tc.thebearandthedragon-第162部分

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　though　Olson　was　pretty　well　sold　already。　Then　they'd　have　to　get　the　ship　back　in　the　water　to　see　if　all　this　bullshit　actually　worked。
　
　The　sleep　had　worked；　Bondarenko　told　himself。　Thirteen　hours；　and　he　hadn't　even　awakened　to　relieve　his　bladder…so；　he　must　have　really　needed　it。　Then　and　there　he　decided　that　Colonel　Aliyev　would　screen　successfully　for　general's　stars。
　He　walked　into　his　evening　staff　meeting　feeling　pretty　good；　until　he　saw　the　looks　on　their　faces。
　〃Well？〃　he　asked；　taking　his　seat。
　〃Nothing　new　to　report；〃　Colonel　Tolkunov　reported　for　the　intelligence　staff。　〃Our　aerial　photos　show　little；　but　we　know　they're　there；　and　they're　still　not　using　their　radios　at　all。　Presumably　they　have　a　lot　of　phone　lines　laid。　There　are　scattered　reports　of　people　with　binoculars　on　the　southern　hilltops。　That's　all。　But　they're　ready；　and　it　could　start　at　any　time…oh；　yes；　just　got　this　from　Moscow；〃　the　G…2　said。　〃The　Federal　Security　Service　arrested　one　K。　I。　Suvorov　on　suspicion　of　conspiring　to　assassinate　President　Grushavoy。〃
　〃What？〃　Aliyev　asked。
　〃Just　a　one…line　dispatch　with　no　elaboration。　It　could　mean　many　things；　none　of　them　good；〃　the　intelligence　officer　told　them。　〃But　nothing　definite　either。〃
　〃An　attempt　to　unsettle　our　political　leadership？　That's　an　act　of　war；〃　Bondarenko　said。　He　decided　he　had　to　call　Sergey　Golovko　himself　about　that　one！
　〃Operations？〃　he　asked　next。
　〃The　265th　Motor　Rifle　is　standing…to。　Our　air…defense　radars　are　all　up　and　operating。　We　have　interceptor　aircraft　flying　bat　air　patrol　within　twenty　kilometers　of　the　border。　The　border　defenses　are　on　full　alert；　and　the　reserve　formation…〃
　〃Have　a　name　for　it　yet？〃　the　manding　general　asked。
　〃BOYAR；〃　Colonel　Aliyev　answered。　〃We　have　three　panies　of　motorized　infantry　deployed　to　evacuate　the　border　troops　if　necessary；　the　rest　are　out　of　their　depot　and　working　up　north　of　Never。　They've　done　gunnery　all　day。〃
　〃And？〃
　〃And　for　reservists　they　did　acceptably；〃　Aliyev　answered。　Bondarenko　didn't　ask　what　that　meant；　partly　because　he　was　afraid　to。
　〃Anything　else　we　can　do？　I　want　ideas；　rades；〃　General　Bondarenko　said。　But　all　he　saw　were　headshakes。　〃Very　well。　I'm　going　to　get　some　dinner。　If　anything　happens；　I　want　to　know　about　it。　Anything　at　all；　rades。〃　This　generated　nods；　and　he　walked　back　to　his　quarters。　There　he　got　on　the　phone。
　〃Greetings；　General；〃　Golovko　said。　It　was　still　afternoon　in　Moscow。　〃How　are　things　at　your　end？〃
　〃Tense；　rade　Chairman。　What　can　you　tell　me　of　this　attempt　on　the　president？〃
　〃We　arrested　a　chap　named　Suvorov　earlier　today。　We're　interrogating　him　and　one　other　right　now。　We　believe　that　he　was　an　agent　of　the　Chinese　Ministry　of　State　Security；　and　we　believe　also　that　he　was　conspiring　to　kill　Eduard　Petrovich。〃
　〃So；　in　addition　to　preparing　an　invasion；　they　also　wish　to　cripple　our　political　leadership？〃
　〃So　it　would　seem；〃　Golovko　agreed　gravely。
　〃Why　weren't　we　given　fuller　information？〃　Far　East　demanded。
　〃You　weren't？〃　The　chairman　sounded　surprised。
　〃No！〃　Bondarenko　nearly　shouted。
　〃That　was　an　error。　I　am　sorry；　Gennady　Iosifovich。　Now；　you　tell　me：　Are　you　ready？〃
　〃All　of　our　forces　are　at　maximum　alert；　but　the　correlation　of　forces　is　adverse　in　the　extreme。〃
　〃Can　you　stop　them？〃
