"02 - Birth of an Age" - читать интересную книгу автора (BeauSeigneur James)

"Why didn't Moore just kill Gandhi, instead of risking the lives of so many?" Decker asked, still struggling to believe the magnitude of Moore's malevolence.

"The death of Ambassador Lee was believed to be an accident," Milner answered. "If Kruszkegin died, most would assume it was coincidence. But no one would believe the death of three Primary members was just a fluke, especially if soon after that, Moore was finally able to become Secretary-General precisely because of the replacement of those three members. Besides, killing Gandhi would still have left the problems in India and Pakistan for him to deal with as Secretary-General Ч better to try to 'kill two birds with one stone.'"

"What are you going to do?" Decker asked Christopher.

"In the third chapter of Ecclesiastes," Christopher answered, "King Solomon wrote, 'There is a time for everything: a time to be bom and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to reap; a time to heal and a time to kill.'"

Decker looked back and forth from Christopher to Milner and then back to the television screen. As the camera panned the devastation, in the distance, where the smoke and radioactive cloud had not yet entirely shrouded the earth, the moon rose above the horizon, glowing blood red through the desecrated sky.

It was another two hours before their plane landed at Kennedy Airport. From there they went directly to the United Nations, where the Security Council was meeting in closed session on the situation in India, Pakistan, and China. As night fell in the east, the war continued to spread. Nuclear warheads dropped like overripe fruit,

The Power Within Him Ч The Power Within Us All 9

appearing as falling stars in the night sky. The destruction spread 600 miles into China and to the south nearly as far as Hyderabad. Pakistan was a cinder. West and north of Pakistan, the people of Afghanistan, southeastern Iran, and southern Tadzikskajci gathered their families and all they could carry on their backs, and beat a hurried path away from the war. In just days the local weather patterns would fill their fields and wells with toxic fallout. The final estimate of the number killed would exceed 420 million.

For now at least the war was over. India's arsenal was completely spent. Pakistan was little more than an open grave. What was left of India's army survived in small clusters that were cut off from all command and control. Most would die soon from radiation. China was the only participant still in control of its own military and it had no interest in going any further with the war.

There were no winners.

In quick strides Christopher reached the door of the Security Council Chamber and burst through, followed closely by Decker and Milner. For a moment the members stared at the intruders. Everyone knew Decker but they had not seen Milner in a year and a half, and the change in Christopher was more than the hair and the beard; his whole demeanor had changed. Gerard Poupardin, who sat some distance from Moore, recognized Christopher and looked over at another of Moore's staff members and laughed, "Who the hell does he think he is Ч Jesus Christ?"

Christopher seized the opportunity provided by the startled silence. "Mr. President," Christopher said, addressing the Canadian ambassador who sat in the position designated for the President of the Security Council. "Though I have no desire to disrupt the urgent business of this body toward the goal of providing relief to the peoples of India, Pakistan, China, and the surrounding countries, there is one among us who is not fit even to cast his vote among an assembly of thieves, much less this august body!"

"You're out of order!" Moore shouted as he jumped to his feet. "Mr. President, the Alternate from Europe is out of order." The Canadian ambassador reached for his gavel but froze at the sheer power of Christopher's glance.

10 Birth of an Age

"Gentlemen of the Security Council," Christopher continued.

"You're out of order!" Moore shouted again. Christopher looked at Moore and suddenly and inexplicably Moore fell back into his chair, silent.

Christopher continued. "Gentlemen of the Security Council, seldom in history can the cause of a war be traced to one man. On this occasion, it can be. One man sitting among you bears nearly the total burden of guilt for this senseless war. That man is the ambassador from France, Albert Moore."

Moore struggled to his feet. "That's a lie!" he shouted.

Christopher restated the charges against Moore as he had made them to Decker a few hours earlier.

"Lies! All lies!" Moore shouted. "Mr. President, this outrage has gone on long enough. Ambassador Goodman has obviously gone completely mad." Moore could feel his strength returning. "I insist that he be restrained and removed from this chamber and that ..." Moore once again fell silent as Christopher turned and pointed, his arm fully extended, toward him.

"Confess," Christopher said in a quiet but powerful voice.

Moore stared at Christopher in disbelief and began to laugh out loud.

"Confess!" Christopher said again, this time a little louder.

Suddenly Moore froze in his tracks. The panic in his eyes could not begin to reveal the magnitude of his torment. Without warning, he felt as though his blood were turning to acid as it coursed through his veins. His whole being felt as if he were on fire from the inside.

"Confess!" Christopher said a third time, now shouting his demand.