tc.redstormrising-第30部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


The　Defense　Minister's　face　went　rigid　for　a　moment。　〃The　Soviet　Army　is　ready　and　able　to　carry　out　its　mission。　It　is　now　too　late　to　retreat。　This　is　also　a　political　question；　Petya。〃
〃NATO　is　mobilizing；〃　Sergetov　said。
〃Too　late；　and　too　halfheartedly；〃　replied　the　Director　of　the　KGB。　〃We　have　split　one　country　from　the　NATO　alliance。　We　are　working　on　others；　and　are　hard　at　work　throughout　Europe　and　America　spreading　disinformation　about　the　bomb　attack。　The　will　of　the　people　in　the　NATO　countries　is　low。　They　will　not　want　to　fight　a　war　for　German　murderers；　and　their　political　leaders　will　find　a　way　to　disassociate　themselves　from　the　conflict。〃
〃But　not　if　we　slaughter　civilians　with　gas。〃　The　Foreign　Minister　nodded。　〃Petya　and　young　Sergetov　are　correct：　the　political　cost　of　these　weapons　is　simply　too　high。〃

WASHINGTON；　D。C。
〃But　why？　Why　are　they　doing　this？〃　the　President　demanded。
〃We　simply　do　not　know；　sir。〃　The　Director　of　Central　Intelligence　was　clearly　unfortable　with　the　question。　〃We　know　that　this　Kremlin　Bomb　Plot　was　a　plete　fabrication…〃
〃Did　you　see　what　the　Post　said　this　morning？　The　press　says　that　this　guy　Falken　has　'agency'　or　its　German　equivalent　written　all　over　him。〃
〃Mr。　President；　the　truth　of　the　matter　is　that　Herr　Falken　was　almost　certainly　a　Soviet　sleeper　agent　under　KGB　control。　The　Germans　have　been　unable　to　uncover　very　much　about　him。　It's　as　though　he　just　sprang　into　being　thirteen　years　ago；　and　he's　been　quietly　running　his　import…export　business　for　the　last　twelve　years。　Sir；　every　indication　we　have　is　that　the　Soviets　are　prepared　for　an　attack　against　NATO。　There　is　no　indication；　for　example；　that　they　are　demobilizing　their　conscripts　who　are　at　the　end　of　their　enlistment　periods；　nor　any　evidence　of　preparations　for　the　new　'class'　of　conscripts　that　should　have　begun　to　arrive　several　days　ago。　Finally；　there's　the　case　of　this　Spetznaz　major　the　Germans　picked　up。　He　was　infiltrated　into　the　Federal　Republic　before　the　bomb　plot；　with　orders　to　attack　a　NATO　munications　base。　As　to　why…Mr。　President；　we　simply　do　not　know。　We　can　describe　what　the　Russians　are　doing　but　not　the　reason　for　it。〃
〃I　told　the　country　last　night　that　we　would　be　able　to　control　this　situation　through　diplomatic　means　。　。　。〃
〃We　still　might。　We　need　to　municate　directly　with　the　Soviets；〃　the　President's　national　security　adviser　said。　〃Until　they　respond　positively；　however；　we　have　to　show　that　we　mean　business；　too。　Mr。　President；　a　further　call…up　of　reservists　is　necessary。〃

NORTH　ATLANTIC
The　JULIUS　FUCIK　was　rolling　ten　degrees　with　a　beam　sea。　It　made　life　hard　on　the　soldiers；　Captain　Kherov　noted；　but　they　were　doing　well　for　landsmen。　His　own　crewmen　were　dangling　over　the　sides　with　sprayguns；　painting　over　the　ship's　Interlighter　markings；　preparatory　to　replacing　them　with　the　Lykes　Lines　emblem。　The　soldiers　were　cutting　away　parts　of　the　superstructure　to　conform　with　the　silhouette　of　the　Doctor　Lykes；　a　U。S。…flag　Seabee　carrier　remarkably　similar　to　the　Fucik。　The　Soviet　ship　had　been　built　years　before　in　Finland's　Valmet　yard　from　plans　purchased　in　America。　Already　the　elevator　winch　area　aft　had　been　painted　pletely　black　to　match　the　American　line's　house　colors；　and　a　black　diamond　had　been　painted　on　both　sides　of　the　superstructure。　Gangs　of　men　were　changing　the　shape　and　colors　of　the　two　funnels　with　prefabricated　parts。　The　hardest　job　remaining　was　the　paintwork　on　the　hull。　The　Interlighter　markings　were　made　of　twentyfoot　letters。　Replacing　them　called　for　the　use　of　canvas　templates；　and　the　lettering　had　to　be　neat　and　exact。　Worst　of　all；　there　was　no　way　to　check　the　workmanship　short　of　launching　a　ship's　boat；　something　he　had　neither　the　time　nor　the　inclination　to　do。
