tc.thebearandthedragon-第88部分

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　styles；　because　though　both　were　Baptists；　and　though　both　preached　the　Gospel　of　Jesus　Christ　to　Baptist　congregations；　their　munities　were　a　little　bit　different　and　required　slightly　different　approaches。　But　it　was　an　acmodation　both　men　could　easily　make。
　〃Thank　you；　Hosiah。　You　know；　sometimes　we　have　to　acknowledge　that　our　faith　is　bigger　than　we　are。〃
　For　his　part；　Reverend　Jackson　was　impressed。　He　never　doubted　the　sincerity　of　his　white　colleague；　and　they'd　chatted　often　on　matters　of　religion　and　scripture。　Hosiah　would　even　admit；　quietly；　to　himself；　that　Patterson　was　his　superior　as　a　scholar　of　the　Holy　Word；　due　to　his　somewhat　lengthier　formal　education；　but　of　the　two；　Hosiah　Jackson　was　marginally　the　better　speaker；　and　so　their　relative　talents　played　well　off　each　other。
　〃How　about　we　get　together　for　lunch　to　work　out　the　details？〃　Jackson　asked。
　〃Today？　I'm　free。〃
　〃Sure。　Where？〃
　〃The　country　club？　You're　not　a　golfer；　are　you？〃　Patterson　asked　hopefully。　He　felt　like　a　round；　and　his　afternoon　was　free　today　for　a　change。
　〃Never　touched　a　golf　club　in　my　life；　Gerry。〃　Hosiah　had　a　good　laugh　at　that。　〃Robert　is；　learned　at　Annapolis　and　been　playing　ever　since。　Says　he　kicks　the　President's　backside　every　time　they　go　out。〃　He'd　never　been　to　the　Willow　Glen　Country　Club　either；　and　wondered　if　the　club　had　any　black　members。　Probably　not。　Mississippi　hadn't　changed　quite　that　much　yet；　though　Tiger　Woods　had　played　at　a　PGA　tournament　there；　and　so　that　color　line　had　been　breached；　at　least。
　〃Well；　he'd　probably　whip　me；　too。　Next　time　he　es　down；　maybe　we　can　play　a　round。〃　Patterson's　membership　at　Willow　Glen　was　plimentary；　another　advantage　to　being　pastor　of　a　well…to…do　congregation。
　And　the　truth　of　the　matter　was　that；　white　or　not；　Gerry　Patter…son　was　not　the　least　bit　bigoted；　Reverend　Jackson　knew。　He　preached　the　Gospel　with　a　pure　heart。　Hosiah　was　old　enough　to　remember　when　that　had　not　been　so；　but　that；　too；　had　changed　once　and　for　all。　Praise　God。
　
　For　Admiral　Mancuso；　the　issues　were　the　same；　and　a　little　different。　An　early　riser；　he'd　caught　CNN　the　same　as　everyone　else。　So　had　Brigadier　General　Mike　Lahr。
　〃Okay；　Mike；　what　the　hell　is　this　all　about？〃　CINCPAC　asked　when　his　J…2　arrived　for　his　morning　intel　brief。
　〃Admiral；　it　looks　like　a　monumental　cluster…fuck。　Those　clergy　stuck　their　noses　in　a　tight　crack　and　paid　the　price　for　it。　More　to　the　point；　NCA　is　seriously　pissed。〃　NCA　was　the　code…acronym　for　National　mand　Authority；　President　Jack　Ryan。
　〃What　do　I　need　to　know　about　this？〃
　〃Well；　things　are　likely　to　heat　up　between　America　and　China；　for　starters。　The　trade　delegation　we　have　in　Beijing　is　probably　going　to　catch　some　heat。　If　they　catch　too　much；　well。。。〃　His　voice　trailed　off。
　〃Give　me　worst　case；〃　CINCPAC　ordered。
　〃Worst　case；　the　PRC　gets　its　collective　back　up；　and　we　recall　the　trade　delegation　and　the　ambassador；　and　things　get　real　chilly　for　a　while。〃
　〃Then　what？〃
　〃Then…that's　more　of　a　political　question；　but　it　wouldn't　hurt　for　us　to　take　it　a　little　seriously；　sir；〃　Lahr　told　his　boss；　who　took　just　about　everything　seriously。
