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te; and quite pricey to boot; of course … and; with a deep breath; fettuccine Alfredo; quintessential Italian heart…attack food。 From looking at Ming; he figured that she'd not refuse rich food。
〃So; the new puter and printer systems continue to work out?〃
〃Yes; and Minister Fang has praised me before the rest of the staff for choosing it。 You have made me something of a hero; rade Nomuri。〃
〃I am pleased to hear that;〃 the CIA officer replied; wondering if being called 〃rade〃 was a good thing for the current mission or a bad one。 〃We are bringing out a new portable puter now; one you could take home with you; but which has the same power as your office mainframe; with all the same features and software; of course; even a modem for accessing the Internet。〃
〃Really? I get to do that so seldom。 At work; you see; it is not encouraged for us to surf the 'Net; except when the Minister wants something specific。〃
〃Is that so? What 'Net interests does Minister Fang have?〃
〃Mainly political mentary; and mainly in America and Europe。 Every morning I print up various pieces from the newspapers; the Times of London; New York Times; Washington Post; and so on。 The Minister especially likes to see what the Americans are thinking。〃
〃Not very much;〃 Nomuri observed; as the wine arrived。
〃Excuse me?〃 Ming asked; getting him to turn back。
〃Hmph; oh; the Americans; they don't think very much。 The shallowest people I have ever encountered。 Loud; poorly educated; and their women。。。〃 Chet let his voice trail off。
〃What of their women; rade Nomuri?〃 Ming asked; virtually on mand。
〃Ahh。〃 He took a sip of the wine and nodded for the waiter to serve it properly。 It was a pretty good one from Tuscany。 〃Have you ever seen the American toy; the Barbie doll?〃
〃Yes; they are made here in China; aren't they?〃
〃That is what every American woman wishes to be; hugely tall; with massive bosoms; a waist you can put your hands around。 That is not a woman。 It's a toy; a mannequin for children to play with。 And about as intelligent as your average American woman。 Do you think they have language skills; as you do? Consider: We now converse in English; a language native to neither of us; but we converse well; do we not?〃
〃Yes;〃 Ming agreed。
〃How many Americans speak Mandarin; do you suppose? Or Japanese? No; Americans have no education; no sophistication。 They are a backward nation; and their women are very backward。 They even go to SURGEONs to have their bosoms made bigger; like that stupid child's doll。 It's ical to see them; especially to see them nude;〃 he concluded with a dangle。
〃You have?〃 she asked; on cue。
〃Have what … you mean seen American women nude?〃 He got a wele nod for his question。 This was going well。 Yes; Ming; I am a man of the world。 〃Yes; I have。 I lived there for some months; and it was interesting in a grotesque sort of way。 Some of them can be very sweet; but not like a decent Asian woman with proper proportions; and womanly hair that doesn't e from some cosmetics bottle。 And manners。 Americans lack the manners of an Asian。〃
〃But there are many of our people over there。 Didn't you。。。?〃
〃Meet one? No; the round…eyes keep them for themselves。 I suppose their men appreciate real women; even while their own women turn into something else。〃 He reached to pour some more wine into Ming's glass。 〃But in fairness; there are some things Americans are good at。〃
〃Such as?〃 she asked。 The wine was already loosening her tongue。
〃I will show you later。 Perhaps I owe you an apology; but I have taken the liberty of buying you some American things。〃
〃Really?〃 Excitement in her eyes。 This was really going well; Nomuri told himself。 He'd have to go easier on the wine。 Well; half a bottle; two of these glasses; wouldn't hurt him in any way。 How did that song go。。。 It's okay to do it on the first date。。。 Well; he didn't have to worry about much in the way of religious convictions or inhibitions here; did he? That was one advantage to munism; wasn't it?
The fettuccine arrived right on time; and surprisingly it was pretty good。 He watched her eyes as she took her first forkful。 (Vincenzo's used silverware instead of chopsticks; which was a better idea for fettuccine Alfredo anyway) Her dark eyes were wide as the noodles entered her mouth。
〃This is fine。。。 lots of eggs have gone into it。 I love eggs;〃 she confided。
They're your arteries; honey; the case officer thought。 He watched her inhale the first bit of the fettuccine。 Nomuri reached across the table to top off her wine glass once more。 She scarcely noticed; she attacked her pasta so furiously。
Halfway through the plate of pasta; she looked up。 〃I have never had so fine a dinner;〃 Ming told him。
Nomuri responded with a warm grin。 〃I am so pleased that you are enjoying yourself。〃 Wait'll you see the drawers I just got you; honey。
Attention to orders!〃
Major General Marion Diggs wondered what his new mand would bring him。 The second star on his shoulder。。。 well; he told himself that he could feel the additional weight; but the truth was that he couldn't; not really。 His last five years in the uniform of his country had been interesting。 The first mander of the reconstituted 10th Armored Cavalry Regiment … the Buffalo Soldiers … he'd made that ancient and honored regiment into the drill masters of the Israeli army; turning the Negev Desert into another National Training Center; and in two years he'd hammered every Israeli brigade mander into the ground; then built them up again; tripling their bat effectiveness by every quantifiable measure; so that now the Israeli troopers' swagger was actually justified by their skills。 Then he'd gone off to the real NTC in the high California desert; where he'd done the same thing for his own United States Army。 He'd been there when the Bio War had begun; with his own 11th ACR; the famous Blackhorse Cavalry; and a brigade of National Guardsmen; whose unexpected use of advanced battlefield…control equipment had surprised the hell out of the Blackhorse and their proud mander; Colonel Al Hamm。 The whole bunch had deployed to Saudi; along with the 10th from Israel; and together they'd given a world…class bloody nose to the army of the short…lived United Islamic Republic。 After acing his colonel…mand; he'd really distinguished himself as a one…star; and that was the gateway to the second sparkling silver device on his shoulder; and also the gateway to his new mand; known variously as 〃First Tanks;〃 〃Old Ironsides;〃 or 〃America's Armored Division。〃 It was the 1st Armored Division; based in Bad Kreuznach; Germany; one of the few remaining heavy divisions under the American flag。
Once there had been a lot of them。 Two full corps of them right here in Germany; 1st and 3rd Armored; 3rd and 8th Infantry; plus a pair of Armored Cavalry Regiments; 2nd and 11th; and the POMCUS sites … monster equipment warehouses … for stateside units like the 2nd Armored; and the 1st Infantry; the Big Red One out of Fort Riley; Kansas; which could redeploy to Europe just as fast as the airlines could deliver them; there to load up their equipment and move out。 All that force … and it was a whole shitload of force; Dig