tc.redstormrising-第161部分

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hat　would　be　the　result？　My　father　fears　that　the　Politburo　will　lean　towards　a　nuclear　resolution　of　the　conflict。〃　My　father　was　right；　Sergetov　thought；　for　all　his　anger　at　the　Party；　Alekseyev　has　served　the　State　too　long　and　too　well　to　allow　himself　to　think　realistically　of　treason。
〃The　Party　and　the　Revolution　have　been　betrayed；　rade　General。　If　we　do　not　save　them；　both　are　lost。　My　father　says　that　you　must　decide　whom　and　what　you　serve。〃
〃And　if　I　decide　wrongly？〃
〃Then　I　will　die；　and　my　father；　and　others。　And　you　will　not　have　saved　yourself。〃
He's　right。　He's　right　on　all　things。　The　Revolution　has　been　betrayed。　The　idea　of　the　Party　has　been　betrayed…but…
〃You　try　to　manipulate　me　like　a　child！　Your　father　told　you　that　I　would　not　cooperate　unless　you　convinced　me　of　the　idealistic〃…the　General　sputtered　for　a　moment；　seeking　the　right　word…〃rightness；　rightness　of　your　action。〃
〃My　father　told　me　that　you　have　been　conditioned；　just　as　the　science　of　munism　says　men　can　be　conditioned。　You　have　been　told　all　your　life　that　the　Army　serves　the　Party；　that　you　are　the　guardian　of　the　State。　He　told　me　to　remind　you　that　you　are　a　man　of　the　Party；　that　it　is　time　for　the　people　to　reclaim　the　Party　for　themselves。〃
〃Ali；　this　is　why　he　conspires　with　the　Director　of　the　KGB！〃
〃Perhaps　you　would　prefer　that　we　have　some　bearded　priests　from　the　Orthodox　Church；　or　some　dissident　Jews　from　the　Gulag　to　make　the　revolution　a　pure　one？　We　must　fight　with　what　we　have。〃　It　was　heady　wine　indeed　for　Sergetov　to　talk　this　way　to　a　man　with　whom　he　had　served　under　fire；　but　he　knew　that　his　father　was　right。　Twice　in　fifty　years；　the　Party　had　broken　the　Army　to　its　will。　For　all　their　pride　and　power；　the　generals　of　the　Soviet　Army　had　as　much　instinct　for　rebellion　as　a　lapdog。　But　once　the　decision　is　made；　his　father　had　told　him　。　。　。　〃The　Rodina　cries　out　for　rescue；　rade　General。〃
〃Don't　tell　me　about　the　Motherland！〃　The　Party　is　the　soul　of　the　people。　Alekseyev　remembered　the　slogan　for　a　thousand　repetitions。
〃Then　what　of　the　children　of　Pskov？〃
〃The　KGB　did　that！〃
〃Do　you　blame　the　sword　for　the　hand　that　wields　it？　If　so；　what　does　that　make　you？〃
Alekseyev　wavered。　〃It　is　not　an　easy　thing　to　overturn　the　State；　Ivan　Mikhailovich。〃
〃rade　General；　is　it　your　duty　to　carry　out　orders　that　will　only　bring　about　its　destruction？　We　do　not　seek　to　overturn　the　State；〃　Sergetov　said　gently。　〃We　seek　to　restore　the　State。〃
〃We　will　probably　fail。〃　Alekseyev　took　a　perverse　fort　in　the　statement。　He　sat　down　at　his　desk。　〃But　if　I　must　die；　better　that　it　should　be　as　a　man　than　a　dog。〃　The　General　took　out　a　pad　of　paper　and　a　pencil。　He　began　to　formulate　a　plan　to　ensure　that　they　would　not　fail；　and　that　he　would　not　die　until　he　had　acplished　at　least　one　thing。

