tc.redrabbit-第58章

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　　　〃I　know　about　the　Gulag；　okay？　But　that's　a　thing　of　the　past。　The　Russians　have　mellowed　since　Stalin　died；　but　the　new　administration　hasn't　figured　that　one　out　yet；　have　they？〃
　　　〃Look；　Tony；　I'm　just　a　worker　bee　here。　The　Ambassador　asked　me　to　forward　a　simple　request。　I　take　it　your　response　is　'no'？〃
　　　〃You　take　it　correctly。〃
　　　〃Well；　don't　expect　any　Christmas　cards　from　Ernie　Fuller。〃
　　　〃Ed；　my　duty　is　to　The　New　York　Times　and　my　readers；　period。〃
　　　〃Okay；　fine。　I　had　to　ask；〃　Foley　said　defensively。　He　hadn't　expected　anything　better　from　the　guy；　but　he'd　suggested　this　to　Ambassador　Fuller　himself　to　feel　Prince　out；　and　the　Ambassador　had　approved　it。
　　　〃I　understand。〃　Prince　checked　his　watch。　〃Hey；　I　have　a　meeting　scheduled　at　the　CPSU　Central　mittee　building。〃
　　　〃Anything　I　ought　to　know　about？〃
　　　〃Like　I　said；　you　can　read　it　in　the　Times。　They　fax　you　the　Early　Bird　out　of　Washington；　don't　they？〃
　　　〃Yeah；　it　eventually　trickles　down　here。〃
　　　〃Then；　day　after　tomorrow；　you　can　read　it；〃　Prince　advised；　standing　to　take　his　leave。　〃Tell　Ernie。〃
　　　〃I'll　do　that；〃　Foley　said；　extending　his　hand。　Then　he　decided　he'd　walk　Prince　to　the　elevator。　On　the　way　back；　he'd　hit　the　men's　room　to　wash　his　hands。　His　next　stop　after　that　was　the　Ambassador's　office。
　　　〃Hi；　Ed。　Meet　with　that　Prince　guy？〃
　　　Foley　nodded　his　head。　〃Just　cut　him　loose。〃
　　　〃Did　he　nibble　at　your　hook？〃
　　　〃Nope。　Just　spat　it　right　back　at　me。〃
　　　Fuller　smiled　crookedly。　〃What　did　I　tell　you？　There　used　to　be　some　patriotic　reporters　back　when　I　was　your　age；　but　they've　mostly　grown　out　of　it　over　the　last　few　years。〃
　　　〃I'm　not　surprised。　When　Tony　was　a　new　kid　in　New　York；　he　never　liked　the　cops　very　much；　but　he　was　good　at　getting　them　to　talk　to　him。　Persuasive　bastard；　when　he　wants　to　be。〃
　　　〃Did　he　work　on　you？〃
　　　〃No；　sir。　I'm　not　important　enough　for　that。〃
　　　〃What　did　you　think　of　the　Washington　request　about　the　Pope？〃　Fuller　asked；　changing　the　subject。
　　　〃I'm　going　to　have　some　people　look　into　it；　but…〃
　　　〃I　know；　Ed。　I　don't　want　to　know　exactly　what　you're　doing　about　it。　If　you　find　anything；　will　you　be　able　to　tell　me　about　it？〃
　　　〃Depends；　sir；〃　Foley　answered；　meaning　probably　not。
　　　Fuller　accepted　that。　〃Okay。　Anything　else　shaking？〃
　　　〃Prince　is　on　to　something；　ought　to　be　in　the　papers　day　after　tomorrow。　He's　on　his　way　to　the　Central　mittee；　or　so　he　told　me。　He　confirmed　that　Alexandrov　will　replace　Mikhail　Suslov　when　Red　Mike　checks　out。　If　they're　telling　him；　it　must　be　official。　I　think　we　can　believe　that　one。　Tony　has　good　contacts　with　their　political　types；　and　it　tracks　with　what　our　other　friends　tell　us　about　Suslov。〃
　　　〃I've　never　met　the　guy。　What　gives　with　him？〃
　　　〃He's　one　of　the　last　true　believers。　Alexandrov　is　another　one。　He　thinks　Marx　is　the　One　True　God；　and　Lenin　is　his　prophet；　and　their　political　and　economic　system　really　does　work。〃
　　　〃Really？　Some　people　never　learn。〃
　　　〃Yep。　You　can　take　that　to　the　bank；　sir。　There　are　a　few　left；　but　Leonid　Ilyich　isn't　one　of　them；　and　neither　is　his　heir　apparent；　Yuriy　Vladimirovich。　But　Alexandrov　is　Andropov's　ally。　There's　a　Politburo　meeting　later　today。〃
　　　〃When　will　we　know　what　they　discussed？〃
　　　〃Couple　of　days；　probably。〃　But　exactly　how　we　find　out；　you　do　not　need　to　know；　sir；　Foley　didn't　add。
　　　He　didn't　have　to。　Ernie　Fuller　knew　the　rules　of　the　game。　The　U。S。　Ambassador　to　every　country　was　thoroughly　briefed　on　the　embassy　he　was　taking　over。　To　get　into　Moscow　involved　voluntary　brainwashing　at　Foggy　Bottom　and　Langley。　In　reality；　the　American　ambassador　to　Moscow　was　his　country's　chief　intelligence　officer　in　the　Soviet　Union；　and　Uncle　Ernie　was　a　pretty　good　one；　Foley　thought。
　　　〃Okay；　keep　me　posted　if　you　can。〃
　　　〃Will　do；　sir；〃　the　Chief　of　Station　promised。
　　　
　　　CHAPTER　13　…　COLLEGIALITY
