tc.thebearandthedragon-第148部分

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them　for　that。〃
　〃Great；〃　the　Vice　President　muttered。　A　lifelong　USN　sailor；　he　didn't　like　depending　on　anything　except　people　who　spoke　American　and　wore　Navy　Blue。
　〃If　the　variables　were　fully　in　our　favor；　the　Chinese　wouldn't　be　thinking　about　this　operation　as　seriously　as　they　evidently　are。〃　Which　was　about　as　obvious　as　the　value　of　a　double　play　with　the　bases　loaded　and　one　out　in　the　bottom　of　the　ninth。
　〃The　problem；〃　George　Winston　told　them；　〃is　that　the　prize　is　just　too　damned　inviting。　It's　like　the　bank　doors　have　been　left　open　over　a　three…day　weekend；　and　the　local　cops　are　on　strike。〃
　〃Jack　keeps　saying　that　a　war　of　aggression　is　just　an　armed　robbery　writ　large；〃　Jackson　told　them。
　〃That's　not　far　off；〃　SecTreas　agreed。　Professor　Weaver　thought　the　parison　overly　simplistic；　but　what　else　could　you　expect　of　people　like　these？
　〃We　can　warn　them　off　when　we　start　seeing　preparations　on　our　overheads；〃　Ed　Foley　proposed。　〃Mickey；　when　will　we　start　seeing　that？〃
　〃Conceivably；　two　days。　Figure　a　week　for　them　to　get　ramped　up。　Their　forces　are　pretty　well　in　theater　already；　and　it's　just　a　matter　of　getting　them　postured…putting　them　all　near　their　jump…off　points。　Then　doing　the　final　approach　march　will　happen；　oh；　thirty…six　hours　before　they　start　pulling　the　strings　on　their　field　guns。〃
　〃And　Ivan　can't　stop　them？〃
　〃At　the　border？　Not　a　chance；〃　the　general　answered；　with　an　emphatic　shake　of　the　head。　〃They'll　have　to　play　for　time；　trading　land　for　time。　The　Chinese　have　a　hell　of　a　long　trip　to　get　the　oil。　That's　their　weakness；　a　huge　flank　to　protect　and　a　god…awful　vulnerable　logistics　train。　I'd　look　out　for　an　airborne　assault　on　either　the　gold　or　the　oil　fields。　They　don't　have　much　in　the　way　of　airborne　troops　or　airlift　capacity；　but　you　have　to　figure　they'll　try　it　anyway。　They're　both　soft　targets。〃
　〃What　can　we　send　in？〃
　〃First　thing；　a　lot　of　air　assets；　fighters；　fighter…bombers；　and　every　aerial　tanker　we　can　scrape　up。　We　may　not　be　able　to　establish　air　superiority；　but　we　can　quickly　deny　it　to　them；　make　it　a　fifty…fifty　proposition　almost　at　once；　and　then　start　rolling　their　air　force　back。　Again　it's　a　question　of　numbers；　Robby；　and　a　question　of　how　well　their　flyers　are　trained。　Probably　better　than　the　Russians；　just　because　they　have　more　hours　on　the　stick；　but　technically　the　Russians　actually　have　generally　better　aircraft；　and　probably　better　doctrine…except　they　haven't　had　the　chance　to　practice　it。〃
　Robby　Jackson　wanted　to　grumble　that　the　situation　had　too　many　unknowns；　but　if　there　hadn't　been；　as　Mickey　Moore　had　just　told　him；　the　Chinese　wouldn't　be　leaning　on　their　northern　border。　Muggers　went　after　little　old　ladies　with　their　Social　Security　money；　not　cops　who　had　just　cashed　their　paychecks　on　the　way　home　from　work。　There　was　much　to　be　said　for　carrying　a　gun　on　the　street；　and　as　irrational　as　street　crime　or　war…starting　might　be；　those　who　did　it　were　somewhat　reflective　in　their　choices。
　
