Page 92 of Edge of Eternity (The Century 3)

Around the table several people nodded agreement. Filipov had scored heavily against Dimka.

At that moment Natalya spoke. "As a matter of fact, there is some evidence," she said. She passed Dimka the typed pages she had been reading on the beach.

Dimka scanned the document. It was a report from the KGB station chief in the USA, and it was headed: "Operation Mongoose."

While he was rapidly reading the pages, Natalya said: "Contrary to what Comrade Filipov from the Defense Ministry argues, the KGB is sure the Americans have not given up on Cuba."

Filipov was furious. "Why has this document not been circulated to us all?"

"It's only just in from Washington," Natalya said coolly. "You'll get a copy this afternoon, I'm sure."

Natalya always seemed to get hold of key information a little ahead of everyone else, Dimka reflected. It was a great skill for an aide. Clearly she must be very valuable to her boss, Foreign Minister Gromyko. No doubt that was why she had such a high-powered job.

Dimka was astonished by what he was reading. It meant he would win today's argument, thanks to Natalya, but it was bad news for Cuba's revolution. "This is even worse than Comrade Khrushchev feared!" he said. "The CIA has sabotage teams in Cuba ready to destroy sugar mills and power stations. It's guerrilla warfare! And they're plotting to assassinate Castro!"

Filipov said desperately: "Can we rely on this information?"

Dimka looked at him. "What's your opinion of the KGB, comrade?"

Filipov shut up.

Dimka got to his feet. "I'm sorry to draw this meeting to a premature close," he said. "But I think the first secretary needs to see this right away." He le

ft the building.

He followed a path through the pine forest to Khrushchev's white stucco villa. Inside, it was strikingly furnished with white curtains and furniture made of timber bleached like driftwood. He wondered who had picked such a radically contemporary style: certainly not the peasant Khrushchev, who, if he noticed decor at all, would probably have preferred velvet upholstery and flower-patterned carpets.

Dimka found the leader on the upstairs balcony that looked over the bay. Khrushchev was holding a pair of powerful Komz binoculars.

Dimka was not nervous. Khrushchev had taken a liking to him, he knew. The boss was pleased with the way he stood up to the other aides. "I thought you would want to see this report right away," Dimka said. "Operation Mongoose--"

"I just read it," Khrushchev interrupted. He handed the binoculars to Dimka. "Look over there," he said, pointing across the water toward Turkey.

Dimka put the binoculars to his eyes.

"American nuclear missiles," said Khrushchev. "Aimed at my dacha!"

Dimka could not see any missiles. He could not see Turkey, which was one hundred fifty miles away in that direction. But he knew that this characteristically theatrical gesture by Khrushchev was essentially right. In Turkey the USA had deployed Jupiter missiles, obsolete but certainly not harmless: Dimka had this information from his uncle Volodya in Red Army Intelligence.

Dimka was not sure what to do. Should he pretend he could see the missiles through the binoculars? But Khrushchev must know he could not.

Khrushchev solved the problem by snatching the binoculars back. "And do you know what I'm going to do?" he said.

"Please tell me."

"I'm going to let Kennedy know how it feels. I will deploy nuclear missiles in Cuba--aimed at his dacha!"

Dimka was speechless. He had not been expecting this. And he could not see it as a good idea. He agreed with his boss in wanting more military aid for Cuba, and he had been battling the Defense Ministry over that issue--but now Khrushchev was going too far. "Nuclear missiles?" he repeated, trying to gain time to think.

"Exactly!" Khrushchev pointed to the KGB report on Operation Mongoose that Dimka was still clutching. "And that will convince the Politburo to support me. Poisoned cigars. Ha!"

"Our official line has been that we will not deploy nuclear weapons in Cuba," Dimka said, in the manner of one who presents incidental information, rather than in an argumentative tone. "We have given the Americans that reassurance several times, and publicly."

Khrushchev grinned with impish delight. "Then Kennedy will be all the more surprised!"

Khrushchev scared Dimka in this mood. The first secretary was not a fool, but he was a gambler. If this scheme went wrong it could lead to a diplomatic humiliation that might bring about Khrushchev's downfall as leader--and, by way of collateral damage, end Dimka's career. Worse, it might provoke the American invasion of Cuba that it was intended to prevent--and his beloved sister was in Cuba. There was even a chance that it would spark the nuclear war that would end capitalism, Communism, and quite possibly the human race.

On the other hand, Dimka could not help feeling excited. What a tremendous blow would be struck against the rich, smug Kennedy boys, against the global bully that was the United States, and against the whole capitalist-imperialist power bloc. If the gamble paid off, what a triumph it would be for the USSR and Khrushchev.

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