tc.redstormrising-第147部分

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lable；　but　we　are　critically　short　of　fuel。〃
〃Can　you　win？〃　the　General　Secretary　asked。
〃Yes；　rade　Secretary！　Given　several　days　to　organize　my　forces；　and　if　I　can　do　some　crucial　work　with　the　arriving　reserve　formations；　I　think　it　likely　that　we　can　sunder　the　NATO　front。〃
〃Likely？　Not　certain？〃　the　Defense　Minister　asked。
〃In　war　there　is　no　certainty；〃　Alekseyev　answered　simply。
〃We　have　learned　that；〃　the　Foreign　Minister　answered　dryly。　〃Why　have　we　not　won　yet？〃
〃rades；　we　failed　initially　to　achieve　strategic　and　tactical　surprise。　Surprise　is　the　most　important　variable　factor　in　war。　With　it　we　would　probably…almost　certainly…have　succeeded　in　two　or　three　weeks。〃
〃To　achieve　certain　success　now；　what　else　will　you　need？〃
〃rade　Defense　Minister；　I　need　the　support　of　the　people　and　the　Party；　and　I　need　a　little　time。〃
〃You　evade　the　question！〃　Marshal　Bukharin　said。
〃We　were　never　allowed　to　use　our　chemical　weapons　in　the　initial　assault。　That　could　have　been　a　decisive　advantage…〃
〃The　political　cost　of　those　weapons　was　deemed　too　great；〃　the　Foreign　Minister　said　defensively。
〃Could　you　make　profitable　use　of　them　now？〃　the　General　Secretary　asked。
〃I　think　not。　Those　weapons　should　have　been　used　from　the　first　on　equipment…storage　depots。　The　depots　are　now　mainly　empty；　and　hitting　them　would　have　only　a　limited　effect。　Use　of　chemicals　at　the　front　is　no　longer　a　viable　option。　The　newly　arriving　C　formations　lack　the　modem　equipment　necessary　to　operate　efficiently　in　a　chemical　environment。〃
〃Again　I　ask　the　question；〃　the　Defense　Minister　repeated。　〃What　do　you　need　to　make　victory　certain？〃
〃To　achieve　a　decisive　breakthrough；　we　need　to　be　able　to　blast　a　hole　in　NATO　lines　at　least　thirty　kilometers　wide　and　twenty　kilometers　in　depth。　To　do　that；　I　need　ten　full…strength　divisions　on　line；　ready　to　advance。　I　need　several　days　to　prepare　that　force。〃
〃How　about　tactical　nuclear　weapons？〃　Alekseyev's　face　did　not　change。　Are　you　mad；　rade　General　Secretary？
〃The　risks　are　high。〃　There's　a　prize　understatement。
〃And　if　we　can　prevent；　politically；　NATO　retaliation？〃　Defense　asked。
〃I　do　not　know　how　that　is　possible。〃　And　neither　do　you。
〃But　if　we　can　make　it　possible？〃
〃Then　it　would　increase　our　chances　measurably。〃　Alekseyev　paused；　inwardly　chilled　at　what　he　saw　in　those　faces。　They　want　to　use　nuclear　weapons　at　the　front…and　when　NATO　responds　in　kind　and　vaporizes　my　troops；　then　what？　Will　it　stop　with　a　single　exchange　or　will　more　and　more　be　used；　the　explosions　advancing　west　and　east？　If　I　tell　them　they　are　crazy；　they　will　find　a　general　who　will　not　〃The　problem　is　one　of　control；　rades。〃
〃Explain。〃
If　he　were　to　stay　alive　and　prevent　this　。　。　。　Alekseyev　spoke　carefully；　mixing　truth　and　lies　and　guesses。　Dissimulation　did　not　e　easily　to　the　General；　but　at　least　this　was　an　issue　he　had　discussed　with　his　peers　for　over　a　decade。　〃rade　General　Secretary；　nuclear　weapons　are；　foremost；　political　weapons　for　both　sides；　controlled　by　political　leaders。　This　limits　their　battlefield　utility。　A　decision　to　use　an　atomic　warhead　in　a　tactical　environment　must　be　passed　on　by　those　leaders。　By　the　time　approval　is　granted；　the　tactical　situation　will　almost　certainly　have　changed；　and　the　weapon　is　no　longer　useful。　NATO　never　has　seemed　to　grasp　this。　The　weapons　they　have　are　mainly　designed　to　be　used　by　battlefield　manders；　yet　I　have　never　thought　myself　that　NATO's　political　leadership　would　lightly　give　use　authority　to　those　battlefield　manders。　Because　of　this；　the　weapons　they　would　more　probably　use　against　us　are　actually　strategic　weapons　aimed　at　strategic　targets；　not　the　tactical　weapons　in　the　field。〃
