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　　 自第二次世界大戰以來，生育率有所下降。為了增加新生兒數量，蘇聯政府將非婚生子女合法化，為新婚夫婦分配住房，並修改了婚姻法以提高婦女地位。

　　 蘇聯婚姻法規定

　　 1. 如果夫妻離婚，男人的房子、儲蓄和家具都屬於女人，只有汽車可以給男人（包括婚前財產）。

　　 2. 如果夫妻離婚，子女的監護權也屬於母親，如果妻子再婚，男子的子女就不能再使用前夫的名字。

　　 3. 妻子擁有管理婚姻財產的絕對權利。男子的婚姻收入需要全額支付；

　　 4. 一個在家里虐待妻子的男人，即使他喝醉時是無意的行為，也會被逮捕。

　　 因為婚姻法對婦女有利與合法私生子，導致男子結婚意願下降。此外，分配的赫魯曉夫樓建築面積小，導致了婦女的不滿。女權倡導者指責蘇聯政府厭惡女性。

　　 到了20世紀70年代，蘇聯的生育政策付出了巨大的代價。1970年，出生率下降到1%。

　　 “婚姻法應該修改嗎，或者……你有什麼想法嗎？”羅曼諾夫揉著疲憊的眼睛問道。

　　 “那麼，一個混合型的系統呢？在這個系統中，國家在建立家庭的過程中持有股權？”

　　 “我並不是這個想法的粉絲。”羅曼諾夫說：“這似乎與國家世俗化的概念不符。”

　　 特雷古波娃說：“但如果這是一個國家在經濟上幫助撫養孩子的制度，或者如果國家為每個孩子支付一定數額的錢，那麼我可以看到它更具吸引力。”。

　　 “是的，在那里的預算支出中再加上數百億盧布！你還不如讓我破產。”

　　 “嗯，我們不能這麼做。所以，也許我們應該考慮其他的想法。”

　　 羅曼諾夫想了想說：“我們還應該為小別墅建立集中居住區，以取代赫魯曉夫的房子，同時收養來自羅馬尼亞等東歐國家的孤兒和被遺棄兒童。”

　　 “我喜歡這個想法，我相信中央委員會的成員也會這麼做。”特雷古波娃說：“讓我們給它一些時間，看看我們還能想出什麼。”

　　 “很好。與此同時，我認為我們應該會見其他共產主義國家的代表，討論我們可以做些什麼來改善我們的狀況。”

　　 “我們將和誰簽訂這些協議？”特雷古波娃問道。

　　 “好吧，如果你的意思是這樣的話，我們就不會跟魔鬼做交易了。”羅曼諾夫放下筆說，“順便問一下，你同意我先前的要求了嗎？”

　　 “我還在考慮，但我通常傾向於同意你要求的大多數事情。”

　　 羅曼諾夫點點頭：“我相信你會同意幫我聯系政治局，順便問一下，你找到那個負責聯系列寧格勒波羅的海銀行的女孩了嗎？”

　　 “哦，是的，那個列寧格勒女孩。我已經設法安排你和她見面了。”

　　 “太好了，開始吧。”

　　 “那我成為中央委員會正式委員的夢想呢？”

　　 “我會幫你的，再過幾年，你還太年輕。”

　　 “哦，謝謝你！”

　　 “你最近應該好好休息一下。”

　　 特雷古波娃揚起眉毛看著羅曼諾夫。“是嗎？”

　　 “的確，”羅曼諾夫說。“現在，那個列寧格勒女孩叫什麼名字？全名和年齡。”

　　 特雷古波娃的臉有點發紅，她說：“我希望你沒有計劃強迫我向你透露這些信息。”

　　 “當然不是。現在，”他說

　　 “德米特里·烏拉帕拉，”特雷古波娃有些挑釁地說，“22歲，全名讀作‘德米特里·烏拉帕拉’，”她看著羅曼諾夫，拼出了這句話。“你可以叫她和你見面。她會在列寧格勒代表所在的那個房間旁邊。”

　　 \"完美。明天讓她來見你，到時候我會給你進一步的指示。\"羅曼諾夫說，不屑地揮了揮手。

　　 特雷古波娃離開了羅曼諾夫的辦公室，臉上帶著一點皺眉。

　　 -------

　　 第二天，德米特里烏拉帕拉在約定的時間在隔壁的一個空房間見到了羅曼諾夫。這位年輕女子的臉色非常蒼白，當她伸出手讓他握手時，她的手也在顫抖。

　　 當他們完成後，她說：\"我是德米特里-烏拉帕拉，你可以叫我烏拉帕拉。\"

　　 \"我是格里高利-瓦西里耶維奇，\"羅曼諾夫說，握住她的手，\"這是特雷古波娃。\" 他繼續說道，向站在他身後幾英尺處的奧爾加做了個手勢。

　　 \"我能幫你什麼嗎？\" 烏拉帕拉問道。

　　 \"當然，我想問你一個問題。你對你的祖國與你自己有什麼感覺？你可以說實話。\"

　　 烏拉帕拉沒有說什麼，然後她說：\"我非常喜歡我的國家，我不認為我有什麼特別之處。\"

　　 羅曼諾夫坐在沙發上，指著旁邊的沙發椅說：\"坐下來，告訴我，你認為什麼是最重要的？\"

　　 烏拉帕拉坐下來，說：\"我認為最重要的是我們應該團結一致。我們不應該讓那些渴望權力和貪婪的人試圖分開我們。\"

　　 \"是這樣的嗎？你學過經濟學嗎？特別是金融？\" 羅曼諾夫問。

　　 \"是的，我獲得了金融工商方面的MBA學位。\"

　　 \"你的家庭有什麼樣的財務顧問？\"

　　 \"我的家庭是相當富裕的。\"

　　 \"但你還是選擇了金融領域？\"

　　 \"是的，我想幫助我的家人打理他們的生意，在我拿到學位後，我決定為他們工作。\"

　　 \"真幸運。你學習金融是為了什麼？說實話吧。\"

　　 \"嗯......，有一天我想成為一家大公司的經理。\"

　　 \"你認為自己是有朝一日會管理人的人嗎？\"

　　 \"是的。\"

　　 羅曼諾夫點點頭起身打開收音機聲音又問：\"好吧，如果有機會讓你成為一家銀行的董事和股東呢？\"

　　 烏拉帕拉的眼睛睜大了，她說：\"嗯，...... 我很感興趣。\"

　　 \"很好，我很高興聽到這個消息。如果你在銀行，你能通過一些小手段幫助一個大人物嗎？\" 羅曼諾夫走到她面前問道。

　　 \"你可以再說一遍，但要再含蓄巧妙一點？\"

　　 \"你是什麼意思？\"

　　 \"我的意思是，不是說我不欣賞你說的話，但......\"

　　 \"這要求不高。只是一個小小的幫助。就這麼簡單。你能做到這一點嗎？\"

　　 \"嗯...... 我想是的。\"

　　 \"這就是我所需要的。現在，告訴我你需要什麼才能到達那里？\"

　　 烏拉帕拉想了一會兒。\"我想如果我成功了，那家銀行的董事會里會有我的一個席位。\"

　　 \"如果你再成功一點，你可以在那家銀行有很大的股份。\" 羅曼諾夫盯著她，說：\"那麼，交易？\"

　　 \"是的，我可以這樣做。\"

　　 \"你可以在董事會有一個席位，在銀行有很大的股份？\"

　　 \"一個大賭注。\"

