tc.redrabbit-第61章

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　　　〃Colonel　Rozhdestvenskiy？〃　the　KGB　Chairman　asked。
　　　All　heads　turned　to　the　colonel；　and　he　did　his　best　to　keep　his　voice　level。　This　was　very　deep　water　for　a　mere　colonel。　The　entire　operation　now　rested　on　his　shoulders；　a　possibility　he　had　somehow　never　fully　considered。　But　if　he　was　to　get　his　general's　stars；　he　had　to　take　this　responsibility；　didn't　he？
　　　〃rade　Minister；　I　would　estimate　four　to　six　weeks；　if　you　authorize　the　operation　today；　and　so　notify　the　Bulgarian　Politburo。　We　will　be　using　one　of　their　assets；　for　which　their　permission　is　necessary。〃
　　　〃Andrey　Andreyevich？〃　Brezhnev　asked。　〃How　cooperative　will　they　be　in　Sofia？〃
　　　The　Foreign　Minister　took　a　moment。　〃That　depends　on　what　we　ask　them　and　how　we　ask　it。　If　they　know　the　purpose　of　the　operation；　they　might　dally　somewhat。〃
　　　〃Can　we　ask　their　cooperation　without　telling　them　what　it　is　for？〃　Ustinov　asked。
　　　〃Yes；　I　think　so。　We　can　just　offer　them　a　hundred　new　tanks　or　some　fighter　aircraft；　as　a　gesture　of　socialist　solidarity；〃　the　Minister　for　Foreign　Affairs　suggested。
　　　〃Be　generous；〃　Brezhnev　agreed。　〃I'm　sure　they　have　a　request　floating　in　the　Defense　Ministry；　yes；　Dmitriy？〃
　　　〃Always！〃　Marshal　Ustinov　confirmed。　〃It's　all　they　ever　ask　for；　more　tanks　and　more　MiGs！〃
　　　〃Then　load　the　tanks　on　a　train　and　send　them　to　Sofia。　rades；　we　have　a　vote　to　take；〃　the　General　Secretary　told　the　Politburo。　The　eleven　voting　members　felt　a　little　bit　railroaded。　The　seven　〃candidate；〃　or　nonvoting；　members　just　watched　and　nodded。
　　　As　usual；　the　vote　was　unanimous。　No　one　voted　no；　despite　the　fact　that　some　of　them　had　doubts　concealed　in　their　silence。　In　this　room；　one　did　not　want　to　stray　too　far　from　the　kollectiv　spirit。　Power　here　was　as　circumscribed　as　everywhere　else　in　the　world；　a　fact　upon　which　they　rarely　reflected　and　on　which　they　never　acted。
　　　〃Very　well。〃　Brezhnev　turned　his　head　to　Andropov。　〃KGB　is　authorized　to　undertake　this　operation；　and　may　God　have　mercy　on　his　Polish　soul；〃　he　added；　in　a　bit　of　peasant　levity。　〃So；　what　is　next？〃
　　　〃rade；　if　I　may。。。〃　Andropov　said；　getting　a　nod。　〃Our　brother　and　friend　Mikhail　Andreyevich　Suslov　will　soon　depart　this　life；　after　long　and　devoted　service　to　the　Party　we　all　hold　dear。　His　chair　is　already　empty　due　to　his　illness；　and　needs　filling。　I　propose　Mikhail　Yevgeniyevich　Alexandrov　as　the　next　Central　mittee　Secretary　for　Ideology；　with　full　voting　membership　in　the　Politburo。〃
　　　Alexandrov　even　managed　to　blush。　He　held　up　his　hands　and　spoke　with　the　utmost　sincerity。　〃rades；　my…our…friend　is　still　alive。　I　cannot　take　his　place　while　he　still　lives。〃
　　　〃It　is　good　of　you　to　put　it　that　way；　Misha；〃　the　General　Secretary　observed；　using　the　affectionate　abbreviation　for　his　Christian　name。　〃But　Mikhail　Andreyevich　is　gravely　ill　and　has　not　long　to　live。　I　suggest　that　we　table　Yuriy's　motion　for　the　moment。　Such　an　appointment　must；　of　course；　be　ratified　by　the　Central　mittee　as　a　whole。〃　But　that　was　less　than　a　formality；　as　everyone　here　knew。　Brezhnev　had　just　given　his　blessing　to　Alexandrov's　promotion；　and　that　was　all　he　needed。
　　　〃Thank　you；　rade　General　Secretary。〃　And　now　Alexandrov　could　look　at　the　empty　chair　at　Brezhnev's　left　hand　and　know　that　in　a　few　weeks　it　would　soon　be　his　officially。　He'd　weep　like　all　the　others　when　Suslov　died；　and　the　tears　would　be　just　as　cold。　And　Mikhail　Andreyevich　would　even　understand。　His　biggest　problem　now　was　facing　death；　the　greatest　of　life's　mysteries；　and　wondering　what　lay　on　the　other　side　of　it。　It　was　something　everyone　at　the　table　would　have　to　face；　but　for　all　of　them　it　was　sufficiently　distant　to　be　dismissed。。。　for　the　moment。　That；　Yuriy　Andropov　thought；　was　one　difference　between　them　and　the　Pope；　who　was　soon　to　die　at　their　hands。
　　　The　meeting　broke　up　just　after　four　in　the　afternoon。　The　men　took　their　leave；　as　always；　with　friendly　words　and　shaken　hands；　before　they　went　their　separate　ways。　Andropov；　with　Colonel　Rozhdestvenskiy　in　tow；　headed　out　toward　the　end。　Soon　he　would　be　the　last　to　leave；　as　was　the　prerogative　of　the　General　Secretary。