　Scott　Adler　hadn't　slept　at　all　on　the　flight；　as　he'd　played　over　and　over　in　his　mind　the　question　of　how　to　stop　a　war　from　starting。　That　was　the　primary　mission　of　a　diplomat；　wasn't　it？　Mainly　he　considered　his　shortings。　As　the　prime　foreign…affairs　officer　of　his　country；　he　was　supposed　to　know…he　was　paid　to　know…what　to　say　to　people　to　deflect　them　from　irrational　actions。　At　base　that　could　mean　telling　them；　Do　this　and　the　full　power　and　fury　of　America　will　descend　on　you　and　ruin　your　whole　day。　Better　to　cajole　them　into　being　reasonable；　because　in　reasonableness　was　their　best　salvation　as　a　nation　in　the　global　village。　But　the　truth　was　that　the　Chinese　thought　in　ways　that　he　could　not　replicate　within　his　own　mind；　and　so　he　wasn't　sure　what　to　say　to　make　them　see　the　light。　The　worst　part　of　all　was　that　he'd　met　this　Zhang　guy　in　addition　to　Foreign　Minister　Shen；　and　all　he　knew　for　sure　was　that　they　did　not　look　upon　reality　as　he　did。　They　saw　blue　where　he　saw　green；　and　he　couldn't　understand　their　strange　version　of　green　well　enough　to　explain　it　into　blue。　A　small　voice　chided　him　for　possible　racism；　but　this　situation　was　too　far　gone　for　political　correctness。　He　had　a　war　to　stop；　and　he　didn't　know　how。　He　ended　up　staring　at　the　bulkhead　in　front　of　his　fortable　glove…leather　seat　and　wishing　it　was　a　movie　screen。　He　felt　like　seeing　a　movie　now；　something　to　get　his　mind　off　the　hamster　wheel　that　just　kept　turning　and　turning。　Then　he　felt　a　tap　on　his　shoulder；　and　turned　to　see　his　President；　who　motioned　him　to　the　circular　staircase　to　the　upper　level。　Again　they　chased　two　Air　Force　municators　off　their　seats。
　〃Thinking　over　the　newest　SORGE？〃
　〃Yep。〃　EAGLE　nodded。
　〃Any　ideas？〃
　The　head　moved　in　a　different　plane　now。　〃No。　Sorry；　Jack；　but　it　just　isn't　there。　Maybe　you　need　a　new　SecState。〃
　Ryan　grunted。　〃No；　just　different　enemies。　The　only　thing　I　see　is　to　tell　them　we　know　what　they're　up　to；　and　that　they'd　better　stop。〃
　〃And　when　they　tell　us　to　shove　it　up　our　collective　ass；　then　what？〃
　〃You　know　what　we　need　right　now？〃　SWORDSMAN　asked。
　〃Oh；　yeah；　a　couple　hundred　Minuteman　or　Trident　missiles　would　work　just　fine　to　show　them　the　light。　Unfortunately　。　。　。〃
　〃Unfortunately；　we　did　away　with　them　to　make　the　world　a　safer　place。　Oops；〃　Ryan　concluded。
　〃Well；　we　have　the　bombs　and　the　aircraft　to　deliver　them；　and…〃
　〃No！〃　Ryan　hissed。　〃No；　God　damn　it；　I　will　not　initiate　a　nuclear　war　in　order　to　stop　a　conventional　one。　How　many　people　do　you　want　me　to　kill？〃
　〃Easy；　Jack。　It's　my　job　to　present　options；　remember？　Not　to　advocate　them…not　that　one　anyway。〃　He　paused。　〃What　did　you　think　of　Auschwitz？〃
　〃It's　the　stuff　of　nightmares…wait　a　minute；　your　parents；　right？〃
　〃My　father…Belzec　in　his　case；　and　he　lucked　out　and　survived。〃
　〃Does　he　talk　about　it？〃
　〃Never。　Not　a　single　word；　even　to　his　rabbi。　Maybe　a　pshrink。　He　went　to　one　for　a　few　years；　but　I　never　knew　what　for。〃
　〃I　can't　let　anything　like　that　happen　again。　To　stop　that…yeah；　to　stop　that；〃　Ryan　speculated　aloud；　〃yeah；　I　might　drop　a　B…83。〃
　〃You　know　the　lingo？〃
　〃A　little。　I　got　briefed　in　a　long　time　ago；　the　names　for　the　hardware　stuck　in　my　mind。　Funny　thing；　I've　never　had　nightmares　about　that。　Well；　I've　never　read　into　the　SIOP…Single　Integrated　Operation　Plan；　the　cookbook　for　ending　the　world。　I　think　I'd　eat　a　gun　before　I　did　that。〃
　〃A　whole　lot　of　presidents　had　to　think　those　things　over；〃　Adler　pointed　out。
　〃Before　my　time；　Scott；　and　they　never　expected　them　to　happen　anyway。　They　all　figured　they'd　smart　their　way　through　it。　'Til　Bob　Fowler　came　along　and　damned　near　stumbled　into　calling　in　the　codes。　That　was　some　wild　Sunday　night；〃　Ryan　said；　remembering。