HILL　914；　ICELAND
They　were　good　troops　up　there；　Colonel　Lowe　knew。　Nearly　all　of　the　division's　artillery　was　lashing　the　hill；　plus　continuous　air　attacks；　plus　the　battleships'　five…inch　guns。　He　watched　his　troops　advancing　up　the　steep　slopes　under　fire　from　the　remaining　Russians。　The　battlewagons　were　close　inshore；　delivering　VT　proximity　rounds　from　their　secondary　batteries。　The　shells　exploded　twenty　feet　or　so　from　the　ground　in　ugly　black　puffs　that　sprayed　the　hill　with　fragments；　while　the　Marines'　own　heavy　guns　plowed　up　the　hilltop。　Every　few　minutes　the　artillery　would　stop　for　a　moment　to　allow　the　aircraft　to　swoop　in　with　napalm　and　cluster　bombs…and　still　the　Russians　fought　back。
〃Now…move　the　choppers　now！〃　Lowe　ordered。
Ten　minutes　later；　he　heard　the　stuttering　sound　of　rotors　as　fifteen　helicopters　passed　his　mand　post　to　the　east；　curving　around　the　back　side　of　the　hill。　His　artillery　coordinator　called　to　halt　the　fire　briefly　as　the　two　panies　of　men　landed　on　the　hill's　southern　rim。　They　were　supported　by　SeaCobra　attack　choppers　and　advanced　at　a　run　toward　the　Russian　positions　on　the　northern　crests。
The　Russian　mander　was　wounded；　and　his　second　in　mand　was　slow　to　realize　that　he　had　enemy　troops　in　his　rear。　When　he　did；　a　hopeless　situation　became　one　of　despair。　The　word　got　out　slowly。　Many　of　the　Russian　radios　were　destroyed。　Some　of　the　troopers　never　got　the　word　and　had　to　be　killed　in　their　holes。　But　they　were　the　exceptions。　Most　heard　the　diminishing　fire　and　saw　the　raised　hands。　With　a　mixture　of　shame　and　relief；　they　disabled　their　weapons　and　waited　for　capture。　The　battle　for　the　hill　had　lasted　four　hours。
〃Hill　914　does　not　answer；　rade　General；〃　the　munications　officer　said。
〃It's　hopeless；〃　Andreyev　muttered　to　himself　His　artillery　was　destroyed；　his　SAMs　were　gone。　He'd　been　ordered　to　hold　the　island　for　only　a　few　weeks；　been　promised　seaborne　reinforcement；　been　told　that　the　war　in　Europe　would　last　two　weeks；　four　at　the　most。　He'd　held　longer　than　that。　One　of　his　regiments　had　been　destroyed　north　of　Reykjavik；　and　now　that　the　Americans　had　hill　914；　they　could　see　into　the　island's　capital。　Two　thousand　of　his　men　were　dead　or　missing；　another　thousand　wounded。　It　was　enough。
〃See　if　you　can　raise　the　American　mander　on　the　radio。　Say　that　I　request　a　cease…fire　and　desire　to　meet　with　him　at　a　place　of　his　choosing。〃

USS　NASSAU
〃So；　you're　Beagle？〃
〃Yes；　General。〃　Edwards　tried　to　sit　up　a　little　straighter　in　the　bed。　The　tubes　in　his　arm　and　the　cast　on　his　leg　didn't　help。　The　landing　ship's　hospital　was　full　of　wounded　men。
〃And　this　must　be　Miss　Vigdis。　They　told　me　you　were　pretty。　I　have　a　daughter　about　your　age。〃
The　Navy　corpsmen　had　gotten　her　clothes　that　nearly　fit。　A　doctor　had　examined　her　and　pronounced　her　pregnancy　normal　and　healthy。　She　was　rested　and　bathed；　to　Mike　and　everyone　else　who　had　seen　her　she　was　a　reminder　of　better　times　and　better　things。
〃Except　for　Michael；　I　would　be　dead。〃
〃So　I've　heard。　Is　there　anything　you　need；　miss？〃
She　looked　down　at　Edwards；　and　that　answered　the　question。
〃You've　done　pretty　well　for　a　weatherman；　Lieutenant。〃
〃Sir；　all　we　did　was　keep　out　of　the　way。〃
〃No。　You　told　us　what　Ivan　had　on　this　rock；　and　where　they　were…well；　at　least　where　they　weren't。　You　and　your　people　did　a　lot　more　than　just　keep　out　of　the　way；　son。〃　The　General　pulled　a　small　box　out　of　his　pocket。　〃Well　done；　Marine！〃
〃Sir；　I'm　Air　Force。〃
〃Oh；　yeah？　Well；　this　here　says　you're　a　Marine。〃　The　General　pinned　a　Navy　Cross　to　his　pillow。　A　major　approached　the　General　and　handed　him　a　message　form。　The　General　pocketed　it　and　looked　down　the　rows　of　hospital　beds。
〃About　time；〃　he　breathed。　〃Miss　Vigdis；　would　you　please　look　after　this　man　for　us？〃

