tc.redstormrising-第151部分

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〃We　have　their　troops　massing　northeast　of　Hannover；〃　the　Chief　of　Intelligence　pointed　out。
〃I　know；　Joachim。〃
〃Don't　go；〃　the　intel　Chief　said。　〃Send　a　representative。〃
〃Why　didn't　he　ask　for　that？〃　SACEUR　wondered。　〃That's　the　way　it's　normally　done。〃
〃He's　in　a　hurry；〃　Joachim　said。　〃They　haven't　won。　They　haven't　really　lost　anything　yet；　but　their　advance　has　been　stopped　and　they　still　have　their　fuel　problems。　What　if　a　wholly　new　power　bloc　has　taken　over　in　Moscow？　They　shut　down　the　news　media　while　they　try　to　consolidate　power；　and　they　will　want　to　terminate　hostilities。　They　don't　need　the　distraction。　A　good　time　to　push　hard；〃　he　concluded。
〃When　they're　desperate？〃　SACEUR　asked。　〃They　still　have　plenty　of　nukes。　Any　unusual　patterns　of　Soviet　activity；　anything　that　even　looks　unusual？〃
〃Aside　from　the　newly　arriving　reserve　divisions；　no。〃
What　if　I　can　stop　this　damned　war？
〃I'm　going。〃　SACEUR　lifted　his　phone　and　informed　the　Secretary　General　of　the　North　Atlantic　Council　of　his　decision。
It　was　easy　to　be　nervous　with　a　pair　of　Russian　attack　choppers　flying　in　close　formation。　SACEUR　resisted　the　temptation　to　look　out　the　windows　at　them；　and　concentrated　instead　on　the　intelligence　folders。　He　had　the　official　NATO　intel　dossiers　for　five　senior　Soviet　manders。
He　didn't　know　who　it　might　be　that　he　was　meeting。　His　aide　sat　across　from　the　General。　He　was　looking　out　the　windows。

POTSDAM；　GERMAN　DEMOCRATIC　REPUBLIC
Alekseyev　paced　the　ground；　nervous　to　have　to　be　away　from　Moscow；　where　the　new　Party　bosses…but　Party　bosses　nonetheless；　he　reminded　himself…were　trying　to　pull　things　together。　That　idiot　asked　how　they　could　trust　me！　he　thought。　He　reviewed　the　briefing　information　on　his　NATO　counterpart。　Age　fifty…nine。　Son　and　grandson　of　a　soldier。　Father　a　paratroop　officer　killed　by　the　Germans　west　of　St。　Vith　during　the　Battle　of　the　Bulge。　West　Point；　fifteenth　in　his　class。　Vietnam；　four　tours　of　duty；　last　as　mander　of　the　101st　Airborne；　regarded　by　the　North　Vietnamese　as　an　unusually　dangerous　and　innovative　tactician…he'd　proved　that；　Alekseyev　grunted　to　himself。　University　masters　degree　in　international　relations；　supposed　to　be　gifted　in　languages。　Married；　two　sons　and　a　daughter；　none　of　them　in　uniform…someone　decided　that　three　generations　was　enough；　Alekseyev　thought…four　grandchildren。　Four　grandchildren　。　。　。　when　a　man　has　grandchildren　。　。　。　Enjoys　gambling　with　cards；　only　known　vice。　Moderate　drinker。　No　known　sexual　deviations；　the　report　said。　Alekseyev　smiled　at　that。　We're　both　too　old　for　that　nonsense！　And　who　has　the　time？
The　sound　of　helicopter　rotors　filtered　through　the　trees。　Alekseyev　stood　in　a　small　clearing　next　to　a　mand　vehicle。　The　crew　was　in　the　trees；　along　with　a　platoon　of　riflemen。　It　was　unlikely；　but　NATO　could　seize　this　opportunity　to　attack　and　kill…no；　we're　not　that　crazy　and　neither　are　they；　the　General　told　himself。
It　was　one　of　their　new　Blackhawks。　The　helicopter　flared　and　settled　gracefully　to　the　grassy　meadow；　with　the　pair　of　Mi…24s　circling　overhead。　The　door　didn't　open　at　once。　The　pilot　killed　his　engines；　and　the　rotor　took　two　minutes　to　slow　to　a　plete　stop。　Then　the　door　slid　open　and　the　General　stepped　out　hatless。
Tall　for　a　paratrooper；　Alekseyev　thought。
