tc.thebearandthedragon-第140部分

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。　And　that　one　was　a　crook　who'd　enriched　himself　hugely　on　the　government　payroll。　But　they　were　all　allies　of　his　country；　and　therefore　they　were　officially　his　friends。　And　so　Jack　had　to　ignore　what　he　knew　of　them　and　treat　them　like　what　they　appeared　to　be　rather　than　what　they　really　were；　and　the　really　funny　part　of　that　was　that　they　felt　themselves　to　be　his　superiors　because　they　were　better　politicians　than　he　was。　And　the　funniest　part　of　all　was　that　they　were　right。　They　were　better　politicians　than　he　was；　Ryan　thought；　sipping　his　wine。　The　British　Prime　Minister　walked　off　to　see　his　Norwegian　counterpart；　as　Cathy　Ryan　rejoined　her　husband。
　〃Well；　honey；　how　did　it　go？〃
　〃The　usual。　Politics。　Don't　any　of　these　women　have　a　real　job？〃　she　asked　the　air。
　〃Some　do；〃　Jack　remembered　from　his　briefings。　〃Some　even　have　kids。〃
　〃Mainly　grandkids。　I'm　not　old　enough　for　that　yet；　thank　God。〃
　〃Sorry；　babe。　But　there　are　advantages　to　being　young　and　beautiful；〃　POTUS　told　FLOTUS。
　〃And　you're　the　best…looking　guy　here；〃　Cathy　replied　with　a　smile。
　〃But　I'm　too　tired。　Long　day　at　the　bargaining　table。〃
　〃Why　are　you　bringing　Russia　into　NATO？〃
　〃To　stop　a　war　with　China；〃　Jack　replied　honestly。　It　was　time　she　knew。　The　answer　to　her　question　got　her　attention。
　〃What？〃
　〃I'll　fill　you　in　later；　babe；　but　that's　the　short　version。〃
　〃A　war？〃
　〃Yeah。　It's　a　long　story；　and　we　hope　that　what　we　agreed　to　do　today　will　prevent　it。〃
　〃You　say　so；〃　Cathy　Ryan　observed　dubiously。
　〃Meet　anybody　you　like？〃
　〃The　French　president　is　very　charming。〃
　〃Oh；　yeah？　He　was　a　son　of　a　bitch　in　the　negotiating　session　today。　Maybe　he's　just　trying　to　get　in　your　knickers；〃　Jack　told　his　wife。　He'd　been　briefed　in　on　the　French　president；　and　he　was　reputed　to　be　a　man　of　〃mendable　vigor；〃　as　the　State　Department　report　delicately　put　it。　Well；　the　French　had　a　reputation　as　great　lovers；　didn't　they？
　〃I'm　spoke　for；　Sir　John；〃　she　reminded　him。
　〃And　so　am　I；　my　lady。〃　He　could　have　Roy　Altman　shoot　the　Frenchman　for　making　a　move　on　his　wife；　Ryan　thought　with　amusement；　but　that　would　cause　a　diplomatic　incident；　and　Scott　Adler　always　got　upset　about　those。　。　。　。　Jack　checked　his　watch。　It　was　about　time　to　call　this　one　a　day。　Soon　some　diplomat　would　make　a　discreet　announcement　that　would　end　the　evening。　Jack　hadn't　danced　with　his　wife。　The　sad　truth　was　that　Jack　couldn't　dance　a　lick；　which　was　a　source　of　minor　contention　with　his　wife；　and　a　shorting　he　planned　to　correct　someday　。　。　。　maybe。
　The　party　broke　up　on　time。　The　embassy　had　fortable　quarters；　and　Ryan　found　his　way　to　the　king…sized　bed　brought　in　for　his　and　Cathy's　use。
　
　Bondarenko's　official　residence　at　Chabarsovil　was　a　very　fortable　one；　befitting　a　four…star　resident　and　his　family。　But　his　wife　didn't　like　it。　Eastern　Siberia　lacked　the　social　life　of　Moscow；　and　besides；　one　of　their　daughters　was　nine　months　pregnant；　and　his　wife　was　in　St。　Petersburg　to　be　there　when　the　baby　arrived。　The　front　of　the　house　overlooked　a　large　parade　ground。　The　back；　where　his　bedroom　was；　looked　into　the　pine　forests　that　made　up　most　of　this　province。　He　had　a　large　personal　staff　to　look　after　his　needs。　That　included　a　particularly　skilled　cook；　and　munications　people。　It　was　one　of　the　latter　who　knocked　on　his　bedroom　door　at　three　in　the　local　morning。