　Mancuso　looked　at　his　wall　map　of　the　Pacific。　Enterprise　was　back　at　sea　doing　exercises　between　Marcus　Island　and　the　Marianas。　John　Stennis　was　alongside　in　Pearl　Harbor。　Harry　Truman　was　en　route　to　Pearl　Harbor　after　taking　the　long　way　around　Cape　Horn…modern　aircraft　carriers　are　far　too　beamy　for　the　Panama　Canal。　Lincoln　was　finishing　up　a　bobtail　refit　in　San　Diego　and　about　to　go　back　to　sea。　Kitty　Hawk　and　Independence；　his　two　old；　oil…fired　carriers；　were　both　in　the　Indian　Ocean。　At　that；　he　was　lucky。　First　and　Seventh　Fleets　had　six　carriers　fully　operational　for　the　first　time　in　years。　So；　if　he　needed　to　project　power；　he　had　the　assets　to　give　people　something　to　think　about。　He　also　had　a　lot　of　Air　Force　aircraft　at　his　disposal。　The　3rd　Marine　Division　and　the　Army's　25th　Light　based　right　there　in　Hawaii　wouldn't　play　in　this　picture。　The　Navy　might　bump　heads　with　the　Chims；　and　the　Air　Force；　but　he　lacked　the　amphibious　assets　to　invade　China；　and　besides；　he　wasn't　insane　enough　to　think　that　was　a　rational　course　of　action　under　any　circumstances。
　〃What　do　we　have　in　Taiwan　right　now？〃
　〃Mobile　Bay；　Milius；　Chandler；　and　Fletcher　are　showing　the　flag。　Frigates　Curtis　and　Reid　are　doing　operations　with　the　ROC　navy。　The　submarines　La　Jolla；　Helena；　and　Tennessee　are　trolling　in　the　Formosa　Strait　or　along　the　Chinese　coast　looking　at　their　fleet　units。〃
　Mancuso　nodded。　He　usually　kept　some　high…end　SAM　ships　close　to　Taiwan。　Milius　was　a　Burke…class　destroyer；　and　Mobile　Bay　was　a　cruiser；　both　of　them　with　the　Aegis　system　aboard　to　make　the　ROC　feel　a　little　better　about　the　putative　missile　threat　to　their　island。　Mancuso　didn't　think　the　Chinese　were　foolish　enough　to　launch　an　attack　against　a　city　with　some　U。S。　Navy　ships　tied　alongside；　and　the　Aegis　ships　had　a　fair　chance　of　stopping　anything　that　flew　their　way。　But　you　never　knew；　and　if　this　Beijing　incident　blew　up　any　more　。　。　。　He　lifted　the　phone　for　SURFPAC；　the　three…star　who　administratively　owned　Pacific　Fleet's　surface　ships。
　〃Yeah；〃　answered　Vice　Admiral　Ed　Goldsmith。
　〃Ed；　Bart。　What　material　shape　are　those　ships　we　have　in　Taipei　harbor　in？〃
　〃You're　calling　about　the　thing　on　CNN；　right？〃
　〃Correct；〃　CINCPAC　confirmed。
　〃Pretty　good。　No　material　deficiencies　I　know　about。　They're　doing　the　usual　port…visit　routine；　letting　people　aboard　and　all。　Crews　are　spending　a　lot　of　time　on　the　beach。〃
　Mancuso　didn't　have　to　ask　what　they　were　doing　on　the　beach。　He'd　been　a　young　sailor　once；　though　never　on　Taiwan。
　〃Might　not　hurt　for　them　to　keep　their　ears　perked　up　some。〃
　〃Noted；〃　SURFPAC　acknowledged。　Mancuso　didn't　have　to　say　more。　The　ships　would　now　stand　alternating　Condition…Three　on　their　bat　systems。　The　SPY　radars　would　be　turned　on　aboard　one　of　the　Aegis　ships　at　all　times。　One　nice　thing　about　Aegis　ships　was　that　they　could　go　from　half…asleep　to　fully　operational　in　about　sixty　seconds；　it　was　just　a　matter　of　turning　some　keys。　They'd　have　to　be　a　little　careful。　The　SPY　radar　put　out　enough　power　to　fry　electronic　ponents　for　miles　around；　but　it　was　just　a　matter　of　how　you　steered　the　electronic　beams；　and　that　was　puter…controlled。　〃Okay；　sir；　I'll　get　the　word　out　right　now。〃
　〃Thanks；　Ed。　I'll　get　you　fully　briefed　in　later　today。〃
　〃Aye；　aye；〃　SURFPAC　replied。　He'd　put　a　call　to　his　squadron　manders　immediately。
　〃What　else？〃　Mancuso　wondered。
　〃We　haven't　heard　anything　directly　from　Washington；　Admiral；〃　BG　Lahr　told　his　boss。
　〃Nice　thing　about　being　a　CINC；　Mike。　You're　allowed　to　think　on　your　own　a　little。〃
　
