tc.redstormrising-第138章

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〃I　have　told　you　that　I　had　no　part　in　this。　I　follow　orders…but　did　you　expect　the　Politburo　to　sit　still　while　our　national　economy　ground　to　a　halt？　What　political　pressure　would　you　have　put　on　us；　eh？　If　you　knew　about　our　oil　shortage…〃
〃We　didn't　until　a　few　days　ago。〃
The　maskirovka　worked？
〃Why　didn't　you　tell　us　you　needed　oil？〃　Robinson　asked。
〃And　you　would　have　given　it　to　us？　Robinson；　I　do　not　have　your　degree　in　international　relations；　but　I　am　not　so　much　of　a　fool　as　that。〃
〃We　would　have　demanded　and　gotten　concessions　of　some　kind…but　don't　you　think　we　would　have　tried　to　prevent　all　this？〃
Alekseyev　tore　a　leaf　off　a　tree。　He　stared　at　it　for　a　moment。　The　marvelous　networking　of　veins；　everything　interconnected　with　everything　else。　You　have　just　killed　another　living　thing；　Pasha。
〃I　suppose　the　Politburo　never　thought　about　that。〃
〃They　launched　a　war　of　aggression；〃　Robinson　repeated。　〃How　many　are　dead　because　of　them？〃
〃The　men　who　made　that　decision　are　under　arrest。　They　will　be　tried　in　a　People's　Court　for　crimes　against　the　State。　rade　Sergetov　spoke　against　the　war；　and　has　risked　his　life；　as　have　I；　to　bring　it　to　a　just　end。〃
〃We　want　them。　We　will　reconvene　the　Nurnberg　Tribunal　and　try　them　for　crimes　against　humanity。〃
〃You　may　have　them　only　after　we　are　finished　with　them…it　will　be　a　dull　trial；　General　Robinson；〃　Alekseyev　added。　Both　men　were　now　talking　like　soldiers；　not　diplomats。　〃You　think　your　countries　have　suffered？　Someday　I　will　tell　about　the　suffering　we　have　endured　from　these　corrupt　men！〃
〃And　your　junta　will　change　that？〃
〃How　should　I　know？　But　we　will　try。　In　any　case；　that　is　not　your　concern！〃
The　hell　it　isn't　〃You　talk　with　great　confidence　for　the　representative　of　a　new　and　very　shaky　government。〃
〃And　you；　rade　General；　talk　very　confidently　for　a　man　who　less　than　two　weeks　ago　was　on　the　brink　of　defeat！　Remember　what　you　said　of　luck？　Push　us　hard　if　you　wish。　The　Soviet　Union　can　no　longer　win；　but　both　sides　can　still　lose。　You　know　how　close　it　was。　We　nearly　defeated　you。　If　those　damned　invisible　bombers　of　yours　hadn't　hit　our　bridges　on　the　first　day；　or　if　we　had　managed　to　smash　three　or　four　more　of　your　convoys；　you　would　be　offering　me　terms。〃
Make　that　one　or　two　more　convoys；　Robinson　reminded　himself。　It　was　that　close。
〃I　offer　you　a　cease…fire　in　place；〃　Alekseyev　repeated。　〃It　could　begin　as　early　as　midnight。　After　that；　in　two　weeks；　we　return　to　our　pre…war　lines；　and　the　killing　will　stop。〃
〃Exchange　of　prisoners？〃
〃We　can　work　that　out　later。　For　the　moment；　I　think　Berlin　is　the　obvious　place。〃　Berlin；　as　expected；　had　remained　largely　untouched　by　the　war。
〃What　about　the　German　civilians　behind　your　lines？〃
Alekseyev　thought　that　one　over。　〃They　may　leave　freely　after　the　cease…fire…better　than　that；　I　will　allow　supplies　of　food　to　pass　through　our　lines　to　them；　under　our　supervision。〃
〃And　mistreatment　of　German　civilians？〃
〃That　is　my　affair。　Anyone　who　has　violated　field　service　regulations　will　be　court…martialed。〃
〃How　do　I　know　that　you　will　not　use　your　two　weeks　to　prepare　a　new　offensive？〃
〃How　do　I　know　that　you　will　not　launch　the　counterattack　you　have　scheduled　for　tomorrow？〃　Alekseyev　countered。
〃Actually　a　few　hours　from　now。〃　Robinson　wanted　to　accept。　〃Will　your　political　leaders　abide　by　your　terms？〃
〃Yes。　Will　yours？〃
〃I　must　present　it　to　them；　but　I　do　have　the　authority　to　honor　a　cease…fire。〃
〃Then　the　decision　is　yours；　General　Robinson。〃
The　Generals'　aides　were　standing　uneasily　together　at　the　edge　of　the　trees。　Also　watching　was　the　platoon　of　Soviet　infantrymen　and　the　crew　of　the　helicopter。　General　Robinson　extended　his　hand。
〃Thank　God；〃　said　the　Soviet　aide。
〃Da；〃　agreed　his　American　counterpart。
Alekseyev　pulled　a　half…liter　bottle　of　vodka　from　his　back　pocket。　〃I　have　not　had　a　drink　in　several　months；　but　we　Russians　cannot　have　an　agreement　without　one。〃
Robinson　took　a　swig　and　handed　it　back。　Alekseyev　did　the　same；　and　threw　the　bottle　against　a　tree。　It　didn't　break。　Both　men　laughed　out　loud　as　the　relief　of　what　they　had　just　agreed　to　swept　over　each　like　a　wave。　
〃You　know；　Alekseyev；　if　we　were　diplomats　instead　of　soldiers…〃
〃Yes；　that　is　why　I　am　here。　It　is　easier　for　men　who　understand　war　to　stop　one。〃
〃You　have　that　right。〃
〃Tell　me；　Robinson。〃　Alekseyev　paused；　remembering　SACEUR's　first　name；　Eugene；　father's　name　Stephen。　〃Tell　me；　Yevgeni　Stepanovich；　when　we　made　the　breakthrough　at　Alfeld；　how　close…〃
〃Very　close。　Close　enough　that　even　I　don't　know　for　sure。　We　were　down　to　five　days'　of　supplies　at　one　point；　but　a　couple　of　convoys　got　through　nearly　intact；　and　that　kept　us　going。〃　Robinson　stopped　walking。　〃What　will　you　do　with　your　country？〃
〃I　cannot　say；　I　do　not　know；　rade　Sergetov　does　not　know。　But　the　Party　must　answer　to　the　people。　The　leaders　must　be　responsible　to　someone；　we　have　learned　that。〃
〃I　must　go。　Pavel　Leonidovich；　I　wish　you　luck。　Perhaps　later　。　。　。　〃
〃Yes；　perhaps　later。〃　They　shook　hands　again。
Alekseyev　watched　SACEUR　summon　his　aide；　who　shook　hands　with　his　Russian　counterpart。　Together　they　boarded　the　helicopter。　The　turbine　engines　whined　into　life；　the　four…bladed　main　rotor　turned；　and　it　lifted　off　from　the　grass。　The　Blackhawk　circled　the　field　once　to　give　the　escorting　choppers　a　chance　to　form　up；　then　headed　west。
You　will　never　know；　Robinson。　Alekseyev　smiled　to　himself；　standing　alone　in　the　field。　You　will　never　know　that　when　Kosov　died　we　were　unable　to　find　his　personal　codes　for　control　of　our　nuclear　weapons。　It　would　have　been　at　least　another　day　until　we　could　have　made　use　of　them。　The　General　and　his　aide　walked　to　their　mand　vehicle；　where　Alekseyev　made　a　terse　radio　broadcast　that　would　be　relayed　to　Moscow。