〃That　is　not　what　they　say；〃　Defense　objected。
〃You　will　note　that　when　we　made　our　breakthroughs　at　Alfeld　and　R乭le；　nuclear　weapons　were　not　used　on　the　bridgeheads　even　though　some　prewar　NATO　writings　would　seem　to　suggest　they　should　have　been。　I　conclude　that　there　are　more　variable　factors　in　the　equation　than　were　fully　appreciated。　We　have　learned　ourselves　that　the　reality　of　war　can　be　different　from　the　theory　of　war。〃
〃So　you　support　our　decision　to　use　tactical　nuclear　weapons？〃　the　Foreign　Minister　asked。
No！　The　lie　rolled　off　his　lips。　〃If　you　are　certain　that　you　can　prevent　retaliation；　of　course　I　support　it。　I　caution　you；　however；　that　my　reading　of　NATO's　response　might　be　very　different　from　what　we　might　otherwise　expect。　I　would　expect　retaliation　to　fall　some　hours　later　than　we　think；　and　against　strategic　rather　than　tactical　targets。　They　are　more　likely　to　hit　road　and　rail　junctions；　airfields；　and　supply　facilities。　These　do　not　move。　Our　tanks　do。〃　Think　on　what　I　just　said；　rades。　things　will　quickly　go　out　of　control。　Make　peace；　you　fools！
〃So　you　think　we　could　use　tactical　weapons　with　impunity　if　we　simultaneously　threaten　strategic　targets　of　our　own？〃　the　General　Secretary　asked　hopefully。
〃That　is　essentially　the　NATO　pre…war　doctrine。　It　overlooks　the　fact　that　the　use　of　nuclear　weapons　over　friendly　territory　is　not　something　undertaken　lightly。　rades；　I　warn　you　that　the　prevention　of　a　NATO　response　will　not　be　an　easy　exercise。〃
〃You　worry　about　the　battlefield；　rade　General；〃　the　Defense　Minister　suggested　lightly。　〃We　will　worry　about　the　political　questions。〃
There　was　only　one　more　thing　he　could　say　to　discourage　them。　〃Very　well。　In　that　case　I　will　need　direct　control　of　the　weapons。〃
〃Why？〃　the　General　Secretary　demanded。
So　they　won't　be　fired；　you　fucking　idiots！　〃We　have　here　a　question　of　practicality。　Targets　will　appear　and　disappear　on　a　minute…to…minute　basis。　If　you　want　me　to　blast　a　hole　in　NATO　lines　with　atomic　arms；　I　will　not　have　the　time　to　get　your　approval。〃
Alekseyev　was　horrified　to　see　that　even　this　did　not　dissuade　them。
〃How　many　would　you　need？〃　the　Defense　Minister　wanted　to　know。
〃That　is　a　question　contingent　upon　the　time　and　place　of　the　breakthrough　operation；　and　we　would　use　small　weapons　against　discrete　point　targets…not　population　centers。　I　would　say　a　maximum　of　thirty　weapons　in　the　five…　to　ten…kiloton　range。　We　would　launch　them　with　free…flight　artillery　rockets。〃
〃How　soon　will　you　be　ready　for　your　attack？〃　Marshal　Bukharin　asked。
〃That　depends　on　how　quickly　I　can　get　veteran　troops　into　the　new　divisions。　If　these　reservists　are　to　survive　on　the　battlefield；　we　must　get　experienced　men　to　firm　up　their　ranks。〃
〃A　good　idea；　rade　General；〃　the　Defense　Minister　approved。　〃We　will　not　detain　you　further。　In　two　days；　I　want　to　see　detailed　plans　for　your　breakthrough。〃
The　five　members　of　the　Defense　Council　watched　Alekseyev　salute；　pivot　on　his　heels；　and　depart。　Kosov　looked　up　at　Marshal　Bukharin。
〃And　you　wanted　to　replace　this　man？〃