　　 \"很好，我們有一筆交易。\" 羅曼諾夫指著她說：\"脫掉你的胸罩。\"

　　 烏拉帕拉緊張地環顧四周，然後咬住嘴唇。她站起來，解開胸罩，羅曼諾夫說：\"是的，是的。我看得出你很緊張。你會沒事的。\"

　　 烏拉帕拉解開胸罩，讓它掉到地上。

　　 羅曼諾夫站起來，繞著她走，用手沿著她的背部摸索，說：\"你非常緊張。放松。\" 他繼續說：\"你會好起來的。\" 他坐在沙發上，拍了拍他旁邊的空間。\"坐下吧。\"

　　 烏拉帕拉猶豫了一下，然後移動到羅曼諾夫旁邊坐下。羅曼諾夫用一只手摟著她，把她拉得比兄弟還近。她僵硬地坐著，然後在羅曼諾夫的手撫摸她的頭發時放松下來。

　　 \"好，\"羅曼諾夫說。\"特雷古波娃，親愛的來給我們拍照。\"

　　 特雷古波娃走過去，說：\"你不打算讓她把上衣脫掉？\"

　　 \"不，我不會，\"羅曼諾夫說。\"此外，我希望照片能顯示我們在一起。\"

　　 相機的快門啪地一聲打開了，他們三個人都愣住了。羅曼諾夫看了看他的腕表，說：\"十，九，八，七......\"

　　 \"等等！\" 烏拉帕拉說，\"那是什麼啪的一聲？\" 她指著秒表。

　　 \"五，四，三，二，一！\" 羅曼諾夫說。

　　 快門啪的一聲關上了，烏拉帕拉張口結舌地盯著她。

　　 \"我不能相信這一點。你至少可以先問問我。\" 她看了看特雷古波娃。

　　 \"很好。現在，給我們倆拍一張照片。\"

　　 特雷古波娃轉過身來，烏拉帕拉僵硬地站著，雙手緊握在身前。他們盯著相機。\"一......\" 快門啪的一聲關上了。

　　 \"二......\"

　　 \"三......\"

　　 一張奴隸和她的新主人的照片，\"羅曼諾夫拍著胸脯，\"就是這樣，\"他微笑著說。

　　 “我不是你的奴隸，”烏拉帕拉用刺耳的聲音說，“我要向領袖報告你。”

　　 “我不這麼認為。”

　　 烏帕拉交叉雙臂說：“我不怕向當局報告你。”

　　 羅曼諾夫說：“我並不擔心你會這樣做，但是，在這樣一個組織中，我們不能讓人們對他們所處的職位過於依戀。如果你依戀我，你將成為這項事業的累贅。”

　　 “我不明白你怎麼能這樣做，”烏拉帕拉說，“你不了解我。”

　　 羅曼諾夫站起來，拿起酒杯倒酒，說：“整個蘇聯有2.8億人，我需要認識每一個女孩嗎？”烏拉帕拉張開嘴說了些什麼，但羅曼諾夫繼續說，“我認為，我們之所以如此成功，是因為我們對媒體、教育體系和這個國家大多數人的文化理想都有著非常嚴格的控制。換句話說，我們幾乎沒有反對意見。現在，你越成功，你就會有越多的反對意見。你越不成功，你的反對意見就越少。這就是它的工作原理。“給你。”羅曼諾夫把杯子遞給烏拉帕拉和特雷古波娃。“你不必喝，但把它扔掉是不明智的。”特雷古波娃拿起杯子說，“你為什麼把這個給我？”

　　 “因為我想讓你管理辦公室的財務，”羅曼諾夫說，“相信我，我不會把酒遞給我不喜歡的人。你們倆都是我的人？對吧?\"

　　 “你可以相信我們，”烏拉帕拉說，“我們不會讓你失望的。”

　　 “那很好，”羅曼諾夫說，“因為，如果你這樣做了，你就要和我打交道了。”

　　 羅曼諾夫站起來，在房間里走來走去，盯著窗外說：“現在，離開這里。幾天後去列寧格勒，我需要你的時候，特雷古波娃會和你聯系的。”

　　 烏拉帕拉站起來，吻了吻羅曼諾夫的臉頰，說：“別忘了我。”

　　 “我不會的，”羅曼諾夫說，“現在，你走吧。”

　　 烏拉帕拉走出門時，羅曼諾夫說：“希望她是認真的。”

　　 “她以前從未對我們撒謊，”特雷古波娃說，“但是，誰知道呢？她被分配到我們這一天。也許她會像其他人一樣。”

　　 “她是我們的同志。”

　　 “是的，”特雷古波娃說，“我們的同志。”

　　 羅曼諾夫坐在沙發上，查看來自各個地區的報告和信件，說：“我希望你不是嫉妒或其他什麼，她是你自己推薦給我的。”

　　 “當然不是，”特雷古波娃說，“但是，考慮到你的工作，你確定她會合適嗎？”

　　 “我不知道，”羅曼諾夫承認，“我只需要在不直接參與的情況下控制波羅的海列寧格勒銀行，為我提供養老金和薪水以外的資金來源。”

　　 “你是說……”

　　 羅曼諾夫揮手說：“其實沒什麼。我只需要讓我的思想占據，僅此而已。”羅曼諾夫拿起筆說：“當然，你會參與這些基金的管理。我相信你不會讓我失望的，你在我心中的地位和我妻子一樣。”

　　 “我永遠不會讓你失望，”特雷古波娃說，“你知道的。”

　　 他站起來說，“很好。等我從古巴回來後再談其他事情。”

　　 “很好，”特雷古波娃說，“我從來沒有去過古巴，但我當然會盡力的。”

　　 “好吧，”羅曼諾夫說，“我派輛車來接你。”

　　 特雷古波娃點點頭說：“很好。”

　　 羅曼諾夫又盯著特雷古波娃看了一會兒，說：“親愛的，一定要把我干洗的衣服拿起來。”

　　 “當然，”特雷古波娃說，“這是做生意的絕佳機會。”

　　 羅曼諾夫走到門口，打開門說：“再見，我親愛的特雷古波娃。”

　　 “再見，同志。”

　　 “再見。”

　　 古巴埃斯特雷拉號這艘游輪是70年代末由一艘舊蘇聯貨船建造的。這艘船上有二十名船員，共有六十名乘客，其中大部分是哈瓦那大學的學生和教授。一周來，這艘船在加勒比海巡游，參觀了幾座無人居住的小島。

　　 羅曼諾夫盯著旅游地圖說：“我想知道我是否能看到台爾曼島？”

　　 “那是在波多黎各的另一邊，”特雷古波娃說，“我不會抱太大的希望。”

　　 “阿貝隆群島怎麼樣？”

　　 “它們離得更遠。”

　　 “我在地圖上沒有看到沃班島，”羅曼諾夫說，“我想知道這是不是因為它無人居住。”

　　 “是的，”特雷古波娃說，“但我不認為它被列入名單，因為它的大小只有幾英里，因此與此無關。”

　　 “在我們見到卡斯特羅之前，你懂西班牙語嗎？”

　　 “是的，同志，”特雷古波娃說。

　　 “很好，”羅曼諾夫說，回頭看地圖，“我需要你幫我翻譯。”

　　 特雷古波娃點點頭，“我會盡力的。”

　　 與此同時，游輪正在接近哈瓦那港。這是一個繁忙的港口，來自幾個國家的船只來來往往。

　　 特雷古波娃想了想，問道：“你們為什麼不坐飛機去哈瓦那？”

