tc.redstormrising-第27部分

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till　hoping　that　they'd　awake　from　this　ghastly　nightmare　to　find　their　loved　ones　safe　in　their　own　beds。　And　knowing　that　this　would　not　be。
The　Chairman　of　the　Party　came　somberly　down　the　line；　embracing　each　of　the　bereaved；　a　black　mourning　band　on　his　sleeve　to　contrast　with　the　gaudy　Order　of　Lenin　emblem　on　his　lapel。　Toland　looked　closely　at　his　face。　There　was　real　emotion　there。　One　could　almost　imagine　that　he　was　burying　members　of　his　own　family。
One　of　the　mothers　accepted　the　embrace；　then　the　kiss；　and　nearly　collapsed；　falling　to　her　knees　and　burying　her　face　in　her　hands。　The　Chairman　dropped　down　to　her　side　even　before　her　husband　did；　and　pulled　her　head　into　his　shoulder。　A　moment　later　he　helped　her　back　to　her　feet；　moving　her　gently　toward　the　protective　arm　of　her　husband；　a　captain　in　the　Soviet　Army　whose　face　was　a　stone　mask　of　rage。
God　almighty；　Toland　thought。　They　couldn't　have　staged　that　any　better　with　Eisenstein　himself　directing。

MOSCOW；　R。S。F。S。R。
You　cold…hearted　bastard；　Sergetov　said　to　himself。　He　and　the　rest　of　the　Politburo　stood　in　another　line　to　the　left　of　the　caskets。　He　kept　his　face　pointed　forward；　toward　the　line　of　coffins；　but　he　averted　his　eyes；　only　to　see　four　television　cameras　recording　the　ceremony。　The　whole　world　was　watching　them；　the　TV　people　had　assured　them。　So　exquisitely　organized　it　was。　Here　was　the　penultimate　act　of　the　maskirovka　The　honor　guard　of　Red　Army　soldiers　mixed　with　boys　and　girls　of　the　Moscow　Young　Pioneers　to　watch　over　the　murdered　children。　The　lilting　violins。　Such　a　masquerade！　Sergetov　told　himself。　See　how　kind　we　are　to　the　families　of　those　we　have　murdered！　He　had　seen　many　lies　in　his　thirty…five　years　in　the　Party。　He　had　told　enough　of　them　himself　but　never　anything　that　came　close　to　this。　Just　as　well；　he　thought；　that　I've　had　nothing　to　eat　today。
His　eyes　came　back　reluctantly　to　the　waxen　face　of　a　child。　He　remembered　the　sleeping　faces　of　his　own　children；　now　grown。　So　often　after　arriving　home　late　from　Party　work；　he　had　stolen　a　look　into　their　bedroom　at　night　to　see　their　peaceful　faces；　always　lingering　to　be　sure　that　they　were　breathing　normally；　listening　for　the　sniffles　of　a　cold　or　the　murmurs　of　a　dream。　How　often　had　he　told　himself　that　he　and　the　Party　worked　for　their　future？　No　more　colds；　little　one；　he　said　with　his　eyes　to　the　nearest　child。　No　more　dreams。　See　what　the　Party　has　done　for　your　future。　His　own　eyes　filled　with　tears…and　he　hated　himself　for　it。　His　rades　would　think　it　part　of　the　performance。　He　wanted　to　look　around；　to　see　what　his　rades　of　the　Politburo　thought　of　their　handiwork。　He　wondered　what　the　KGB　team　that　had　done　the　deed　thought　of　their　mission　now。　If　they　were　still　alive；　he　reflected。　So　easy　to　put　them　on　an　airplane　and　crash　it　into　the　ground　so　that　not　even　executioners　would　know　of　them。　All　records　of　the　bomb　plot　were　already　destroyed；　he　was　sure；　and　of　the　thirty　men　who　knew　of　it；　more　than　half　were　right　there；　standing　in　line　with　him。　Sergetov　almost　wished　he　had　entered　the　building　five　minutes　sooner。　Better　to　be　dead　than　to　be　a　beneficiary　of　such　infamy…but　he　knew　better。　In　that　case　he　would　have　played　an　even　larger　role　in　this　brutal　farce。

