tc.redstormrising-第12节

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but　this　is　a　bloody　serious；　and　bloody　generous；　proposal。〃
〃Nothing　about　Star　Wars？〃　Flynn　frowned　briefly　as　he　turned　right。　Did　that　mean　that　the　Russians　had　made　a　breakthrough　of　their　own？　Have　to　query　Washington　about　that　。　。　。　〃We　got　us　a　story　here；　Willie。　What's　your　lead？　How's　'Peace'　grab　you？〃　Calloway　just　laughed　at　that。

FORT　MEADE；　MARYLAND
American　intelligence　agencies；　like　their　counterparts　throughout　the　world；　monitor　all　news　wire　services。　Toland　was　examining　the　AP　and　Reuters　reports　before　most　news　bureau　chiefs；　and　paring　them　with　the　version　transmitted　over　Soviet　microwave　circuits　for　publication　in　the　regional　editions　of　Pravda　and　Isvestia。　The　way　items　of　hard　news　were　reported　in　the　Soviet　Union　was　intended　to　show　Party　members　how　their　leaders　felt。
〃We've　been　down　this　road　before；〃　his　section　chief　said。　〃The　last　time；　things　broke　down　on　this　issue　of　mobile　missiles。　Both　sides　want　them；　but　both　sides　are　afraid　of　the　other　side　having　them。〃
〃But　the　tone　of　the　report…〃
〃They're　always　euphoric　about　their　arms…control　proposals；　damn　it！　Hell；　Bob；　you　know　that。〃
〃True；　sir；　but　it's　the　first　time　that　I　know　of　that　the　Russians　have　unilaterally　removed　a　weapons　platform　from　service。〃
〃The　'Yankees'　are　obsolete。〃
〃So　what？　They　never　throw　anything　away；　obsolete　or　not。　They　still　have　World　War　II　artillery　pieces　sitting　in　warehouses　in　case　they　need　them　again。　This　is　different；　and　the　political　ramifications…〃
〃We're　not　talking　politics；　we're　talking　nuclear　strategy；〃　the　section　chief　growled　back。
As　if　there　were　a　difference；　Toland　said　to　himself。

