tc.thebearandthedragon-第147部分

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　〃Did　you　talk　to　him　about　it？〃
　〃When　I　was　a　boy。　Sasha…my　mother's　brother；　he　was…was　a　true　soldier；　a　hard　man　with　hard　rules　for　life；　and　a　mitted　munist。　That　must　have　shaken　him；　though；〃　Golovko　went　on。　〃He　didn't　really　talk　about　what　effect　it　had　on　him。　Just　that　it　was　ugly；　and　proof　to　him　of　the　correctness　of　his　cause。　He　said　he　had　an　especially　good　war　after　that…he　got　to　kill　more　Germans。〃
　〃And　what　about　the　things…〃
　〃Stalin　did？　We　never　spoke　of　that　in　my　family。　My　father　was　NKVD；　as　you　know。　He　thought　that　whatever　the　state　did　was　correct。　Not　unlike　what　the　fascisti　thought　at　Auschwitz；　I　admit；　but　he　would　not　have　seen　it　that　way。　Those　were　different　times；　Ivan　Emmetovich。　Harder　times。　Your　father　served　in　the　war　as　well；　as　I　recall。〃
　〃Paratrooper；　One…Oh…First。　He　never　talked　much　about　it；　just　the　funny　things　that　happened。　He　said　the　night　drop　into　Normandy　was　pretty　scary；　but　that's　all…he　never　said　what　it　was　like　running　around　in　the　dark　with　people　shooting　at　him。〃
　〃It　cannot　be　very　enjoyable；　to　be　a　soldier　in　bat。〃
　〃I　don't　suppose　it　is。　Sending　people　out　to　do　it　isn't　fun；　either。　God　damn　it；　Sergey！　I'm　supposed　to　protect　people；　not　risk　their　lives。〃
　〃So；　you　are　not　like　Hitler。　And　not　like　Stalin；〃　the　Russian　added　graciously。　〃And　neither　is　Eduard　Petrovich。　It　is　a　gentler　world　we　live　in；　gentler　than　that　of　our　fathers　and　our　uncles。　But　not　gentle　enough　yet。　When　will　you　know　how　our　Chinese　friends　reacted　to　yesterday's　events？〃
　〃Soon；　I　hope；　but　we're　not　exactly　sure。　You　know　how　that　works。〃
　〃Da。　〃You　depended　on　the　reports　of　your　agents；　but　you　were　never　sure　when　they　would　e　in；　and　in　the　expectation　came　frustration。　Sometimes　you　wanted　to　wring　their　necks；　but　that　was　both　foolish　and　morally　wrong；　as　they　both　knew。
　〃Any　public　reaction？〃　Ryan　asked。　The　Russians　would　have　seen　it　sooner　than　his　own　people。
　〃A　nonreaction；　Mr。　President。　No　public　ment　at　all。　Not　unexpected；　but　somewhat　disappointing。〃
　〃If　they　move；　can　you　stop　them？〃
　〃President　Grushavoy　has　asked　that　very　question　of　Stavka；　his　military　chiefs；　but　they　have　not　yet　answered　substantively。　We　are　concerned　with　operational　security。　We　do　not　wish　the　PRC　to　know　that　we　know　anything。〃
　〃That　can　work　against　you；〃　Ryan　warned。
　〃I　said　that　very　thing　this　morning；　but　soldiers　have　their　own　ways；　don't　they？　We　are　calling　up　some　reserves；　and　warning　orders　have　gone　out　to　some　mechanized　troops。　The　cupboard；　however；　as　you　Americans　say；　is　somewhat　bare　at　the　moment。〃
　〃What　have　you　done　about　the　people　who　tried　to　kill　you？〃　Ryan　asked；　changing　the　subject。
　〃The　main　one　is　under　constant　observation　at　the　moment。　If　he　tries　something　else；　we　will　then　speak　to　him；〃　Golovko　promised。　〃The　connection；　again；　is　Chinese；　as　you　know。〃
　〃I've　heard。〃
　〃Your　FBI　agent　in　Moscow；　that　Reilly　fellow；　is　very　talented。　We　could　have　used　him　in　Second　Directorate。〃
　〃Yeah；　Dan　Murray　thinks　a　lot　of　him。〃
　〃If　this　Chinese　matter　goes　further；　we　need　to　set　up　a　liaison　group　between　your　military　and　ours。〃
　〃Work　through　SACEUR；〃　Ryan　told　him。　He'd　already　thought　that　one　through。　〃He　has　instructions　to　cooperate　with　your　people。〃
