tc.redstormrising-第20部分

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〃This　is　good。〃　The　captain　smiled　again。　〃It　is　time　we　had　real　peace。〃
The　correspondents　were　back　in　Moscow　four　hours　later；　after　the　usual　unfortable　ride　on　an　Aeroflot　jet　with　its　Torquemada　seats。　The　two　reporters　walked　to　Flynn's　car…Calloway's　was　still　hors　de　bat　with　mechanical　problems。　He　grumbled　at　having　gotten　a　Soviet　car　instead　of　bringing　his　Morris　over　with　him。　Bloody　impossible　to　get　parts。
〃A　good　story　today；　Patrick？〃
〃You　bet。　But　I　wish　we'd　been　able　to　snap　a　picture　or　two。〃　They　were　promised　Sovfoto　shots　of　the　〃cement　ceremony。〃
〃What　did　you　think　of　the　shipyard？〃
〃Big　enough。　I　spent　a　day　at　Norfolk　once。　They　all　look　alike　to　me。〃
Calloway　nodded　thoughtfully。　Shipyards　do　look　alike；　he　thought；　but　why　did　Polyarnyy　seem　strange？　His　suspicious　reporter's　mind？　The　constant　question：　What　is　he/she/it　hiding？　But　the　Soviets　had　never　allowed　him　on　a　naval　base；　and　this　was　his　third　tour　in　Moscow。　He'd　been　to　Murmansk　before。　Once　he'd　spoken　with　the　Mayor　and　asked　how　the　naval　personnel　affected　his　administration　of　the　city。　There　were　always　uniforms　visible　on　the　street。　The　Mayor　had　tried　to　evade　the　question；　and　finally　said；　〃There　are　no　Navy　in　Murmansk。〃　A　typical　Russian　answer　to　an　awkward　question…but　now　they'd　let　a　dozen　Western　reporters　into　one　of　their　most　sensitive　bases。　QED；　they　were　not　hiding　anything。　Or　were　they？　After　he　filed　his　story；　Calloway　decided；　he'd　have　a　brandy　with　his　friend　at　the　embassy。　Besides；　there　was　a　party　celebrating　something　or　other。
He　arrived　at　the　embassy；　on　Morisa　Toreza　Embankment　across　the　river　from　the　Kremlin　walls；　just　after　nine　o'clock　that　night。　It　turned　into　four　brandies。　By　the　fourth；　the　correspondent　was　going　over　a　map　of　the　naval　base　and　using　his　trained　memory　to　indicate　just　what　activity　he'd　seen　where。　An　hour　later；　the　data　was　encrypted　and　cabled　to　London。

