tc.thebearandthedragon-第153部分

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　his　profit。
　Russia　had　still　not　learned　to　leave　people　alone　when　they　were　doing　their　jobs；　and　as　a　result；　his　senior　munications　officer　cringed　when　he　came　in　with　new　〃FLASH〃　traffic。
　〃Look；〃　the　general　said　to　his　intelligence　officer。　〃What　I　need　is　information　on　what　equipment　they　have；　where　they　are；　and　how　they　are　postured　to　move　north　on　us。　Their　politics　and　objectives　are　not　as　important　to　me　as　where　they　are　right　now！〃
　〃I　expect　to　have　hard　information　from　Moscow　momentarily。　It　will　be　American　satellite　coverage；　and…〃
　〃God　damn　it！　I　remember　when　we　had　our　own　fucking　satellites。　What　about　aerial　reconnaissance？〃
　〃The　proper　aircraft　are　on　their　way　to　us　now。　We'll　have　them　flying　by　tomorrow　noon；　but　do　we　dare　send　them　over　Chinese　territory？〃　Colonel　Tolkunov　asked。
　〃Do　we　dare　not　to？〃　CINC…FAR　EAST　demanded　in　reply。
　〃General；〃　the　G…2　said；　〃the　concern　is　that　we　would　be　giving　the　Chinese　a　political　excuse　for　the　attack。〃
　〃Who　said　that？〃
　〃Stavka。〃
　Bondarenko's　head　dropped　over　the　map　table。　He　took　a　breath　and　closed　his　eyes　for　three　blissful　seconds；　but　all　that　achieved　was　to　make　him　wish　for　an　hour…no；　just　thirty　minutes　of　sleep。　That's　all；　he　thought；　just　thirty　minutes。
　〃A　political　excuse；〃　the　general　observed。　〃You　know；　Vladimir　Konstantinovich；　once　upon　a　time；　the　Germans　were　sending　highflying　reconnaissance　aircraft　deep　into　Western　Russia；　scouting　us　out　prior　to　their　invasion。　There　was　a　special　squadron　of　fighters　able　to　reach　their　altitude；　and　their　regimental　mander　asked　for　permission　to　intercept　them。　He　was　relieved　of　his　mand　on　the　spot。　I　suppose　he　was　lucky　that　he　wasn't　shot。　He　ended　up　a　major　ace　and　a　Hero　of　the　Soviet　Union　before　some　German　fighter　got　him。　You　see；　Stalin　was　afraid　of　provoking　Hitler；　too！〃
　〃rade　Colonel？〃　Heads　turned。　It　was　a　young　sergeant　with　an　armful　of　large…format　photographs。
　〃Here；　quickly！〃
　The　sergeant　laid　them　on　the　table；　obscuring　the　topographical　maps　that　had　occupied　the　previous　four　hours。　The　quality　wasn't　good。　The　imagery　had　been　transmitted　over　a　fax　machine　instead　of　a　proper　photographic　printer；　but　it　was　good　enough　for　their　purposes。　There　were　even　inserts；　small　white　boxes　with　legends　typed　in；　in　English；　to　tell　the　ignorant　what　was　in　the　pretty　little　pictures。　The　intelligence　officer　was　the　first　to　make　sense　of　it　all。
　〃Here　they　e；〃　the　colonel　breathed。　He　checked　the　coordinates　and　the　time　indicated　in　the　lower…right　corner　of　the　top　photo。　〃That's　a　plete　tank　division；　and　it's　right〃…he　turned　back　to　the　printed　map…〃right　here；　just　as　we　expected。　Their　marshaling　point　is　Harbin。　Well；　it　had　to　be。　All　their　rail　lines　converge　there。　Their　first　objective　will　be　Belogorsk。〃
　〃And　right　up　the　valley　from　there；〃　Bondarenko　agreed。　〃Through　this　pass；　then　northwest。〃　One　didn't　need　to　be　a　Nobel　laureate　to　predict　a　line　of　advance。　The　terrain　was　the　prime　objective　condition　to　which　all　ambitions　and　plans　had　to　bend。　Bondarenko　could　read　the　mind　of　the　enemy　mander　well　enough；　because　any　trained　soldier　would　see　the　contour　lines　on　the　map　and　analyze　them　the　same　way。　Flat　was　better　than　sloped。　Clear　was　better　than　wooded。　Dry　was　better　than　wet。　There　was　a　lot　of　sloped　terrain　on　the　border；　but　it　smoothed　out；　and　there　were　too　many　valleys　inviting　speedy　advance。　With　enough　troops；　he　could　have　made　every　one　of　those　valleys　a　deathtrap；　but　if　he'd　had　enough　troops；　the　Chinese　wouldn't　be　lined　up　on　his　border。　They'd　be　sitting　in　their　own　prepared　defenses；　fearing　him。　But　that　was　not　the　shape　of　the　current　world　for　mander…in…chief　Far　East。