〃How　long；　rade　Captain？〃
〃Four　hours　at　least。　The　work　goes　well。〃　Kherov　couldn't　hide　his　concern。　Here　they　were；　mid…Atlantic；　far　from　the　usual　sea　lanes；　but　there　was　no　telling…
〃And　if　we　are　spotted　by　an　American　aircraft　or　ship？〃　General　Andreyev　asked。
〃Then　we　will　find　out　how　effective　our　damage…control　drills　have　been…and　our　mission　will　be　a　failure。〃　Kherov　ran　his　hand　along　the　polished　teak　rail。　He'd　manded　this　ship　for　six　years；　taken　her　into　nearly　every　port　on　the　North　and　South　Atlantic。　〃We'll　get　some　way　on。　The　ship　will　ride　more　easily　on　a　bow　sea。〃

MOSCOW；　R。S。F。S。R。
〃When　are　you　planning　to　leave？〃　Flynn　asked　Calloway。
〃Soon；　Patrick。　I　hope　you'll　be　ing　with　me？〃　The　unmarried　children　of　both　men　were　in　college；　and　both　had　sent　their　wives　west　the　day　before。
〃I　don't　know。　I've　never　run　away　before。〃　Flynn　scowled　at　the　empty　stage　at　the　end　of　the　room。　He　had　the　scars　to　prove　it。　〃They　pay　me　to　report　the　news。〃
〃You'll　be　reporting　no　bloody　news　from　inside　Lefortovo　Prison；　my　friend；〃　Calloway　observed。　〃Isn't　one　Pulitzer　Prize　enough？〃
Flynn　laughed。　〃I　thought　nobody　but　me　remembered。　What　do　you　know　that　I　don't；　Willie？〃
〃I　know　I　wouldn't　be　leaving　without　a　damned　good　reason。　And　if　it's　good　enough　for　me　to　leave；　Patrick；　it's　bloody　good　enough　for　you。〃　He'd　been　told　only　the　night　before　that　a　peaceful　resolution　of　this　crisis　was　now　less　than　a　50…percent　probability。　For　the　hundredth　time；　the　Reuters　correspondent　blessed　his　decision　to　cooperate　with　the　SIS。
〃Here　we　go。〃　Flynn　took　out　his　notepad。
The　Foreign　Minister　entered　from　the　usual　door　and　moved　to　the　lectern。　He　looked　uncharacteristically　frazzled；　his　suit　rumpled；　his　shirt　collar　dingy；　as　though　he'd　been　up　all　the　previous　night　laboring　to　resolve　the　German　crisis　through　diplomatic　means。　When　he　looked　up；　his　eyes　squinted　through　his　reading　glasses。
〃Ladies　and　gentlemen；　a　year　that　has　gone　so　well　for　East…West　relations　has　turned　to　ashes　in　the　mouths　of　us　all。　The　United　States；　the　Soviet　Union；　and　the　other　nations　that　accepted　our　invitation　to　Vienna　are　within　weeks　of　a　prehensive　agreement　on　the　control　of　strategic　nuclear　arms。　America　and　the　Soviet　Union　have　agreed　upon　and　implemented　a　grain　sales　agreement　with　unprecedented　speed　and　cooperation；　and　even　as　we　speak；　deliveries　are　being　made　in　Odessa　on　the　Black　Sea。　Western　tourism　within　the　Soviet　Union　is　at　an　alltime　high；　and　this　is　perhaps　the　truest　reflection　of　the　spirit　of　detente　…now　our　peoples　are　finally　beginning　to　trust　one　another。　All　this　effort；　the　efforts　of　East　and　West　to　bring　about　a　just　and　lasting　peace；　have　been　brought　to　ruin　by　a　handful　of　revanchist　men　who　have　not　taken　the　lessons　of　the　Second　World　War　to　heart。