8　…　Further　Observations

GRASSAU；　GERMAN　DEMOCRATIC　REPUBLIC
The　TV　news　crew　was　having　a　great　time。　It　had　been　years　since　they'd　been　allowed　to　film　a　Soviet　military　unit　in　action；　and　the　entertainment　value　of　the　mistakes　they　saw　gave　plenty　of　spice　for　a　piece　on　the　NBC　Nightly　News。　As　they　watched；　a　tank　battalion　was　stalled　at　a　crossroads　on　Highway　101；　fifty　kilometers　south　of　Berlin。　They'd　taken　a　wrong　turn　somewhere；　and　the　battalion　mander　was　screaming　at　his　subordinates。　After　two　minutes　of　that；　a　captain　stepped　forward　and　made　a　few　gestures　at　the　map。　A　major　was　banished　from　the　scene　as　the　younger　man　apparently　solved　the　problem。　The　camera　followed　the　dejected　major　into　a　staff　car；　which　drove　north　along　the　main　road。　Five　minutes　later；　the　battalion　was　mounted　and　rolling。　The　news　crew　took　its　time　reloading　its　equipment　into　their　carryall；　and　the　chief　reporter　took　the　time　to　walk　over　to　a　French　officer　who　had　also　observed　the　procedure。
The　Frenchman　was　a　member　of　the　Joint　Military　Liaison　Group；　a　convenient　leftover　of　the　Second　World　War　which　enabled　both　sides　to　spy　on　each　other。　A　lean；　poker…faced　man；　he　wore　paratrooper's　wings　and　smoked　Gauloises。　He　was　an　intelligence　officer；　of　course。
〃What　do　you　make　of　this；　Major？〃　the　NBC　reporter　asked。
〃They　made　a　mistake　four　kilometers　back。　They　should　have　turned　left；　but　didn't。〃　A　Gallic　shrug。
〃Not　very　impressive　performance　for　the　Russians；　is　it？〃　The　reporter　laughed。　The　Frenchman　was　more　thoughtful。
〃Did　you　notice　that　they　had　a　German　officer　with　them？〃
The　reporter　had　noticed　the　different　uniform；　but　not　realized　its　significance。　〃Oh；　is　that　what　he　was？　Why　didn't　they　ask　him　for　help？〃
〃Yes；〃　the　French　major　answered。　He　didn't　say　that　this　was　the　fourth　time　he　had　seen　a　Soviet　officer　refrain　from　asking　assistance　from　his　East　German　guide　。　。　。　and　all　in　the　last　two　days。　To　have　Soviet　units　get　lost　was　an　old　story。　The　Russians　used　a　different　alphabet　in　addition　to　the　different　language。　That　made　it　easy　to　make　navigational　errors；　and　the　Soviets　always　had　DDR　officers　along　to　help　them　find　their　way　around。　Until　now。　He　flicked　his　cigarette　onto　the　road。　〃What　else　did　you　notice；　Monsieur？〃
〃The　colonel　was　pretty　mad　at　that　major。　Then　a　captain…I　think　showed　him　the　mistake；　I　guess；　and　how　to　correct　it。〃
〃How　long？〃
〃Less　than　five　minutes　after　they　stopped。〃
〃Very　good。〃　The　Frenchman　smiled。　The　major　was　beading　back　to　Berlin；　and　that　battalion　had　a　new　operations　officer　now。　The　smile　disappeared。
〃Looks　pretty　dumb　to　get　lost　like　that；　doesn't　it？〃
The　Frenchman　got　back　into　his　car　to　follow　the　Russians。　〃Have　you　ever　gotten　lost　in　a　foreign　country；　Monsieur？〃
〃Yes；　who　hasn't？〃
〃But　they　found　their　mistake　quickly；　no？〃　The　major　waved　to　his　driver　to　pull　off。　And　all　by　themselves　this　time；　he　thought。　Interessant　。　。　。
The　TV　reporter　shrugged　and　walked　back　to　his　own　vehicle。　He　followed　the　last　tank　in　line；　annoyed　that　they　were　moving　at　only　thirty　kilometers　per　hour。　The　tanks　moved　northwest　at　that　speed　until　they　reached　Highway　187；　where　miraculously　they　joined　up　with　another　Soviet　unit　and；　dropping　back　to　their　normal　speed　of　twenty　kilometers　per　hour；　resumed　their　progress　west　toward　the　exercise　area。