SACEUR　could　have　brought　the　bone…handled　。45　Colt　that　he'd　been　given　in　Vietnam；　but　he　judged　it　better　to　impress　the　Russian　by　ing　unarmed　in　ordinary　fatigues。　Four　black　stars　adorned　his　collar；　and　the　badges　of　a　master　parachutist　and　bat　infantrymen　were　sewn　on　his　left　breast。　On　the　right　side　was　a　simple　nametag：　ROBINSON。　I　don't　have　to　show　off；　Ivan。　I've　won。

〃Tell　the　men　in　the　woods　to　stand　down　and　withdraw。〃
〃But；　rade　General！〃　It　was　a　new　aide　and　he　didn't　know　his　general　yet。
〃Quickly。　If　I　need　an　interpreter　I　will　wave。〃　Alekseyev　walked　toward　the　NATO　mander。　The　aides　gravitated　together。
Salutes　were　exchanged；　but　neither　wanted　to　offer　a　hand　first。
〃You　are　Alekseyev；〃　General　Robinson　said。　〃I　expected　someone　else。〃
〃Marshal　Bukharin　is　in　retirement…your　Russian　is　excellent；　General　Robinson。〃　
〃Thank　you；　General　Alekseyev。　Some　years　ago　I　got　interested　in　the　plays　of　Chekhov。　You　can　really　understand　a　play　only　in　its　original　language。　Since　then　I　have　read　a　good　deal　of　Russian　literature。〃
Alekseyev　nodded。　〃The　better　to　understand　your　enemy。〃　He　went　on　in　English。　〃Very　sensible　of　you。　Shall　we　take　a　walk？〃
〃How　many　men　do　you　have　in　the　trees？〃
〃A　platoon　of　motor…riflemen。〃　Alekseyev　switched　back　to　his　native　language。　Robinson's　mastery　of　Russian　was　better　than　his　of　English；　and　Pasha　had　made　his　point。　〃How　were　we　to　know　what　would　e　out　of　the　helicopter？〃
〃True；〃　SACEUR　conceded。　Yet　you　were　standing　out　in　the　open…to　show　me　that　you　are　fearless。　〃What　shall　we　talk　about？〃
〃A　termination　of　hostilities；　perhaps。〃
〃I　am　listening。〃
〃You　know　of　course　that　I　had　no　part　in　starting　this　madness。〃
Robinson's　head　turned。　〃What　soldier　ever　does；　General？　We　merely　shed　the　blood　and　get　the　blame。　Your　father　was　a　soldier；　was　he　not？〃
〃A　tanker。　He　was　luckier　than　your　father。〃
〃That's　often　what　it　is；　isn't　it？　Luck。〃
〃We　should　not　tell　our　political　leaders　that。〃　Alekseyev　amost　ventured　a　smile　until　he　saw　that　he'd　given　Robinson　an　opening。
〃Who　are　your　political　leaders？　If　we　are　to　reach　a　workable　agreement；　I　must　be　able　to　tell　mine　who　is　in　charge。〃
〃The　General　Secretary　of　the　munist　Party　of　the　Soviet　Union　is　Mikhail　Eduardovich　Sergetov。〃
Who？　SACEUR　wondered。　He　did　not　remember　the　name。　He'd　refreshed　his　memory　on　all　the　full　Politburo　members；　but　that　name　wasn't　on　the　list。　He　temporized。　〃What　the　hell　happened？〃
Alekseyev　saw　the　puzzlement　on　Robinson's　face；　and　this　time　he　did　venture　a　smile。　You　do　not　know　who　he　is；　do　you；　rade　General？　There　is　an　unknown　for　you　to　ponder。　〃As　you　Americans　are　fond　of　saying；　it　was　time　for　a　change。〃
Who　taught　you　to　play　poker；　son？　SACEUR　wondered。　But　I'm　holding　aces　over　kings。　What　are　you　holding？
〃What　is　your　proposal？〃
〃I　do　not　know　how　to　be　a　diplomat；　only　how　to　be　a　soldier；〃　Alekseyev　said。　〃We　propose　a　cease…fire　in　place；　followed　by　a　phased　withdrawal　to　pre…war　positions　over　a　period　of　two　weeks。〃
〃In　two　weeks　I　can　achieve　that　without　a　cease…fire；〃　Robinson　said　coldly。
〃At　great　cost…and　greater　risk；〃　the　Russian　pointed　out。
〃We　know　that　you　are　short　of　fuel。　Your　entire　national　economy　could　e　apart。〃
〃Yes；　General　Robinson；　and　if　our　army　es　apart；　as　you　say；　we　have　only　one　defense　option　to　safeguard　the　State。〃