　〃Yes；　what　is　it？〃
　〃An　urgent　munication　for　you；　rade　General；〃　the　voice　answered。
　〃Very　well；　wait　a　minute。〃　Gennady　Iosifovich　rose　and　donned　a　cloth　robe；　punching　on　a　light　as　he　went　to　open　the　door。　He　grumbled　as　any　man　would　at　the　loss　of　sleep；　but　generals　had　to　expect　this　sort　of　thing。　He　opened　the　door　without　a　snarl　at　the　NCO　who　handed　over　the　telex。
　〃Urgent；　from　Moscow；〃　the　sergeant　emphasized。
　〃Da；　spasiba；〃　the　general　replied；　taking　it　and　walking　back　toward　his　bed。　He　sat　in　the　fortable　chair　that　he　usually　dumped　his　tunic　on　and　picked　up　the　reading　glasses　that　he　didn't　actually　need；　but　which　made　reading　easier　in　the　semidarkness。　It　was　something　urgent…well；　urgent　enough　to　wake　him　up　in　the　middle　of　the　fucking…
　〃My　God；〃　CINC…FAR　EAST　breathed　to　himself；　halfway　down　the　cover　sheet。　Then　he　flipped　it　over　to　read　the　substance　of　the　report。
　In　America　it　would　be　called　a　Special　National　Intelligence　Estimate。　Bondarenko　had　seen　them　before；　even　helped　draft　some；　but　never　one　like　this。
　It　is　believed　that　there　is　an　imminent　danger　of　war　between　Russia　and　the　People's　Republic　of　China。　The　Chinese　objective　in　offensive　operations　will　be　to　seize　the　newly…discovered　gold　and　oil　deposits　in　eastern　Siberia　by　rapid　mechanized　assault　north　from　their　border　west　of　Khabarovsk。　The　leading　elements　will　include　the　34th　Shock　Army；　a　Type　A　Group　Army　。　。　。
　This　intelligence　estimate　is　based　upon　national　intelligence　assets　with　access　to　the　political　leaders　of　the　PRC；　and　the　quality　of　the　intelligence　is　graded　〃1A；〃　the　report　went　on；　meaning　that　the　SVR　regarded　it　as　Holy　Writ。　Bondarenko　hadn't　seen　that　happen　very　much。
　Far　East　mand　is　directed　to　make　all　preparations　to　meet　and　repel　such　an　attack　。　。　。
　〃With　what？〃　the　general　asked　the　papers　in　his　hand。　〃With　what；　rades？〃　With　that　he　lifted　the　bedside　phone。　〃I　want　my　staff　together　in　forty　minutes；〃　he　told　the　sergeant　who　answered。　He　would　not　take　the　theatrical　step　of　calling　a　full　alert　just　yet。　That　would　follow　his　staff　meeting。　Already　his　mind　was　examining　the　problem。　It　would　continue　to　do　so　as　he　urinated；　then　shaved；　his　mind　running　in　small　circles；　a　fact　which　he　recognized　but　couldn't　change；　and　the　fact　that　he　couldn't　change　it　didn't　slow　the　process　one　small　bit。　The　problem　he　faced　as　he　scraped　the　whiskers　from　his　face　was　not　an　easy　one；　perhaps　an　impossible　one；　but　his　four…star　rank　made　it　his　problem；　and　he　didn't　want　to　be　remembered　by　future　Russian　military　students　as　the　general　who'd　not　been　up　to　the　task　of　defending　his　country　against　a　foreign　invasion。　He　was　here；　Bondarenko　told　himself；　because　he　was　the　best　operational　thinker　his　country　had。　He'd　faced　battle　before；　and　ported　himself　well　enough　not　only　to　live　but　to　wear　his　nation's　highest　decorations　for　bravery。　He'd　studied　military　history　his　whole　life。　He'd　even　spent　time　with　the　Americans　at　their　battle　laboratory　in　California；　something　he　lusted　to　copy　and　re…create　in　Russia　as　the　best　possible　way　to　prepare　soldiers　for　battle；　but　which　his　country　couldn't　begin　to　afford　for　years。　He　had　the　knowledge。　He　had　the　nerve。　What　he　lacked　were　the　assets。　But　history　was　not　made　by　soldiers　who　had　what　they　needed；　but　by　those　who　did　not。　