SACK；　FEDERAL　REPUBLIC　OF　GERMANY
Colonel　Ellington　helped　Eisly　through　the　trees。　Both　men　had　been　through　escape　and　evasion　training；　a　course　so　tough　that　Ellington　once　swore　that　if　he　had　to　go　through　it　again；　he'd　turn　in　his　wings。　Which　was　why　he　remembered　the　lessons；　he　knew。　Fourteen　hours　they'd　waited　to　cross　just　one　damned　road。　He　figured　fifteen　miles　from　where　they'd　crashed　to　friendly　lines。　A　walk　in　the　country　that　had　turned　into　a　week　of　hiding；　drinking　water　from　streams　like　animals　and　moving　from　tree　to　tree。
Now　they　were　on　the　edge　of　some　open　ground。　It　was　dark　and　surprisingly　quiet。　Had　the　Russians　pulled　back　here？
〃Let's　give　it　a　try；　Duke；〃　Eisly　said。　His　back　had　gotten　worse；　and　he　could　walk　only　with　assistance。
〃Okay。〃　They　moved　forward　as　quickly　as　they　could。　They'd　gotten　a　hundred　yards　when　shadows　moved　around　them。
〃Shit！〃　Eisly　whispered。　〃Sorry；　Duke。〃
〃Me；　too；〃　the　colonel　agreed。　He　didn't　even　think　about　reaching　for　his　revolver。　He　counted　at　least　eight　men；　and　they　all　seemed　to　be　carrying　rifles。　They　converged　quickly　on　the　two　Americans。
〃Wer　sind　Sie？〃　a　voice　asked。
〃Ich　bin　Amerikaner；〃　Ellington　answered。　Thank　God…they're　Germans。　They　weren't。　The　shape　of　the　helmets　told　him　that　a　moment　later。
Shit！　We've　e　so　close！
The　Russian　lieutenant　examined　his　face　with　a　flashlight。　Strangely；　he　didn't　take　Ellington's　revolver。　Then　something　even　stranger　happened。　The　lieutenant　flung　his　arms　around　both　men　and　kissed　them。　He　pointed　west。
〃That　way；　two　kilometer。〃
〃Don't　argue　with　the　man；　Duke；〃　Eisly　whispered。　As　they　walked　off；　the　Russian　eyes　were　a　physical　weight　on　their　backs。　The　two　flyers　reached　friendly　lines　an　hour　later；　where　they　learned　of　the　cease…fire。