　〃What　a　fucking　mess；〃　General…Colonel　Bondarenko　observed　to　his　drink。　He　wasn't　talking　about　the　news　of　the　day；　but　about　his　mand；　even　though　the　officers'　club　in　Chabarsovil　was　fortable。　Russian　general　officers　have　always　liked　their　forts；　and　the　building　dated　back　to　the　czars。　It　had　been　built　during　the　Russo…Japanese　war　at　the　beginning　of　the　previous　century　and　expanded　several　times。　You　could　see　the　border　between　pre…revolution　and　post…revolution　workmanship。　Evidently；　German　POWs　hadn't　been　trained　this　far　cast…they'd　built　most　of　the　dachas　for　the　party　elite　of　the　old　days。　But　the　vodka　was　fine；　and　the　fellowship　wasn't　too　bad；　either。
　〃Things　could　be　better；　rade　General；〃　Bondarenko's　operations　officer　agreed。　〃But　there　is　much　that　can　be　done　the　right　way；　and　little　bad　to　undo。〃
　That　was　a　gentle　way　of　saying　that　the　Far　East　Military　District　was　less　of　a　military　mand　than　it　was　a　theoretical　exercise。　Of　the　five　motor…rifle　divisions　nominally　under　his　mand；　only　one；　the　265th；　was　at　eighty…percent　strength。　The　rest　were　at　best　regimental…size　formations；　or　mere　cadres。　He　also　had　theoretical　mand　of　a　tank　division…about　a　regiment　and　a　half…plus　thirteen　reserve　divisions　that　existed　not　so　much　on　paper　as　in　some　staff　officer's　dreams。　The　one　thing　he　did　have　was　huge　equipment　stores；　but　a　lot　of　that　equipment　dated　back　to　the　1960s；　or　even　earlier。　The　best　troops　in　his　area　of　mand　responsibility　were　not　actually　his　to　mand。　These　were　the　Border　Guards；　battalion…sized　formations　once　part　of　the　KGB；　now　a　semi…independent　armed　service　under　the　mand　of　the　Russian　president。
　There　was　also　a　defense　line　of　sorts；　which　dated　back　to　the　1930s　and　showed　it。　For　this　line；　numerous　tanks…some　of　them　actually　German　in　origin…were　buried　as　bunkers。　In　fact；　more　than　anything　else　the　line　was　reminiscent　of　the　French　Maginot　Line；　also　a　thing　of　the　1930s。　It　had　been　built　to　protect　the　Soviet　Union　against　an　attack　by　the　Japanese；　and　then　upgraded　halfheartedly　over　the　years　to　protect　against　the　People's　Republic　of　China…a　defense　never　forgotten；　but　never　fully　remembered　either。　Bondarenko　had　toured　parts　of　it　the　previous　day。　As　far　back　as　the　czars；　the　engineering　officers　of　the　Russian　Army　had　never　been　fools。　Some　of　the　bunkers　were　sited　with　shrewd；　even　brilliant　appreciation　for　the　land；　but　the　problem　with　bunkers　was　explained　by　a　recent　American　aphorism：　If　you　can　see　it；　you　can　hit　it；　and　if　you　can　hit　it；　you　can　kill　it。　The　line　had　been　conceived　and　built　when　artillery　fire　had　been　a　chancy　thing；　and　an　aircraft　bomb　was　fortunate　to　hit　the　right　county。　Now　you　could　use　a　fifteen…centimeter　gun　as　accurately　as　a　sniper　rifle；　and　an　aircraft　could　select　which　windowpane　to　put　the　bomb　through　on　a　specific　building。
　〃Andrey　Petrovich；　I　am　pleased　to　hear　your　optimism。　What　is　your　first　remendation？〃
　〃It　will　be　simple　to　improve　the　camouflage　on　the　border　bunkers。　That's　been　badly　neglected　over　the　years；〃　Colonel　Aliyev　told　his　mander…in…chief。　〃That　will　reduce　their　vulnerability　considerably。〃
　〃Allowing　them　to　survive　a　serious　attack　for　。。。　sixty　minutes；　Andrushka？〃
　〃Maybe　even　ninety；　rade　General。　It's　better　than　five　minutes；　is　it　not？〃　He　paused　for　a　sip　of　vodka。　Both　had　been　drinking　for　half　an　hour。