The　General　Secretary　agreed。　〃That's　the　first　real　fighting　soldier　I've　seen　in　years。〃
Alekseyev　waved　for　Major　Sergetov　to　follow　him。　Only　he　felt　the　cold　lead　weight　in　his　belly。　Only　he　knew　how　weak　his　knees　were　as　they　trod　down　the　marble　steps。　Alekseyev　didn't　believe　in　God；　but　he　knew　that　he　had　just　seen　the　door　to　hell　cracked　open。
〃Major；〃　he　said　casually　as　they　entered　the　staff　car；　〃since　we're　in　Moscow；　perhaps　you　would　like　to　visit　your　father　the　Minister　before　we　return　to　the　front？〃
〃That　is　very　kind　of　you；　rade　General。〃
〃You　have　earned　it；　rade　Major。　Besides；　I　want　figures　on　our　oil　supply。〃
The　driver　would　report　what　he'd　heard；　of　course。
〃They　want　me　to　use　nuclear　weapons　at　the　front！〃　Alekseyev　whispered　as　soon　as　the　Minister's　door　was　closed。
〃Yes；　I　was　afraid　of　that。〃
〃They　must　be　stopped！　There　is　no　predicting　what　catastrophe　this　could　bring　about。〃
〃The　Defense　Minister　says　that　a　tactical　nuclear　environment　could　easily　be　controlled。〃
〃He's　talking　like　one　of　those　NATO　idiots！　There　is　no　wall　between　a　tactical　and　a　strategic　nuclear　exchange；　just　a　fuzzy　line　in　the　imagination　of　the　amateurs　and　academics　who　advise　their　political　leaders。　The　only　thing　that　would　then　stand　between　us　and　a　nuclear　holocaust…our　survival　would　be　at　the　mercy　of　whichever　NATO　leader　is　the　least　stable。〃
〃What　did　you　tell　them？〃　the　Minister　asked。　Had　Alekseyev　retained　his　wits　enough　to　say　the　right　thing？
〃I　must　be　alive　to　stop　them…I　told　them　it's　a　wonderful　ideal〃　The　General　sat　down。　〃I　also　told　them　that　I　must　have　tactical　control　of　the　weapons。　I　think　they　will　agree　to　that。　I'll　make　sure　those　weapons　are　never　used。　I　have　just　the　man　on　my　staff　to　do　that；　too。〃
〃You　agree　then　that　the　Defense　Council　must　be　stopped？〃
〃Yes。〃　The　General　looked　down　at　the　floor；　then　back　up。　〃Otherwise…I　don't　know。　It　is　possible　that　their　plan　might　start　something　that　no　one　could　stop。　If　we　die；　we　die　in　a　good　cause。〃
〃How　do　we　stop　them？〃
〃When　does　the　Politburo　meet？〃
〃Every　day　now。　We　usually　meet　at　nine…thirty。〃
〃Whom　can　we　trust？〃
〃Kosov　is　with　us。　There　will　be　a　few　others；　Politburo　members；　but　I　do　not　know　whom　I　can　approach。〃
Wonderful…our　only　certain　ally　is　the　KGB！
〃I　need　some　time。〃
〃Perhaps　this　will　help。〃　Sergetov　handed　over　a　file　he'd　gotten　from　Kosov。　〃Here　is　a　list　of　officers　in　your　mand　who　are　suspected　of　political　unreliability。〃
Alekseyev　scanned　the　list。　He　recognized　the　names　of　three　men　who　had　served　with　distinction　in　battalion　and　regimental　mands　。　。　。　one　good　staff　officer　and　one　terrible　one。　Even　when　my　men　fight　a　war　for　the　Motherland；　they　are　under　suspicion！
〃I'm　supposed　to　formulate　my　attack　plan　before　I　return　to　the　front。　I　will　be　at　Army　Headquarters。〃
〃Good　luck；　Pavel　Leonidovich。〃
〃And　to　you；　Mikhail　Eduardovich。〃　The　General　watched　father　and　son　embrace。　He　wondered　what　his　own　father　would　think　of　this。　To　whom　do　I　turn　for　guidance？

KEFLAVIK；　ICELAND
〃Good　afternoon；　I　am　Major　General　William　Emerson。　This　is　Colonel　Lowe。　He　will　act　as　interpreter。
〃General　Major　Andreyev。　I　speak　English。〃
〃Do　you　propose　a　surrender？〃　Emerson　asked。
〃I　propose　that　we　negotiate；〃　Andreyev　answered。
〃I　require　that　your　forces　cease　hostilities　at　once　and　surrender　their　weapons。〃
〃And　what　will　bee　of　my　troop