NORFOLK；　VIRGINIA
It　was　impressive。　As　they　watched　the　Moscow　television　news　program；　a　whole　regiment　of　tanks　advanced　across　a　flat　landscape。　Their　objective　turned　to　a　horizontal　fountain　of　dirt　as　an　artillery　barrage　pounded　the　simulated　enemy　positions。　Fighter…bombers　streaked　across　the　sky　and　helicopters　performed　their　own　death…dance。　The　voice…over　mentary　proclaimed　the　readiness　of　the　Soviet　Army　to　meet　any　foreign　threat。　It　certainly　looked　that　way。
The　next　five…minute　segment　concerned　the　Vienna　arms　talks。　There　was　the　usual　plaint　about　how　the　United　States　was　fighting　over　certain　aspects　of　the　clearly　generous　original　Soviet　proposal；　but　the　speaker　went　on　to　say　that　real　progress　was　being　made　despite　American　intransigence；　and　that　a　prehensive　agreement　was　possible　by　the　end　of　summer。　Toland　was　puzzled　by　the　nature　of　the　Soviet　description　of　the　negotiations。　He'd　never　paid　much　attention　to　this　sort　of　rhetoric　before；　and　found　the　good…guy/bad…guy　descriptions　curious。
〃Pretty　normal　stuff；〃　Lowe　responded　to　the　question。　〃You'll　know　the　deal　is　close　to　being　struck　when　the　beefs　start　disappearing。　Then　they　talk　about　how　enlightened　our　President　is　for　a　class　enemy。　They　can　get　real　euphoric　around　signing　time。　Really；　this　stuff　is　pretty　mild。　Think　about　it。　What　sort　of　language　do　they　usually　use　about　us？〃
〃The　exercise　look　normal？〃
〃It's　normal；　all　right。　Ever　think　about　how　much　fun　it　is　to　face　a　hundred　tanks？　You　did　notice　that　they　all　carry　five…inch　guns？　Then　think　about　the　artillery　support　they　get。　Then　think　about　the　aircraft。　The　Russians　are　real　believers　in　this　bined…arms　stuff。　When　they　e　at　you；　they　e　with　the　whole　inventory。　They　have　this　set　piece　stuff　down　cold。〃
〃How　do　we　counter　it？〃
〃You　take　the　initiative。　You　let　the　other　guy　get　all　set　to　fight　his　battle　his　way；　son；　you　might　as　well　bag　it。〃
〃Same　story　at　sea。〃
〃Yeah。〃

KIEV；　THE　UKRAINE
Alekseyev　atypically　poured　himself　a　cup　of　tea　at　the　er　table　before　approaching　his　mander's　desk。　When　he　walked　over；　his　grin　was　a　meter　wide。
〃rade　General；　Progress　goes　well！〃
〃So　I　can　see；　Pavel　Leonidovich。〃
〃I　would　never　have　believed　it。　The　improvement　in　our　officer　corps　is　extraordinary。　The　deadwood　is　being　disposed　of；　and　those　men　whom　we've　moved　up　to　new　posts　are　eager　and　capable。〃
〃So；　shooting　those　four　colonels　has　worked？〃　CINC…Southwest　noted　sardonically。　He'd　run　the　first　two　days　of　the　exercise　from　his　mand　headquarters　and　yearned　to　get　into　the　field　where　the　real　action　was。　But　that　was　not　a　theater　mander's　job。　Alekseyev　was　his　best　set　of　eyes　for　what　was　really　happening。
〃A　hard　choice；　but　a　good　one。　The　results　speak　for　themselves。〃　The　edge　came　off　the　younger　man's　enthusiasm。　His　conscience　still　remembered　that。　The　problem　with　hard　decisions；　he　learned；　was　not　making　them；　but　learning　to　live　with　the　consequences；　however　necessary。　He　set　the　thought　aside　yet　again。　〃With　two　more　weeks　of　intensive　exercises；　the　Red　Army　will　be　ready。　We　can　do　it。　We　can　defeat　NATO。〃
〃We　don't　have　to　fight　NATO；　Pasha。〃
〃Then　Allah　help　the　Arabs！〃　Alekseyev　said。
〃Allah　help　us。　West　gets　another　of　our　tank　divisions。〃　The　General　held　up　a　dispatch。　〃The　one　you　were　with　today；　in　fact。　I　wonder　how　he　has　been　doing？〃
〃My　spies　tell　me；　quite　well。〃
〃And　you　have　joined　the　KGB；　Pasha？〃
〃A　classmate　of　mine　is　on　CINC…West　staff。　They；　too；　have　adopted　a　policy　for　eliminating　inpetents。　I　have　seen　the　benefits。　A　new　man　in　a　posting　has　much　better　incentive　to　do　his　job　properly　than　one　for　whom　it　has　bee　routine。〃
〃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