　　　Andropov　arrived　in　the　kremlin　at　12：45　for　the　1：00　P。M。　meeting。　His　driver　pulled　the　handmade　ZIL　through　the　Spasskiy　Gate's　towering　brick　structure；　past　the　security　checkpoints；　past　the　saluting　soldiers　of　the　ceremonial　Tamanskiy　Guards　Division　stationed　outside　Moscow　and　used　mainly　for　parades　and　pretty…soldier　duties。　The　soldier　saluted　smartly；　but　the　gesture　went　unnoticed　by　the　people　inside　the　car。　From　there　it　was　a　hundred　fifty　meters　to　the　destination；　where　another　soldier　wrenched　open　the　door。　Andropov　noted　this　salute　and　nodded　absently　to　let　the　senior　sergeant　know　that　he　was　seen；　then　made　his　way　inside　the　yellow…cream…colored　building。　Instead　of　taking　the　stone　steps；　Andropov　turned　right　to　go　to　the　elevator　for　the　ride　to　the　second　floor；　followed　by　his　aide；　Colonel　Rozhdestvenskiy；　for　whom　this　was　the　most　interesting　and　about　to　be　the　most　intimidating　part　of　his　official　duties　since　joining　KGB。
　　　There　was　yet　more　security　on　the　upper　floors：　uniformed　Red　Army　officers　with　holstered　side　arms；　in　case　of　trouble。　But　there　would　be　no　trouble　in　his　ascension　to　the　General　Secretaryship；　Andropov　thought。　This　would　be　no　palace　coup。　He'd　be　elected　by　his　political　peers　in　the　usual　way　that　the　Soviet　Union　handled　the　transition　of　power…awkwardly　and　badly；　but　predictably。　The　one　with　the　most　political　capital　would　chair　this　counsel　of　peers；　because　they　would　trust　him　not　to　rule　by　force　of　will；　but　by　collegial　consensus。　None　of　them　wanted　another　Stalin；　or　even　another　Khrushchev；　who　might　lead　them　on　adventures。　These　men　did　not　enjoy　adventures。　They'd　all　learned　from　history　that　gambling　carried　with　it　the　possibility　of　losing；　and　none　of　them　had　e　this　far　to　risk　losing　anything　at　all。　They　were　the　chieftains　in　a　nation　of　chess　players；　for　whom　victory　was　something　determined　by　skillful　maneuvers　taken　patiently　and　progressively　over　a　period　of　hours；　whose　conclusion　would　seem　as　foreordained　as　the　setting　of　the　sun。
　　　That　was　one　of　the　problems　today；　Andropov　thought；　taking　his　seat　next　to　Defense　Minister　Ustinov。　Both　sat　near　the　head　of　the　table；　in　the　seats　reserved　for　members　of　the　Defense　Counsel　or　Soviet　Orborony；　the　five　most　senior　officials　in　the　entire　Soviet　government；　including　the　Secretary　for　Ideology…Suslov。　Ustinov　looked　up　from　his　briefing　papers。
　　　〃Yuriy；〃　the　minister　said　in　greeting。
　　　〃Good　day；　Dmitriy。〃　Andropov　had　already　reached　his　acmodation　with　the　Marshal　of　the　Soviet　Union。　He'd　never　obstructed　his　requests　for　funding　for　the　bloated　and　misdirected　Soviet　military；　which　was　blundering　around　Afghanistan　like　a　beached　whale。　It　would　probably　win　in　the　end；　everyone　thought。　After　all；　the　Red　Army　had　never　failed。。。　unless　you　remembered　Lenin's　first　assault　into　Poland　in　1919；　which　had　ended　in　an　ignominious　rout。　No；　they　preferred　to　remember　defeating　Hitler　after　the　Germans　had　e　to　within　sight　of　the　Kremlin　itself；　stopping　only　when　attacked　by　Russia's　historically　most　reliable　ally；　General　Winter。　Andropov　was　not　a　devotee　of　the　Soviet　military；　but　it　remained　the　security　blanket　for　the　rest　of　the　Politburo；　because　the　army　made　sure　the　country　did　what　they　told　it　to　do。　That　was　not　because　of　love；　but　because　the　Red　Army　had　guns　in　large　numbers。　So　did　the　KGB；　and　the　Ministry　of　the　Interior；　in　order　to　act　as　a　check　on　the　Red　Army…no　sense　giving　them　ideas。　Just　to　make　sure；　KGB　also　had　the　Third　Chief　Directorate；　whose　job　it　〃was　to　keep　an　eye　on　every　single　rifle　pany　in　the　Red　Army。　In　other　countries；　it　was　called　checks　and　balances。　Here　it　was　a　balance　of　terror。
　　　Leonid　Ilyich　Brezhnev　came　in　last　of　all；　walking　like　the　aged　peasant　he　was；　his　skin　drooping　on　his　once　manly　face。　He　was　approaching　eighty　years；　a　number　he　might　meet　but　would　not　surpass；　by　the　look　of　him。　That　was　both　good　news　and　bad。　There　was　no　telling　what　thoughts　wiggled　their　way　around　the　inside　of　his　doting　brain。　He'd　been　a　man　of　great　personal　power　once…Andropov　could　remember　it　plainly　enough。　He'd　been　a　vigorous　man　who'd　enjoyed　walking　in　the　forests　to　kill　elk　or　even　bear…the　mighty　hunter　of　wild　animals