"David Weber - Fifth Imperium 02 - The Armageddon Inheritance" - читать интересную книгу автора (Weber David)

"I-It is," Quang managed, and Tsien raised an eyebrow over one arctic eye. Quang swallowed.
"Comrade Marshal," he added quickly.

"I am relieved to hear it," Tsien said more pleasantly, and walked towards the cutter once more. Quang
followed silently, but the marshal could feel the man's resentment and resistance. Quang and those like
him, particularly those with a base in the Party, were dangerous. They were quite capable of doing
something utterly stupid, and the marshal made a mental note to have Quang quietly reassigned to some
less sensitive duty. Command of the air patrols and SAM bases covering the Sea of Japan, perhaps. That
once prestigious post had become utterly meaningless, but it might take Quang a few months to realize it

And in the meantime, Tsien could get on with what mattered. He did not know the American Hatcher
who spoke for theтАж beings who had seized control of Earth, but he had met Chernikov. He was a
Russian, and so, by definition, not to be trusted, but his professionalism had impressed Tsien almost
against his will, and he seemed to respect Hatcher and the Englishman, Amesbury. Perhaps Hatcher was
truly sincere. Perhaps his offer of cooperation, of an equal share in this new, planet-wide military
organization, was genuine. There had, after all, been fewer outrageous demands by his political masters in
the "Planetary Council" than Tsien had feared. Perhaps that was a good sign.

It had better be. all he had said to Quang was correct; the military position made resistance hopeless. Yet
that had been true before in Asia's history, and if these Westerners meant to make effective use of Asia's
vast manpower, some of their new military technology must fall into Asian hands.

Tsien had used that argument with dozens of frightened, angry juniors, yet he was not certain he believed
it, and it irritated him to be unsure whether his own doubts were rational or emotional. After so many
years of enmity, it was difficult to think with cold logic about any proposal from the West, yet in his heart
of hearts, he could not believe they were lying. The scope of their present advantage was too
overwhelming. They were too anxious, too concerned over the approach of these "Achuultani," for the
threat to be an invention.

His waiting pilot saluted and allowed him to precede her into the cutter, then settled behind her controls.
The small, silent vehicle bulleted upward, then darted away, springing instantly forward at eight times the
speed of sound. There was no sense of acceleration, yet Tsien felt another weightтАФthe weight of
inevitabilityтАФpressing down upon his soul. The wind of change was blowing, sweeping over all this world
like a typhoon, and resistance would be a wall of straw before it Whatever Quang and his ilk feared,
whatever he himself thought, they must ride that wind or perish.

And at least China's culture was ancient and there were two billion Chinese. If the promises of this
Planetary Council were genuine, if all citizens were to enjoy equal access to wealth and opportunity, that
fact alone would give his people tremendous influence.
He smiled to himself. Perhaps these glib Westerners had forgotten that China knew how to conquer
invaders it could not defeat.

Chapter Three

Gerald Hatcher and his fellows rose courteously as Marshal Tsien entered the conference room, his
shoulders straight and his face impassive. He was a big bastard for a Chinese, Hatcher reflected, taller
even than Vassily, and broad enough to make two of Hatcher himself.

"Marshal," he said, holding out his hand Tsien took it with the briefest of hesitations, but his grip was firm.
Thank you for coming wont you sit down, please?"