tc.thebearandthedragon-第213部分

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ve　you。〃
　Charles　Pemberton；　son　and　grandson　of　ushers　at　the　White　House；　poured　three　drinks；　just　a　light　one　for　himself；　and　handed　the　glasses　over　with　the　grace　of　a　neurosurgeon。
　〃Sit　down　and　relax；　Charlie。　I　have　a　question　for　you。〃
　〃Yes；　Mr。　President？〃
　〃Where　did　you　ride　it　out？　Where　did　you　stay　when　that　H…bomb　was　ing　down　on　Washington？〃
　〃I　didn't　go　to　the　shelter　in　the　East　Wing；　figured　that　was　best　for　the　womenfolk。　I…well；　sir；　I　took　the　elevator　up　to　the　roof　and　figured　I'd　just　watch。〃
　〃Arnie；　there　sits　a　brave　man；〃　Jack　said；　saluting　with　his　glass。
　〃Where　were　you；　Mr。　President？〃　Pemberton　asked；　breaking　the　etiquette　rules　because　of　pure　curiosity。
　〃I　was　on　the　ship　that　shot　the　damned　thing　down；　watching　our　boys　do　their　job。　That　reminds　me；　this　Gregory　guy；　the　scientist　that　Tony　Bretano　got　involved。　We　look　after　him；　Arnie。　He's　one　of　the　people　who　saved　the　day。〃
　〃Duly　noted；　Mr。　President。〃　Van　Damm　took　a　big　pull　on　his　glass。　〃What　else？〃
　〃I　don't　have　a　what…else　right　now；〃　SWORDSMAN　admitted。
　
　Neither　did　anyone　in　Beijing；　where　it　was　now　eight　in　the　morning；　and　the　ministers　were　filing　into　their　conference　room　like　sleepwalkers；　and　the　question　on　everyone's　lips　was　〃What　happened？〃
　Premier　Xu　called　the　meeting　to　order　and　ordered　the　Defense　Minister　to　make　his　report；　which　he　did　in　the　monotone　voice　of　a　phone　recording。
　〃You　ordered　the　launch？〃　Foreign　Minister　Shen　asked；　aghast。
　〃What　else　was　I　to　do？　General　Xun　told　me　his　base　was　under　attack。　They　were　trying　to　take　our　assets　away…we　spoke　of　this　possibility；　did　we　not？〃
　〃We　spoke　of　it；　yes；〃　Qian　agreed。　〃But　to　do　such　a　thing　without　our　approval？　That　was　a　political　action　without　reflection；　Luo。　What　new　dangers　have　you　brought　on　us？〃
　〃And　what　resulted　from　it？〃　Fang　asked　next。
　〃Evidently；　the　warhead　either　malfunctioned　or　was　somehow　intercepted　and　destroyed　by　the　Americans。　The　only　missile　that　launched　successfully　was　targeted　on　Washington。　The　city　was　not；　I　regret　to　say；　destroyed。〃
　〃You　regret　to　say…you　regret　to　say？〃　Fang's　voice　spoke　more　loudly　than　anyone　at　the　table　could　ever　remember。　〃You　fool！　If　you　had　succeeded；　we　would　be　facing　national　death　now！　You　regret？〃
　
　At　about　that　time　in　Washington；　a　mid…level　CIA　bureaucrat　had　an　idea。　They　were　feeding　live　and　taped　coverage　from　the　Siberian　battlefield　over　the　Internet；　because　independent　news　coverage　wasn't　getting　into　the　People's　Republic。　〃Why　not；〃　he　asked　his　supervisor；　〃send　them　CNN　as　well？〃　That　decision　was　made　instantaneously；　though　it　was　possibly　illegal；　maybe　a　violation　of　copyright　laws。　But　on　this　occasion；　mon　sense　took　precedence　over　bureaucratic　caution。　CNN；　they　decided　quickly；　could　bill　them　later。
　And　so；　an　hour　and　twenty　minutes　after　the　event；　darkstarfeed。cia。gov/siberiabattle/realtime。ram　began　to　cover　the　coverage　of　the　near…destruction　of　Washington；　D。C。　The　news　that　a　nuclear　war　had　been　begun　but　aborted　stunned　the　students　in　Tiananmen　Square。　The　collective　realization　that　they　themselves　might　be　the　targets　of　a　retaliatory　strike　did　not　put　fear　so　much　as　rage　into　their　young　hearts。　There　were　about　ten　thousand　of　them　now；　many　with　their　portable　laptop　puters；　and　many　of　those　hooked　into　cell　phones　for　Internet　access。　From　overhead　you　could　tell　their　positions　just　by　the　tiny　knots　of　pressed…together　bodies。　Then　the　Leaders　of　the　demonstration　got　together　and　started　talking　fast　among　themselves。　They　knew　they　had　to　do　something；　they　just　didn't　know　exactly　what。　For　all　they　knew；　they　might　well　all　be　facing　death。