SVERDLOVSK；　R。S。F。S。R。
Two　more　days　and　they'd　be　leaving　for　the　front。　The　77th　Motor…Rifle　Division　was　a　Category…C　unit；　and　like　all　such　units　was　posed　of　reservists　in　their　thirties　and　possessed　a　little　over　a　third　of　its　normal　outlay　of　equipment。　Since　mobilization　they　had　been　training　incessantly；　the　older　men　with　military　experience　passing　along　their　knowledge　to　the　newly　inducted　conscripts。　It　was　a　strange　match。　The　young　arrivals　were　physically　fit　but　ignorant　of　military　life。　The　older　men　remembered　much　of　their　own　military　service；　but　had　softened　with　age。　The　young　men　had　the　ardor　of　youth；　and　as　much　as　they　naturally　feared　exposure　to　danger　on　the　battlefield；　they　would　not　hesitate　to　defend　their　country。　The　older　men　with　families　had　much　more　to　lose。　Lectures　to　their　officers　from　a　veteran　bat　officer　had　fiItered　down　to　the　ranks。　Germany　would　not　be　pleasant。　A　sergeant　from　munications　receipted　the　message；　and　the　word　got　out　quickly：　experienced　bat　officers　and　NCOs　would　join　them　at　Moscow。　The　experienced　reservists　knew　that　they'd　need　such　men　to　teach　them　the　lessons　hard…won　at　the　front。
They　knew　something　else　it　meant：　the　77th　Motor…Rifle　Division　would　be　mitted　to　action　within　a　week。　It　was　quiet　that　night　in　the　encampment。　Men　stood　outside　the　unheated　barracks；　looking　at　the　pine　forests　on　the　eastern　slopes　of　the　Ural　Mountains。

MOSCOW；　R。S。F。S。R。
〃Why　are　we　not　attacking？〃　the　General　Secretary　demanded。
〃General　Alekseyev　has　informed　me　that　he　is　preparing　for　a　major　attack　now。　He　says　he　needs　time　to　organize　his　forces　for　a　weighted　blow；〃　Bukharin　answered。
〃You　tell　rade　General　Alekseyev；〃　the　Defense　Minister　said；　〃that　we　want　action；　not　words！〃
〃rades；〃　Sergetov　said；　〃I　seem　to　recall　from　my　own　military　service　that　one　should　not　attack　until　one　has　a　decisive　advantage　in　men　and　weapons。　If　we　order　Alekseyev　to　attack　before　he　is　ready；　we　condemn　our　army　to　failure。　We　must　give　him　time　to　do　his　job　properly。〃　
〃And　now　you　are　an　expert　on　defense　matters？〃　the　Defense　Minister　inquired。　〃A　pity　you　are　not　so　expert　in　your　own　field；　or　we　should　not　be　in　this　predicament！〃
〃rade　Minister；　I　told　you　that　your　projections　for　oil　use　at　the　front　were　overly　optimistic；　and　I　was　correct。　You　said　'Give　us　the　fuel；　and　we'll　see　it　is　properly　used；'　did　you　not？　You　said　a　two…week　campaign；　four　at　the　worst；　did　you　not？〃　Sergetov　looked　around　the　table。　〃Such　expertise　as　this　has　brought　us　to　disaster！〃
〃We