The two men went aft.  Stralbo's cabin was a spartan affair.  The only decoration on the wall was a print of Lenin speaking to Red Guards.

"What is our mission, Vasily?" Stralbo asked.

"To support our submarines, help them to conduct the search—"

"Exactly.  Our mission is to support, not to conduct offensive operations.  The Americans do not want us here.  Objectively, I can understand this.  With all our missiles we are a threat to them."

"But our orders are not to threaten them," the zampolit protested.  "Why would we want to strike their homeland?"

"And, of course, the imperialists recognize that we are peaceful socialists!  Come now, Vasily, these are our enemies!  Of course they do not trust us.  Of course they wish to attack us, given the smallest excuse.  They are already interfering with our search, pretending to help.  They do not want us here—and in allowing ourselves to be provoked by their aggressive actions, we fall into their trap."  The admiral stared down at his desk.  "Well, we shall change that.  I will order the fleet to discontinue anything that may appear the least bit aggressive.  We will end all air operations beyond normal local patrolling.  We will not harass their nearby fleet units.  We will use only normal navigational radars."

"And?"

"And we will swallow our pride and be as meek as mice.  Whatever provocation they make, we will not react to it."

"Some will call this cowardice, Comrade Admiral," the zampolit warned.

Stralbo had expected that.  "Vasily, don't you see?  In pretending to attack us they have already victimized us.  They force us to activate our newest and most secret defense systems so they can gather intelligence on our radars and fire control systems.  They examine the performance of our fighters and helicopters, the maneuverability of our ships, and most of all, our command and control.  We shall put an end to that.  Our primary mission is too important.  If they continue to provoke us, we will act as though our mission is indeed peaceful—which it is as far as they are concerned—and protest our innocence.  And we make them the aggressors.  If they continue to provoke us, we shall watch to see what their tactics are, and give them nothing in return.  Or would you prefer that they prevent us from carrying out our mission?"

The zampolit mumbled his consent.  If they failed in their mission, the charge of cowardice would be a small matter indeed.  If they found the renegade submarine, they'd be heroes regardless of what else happened.

The Dallas