　〃Yeah；　I　know　the　story。　You　kept　your　head　screwed　on　straight。　Not　many　others　did。〃
　〃Yeah。　And　look　where　it　got　me；〃　POTUS　observed　with　a　grim　chuckle。　He　looked　out　a　window。　They　were　over　land　now；　probably　Labrador；　lots　of　green　and　lakes；　and　few　straight　lines　to　show　the　hand　of　man　on　the　land。　〃What　do　we　do；　Scott？〃
　〃We　try　to　warn　them　off。　They'll　do　things　we　can　see　with　satellites；　and　then　we　can　call　them　on　it。　Our　last　play　will　be　to　tell　them　that　Russia　is　an　American　ally　now；　and　messing　with　Ivan　means　messing　with　Uncle　Sam。　If　that　doesn't　stop　them；　nothing　else　will。〃
　〃Offer　some　danegeld　to　buy　them　off？〃　the　President　wondered。
　〃A　waste　of　time。　I　don't　think　it　would　work；　but　I'd　be　damned　sure　they'd　see　it　as　a　sign　of　weakness　and　be　encouraged　by　it。　No；　they　respect　strength；　and　we　have　to　show　them　that。　Then　they'll　react　one　way　or　another。〃
　〃They're　going　to　go；〃　Jack　thought。
　〃Coin　toss。　Hope　it　es　up　tails；　buddy。〃
　〃Yeah。〃　Ryan　checked　his　watch。　〃Early　morning　in　Beijing。〃
　〃They'll　be　waking　up　and　heading　in　for　work；〃　Adler　agreed。　〃What　exactly　can　you　tell　me　about　this　SORGE　source？〃
　〃Mary　Pat　hasn't　told　me　much；　probably　best　that　way。　One　of　the　things　I　learned　at　Langley。　You　can　know　too　much　sometimes。　Better　not　to　know　their　faces；　and　especially　their　names。〃
　〃In　case　something　bad　happens？〃
　〃When　it　does；　it's　pretty　bad。　Don't　want　to　think　what　these　people　would　do。　Their　version　of　the　Miranda　warning　is；　'You　can　scream　all　you　want。　We　don't　mind。'　〃
　〃Funny；〃　SecState　thought。
　〃Actually　it's　not　all　that　effective　as　an　interrogation　technique。　
　They　end　up　telling　you　exactly　what　you　want　to　hear；　and　you　end　up　dictating　it　to　them　instead　of　getting　what　they　really　know。〃
　〃What　about　the　appeals　process？〃　Scott　asked；　with　a　yawn。　Finally；　belatedly；　he　was　getting　sleepy。
　〃In　China？　That's　when　the　shooter　asks　if　you　prefer　the　left　ear　or　the　right　ear。〃　Ryan　stopped　himself。　Why　was　he　making　bad　jokes　on　this　subject？
　The　busy　place　in　the　Washington；　D。C。；　area　was　the　National　Reconnaissance　Office。　A　joint　venture　of　CIA　and　the　Pentagon；　NRO　ran　the　reconsats；　the　big　camera　birds　circling　the　earth　at　low…medium　altitude；　looking　down　with　their　hugely　expensive　cameras　that　rivaled　the　precision　and　expense　of　the　Hubble　space　telescope。　There　were　three　photo…birds　up；　circling　the　earth　every　two　hours　or　so；　and　passing　over　the　same　spot　twice　a　day　each。　There　was　also　a　radar…reconnaissance　satellite　that　had　much　poorer　resolution　than　the　Lockheed…　and　TRW…made　KH…11s；　but　which　could　see　through　clouds。　This　was　important　at　the　moment；　because　a　cold　front　was　tracing　across　the　Chinese…Siberian　border；　and　the　clouds　at　its　forward　edge　blanked　out　all　visual　light；　much　to　the　frustration　of　the
　NRO　technicians　and　scientists　whose　multibillion…dollar　satellites　were　useful　only　for　weather　forecasting　at　the　moment。　Cloudy　with　scattered　showers；　and　chilly；　temperature　in　the　middle　forties；　dropping　to　just　below　freezing　at　night。
　The　intelligence　analysts；　therefore；　closely　examined　the　〃take〃　from　the　Lacrosse　radar…intelligence　bird　because　that　was　the　only　game　in　town　at　the　moment。
　〃The　clouds　go　all　the　way　down　to　six　thousand　feet　or　so。　Even　a　Blackbird　wouldn't　be　much　use　at　the　moment；〃　one　of　th