and composed herself to go down for breakfast.
Breakfast for the both of them consisted of more fruit juice than usual and a mix of cereals and breads. They decided that a quiet day shopping, possibly for a new outfit for the reception that night, combined with a light lunch would probably be the maximum that either of them could comfortably contemplate. Mary hoped her husband wouldn't be playing soldiers today.
11:20 31 October [08:20 31 October GMT]
MoD Building, Frunzenskaya embankment, Khamovniki District, Moscow .
'The negotiations are going well I think.' Colonel Petrenko suggested.
'You think so Nickolai Andreovich?' replied General Ivanskiy, more tersely than he intended.
He pulled out his packet of Sorbaine cigarettes and offered one to the Colonel. The Colonel took it gratefully.
'I do, yes General.' The Colonel stiffened, ready for the almost inevitable lecture about why and how he was wrong in his evaluation of the situation.
'Well,' the General started, looking deep into his subordinate's eyes 'I guess you may be right.'
The Colonel, very gently, let out the breath he was holding, his shoulders relaxed and the tension he had felt ebbed quietly away.
'You see,' the General continued, ‘they seem to be agreeing to every damn thing we suggest. It's unnerving. I don't know if they are just playing for time or if they are planning to spring a big suggestion on us knowing that we would have to swallow it. You've been dealing with your counterparts, what do you make of their negotiating stance?'
The Colonel took a long draw on his cigarette, let it out under force and stared off into the distance for a couple of seconds, he took another, smaller draw on his cigarette before he finally replied.
'I don't think they have a negotiating stance, at least not anymore. The impression I get is that they had spent a lot of time going through various scenarios before coming here. Unfortunately for them, your brilliant plan delivered on day one totally threw all of their preparation out of the window. I think they have been making it up ever since.'
The General acknowledged the compliment. So , he thought to himself , Nickolai Andreovich is politic as well as capable of speaking his own mind; this will be one to watch.
'I think you are right Nickolai Andreovich, I think you are right.'
The Colonel straightened up considerably at such recognition; the General just smiled inwardly to himself and made a note to have the Colonel included in the actual war games. The General returned to the negotiations intent on understanding what the American and British negotiating positions actually were. As the meeting reconvened, the General began.
'We have talked much and agreed much and before we continue I would like to give you both the opportunity to outline' the General paused for the right words 'those areas of greatest concern to you.'
Shit , thought Sam and Charlie almost simultaneously, he has rumbled us .
'Thank you General,' began Charlie 'and thank you as well for both proposing and hosting these discussions.'
Charlie had no idea where he was going with this, but he knew the worst thing to do would be to show weakness in front of the Russians. Both the American and the British delegations at the talks and those back home had been working hard since the first day. The bombshell dropped by the Russians by proposing a truly joint exercise had swept away all of the Anglo-American planning. So far, no one had come up with anything remotely satisfactory to replace their previous negotiating stance. Now Charlie had to succeed in a second where dozens had failed.
'What we were considering, deliberating really…’ Charlie began, hoping that his mind would not fail him '…was...was...whether, as it is going to be such a major exercise, it would be possible to have a military base for our troops in
Breakfast for the both of them consisted of more fruit juice than usual and a mix of cereals and breads. They decided that a quiet day shopping, possibly for a new outfit for the reception that night, combined with a light lunch would probably be the maximum that either of them could comfortably contemplate. Mary hoped her husband wouldn't be playing soldiers today.
11:20 31 October [08:20 31 October GMT]
MoD Building, Frunzenskaya embankment, Khamovniki District, Moscow .
'The negotiations are going well I think.' Colonel Petrenko suggested.
'You think so Nickolai Andreovich?' replied General Ivanskiy, more tersely than he intended.
He pulled out his packet of Sorbaine cigarettes and offered one to the Colonel. The Colonel took it gratefully.
'I do, yes General.' The Colonel stiffened, ready for the almost inevitable lecture about why and how he was wrong in his evaluation of the situation.
'Well,' the General started, looking deep into his subordinate's eyes 'I guess you may be right.'
The Colonel, very gently, let out the breath he was holding, his shoulders relaxed and the tension he had felt ebbed quietly away.
'You see,' the General continued, ‘they seem to be agreeing to every damn thing we suggest. It's unnerving. I don't know if they are just playing for time or if they are planning to spring a big suggestion on us knowing that we would have to swallow it. You've been dealing with your counterparts, what do you make of their negotiating stance?'
The Colonel took a long draw on his cigarette, let it out under force and stared off into the distance for a couple of seconds, he took another, smaller draw on his cigarette before he finally replied.
'I don't think they have a negotiating stance, at least not anymore. The impression I get is that they had spent a lot of time going through various scenarios before coming here. Unfortunately for them, your brilliant plan delivered on day one totally threw all of their preparation out of the window. I think they have been making it up ever since.'
The General acknowledged the compliment. So , he thought to himself , Nickolai Andreovich is politic as well as capable of speaking his own mind; this will be one to watch.
'I think you are right Nickolai Andreovich, I think you are right.'
The Colonel straightened up considerably at such recognition; the General just smiled inwardly to himself and made a note to have the Colonel included in the actual war games. The General returned to the negotiations intent on understanding what the American and British negotiating positions actually were. As the meeting reconvened, the General began.
'We have talked much and agreed much and before we continue I would like to give you both the opportunity to outline' the General paused for the right words 'those areas of greatest concern to you.'
Shit , thought Sam and Charlie almost simultaneously, he has rumbled us .
'Thank you General,' began Charlie 'and thank you as well for both proposing and hosting these discussions.'
Charlie had no idea where he was going with this, but he knew the worst thing to do would be to show weakness in front of the Russians. Both the American and the British delegations at the talks and those back home had been working hard since the first day. The bombshell dropped by the Russians by proposing a truly joint exercise had swept away all of the Anglo-American planning. So far, no one had come up with anything remotely satisfactory to replace their previous negotiating stance. Now Charlie had to succeed in a second where dozens had failed.
'What we were considering, deliberating really…’ Charlie began, hoping that his mind would not fail him '…was...was...whether, as it is going to be such a major exercise, it would be possible to have a military base for our troops in
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