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〃Oh； yes。〃 Her head nodded。 〃It was quite frightening； I must say。 The Japanese took it with just a bit more equanimity。〃
She was evincing a light tone and forcing it。 Nicholas wondered why。
〃How about you？〃
〃No；〃 he said。 〃I missed the worst of it。〃
She waited patiently while he opened the door to his room。 〃I was in L。A。 once when a minor quake hit；〃 she said conversationally。 〃It was like here； really； though this one； I'm told； was far worse。 No one paid the slightest attention to it。 It was as if it did not exist。〃
〃That's not at all how the Japanese view it；〃 Nicholas said as he went into the bathroom and turned on the taps； the shower。 He was obliged to raise his voice over the sound of all the rushing water。 〃They accept earthquakes as part of nature。 To Californians it's like death： they'd rather not think about it。〃
Fifteen minutes later； after a long； steaming shower followed by an icy one； he emerged； wreathed in towels。 He stripped off the plastic bag used to keep his newly bandaged fingers dry。 〃I'm glad you're here； actually。〃
〃Oh； good；〃 she said； staring at his hand。 〃I've e as Minck's messenger girl； really。 The focus of our hunt has shifted since your meeting with him last week。 Away from Protorov； toward Tenchi。〃
Perhaps it was the fatigue that gripped him or else Akiko was still on his mind： how wholly she had bee Yukio or some semblance of Yukio that he still held sacrosanct and pristine in his memory。 Perhaps it was only his imagination but it was his decided feeling that the kami of his first beloved had somehow taken hold of her lookalike at the end； filling her heart with love and passion where before there had been only hate and a burning need for revenge。 In the end； that might have been foolish of him； but he did not think so。 He was too aware of the intertwining of life and death。
In any event； he missed the falseness to her voice that normally he might have picked up。 He was not fully attuned to this conversation； his thoughts were elsewhere。 Relaxing his overworked muscles he was diffused； without concentration； and therefore vulnerable。
〃That's just as well；〃 he said； turning away from her to rummage through his dresser for fresh clothes； 〃because Protorov has ceased to be a threat to anyone。〃
〃What do you mean？〃 Tanya said； though she knew very well。
〃I mean；〃 Nicholas said； 〃that I killed him。〃 He turned back in time to see the surprise in her eyes when he said； 〃I've also broken Tenchi wide open。〃
Tanya felt as if she had been struck by lightning。 After Rus…silov's terrible news； she had lost much of her hope。 With Protorov gone； what chance did they now have for the KGB…GRU summit。
She； too； knew Mironenko。 In fact； he had been her first lover。 Thus had she brought him into Protorov's axis。 This had been just before her graduation from the academy in the Urals。 Mironenko and several other up…and…ing GRU officers had been given a three…day tour of the premises and facilities。
Of all the visitors； Protorov judged Mironenko to be of the most use to him in the future； that had been the reason for extending him an invitation in the first place。
Protorov had sent Tanya into his room at night。 She had been sex…starved； the passion of her emotions mingling with her physical needs。 The bination had proved irresistible to Mironenko… as it would have been for almost any man。
Tanya was his first link with Protorov。 After the visit he did not want to give her up and； in fact； their affair lasted through the spring and into the summer。
But summer meant Tanya's graduation； and because he had another assignment for her； one far more risky； one that only she could perform； Protorov contrived to have Mironenko's wife bee aware of his passion。 Chastened； he left Tanya's side。 But； partially because Protorov's subsequent intervention saved his marriage…and his career as well…and partially because his own political bent was similar； he moved into Protorov's camp。
In the meantime； Protorov had moved Tanya out of the academy； allowing her to find her own way into the midst of her brother's； Mikhail's dissident apparatus。 From his own point of view there was no risk； of course。 He knew quite well that Tanya's heart belonged to her father； that she had seen Mikhail's behavior as a betrayal to the family。 He had had his instructors work on that angle in oblique manners during her schooling。
Mikhail； for his part； was overjoyed to see her。 To him it meant that she had matured。 It simply was inconceivable to him that she might be a KGB apparatchik。
Now； as hope returned to Tanya； she automatically abandoned her backup plan to kill Nicholas and； reporting back to Minck in Washington； put a bullet through his brain。 With Tenchi's secret safe inside her mind； she would contact Russilov to initiate an escape route for her。
Of course she would not tell him of her discovery。 Rather let him think that she was returning to Central a disgrace； having been blown by Linnear。 After what had transpired in the safe house in Hokkaido； he'd have no trouble swallowing that。
Then across the frontier； through the Kurile chain； to Mironenko。 There was still time to make the summit deadline； and she wished to have no eager ambitious male trying to share her triumph。
No； she alone would address the KGB…GRU summit as Viktor Protorov's handpicked successor。 The coup would take place。 The dream had not died after all。
Trying with all her will to control the fluttering she felt in her chest； she said； 〃The sooner you tell me about it； the sooner I can send a signal to Minck and we can put this to bed once and for all。〃
Dressed； Nicholas was counting out money into a new wallet。 〃Thankfully； no action will be needed on our part。 I'm quite sure of that。 But it would have been a full…fledged disaster had the Soviets been successful in penetrating it。〃
Tanya ground her teeth in anticipation。 She could barely contain her anxiety。 She moved with him as he walked back into the bathroom to brush his hair； standing just outside the door as he flicked on the hairdryer。
〃Tenchi is an apt code name；〃 he began。 〃It means 'heaven and earth。' Tenchi is； in fact； a super…robot。〃
〃What？〃 Tanya cried。 〃What is this； a science…fiction film？〃
〃Let me begin at the beginning。 Three years ago the Hare Mam； a Japanese tanker loaded with radioactive waste； was lost in a typhoon while crossing the Nemuro Straits between Hokkaido and the southernmost tip of the Kuriles。
〃It was a disaster of the greatest magnitude； and one which the Japanese Government； as you can imagine； did not want made public。
〃Salvage operations were begun as soon as fair weather returned。 The radioactive wastes； as it turned out； had not broken through their sealed containers； and the operation proceeded without a hitch。
〃But on the third day； divers using an enormously powerful vacuum pump that must be anchored on the ocean floor discovered that the vibrations of the mechanism had opened up a hairline fissure。 Out of it a black； viscous substance had begun to leak。
〃They had accidentally discovered oil off the coast of Japan where； it had been determined by a host of geologists； none could exist。