　　 “我想一路上看看風景，”羅曼諾夫說，“而且，我可能會被認出，這可能會帶來不幸的後果。”

　　 “我對此表示懷疑。”

　　 “嗯，你可以理解，我想和你一起旅行一次。這算什麼回答？”

　　 “很好，”特雷古波娃笑著說。

　　 古巴埃斯特雷拉號在傍晚時分進入哈瓦那港。城市的燈光在背景中閃爍。哈瓦那港擠滿了各種大小的船只，從漁船到游輪再到貨船。這座城市有好幾條繁忙的街道，小販們在街道的一邊賣他們的商品。空氣中彌漫著新鮮的魚腥味，微風把街頭音樂的聲音帶到船上。

　　 “這里很繁榮，如果不是…”羅曼諾夫停頓了下來他會相信眼前繁榮的古巴在幾年之後就因為蘇聯解體失去石油來源倒退回了畜力時代嗎？“不，它很繁榮。人們在街上買賣商品。”

　　 “他們在買賣什麼？”特雷古波娃問道。

　　 羅曼諾夫說：“我想，一切都是這樣。”

　　 “你想交易嗎？”特雷古波娃問道。

　　 “也許吧，我還不確定。”

　　 特雷古波娃停了下來。她低頭看了看自己的腳，說：“你為什麼不現在決定呢？看來你並不是急於尋找一個貿易伙伴。”

　　 “因為。”羅曼諾夫微笑著說：“我現在還不想找到一個。”

　　 特雷古波娃微笑著說：“很好。”

　　 船停泊在碼頭上。

　　 古巴首都和最大城市哈瓦那。

　　 羅曼諾夫他在西裝外穿了一件長外套，打了一條領帶。他的黑鞋子在陽光下閃閃發光。他那灰白的頭發看上去像是站在暴風雨中。雖然只是傍晚時分，但太陽已經照耀著這座城市。

　　 “古巴人的酒店還不錯？”羅曼諾夫在頂樓通過窗戶說，特雷古波娃點點頭問：“這家酒店基本都是我們的警衛部隊，你想到明天怎麼面對卡斯特羅了嗎？”

　　 “我正在努力，”羅曼諾夫微笑說。

　　 “很好，”特雷古波娃說，“因為我有一些想法，我想在我們去開會之前把它們告訴你。”

　　 “我洗耳恭聽。”

　　 “嗯，我們需要在人民中激起一些反卡斯特羅的情緒。我們需要讓公眾相信，革命者不是他們自稱的救世主。他們不是羅賓漢式的把財富犧牲給窮人的人，他們只是一群手持槍支的強盜團伙，他們非常樂意把你的財富據為己有。”

　　 羅曼諾夫搖搖頭說：“你在說什麼？給我們的盟友制造麻煩？”

　　 “不，我們給反對派制造了麻煩，”特雷古波娃說，“對政府來說，我們只是另一批罪犯。我們需要確保公眾看到我們是這樣的。”

　　 “等等，你的意思是借助反對派制造麻煩來讓古巴公眾支持卡斯特羅與我們？”

　　 “是的，”特雷古波娃說，“沒錯。”

　　 “我不同意，”羅曼諾夫說，“我們需要被視為合法的力量，而不是罪犯。”

　　 “一股接管政府並殺害其公民的犯罪勢力？如果你把革命者描繪成聖人，我認為你是在賣弄他們。”

　　 “出於同樣的原因。”羅曼諾夫停頓了一下，“你為什麼不告訴我你的想法？”

　　 特雷古波娃點點頭說：“好吧，但請記住，古巴公眾將決定我們的未來。我們需要謹慎行事。”

　　 “我在聽，”羅曼諾夫說。“我會決定，但是決定權在我。現在，讓我睡覺。”

　　 特雷古波娃看著羅曼諾夫走進酒店，關上了門。她笑了笑，柔和地說：“然後，我們開始吧。”

　　 第二天早上，這艘船駛向哈瓦那郊外的集合點。船沿著兩邊山丘之間的海上航行，風景中點綴著小村莊。船終於進港時，陽光燦爛。船只沿著海岸停靠，小漁村依偎在山丘中。整個地區彌漫著鹽的味道，工業的喧鬧聲此起彼伏。

　　 船停泊在碼頭上。

　　 會議地點是哈瓦那郊外的一個大型鄉村莊園。

　　 主樓是一座大宅邸，四周是大花園。幾座較小的建築圍繞著主樓，包括一座農舍和幾座較小的住宅。這個莊園足夠大，有自己的水井和發電機。

　　 幾輛汽車停在主樓周圍，從破舊的舊車到嶄新的梅賽德斯-奔馳。

　　 羅曼諾夫的腳步踏在泥土上站立在大花園里，他斜視著太陽說：“這個地方是革命者聚會的地方，不是嗎？它似乎與主要地區相當隔離。”

　　 “主要地區是指哈瓦那市中心？”特雷古波娃問道，“不，這是在鄉下。”

　　 “哦，”羅曼諾夫環顧四周說。

　　 特雷古波娃微笑著說，“我們有很多工作要做，走吧。”

　　 兩人穿過花園來到主樓。

　　 這座房子很大，是磚砌的，有石板屋頂。大窗戶使光线能照進大樓。門是木制的，另一邊有一個大鐵插銷。當羅曼諾夫和特雷古波娃走近時，門開了。

　　 幾個人坐在那里，其中一個人是卡斯特羅。

　　 “歡迎，同志們！”卡斯特羅伸出手說。

　　 “很高興見到你，卡斯特羅先生，”羅曼諾夫握著卡斯特羅的手說。

　　 他身材矮小，戴著眼鏡，嘴里叼著一支雪茄。他的黑發在耳朵上方微微退去，眼睛周圍有幾條皺紋。灰白的頭發提醒著所有人，他老了。

　　 “我也很高興見到你，羅曼諾夫同志，”卡斯特羅笑著說。卡斯特羅用西班牙語說，特雷古波娃翻譯成俄語給羅曼諾夫聽。“我很高興你在這里。我們需要所有能得到的幫助。”

　　 “我相信我們都同意，”羅曼諾夫說。他坐在一把木椅子上。“這里發生了什麼事？為什麼要在這里舉行會議？為什麼外面有一支完整的軍事分遣隊？”

　　 “前兩個問題很簡單，”卡斯特羅說，“我們秘密舉行這次會議，外面的軍事分遣隊是為了確保我們客人的安全。”

　　 “客人？”羅曼諾夫揚起眉毛問道。

　　 特雷古波娃說：“有英國和美國的代表在場。”

　　 “那麼這是一次計劃你下一次恐怖主義行動的會議？”羅曼諾夫問道，轉向卡斯特羅。

　　 “不，我的朋友，這是一個計劃我們下一步行動的會議。我相信你知道，我們已經打了將近一年的仗了。”

　　 “的確。”羅曼諾夫又說：“盡管我們援助了奧爾特加與美國本土的極端安那其主義者，但是我看不出有什麼能讓奧爾特加成功的希望。”

　　 “這是真的，”卡斯特羅說。“但我認為，我們都可以同意，最好消滅支持他們的英國人和美國人，而不是奧爾特加政府。”

