tc.thebearandthedragon-第33部分

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ought；　Zhang　had　been　right　all　along；　even　more　right　than　he　knew。　Eastern　Siberia　was　indeed　a　treasure…house；　full　of　things　everyone　needed。　Oil；　because　petroleum　was　the　very　blood　of　modern　society；　and　gold；　because　in　addition　to　its　negotiable　value　as　an　old　but　still　very　real　medium　of　exchange；　it　still　had　industrial　and　scientific　uses　as　well。　And　each　had　a　cache　of　its　own。　What　a　pity　that　such　riches　should　fall　to　a　people　without　the　wit　to　make　proper　use　of　them。　It　was　so　strange；　the　Russians　who　had　given　the　world　the　gift　of　Marxism　but　then　failed　to　exploit　it　properly；　and　then　abandoned　it；　only　to　fail　also　in　their　transition　to　a　bourgeois　capitalist　society。　Fang　lit　a　cigarette；　his　fifth　of　the　day　（he　was　trying　to　cut　back　as　his　seventieth　birthday　approached）；　and　set　the　MSS　report　down　on　his　desk　before　leaning　back　in　his　chair　to　puff　on　his　unfiltered　smoke　and　consider　the　information　this　morning　had　brought。　Siberia；　as　Zhang　had　been　saying　for　some　years　now；　had　so　much　that　the　PRC　needed；　timber；　minerals　in　abundance　…　even　greater　abundance；　so　these　intelligence　documents　said　…　and　space；　which　China　needed　above　all　things。
　There　were　simply　too　many　people　in　China；　and　that　despite　population…control　measures　that　could　only　be　called　draconian　both　in　their　content；　and　in　their　ruthless　application。　Those　measures　were　an　affront　to　Chinese　culture；　which　had　always　viewed　children　as　a　blessing；　and　now　the　social　engineering　was　having　an　unexpected　result。　Allowed　only　one　child　per　married　couple；　the　people　often　chose　to　have　boys　instead　of　girls。　It　was　not　unknown　for　a　peasant　to　take　a　female　toddler　of　two　years　and　drop　her　down　a　well　…　the　merciful　ones　broke　their　necks　first　…　to　dispose　of　the　embarrassing　encumbrance。　Fang　understood　the　reasons　for　this。　A　girl　child　grew　up　to　marry；　to　join　her　life　to　a　man；　while　a　boy　child　could　always　be　depended　upon　to　support　and　honor　his　parents；　and　provide　security。　But　a　girl　child　would　merely　spread　her　legs　for　some　other　couple's　boy　child；　and　where　was　the　security　for　her　parents　in　that？
　It　had　been　true　in　Fang's　case。　As　he'd　grown　to　a　senior　party　official；　he'd　made　sure　that　his　own　mother　and　father　had　found　a　fortable　place　to　live　out　their　lives；　for　such　were　the　duties　of　a　child　for　those　who　had　given　him　life。　Along　the　way；　he'd　married；　of　course　…　his　wife　was　long　dead　of　cardiovascular　disease　…　and　he'd　given　some　lip　service　to　his　wife's　parents。。。　but　not　as　much　as　he'd　done　for　his　own。　Even　his　wife　had　understood　that；　and　used　her　shadow…influence　as　the　wife　of　a　party　official　to　make　her　own　special　but　lesser　arrangements。　Her　brother　had　died　young；　at　the　hands　of　the　American　army　in　Korea；　and　was　therefore　just　a　memory　without　practical　value。