KIEV；　THE　UKRAINE
〃Well；　Pasha？〃
〃rade　General；　we　truly　have　a　man's　work　before　us；〃　Alekseyev　answered；　standing　at　attention　in　the　Kiev　headquarters　of　the　Southwest　Theater。
〃Our　troops　need　extensive　unit　training。　Over　the　weekend　I　read　through　more　than　eighty　regimental　readiness　reports　from　our　tank　and　motor…rifle　divisions。〃　Alekseyev　paused　before　going　on。　Tactical　training　and　readiness　was　the　bane　of　the　Soviet　military。　Their　troops　were　almost　entirely　conscripts；　in　and　out　in　two　years；　half　of　whose　uniformed　service　was　occupied　just　in　acquiring　basic　military　skills。　Even　the　nons；　the　backbone　of　every　army　since　the　Roman　legions；　were　conscripts　selected　for　special　training　academies；　then　lost　as　soon　as　their　enlistment　periods　ended。　For　that　reason；　the　Soviet　military　leaned　heavily　on　its　officers；　who　often　performed　what　in　the　West　was　sergeants'　work。　The　professional　officer　corps　of　the　Soviet　Army　was　its　only　permanent；　only　dependable　feature。　In　theory。　〃The　truth　of　the　matter　is　that　we　don't　know　our　readiness　posture　at　the　moment。　Our　colonels　all　use　the　same　language　in　their　reports；　without　the　slightest　deviation。　Everyone　reports　meeting　norms；　with　the　same　amount　of　training　hours；　the　same　amount　of　political　indoctrination；　the　same　number　of　practice　shots　fired…that　is；　a　deviation　of　under　three　percent…and　the　requisite　number　of　field　exercises　run；　all　of　course　of　the　proper　type。〃
〃As　prescribed　in　our　training　manuals；〃　the　Colonel　General　noted。
〃Naturally。　Exactly…too　damned　exactly！　No　deviation　for　adverse　weather。　No　deviation　for　late　fuel　deliveries。　No　deviation　for　anything　at　all。　For　example；　the　703rd　Motor…Rifle　Regiment　spent　all　of　last　October　on　harvesting　duty　south　of　Kharkov…yet　somehow　they　met　their　monthly　norms　for　unit　training　at　the　same　time。　Lies　are　bad　enough；　but　these　are　stupid　lies！〃
〃It　cannot　be　as　bad　as　you　fear；　Pavel　Leonidovich。〃
〃Do　we　dare　to　assume　otherwise；　rade？〃
The　General　stared　down　at　his　desk。　〃No。　Very　well；　Pasha。　You've　formulated　your　plan。　Let　me　hear　it。〃
〃For　the　moment；　you　will　be　outlining　the　plan　for　our　attack　into　the　Muslim　lands。　I　must　get　into　the　field　to　whip　our　field　manders　into　shape。　If　we　wish　to　acplish　our　goals　in　time　for　the　attack　west；　we　must　make　an　example　of　the　worst　offenders。　I　have　four　manders　in　mind。　Their　conduct　has　been　grossly　and　undeniably　criminal。　Here　are　the　names　and　charges。〃　He　handed　over　a　single　sheet　of　paper。
〃There　are　two　good　men　here；　Pasha；〃　the　General　objected。
〃They　are　guardians　of　the　State。　They　enjoy　positions　of　the　greatest　trust。　They　have　betrayed　that　trust　by　lying；　and　in　doing　so；　they　have　endangered　the　State；〃　Alekseyev　said；　wondering　how　many　men　in　his　country　could　have　that　said　of　them。　He　dismissed　the　thought。　There　were　problems　enough　right　here。
〃You　understand　the　consequences　of　the　charges　you　bring？〃
〃Of　course。　The　penalty　for　treason　is　death。　Did　I　ever　falsify　a　readiness　report？　Did　you？〃　Alekseyev　looked　away　briefly。　〃It　is　a　hard　thing；　and　I　take　no　pleasure　in　it…but　unless　we　snap　our　units　into　shape；　how　many　young　boys　will　die　for　their　officers'　failings？　We　need　bat　readiness　more　than　we　need　four　liars。　If　there　is　a　gentler　way　to　achieve　this；　I　don't　know　what　that　might　be。　An　army　without　discipline　is　a　worthless　mob。　We　have　the　directive　from　STAVKA　to　make　examples　of　unruly　privates　and　restore　the　authority　of　our　NCOs。　It　is　fitting　that　if　privates　must　suffer　for　their　failings；　then　their　Colonels　must　suffer　too。　Theirs　is　the　greater　responsibility。　Theirs　is　the　greater　reward。　A　few　examples　here　will　go　a　long　way　to　restoring　our　army。〃
〃The　inspectorate？〃
〃The　best　choice；〃　Alekseyev　agreed。　That　way　blame　would　not　necessarily　be　traced　back　to　the　senior　manders　themselves。　〃I　can　send　teams　from　the　Inspector　General's　service　out　to　these　regiments　day　after　tomorrow。　Our　training　memoranda　arrived　in　all　divisional　and　regimental　headquarters　this　morning。　The　news　of　these　four　traitors　will　encourage　our　unit　manders　to　implement　them　with　vigor。　Even　then；　it　will　be　two　weeks　before　we　have　a　clear　picture　of　what　we　need　to　focus　on；　but　once　we　can　identify　the　areas　that　need　buttressing；　we　should　have　ample　time　to　acplish　what　we　need　to　acplish。〃
〃What　will　CINC…West　be　doing〃〃
〃The　same；　one　hopes。〃　Alekseyev　shook　his　head。　〃Has　he　asked　for　any　of　our　units　yet？〃
〃No；　but　he　will。　We　will　not　be　ordered　to　launch　offensive　operations　against　NATO's　southern　flank…part　of　the　continuing　maskirovka。　You　may　assume　that　many　of　our　Category…B　units　will　be　detailed　to　Germany；　possibly　some　of　our　'A'　tank　forces　also。　However　many　divisions　that　fool　has；　he'll　want　more。〃
〃Just　so　we　have　enough　troops　to　seize　the　oil　fields　when　the　time　es；〃　Pasha　observed。　〃Which　plan　are　we　supposed　to　execute？〃
〃The　old　one。　We'll　have　to　update　it；　of　course。〃　The　old　plan　predated　Soviet　involvement　in　Afghanistan；　and　now　the　Red　Army　had　a　whole　new　perspective　on　sending　mechanized　forces　into　an　area　occupied　by　armed　Muslims。
Alekseyev's　hands　bunched　into　fists。　〃Marvelous。　We　must　formulate　a　plan　without　knowing　when　it　will　be　implemented　or　what　forces　we'll　have　available　to　execute　it。〃
〃Remember　what　you　told　me　about　the　life　of　a　staff　officer；　Pasha？〃　CINC…Southwest　chuckled。
The　younger　man　nodded　ruefully；　hoist　on　his　own　petard。　〃Indeed；　rade　General：　we　will　do　our　sleeping　after　the　war。〃

