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red concrete； but the gun tubes sticking out of them were fake。 Whatever engineer had laid out these fortifications had been born with an eye for terrain worthy of Alexander of Macedon。 They appeared to be beautifully sited； but a little too much so。 Their positioning was a little too predictable； and they were visible； if barely so； to the other side； and something barely visible would be the first target hit。 There were even pyrotechnic charges in the false bunkers； so that after a few direct hits they'd explode； and really make the enemy feel fine for having hit them。 Whoever had e up with that idea had been a genius of a military engineer。
But the real defenses on the front of the hills were tiny observation posts whose buried phone lines led back to the real bunkers； and beyond them to artillery positions ten or more kilometers back。 Some of these were old； also pre…sited； but the rockets they launched were just as deadly today as they'd been in the 1940s； design progeny of the Katushka artillery rockets the Germans had learned to hate。 Then came the direct…fire weapons。 The first rank of these were the turrets of old German tanks。 The sights and the ammunition still worked； and the crewmen knew how to use them； and they had escape tunnels leading to vehicles that would probably allow them to survive a determined attack。 The engineers who had laid this line out were probably all dead now； and General Bondarenko hoped they'd been buried honorably； as soldiers deserved。 This line wouldn't stop a determined attack…no fixed line of defenses could acplish that…but it would be enough to make an enemy wish he'd gone somewhere else。
But the camouflage needed work； and that work would be done at night。 A high…flying aircraft tracing over the border with a side…looking camera could see far into his country and take thousands of useful； pretty pictures； and the Chinese probably had a goodly collection of such pictures； plus whatever they could get from their own satellites； or from the mercial birds that anyone could employ now for money…
〃Andrey； tell intelligence to see if we can determine if the Chinese have accessed mercial photo satellites。〃
〃Why bother？ Don't they have their own…〃
〃We don't know how good their reconsats are； but we do know that the new French ones are as good as anything the Americans had up until 1975 or so； and that's good enough for most purposes。〃
〃Yes； General。〃 Aliyev paused。 〃You think something is going to happen here？〃
Bondarenko paused； frowning as he stared south over the river。 He could see into China from this hilltop。 The ground looked no different； but for political reasons it was alien land； and though the inhabitants of that land were no different ethnically from the people native to his land； the political differences were enough to make the sight of them a thing of concern； even fear； for him。 He shook his head。
〃Andrey Petrovich； you've heard the same intelligence briefings I've heard。 What concerns me is that their army has been far more active than ours。 They have the ability to attack us； and we do not have the ability to defeat them。 We have less than three full…strength divisions； and the level of their training is inadequate。 We have much to do before I will begin to feel fortable。 Firming up this line is the easiest thing to do； and the easiest part of firming it up is hiding the bunkers。 Next； we'll start rotating the soldiers back to the training range and have them work on their gunnery。 That will be easy for them to do； but it hasn't been done in ten months！ So much to do； Andrushka； so much to do。〃
〃That is so； rade General； but we've made a good beginning。〃
Bondarenko waved his hand and growled； 〃Ahh； a good beginning will be a year from now。 We've taken the first morning piss in what will be a long day； Colonel。 Now； let's fly east and see the next sector。〃
General Peng Xi…Wang； mander of the Red Banner 34th Shock Army； only sixteen kilometers away； looked through powerful spotting glasses at the Russian frontier。 Thirty…fourth Shock was a Type A Group Army； and prised about eighty thousand men。 He had an armored division； two mechanized ones； a motorized infantry division； and other attachments； such as an independent artillery brigade under his direct mand。 Fifty years of age； and a party member since his twenties； Peng was a long…term professional soldier who'd enjoyed the last ten years of his life。 Since manding his tank regiment as a senior colonel； he'd been able to train his troops incessantly on what had bee his home country。
The Shenyang Military District prised the north…easternmost part of the People's Republic。 It was posed of hilly； wooded land； and had warm summers and hitter winters。 There was a touch of early ice on the Amur River below Peng now； but from a military point of view； the trees were the real obstacle。 Tanks could knock individual trees down； but not every ten meters。 No； you had to drive between and around them； and while there was room for that； it was hard on the drivers； and it ate up fuel almost as efficiently as tipping the fuel drum over on its side and just pouring it out。 There were some roads and railroad rights…of…way； and if he ever went north； he'd be using them； though that made for good ambush opportunities； if the Russians had a good collection of antitank weapons。 But the Russian doctrine； going back half a century； was that the best antitank weapon was a better tank。 In their war with the fascists； the Soviet army had enjoyed possession of a superb tank in the T…34。 They'd built a lot of the Rapier antitank guns； and duly copied NATO guided antitank weapons； but you dealt with those by blanketing an area with artillery fire； and Peng had lots of guns and mountains of shells to deal with the unprotected infantrymen who had to steer the missiles into their targets。 He wished he had the Russian…designed Arena anti…missile system； which had been designed to protect their tanks from the swarm of NATO's deadly insects； but he didn't； and he heard it didn't work all that well anyway。
The spotting glasses were Chinese copies of a German Zeiss model adopted for use by the Soviet Army of old。 They zoomed from twenty to fifty…power； allowing him an intimate view of the other side of the river。 Peng came up here once a month or so； which allowed him to inspect his own border troops； who stood what was really a defensive watch； and a light one at that。 He had little concern about a Russian attack into his country。 The People's Liberation Army taught the same doctrine as every army back to the Assyrians of old： The best defense is a good offense。 If a war began here； better to begin it yourself。 And so Peng had cabinets full of plans to attack into Siberia； prepared by his operations and intelligence people； because that was what operations people did。
〃Their defenses look ill…maintained；〃 Peng observed。
〃That is so； rade；〃 the colonel manding the border…defense regiment agreed。 〃We see little regular activity there。〃
〃They are too busy selling their weapons to civilians for vodka；〃 the army political officer observed。 〃Their morale is poor； and they do not train anything like we do。〃
〃They hav