　　 “是的，我們不得不承認社會主義陣營陷入經濟停滯與危機。美國已經完成了第三次科技革命，但是我們還停留在60年代。蘇維埃聯盟必須進行戰略收縮與科技發展，戰略收縮並不意味著我們向美國人投降。蘇聯不會放棄古巴，也不會美國觸碰我們的底线。”

　　 坐在桌子一角的特雷古波娃問道：“那計劃是什麼？”。

　　 “我們一直在監測局勢。”卡斯特羅說：“極左勢力似乎正在策劃一系列襲擊，這將吸引英國人和美國人，同時削弱奧爾特加政府獲得的財政支持。”

　　 “這是野心勃勃的。”羅曼諾夫搖搖頭。“這很難實現。”

　　 “我同意。”卡斯特羅似乎進入了他的話題。“這些襲擊將針對戰略目標，如發電廠、煉油廠和英美兩國使用的其他基礎設施。這些襲擊將造成經濟損失和生命損失，但不像我們擊中軍事目標那樣嚴重。這將迫使英國政府采取行動。”

　　 “美國人呢？”特雷古波娃問道。

　　 “我們將看到他們的影響力消失。我們將在他們的金融中心打擊他們。不僅是銀行，還有他們的證券交易所和其他投資領域。我們將帶來世界新聞界，使政府難堪，而美國人將在世界的注視下局促不安。”

　　 羅曼諾夫說：“我們討論的是一種風險策略。”。

　　 “我們將占上風。”卡斯特羅說：

　　 “但是……”羅曼諾夫說，他找不到任何足以表達他懷疑的字眼，

　　 “而且，海地正在爆發騷亂。我們可以通過解放神學的教士們影響那里的革命者推翻小杜瓦利埃。”

　　 “分散注意力？我看不出這怎麼可能，”羅曼諾夫說。

　　 “如果你比對手更了解人民，這是可能的。”卡斯特羅說：“杜瓦利埃背後有非常強大的力量，他們會比你想象的更加小心。你必須密切關注這一情況，因為它直接影響到我們的計劃。我們在這里有很多利害關系，我們需要確定我們正在采取最合乎邏輯的行動。”

　　 “我明白了，我需要回到克里姆林宮跟政治局協商。還有什麼嗎？卡斯特羅同志。”

　　 “不，同志。我相信我們會找到成功的辦法。這種情況必須不惜一切代價加以解決。我們決不能允許英國人和美國人干涉我們的事務。我們決不能讓恐怖主義的威脅成為普遍現象。我們決不能讓世界認為蘇聯是軟弱的。我們必須表現出力量。我們必須表明，有一種制度能夠占上風。朋友們，我想向你們保證這一點。我們會成功的。”“是的，我們將。現在，請原諒，我的朋友們，我必須離開。我離開太久了，我的助手們會想知道我在哪里。

　　 卡斯特羅點點頭說：“是的，對了，古巴人民還有一些禮物送給蘇聯領導人。”

　　 “什麼樣的禮物？”羅曼諾夫問。

　　 “這種人適合你這樣的人。”

　　 “我明白了。”

　　 這名男子顯然名叫波波夫，他拿出一個黑匣子放在桌子上。“給你，同志。古巴人民送給你這份臨別禮物。”

　　 “謝謝你，我相信這份禮物和上次一樣有用。”

　　 “那樣的話，我想我應該感謝你。你給了我最終結束那些英國奴隸販子及其同類的手段。干杯！”

　　 “干杯！”

　　 -------

　　 會面結束後的古巴國家酒店里。

　　 特雷古波娃放下黑匣子說：“警衛檢查過了，沒有問題。”“拿過來，你有看到里面的資料嗎？”羅曼諾夫點點頭問。

　　 特雷古波娃走近並把箱子遞了過來。“我不確定這方面的協議，但是……你想在這里打開它嗎？”

　　 “我想是的。”羅曼諾夫打開盒子，檢查里面的東西。“嗯，看來他們是對的。”

　　 “它說什麼？”特雷古波娃問。

　　 “我也不明白這些資料的真假，但是它們確實預言了未來。你相信有人能知道未來嗎？”

　　 特雷古波娃大吃一驚。“我……嗯，我不會感到驚訝。”

　　 “說實話，我也驚訝這些資料。一年前，就開始有這些資料出現在古巴。它們准確預言並提露了一些秘密。”

　　 “什麼秘密？”

　　 羅曼諾夫放下盒子說：“今年是1985年，你相信我們偉大的蘇維埃聯盟會在6年後崩潰嗎？”

　　 “嗯……我……”特雷古波娃再次吃驚地說。

　　 “這是預測似乎不會出錯的一件事。”

　　 “你相信嗎？”

　　 羅曼諾夫拿出加密電文的資料說：“如果你在一年內得到的這些資料都預言實現了，你會怎麼辦？”

　　 “我會震驚的，僅此而已。”

　　 “你會逃跑嗎？”

　　 “嗯，不，我是說，是的，當然，但是……我是說，我不會逃跑。”

　　 羅曼諾夫聳聳肩說：“好了，幫我翻譯這些預言未來的資料。我可看不懂西班牙文。”

　　 特雷古波娃開始幫忙。他們翻譯了第一個預言。上面說：“蘇聯將遭受災難，”特雷古波娃說，“這可能意味著一次軍事打擊。”

　　 羅曼諾夫說：“軍事打擊？這很奇怪。”

　　 特雷古波娃說：“為什麼？”

　　 “嗯，軍事打擊意味著一場災難。蘇聯一直在提高其軍事實力。它正在為戰爭做准備。”

　　 特雷古波娃說：“但我們沒有和它們開戰。”

　　 “是的，但如果戰爭爆發，我們的國家就沒有准備。”羅曼諾夫站在她身後摟著她說：“繼續翻譯。”

　　 特雷古波娃說：“這里說我們將遭受災難，但不是軍事災難。”

　　 “嗯，那更令人擔憂。那會是什麼樣的災難呢？”

　　 “我不知道，這些資料其他部分很難，我需要花一點時間翻譯。”

　　 “你應該趁你在這里的時候去做。記錄這些預言會很好。我相信一旦我們開始研究它們，它們會變得更加清晰。”

　　 “你確定這是個好主意嗎？”

　　 “我們還有別的選擇嗎？如果我們要阻止這些預言，我們需要做點什麼，而且我們的時間緊迫。”

　　 “我知道了，我能問你，你是不是為了翻譯西班牙文才挑選我當秘書嗎？”

　　 “是的。”

　　 “那麼，我也能成為一個閱讀未來的人嗎？”

　　 羅曼諾夫笑著說：“我看看能安排些什麼。”

　　 他說完又坐下拿起筆與紙說：“當然，現在我選擇你不只是你懂西班牙文，我想我們之間能保持愛人關系下去。對嗎？”

　　 特雷古波娃的臉漲紅了，她的手顫抖著。她把手放在臀部後面說：“我會……我會盡力的，你可以相信。”

　　 羅曼諾夫說：“當然。”他站起來，向她伸出手來。她把手放在他的手上。

　　 “那麼，讓我們開始吧。”

　　 “我將首先嘗試尋找這些預言之間的任何聯系。然後，我們將看到這一點。”

　　 他們研究了預言。第一句的翻譯是：“蘇聯將遭受災難。”

　　 特雷古波娃說：“這可能意味著一次軍事打擊。”

　　 “不一定，也是其他因素。比如天災與意外什麼的，這些預言總是很難理解。”

　　 “你認為這會是一次重大的襲擊嗎？”

　　 “一切皆有可能。我們是一個強大的國家和一個強大的軍事大國，一切皆有可能。”

　　 特雷古波娃坐回地板上說：“我一點也不喜歡這個。”

　　 “我也不知道，但我們現在對此無能為力。”羅曼諾夫站了起來。“我們回去工作吧。”

　　 [newpage]

　　 Since the Second World War, the fertility rate has decreased. In order to increase the number of newborns, the Soviet government legalized illegitimate children and assigned houses to new couples and changed the marriage law to improve the status of women.