　〃Thank　you；　Mr。　President。　I　will　pass　that　along。　So；　your　family；　it　is　well？〃　You　couldn't　have　this　sort　of　meeting　without　irrelevant　pleasantries。
　〃My　oldest；　Sally；　is　dating。　That's　hard　on　Daddy；〃　Ryan　admitted。
　〃Yes。〃　Golovko　allowed　himself　a　smile。　〃You　live　in　fear　that　she　will　e　upon　such　a　boy　as　you　were；　yes？〃
　〃Well；　the　Secret　Service　helps　keep　the　little　bastards　under　control。〃
　〃There　is　much　to　be　said　for　men　with　guns；　yes；〃　the　Russian　agreed　with　some　amusement；　to　lighten　the　moment。
　〃Yeah；　but　I　think　daughters　are　God's　punishment　on　us　for　being　men。〃　That　observation　earned　Ryan　a　laugh。
　〃Just　so；　Ivan　Emmetovich；　just　so。〃　And　Sergey　paused　again。　Back　to　business：　〃It　is　a　hard　time　for　both　of　us；　is　it　not？〃
　〃Yeah；　it　is　that。〃
　〃Perhaps　the　Chinese　will　see　us　standing　together　and　reconsider　their　greed。　Together　our　fathers'　generation　killed　Hitler；　after　all。　Who　can　stand　against　the　two　of　us？〃
　〃Sergey；　wars　are　not　rational　acts。　They　are　not　begun　by　rational　men。　They're　begun　by　people　who　don't　care　a　rat…fuck　about　the　people　they　rule；　who're　willing　to　get　their　fellow　men　killed　for　their　own　narrow　purposes。　This　morning　I　saw　such　a　place。　It　was　Satan's　amusement　park；　I　suppose；　but　not　a　place　for　a　man　like　me。　I　came　away　angry。　I　wouldn't　mind　having　a　chance　to　see　Hitler；　long　as　I　have　a　gun　in　my　hand　when　I　do。〃　It　was　a　foolish　thing　to　say；　but　Golovko　understood。
　〃With　luck；　together　we　will　prevent　this　Chinese　adventure。〃
　〃And　if　not？〃
　〃Then　together　we　will　defeat　them；　my　friend。　And　perhaps　that　will　be　the　last　war　of　all。〃
　〃I　wouldn't　bet　on　it；〃　the　President　replied。　〃I've　had　that　thought　before　myself；　but　I　suppose　it's　a　worthy　goal。〃
　〃When　you　find　out　what　the　Chinese　say　。　。　。　？〃
　〃We'll　get　the　word　to　you。〃
　Golovko　rose。　〃Thank　you。　I　will　convey　that　to　my　president。〃
　Ryan　walked　the　Russian　to　the　door；　then　headed　off　to　the　ambassador's　office。
　〃This　just　came　in。〃　Ambassador　Lewendowski　handed　over　the　fax。　〃Is　this　as　bad　as　it　looks？〃　The　fax　was　headed　EYES…ONLY　PRESIDENT；　but　it　had　e　into　his　embassy。
　Ryan　took　the　pages　and　started　reading。　〃Probably。　If　the　Russians　need　help　via　NATO；　will　the　Poles　throw　in？〃
　〃I　don't　know。　I　can　ask。〃
　The　President　shook　his　head。　〃Too　soon　for　that。〃
　〃Did　we　bring　the　Russians　into　NATO　with　the　knowledge　of　this？〃　The　question　showed　concern　that　stopped　short　of　outrage　at　the　violation　of　diplomatic　etiquette。
　Ryan　looked　up。　〃What　do　you　think？〃　He　paused。　〃I　need　your　secure　phone。〃
　Forty　minutes　later；　Jack　and　Cathy　Ryan　walked　up　the　steps　into　their　airplane　for　the　ride　home。　SURGEON　was　not　surprised　to　see　her　husband　disappear　into　the　aircraft's　upper　munications　level；　along　with　the　Secretary　of　State。　She　suspected　that　her　husband　might　have　stolen　a　smoke　or　two　up　there；　but　she　was　asleep　by　the　time　he　came　back　down。
　For　his　part；　Ryan　wished　he　had；　but　couldn't　find　a　smoker　up　there。　The　two　who　indulged　had　left　their　smokes　in　their　luggage　to　avoid　the　temptation　to　violate　USAF　regulations。　The　President　had　a　single　drink　and　got　into　his　seat；　rocking　it　back　for　a　nap；　during　which　he　found　himself　dreaming　of　Auschwitz；　mixing　it　up　with　scenes　remembered　from　Schindler's　List。　He　awoke　over　Iceland；　sweating；　to　see　his　wife's　angelic　sleeping　face；　and　to　remind　himself　that；　bad　as　the　world　was；　it　wasn't　quite　that　bad　anymore。　And　his　job　was　to　keep　it　that　way。