USS　INDEPENDENCE
The　battle　group　was　heading　southwest。　In　another　day　they　would　have　been　in　position　to　hit　the　Russian　bases　around　Murmansk；　and　Toland　was　going　over　estimates　of　Russian　fighter　and　SAM　strengths　when　the　recall　order　came。　He　closed　the　folder　and　tucked　it　back　in　the　security　cabinet；　then　went　below　to　tell　Major　Chapayev　that　they　would　indeed　live　to　see　their　families　again。

NORTH　ATLANTIC
The　C…9　Nightingale　hospital　plane　cruised　southwest　also；　heading　for　Andrews　Air　Force　Base　outside　Washington；　D。C。　It　was　filled　with　Marine　casualties　from　the　last　fighting　on　Iceland；　one　Air　Force　lieutenant；　and　a　civilian。　The　plane's　crew　had　objected　to　the　civilian　until　a　two…star　general　of　Marines　explained　to　them　over　the　radio　that　the　Corps　would　take　it　as　a　personal　matter　if　anyone　took　the　lady　away　from　the　lieutenant's　side。　Mike　was　awake　most　of　the　time　now。　His　leg　needed　further　surgery…the　Achilles　tendon　was　torn…but　none　of　that　mattered。　In　another　four　and　a　half　months　he'd　be　a　father。　After　that　they　could　plan　a　child　of　his；　too。

NORFOLK；　VIRGINIA
O'Malley　had　already　flown　to　the　beach；　taking　the　reporter　with　him。　Morris　hoped　the　Reuters　correspondent　would　be　able　to　file　his　last　story　on　the　war　before　he　moved　on　to　something　else…an　after…the…war　story；　no　doubt。　Reuben　James　had　escorted　the　damaged　America　to　Norfolk　for　repairs。　He　looked　down　from　the　bridge　wing　at　the　harbor　he　knew　so　well；　mindful　of　the　tide　and　the　wind　as　he　docked　his　frigate。　One　part　of　his　mind　pondered　by　itself　What　It　All　Meant。
A　ship　lost；　friends　gone；　the　deaths　he　had　caused；　and　those　he　had　seen　himself　。　。　。
〃Rudder　amidships；〃　Morris　ordered。　A　puff　of　southerly　wind　helped　Reuben　James　up　to　the　pier。
Aft；　a　seaman　tossed　a　messenger　line　to　the　men　on　the　pier。　The　officer　in　charge　of　the　special　sea…detail　waved　to　a　petty　officer；　who　keyed　the　announcing　system。
What　It　All　Means；　Morris　decided；　is　that　it's　over。
A　crackle　of　static　emerged；　and　then　the　petty　officer's　voice。
〃Mooring。〃



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