tc.redstormrising-第21节

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〃Except　at　the　top；　of　course。〃
〃mander…in…Chief　West　is　one　man　I　never　expected　to　defend；　but　everything　I've　been　told　leads　me　to　believe　he's　getting　his　forces　ready　in　the　same　way　as　we。〃
〃Things　must　indeed　be　improved　if　you　are　this　magnanimous。〃
〃They　are；　rade。　Another　tank　division　lost　to　Germany。　Well；　he　needs　it　more　than　we。　I　tell　you；　we　will　sweep　the　Arabs　aside　like　dirt　on　a　smooth　tile　floor。　In　truth　we　always　could。　There　are　not　so　many　of　them；　and　if　these　Arabs　are　like　the　Libyans　I　saw　three　years　ago…these　have　no　mountains　to　hide　in。　This　is　not　Afghanistan。　Our　mission　is　to　conquer；　not　to　pacify。　This　we　can　do。　I　estimate　two　weeks。　The　only　problem　I　foresee　is　the　destruction　of　the　oil　fields。　They　can　use　scorched　earth　as　a　defense　just　as　we　have；　and　that　will　be　difficult　for　us　to　prevent；　even　with　paratroops。　Still　and　all；　our　objective　is　achievable。　Our　men　will　be　ready。〃

9　…　A　Final　Look

NORFOLK；　VIRGINIA
〃There's　something　to　be　said　for　instant　traditions；　Chuck。〃　This　was　their　fourth　Russian　movie　via　satellite。　Toland　handed　over　the　bowl　of　popcorn。　〃It'll　be　a　pity　to　lose　you　back　to　the　Corps。〃
〃Bite　your　tongue！　Sixteen…hundred　hours　Tuesday；　Colonel　Charles　DeWinter　Lowe　goes　back　into　the　Marine　business。　I'll　leave　the　paper　shuffling　to　you　squids。〃
Toland　laughed。　〃And　you　won't　miss　the　evening　movie？〃
〃Maybe　a　little。〃　Half　a　mile　away　a　satellite　receiver　was　tracking　a　Soviet　munications　satellite。　They'd　been　pirating　signals　off　this　satellite　and　two　of　her　sisters　for　weeks　now；　to　keep　tabs　on　the　Soviet　TV　news；　and　also　to　catch　the　evening　movie。　Both　men　admired　the　work　of　Sergey　Eisenstein。
And　Alexander　Nevsky　was　his　masterwork。
Toland　popped　open　a　can　of　Coke。　〃I　wonder　how　Ivan　would　react　to　a　John　Ford　Western？　Somehow　I　get　the　feeling　that　rade　Eisenstein　might　have　been　exposed　to　one　or　two。〃
〃Yeah；　the　Duke　would　have　fit　in　pretty　good　here。　Or　better　yet；　Errol　Flynn。　You　heading　home　tonight？〃
〃Right　after　the　movie。　God；　a　four…day　weekend　off。　Can　I　stand　the　strain？〃
The　titles　showed　a　new　frame；　different　from　the　one　on　his　personal　tape　of　the　movie　back　home。　The　original　soundtrack　dialogue　had　been　retained　and　cleaned　up　somewhat；　but　the　music　had　been　redone　by　the　Moscow　State　Symphony　and　chorus。　They　did　true　justice　to　Prokofiev's　evocative　score。
The　film　began　with　a　view　of　the　Russian　。　。　。　steppes？　Toland　wondered。　Or　was　that　supposed　to　be　the　southern　part　of　the　country？　Anyway；　it　showed　rolling　grassland　littered　with　bones　and　weapons　from　an　old　battle　against　the　Mongols。　The　Yellow　Peril；　still　a　Russian　bugaboo。　The　Soviet　Union　had　absorbed　a　lot　of　Mongols…but　now　the　Chinese　had　nuclear　weapons　and　the　world's　largest　army。
〃The　print　is　terrific；〃　Lowe　observed。
〃Hell　of　a　lot　better　than　my　tape；〃　Toland　agreed。　A　pair　of　VHS　machines　was　recording　this；　though　the　Navy　wasn't　supplying　the　tapes。　Each　officer　had　bought　one　himself。　SACLANT's　Inspector　General　had　an　evil　reputation。