　The　ardor　was　increased　by　the　mentators　CNN　had　hurriedly　rushed　into　their　studios　in　Atlanta　and　New　York；　many　of　whom　opined　that　the　only　likely　action　for　America　was　to　reply　in　kind　to　the
　Chinese　attack；　and　when　the　reporter　acting　as　moderator　asked　what　〃in　kind〃　meant；　the　reply　was　predictable。
　For　the　students；　the　question　now　was　not　so　much　life　and　death　as　saving　their　nation…the　thirteen　hundred　million　citizens　whose　lives　had　been　made　forfeit　by　the　madmen　of　the　Politburo。　The　Council　of　Ministers　Building　was　not　all　that　far　away；　and　the　crowd　started　heading　that　way。
　By　this　time；　there　was　a　police　presence　in　the　Square　of　Heavenly　Peace。　The　morning　watch　replaced　the　night　team　and　saw　the　mass　of　young　people…to　their　considerable　surprise；　since　this　had　not　been　a　part　of　their　morning　briefing。　The　men　going　off　duty　explained　that　nothing　had　happened　at　all　that　was　contrary　to　the　law；　and　for　all　they　knew；　it　was　a　spontaneous　demonstration　of　solidarity　and　support　for　the　brave　PLA　soldiers　in　Siberia。　So；　there　were　few　of　them　about；　and　fewer　still　of　the　People's　Armed　Police。　It　would　probably　not　have　mattered　in　any　case。　The　body　of　students　coalesced；　and　marched　with　remarkable　discipline　to　the　seat　of　their　country's　government。　When　they　got　close；　there　were　armed　men　there。　These　police　officers　were　not　prepared　to　see　so　many　people　ing　toward　them。　The　senior　of　their　number；　a　captain；　walked　out　alone　and　demanded　to　know　who　was　in　charge　of　this　group；　only　to　be　brushed　aside　by　a　twenty…two…year…old　engineering　student。
　Again；　it　was　a　case　of　a　police　officer　totally　unaccustomed　to　having　his　words　disregarded；　and　totally　nonplussed　when　it　took　place。　Suddenly；　he　was　looking　at　the　back　of　a　young　man　who　was　supposed　to　have　stopped　dead　in　his　tracks　when　he　was　challenged。　The　security　policeman　had　actually　expected　the　students　to　stop　as　a　body　at　his　mand；　for　such　was　the　power　of　law　in　the　People's　Republic；　but　strong　as　the　force　of　law　was；　it　was　also　brittle；　and　when　broken；　there　was　nothing　behind　it。　There　were　also　only　forty　armed　men　in　the　building；　and　all　of　them　were　on　the　first　floor　in　the　rear；　kept　out　of　the　way　because　the　ministers　wanted　the　armed　peasants　out　of　sight；　except　in　ones　and　twos。　The　four　officers　on　duty　at　the　main　entrance　were　just　swept　aside　as　the　crowd　thundered　in　through　the　double　doors。　All　drew　their　pistols；　but　only　one　fired；　wounding　three　students　before　being　knocked　down　and　kicked　into　senselessness。　The　other　three　just　ran　to　the　main　post　to　find　the　reserve　force。　By　the　time　they　got　there；　the　students　were　running　up　the　wide；　ceremonial　stairs　to　the　second　floor。
　The　meeting　room　was　well　soundproofed；　a　security　measure　to　prevent　eavesdropping。　But　soundproofing　worked　in　both　directions；　and　so　the　men　sitting　around　the　table　did　not　hear　anything　until　the　corridor　was　filled　with　students　only　fifty　meters　away；　and　even　then　the　ministers　just　turned　about　in　nothing　more　than　annoyance…
