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ward cabin of the IL…86 airliner； and this has to happen！
His two principal deputies； a pair of skilled young engineers； had been left behind and were trying even now to make sense of the chaos； to save what could be saved； as he reviewed his notes for the Politburo meeting later in the day。 Three hundred men were known to have died fighting the fire； and； miraculously； fewer than two hundred citizens in the city of Nizhnevartovsk。 That was unfortunate； but not a matter of great significance except insofar as those trained men killed would eventually have to be replaced by other trained men drawn from the staffs of other large refineries。
The refinery was almost totally destroyed。 Reconstruction would take a minimum of two to three years； and would account for a sizable percentage of national steel pipe production； plus all the other specialty items unique to a facility of this type： Fifteen thousand million rubles。 And how much of the special equipment would have to be purchased from foreign sources…how much precious hard currency and gold would be wasted？
And that was the good news。
The bad news： the fire that had engulfed the production field had totally destroyed the welltops。 Time to replace： at least thirty…six months！
Thirty…six months； Sergetov reflected bleakly； if we can divert the drill rigs and crews to redrill every damned well and at the same time rebuild the EOR systems。 For a minimum of eighteen months the Soviet Union will have an enormous shortfall in oil production。 Probably more like thirty months。 What will happen to our economy？
He pulled a pad of lined paper from his briefcase and began to make some calculations。 It was a three…hour flight； and Sergetov did not notice it was over until the pilot came back to announce they had landed。
He looked with squinted eyes at the snow…covered landscape of Vnukovo…2； the VIP…only airport outside of Moscow； and walked alone down the boarding stairs to a waiting ZIL limousine。 The car sped off at once； without stopping at any of the security checkpoints。 The shivering militia officers snapped to attention as the ZIL passed； then returned to the business of keeping warm in the subzero temperatures。 The sun was bright； the sky clear but for some thin； high clouds。 Sergetov looked vacantly out the windows； his mind mulling over figures he had already rechecked a half…dozen times。 The Politburo was waiting for him； his KGB driver told him。
Sergetov had been a 〃candidate；〃 or nonvoting member； of the Politburo for just six months； which meant that； along with his eight other junior colleagues； he advised the thirteen men who alone made the decisions that mattered in the Soviet Union。 His portfolio was energy production and distribution。 He had held that post since September； and was only beginning to establish his plan for a total reorganization of the seven regional and all…union ministries that handled energy functions…and predictably spent most of their time battling one another…into a full department that reported directly to the Politburo and Party Secretariat； instead of having to work through the Council of Ministers bureaucracy。 He briefly closed his eyes to thank God…there might be one； he reasoned…that his first remendation； delivered only a month earlier； had concerned security and political reliability in many of the fields。 He had specifically remended further Russification of the largely 〃foreign〃 workforce。 For this reason； he did not fear for his own career； which up to now had been an uninterrupted success story。 He shrugged。 The task he was about to face would decide his future in any case。 And perhaps his country's。
The ZIL proceeded down Leningradskiy Prospekt； which turned into Gor'kogo； the limousine speeding through the center lane that policemen kept clear of traffic for the exclusive use of the vlasti。 They motored past the Intourist Hotel into Red Square； and finally approached the Kremlin gate。 Here the driver did stop for the security checks； three of them； conducted by KGB troops and soldiers of the Taman Guards。 Five minutes later the limousine pulled to the door of the Council of Ministers building； the sole modern structure in the fortress。 The guards here knew Sergetov by sight； and saluted crisply as they held open the door so that his exposure to the freezing temperatures would last but a brief span of seconds。
The Politburo had been holding it's meetings in this fourth…floor room for only a month while their usual quarters； in the old Arsenal building were undergoing a belated renovation。 The older men grumbled at the loss of the old Czarist forts； but Sergetov preferred the modernity。 About time； he thought； that the men of the Party surrounded themselves； with the works of socialism instead of the moldy trappings of the Romanovs。
The room was deathly quiet as he entered。 Had this been in the Arsenal； the fifty…four year old technocrat reflected； the atmosphere would have been altogether like a funeral…and there had been all too many of those。 Slowly； the Party was running out of the old men who had survived Stalin's terror； and the current crop of members； all 〃young〃 men in their fifties or early sixties； was finally being heard。 The guard was being changed。 Too slowly…too damned slowly…for Sergetov and his generation of Party leaders； despite the new General Secretary。 The man was already a grandfather。 It sometimes seemed to Sergetov that by the time these old men were gone； he'd be one himself。 But looking around this room now； he felt young enough。
〃Good day； rades；〃 Sergetov said； handing his coat to an aide； who withdrew at once； closing the doors behind him。 The other men moved at once to their seats。 Sergetov took his； halfway down the right side。
The Party General Secretary brought the meeting to order。 His voice was controlled and businesslike。 〃rade Sergetov； you may begin your report。 First； we wish to hear your explanation of exactly what happened。〃
〃rades； at approximately twenty…three hundred hours yesterday； Moscow Time； three armed men entered the central control plex of the Nizhnevartovsk oil plex and mitted a highly sophisticated act of sabotage。〃
〃Who were they？〃 the Defense Minister asked sharply。
〃We only have identification for two of them。 One of the bandits was a staff electrician。 The third〃…Sergetov pulled the ID card from his pocket and tossed it on the tablewas Senior Engineer I。M。 Tolkaze。 He evidently used his expert knowledge of the control systems to initiate a massive fire which spread rapidly before high winds。 A security team of ten KGB border guards responded at once to the alarm。 The one traitor still unidentified killed or wounded five of these with a rifle taken from the building guard； who was also shot。 I must say； having interviewed the KGB sergeant…the lieutenant was killed leading his men…that the border guards responded quickly and well。 They killed the traitors within minutes； but were unable to prevent the plete destruction of the facility； both the refinery and production fields。〃
〃And if the guards responded so fast； how then did they fail to prevent this act？〃 the Defense Minister demanded angrily； He examined the photographic； pass with palpable hatred in his eyes 〃What