Footfall by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle

Author:Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle [Niven, Larry]
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Science fiction, General, Fiction, Fiction - Science Fiction, Science Fiction - General, Space Opera, Adventure
ISBN: 9780345323446
Publisher: Del Rey
Published: 2010-02-15T19:30:00+00:00

22 SOMETHING IN THE AIR

The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

-ARAB PROVERB

COUNTDOWN:H PLUS THREE WEEKS

Pavel Bondarev looked up at the big clock on his wall. "Ten minutes," he said.

Marshal Shavyrin grinned. "Da. You are nervous, Comrade!"

"Of course," Bondarev said with irritation. "We are about to make the most important decision in Russian history. Should I not be nervous?"

"Certainly, but you will permit that I do not openly join you? I have known for five years that I might be faced with this moment."

"True," Bondarev said. He looked at the twin electronics consoles installed against one wall of his underground office. Lights winked in complex patterns. In the lower right corner of each console was a switch. Bondarev patted his throat, to feel the key on its silver chain. "Does it make it easier?"

"The peasants say you can become accustomed to anything, even hanging, if you hang long enough-what was that?"

There were sharp sounds from outside. Bondarev went to the door.

"No! Do not open that door!" Shavyrin commanded. He lifted his telephone. "Colonel! What is the situation?" He listened for a few moments. "They must not enter," he snapped: "The cost does not matter. Our orders come from Chairman Petrovskiy himself! Do what you can. What you must," he said. He put down the phone.

Bondarev looked the question at him.

"KGB," Shavyrin said. "They have sent soldiers as well as their agents. My security forces are resisting them."

"But-" Pavel lifted the telephone. "Get me Chairman Petrovshy-'

Shavyrin shook his head. "Colonel Polivanov has already reported that the KGB has cut the telephone lines. We no longer have communications with Moscow."

Bondamv looked up in horror. "But-"

Before he could speak, the door opened. Lorena came in.

"What are you doing here?" Bondarev demanded.

She hesitated for a moment, then showed what was in her hand. She held a small automatic pistol. "You are both under arrest, in the name of State Security," she said.

"No!" Bdndarev shouted. "Not you!"

"The KGB is everywhere," Shavyrin said. He reached for the telephone. -

"Stop that!" Lorena shouted. Hysteria tinged her voice.

"Comrade, I must speak to the rocket forces," Shavyrin said.

"To order them to aid the Americans," she said. "Never! The aliens will destroy the Soviet Union-"

"Then they will do it anyway," Shavyrin said. "Understand this. The Americans are to launch"-he glanced at the clock on the wall-"even now are launching their Pershing missiles. Those missiles will come toward us. They are supposed to provide a diversion to allow our missiles to penetrate, but there is always the chance that the Americans will use this as an opportunity to attack us. With that in mind I have given orders that if the rocket forces do not hear from us, they will attack the United States. Not attack Kansas, but all of the United States!"

"I know nothing of this," she shouted. "You will move there, to that wall, away from the desk, away from the telephones!"

"Lorena," Bondarev said. "Lorena, you cannot do this." He moved toward her. She backed away.

"Stop! I will shoot! I will!"

Bondarev advanced.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.