　The　265th　Motor　Rifle　was　a　hundred　kilometers　back　from　the　border。　The　troops　were　undergoing　frantic　gunnery　training　now；　because　that　would　generate　the　most　rapid　return　for　investment。　The　battalion　and　regimental　officers　were　in　their　mand　posts　running　map…table　exercises；　because　Bondarenko　needed　them　thinking；　not　shooting。　He　had　sergeants　for　that。　The　good　news　for　Bondarenko　was　that　his　soldiers　enjoyed　shooting　live　rounds；　and　their　skill　levels　were　improving　rapidly。　The　bad　news　was　that　for　every　trained　tank　crew　he　had；　the　Chinese　had　over　twenty。
　〃What　an　ambush　we　could　lay；　if　we　only　had　the　men；〃　Tolkunov　breathed。
　〃When　I　was　in　America；　watching　them　train；　I　heard　a　good　if…only　joke。　If　only　your　aunt　had　balls；　then　she'd　be　your　uncle；　Vladimir　Konstantinovich。〃
　〃Quite　so；　rade　General。〃　They　both　turned　back　to　the　maps　and　the　photos。
　
　So；　they　know　what　we're　doing；〃　Qian　Kun　observed。　〃This　is　not　a　good　development。〃
　〃You　can　know　what　a　robber　will　do；　but　if　he　has　a　pistol　and　you　don't；　what　difference　does　it　make？〃　Zhang　Han　San　asked　in　return。　〃rade　Marshal？〃
　〃One　cannot　hide　so　large　a　movement　of　troops；〃　Marshal　Luo　said　blandly。　〃Tactical　surprise　is　always　hard　to　achieve。　But　we　do　have　strategic　surprise。〃
　〃That　is　true；〃　Tan　Deshi　told　the　Politburo。　〃The　Russians　have　alerted　some　of　their　divisions　for　movement；　but　they　are　all　in　the　west；　and　days　away；　and　all　will　approach　down　this　rail　line；　and　our　air　force　can　close　it；　can't　you；　Luo？〃
　〃Easily；〃　the　Defense　Minister　agreed。
　〃And　what　of　the　Americans？〃　Fang　Gan　asked。　〃In　that　note　we　just　got；　they　have　told　us　that　they　regard　the　Russians　as　allies。　How　many　times　have　people　underestimated　the　Americans；　Zhang？　Including　yourself；〃　he　added。
　〃There　are　objective　conditions　which　apply　even　to　the　Americans；　for　all　their　MAGIC；〃　Luo　assured　the　assembly。
　〃And　in　three　years　we　will　be　selling　them　oil　and　gold；〃　Zhang　assured　them　all　in　turn。　〃The　Americans　have　no　political　memory。　They　always　adapt　to　the　changing　shape　of　the　world。　In　1949；　they　drafted　the　NATO　Treaty；　which　included　their　bitter　enemies　in　Germany。　Look　at　what　they　did　with　Japan；　after　dropping　atomic　bombs　on　them。　The　only　thing　we　should　consider：　though　few　Americans　will　be　deployed；　and　they　will　have　to　take　their　chances　along　with　everyone　else；　perhaps　we　should　avoid　inflicting　too　many　casualties。　We　would　also　do　well　to　treat　prisoners　and　captured　civilians　gently…the　world　does　have　sensibilities　we　must　regard　somewhat；　I　suppose。〃
　〃rades；〃　Fang　said；　summoning　up　his　courage　for　one　last　display　of　his　inner　feelings。　〃We　still　have　the　chance　to　stop　this　from　happening；　as　Marshal　Luo　told　us　some　days　ago。　We　are　not　fully　mitted　until　shots　are　fired。　Until　then；　we　can　say　we　were　running　a　defense　exercise；　and　the　world　will　go　along　with　that　explanation；　for　the　reasons　my　friend　Zhang　has　just　told　us。　But　once　hostilities　are　begun；　the　tiger　is　out　of　the　cage。　Men　defend　what　is　theirs　with　tenacity。　You　will　recall　that　Hitler　underestimated　the　Russians；　to　his　ultimate　sorrow。　Iran　underestimated　the　Americans　just　last　year；　causing　disaster　for　them　and　the　death　of　their　leader。　Are　we　sure　that　we　can　prevail　in　this　adventure？〃　he　asked。　〃Sure？　We　gamble　with　the　life　of　our　country　here。　We　ought　not　to　forget　that。〃
