tc.redstormrising-第24部分

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hat　they　have　no　knowledge　whatever　of　the　guy。　It's　just　as　though　he　appeared　fully　grown　at　age　thirty…one　when　he　started　his　business。　His　apartment　was　taken　apart　one　stick　at　a　time。　No　incriminating　evidence　was　found…〃
〃Okay；　mander；　give　us　your　professional　gut　feeling。〃
〃Admiral；　Falken　is　a　Soviet　sleeper　agent　who　was　inserted　into　the　Federal　Republic　thirteen　years　ago　and　used　for　very　few　missions；　or　more　probably　none　at　all；　until　this。〃
〃So　you　think　this　whole　thing's　a　Soviet　intelligence　operation。　No　big　surprise　there。　What's　its　objective？〃　CINCLANT　asked　sharply。
〃Sir；　at　the　very　least　they　are　trying　to　put　enormous　political　pressure　on　West　Germany；　perhaps　to　force　them　out　of　NATO。　At　worst…〃
〃I　think　we　already　figured　the　worst…case　scenario　out。　Nice　job；　Toland。　And　I　owe　you　an　apology　for　yesterday。　Not　your　fault　that　you　didn't　have　all　the　information　I　wanted。〃　Toland　blinked。　It　was　not　often　that　a　four…star　admiral　apologized　to　a　reserve　lieutenant…mander　in　front　of　other　flag　officers。　〃What's　their　fleet　doing？〃
〃Admiral；　we　have　no　satellite　photos　of　the　Murmansk　area。　Too　much　cloud　cover；　but　we　expect　clear　weather　tomorrow　afternoon。　The　Norwegians　are　running　increased　air　patrols　in　the　Barents　Sea；　and　they　say　that；　aside　from　submarines；　the　Russians　have　relatively　few　ships　at　sea　at　the　moment。　Of　course；　they've　had　relatively　few　ships　at　sea　for　a　month。〃
〃And　that　can　change　in　three　hours；〃　an　admiral　noted。　〃Your　evaluation　of　their　fleet　readiness？〃
〃The　best　it's　been　since　I've　been　studying　them；〃　Toland　replied。　〃As　close　to　a　hundred　percent　as　I've　ever　seen　it。　As　you　just　said；　sir；　they　can　put　to　sea　at　any　time　with　almost　their　whole　inventory。〃
〃If　they　sortie；　we'll　know　it　quick。　I　have　three　subs　up　there　keeping　an　eye　on　things；〃　Admiral　Pipes　said。
〃I　talked　with　the　Secretary　of　Defense　right　before　I　came　here。　He's　going　to　meet　with　the　President　today　and　request　a　DEFCON…3　alert；　global。　The　Germans　are　requesting　that　we　keep　Spiral　Green　in　operation　until　the　Russians　show　signs　of　easing　things　off。　What　do　you　think　the　Russians　will　do；　mander？〃　CINCLANT　asked。
〃Sir；　we'll　know　more　later　today。　The　Soviet　Party　Secretary　will　be　speaking　at　an　emergency　meeting　of　the　Supreme　Soviet；　maybe　also　at　the　funeral　tomorrow。〃
〃Sentimental　bastard；〃　Pipes　growled。
In　front　of　the　office　television　an　hour　later；　Toland　missed　having　Chuck　Lowe　around　to　back　up　his　translation。　The　Chairman　had　an　annoying　tendency　to　speak　rapidly；　and　Toland's　Russian　was　barely　up　to　it。　The　speech　took　forty　minutes；　three…quarters　of　which　was　standard　political　phraseology。　At　the　end；　however；　the　Chairman　announced　mobilization　of　Category…B　reserve　units　to　meet　the　potential　German　threat。