All　this　happened　pretty　close　to　the　Baltic　coast；　Toland　reminded　himself。　The　introduction　of　the　main　character　was　made　through　a　song　as　he　was　evidently　out　directing　some　men　with　a　fishing　net。　A　good　socialist　introduction；　the　officers　agreed：　the　hero　out　doing　manual　labor。　A　brief　verbal　confrontation　with　the　Mongols；　then　a　musing　about　which　danger　to　Russian　integrity　was　greater；　the　German　or　the　Mongol。
〃Jesus；　you　know　they　still　think　that　way？〃　Toland　chuckled。
〃The　more　things　change　。　。　。〃　Lowe　popped　open　his　own　Coke。
〃I　kinda　wonder　about　this　guy；　though。　When　he　went　back　into　the　water　after　the　net；　he　ran　like　a　girl；　what　with　his　arms　flying　all　over。〃
〃You　should　try　running　in　knee…deep　water；〃　the　Marine　growled。
And　the　scene　shifted　to　the　German　Danger。
〃A　bunch　of　out…of…work　knights；　just　like　the　crusades。　Hell；　just　like　Indian　movies　from　the　thirties。　Chopping　people　up；　throwing　babies　into　the　fire。〃
〃You　suppose　they　really　did　things　like　that？〃
〃Ever　hear　of　a　place　called　Auschwitz；　Bob？〃　Lowe　inquired。　〃You　know；　in　the　civilized　twentieth　century？〃
〃Those　guys　didn't　bring　a　bishop　with　them。〃
〃Try　reading　up　on　the　crusaders'　liberation　of　Jerusalem。　Either　they　killed；　or　raped　first　and　then　killed；　all　for　the　Greater　Glory　of　God；　with　bishops　and　cardinals　cheering　them　on。　Nice　bunch。　Yeah；　it's　probably　true　enough。　Christ　knows　the　Eastern　Front　in　'41…'45　saw　a　lot　of　it　on　both　sides。　Nasty　campaign；　that　was。　Want　some　more　popcorn？〃
Finally　the　people　mobilized　themselves；　especially　the　peasants：
Vstavaitye；　1yudi　russkiye；　na　slavny　boi；　na　smyertny　boi
〃Damn！〃　Toland　sat　forward。　〃They　really　punched　that　song　up。〃　The　soundtrack　was　almost　perfect；　even　accounting　for　the　satellite　transmission　difficulties。
Arise；　you　Russian　People；　in　a　just　battle；　in　a　fight　to　the　death：　arise；　you　people　free　and　brave；　defend　our　fair　native　land！
Toland　counted　more　than　twenty　specific　uses　of　the　word　〃Russia〃　or　〃Russian。〃
〃That's　odd；〃　he　observed。　〃They're　trying　to　get　away　from　that。　The　Soviet　Union　is　supposed　to　be　all　one　happy　family；　not　the　New　Russian　Empire。〃
〃I　guess　you'd　call　it　an　historical　quirk；〃　Lowe　mented。　〃Stalin　missioned　the　film　to　alert　his　people　to　the　Nazi　threat。　Ole　Joe　was　a　Georgian；　but　he　turned　out　to　be　one　hell　of　a　Russian　nationalist。　Strange；　but　he　was　one　strange　dude。〃
The　movie　was　clearly　a　production　of　the　1930s。　The　strident　characters　were　right　out　of　John　Ford　or　Raoul　Walsh：　a　stand…alone　heroic　figure　in　Prince　Alexander　Nevsky；　two　brave　but　buffoonish　sidekicks；　and　the　de　rigueur　love　interest。　The　German　enemies　were　arrogant　and　for　the　most　part　invisible　behind　unlikely　helmets　designed　by　Eisenstein　himself。　The　invading　Germans　had　already　divided　up　Russia　amongst　themselves；　one　knight　made　〃prince〃　of　Pskov；　where　in　a　horrible　example　of　pacification　the　invaders　had　slaughtered　men；　women；　and　children…the　children　were　thrown　into　a　bonfire…to　show　who　was　boss。　The　great　battle　scene　took　place　on　a　frozen　lake。
