"James P. Hogan - Leapfrog" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hogan James P)

was a major in Afghanistan back in the eighties. He was a gold mine of
information on weapons and tactics.тАЭ
тАЬAll of it out of date. He was an incompetent in Afghanistan. It
saved us having to pay his pension.тАЭ
тАЬLetтАЩs face it. You were all incompetents when it came to
Afghanistan.тАЭ
 тАЬIs that so, now? And are you so quickly forgetting a little
place called Vietnam? It was we who sucked you into that mess, you
know, like the speedsands.тАЭ
тАЬBaloney. It was our own delusion in the early fifties over a
global Communist conspiracy being masterminded from the Kremlin.тАЭ
тАЬPrecisely! And where did the delusion come from, do you think?
The misinformation-spreading was always one of our masterpiece arts,
yes?тАЭ
They raised their glasses belligerently, looking at each other
over the rims as they drank. VusilovтАЩs mouth contorted irascibly.
Clearly he was unwilling to let it go at that, yet at the same time he
seemed to be having a problem over whether or not to voice what was
going through his mind.
тАЬIt didnтАЩt do you a hell of a lot of good with China,тАЭ Halloran
said. That did it. тАЬBut our greatest secret weapon of all, you never
discovered.тАЭ Halloran raised his eyebrows. Vusilov wagged a finger.
тАЬOh, yes. Even today, you donтАЩt even suspect what it was. The Russian
leaders we have today, they are young now, and even most of them
forget.тАЭ
тАЬWhat are you talking about?тАЭ Halloran asked.
Vusilov gave a satisfied nod. тАЬAh, so, now I have got you
curious, eh?тАЭ He paused to extract the most from the moment. Halloran
waited. The Russian waved a hand suddenly. His voice took on a stronger
note. тАЬLook around you today, Ed Halloran, and tell me
what do you see? Back on Earth, the Soviet space enterprises are
supreme, and we are started already to colonize the Moon. And out here,
you see we are the major presence in the nations who come to Mars. . .
. Yet, now look back at the way the world was when it ends the Great
Patriotic War in 1945, and you see it is America that holds the oyster
in its hand, yes?тАЭ Vusilov shrugged. тАЬSo where does it all go down the
pipes? You had it made, guys. What happened?тАЭ
Halloran could only shake his head and sigh. тАЬThese things hap..
pen. What do you want me to say, Sergei? Okay, I agree that we blew it
somehow, somewhere along the line. WeтАЩve got a saying that every dog
has its dayтАФand so do nations. Look at history. We had ours, and now
itтАЩs your turn. Congratulations.тАЭ
Vusilov looked at him reproachfully. тАЬYou think thatтАЩs all there
is to it, that the power plant which the USA had become all just goes
away, like the dog who had a lousy day? You do us a disservice.
WouldnтАЩt you grant us that perhaps, maybe, we might just have a little
piece to do with what happens?тАЭ
Now it was HalloranтАЩs turn to laugh. тАЬYouтАЩre not trying to tell
me it was your doing?тАЭ
тАЬBut that is exactly what I am telling you.тАЭ Vusilov stared back