　…the　armed　guard　force　deployed　in　two　groups；　one　running　to　the　front　of　the　building　on　the　first　floor；　the　other　ing　up　the　back　on　the　second；　led　by　a　major　who　thought　to　evacuate　the　ministers。　The　entire　thing　had　developed　much　too　quickly；　with　virtually　no　warning；　because　the　city　police　had　dropped　the　ball　rather　badly；　and　there　was　no　time　to　call　in　armed　reinforcements。　As　it　played　out；　the　first…floor　team　ran　into　a　wall　of　students；　and　while　the　captain　in　mand　had　twenty　men　armed　with　automatic　rifles；　he　hesitated　to　order　opening　fire　because　there　were　more　students　in　view　than　he　had　cartridges　in　his　rifles；　and　in　hesitating；　he　lost　the　initiative。　A　number　of　students　approached　the　armed　men；　their　hands　raised；　and　began　to　engage　them　in　reasonable　tones　that　belied　the　wild…eyed　throng　behind　them。
　It　was　different　on　the　second　floor。　The　major　there　didn't　hesitate　at　all。　He　had　his　men　level　their　rifles　and　fire　one　volley　high；　just　to　scare　them　off。　But　these　students　didn't　scare。　Many　of　them　crashed　through　doors　off　the　main　corridor；　and　one　of　these　was　the　room　in　which　the　Politburo　was　sitting。
　The　sudden　entrance　of　fifteen　young　people　got　every　minister's　attention。
　〃What　is　this！〃　Zhang　Han　Sen　thundered。　〃Who　are　you？〃
　〃And　who　are　you？〃　the　engineering　student　sneered　back。　〃Are　you　the　maniac　who　started　a　nuclear　war？〃
　〃There　is　no　such　war…who　told　you　such　nonsense？〃　Marshal　Luo　demanded。　His　uniform　told　them　who　he　was。
　〃And　you　are　the　one　who　sent　our　soldiers　to　their　death　in　Russia！〃
　〃What　is　this？〃　the　Minister　Without　Portfolio　asked。
　〃I　think　these　are　the　people；　Zhang；〃　Qian　Kun　observed。　〃Our　people；　rade；〃　he　added　coldly。
　Into　the　vacuum　of　power　and　direction；　more　of　the　students　forced　their　way　into　the　room；　and　now　the　guard　force　couldn't　risk　shooting…too　many　of　their　country's　Leadership　was　right　there；　right　in　the　field　of　fire。
　〃Grab　them；　grab　them！　They　will　not　shoot　these　men！〃　one　student　shouted。　Pairs　and　trios　of　students　raced　around　the　table；　each　to　a　separate　seat。
　〃Tell　me；　boy；〃　Fang　said　gently　to　the　one　closest　to　him；　〃how　did　you　learn　all　this？〃
　〃Over　our　puters；　of　course；〃　the　youngster　replied；　a　little　impolitely；　but　not　grossly　so。
　〃Well；　one　finds　truth　where　one　can；〃　the　grandfatherly　minister　observed。
　〃So；　Grandfather；　is　it　true？〃
　〃Yes；　I　regret　to　say　it　is；〃　Fang　told　him；　not　quite　knowing　what　he　was　agreeing　to。
　Just　then；　the　troops　appeared；　their　officer　in　the　lead　with　a　pistol　in　his　hand；　forging　their　way　into　the　conference　room；　wide…eyed　at　what　they　saw。　The　students　were　not　armed；　but　to　start　a　gunfight　in　this　room　would　kill　the　very　people　he　was　trying　to　safeguard；　and　now　it　was　his　turn　to　hesitate。
　〃Now；　everyone　be　at　ease；〃　Fang　said；　pushing　his　seat　gently　back　from　the　table。　〃You；　rade　Major；　do　you　know　who　I　am？〃
　〃Yes；　Minister…but…〃
　〃Good；　rade　Major。　First；　you　will　have　your　men　stand　down。　We　need　no　killing　here。　There　has　been　enough　of　that。〃
　The　officer　looked　around　the　room。　No　one　else　seemed　to　be　speaking　just　yet；　and　into　that　vacuum　had　e　words　which；　if　not　exactly　what　he　wanted　to　hear；　at　least　had　some　weight　in　them。　He　turned　and　without　words…waving　his　hands…had　his　men　relax　a　little。
　〃Very　good。　Now；　rades；〃　Fang　said；　turni