　But　the　problem　for　China　that　no　one　really　talked　about；　even　at　Politburo　level；　was　that　their　population　policy　was　affecting　the　demographics　of　their　country。　In　elevating　the　value　of　boy　children　over　girls；　the　PRC　was　causing　an　imbalance　that　was　being　statistically　significant。　In　fifteen　years　or　so；　there　would　be　a　shortage　of　women　…　some　said　that　this　was　a　good　thing；　because　they　would　achieve　the　overarching　national　objective　of　population　stability　faster　but　it　also　meant　that　for　a　generation；　millions　of　Chinese　men　would　have　no　women　to　marry　and　mate　with。　Would　this　turn　into　a　flood　of　homosexuality？　PRC　policy　still　frowned　upon　that　as　a　bourgeois　degeneracy；　though　sodomy　had　been　decriminalized　in　1998。　But　if　there　were　no　women　to　be　had；　what　was　a　man　to　do？　And　in　addition　to　killing　off　surplus　girl　babies；　those　abandoned　by　their　parents　were　often　given　away；　to　American　and　European　couples　unable　to　have　children　of　their　own。　This　happened　by　the　hundreds　of　thousands；　with　the　children　disposed　of　as　readily　and　casually　as　Americans　sold　puppies　in　shopping　malls。　Something　in　Fang's　soul　bridled　at　that；　but　his　feelings　were　mere　bourgeois　sentimentality；　weren't　they？　National　policy　dictated　what　must　be；　and　policy　was　the　means　to　achieving　the　necessary　goal。
　His　was　a　life　as　fortable　as　privilege　could　make　it。　In　addition　to　a　plush　office　as　pleasant　as　any　capitalist's；　he　had　an　official　car　and　driver　to　take　him　to　his　residence；　an　ornate　apartment　with　servants　to　look　after　his　needs；　the　best　food　that　his　country　could　provide；　good　beverages；　a　television　connected　to　a　satellite　service　so　that　he　could　receive　all　manner　of　entertainment；　even　including　Japanese　pornographic　channels；　for　his　manly　drives　had　not　yet　deserted　him。　（He　didn't　speak　Japanese；　but　you　didn't　need　to　understand　the　dialogue　in　such　movies；　did　you？）
　Fang　still　worked　long　hours；　rising　at　six…thirty；　and　was　at　his　desk　before　eight　every　morning。　His　staff　of　secretaries　and　assistants　took　proper　care　of　him；　and　some　of　the　female　ones　were　agreeably　pliant；　once；　occasionally　twice　per　week。　Few　men　of　his　years　had　his　vigor；　Fang　was　sure；　and　unlike　Chairman　Mao；　he　didn't　abuse　children；　which　he'd　known　of　at　the　time　and　found　somewhat　distasteful。　But　great　men　had　their　flaws；　and　you　overlooked　them　because　of　the　greatness　that　made　them　who　they　were。　As　for　himself　and　people　like　him；　they　were　entitled　to　the　proper　environments　in　which　to　rest；　good　nourishment　to　sustain　their　bodies　through　their　long　and　grueling　workdays；　and　the　opportunities　for　relaxation　and　recreation　that　men　of　vigor　and　intelligence　needed。　It　was　necessary　that　they　live　better　than　most　other　citizens　of　their　country；　and　it　was　also　earned。　Giving　direction　to　the　world's　most　populous　country　was　no　easy　task。　It　demanded　their　every　intellectual　energy；　and　such　energy　needed　to　be　conserved　and　restored。　Fang　looked　up　as　Ming　entered　with　her　folder　of　news　articles。
　〃Good　morning；　Minister；〃　she　said　with　proper　deference。
　〃Good　morning；　child。〃　Fang　nodded　with　affection。　This　one　shared　his　bed　fairly　well；　and　for　that　reason　merited　more　than　a　grunt。　Well；　he'd　gotten　her　a　very　fortable　office　chair；　hadn't　he？　She　withdrew；　bowing　proper　respect　for　her　father　figure；　as　she　always　did。　Fang　noticed　nothing　particularly　different　about　her　demeanor；　as　he　lifted　the　folder　and　took　out　the　news　articles；　along　with　a　pencil　for　making　notations。　He'd　pare　these　with　MSS　estimates　of　the　mood　of　other　countries　and　their　governments。　It　was　Fang's　way　of　letting　the　Ministry　of　State　Security　know　that　the　Politburo　members　still　had　minds　of　their　own　with　which　to　think。　The　MSS　had　signally　failed　to　predict　America's　diplomatic　recognition　of　Taiwan；　though　in　fairness；　the　American　news　media　didn't　seem　to　predict　the　actions　of　this　President　Ryan　all　that　well；　either。　