'They not fire land rocket, of course,' Marko said. He held up a finger. 'They do this, and you understand nature of test, yes? Soviets are not so stupid as you think. Of course you know that entire Soviet border covered with radar fence. These see rocket launch and compute where submarine is-very easy thing to do. Next they call Strategic Rocket Force Headquarters. Strategic Rocket Force have regiment of old rockets on alert for this. They were ready to shoot back three minutes after detecting my missile on radar.' He stopped for a moment. 'You not have this in America?'
'No, not that I know of. But our new missiles fire from much farther away.'
'Is true, but still good thing for Soviets, you see.'
'How reliable is the system?'
That drew a shrug. 'Not very. Problem is how alert the people are. In time of-how you say? — time of crisis, yes? In time of crisis, everyone is alert, and system may work some of time. But every time system works, many, many bombs do not explode in Soviet Union. Even one could save hundred thousand citizens. This is important to Soviet leadership. Hundred thousand more slaves to have after war end,' he added to show his distaste for the government of his former homeland. 'You have nothing like this in America?'
'Not that I have ever heard about,' Ryan said truthfully.
Ramius shook his head. 'They tell us you do. When we fire our rockets, then we dive deep and race at flank speed, straight line in any direction.'
'Right now I'm trying to figure out how interested the Soviet government is in copying our SDI research.'
'Interested?' Ramius snorted. 'Twenty million Russians died in Great Patriotic War. You think they want to have this happen again? I tell you, Soviets are more intelligent about this than Americans-we have harder lesson, and we learn better. Someday I tell you about my home city after war, destruction of everything. Yes, we have very good lesson in protect Rodina.'
That's the other thing to remember about the Russians, Jack reminded himself. It wasn't so much that they had abnormally long memories; they had things in their history that no one would forget. To expect the Soviets to forget their losses in the Second World War was as futile as asking Jews to forget the Holocaust, and just as unreasonable.
So, a little over three years ago, the Russians staged a major ABM exercise against submarine-launched ballistic missiles. The acquisition and tracking radar worked, but the system failed due to a computer problem. That was important. But-
'The reason the computer didn't work well enough-'
'That is all I know. All I can say is was honest test.'
'What do you mean?' Jack asked.
'Our first? yes, our original orders were to fire from known location. But the orders were changed just as submarine left dock. Eyes-only to Captain, new orders signed by aide to Defense Minister. Was Red Army colonel, I think. Do not remember name. Orders from Minister, but Colonel sign them, yes? He wanted the test to be-how you say?'
'Spontaneous?'
'Yes! Not spontaneous. Real test should be surprise. So my orders sent me to different place and said to shoot at different time. We have general aboard from Voyska PVO, and when see new orders he is banana. Very, very angry, but what kind of test is it without no surprise? American missile submarines do not call on telephone and tell Russians day that they shoot. You either are ready or not ready,' Ramius noted.
'We did not know that you were coming,' General Pokryshkin noted dryly.
Colonel Bondarenko was careful to keep his face impassive. Despite having written orders from the Defense Minister, and despite belonging to a completely different uniformed service, he was dealing with a general officer with patrons of his own in the Central Committee. But the General, too, had to be wary. Bondarenko was wearing his newest and best-tailored uniform, complete with several rows of ribbons, including two awards for bravery in Afghanistan and the special badge worn by Defense Ministry staff officers.
'Comrade General, I regret whatever inconvenience I have caused you, but I do have my orders.'
'Of course,' Pokryshkin noted with a broadening smile. He gestured to a silver tray. 'Tea?'
'Thank you.'
The General poured two cups himself instead of summoning his orderly. 'Is that a Red Banner I see? Afghanistan?'
'Yes, Comrade General, I spent some time there.'
'And how did you earn it?'
'I was attached to a Spetznaz unit as a special observer. We were tracking a small band of bandits. Unfortunately, they were smarter than the unit commander believed, and he allowed us to follow them into an ambush. Half the team was killed or wounded, including the unit commander.' Who earned his death, Bondarenko thought. 'I assumed command and called in help. The bandits withdrew before we could bring major forces to bear, but they did leave eight bodies behind.'
'How did a communications expert-'
'I volunteered. We were having difficulties with tactical communications, and I decided to take the situation in hand myself. I am not a real combat soldier, Comrade General, but there are some things you have to see for yourself. That is another concern I have with this post. We are perilously close to the Afghan border, and your security seems? not lax, but perhaps overly comfortable.'
Pokryshkin nodded agreement. 'The security force is KGB, as you have doubtless noted. They report to me, but are not strictly under my orders. For early warning of possible threats, I have an arrangement with Frontal Aviation. Their aerial-reconnaissance school uses the valleys around here as a training area. A classmate of mine at Frunze has arranged coverage of this entire area. If anyone approaches this installation from Afghanistan, it's a long walk, and we'll know about it long before they get here.'
Bondarenko noted this with approval. Procurer for wizards or not, Pokryshkin hadn't forgotten everything, as too many general officers tended to do.
'So, Gennady Iosifovich, exactly what are you looking for?' the General asked. The atmosphere was somewhat milder now that both men had established their professionalism.
'The Minister wishes an appraisal of the effectiveness and reliability of your systems.'
'Your knowledge of lasers?' Pokryshkin asked with a raised eyebrow.
'I am familiar with the applications side. I was on the team with Academician Goremykin that developed the new laser communications systems.'
'Really? We have some of them here.'
'I didn't know that,' Bondarenko said.
'Yes. We use them in our guard towers, and to link our laboratory facilities with the shops. It's easier than stringing telephone lines, and is more secure. Your invention has proven very useful indeed, Gennady Iosifovich. Well. You know our mission here, of course.'
'Yes, Comrade General. How close are you to your goal?'
'We have a major system test coming up in three days.'
'Oh?' Bondarenko was very surprised by that.
'We received permission to run it only yesterday. Perhaps the Ministry hasn't been fully informed. Can you stay for it?'
'I wouldn't miss it.'
'Excellent.' General Pokryshkin rose. 'Come, let's go to see my wizards.'
The sky was clear and blue, the deeper blue that comes from being above most of the atmosphere. Bondarenko was surprised to see that the General did his own driving in a UAZ-469, the Soviet equivalent of a jeep.
'You do not have to ask, Colonel. I do my own driving because we do not have room up here for unnecessary personnel, and-well, I was a fighter pilot. Why should I trust my life to some beardless boy who barely knows how to shift gears? How do you like our roads?'
Not at all, Bondarenko didn't say as the General speeded down a slope. The road was barely five meters wide, with a precipitous drop on the passenger side of the car. 'You should try this when it's icy!' The General laughed.
'We've been lucky on weather lately. Last autumn we had nothing but rain for two weeks. Most unusual here;
