That’s on the official diplomatic front. Unofficially, well, the
picture’s a lot murkier.”
“Leonov flatly insists that the Reds are behind the attack,” the CIA
director said. “He thinks they’re trying to discredit him, to block
U.S.
recognition of his side as the legitimate government of Russia.”
“I’m not sure we can trust Leonov,” Heideman pointed out. “Actually,
the new bunch in the Kremlin, Krasilnikov and his people, seem to be
more stable, more interested in the long-term outlook. They’re devoted
to reorganizing Russia’s economy, revitalizing their industry, getting
food supplies moving to the cities again-”
“Making the trains run on time,” Duvall put in.
Heideman looked surprised. “Why, yes. Exactly. They’re working hard
to get all public services working again. Once the situation stabilizes
in Russia, we should have no trouble doing business with them.”
“Admiral Magruder?” Waring said, staring at him from across the table
with his hands carefully folded. “You look impatient. Do you have
something to add?”
“With all due respect to the Secretary of State, sir, now is not the
time to be discussing doing business with the Russians. The situation
has not changed since our meeting here yesterday, but we cannot allow
things to drift any further without specific attention.” He glanced from
face to face at those watching him from around the table. “Gentlemen,
ladies, the Russians attacked us yesterday, deliberately and without
provocation. We must respond.”
Gordon West frowned. “Are you saying we should attack them, Admiral?
Maybe start a war?”
“I submit, sir, that the war has already started. This is an outgrowth
of the Scandinavian invasion last year. If you like, it is a direct
outgrowth of the coup in ’91. These things don’t happen in a vacuum.
They are part and parcel of an overall body of events, decisions, and
acts carried out by Russia’s current batch of leaders. They are trying
to secure power for themselves. Historically, the best way to do that
is to get into a war with someone else. It takes the people’s minds off
empty bellies, boosts industrial productivity, and creates employment.
It seems to me that it was inevitable that the Russians would attack
us.”
“Nonsense,” Heideman said. “They already have a war … their own
civil war.”
“Not the same thing, Mr. Secretary. Not the same thing at all. A war
with foreign enemies helps them get their people to pull together, while
civil war divides them. Case in point: Revolutionary France in the
1780s and ’90s.
They were weak and divided, but they went on to declare war against most
of Europe. United their own country, and eventually got an emperor,
Napoleon.
Or there’s revolutionary Iran in the late 1970s-”
“We’re not here to discuss history, Admiral,” Waring said.
“We’re discussing the Russian problem.”
“Perhaps Admiral Magruder is suggesting that we can better understand
our own times if we understand the lessons of history,” the Chief of
Staff said.
“Certainly, I would have to agree with the premise that we cannot count
on the, um, good will, the respect and good intentions, of Krasilnikov
and his gang of thugs.”
“So, Admiral,” George Vane said. He gave an uncomfortable glance in
Heidman’s direction. “Are you suggesting that we attack them? An
escalation at this point …”
Magruder sighed. They’d been over this set of arguments countless times
since the crisis had broken late Thursday night–Friday morning in the
Kola Peninsula. “My personal recommendation, Mr. Secretary, would be
to sink that Typhoon that slipped out of Polyamyy during the battle.
Admiral Tarrant seems to believe the two events are connected, that the
air strike could have been providing cover for that Russian PLARB. If
so, hitting the sub would be a valid, measured response to their attack
against our carriers.”
“But they didn’t hit our carriers, Admiral,” Heideman said, sounding
exasperated. “We must not overreact!”
“It was by God’s grace alone they didn’t blow both the Eisenhower and
the Jefferson clean out of the water, sir. They did sink one ship and
damage several others. Hundreds of lives have been lost, most of them
on the Blakely. Several of our aircraft have been shot down, and if
they missed the carriers, it was thanks to our people’s vigilance, not