　〃If　you　give　me　more　forces；　probably　yes。　If　you　do　not；　probably　no。　What　help　can　I　expect？〃
　〃We　have　three　motor…rifle　divisions　on　trains　at　this　moment　crossing　the　Urals。　We　have　additional　air　power　heading　to　you；　and　the　Americans　are　beginning　to　arrive。　What　is　your　plan？〃
　〃I　will　not　try　to　stop　them　at　the　border。　That　would　merely　cost　me　all　of　my　troops　to　little　gain。　I　will　let　the　Chinese　in　and　let　them　march　north。　I　will　harass　them　as　much　as　possible；　and　then　when　they　are　well　within　our　borders；　I　will　kill　the　body　of　the　snake　and　watch　the　head　die。　If；　that　is；　you　give　me　the　support　I　need。〃
　〃We　are　working　on　it。　The　Americans　are　being　very　helpful。　One　of　their　tank　divisions　is　now　approaching　Poland　on　trains。　We'll　send　them　right　through　to　where　you　are。〃
　〃What　units？〃
　〃Their　First　Tank　division；　manded　by　a　Negro　chap　named　Diggs。〃
　〃Marion　Diggs？　I　know　him。〃
　〃Oh？〃
　〃Yes；　he　manded　their　National　Training　Center　and　also　manded　the　force　they　deployed　to　the　Saudi　kingdom　last　year。　He's　excellent。　When　will　he　arrive？〃
　〃Five　days；　I　should　imagine。　You'll　have　three　Russian　divisions　well　before　then。　Will　that　be　enough；　Gennady？〃
　〃I　do　not　know；〃　Bondarenko　replied。　〃We　have　not　yet　taken　the　measure　of　the　Chinese。　Their　air　power　worries　me　most　of　all。　If　they　attack　our　railhead　at　Chita；　deploying　our　reinforcements　could　be　very　difficult。〃　Bondarenko　paused。　〃We　are　well　set　up　to　move　forces　laterally；　west　to　east；　but　to　stop　them　we　need　to　move　them　northeast　from　their　drop…off　points。　It　will　be　largely　a　race　to　see　who　can　go　north　faster。　The　Chinese　will　also　be　using　infantry　to　wall　off　the　western　flank　of　their　advance。　I've　been　training　my　men　hard。　They're　getting　better；　but　I　need　more　time　and　more　men。　Is　there　any　way　to　slow　them　down　politically？〃
　〃All　political　approaches　have　been　ignored。　They　pretend　nothing　untoward　is　happening。　The　Americans　have　approached　them　as　well；　in　hope　of　discouraging　them；　but　to　no　avail。〃
　〃So；　it　es　to　a　test　of　arms？〃
　〃Probably；〃　Golovko　agreed。　〃You're　our　best　man；　Gennady　Iosifovich。　We　believe　in　you；　and　you　will　have　all　the　support　we　can　muster。〃
　〃Very　well；〃　the　general　replied；　wondering　if　it　would　be　enough。　〃I　will　let　you　know　of　any　developments　here。〃
　General　Bondarenko　knew　that　a　proper　general…the　sort　they　had　in　movies；　that　is…would　now　eat　the　bat　rations　his　men　were　having；　but　no；　he'd　eat　the　best　food　available　because　he　needed　his　strength；　and　false　modesty　would　not　impress　his　men　at　all。　He　did　refrain　from　alcohol；　which　was　probably　more　than　his　sergeants　and　privates　were　doing。　The　Russian　soldier　loves　his　vodka；　and　the　reservists　had　probably　all　brought　their　own　bottles　to　ease　the　chill　of　the　nights…such　would　be　the　spoken　excuse。　He　could　have　issued　an　order　forbidding　it；　but　there　was　little　sense　in　drafting　an　order　that　his　men　would　ignore。　It　only　undermined　discipline；　and　discipline　was　something　he　needed。　That　would　have　to　e　from　within　his　men。　The　great　unknown；　as　Bondarenko　thought　of　it。　When　Hitler　had　struck　Russia　in　1941…well；　it　was　part　of　Russian　mythology；　how　the　ordinary　men　of　the　land　had　risen　up　with　ferocious　determination。　From　the　first　day　of　the　war；　the　courage　of　the　Russian　soldier　had　given　the　Germans　pause。　Their　battlefield　skills　might　have　been　lacking；　but　never　their　courage。　