12　…　Funeral　Arrangements

NORFOLK；　VIRGINIA
The　House　of　Unions　was　unusually　crowded；　Toland　saw。　Ordinarily　they　only　buried　one　hero　at　a　time　with　such　ceremony。　Once　there　had　been　three　dead　cosmonauts；　but　now　there　were　eleven　heroes。　Eight　Young　Octobrists　from　Pskov；　three　boys　and　five　girls　ranging　in　age　from　eight　to　ten；　and　three　clerical　employees；　all　men　who　worked　directly　for　the　Politburo；　were　laid　out　in　polished　birchwood　coffins；　surrounded　by　a　sea　of　flowers。　Toland　examined　the　screen　closely。　The　caskets　were　elevated　so　that　the　victims　were　visible；　but　two　of　the　faces　were　covered　with　black　silk；　a　framed　photograph　atop　the　coffins　to　show　what　the　children　had　looked　like　in　life。　It　was　a　piteous；　horrible　touch　for　the　television　cameras　to　linger　on。
The　Hall　of　Columns　was　draped　in　red　and　black；　with　even　the　ornate　chandeliers　masked　for　this　solemn　occasion。　The　families　of　the　victims　stood　in　an　even　line。　Parents　without　their　children；　wives　and　children　without　fathers。　They　were　dressed　in　the　baggy；　ill…cut　clothes　so　characteristic　of　the　Soviet　Union。　Their　faces　showed　no　emotion　but　shock；　as　if　they　were　still　trying　to　e　to　terms　with　the　damage　done　to　their　lives；　still　hoping　that　they'd　awake　from　this　ghastly　nightmare　to　find　their　loved　ones　safe　in　their　own　beds。　And　knowing　that　this　would　not　be。
The　Chairman　of　the　Party　came　somberly　down　the　line；　embracing　each　of　the　bereaved；　a　black　mourning　band　on　his　sleeve　to　contrast　with　the　gaudy　Order　of　Lenin　emblem　on　his　lapel。　Toland　looked　closely　at　his　face。　There　was　real　emotion　there。　One　could　almost　imagine　that　he　was　burying　members　of　his　own　family。
One　of　the　mothers　accepted　the　embrace；　then　the　kiss；　and　nearly　collapsed；　falling　to　her　knees　and　burying　her　face　in　her　hands。　The　Chairman　dropped　down　to　her　side　even　before　her　husband　did；　and　pulled　her　head　into　his　shoulder。　A　moment　later　he　helped　her　back　to　her　feet；　moving　her　gently　toward　the　protective　arm　of　her　husband；　a　captain　in　the　Soviet　Army　whose　face　was　a　stone　mask　of　rage。
God　almighty；　Toland　thought。　They　couldn't　have　staged　that　any　better　with　Eisenstein　himself　directing。

MOSCOW；　R。S。F。S。R。
You　cold…hearted　bastard；　Sergetov　said　to　himself。　He　and　the　rest　of　the　Politburo　stood　in　another　line　to　the　left　of　the　caskets。　He　kept　his　face　pointed　forward；　toward　the　line　of　coffins；　but　he　averted　his　eyes；　only　to　see　four　television　cameras　recording　the　ceremony。　The　whole　world　was　watching　them；　the　TV　people　had　assured　them。　So　exquisitely　organized　it　was。　Here　was　the　penultimate　act　of　the　maskirovka　The　honor　guard　of　Red　Army　soldiers　mixed　with　boys　and　girls　of　the　Moscow　Young　Pioneers　to　watch　over　the　murdered　children。　The　lilting　violins。　Such　a　masquerade！　Sergetov　told　himself。　See　how　kind　we　are　to　the　families　of　those　we　have　murdered！　He　had　seen　many　lies　in　his　thirty…five　years　in　the　Party。　He　had　told　enough　of　them　himself　but　never　anything　that　came　close　to　this。　Just　as　well；　he　thought；　that　I've　had　nothing　to　eat　today。
His　eyes　came　back　reluctantly　to　the　waxen　face　of　a　child。　He　remembered　the　sleeping　faces　of　his　own　children；　now　grown。　So　often　after　arriving　home　late　from　Party　work；　he　had　stolen　a　look　into　their　bedroom　at　night　to　see　their　peaceful　faces；　always　lingering　to　be　sure　that　they　were　breathing　normally；　listening　for　the　sniffles　of　a　cold　or　the　murmurs　of　a　dream。　How　often　had　he　told　himself　that　he　and　the　Party　worked　for　their　future？　No　more　colds；　little　one；　he　said　with　his　eyes　to　the　nearest　child。　No　more　dreams。　See　what　the　Party　has　done　for　your　future。　His　own　eyes　filled　with　tears…and　he　hated　himself　for　it。　His　rades　would　think　it　part　of　the　performance。　He　wanted　to　look　around；　to　see　what　his　rades　of　the　Politburo　thought　of　their　handiwork。　He　wondered　what　the　KGB　team　that　had　done　the　deed　thought　of　their　mission　now。　If　they　were　still　alive；　he　reflected。　So　easy　to　put　them　on　an　airplane　and　crash　it　into　the　ground　so　that　not　even　executioners　would　know　of　them。　All　records　of　the　bomb　plot　were　already　destroyed；　he　was　sure；　and　of　the　thirty　men　who　knew　of　it；　more　than　half　were　right　there；　standing　in　line　with　him。　Sergetov　almost　wished　he　had　entered　the　building　five　minutes　sooner。　Better　to　be　dead　than　to　be　a　beneficiary　of　such　infamy…but　he　knew　better。　In　that　case　he　would　have　played　an　even　larger　role　in　this　brutal　farce。

