tc.redstormrising-第189章

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〃You　are　Alekseyev；〃　General　Robinson　said。　〃I　expected　someone　else。〃
〃Marshal　Bukharin　is　in　retirement…your　Russian　is　excellent；　General　Robinson。〃　
〃Thank　you；　General　Alekseyev。　Some　years　ago　I　got　interested　in　the　plays　of　Chekhov。　You　can　really　understand　a　play　only　in　its　original　language。　Since　then　I　have　read　a　good　deal　of　Russian　literature。〃
Alekseyev　nodded。　〃The　better　to　understand　your　enemy。〃　He　went　on　in　English。　〃Very　sensible　of　you。　Shall　we　take　a　walk？〃
〃How　many　men　do　you　have　in　the　trees？〃
〃A　platoon　of　motor…riflemen。〃　Alekseyev　switched　back　to　his　native　language。　Robinson's　mastery　of　Russian　was　better　than　his　of　English；　and　Pasha　had　made　his　point。　〃How　were　we　to　know　what　would　e　out　of　the　helicopter？〃
〃True；〃　SACEUR　conceded。　Yet　you　were　standing　out　in　the　open…to　show　me　that　you　are　fearless。　〃What　shall　we　talk　about？〃
〃A　termination　of　hostilities；　perhaps。〃
〃I　am　listening。〃
〃You　know　of　course　that　I　had　no　part　in　starting　this　madness。〃
Robinson's　head　turned。　〃What　soldier　ever　does；　General？　We　merely　shed　the　blood　and　get　the　blame。　Your　father　was　a　soldier；　was　he　not？〃
〃A　tanker。　He　was　luckier　than　your　father。〃
〃That's　often　what　it　is；　isn't　it？　Luck。〃
〃We　should　not　tell　our　political　leaders　that。〃　Alekseyev　amost　ventured　a　smile　until　he　saw　that　he'd　given　Robinson　an　opening。
〃Who　are　your　political　leaders？　If　we　are　to　reach　a　workable　agreement；　I　must　be　able　to　tell　mine　who　is　in　charge。〃
〃The　General　Secretary　of　the　munist　Party　of　the　Soviet　Union　is　Mikhail　Eduardovich　Sergetov。〃
Who？　SACEUR　wondered。　He　did　not　remember　the　name。　He'd　refreshed　his　memory　on　all　the　full　Politburo　members；　but　that　name　wasn't　on　the　list。　He　temporized。　〃What　the　hell　happened？〃
Alekseyev　saw　the　puzzlement　on　Robinson's　face；　and　this　time　he　did　venture　a　smile。　You　do　not　know　who　he　is；　do　you；　rade　General？　There　is　an　unknown　for　you　to　ponder。　〃As　you　Americans　are　fond　of　saying；　it　was　time　for　a　change。〃
Who　taught　you　to　play　poker；　son？　SACEUR　wondered。　But　I'm　holding　aces　over　kings。　What　are　you　holding？
〃What　is　your　proposal？〃
〃I　do　not　know　how　to　be　a　diplomat；　only　how　to　be　a　soldier；〃　Alekseyev　said。　〃We　propose　a　cease…fire　in　place；　followed　by　a　phased　withdrawal　to　pre…war　positions　over　a　period　of　two　weeks。〃
〃In　two　weeks　I　can　achieve　that　without　a　cease…fire；〃　Robinson　said　coldly。
〃At　great　cost…and　greater　risk；〃　the　Russian　pointed　out。
〃We　know　that　you　are　short　of　fuel。　Your　entire　national　economy　could　e　apart。〃
〃Yes；　General　Robinson；　and　if　our　army　es　apart；　as　you　say；　we　have　only　one　defense　option　to　safeguard　the　State。〃
〃Your　country　has　launched　a　war　of　aggression　against　the　NATO　alliance。　Do　you　suppose　that　we　can　let　you　return　to　status　quo　ante；　nothing　else？〃　SACEUR　asked　quietly。　He　was　keeping　close　rein　on　his　emotions。　He'd　already　made　one　slip；　and　that　was　two　too　many。　〃And　don't　tell　me　about　the　Kremlin　Bomb　Plot…you　know　sure　as　hell　we　had　no　part　of　that。〃
〃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。　Togeth