　
　〃Okay；　is　there　any　way　to　make　them　back　off？〃　Robby　Jackson　asked　the　people　assembled　in　the　White　House　Situation　Room。
　Professor　Weaver　struck　him　as　just　one　more　academic；　long　of　wind　and　short　of　conclusion。　Jackson　listened　anyway。　This　guy　knew　more　about　the　way　the　Chinese　thought。　He　must。　His　explanation　was　about　as　inprehensible　as　the　thought　processes　he　was　attempting　to　make　clear。
　〃Professor；〃　Jackson　said　finally；　〃that's　all　well　and　good；　but　what　the　hell　does　something　that　happened　nine　centuries　ago　tell　us　about　today？　These　are　Maoists；　not　royalists。〃
　〃Ideology　is　usually　just　an　excuse　for　behavior；　Mr。　Vice　President；　not　a　reason　for　it。　Their　motivations　are　the　same　today　as　they　would　have　been　under　the　Chin　Dynasty；　and　they　fear　exactly　the　same　thing'：　the　revolt　of　the　peasantry　if　the　economy　goes　pletely　bad；〃　Weaver　explained　to　this　pilot；　a　technician；　he　thought；　and　decidedly　not　an　intellectual。　At　least　the　President　had　some　credentials　as　a　historian；　though　they　weren't　impressive　to　the　tenured　Ivy　League　department　chairman。
　〃Back　to　the　real　question　here：　What　can　we　do　to　make　them　back　off；　short　of　war？〃
　〃Telling　them　that　we　know　of　their　plans　might　give　them　pause；　but　they　will　make　their　decision　on　the　overall　correlation　of　forces；　which　they　evidently　believe　to　be　fully　in　their　favor；　judging　from　what　I've　been　reading　from　this　SORGE　fellow。〃
　〃So；　they　won't　back　off？〃　the　VP　asked。
　〃I　cannot　guarantee　that；〃　Weaver　answered。
　〃And　blowing　our　source　gets　somebody　killed；〃　Mary　Pat　Foley　reminded　the　assembly。
　〃Which　is　just　one　life　against　many；〃　Weaver　pointed　out。
　Remarkably；　the　DDO　didn't　leap　across　the　table　to　rip　his　academic　face　off。　She　respected　Weaver　as　an　area　specialist/consultant。　But　fundamentally　he　was　one　more　ivory…tower　theoretician　who　didn't　consider　the　human　lives　that　rode　on　decisions　like　that　one。　Real　people　had　their　lives　end；　and　that　was　a　big　deal　to　those　real　people；　even　if　it　wasn't　to　this　professor　in　his　fortable　office　in　Providence；　Rhode　Island。
　〃It　also　cancels　out　a　vital　source　of　information　in　the　event　that　they　go　forward　anyway…which　could　adversely　affect　our　ability　to　deal　with　the　real…world　military　threat；　by　the　way。〃
　〃There　is　that；　I　suppose；〃　Weaver　conceded　diffidently。
　〃Can　the　Russians　stop　them？〃　Jackson　asked。　General　Moore　took　the　question。
　〃It's　six…five　and　pick　'em；〃　the　Chairman　of　the　Joint　Chiefs　answered。　〃The　Chinese　have　a　lot　of　bat　power　to　unleash。　The　Russians　have　a　lot　of　room　to　absorb　it；　but　not　the　bat　power　to　repel　it　per　se。　If　I　had　to　bet；　I'd　put　my　money　on　the　PRC…unless　we　e　in。　Our　airpower　could　alter　the　equation　somewhat；　and　if　NATO　es　in　with　ground　forces；　the　odds　change。　It　depends　on　what　reinforcements　we　and　the　Russians　can　get　into　the　theater。〃
　〃Logistics？〃
　〃A　real　problem；〃　Mickey　Moore　conceded。　〃It　all　es　down　one　railway　line。　It's　double…tracked　and　electrified；　but　that's　the　only　good　news　about　it。〃
　〃Does　anybody　know　how　to　run　an　operation　like　that　down　a　railroad？　Hell；　we　haven't　done　it　since　the　Civil　War；〃　Jackson　thought　aloud。
　〃Just　have　to　wait　and　see；　sir；　if　it　es　to　that。　The　Russians　have　doubtless　thought　it　over　many　times。　We'll　depend　on　them　for　that。〃
　〃G