For　Bondarenko；　both　were　needed；　a　skillful　man　need　not　be　all　that　brave；　because　skill　would　defeat　what　bravery　would　only　defy。　Training。　It　was　always　training。　He　yearned　to　train　the　Russian　soldier　as　the　Americans　trained　their　men。　Above　all；　to　train　them　to　think…to　encourage　them　to　think。　A　thinking　German　soldier　had　nearly　destroyed　the　Soviet　Union…how　close　it　had　been　was　something　the　movies　never　admitted；　and　it　was　hard　enough　to　learn　about　it　at　the　General　Staff　academies；　hut　three　times　it　had　been　devilishly　close；　and　for　some　reason　the　gods　of　war　had　sided　with　Mother　Russia　on　all　three　occasions。
　What　would　those　gods　do　now？　That　was　the　question。　Would　his　men　be　up　to　the　task？　Would　he　be　up　to　the　task？　It　was　his　name　that　would　be　remembered；　for　good　or　ill；　not　those　of　the　private　soldiers　carrying　the　AK…74　rifles　and　driving　the　tanks　and　infantry　carriers。　Gennady　Iosifovich　Bondarenko；　general…colonel　of　the　Russian　Army；　mander…in…chief　Far　East；　hero　or　fool？　Which　would　it　be？　Would　future　military　students　study　his　actions　and　cluck　their　tongues　at　his　stupidity　or　shake　their　heads　in　admiration　of　his　brilliant　maneuvers？
　It　would　have　been　better　to　be　a　colonel　again；　close　to　the　men　of　his　regiment；　even　carrying　a　rifle　of　his　own　as　he'd　done　at　Dushanbe　all　those　years　before；　to　take　a　personal　part　in　the　battle；　and　take　direct　fire　at　enemies　he　could　see　with　his　own　eyes。　That　was　what　came　back　to　him　now；　the　battle　against　the　Afghans；　defending　that　missited　apartment　block　in　the　snow　and　the　darkness。　He'd　earned　his　medals　that　day；　but　medals　were　always　things　of　the　past。　People　respected　him　for　them；　even　his　fellow　soldiers；　the　pretty　ribbons　and　metal　stars　and　medallions　that　hung　from　them；　but　what　did　they　mean；　really？　Would　he　find　the　courage　he　needed　to　be　a　mander？　He　was　sure　here　and　now　that　that　sort　of　courage　was　harder　to　find　than　the　sort　that　came　from　mere　survival　instinct；　the　kind　that　was　generated　in　the　face　of　armed　men　who　wished　to　steal　your　life　away。
　It　was　so　easy　to　look　into　the　indeterminate　future　with　confidence；　to　know　what　had　to　be　done；　to　suggest　and　insist　in　a　peaceful　conference　room。　But　today　he　was　in　his　quarters；　in　mand　of　a　largely　paper　army　that　happened　to　be　facing　a　real　army　posed　of　men　and　steel；　and　if　he　failed　to　deal　with　it；　his　name　would　be　cursed　for　all　time。　Historians　would　examine　his　character　and　his　record　and　say；　well；　yes；　he　was　a　brave　colonel；　and　even　an　adequate　theoretician；　but　when　it　came　to　a　real　fight；　he　was　unequal　to　the　task。　And　if　he　failed；　men　would　die；　and　the　nation　he'd　sworn　to　defend　thirty　years　before　would　suffer；　if　not　by　his　hand；　then　by　his　responsibility。
　And　so　General　Bondarenko　looked　at　his　plate　of　food　and　didn't　eat；　just　pushed　the　food　about　with　his　fork；　and　wished　for　the　tumbler　of　vodka　that　his　character　denied　him。
　General　Peng　Xi…Wang　was　finishing　up　what　he　expected　to　be　his　last　proper　meal　for　some　weeks。　He'd　miss　the　long…grain　rice　that　was　not　part　of　bat　rations…he　didn't　know　why　that　was　so：　The　general　who　ran　the　industrial　empire　that　prepared　rations　for　the　frontline　soldiers　had　never　explained　it　to　him；　though　Peng　was　sure　that　he　never　ate　those　horrid　packaged　foods　himself。　He　had　a　staff　to　taste…test；　after　all。　Peng　lit　an　after…dinner　smo