　　 The Soviet Union marriage law states that

　　 1. if the couple divorced, the man\u0027s house, savings, and furniture all belonged to the woman, and only the car could go to the man (including premarital property). 2. if the couple divorced, the custody of the offspring also belonged to the mother, and if the wife remarried, the man\u0027s offspring could no longer take the name of the former husband. 3. the wife had the absolute right to manage the marital property. The man\u0027s marital income needs to be paid in full; 4. A man who domestically abuses his wife, even if it is an unintentional act when he is drunk, is subject to arrest.

　　 As a result, the marriage law favored the woman with legalized illegitimate children leading to a reduction in men\u0027s willingness to marry. Also, the small size of the allocated Khrushchev building led to women\u0027s dissatisfaction. Women\u0027s rights advocates accused the Soviet government of misogyny.

　　 By the 1970s, the Soviet Union\u0027s reproductive policy was deriving a large cost. In 1970, the birth rate had declined to 1.

　　 \"Should the marriage law be reworked, or... do you have any ideas?\" Romanov asked, rubbing his weary eyes.

　　 \"Well, what about a hybrid system, where the state takes an equity stake in the establishment of the family?\"

　　 \"I\u0027m not exactly a fan of that idea,\" said Romanov. \"It seems at odds with the concept of the state being secular and all.\"

　　 \"But if it were a system where the state helped financially with child rearing, or if the state paid a certain sum of money for each child then I could see more appeal in it,\" said Tregubova.

　　 \"Yeah, add another few tens of billions of rubles to the budget expenditures there! You might as well let me go bankrupt.\"

　　 \"Well, we can\u0027t have that. So, maybe we should consider other ideas.\"

　　 Romanov thought about it and said, \"We should also create centralized residential areas for small villas to replace the Khrushchev House, and at the same time, adopt orphans and abandoned children from Eastern European countries such as Romania.\"

　　 \"I like that idea, and I\u0027m pretty sure the members of the Central Committee will as well,\" said Tregubova. \"Let\u0027s give it some time and see what else we come up with.\"

　　 \"Very well. In the meantime, I think we should meet with the delegates from other communist countries and discuss what we can do to improve our situation.\"

　　 \"And who will we be making these pacts with?\" asked Tregubova.

　　 \"Well, we won\u0027t be making deals with the devil, if that\u0027s what you\u0027re getting at.\" Romanov put down his pen and said, \"By the way, did you agree to my previous request?\"

　　 \"I\u0027m still thinking about it, but I generally tend to agree to most things you request.\"

　　 Romanov nodded: \"I trust you will agree to help me tap the Politburo, by the way, have you found the girl who can be responsible for contacting the Baltic Bank in Leningrad?\"

　　 \"Oh, yes, the Leningrad girl. I\u0027ve already managed to set up a meeting between you and her.\"

　　 \"Excellent. Get on it.\"

　　 \"And what about my dream of becoming a full member of the Central Committee?\"

　　 \"I\u0027ll help you, in a few years, you\u0027re still too young.\"

　　 \"Oh, thank you!\"

　　 \"Think nothing of it. Now, you should go and have a good rest, you\u0027ve been very very tired recently.\"

　　 Tregubova looked at Romanov with a raised eyebrow. \"Have I?\"

　　 \"Indeed,\" said Romanov. \"Now, what was the Leningrad girl\u0027s name? Full name and age.\"

　　 Tregubova\u0027s face colored slightly and she said, \"I hope you\u0027re not planning on forcing me to disclose that information to you.\"

　　 \"Of course not. Now, said.\"

　　 \"Dmitri Ulapala,\" said Tregubova with some defiance, \"age 22, full name pronounced \u0027Dmitri Ulapala\u0027,\" she spelled out, looking at Romanov. \"You can ask her to meet with you. She\u0027ll be in the room next to the one that the Leningrad delegates are in.\"

　　 \"Perfect. Get her to see you tomorrow, I will give you further instructions then.\" said Romanov, waving a hand dismissively.

　　 Tregubova left Romanov\u0027s office with a little frown on her face.

　　 The next day Dmitry Ulapala met Romanov at the appointed time in an empty room next door. The young woman\u0027s face was very pale and her hands were trembling as she held out her hand for him to shake.

　　 When they were finished, she said, \"I am Dmitry Ulapala, you can call me Ulapala.\"

　　 \"I am Grigory Vasilievich,\" said Romanov, taking her hand in his, \"and this is Tregubova.\" He continued, gesturing to Olga, who was standing a few feet behind him.

　　 \"Can I help you with something?\" Urrappala asked.

　　 \"Sure, I want to ask you a question. How do you feel about your homeland versus yourself? You can tell the truth.\"

　　 Ulapala said nothing, then she said, \"I like my country very much, I don\u0027t think I\u0027m anything special.\"

　　 Romanov sat on the sofa and pointed to the sofa chair next to him and said, \"Sit down and tell me, what do you think is the most important?\"

　　 Ulapala sat down and said, \"I think the most important thing is that we should be united. We should not let people who are power hungry and greedy try to separate us.\"

　　 \"Is that so? Have you studied economics? Especially finance?\" Romanov asked.

　　 \"Yes, I earned an MBA in finance.\"

　　 \"What kind of financial advisor does your family have?\"

　　 \"My family is quite wealthy.\"

　　 \"But you still chose the field of finance?\"

　　 \"Yes. I wanted to help my family with their business, and after I got my degree, I decided to work for them.\"

　　 \"How fortunate. What did you study finance for? Tell the truth.\"

　　 \"Well ...... someday I want to be a manager of a big company.\"

　　 \"Do you see yourself as someone who will manage people someday?\"

　　 \"Yes.\"

　　 Romanov nodded got up and turned on the radio voice and asked again, \"Well, what if there was an opportunity for you to become a director and shareholder of a bank?\"

　　 Ulapala\u0027s eyes widened and she said, \"Well ...... I would be interested.\"

　　 \"Very well, I\u0027m glad to hear that. If you are in a bank, can you help a big man by some small means?\" Romanov asked as he walked up to her.

　　 \"You can say that again, but with a little more subtlety?\"

　　 \"What do you mean?\"

　　 \"I mean, not that I don\u0027t appreciate what you have to say, but ......\"

　　 \"It\u0027s not much to ask. Just a little help. That\u0027s all. Can you do that?\"

　　 \"Well ...... I think so.\"

　　 \"That\u0027s all I need. Now, tell me what you need to get there?\"

　　 Ulapala thought for a moment. \"I think if I\u0027m successful, there will be a seat on the board of that bank for me.\"

　　 \"If you\u0027re a little more successful, you could have a large stake in that bank.\" Romanov stared at her and said, \"So, a deal?\"

　　 \"Yes, I can do that.\"

　　 \"You could have a seat on the board and a large stake in the bank?\"

　　 \"A big bet.\"

　　 \"Very well, we have a deal.\" Romanov pointed at her and said, \"Take off your bra.\"

　　 Ulapala looked around nervously, then bit her lip. She stood up and unhooked her bra and Romanov said, \"Yes, yes. I can see you\u0027re nervous. You\u0027ll be fine.\"

　　 Ulapala unhooked her bra and let it fall to the floor.