NORFOLK；　VIRGINIA
〃rades。　We　see　before　us　the　innocent　children　of　our　nation；〃　the　Chairman　began；　speaking　with　slow；　quiet　diction　that　made　Toland's　translation　job　easier。　CINCLANT's　intelligence　chief　was　at　his　side。　〃Killed　by　the　infernal　engine　of　State　terrorism。　Killed　by　a　nation　that　has　twice　defiled　our　Motherland　with　unholy　dreams　of　conquest　and　murder。　We　see　before　us　the　dedicated；　humble　servants　of　our　Party　who　asked　nothing　more　than　to　serve　the　State。　We　see　martyrs　to　the　security　of　the　Soviet　Union。　We　see　martyrs　to　the　aggression　of　fascists。
〃rades；　to　the　families　of　these　innocent　children；　and　to　the　families　of　these　three　fine　men；　I　say　that　a　reckoning　will　e。　I　say　that　their　deaths　will　not　be　forgotten。　I　say　that　there　will　be　justice　for　this　vicious　crime　。　。　。〃
〃Jesus。〃　Toland　stopped　translating　and　looked　over　at　his　senior。
〃Yeah。　There's　going　to　be　a　war。　We　have　a　linguistic　team　across　the　street　doing　a　full　translation；　Bob。　Let's　go　see　the　boss。〃
〃You're　sure？〃　CINCLANT　asked。
〃It's　possible　they　will　settle　for　something　less；　sir；〃　Toland　replied。　〃But　I　don't　think　so。　Everything　about　this　exercise　has　been　run　in　such　a　way　as　to　inflame　the　Russian　population　to　a　degree　I've　never　seen　before。〃
〃Let's　put　this　all　the　way　on　the　table。　You're　saying　that　they　deliberately　murdered　these　people　to　foment　a　crisis。〃　CINCLANT　looked　down　at　his　desk。　〃It's　hard　to　believe；　even　for　them。〃
〃Admiral；　either　we　believe　that　or　we　believe　that　the　West　German　government　has　decided　to　precipitate　a　war　against　the　Soviet　Union　on　their　own　hook。　In　the　second　case　the　Germans　would　have　to　be　totally　out　of　their　fucking　minds；　sir；〃　Toland　blurted；　forgetting　that　only　admirals　swear　in　front　of　admirals。
〃But　why？〃
We　don't　know　the　why。　That's　a　problem　with　intelligence；　sir。　It's　a　lot　easier　to　tell　the　what　than　the　why。〃
CINCLANT　stood　and　walked　to　the　er　of　his　office。　There　was　going　to　be　a　war；　and　he　didn't　know　why。　He　wanted　the　why。　The　why　might　be　important。
〃We're　starting　to　call　up　reserves。　Toland；　you　have　done　one　hell　of　a　good　job　over　the　past　two　months。　I'm　going　to　request　that　you　get　bumped　up　a　grade　to　full　mander。　You're　outside　the　normal　zone；　but　I　think　I　just　might　be　able　to　handle　it。　There's　an　open　intel　billet　with　　Second　Fleet　staff。　He's　put　in　a　request　for　you　if　things　go　sour；　and　it　looks　like　they　are。　You　would　be　number　three　on　his　threat　team；　and　you'd　be　out　on　a　carrier。　I　want　you　out　there。〃
〃It　sure　would　be　nice　to　have　a　day　or　two　with　the　family；　sir。〃
The　Admiral　nodded。　〃We　owe　you　that　much。　NIMITZ　is　in　transit　anyway。　You　can　meet　her　off　the　Spanish　coast。　Report　back　here　Wednesday　morning　with　your　bags　packed。〃　CINCLANT　came　over　to　shake　his　hand。　〃Well　done；　mander。〃
Two　miles　away；　PHARRIS　was　tied　alongside　her　ten