〃Ladies　and　gentlemen；　the　Soviet　Union　has　received　irrefutable　evidence　that　the　government　of　the　Federal　Republic　of　Germany　exploded　its　bomb　in　the　Kremlin　as　part　of　a　plot　to　bring　about　the　reunification　of　Germany　by　force。　We　have　in　our　possession　classified　German　documents　which　prove　that　the　West　German　government　planned　to　bring　down　the　Soviet　government　and　use　the　resulting　period　of　internal　confusion　to　achieve　their　aim　of　remaking　Germany　into　the　principal　continental　power　in　Europe　yet　again。　All　Europeans　know　what　that　would　mean　to　world　peace。
〃In　this　century；　Germany　has　invaded　my　country　twice。　Over　forty　million　Soviet　citizens　died　repelling　those　two　invasions；　and　we　do　not　forget　the　deaths　of　so　many　millions　of　our　fellow　Europeans　who　were　also　the　victims　of　German　nationalism…Polish；　Belgian；　Dutch；　French；　English；　and　American　men　and　women　labored　as　our　allies　to　safeguard　the　peace　of　Europe。　After　the　Second　World　War；　we　all　thought　that　this　problem　was　pletely　at　an　end。　Such　was　the　reasoning　behind　the　treaties　which　divided　Germany　and　Europe　into　spheres　of　influence…remember　that　these　spheres　were　ratified　further　by　the　Helsinki　Accords　in　1975…whose　balance　would　serve　to　make　a　European　war　impossible。
〃We　know　that　the　rearming　of　Germany　by　the　West；　supposedly　a　defensive　measure　against　the　imagined　threat　from　the　East…despite　the　fact　that　the　Warsaw　Pact　was　not　even　formed　until　well　after　the　NATO　alliance　was　formed…was　the　first　step　in　the　West's　own　plan　to　unify　Germany　as　a　pawn　to　counterbalance　the　Soviet　Union。　That　this　was　a　foolish　and　unnecessary　policy　is　now　manifestly　clear。　I　ask　you　if　there　is　anyone　in　Europe　who　truly　wants　a　unified　Germany。　The　NATO　countries　themselves　stopped　agitating　for　this　years　ago。　Except；　of　course；　for　some　Germans　who　remember　the　days　of　German　power　in　rather　a　different　light　from　those　of　us　who　were　its　victims。
〃The　Federal　Republic　of　Germany　has　evidently　turned　the　tables　on　her　Western　allies；　and　plans　to　use　the　NATO　alliance　as　a　shield　behind　which　to　launch　her　own　offensive　operations；　the　objective　of　which　can　only　upset　the　power　balance　that　has　safeguarded　the　peace　in　Europe　for　two　generations。　Although　we　can　fault　the　West　for　creating　this　situation；　the　government　of　the　Soviet　Union　does　not…I　repeat；　does　not…hold　America　or　her　NATO　allies　responsible　for　this。　My　country；　too；　has　learned　the　bitter　lesson　that　allies　can　turn　on　their　supposed　friends；　much　as　a　dog　can　turn　on　his　master。
〃The　Soviet　Union　has　no　wish　to　cast　away　the　dramatic　progress　made　this　year　in　foreign　relations　with　the　West。〃　The　Foreign　Minister　paused　before　going　on。　〃But　the　Soviet　Union　cannot　ignore；　cannot　set　aside　the　fact；　that　a　deliberate　act　of　aggression　has　been　made　against　the　Soviet　Union；　on　Soviet　soil。
〃The　government　of　the　Soviet　Union　will　today　deliver　a　note　to　the　Bonn　government。　As　a　price　of　our　forbearance；　as　a　price　of　keeping　the　peace；　we　demand　that　the　Bonn　government　immediately　demobilize　its　army　to　a　level　consistent　with　maintenance　of　the　civil　peace。　We　further　call　upon　the　Bonn　government　to　admit　its　aggressive　action；　to　dissolve　and　call　for　new　elections；　so　that　the　German　people　themselves　may　judge　how　well　they　have　been　served。　Finally；　we　demand　and　expect　that　full　reparations　be　paid　to　the　government　of　the　Soviet　Union；　and　to　the　families　of　those　so　callously　murdered　by　the　revanchist　German　nationalists　who　hide　in　their　city　on　the　west　bank　of　t