　　　〃rade　Chairman；　a　moment；　if　you　would　allow　it；〃　Rozhdestvenskiy　said；　heading　for　the　men's　room。　He　emerged　a　minute　and　a　half　later　with　an　easier　stride。
　　　〃You　did　well；　Aleksey；〃　Andropov　told　him；　as　they　resumed　their　way　out…the　Chairman　took　the　steps　down　instead　of　the　elevator。　〃So；　what　did　you　make　of　it？〃
　　　〃rade　Brezhnev　is　frailer　than　I　expected。〃
　　　〃Yes；　he　is。　It　didn't　help　him　very　much　to　stop　smoking；〃　Andropov　reached　into　his　coat　pocket　for　his　Marlboros…at　the　Politburo　meetings；　people　now　avoided　smoking；　out　of　deference　to　Leonid　Ilyich；　and　the　KGB　Chairman　needed　a　cigarette　right　now。　〃What　else？〃
　　　〃It　was　remarkably　collegial。　I　expected　more　disagreement；　more　arguing；　I　suppose。〃　Discussions　between　spooks　at　#2　Dzerzhinskiy　Square　were　far　more　lively；　especially　when　discussing　operations。
　　　〃They　are　all　cautious　players；　Aleksey。　Those　with　so　much　power　at　their　fingertips　always　are…and　they　should　be。　But　they　often　do　not　take　action　because　they　fear　doing　anything　new　and　different。〃　Andropov　knew　that　his　country　needed　new　and　different　things；　and　wondered　how　difficult　it　would　be　for　him　to　bring　them　about。
　　　〃But；　rade　Chairman；　our　operation…〃
　　　〃That's　different；　Colonel。　When　they　feel　threatened；　then　they　can　take　action。　They　fear　the　Pope。　And　they　are　probably　right　to。　Don't　you　think？〃
　　　〃rade　Chairman；　I　am　a　colonel　only。　I　serve。　I　do　not　rule。〃
　　　〃Keep　it　that　way；　Aleksey。　It's　safer。〃　Andropov　entered　the　car　and　sat　down；　and　immediately　became　lost　in　his　thoughts。
　　　An　hour　later；　Zaitzev　was　finishing　up　his　day　and　awaiting　his　relief。　Then　Colonel　Rozhdestvenskiy　appeared　at　his　side　without　warning。
　　　〃Captain；　I　need　you　to　send　this　out　to　Sofia　immediately。〃　He　paused。　〃Does　anyone　else　see　these　messages？〃
　　　〃No；　rade　Colonel。　The　message　designator　labels　it　as　something　to　e　to　me　only。　That　is　in　the　order　book。〃
　　　〃Good。　Let's　keep　it　that　way。〃　He　handed　over　the　blank。
　　　〃By　your　order；　rade　Colonel。〃　Zaitzev　watched　him　head　off。　He　barely　had　time　to　get　this　done　before　taking　his　leave。
　　　MOST　SECRET
　　　IMMEDIATE　AND　URGENT
　　　FROM：　OFFICE　OF　CHAIRMAN；　Moscow　CENTRE
　　　To：　REZIDENT　SOFIA
　　　REFERENCE：　OPERATIONAL　DESIGNATOR　15…8…82…666
OPERATION　APPROVED。　NEXT　STEP　INTERMEDIATE　APPROVAL　BULGARIAN　POLITBURO。　EXPECT　FULL　APPROVAL　TEN　DAYS　OR　LESS。　CONTINUE　PLANNING　FOR　OPERATION。

　　　Zaitzev　saw　it　telexed　off；　then　handed　the　copy　to　a　messenger　to　be　hand…delivered　to　the　top　floor。　Then　he　took　his　leave；　walking　a　little　more　swiftly　than　usual。　Out　on　the　street；　he　fished　out　his　cigarette　pack　to　get　himself　another　Trud　before　going　down　the　escalator　to　the　metro　platform。　There；　he　checked　the　ceiling　clock。　He'd　actually　walked　too　quickly；　he　saw；　and　so　let　the　train　go　without　him；　fumbling　with　his　cigarette　pack　as　an　excuse　if　anyone　was　watching　him…but　then　again；　if　anyone　were　watching　him　now；　he　was　already　a　dead　man。　The　thought　made　his　hands　shake；　but　it　was　too　late　for　that。　The　next　train　came　out　of　the　tunnel　exactly　on　time；　and　he　boarded　the　proper　carriage；　shuffling　in　with　fifteen　or　so　other　workers。。。
　　　And　there　he　was。　Reading　a　newspaper；　wearing　an　unbuttoned　raincoat；　his　right　hand　on　the　chrome　overhead　bar。
　　　Zaitzev　wandered　that　way。　In　his　right　hand　was　the　second　note　that　he'd　just　fished　out　of　his　cigarette　pack。　Yes；　he　saw　belatedly；　the　man　was　wearing　a　bright　green　tie；　held　in　place　by　a　gold…colored　tie　bar。　A　brown　suit；　a　clean　white　shirt　that　looked　expensive；　and　his　face　was　occupied　with　the　paper。　The　man　did　not　look　around。　Zaitzev　slid　closer。
　　　One　of　the　things　Ed　Foley　had　studied　at　The　Farm　was　how　to　perfect　his　peripheral　vision。　With　training　and　practice；　your　eyes　could　actually　see　a　wider　field　than　the　unschooled　realized。　At　CIA　camp；　he'd　learned　by　walking　down　the　street　and　reading　house　numbers　without　turning　his　head。　Best　of　all；　it　was　like　riding　a　bicycle。　Once　learned；