Madden was enjoying the expressions on the faces of the Russians. They had to put on the paltry show of being abreast, or even one step ahead, of their great rival. Yet he doubted whether they had an inkling of the real situation. It was rather pathetic. Take Burdovsky, for instance. No matter how much he tried to hide his feelings, acting out the charade of the man of authority and decision, the tiny eyes under the puffy lids were restless, shifting, furtive. Human beings were so predictable--more so than the climate. They could be manipulated with ease because they were at the mercy of the supreme traitor: emotion. Madden had proved it time and time again, to his own intense satisfaction.
He said glibly, "Major Jones has the detailed projections if you'd care to see them, gentlemen." Amused at the alacrity with which Lieuten-ant-Colonel Salazkin leaned across to take the file.
"We shall examine these later," said Burdovsky, nodding to himself. "No doubt they will be similar to the figures we have obtained."
"No doubt," Madden said without a flicker.
"Good. Now we are nearer to the ball, yes?"
"Yes."
"Which is, Colonel . . . ?"
"Which is, Colonel, our mutual problem. Some of our major American cities, especially in the southern states, are already experiencing severe depletion problems. As are other cities around the world in the tropical regions."
"That is hardly our problem," Burdovsky contradicted him. "The vast proportion of the Soviet Union lies north of forty degrees latitude." He spread his hands and grinned fatly. "Our country is not affected."
"No?" Madden said. "Major Jones."
"In the region surrounding Lake Balkhash in Kazakhskaya you've had to evacuate two million people," said Major Jones crisply. "In 1995 there were fifty thousand deaths attributed to atmospheric pollution. By 2002 an area of forty-six thousand square miles had been designated as unfit for human habitation and emergency plans were introduced for mass evacuation of the area."
Burdovsky's chins were quivering and the other Russians were sitting as if turned to salt.
"Contamination in the Nizmennost region due to the indiscriminate use of chemicals reached crisis point in 2005. Evacuation was carried out over a three-month period beginning in September of that year, and since then all freshwater lakes in the region have remained biologically dead. There has been total decimation of all flora and marine life.
The atmospheric oxygen count is four percent below normal and fall-
# _ >>
ing.
"It's your problem too, Colonel," Madden said, studying his fingernails. "Even discounting these local and relatively minor effects, which in themselves are unimportant, we know that oxygen depletion in the equatorial belt is widening, spreading north and south. In ten years, fifteen at the most, both our countries will be largely inside the depletion belt."
Colonel Burdovsky sucked on his cigar and blew smoke down at the blotter. "This rests on the assumption that DELFI is correct, does it not?" He raised his eyes to catch Madden's nod. "So tell me, what precisely is our 'mutual' problem, Colonel Madden?"
"Too many people using up too much oxygen."
A vee of furrows appeared on Burdovsky's broad forehead. His consternation transformed itself into a smirk. "So what are you proposing?" he asked with droll humor. "That we exterminate half the world's population?"
"Not half," Madden softly corrected him. "Three quarters."
Burdovsky's hand twitched and a neat cylinder of gray ash fell to the table and disintegrated in a powdery explosion on the glass surface.
"Four and a half billion as a guesstimate," Madden went on, as if discussing a golf handicap. "We calculate that the biosphere can comfortably support about one and a half billion human beings. The combined populations of the USSR and the United States total three quarters of a billion--which leaves room for a further three-quarters-billion spread around the rest of the globe." As though stating a fact that was self-evident and hardly needed mentioning, he added, "Of course China will have to go. It already has a population of one and a quarter billion and they're breeding like lice. In ten years, at current rates of growth, China will constitute one third of the total world population."
Major Ivolgin was staring at Madden with bulging eyes. "Is this meant to be taken as a serious proposal by your government?" he asked.
"Serious, yes. But not from our government. The plan has been formulated by the Coordinated Executive of Advanced Strategic Projects, which is the military/scientific wing of the Pentagon and responsible solely and directly to the Joint Chiefs of Staff."
"The Joint Chiefs know of this proposal?" Burdovsky said incredulously.
"Yes."
"But not your government?"
"No."
Burdovsky placed his cigar carefully in an ashtray and looked at it for several moments. "How can you be sure your government will grant approval of such a scheme?" He raised his eyes. "Is it possible?"
"As of now--this minute--the answer is no. Which is why we need your cooperation." Madden held his left hand, palm uppermost, flat in front of him and pressed back the index finger. "The depletion problem is worsening year by year. Right now both our governments are unwilling to face up to the facts of the situation. But very soon they'll have no choice." He pressed back the middle finger. "When they have to face it they're going to want a solution pretty desperately. One that's quick and effective." He pressed back the ring finger. "That's the moment to put forward our proposal. Speaking for my government I know they'll react negatively to the idea--I can hear the bleats of the liberals and humanitarians already." He pressed back the little finger. "Then we play our trump card. We tell our government that the USSR is already in the process of implementing an identical scheme. You tell your government the same thing about us."
Madden curled his right hand into a fist, which he smacked firmly into his left palm. "That leaves both governments no way out, Colonel. The only feasible course will be to reach an agreement whereby our two nations act in unison to implement the plan. There will be no alternative if they wish to survive."
"An agreement which already exists. Secretly," mused Burdovsky.
"At the military level. Not politically."
"I understand now why you insisted that this meeting take place under such ridiculous and uncomfortable circumstances," said Burdov-sky with a faint smile. "The usual diplomatic channels would be out of the question."
"And extremely stupid," Madden remarked.
"You realize, of course, that I can make no immediate response. Until 1 have reported to my superiors and the proposal has been discussed."
"I didn't expect one," Madden said briskly, looking at his watch.
Lieutenant-Colonel Salazkin had a question. His voice was nasal and high-pitched. "You predict that climatic conditions will become very bad--much worse--in ten to fifteen years. If that is so, why not let depletion do the work of extermination? People will die in any case."
"Unfortunately not fast enough or in sufficient numbers," Madden replied promptly. "And in the meantime they're using up the available stock of oxygen that the rest of us need in order to survive. The equation is very simple: us or them."
Colonel Burdovsky was gazing at Madden as if at a rare and dangerous species of jungle animal. He said, "I must tell you, Colonel Madden, that never in my lifetime have I heard of an idea so fantastic. To exterminate three quarters of the human race." He breathed gustily. "Incredible."
"But entirely necessary," said Madden blandly. "As I'm sure you'll agree."
"How is this plan to be implemented?" asked Major Ivolgin. "You have a method?"