Dragon Fire

Prime Minister’s Office, South Block, Delhi, India

‘Eastern Air Command outside of Shillong is a bloody mess,’ said Chandra Reddy. ‘We have lost our command and control ability for the operation in Arunachal Pradesh.’

‘Casualties?’ asked Hari Dixit.

‘In the dozens, sir. The cantonment is outside the town. We’re still checking, but there are no reports of large-scale civilian casualties. Air Marshal Ravi Thapar is among the dead. He refused to go into the bunker.’

‘Damn fool,’ muttered the Chief of Army Staff, Unni Khrishnan.

‘John Hastings wants to speak to you from Washington,’ said Prabhu Purie, the Foreign Minister. ‘Joan Holden urges us not to respond.’

Dixit drummed his fingers on the table. ‘Does she now. I will not be speaking to Hastings, and tell Holden this. We pulled back, on an American assurance which proved to be hollow. We have taken heavy casualties at Shillong. I have lost a personal friend, and our ability to conduct an operation against the invading Chinese troops has been severely weakened. If I was a suspicious man, I would imagine that the United States and China were working together against India. Certainly, that is what our free press will make of it. So tell Holden that the democratically elected government of India reserves the right to do whatever it chooses to neutralize the threat from China.’ He turned to Chandra Reddy. ‘Can you get me Gorbunov at the Kremlin?’

When the Russian President was on the line, he said, ‘We may have to embark upon full-scale war with China.’

‘That does not surprise me,’ said Gorbunov.

‘I would like an assurance that our arms supplies will continue.’

‘You have it. I have anticipated the conflict and we have transport planes, engineers and technicians standing by to fly in spares and new equipment. But I must tell you this. We are doing exactly the same for China. We are abiding by our existing contracts, giving no more and no less. Should I withdraw supplies to you both, China would win because of its superior sea-launched submarine capability and land-based missile arsenal. It is also more able to absorb casualties. My policy is that whatever the stakes and whatever the outcome, this conflict must be confined within Asia without interference from Russia or the United States.’