；　most　of　all　this　one。　And　besides；　Qian　was　only　a　candidate　member；　and　didn't　have　a　vote　at　this　most　democratic　of　tables。
　The　vote　turned　out　to　be　unanimous。
　Long　Chun；　it　would　be　called：　Operation　SPRING　DRAGON。
　
　Scott　Adler　knew　Moscow　as　well　as　many　Russian　citizens　did；　he'd　been　here　so　many　times；　including　one　tour　in　the　American　Embassy　as　a　wet…behind…the…ears　new　foreign…service　officer；　all　those　years　before；　during　the　Carter　Administration。　The　Air　Force　flight　crew　delivered　him　on　time；　and　they　were　accustomed　to　taking　people　on　covert　missions　to　odd　places。　This　mission　was　less　unusual　than　most。　His　aircraft　rolled　to　a　stop　at　the　Russian　fighter　base；　and　the　official　car　rolled　up　even　before　the　mechanical　steps　unfolded。　Adler　hustled　out；　unacpanied　even　by　an　aide。　A　Russian　official　shook　hands　with　him　and　got　him　into　the　car　for　the　drive　into　Moscow。　Adler　was　at　ease。　He　knew　that　he　was　offering　Russia　a　gift　fit　for　the　world's　largest　Christmas　tree；　and　he　didn't　think　they　were　stupid　enough　to　reject　it。　No；　the　Russians　were　among　the　world's　most　skillful　diplomats　and　geopolitical　thinkers；　a　trait　that　went　back　sixty　years　or　more。　It　had　struck　him　as　sad；　back　in　1978；　that　their　adroit　people　had　been　chained　to　a　doomed　political　system…even　back　then；　Adler　had　seen　the　demise　of　the　Soviet　Union　ing。　Jimmy　Carter's　〃human　rights〃　proclamation　had　been　that　president's　best　and　least　appreciated　foreign…policy　play；　for　it　had　injected　the　virus　of　rot　into　their　political　empire；　begun　the　process　of　eating　away　their　power　in　Eastern　Europe；　and　also　of　letting　their　own　people　start　to　ask　questions。　It　was　a　pot　that　Ronald　Reagan　had　sweetened…upping　the　ante　with　his　defense　buildup　that　had　stretched　the　Soviet　economy　to　the　breaking　point　and　beyond；　allowing　George　Bush　to　be　there　when　they'd　tossed　in　their　cards　and　cast　off　from　the　political　system　that　stretched　back　to　Vladimir　ll'ych　Ulyanov；　Lenin　himself；　the　founding　father；　even　the　god　of　Marxism…Leninism。　It　was　usually　sad　when　a　god　died　。　。　。
　。　。　。　but　not　in　this　case；　Adler　thought　as　the　buildings　flashed　by。
　Then　he　realized　that　there　was　one　more　large　but　false　god　out　there；　Mao　Zedong；　awaiting　final　interment　in　history's　rubbish　heap。　When　would　that　e？　Did　this　mission　have　a　role　to　play　in　that　funeral？　Nixon