“Answer his question,” the Chairman said.
The elderly marshal of China sat back in surprise. “Sir?” he asked.
“Answer the question,” the Chairman repeated. “How long until the ice-mobile formations are ready?”
“Sir,” said the marshal, blinking rapidly, “…two months, maybe more.”
Jian pushed a button and on his screen appeared a force readiness chart. “If you gentlemen will bring my information onto your screens, you’ll see that the marshal has exaggerated. We have the needed ice-mobile units in position now, or nearly so. They could begin crossing the Arctic Ocean in six days at the soonest or two weeks at the most.”
The marshal touched his screen and he glared at what he saw.
“No, no,” he said. “The charts show the needed force for a probing raid. What Minister Hong is suggesting would take an invasion force.”
“The formations in position would be more than enough to occupy the oilfields,” Jian said.
“Preposterous!” said the marshal. “Firstly, army units are not like combine drivers during a harvest. Intense training is needed. Secondly—”
“While I respect your military acumen,” Jian said, “I must point out that our Chairman practiced a different style of warfare against Siberia and Taiwan. Each time, he launched an assault before our enemies suspected anything. He gained the greatest of all assets in war: strategic surprise. If we launch in two weeks, we will easily catch America and the world by surprise, and therefore we shall succeed. To do as you’re suggesting—to train, mass and wait for the perfect moment—is to wish for failure by alerting our enemies. We would certainly be stronger by gathering our strength, but our foe would also be that much stronger and waiting for our attack.”
“You are drunk,” the marshal said. “This is madness.”
“I speak about facts and you hurl insults,” Jian said. “Tell me. Was the Chairman drunk when we invaded Siberia?”
“Sir,” the marshal said quickly. “I meant no insult concerning your amazing exploits.”
The Chairman had been following the exchange. He now asked Admiral Qiang, “Earlier, the marshal spoke about supplies for his troops. Could you guarantee open sea-lanes to Alaska?”
“There are no guarantees in war,” the admiral said carefully.
The words were like a stab in Jian’s chest. What was this, betrayal? Thirty-eight days ago, the admiral had agreed to his plan. Was he backing out now?
“Without such guarantees, I am against such adventurism,” the marshal said.
The Chairman scowled.
“We wouldn’t necessarily need Army help,” the admiral said in the ensuing silence. “My naval infantry brigades could capture Alaska.”
Jian felt hope again, and he wondered what game the admiral played.
“This is yet more folly,” Deng said.
“Not necessarily,” said Admiral Qiang. “The Agricultural Minister makes an interesting point.”
“Which is what?” Deng asked.
“A swift assault, strategic surprise,” Admiral Qiang said. “As the Chairman surely knows, we are three days from a large-scale naval exercise.”
Deng slapped the table. “Sir, here is evidence that both the Agricultural Minister and the admiral have conspired against you.”
“Explain,” whispered the Chairman.
“Are we to believe that this naval exercise just happens to be occurring now?” asked Deng. “It would have been planned months in advance. The needed logistics and preparations—”
“I am well aware of what it entails to launch a large-scale naval exercise,” the Chairman said. “What is your point?”
“Sir, I believe they timed their commando mission to thwart my trip to Sydney so they could begin this war with America, using the naval exercise as a blind.”
“When did you plan your trip to Sydney?” Jian asked in seeming innocence.
Deng glared at him.
“Hmm,” the Chairman said. “You told me of your plan five weeks ago, Deng. Instead of secretive plotting by your comrades, I think that fate has given us a golden opportunity. Strategic surprise is a rare and valued thing. If we move quickly now, we shall catch the Americans and the world with their pants around their ankles.” The Chairman turned to Admiral Qiang. “The oil-bearing regions around ANWR and Prudhoe Bay—could the Navy secure those, too?”
“Possibly, sir,” Admiral Qiang said. “When I spoke earlier I meant securing the major Alaskan cities and ports, particularly Anchorage. Fully half the Alaskan population lives in and around metropolitan Anchorage. Capture it, and the State will naturally fall to us.”
“You wouldn’t need Navy guarantees for open sea-lanes if you only made the polar attack,” Jian told the marshal. “You could use the ice-mobile units now in Siberia, possibly with an addition of a few specialist formations.”
“I demand to know how you’ve learned about the polar assault war-game plans,” the marshal repeated. “They are top secret and of recent design. Few in the Army even know about them.”
It was through the Police Minister, but Jian wasn’t going to tell anyone that. There were highly patriotic generals on the marshal’s planning staff. Some of them were spies for the Security Bureau—the Police. Jian simply stared at the old marshal and shrugged.
The marshal sputtered.
“I do not believe what I’m hearing,” Deng said. “Jian Hong has jeopardized our nation by his interference in military matters. His urging of the destruction of the American oil well sabotaged us at the most critical moment in Sydney. The Americans will never give us preferred status now for wheat and corn purchases.”
“Then we must show them the Chinese fist,” Jian said. “The Americans are like an aging woman who still possesses charms. A few sharp slaps across the face will teach this woman her place.”
“Spoken, no doubt, as a practiced rapist,” Deng said.
“Your mockery of Chinese military power has not gone unnoticed, Deng Fong,” Jian said, ignoring the insult.
“I only mock your plans,” Deng said. “It is either the ravings of a lunatic or the desperation of a guilty man.”
“So a few frightened men dared to say about our honored Chairman before he sent troops into Siberia,” Jian said. “The Chairman’s courage has richly rewarded China. What will our courage here now give us?”
“Siberia was weak and Russia was an ailing power then,” Deng said.
“You have a vicious soul to denigrate our Chairman’s foresight and courage,” Jian said. “Only our glorious Chairman had the manliness to deal with the problem directly by unleashing our military might. The Northeastern Area was finally returned to China after too many years in Russia’s dirty grip. The nation wept with joy, and we gained the vast Siberian oilfields.”
“You carried China on your shoulders, sir,” Deng told the Chairman. “No one here denigrates your noble deeds. But suppose we capture Alaska and still the Americans refuse to sell us grain? Then what have we gained?”
“Your rhetorical tricks won’t blind us today,” Jian said. “We would turn the wheel, cutting off their oil. Many of their industries would grind to a stop. Their cars would lie idle and there would be a revolution in America, as everyone understands their love affair with motor vehicles.”
“I am not convinced you’re right,” Deng said. “The Americans have learned how to clean coal, and they have massive reserves of it. Lack of oil would also spur them quicker into space and construction of the Solar Powered Satellites.”
“That all lies well in the future,” Jian said. “We may not have that future if our people riot from lack of rice.”
“All brought about because of your amateur meddling in foreign affairs,” Deng said with heat.
“No!” Jian said, “For I’ve learned the lesson of Cheng Ho. Chinese greatness depends on our acting forcefully now that the scepter of world power has once again been laid in our hand. It is time to usher in an era of worldwide Chinese civilization. All we must do is act quickly—act with strategic surprise as the Chairman has shown us twice before.”