　　 Romanov stood up and walked around her, running his hand along her back and said, \"You are very tense. Relax.\" He continued, \"You will be fine.\" He sat on the sofa and patted the space next to him. \"Sit down.\"

　　 Ulapala hesitated, then moved to sit next to Romanov. Romanov put an arm around her, pulling her closer than a brother would. She sat stiffly, then relaxed as Romanov\u0027s hand stroked her hair.

　　 \"Good,\" Romanov said. \"Tregubova, honey come take our picture.\"

　　 Tregubova walked over and said, \"You\u0027re not going to ask her to take her blouse off?\"

　　 \"No, I will not,\" said Romanov. \"Besides, I want the picture to show us together.\"

　　 The shutter of the camera snapped open and the three of them froze. Romanov looked at his wristwatch and said, \"Ten, nine, eight, seven......\"

　　 \"Wait!\" Ulapala said, \"What does that snap?\" She pointed at the stopwatch.

　　 \"Five, four, three, two, one!\" Romanov said.

　　 The shutter snapped shut and Ulapala stared at her open-mouthed.

　　 \"I can\u0027t believe this. You could have at least asked me first.\" She looked at Tregubova.

　　 \"Very well. Now, take a picture of us both.\"

　　 Tregubova turned around, and Ulapala stood stiffly, her hands clasped in front of her. They stared at the camera. \"One ......\" The shutter snapped shut.

　　 \"Two ......\"

　　 \"Three ......\"

　　 A picture of a slave and her new master,\" Romanov said, patting his chest, \"and that\u0027s the way it is,\" he said, smiling.

　　 \"I\u0027m not your slave,\" said Ulapala in a harsh voice, \"I\u0027m going to report you to the leader.\"

　　 \"I don\u0027t think so.\"

　　 Urpala crossed her arms and said, \"I\u0027m not afraid to report you to the authorities.\"

　　 \"And I\u0027m not afraid that you will,\" Romanov said, \"But, in an organization such as this, we cannot allow people to become too attached to the position they\u0027re in. If you become attached to me, you will become a liability to the cause.\"

　　 \"I don\u0027t see how you can do this,\" said Ulapala, \"You don\u0027t know me.\"

　　 Romanov got up and picked up the wine with the glass and poured it and said, \"There are 280 million people in the entire Soviet Union, do I need to know every single girl?\" Ulapala opened her mouth to say something, but Romanov continued, \"And I think that the reason why we are so successful is because we keep a very tight stranglehold over the media, the education system, and the cultural ideals of most people in this country. In other words, we have very little opposition. Now, the more successful you are, the more opposition you will have. The less successful you are, the less opposition you will have. That\u0027s how it works. Here you are.\" Romanov handed the glass to Ulapala and Tregubova. \"You don\u0027t have to drink it, but it would be unwise to throw it away.\" Tregubova took the glass and said, \"Why are you giving this to me?\"

　　 \"Because I want you to manage the finances of this office,\" said Romanov, \"Trust me, I don\u0027t pass the wine to people I don\u0027t like. You\u0027re both going to be my people? Right?\"

　　 \"You can trust us,\" said Ulapala, \"We won\u0027t let you down.\"

　　 \"That\u0027s good,\" said Romanov, \"Because, if you do, you\u0027ll have me to deal with.\"

　　 Romanov stood up, walked around the room, and stared out the window. He said, \"Now, get out of here. Go to Leningrad in a few days, and Tregubova will contact you when I need you.\"

　　 Ulpala stood up, kissed Romanov on the cheek, and said, \"Don\u0027t forget about me.\"

　　 \"I won\u0027t,\" said Romanov, \"Now, off you go.\"

　　 Ulpala walked out the door and said, \"Let\u0027s hope she really means it.\"

　　 \"She\u0027s never lied to us before,\" said Tregubova, \"But, who knows? She\u0027s been assigned to us for the day. Maybe she will turn out to be like the others.\"

　　 \"She\u0027s our comrade.\"

　　 \"Yes,\" said Tregubova, \"Our comrade.\"

　　 Romanov sat back on the couch to check the reports and letters from the regions and said, \"I hope you\u0027re not jealous or anything, she was recommended to me by yourself.\"

　　 \"Of course not,\" said Tregubova, \"But, are you sure she will be suitable, given your line of work?\"

　　 \"I don\u0027t know,\" Romanov admitted, \"I just need to control the Baltic Bank of Leningrad without my direct involvement, to give me a source of funds other than my pension and salary.\"

　　 \"You mean.....\"

　　 Romanov waved his hand. \"It\u0027s nothing really. I just need to keep my mind occupied, that\u0027s all. She\u0027s perfect for the job.\" Romanov picked up the pen and said, \"Of course, you\u0027ll be involved in the management of these funds. I\u0027m sure you won\u0027t let me down, you have the same place in my heart as my wife.\"

　　 \"I would never let you down,\" said Tregubova, \"You know that.\"

　　 \"Good, good.\" Romanov stood up and said, \"By the way, I\u0027m going to Cuba afterwards. I\u0027ll talk about other things when I get back.\"

　　 \"Fine,\" said Tregubova, \"I\u0027ve never been to Cuba, but of course I\u0027ll do my best.\"

　　 \"Okay,\" said Romanov, \"I\u0027ll send a car for you.\"

　　 Tregubova nodded and said, \"Fine.\"

　　 Romanov stared at Tregubova a moment longer, and said, \"And, my dear, make sure you pick up my dry cleaning.\"

　　 \"Of course,\" said Tregubova, \"What a perfect opportunity to do some business.\"

　　 Romanov walked over to the door, opened it, and said, \"Goodbye, my dear Tregubova.\"

　　 \"Goodbye, comrade.\"

　　 \"Goodbye.\"

　　 #

　　 The _Estrella Cubana_ was a small cruise ship, built in the late 1970s from an old Soviet freighter. The ship had a crew of twenty, with a total of sixty passengers, mostly students and professors from the University of Havana. For a week, the ship cruised the Caribbean, visiting several small, uninhabited island.

　　 Staring at the tourist map, Romanov said, \"I wonder if I can see Tairman Island?\"

　　 \"That\u0027s on the other side of Puerto Rico,\" said Tregubova, \"I wouldn\u0027t get my hopes up.\"

　　 \"How about the Abellon Islands?\"

　　 \"They\u0027re even further away.\"

　　 \"I don\u0027t see Woban Island listed on the map,\" said Romanov, \"I wonder if that\u0027s because it\u0027s uninhabited.\"

　　 \"It is,\" said Tregubova, \"But I don\u0027t think it\u0027s listed because it\u0027s only a few miles in size, and therefore, irrelevant.\"

　　 \"Well, before we meet Castro, do you understand Spanish?\"

　　 \"Yes, comrade,\" said Tregubova.

　　 \"Good,\" said Romanov, turning back to the map, \"I\u0027ll need of you to interpret for me.\"

　　 Tregubova nodded. \"I\u0027ll do my best.\"

　　 In the meantime, the cruise ship was approaching the port of Havana. It was a busy port, with ships from several nations coming and going.