〃Your　country　has　launched　a　war　of　aggression　against　the　NATO　alliance。　Do　you　suppose　that　we　can　let　you　return　to　status　quo　ante；　nothing　else？〃　SACEUR　asked　quietly。　He　was　keeping　close　rein　on　his　emotions。　He'd　already　made　one　slip；　and　that　was　two　too　many。　〃And　don't　tell　me　about　the　Kremlin　Bomb　Plot…you　know　sure　as　hell　we　had　no　part　of　that。〃
〃I　have　told　you　that　I　had　no　part　in　this。　I　follow　orders…but　did　you　expect　the　Politburo　to　sit　still　while　our　national　economy　ground　to　a　halt？　What　political　pressure　would　you　have　put　on　us；　eh？　If　you　knew　about　our　oil　shortage…〃
〃We　didn't　until　a　few　days　ago。〃
The　maskirovka　worked？
〃Why　didn't　you　tell　us　you　needed　oil？〃　Robinson　asked。
〃And　you　would　have　given　it　to　us？　Robinson；　I　do　not　have　your　degree　in　international　relations；　but　I　am　not　so　much　of　a　fool　as　that。〃
〃We　would　have　demanded　and　gotten　concessions　of　some　kind…but　don't　you　think　we　would　have　tried　to　prevent　all　this？〃
Alekseyev　tore　a　leaf　off　a　tree。　He　stared　at　it　for　a　moment。　The　marvelous　networking　of　veins；　everything　interconnected　with　everything　else。　You　have　just　killed　another　living　thing；　Pasha。
〃I　suppose　the　Politburo　never　thought　about　that。〃
〃They　launched　a　war　of　aggression；〃　Robinson　repeated。　〃How　many　are　dead　because　of　them？〃
〃The　men　who　made　that　decision　are　under　arrest。　They　will　be　tried　in　a　People's　Court　for　crimes　against　the　State。　rade　Sergetov　spoke　against　the　war；　and　has　risked　his　life；　as　have　I；　to　bring　it　to　a　just　end。〃
〃We　want　them。　We　will　reconvene　the　Nurnberg　Tribunal　and　try　them　for　crimes　against　humanity。〃
〃You　may　have　them　only　after　we　are　finished　with　them…it　will　be　a　dull　trial；　General　Robinson；〃　Alekseyev　added。　Both　men　were　now　talking　like　soldiers；　not　diplomats。　〃You　think　your　countries　have　suffered？　Someday　I　will　tell　about　the　suffering　we　have　endured　from　these　corrupt　men！〃
〃And　your　junta　will　change　that？〃
〃How　should　I　know？　But　we　will　try。　In　any　case；　that　is　not　your　concern！〃
The　hell　it　isn't　〃You　talk　with　great　confidence　for　the　representative　of　a　new　and　very　shaky　government。〃
〃And　you；　rade　General；　talk　very　confidently　for　a　man　who　less　than　two　weeks　ago　was　on　the　brink　of　defeat！　Remember　what　you　said　of　luck？　Push　us　hard　if　you　wish。　The　Soviet　Union　can　no　longer　win；　but　both　sides　can　still　lose。　You　know　how　close　it　was。　We　nearly　defeated　you。　If　those　damned　invisible　bombers　of　yours　hadn't　hit　our　bridges　on　the　first　day；　or　if　we　had　managed　to　smash　three　or　four　more　of　your　convoys；　you　would　be　offering　me　terms。〃
Make　that　one　or　two　more　convoys；　Robinson　reminded　himself。　It　was　that　close。
〃I　offer　you　a　cease…fire　in　place；〃　Alekseyev　repeated。　〃It　could　begin　as　early　as　midnight。　After　that；　in　two　weeks；　we　return　to　our　pre…war　lines；　and　the　killing　will　stop。〃
〃Exchange　of　prisoners？〃
〃We　can　work　that　out　later。　For　the　moment；　I　think　Berlin　is　the　obvious　place。〃　Berlin；　as　expected；　had　remained　largely　untouched　by　the　war。
〃What　about　the　German　civilians　behind　your　lines？〃
Alekseyev　thought　that　one　over。　〃They　may　leave　freely　after　the　cease…fire…better　than　that；　I　will　allow　supplies　of　food　to　pass　through　our　lines　to　them；　under　our　supervision。〃
〃And　mistreatment　of　German　civilians？〃
〃That　is　my　affair。　Anyone　who　has　violated　field　service　regulations　will　be　court…martialed。〃
〃How　do　I　know　that　you　will　not　use　your　two　weeks　to　prepare　a　new　offensive？〃
〃How　do　I　know　that　you　w