〃What　kinda　lunatic　is　going　to　fight　on　a　frozen　lake　when　he's　wearing　a　half　ton　of　sheet　steel？〃　Toland　groaned。　Lowe　explained　that　it　had　really　happened　that　way；　more　or　less。
〃I'm　sure　they　played　around　with　it　some；　like　They　Died　With　Their　Boots　On；　〃　the　colonel　observed。　〃But　the　battle　really　happened。〃
The　battle　was　a　truly　epic　scene。　The　German　knights　attacked　with　casual　disregard　for　proper　tactics；　and　the　Russian　peasants；　ably　led　by　Alexander　and　his　two　sidekicks；　encircled　them　with　a　Cannae…like　envelopment　maneuver。　Then；　of　course；　came　single　bat　between　Prince　Alexander　and　the　German　chieftain。　There　was　no　doubt　of　the　oute。　Their　mander　vanquished　in　single　bat；　the　German　ranks　came　apart；　and　when　they　tried　to　rally　on　the　edge　of　the　lake；　the　ice　gave　way；　drowning　nearly　everyone。
〃That's　realistic　enough；〃　Lowe　chuckled。　〃Think　how　many　armies　have　been　swallowed　up　by　the　Russian　countryside！〃
The　remainder　of　the　movie　resolved　the　love　interest　（each　buffoon　got　himself　a　pretty　girl）；　and　liberated　Pskov。　Curiously；　while　the　prince　hoisted　a　bunch　of　children　into　his　saddle　for　the　ride　in；　he　never　showed　the　slightest　interest　in　female　pany…and　ended　with　a　sermon；　Alexander　standing　alone　and　speaking　about　what　happens　to　people　who　invaded　Russia。
〃Trying　to　make　Nevsky　look　like　Stalin；　eh？〃
〃There　is　some　of　that；〃　Lowe　agreed。　〃The　strong　man；　all　alone；　a　fatherly　benefactor…some　benefactor！　Anyway　you　cut　it；　this　is　just　about　the　best　propaganda　movie　ever　made。　The　punch　line　is　that　when　Russia　and　Germany　signed　their　non…aggression　pact　a　year　later；　Eisenstein　was　detailed　to　direct　a　stage　production　of　Wagner's　The　Valkyries。　Call　it　penance　for　offending　the　German　sensibilities。〃
〃Oof。　You　study　these　guys　more　than　I　do；　Chuck。〃
Colonel　Lowe　pulled　a　cardboard　box　from　under　his　desk　and　began　to　load　up　his　personal　effects。　〃Yeah；　well　if　you　have　to　face　the　possibility　of　fighting　a　man；　you　might　as　well　learn　all　you　can　about　him。〃
〃You　think　we　will？〃
Lowe　frowned　briefly。　〃I　saw　enough　of　that　in　Nam；　but　that's　what　they　pay　us　for；　isn't　it？〃
Toland　stood　and　stretched。　He　had　a　four…hour　drive　ahead　of　him。　〃Colonel；　it　has　been　a　pleasure　for　this　squid　to　work　with　you。〃
〃It　hasn't　been　half　bad　for　this　jarhead。　Hey；　when　I　get　the　family　set　up　down　in　Lejeune；　why　don't　you　e　on　down　sometime？　There's　some　great　fishing　down　there。〃
〃Deal。〃　They　shook　hands。　〃Good　luck　with　your　regiment；　Chuck。〃
〃Good　luck　here；　Bob。〃
Toland　walked　out　to　his　car。　He'd　already　packed　up；　and　drove　quickly　out　Terminal　Boulevard　to　Interstate　64。　The　worst　part　of　the　drive　home　was　the　traffic　to　the　Hampton　Roads　tunnel；　after　which　things　settled　down　to　the　usual　superhighway　ratrace。　All　the　way　home；　Toland's　mind　kept　going　over　the　scenes　from　Eisenstein's　movie。　The　one　that　kept　ing　back　was　the　most　horrible　of　all；　a　German　knight　wearing　a　crusader's　cross　tearing　a　Pskov　infant　from　his　mother's　breast　and　throwing　him…her？…into　a　fir