　　 Tregubova thought about it and asked, \"Why didn\u0027t you just go to Havana via flight?\"

　　 \"I wanted to see the sights along the way,\" said Romanov, \"And, besides, I might have been recognized, and that could have had unfortunate consequences.\"

　　 \"I doubt that.\"

　　 \"Well, you can understand that I want to travel with you for once. How\u0027s that for an answer?\"

　　 \"Fine,\" said Tregubova, smiling.

　　 The _Estrella Cubana_ entered the port of Havana, in the early evening. The lights of the city twinkled in the background. The port of Havana was filled with ships of all sizes, from fishing boats to cruise ships to cargo ships. The city had several busy streets, with vendors selling their goods on the side of the street. The air smelled of fresh fish, and a light breeze carried the sounds of street music to the ship.

　　 \"It is prosperous, if not...\" Romanov paused, if he was not a Swiss travellers in the twenty-first century, he would believe that the prosperous Cuba in front of him in a few years because of the collapse of the Soviet Union lost oil regressed back to the era of animal power? \"No, it\u0027s very prosperous. People are buying and selling goods in the streets.\"

　　 \"What are they buying and selling?\" asked Tregubova.

　　 \"Everything, I\u0027d imagine,\" said Romanov.

　　 \"Will you be wanting to trade?\" Tregubova asked.

　　 \"Perhaps. I\u0027m not sure yet.\"

　　 Tregubova paused. She looked down at her feet, and said, \"Why don\u0027t you decide now? It seems like you\u0027re not exactly rushing to find a trading partner.\"

　　 \"Because.\" Romanov smiled, \"I don\u0027t want to find one just yet.\"

　　 Tregubova smiled, and said, \"Fine.\"

　　 The ship moored to a dock.

　　 Havana, the capital and largest city of Cuba.

　　 Romanov He wore a long coat over a suit, and tie. His black shoes gleamed in the sun. his grey hair looked like he had been standing in a windstorm. Although it was only early evening, already the sun blazed down upon the city.

　　 \"Not a bad hotel for Cubans?\" Romanov said through a window on the top floor, Tregubova nodded and asked, \"This hotel is basically our guard force, have you figured out how to face Castro tomorrow?\"

　　 \"I\u0027m working on it,\" said Romanov, smiling.

　　 \"Good,\" said Tregubova, \"Because I have a few ideas, and want to run them by you before we head to the meeting.\"

　　 \"I\u0027m all ears.\"

　　 \"Well, we need to stir up some anti-Castro sentiment among the people. We need to get the public to believe that the revolutionaries are not the saviors they claim to be. They\u0027re not Robin Hood types sacrificing their wealth to the poor, they\u0027re just a bunch of gun-toting bandit gangs that are perfectly happy to take your wealth for themselves.\"

　　 Romanov shook his head and said, \"What are you talking about? Creating problems for our allies?\"

　　 \"No, we create problems for the opposition,\" said Tregubova, \"For the government, we\u0027re just another group of criminals. We need to make sure the public sees us as such.\"

　　 \"Wait, you mean using the opposition to cause trouble to get the Cuban public behind Castro versus us?\"

　　 \"Yes,\" said Tregubova, \"Exactly.\"

　　 \"I\u0027m not going along with that,\" said Romanov, \"We need to be seen as a legitimate force, not criminals.\"

　　 \"A criminal force that\u0027s taking over a government and killing its citizens? I think you\u0027re selling the revolutionaries a little short if you\u0027re portraying them as saints.\"

　　 \"By the same token.\" Romanov paused, \"Why don\u0027t you tell me what you have in mind?\"

　　 Tregubova nodded, and said, \"Alright, but keep in mind that it is the Cuban public that will be deciding our future. We need to be careful how we go about this.\"

　　 \"I\u0027m listening,\" said Romanov. \"I\u0027ll decide, but it\u0027s up to me. Now, let me sleep.\"

　　 Tregubova watched as Romanov went into the hotel and shut the door. She smiled, and said softly, \"And, we begin.\"

　　 The next morning, the ship set off for the meeting point, just outside Havana. The ship sailed along the sea between the hills on either side, and small villages dotted the landscape. The sun shone brightly when the ship finally entered the harbour. Boats were docked along the coast, and small fishing villages nestled into the hills. The entire area smelt of salt, and bustled with the sounds of industry.

　　 The ship moored to a dock.

　　 The meeting place was a large country estate on the outskirts of Havana. The main building was a large mansion, surrounded by large gardens. Several smaller buildings surrounded the main building, including a farmhouse, and several smaller dwellings. The estate was large enough to have its own well, and a generator.

　　 Several cars were parked around the main building, from old, beaten-up vehicles, to brand-new Mercedes-Benzes.

　　 Romanov\u0027s footsteps on the dirt stood in the large garden. He squinted against the sun, and said, \"This place was the meeting place for the revolutionaries, wasn\u0027t it? It seems rather isolated from the main areas.\"

　　 \"The main areas meaning downtown Havana?\" asked Tregubova, \"No, this is in the countryside.\"

　　 \"Oh,\" said Romanov, looking around.

　　 Tregubova smiled, and said, \"We have a lot of work to do, let\u0027s go.\"

　　 The two walked through the garden to the main building.

　　 The house was large, made of brick, with a slate roof. Large windows allowed the light to flood into the building. The door was wooden, with a large iron bolt on the other side. The door opened as Romanov and Tregubova approached.

　　 Several people were sitting there and one of them was Castro.

　　 \"Welcome, comrades!\" said Castro, extending his hand.

　　 \"It\u0027s a pleasure to see you, Mr. Castro,\" said Romanov, shaking Castro\u0027s hand.

　　 He was short, wearing glasses and a cigar in his mouth. His black hair receded slightly above his ears and there were several wrinkles around his eyes. Gray hair reminds everyone that he is old.

　　 \"A pleasure to see you too, Comrade Romanov,\" said Castro, grinning. Castro spoke in Spanish and Tregubova translated into Russian for Romanov to hear. \"I\u0027m very happy you\u0027re here. We need all the help we can get.\"

　　 \"I\u0027m sure we all agree,\" said Romanov. He sat down in a wooden chair. \"What\u0027s going on here? Why is this meeting being held here? Why is there a full military detachment outside?\"

　　 \"The first two questions are easy,\" said Castro, \"We\u0027re holding this meeting as a secret, and the military detachment outside is there to ensure the safety of our guests.\"

　　 \"Guests?\" asked Romanov, raising an eyebrow.

　　 Tregubova spoke: \"There\u0027s British, and American representatives present.\"

　　 \"So this is a meeting to plan your next act of terrorism?\" asked Romanov, turning to Castro.

　　 \"No, my friend, this is a meeting to plan our next move. As I\u0027m sure you\u0027re aware, we\u0027ve been fighting a war for almost a year now.\"

　　 \"Indeed.\" Romanov added: \"Despite our assistance to Ortega with the extreme Anarchists on American soil, I don\u0027t see any hope that Ortega will succeed.\"

　　 \"This is true,\" said Castro. \"But I think that we can all agree that it would be better to take out the British and Americans who are supporting them, rather than the Ortega government.\"

　　 \"Yes, we have to admit that the socialist camp is in economic stagnation and crisis. The US has completed its third technological revolution, but we are still stuck in the 60s. The Soviet Union must undergo strategic contraction and technological development, and strategic contraction does not mean that we surrender to the Americans. The Soviet Union will not give up Cuba, nor will the U.S. touch our bottom line.\"

　　 \"So what is the plan?\" asked Tregubova, who sat on a corner of the table.

