Athens, Greece--February 8, 1953--3:35 P.M. local time.
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Couplain sat nervously in the hallway outside Alexander's offce. Some sweat gathered under the brow of his general's hat, and his woollen cavalry officer's uniform was overheating him.
Running through Couplain's head were the plans for a counter offensive against the Russians. In his head ran calculations for the French Somua tank speeds, military rations, railroad time tables--the man was a military genius, but not given ample supplies, any genius's talents would go to waste. His eyes darted back and forth calculating the rubber and oil neccessary for his tanks, where a preliminary Greek nuking would be needed, and the placing of the radar artillery for his diversionary attack with the old French cavalry divisions.
Alexander walked up near Couplain. Couplain continued doing figures in his head, muttering, moving his eyes and waving his hand around in the air. Alexander watched in amazement for a moment and then Couplain realized Alexander was standing right in front of him.
"Ah, Alexander, sorry. I was just trying to work out the details for my military assistance request."
"It's no big deal, Couplain. I'm glad to see at least someone is thinking in my little Political bureau," he said with a grin. His wife had advised him to joke; it had helped her with her cancer, she said.
Couplain smiled as Alexander pulled out his keys to his office and opened it with a push. The military could afford to spend billions on those Fancy battleships but couldn't afford the maintenance to grease the door to the president's office.
As they entered the office, Alecander sat down in his plush leather chair, and offered Couplain a seat across from him. It was a simple wicker chair with green pads on the back and seat. Alexander pulled out his folders and pulled a fountain pen out of the holder on the front of his desk. He put on his glasses and read a few forms on Couplain's military proposals. Included were approximately 3 million barrels of oil and 500 cubic meters of Rubber, an ICBM launching on Riga, Berlin, Marseilles, and Lyons, and a 50,000 man Franco-Greek Landing about 60 miles due North of London.
Alexander looked up at couplain in near shock. "Couplain, this is a lot to ask for, especially at such an early stage in the war."
Couplain's face dropped, along with his heart. "Alexander, I've calculated this all to the very last soldier. If this succeeds, the English will capitulate and the bulk of the Russian army will be blown to kingdom come."
"The Greek mobilization hasn't even been made final yet!" Alexander shouted. His glasses glared in the sunlight from his office windows, and a snarl came across his lips. He soon calmed down, and made a joke. "Well, let's see if my blunderheads on the military council approve. Maybe they'll even beef it up."
Couplain thanked Alexander as he left the building. Alexander sat down at his desk, pulled out more military budget forms, and sighed.
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Couplain sat nervously in the hallway outside Alexander's offce. Some sweat gathered under the brow of his general's hat, and his woollen cavalry officer's uniform was overheating him.
Running through Couplain's head were the plans for a counter offensive against the Russians. In his head ran calculations for the French Somua tank speeds, military rations, railroad time tables--the man was a military genius, but not given ample supplies, any genius's talents would go to waste. His eyes darted back and forth calculating the rubber and oil neccessary for his tanks, where a preliminary Greek nuking would be needed, and the placing of the radar artillery for his diversionary attack with the old French cavalry divisions.
Alexander walked up near Couplain. Couplain continued doing figures in his head, muttering, moving his eyes and waving his hand around in the air. Alexander watched in amazement for a moment and then Couplain realized Alexander was standing right in front of him.
"Ah, Alexander, sorry. I was just trying to work out the details for my military assistance request."
"It's no big deal, Couplain. I'm glad to see at least someone is thinking in my little Political bureau," he said with a grin. His wife had advised him to joke; it had helped her with her cancer, she said.
Couplain smiled as Alexander pulled out his keys to his office and opened it with a push. The military could afford to spend billions on those Fancy battleships but couldn't afford the maintenance to grease the door to the president's office.
As they entered the office, Alecander sat down in his plush leather chair, and offered Couplain a seat across from him. It was a simple wicker chair with green pads on the back and seat. Alexander pulled out his folders and pulled a fountain pen out of the holder on the front of his desk. He put on his glasses and read a few forms on Couplain's military proposals. Included were approximately 3 million barrels of oil and 500 cubic meters of Rubber, an ICBM launching on Riga, Berlin, Marseilles, and Lyons, and a 50,000 man Franco-Greek Landing about 60 miles due North of London.
Alexander looked up at couplain in near shock. "Couplain, this is a lot to ask for, especially at such an early stage in the war."
Couplain's face dropped, along with his heart. "Alexander, I've calculated this all to the very last soldier. If this succeeds, the English will capitulate and the bulk of the Russian army will be blown to kingdom come."
"The Greek mobilization hasn't even been made final yet!" Alexander shouted. His glasses glared in the sunlight from his office windows, and a snarl came across his lips. He soon calmed down, and made a joke. "Well, let's see if my blunderheads on the military council approve. Maybe they'll even beef it up."
Couplain thanked Alexander as he left the building. Alexander sat down at his desk, pulled out more military budget forms, and sighed.