What　an　odd　man　he　was；　and　certainly　no　friend　of　the　People's　Republic。　A　peasant；　the　MSS　analysts　called　him；　and　in　many　ways　that　seemed　both　accurate　and　appropriate。　He　was　strangely　unsophisticated　in　his　outlook；　something　The　New　York　Times　mented　upon　rather　frequently。　Why　did　they　dislike　him？　Was　he　not　capitalist　enough；　or　was　he　too　capitalist？　Understanding　the　American　news　media　was　beyond　Fang's　powers　of　analysis；　but　he　could　at　least　digest　the　things　they　said；　and　that　was　something　the　intelligence　〃experts〃　at　the　MSS　Institute　for　American　Studies　were　not　always　able　to　do。　With　that　thought；　Fang　lit　another　cigarette　and　settled　back　in　his　chair。
　
　
　It　was　a　miracle；　Provalov　thought。　Central　Army　Records　had　gotten　the　files；　fingerprints；　and　photographs　of　the　two　bodies　recovered　in　St。　Petersburg　…　but　perversely　sent　the　records　to　him　rather　than　to　Abramov　and　Ustinov；　doubtless　because　he　was　the　one　who　had　invoked　the　name　of　Sergey　Golovko。　Dzerzhinskiy　Square　still　inspired　people　to　do　their　jobs　in　a　timely　fashion。　The　names　and　vital　statistics　would　be　taxed　（faxed？）　at　once　to　St。　Petersburg　so　that　his　northern　colleagues　might　see　what　information　could　be　developed。　The　names　and　photographs　were　only　a　start　…　documents　nearly　twenty　years　old　showing　youthful；　emotionless　faces。　The　service　records　were　fairly　impressive；　though。　Once　upon　a　time；　Pyotr　Alekseyevich　Amalrik　and　Pavel　Borissovich　Zimyanin　had　been　considered　superior　soldiers；　smart；　fit。。。　and　highly　reliable；　politically　speaking；　which　was　why　they'd　gone　to　Spetsnaz　school　and　sergeant　school。　Both　had　fought　in　Afghanistan；　and　done　fairly　well　…　they'd　survived　Afghanistan；　which　was　not　the　usual　thing　for　Spetsnaz　troops；　who'd　drawn　all　of　the　dirtiest　duty　in　an　especially　dirty　war。　They'd　not　reenlisted；　which　was　not　unusual。　Hardly　anyone　in　the　Soviet　Army　had　ever　reenlisted　voluntarily。　They　（Then？）　they'd　returned　to　civilian　life；　both　working　in　the　same　factory　outside　Leningrad；　as　it　had　been　called　then。　But　Amalrik　and　Zimyanin　had　both　found　ordinary　civilian　life　boring；　and　both；　he　gathered；　had　drifted　into　something　else。　He'd　have　to　let　the　investigators　in　St。　Petersburg　find　out　more。　He　pulled　a　routing　slip　from　his　drawer　and　rubber…banded　it　to　the　records　package。　It　would　be　couriered　to　St。　Petersburg；　where　Abramov　and　Ustinov　would　play　with　the　contents。
　
　
　A　Mr。　Sherman；　Mr。　Secretary；〃　Winston's　secretary　told　him　over　the　inter。　〃Line　three。〃
　〃Hey；　Sam；〃　SecTreas　said；　as　he　picked　up　the　phone。　〃What's　new？〃
　〃Our　oil　field　up　north；〃　the　president　of　Atlantic　Richfield　replied
　〃Good　news？〃
　〃You　might　say　that。　Our　field　people　say　the　find　is　about　fifty　percent　bigger　than　our　initial　estimates。〃
　〃How　solid　is　that　information？〃
　〃About　as　reliable　as　one　of　your　T　…bills；　George。　My　head　field　guy　is　Ernie　Beach。　He's　as　good　at　finding　oil　as　you　used　to　be　playing　up　on　The　Street。〃　Maybe　even　better；　Sam　Sherman　didn't　add。　Winston　was　known　to　have　something　of　an　ego　on　the　subject　of　his　own　worth。　The　addendum　got　through　anyway。
　〃So；　summarize　that　for　me；〃　the　Secretary　of　the　Treasury　manded。
　〃So；　when　this　field　es　on　line；　the　Russians　will　be　in　a　position　to　purchase　Saudi　Arabia　outright；　plus　Kuwait　and　maybe　half　of　Iran。　It　makes　east　T