NORFOLK；　VIRGINIA
〃rades。　We　see　before　us　the　innocent　children　of　our　nation；〃　the　Chairman　began；　speaking　with　slow；　quiet　diction　that　made　Toland's　translation　job　easier。　CINCLANT's　intelligence　chief　was　at　his　side。　〃Killed　by　the　infernal　engine　of　State　terrorism。　Killed　by　a　nation　that　has　twice　defiled　our　Motherland　with　unholy　dreams　of　conquest　and　murder。　We　see　before　us　the　dedicated；　humble　servants　of　our　Party　who　asked　nothing　more　than　to　serve　the　State。　We　see　martyrs　to　the　security　of　the　Soviet　Union。　We　see　martyrs　to　the　aggression　of　fascists。
〃rades；　to　the　families　of　these　innocent　children；　and　to　the　families　of　these　three　fine　men；　I　say　that　a　reckoning　will　e。　I　say　that　their　deaths　will　not　be　forgotten。　I　say　that　there　will　be　justice　for　this　vicious　crime　。　。　。〃
〃Jesus。〃　Toland　stopped　translating　and　looked　over　at　his　senior。
〃Yeah。　There's　going　to　be　a　war。　We　have　a　linguistic　team　across　the　street　doing　a　full　translation；　Bob。　Let's　go　see　the　boss。〃
〃You're　sure？〃　CINCLANT　asked。
〃It's　possible　they　will　settle　for　something　less；　sir；〃　Toland　replied。　〃But　I　don't　think　so。　Everything　about　this　exercise　has　been　run　in　such　a　way　as　to　inflame　the　Russian　population　to　a　degree　I've　never　seen　before。〃
〃Let's　put　this　all　the　way　on　the　table。　You're　saying　that　they　deliberately　murdered　these　people　to　foment　a　crisis。〃　CINCLANT　looked　down　at　his　desk。　〃It's　hard　to　believe；　even　for　them。〃
〃Admiral；　either　we　believe　that　or　we　believe　that　the　West　German　government　has　decided　to　precipitate　a　war　against　the　Soviet　Union　on　their　own　hook。　In　the　second　case　the　Germans　would　have　to　be　totally　out　of　their　fucking　minds；　sir；〃　Toland　blurted；　forgetting　that　only　admirals　swear　in　front　of　admirals。
〃But　why？〃
We　don't　know　the　why。　That's　a　problem　with　intelligence；　sir。　It's　a　lot　easier　to　tell　the　what　than　the　why。〃
CINCLANT　stood　and　walked　to　the　er　of　his　office。　There　was　going　to　be　a　war；　and　he　didn't　know　why。　He　wanted　the　why。　The　why　might　be　important。
〃We're　starting　to　call　up　reserves。　Toland；　you　have　done　one　hell　of　a　good　job　over　the　past　two　months。　I'm　going　to　request　that　you　get　bumped　up　a　grade　to　full　mander。　You're　outside　the　normal　zone；　but　I　think　I　just　might　be　able　to　handle　it。　There's　an　open　intel　billet　with　　Second　Fleet　staff。　He's　put　in　a　request　for　you　if　things　go　sour；　and　it　looks　like　they　are。　You　would　be　number　three　on　his　threat　team；　and　you'd　be　out　on　a　carrier。　I　want　you　out　there。〃
〃It　sure　would　be　nice　to　have　a　day　or　two　with　the　family；　sir。〃
The　Admiral　nodded。　〃We　owe　you　that　much。　NIMITZ　is　in　transit　anyway。　You　can　meet　her　off　the　Spanish　coast。　Report　back　here　Wednesday　morning　with　your　bags　packed。〃　CINCLANT　came　over　to　shake　his　hand。　〃Well　done；　mander。〃
