mean, the very first attack of all.”
“That’s right. The very first attack. They were Russian long range bombers, II 626s, but they were Egyptian manned. They flew from Cairo.”
“Are you sure that’s true?”
“It’s true enough. They got the one that landed at Porto Rico on the way home. They only found out it was Egyptian after we’d bombed Leningrad and Odessa and the nuclear establishments at Kharkov, Kuibyshev, and Molotov. Things must have happened kind of quick that day.”
“Do you mean to say, we bombed Russia by mistake?” It was so horrible a thought as to be incredible.
John Osborne said, “That’s true, Peter. It’s never been admitted publicly, but it’s quite true. The first one was the bomb on Naples. That was the Albanians, of course. Then there was the bomb on Tel Aviv. Nobody knows who dropped that one, not that I’ve heard, anyway. Then the British and Americans intervened and made that demonstration flight over Cairo. Next day the Egyptians sent out all the serviceable bombers that they’d got, six to Washington and seven to London. One got through to Washington, and two to London. After that there weren’t many American or British statesmen left alive.”
Dwight nodded. “The bombers were Russian, and I’veheard it said that they had Russian markings. It’s quite possible.”
“Good God!” said the Australian. “So we bombed Russia?”
“That’s what happened,” said the captain heavily.
John Osborne said, “It’s understandable. London and Washington were out—right out. Decisions had to be made by the military commanders at dispersal in the field, and they had to be made quick before another lot of bombs arrived. Things were very strained with Russia, after the Albanian bomb, and these aircraft were identified as Russian.” He paused. “Somebody had to make a decision, of course, and make it in a matter of minutes. Up at Canberra they think now that he made it wrong.”
“But if it was a mistake, why didn’t they get together and stop it? Why did they go on?”
The captain said, “It’s mighty difficult to stop a war when all the statesmen have been killed.”
The scientist said, “The trouble is, the damn things got too cheap. The original uranium bomb only cost about fifty thousand quid towards the end. Every little pipsqueak country like Albania could have a stockpile of them, and every little country that had that thought it could defeat the major countries in a surprise attack. That was the real trouble.”
“Another was the aeroplanes,” the captain said. “The Russians had been giving the Egyptians aeroplanes for years. So had Britain for that matter, and to Israel, and to Jordan. The big mistake was ever to have given them a long range aeroplane.”
Peter said quietly, “Well, after that the war was on between Russia and the Western Powers. When did China come in?”
The captain said, “I don’t think anybody knows exactly. But I’d say that probably China came in right there with her rockets and her radiological warfare against Russia, taking advantage of the opportunity. Probably they didn’t know how ready Russia was with radiological warfare against China.” He paused. “But that’s all surmise,” he said. “Most of the communications went out pretty soon, and what were left didn’t have much time to talk to us down here, or to South Africa. All we know is that the command came down to quite junior officers, in most countries.”
John Osborne smiled wryly. “Major Chan Sze Lin.”
Peter asked, “Who
was
Chan Sze Lin, anyway?”
The scientist said, “I don’t think anybody really knows, except that he was an officer in the Chinese Air Force, and towards the end he seems to have been in command. The Prime Minister was in touch with him, trying to intervene to stop it all. He seems to have had a lot of rockets in various parts of China, and a lot of bombs to drop. His opposite number in Russia may have been someone
“That’s right. The very first attack. They were Russian long range bombers, II 626s, but they were Egyptian manned. They flew from Cairo.”
“Are you sure that’s true?”
“It’s true enough. They got the one that landed at Porto Rico on the way home. They only found out it was Egyptian after we’d bombed Leningrad and Odessa and the nuclear establishments at Kharkov, Kuibyshev, and Molotov. Things must have happened kind of quick that day.”
“Do you mean to say, we bombed Russia by mistake?” It was so horrible a thought as to be incredible.
John Osborne said, “That’s true, Peter. It’s never been admitted publicly, but it’s quite true. The first one was the bomb on Naples. That was the Albanians, of course. Then there was the bomb on Tel Aviv. Nobody knows who dropped that one, not that I’ve heard, anyway. Then the British and Americans intervened and made that demonstration flight over Cairo. Next day the Egyptians sent out all the serviceable bombers that they’d got, six to Washington and seven to London. One got through to Washington, and two to London. After that there weren’t many American or British statesmen left alive.”
Dwight nodded. “The bombers were Russian, and I’veheard it said that they had Russian markings. It’s quite possible.”
“Good God!” said the Australian. “So we bombed Russia?”
“That’s what happened,” said the captain heavily.
John Osborne said, “It’s understandable. London and Washington were out—right out. Decisions had to be made by the military commanders at dispersal in the field, and they had to be made quick before another lot of bombs arrived. Things were very strained with Russia, after the Albanian bomb, and these aircraft were identified as Russian.” He paused. “Somebody had to make a decision, of course, and make it in a matter of minutes. Up at Canberra they think now that he made it wrong.”
“But if it was a mistake, why didn’t they get together and stop it? Why did they go on?”
The captain said, “It’s mighty difficult to stop a war when all the statesmen have been killed.”
The scientist said, “The trouble is, the damn things got too cheap. The original uranium bomb only cost about fifty thousand quid towards the end. Every little pipsqueak country like Albania could have a stockpile of them, and every little country that had that thought it could defeat the major countries in a surprise attack. That was the real trouble.”
“Another was the aeroplanes,” the captain said. “The Russians had been giving the Egyptians aeroplanes for years. So had Britain for that matter, and to Israel, and to Jordan. The big mistake was ever to have given them a long range aeroplane.”
Peter said quietly, “Well, after that the war was on between Russia and the Western Powers. When did China come in?”
The captain said, “I don’t think anybody knows exactly. But I’d say that probably China came in right there with her rockets and her radiological warfare against Russia, taking advantage of the opportunity. Probably they didn’t know how ready Russia was with radiological warfare against China.” He paused. “But that’s all surmise,” he said. “Most of the communications went out pretty soon, and what were left didn’t have much time to talk to us down here, or to South Africa. All we know is that the command came down to quite junior officers, in most countries.”
John Osborne smiled wryly. “Major Chan Sze Lin.”
Peter asked, “Who
was
Chan Sze Lin, anyway?”
The scientist said, “I don’t think anybody really knows, except that he was an officer in the Chinese Air Force, and towards the end he seems to have been in command. The Prime Minister was in touch with him, trying to intervene to stop it all. He seems to have had a lot of rockets in various parts of China, and a lot of bombs to drop. His opposite number in Russia may have been someone
Similar Books