When　the　soldiers　had　enough；　the　political　leaders　went　into　the　books。　Gennady　Iosifovich　was　a　soldier；　and　a　Russian　soldier。　His　country　was　always　taken　by　surprise；　because　for　whatever　reason　her　political　leaders　didn't　ever　see　war　ing；　and　because　of　that　soldiers　had　to　pay　the　price。　A　distant　voice　told　him　that　at　least　he　wouldn't　be　shot　for　failure。　Stalin　was　long　dead；　and　with　him　the　ethos　of　punishing　those　whom　he　had　failed　to　warn　or　prepare。　But　Bondarenko　didn't　listen　to　that　voice。　Failure　was　too　bitter　an　alternative　for　him　to　consider　while　he　lived。
　
　The　Special　National　Intelligence　Estimate　made　its　way　to　American　forces　in　Europe　and　the　Pacific　even　more　quickly　than　to　Chabarsovil。　For　Admiral　Bartolomeo　Vito　Mancuso；　it　came　before　a　scheduled　dinner　with　the　governor　of　Hawaii。　His　Public　Affairs　Officer　had　to　knock　that　one　back　a　few　hours　while　CINCPAC　called　his　staff　together。
　〃Talk　to　me；　Mike；〃　Mancuso　manded　his　J…2；　BG　Michael　Lahr。
　〃Well；　it　hasn't　e　totally　out　of　left　field；　sir；〃　the　theater　intelligence　coordinator　replied。　〃I　don't　know　anything　about　the　source　of　the　intelligence；　but　it　looks　like　high…level　human　intelligence；　probably　with　a　political　point　of　origin。　CIA　says　it's　highly　reliable；　and　Director　Foley　is　pretty　good。　So；　we　have　to　take　this　one　very　seriously。〃　Lahr　paused　for　a　sip　of　water。
　〃Okay；　what　we　know　is　that　the　PRC　is　looking　with　envious　eyes　at　the　Russian　mineral　discoveries　in　the　central　and　northern　parts　of　eastern　Siberia。　That　plays　into　the　economic　problems　they　got　faced　with　after　the　killings　in　Beijing　caused　the　break　in　trade　talks；　and　it　also　appears　that　their　other　trading　partners　are　backing　away　from　them　as　well。　So；　the　Chinese　now　find　themselves　in　a　really　tight　economic　corner；　and　that's　been　a　casus　belli　as　far　back　as　we　have　written　history。〃
　〃What　can　we　do　to　scare　them　off？〃　asked　the　general　manding　Pacific　Fleet　Marine　Force。
　〃What　we're　doing　tomorrow　is　to　make　the　Russian　federation　part　of　NATO。　Russian　President　Grushavoy　will　be　flying　to　Warsaw　in　a　few　hours　to　sign　the　North　Atlantic　Treaty。　That　makes　Russia　an　ally　of　the　United　States　of　America；　and　of　all　the　NATO　members。　So；　the　thinking　is　that　if　China　moves；　they're　not　just　taking　on　Russia；　but　all　the　rest　of　the　North　Atlantic　Council　as　well；　and　that　ought　to　give　them　pause。〃
　〃And　if　it　doesn't？〃　Mancuso　asked。　As　a　theater　mander…in…chief；　he　was　paid　to　consider　diplomatic　failure　rather　than　success。
　〃Then；　sir；　if　the　Chinese　strike　north；　we　have　a　shooting　war　on　the　Asian　mainland　between　the　People's　Republic　of　China　and　an　American　ally。　That　means　we're　going　to　war。〃
　〃Do　we　have　any　guidance　from　Washington　along　those　lines？〃　CINCPAC　asked。
　Lahr　shook　his　head。　〃Not　yet；　Admiral。　It's　developing　a　little　fast　for　that；　and　Secretary　Bretano　is　looking　to　us　for　ideas。〃
　Mancuso　nodded。　〃Okay。　What　can　we　do？　What　kind　of　shape　are　we　in？〃
　The　four…star　manding　Seventh　Fleet　leaned　forward：　〃I'm　in　pretty　decent　shape。　My　carriers　are　all　available　or　nearly　so；　but　my　aviators　could　use　some　more　training　time。　Surface　assets…well；　Ed？〃
　Vice　Admiral　Goldsmith　looked　over　to　his　boss。　〃We're　good；　Bart。〃
　SuBPAC　nodded。　〃It'll　take　a　little　time　to　surge　more　of　my　boats　west；　but　they're　trained　up；　and　we　can　give　their　navy　a　major　bellya