Two　miles　away；　PHARRIS　was　tied　alongside　her　tender。　As　Ed　Morris　watched　from　the　bridge；　ASROC　rocket…boosted　torpedoes　were　being　lowered　onto　his　bow　by　crane；　then　fed　into　the　magazine。　Another　crane　was　lowering　supplies　onto　the　helicopter　hangar　aft；　and　a　third　of　his　crew　was　hard　at　work　moving　them　into　proper　storage　spaces　throughout　the　ship。　He'd　had　the　PHARRIS　for　nearly　two　years　now；　and　this　was　the　first　time　they'd　had　a　full　weapons　loadout。　The　eight…cell　〃pepperbox〃　ASROC　launcher　was　being　serviced　by　shoreside　technicians　to　correct　a　minor　mechanical　glitch。　Another　team　from　the　tender　was　going　over　a　radar　problem　with　his　own　crew。　This　was　the　end　of　his　own　checklist　of　problems　to　be　fixed。　The　ship's　engineering　plant　was　functioning　perfectly；　better　than　he　would　have　expected　for　a　ship　nearly　twenty　years　old。　In　another　few　hours；　USS　PHARRIS　would　be　pletely　ready　。　。　。　for　what？
〃Still　no　sailing　orders；　skipper？'　his　executive　officer　asked。
〃Nope。　I　imagine　everybody's　wondering　what　we'll　be　doing；　but　for　my　money　even　the　flags〃…Morris　always　referred　to　admirals　as　flags…〃don't　know　yet。　There's　a　meeting　of　COs　tomorrow　morning　at　CINCLANTFLT。　S'pose　I'll　find　out　something　then。　Maybe；〃　he　said　dubiously。
〃What　do　you　think　of　this　German　stuff？〃
〃The　Krauts　I've　worked　with　at　sea　have　been　all　right。　Trying　to　blast　the　whole　Russian　mand　structure…nobody's　that　crazy。〃　Morris　shrugged；　a　frown　spreading　across　his　dark　face。　〃XO；　there　ain't　no　rule　that　says　the　world　has　to　make　sense。〃
〃Damn　if　that　ain't　the　truth。　I　think　those　ASROCs　are　going　to　be　needed；　skipper。〃
〃I'm　afraid　you're　right。〃

CROFTON；　MARYLAND
〃To　sea？〃　Martha　Toland　asked。
〃That's　where　they　want　me；　and　it's　where　I　belong；　like　it　or　not。〃　Bob　had　trouble　meeting　his　wife's　eyes。　Listening　to　the　brittle　edge　on　her　voice　at　the　moment　was　bad　enough。　It　wasn't　his　job　to　bring　fear　into　her　life；　but　that　was　precisely　what　he'd　just　done。
〃Bob；　is　it　as　bad　as　I　think？〃
〃There's　no　telling；　babe。　It　might　be；　but　there's　no　telling。　Look；　Marty；　you　remember　Ed　Morris　and　Dan　McCafferty；　right？　They　both　have　their　own　mands　now；　and　they　have　to　go。　Am　I　supposed　to　stay　in　a　nice　safe　place　on　the　beach？〃
His　wife's　reply　was　devastating。
〃They're　professionals；　you're　not；〃　she　said　coldly。　〃You　play　weekend　warrior　and　serve　your　two　weeks　a　year　just　to　pretend　that　you're　still　in　the　Navy；　Bob。　You're　a　civilian　spook；　you　don't　belong　out　there。　You　can't　even　swim！''　Marty　Toland　could　give　lessons　to　sea　lions。
〃The　hell　I　can't！〃　Toland　protested；　knowing　that　it　was　an　absurd　thing　to　argue　about。
〃Right！　I　haven't　seen　you　in　a　pool　in　five　years。　Oh；　dammit；　Bob；　what　if　something　happens　to　you？　You　go　out　there　to　play　your　damned　games　and　leave　me　behind　with　the　kids。　What　do　I　tell　them？〃
〃You　tell　them　I　didn't　run　away；　I　didn't　hide；　I…〃　Toland　looked　away。　He　hadn't　expected　this。　Marty　came　from　a　Navy　family。　She　was　supposed　to　understand。　But　there　were　tears　on　her　cheeks　now；　and　her