5　…　Sailors　and　Spooks

THE　CHESAPEAKE　BAY；　MARYLAND
His　eyes　squinted　painfully　at　the　horizon。　The　sun　was　only　half　a　diameter　above　the　green…brown　line　of　Maryland's　Eastern　Shore；　a　reminder；　if　he　needed　one；　that　he'd　worked　late　the　day　before；　gone　to　bed　later　still；　then　arisen　at　four…thirty　so　that　he　could　get　in　a　day's　fishing。　A　slowly　receding　sinus　like　headache　also　let　him　know　about　the　six…pack　of　beer　he'd　consumed　in　front　of　the　TV。
But　it　was　his　first　fishing　day　of　the　year；　and　the　casting　rod　felt　good　in　his　hand　as　he　gave　it　a　gentle　swing　toward　a　ripple　on　the　calm　surface　of　the　Chesapeake　Bay。　A　blue　or　a　rockfish？　Whatever　it　was；　it　didn't　nibble　at　his　Bucktail　lure。　But　there　was　no　hurry。
〃Coffee；　Bob？〃
〃Thanks；　Pop。〃　Robert　Toland　set　his　rod　in　its　holder　and　leaned　back　into　the　midships　swivel　chair　of　his　Boston　Whaler　Outrage。　His　father…in…law；　Edward　Keegan；　held　out　the　plastic　cup…cap　from　a　large　thermos　jug。　Bob　knew　the　coffee　would　be　good。　Ned　Keegan　was　a　former　naval　officer　who　appreciated　a　good　cup；　preferably　flavored　with　brandy　or　Irish　whiskey…something　to　open　the　eyes　and　put　a　fire　in　the　belly。
〃Cold　or　not；　damn　if　it　ain't　nice　to　get　out　here。〃　Keegan　sipped　at　his　cup；　resting　one　foot　on　the　bait　box。　It　wasn't　just　the　fishing；　both　men　agreed；　getting　out　on　the　water　was　one　sure　cure　for　civilization。
〃Be　nice　if　the　rock　really　are　ing　back；　too；〃　Toland　observed。
〃What　the　hell…no　phones。〃
〃What　about　your　beeper？〃
〃I　must　have　left　it　with　my　other　pants。〃　Keegan　chuckled。　〃DIA　will　have　to　manage　without　me　today。〃
〃Think　they　can？〃
〃Well；　the　Navy　did。〃　Keegan　was　an　academy　graduate　who　had　put　in　his　thirty　and　retired　to　bee　a　double…dipper。　In　uniform；　he'd　been　an　intelligence　specialist；　and　now　he　had　essentially　the　same　job；　which　added　civil　service　salary　to　his　pension。
Toland　had　been　a　lieutenant　（j。g。）　serving　aboard　a　destroyer　based　at　Pearl　Harbor　when　he'd　first