　〃Fang；　my　old　rade；　you　are　wise　and　thoughtful　as　ever；〃　Zhang　responded　graciously。　〃And　I　know　you　speak　on　behalf　of　our　nation　and　our　people；　but　as　we　must　not　underestimate　our　enemies；　so　we　ought　not　to　underestimate　ourselves。　We　fought　the　Americans　once　before；　and　we　gave　them　the　worst　military　defeat　in　their　history；　did　we　not？〃
　〃Yes；　we　did　surprise　them；　but　in　the　end　we　lost　a　million　men；　including　Mao's　own　son。　And　why？　Because　we　overestimated　our　own　abilities。〃
　〃Not　this　time；　Fang；〃　Luo　assured　them　all。　〃Not　this　time。　We　will　do　to　the　Russians　the　same　thing　we　did　to　the　Americans　at　the　Yalu　River。　We　will　strike　with　power　and　surprise。　Where　they　are　weak；　we　will　rush　through。　Where　they　are　strong；　we　will　encircle　and　surround。　In　1950；　we　were　a　peasant　army　with　only　light　weapons。　Today；〃　Luo　went　on；　〃we　are　a　fully　modern　army。　We　can　do　things　today　such　as　even　the　Americas　could　not　dream　of　back　then。　We　will　prevail；〃　the　Defense　Minister　concluded　with　firm　conviction。
　〃rades；　do　we　wish　to　stop　now？〃　Zhang　asked；　to　focus　the　debate。　〃Do　we　wish　to　doom　our　country's　economic　and　political　future？　For　that　is　the　issue　at　hand。　If　we　stand　still；　we　risk　national　death。　Who　among　us　wishes　to　stand　still　then？〃
　Predictably　no　one；　not　even　Qian；　moved　to　pick　up　that　gauntlet。　The　vote　was　entirely　pro　forma；　and　unanimous。　As　always；　the　Politburo　achieved　collegiality　for　its　own　sake。　The　ministers　returned　to　their　various　offices。　Zhang　buttonholed　Tan　Deshi　for　several　minutes　before　heading　back　to　his。　An　hour　after　that；　he　dropped　in　on　his　friend；　Fang　Gan。
　〃You　are　not　cross　with　me？〃　Fang　asked。
　〃The　voice　of　caution　is　something　that　does　not　offend　me；　my　old　friend；〃　Zhang　said；　graciously　taking　his　seat　opposite　the　other's　desk。　He　could　afford　to　be　gracious。　He　had　won。
　〃I　am　afraid　of　this　move；　Zhang。　We　did　underestimate　the　Americans　in　1950；　and　it　cost　us　many　men。〃
　〃We　have　the　men　to　spare；〃　the　senior　Minister　Without　Portfolio　pointed　out。　〃And　it　will　make　Luo　feel　valuable。〃
　〃As　if　he　needs　that。〃　Fang　gestured　his　displeasure　with　that　strutting　martinet。
　〃Even　a　dog　has　his　uses；〃　his　visitor　pointed　out。
　〃Zhang；　what　if　the　Russians　are　more　formidable　than　you　think？〃
　〃I've　taken　care　of　that。　We　will　create　instability　in　their　country　in　two　days；　the　very　day　our　attack　begins。〃
　〃How？〃
　〃You'll　recall　we　had　that　failed　attempt　against　Grushavoy's　senior　advisor；　that　Golovko　fellow。〃
　〃Yes；　and　I　counseled　against　that；　too；〃　Fang　reminded　his　visitor。
　〃And　there；　perhaps；　you　were　right；〃　Zhang　acknowledged；　to　smooth　his　host's　feathers。　〃But　Tan　has　developed　the　capability；　and　what　better　way　to　destabilize　Russia　than　to　eliminate　their　president？　This　we　can　do；　and　Tan　has　his　orders。〃
　〃You　assassinate　a　government　chief　in　a　foreign　land？〃　Fang　asked；　surprised　at　this　level　of　boldness。　〃What　if　you　fail？〃
　〃We　mit　an　act　of　war　against　Russia　anyway。　What　have　we