　　 \"We\u0027ve been monitoring the situation,\" said Castro. \"It seems that the extreme left are planning a series of attacks that will draw in the British and Americans, and at the same time weaken the financial support that the Ortega government receives.\"

　　 \"That\u0027s ambitious.\" Romanov shook his head. \"It\u0027ll be difficult to pull off.\"

　　 \"I agree.\" It seemed that Castro was getting into his topic. \"The attacks will be aimed at strategic targets such as power plants, refineries, and other infrastructure used by the British and Americans. These attacks will cause economic damage and the loss of life, but not as severe as if we were to hit military targets. This will force the hands of the British government.\"

　　 \"And what about the Americans?\" asked Tregubova.

　　 \"We will see that their influence vanishes. We will hit them at their financial center. Not only the banks, but also their stock exchange and other investment areas. We will bring in the world press and embarrass the government and the Americans will be left to squirm under the gaze of the world.\"

　　 \"We\u0027re talking about a risky strategy,\" said Romanov.

　　 \"We will have the upper hand,\" said Castro.

　　 \"But...\" said Romanov, not able to find any words strong enough to express his doubts,

　　 \"Also, riots are breaking out in Haiti. We can influence the revolutionaries there to overthrow Petit Duvalier through the clerics of liberation theology.\"

　　 \"A distraction? I can\u0027t see how that would be possible,\" said Romanov.

　　 \"It\u0027s possible, if you understand the people better than your adversaries do,\" said Castro. \"There are very powerful forces behind Duvalier, and they will be more careful than you think. You must keep an eye on this situation, as it has a direct impact on our plans. We have a lot at stake here, and we need to be certain that we\u0027re making the most logical move.\"

　　 \"I see, I need to go back to the Kremlin to consult with the Politburo. Is there anything else? Comrade Castro.\"

　　 \"No, comrade. I\u0027m sure we will find a way to succeed. This is the sort of situation that must be resolved at all costs. We must not allow the British and Americans to interfere in our affairs. We must not allow the threat of terrorism to become endemic. We must not let the world think that the Soviet Union is weak. We must show strength. We must show that there is a system that can prevail. I want to assure you of this, my friends. We will succeed.\"\"Yes. We will. Now, if you\u0027ll excuse me, my friends, I must leave. I\u0027ve been away for too long, and my assistants will be wondering where I am.\"

　　 Castro nodded and said, \"Yes, by the way, the Cuban people have some gifts for the Soviet leader.\"

　　 \"What sort of gifts?\" asked Romanov.

　　 \"The sort that\u0027s fit for a man like you.\"

　　 \"I see.\"

　　 The man, who was apparently named Popov, took out a black box and set it on the table. \"Here you are, comrade. The Cuban people have sent you this parting gift.\"

　　 \"Thank you, and I\u0027m sure the gift will be as useful as the last.\"

　　 \"In that case, I suppose I should thank you. You\u0027ve given me the means to finally put an end to those slave-driver British and their ilk. Cheers!\"

　　 \"Cheers!\"

　　 ------

　　 In the Cuban National Hotel after the meeting.

　　 Tregubova put down the black box and said, \"The guards checked it and it\u0027s fine.\" \"Bring it here, did you see the information inside?\" Romanov asked with a nod.

　　 Tregubova approached and handed the box over. \"I\u0027m not sure about the protocol on this, but... do you wish to open it here?\"

　　 \"I suppose so.\" Romanov opened the box and examined the contents. \"Hmm, it seems they were right.\"

　　 \"What does it say?\" asked Tregubova.

　　 \"I don\u0027t understand the authenticity of the information either, but they do predict the future. Do you believe that anyone can know the future?\"

　　 Tregubova was taken aback. \"I... well, I wouldn\u0027t be surprised.\"

　　 \"To be honest, I was surprised by the information as well. A year ago, these materials started appearing in Cuba. They accurately predicted and revealed some secrets.\"

　　 \"What kind of secrets?\"

　　 Romanov put the box down and said, \"The year is 1985, do you believe that our great Soviet Union will collapse in six years?\"

　　 \"Well... I...\" Tregubova said, taken aback again.

　　 \"That\u0027s one thing the predictions can\u0027t seem to get wrong.\"

　　 \"Do you believe it?\"

　　 Romanov took out the information from the encrypted message and said, \"What would you do if all these prophecies you got in a year came true?\"

　　 \"I\u0027d be shocked, that\u0027s all.\"

　　 \"Would you flee?\"

　　 \"Well, no, I mean, yes, of course, but... I mean, I wouldn\u0027t run away.\"

　　 Romanov shrugged and said, \"Well, help me translate these prophecies of the future. I can\u0027t read Spanish.\"

　　 Tregubova started to help. They translated the first prophecy. It said, \"The Soviet Union will suffer a calamity.\" Tregubova said, \"That could mean a military attack.\"

　　 Romanov said, \"A military strike? That\u0027s odd.\"

　　 Tregubova said, \"Why is that?\"

　　 \"Well, a military attack would mean a calamity. The Soviet Union has been increasing it\u0027s military prowess. It\u0027s preparing for war.\"

　　 Tregubova said, \"But we\u0027re not at war with them.\"

　　 \"True, but if war were to come, our nation wouldn\u0027t be prepared.\" Romanov stood behind her and put his arm around her and said, \"Keep translating.\"

　　 Tregubova said, \"It says here that we\u0027ll suffer a calamity, but not a military one.\"

　　 \"Well, that\u0027s even more worrying. What kind of calamity could that be?\"

　　 \"I don\u0027t know, the rest of this information is difficult and it will take me a little time to translate it.\"

　　 \"You should do it while you\u0027re here. It\u0027d be good to have a record of what these prophecies say. I\u0027m sure they\u0027ll become more clear once we start looking into them.\"

　　 \"Are you sure that this is a good idea?\"

　　 \"What other choice do we have? We need to do something if we\u0027re going to stop these prophecies, and we\u0027re short on time.\"

　　 \"I see, can I ask you, did you pick me as a secretary to translate Spanish?\"

　　 \"Yes.\"

　　 \"Well, can I also be the one to read the future?\"

　　 Romanov smiled and said, \"I\u0027ll see what I can arrange.\"

　　 He finished and sat down again and picked up the pen and paper and said, \"Of course, now I chose you not just because you know Spanish, I want us to be able to keep our relationship as lovers going. Right?\"

　　 Tregubova\u0027s face reddened and her hand shook. She put it on her hip and said, \"I\u0027ll... I\u0027ll do my best, you can rely on that.\"

　　 Romanov said, \"Of course.\" He stood and held out his hand to her. She placed her hand in his.

　　 \"So, let\u0027s get started.\"

　　 \"I\u0027ll start by trying to find any link between these prophecies. Then, we\u0027ll see where this leads.\"

　　 They studied the prophecies. The translation of the first one read, \"The Soviet Union will suffer a calamity.\"

　　 Tregubova said, \"That could mean a military attack.\"

　　 \"Not necessarily, but also other factors. Such as natural disasters and accidents or something, these prophecies are always difficult to understand.\"

　　 \"Do you think it\u0027ll be a major attack?\"

　　 \"Anything is possible. We\u0027re a powerful nation and a great military power, anything is possible.\"

　　 Tregubova sat back down on the floor and said, \"I don\u0027t like this at all.\"

　　 \"Neither do I, but there\u0027s nothing we can do about it now.\" Romanov stood up. \"Let\u0027s get back to work.\"