"Yes, of course. However, we have information from our agents in Russia that, as a last desperate chance, they will fire their intercontinental missiles, plus shorter range rockets from their submarine fleet, at every major population center and key military target in the U.S.A. and Canada. Probably, in addition to nerve gas, the missiles will be loaded with various deadly bacterial toxins and bacteria, and quite likely new viruses of even greater lethal power than the measlepox, able to attack and kill people in as short a period as twenty-four hours. We also believe that, in the temporary paralysis of cities, military posts and air bases achieved by the nerve gases, they will attempt to land airborne or rocket-borne troops to capture and hold our main centres. As you know, we are not mobilized because there isn't supposed to be a war on. Their plan might be fantastic enough to succeed."
"Who dreamed all this up?" said Pat, skeptically.
"It's no dream," the Colonel said. "There's a strong moderate element in Russia today, mainly in the Armed Forces and the new managerial classes, that is sick of dictators and war. They have contacted us and are ready to revolt when the Reds are a bit more disorganized and the people still more starved and discontented."
"Where do I come in?" I said.
"You are still a Lieutenant Colonel in the army reserve."
"That's right."
"The President himself, on the advice of his counsellors, asks that you volunteer for special duty. As there is no declared state of emergency, you cannot be recalled. In fact if you don't want to leave Canada he can't force you to. He simply requests that you volunteer."
"That's all lovely, and very sweet of the old boy," I said sarcastically. "Why me?"
"On the Imjin River, in North Korea, there is a large plant which is very busy manufacturing those deadly viruses I talked about. The Russians have quietly taken over the country, and in fact the whole of China, since probably there are less than fifty million healthy Chinese alive today. The crowding into communes in the Fifties really facilitated the spread of the measlepox we hear. We think the Kremlinites want to keep an eye on them; probably want to sterilize with the S-Flu, those left by the other diseases. To have such a dangerous factory well away from their own homes and close to their enemies in Japan, as well as reasonably convenient to the submarine pens around Vladivostok, are other likely reasons for its location there. Whatever the reasons, the factory is there. Now, by good luck, the senior virologist is one of the moderates who is heartily sick of all this killing."
"Hear, hear," the Chief said. "I know exactly how he feels."