of the Eastern Mediterranean islands by attacking Crete soon. To leave that in British hands would mean they might soon have bombers there that could reach Ploesti.”
“Yes,” said Kirov, “but don’t hold your breath. The British only made a few small raids on Ploesti in 1941, with no more than five or ten planes each. The Americans aren’t in it yet, and their first major air raid there doesn’t come until August 1st of 1943, at least according to the material. Even that was considered a strategic failure. They started off calling it Operation Tidal Wave, until their bombers were shot to pieces. In the end the pilots referred to it as Black Sunday. So as to this German Operation Orient—what do we know?”
“Not much has developed, sir. They have even pulled 5th SS division out of Syria and moved it to join the SS Corps in the Dnieper Bend. The other crack units that were sent to Rommel have also been recalled. Both the Hermann Goering Brigade and the Grossdeutschland Brigade have been returned to France. They are being built up to full scale divisions for deployment against us.”
“Churchill must be happy now,” said Kirov with a half hearted smile. “The British complained they were alone in this war since 1939. Now they’ve simply handed it over to us. All but five of Germany’s divisions in active fronts are facing us. Face it, Grishin. This is our war now.”
“Yet the material indicates the Japanese will soon attack Pearl harbor.”
“Yes, and that will start the war in the Pacific if it happens. It might do Karpov some good, because I don’t suppose the Japanese will be looking to push any further into Siberia. They’ll want oil too, and all the developed sources in Asia are in the south.”
“Then you believe the material will hold true? The Japanese will strike into Southeast Asia?”
“Most likely,” said Kirov. “Then the British lose Hong Kong and Singapore, and the Americans lose the Philippines. And we must not expect much help from them now either. They cannot ship anything to us through Vladivostok, because the Japanese have been sitting there for decades. They can’t send us anything through the Middle East now, not with Turkey in the grey zone and German troops minding the rail system there. Nothing gets in through Iran because of Volkov, and so that leaves only one route—the Murmansk convoys. They become crucial for us now. We can build the tanks, but we never seem to have enough time to build the trucks!”
“The first Murmansk convoy is staging to test the route now, sir. The British are calling it Operation Dervish.”
Kirov smiled. “Just as they did in the material. See Grishin? This world may be fractured in a hundred pieces, but some things still hold true. Let us hope that convoy gets through without incident.”
“I think it has good prospects,” said Berzin. “The really big German raiders have all sought refuge in French Ports now after that big sea battle. They lost their only big aircraft carrier as well.”
“Yes…” Kirov had a knowing look on his face now. “Those naval rockets were reported in use there, correct? I think our friends at sea may have had a good deal to do with that situation. What news of them, Grishin? What of the ship they had the good sense to name the Sergei Kirov?”
Part VIII
Doppelganger
“After a great blow, or crisis, after the first shock and then after the nerves have stopped screaming and twitching, you settle down to the new condition of things and feel that all possibility of change has been used up. You adjust yourself, and are sure that the new equilibrium is for eternity. . . But if anything is certain it is that no story is ever over, for the story which we think is over is only a chapter in a story which will not be over…”
- Robert Penn Warren – All the King’s Men
Chapter 22
Fedorov sat in the sick bay, eyes closed, feeling very strange. He tried to sleep, but his mind was too active with unanswered questions. In time he decided he simply must return to the bridge, and convinced Doctor Zolkin he was steady on his feet. The Doctor gave him one last cursory observation, noting his eyes and sense of balance, and then certified him as fit for duty.
He slipped on his cap, and was out the door into the corridor, walking in a fog of his own thinking. A few men saluted