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〃Well； I'm going now…but I'll be back。 Probably soon。 Too soon for you to do anything about it。 If you know what happened last time I was here you'll heed my warning： don't stay here。 Be anywhere else； but not here。 Not when I e back。 Do you understand？〃
〃Going？〃 She began to feel hysterical； felt ungovernable laughter welling inside。 〃You think you're going somewhere； Harry Keogh？ Surely you know that you're in the heart of Russia！〃 She half turned away； turned back again。 〃You haven't a chance in …； Or perhaps he did have a chance。 For Harry was no longer there 。
Harry called out Carl Quint's name into the M？bius continuum； and was at once rewarded〃 with an answer。 We're here； Harry。 We've been expecting you； sooner or later。
We？ Harry felt his heart sink。
Myself； Felix Krakovitch； Sergei Gulharov and Mikhail Volkonsky。 Theo Dolgikh got all of us。 You know Felix and Sergei； of course； but you haven't met Mikhail yet。
You'll like him。 He's a real character！ Hey…what about Alec？ How did he make out？
No better than you； said Harry； homing in on them。
He emerged from the infinite M？bius strip into the blasted ruins of Faethor Ferenczy's Carpathian castle。 It was just after 3。00 A。M。 and clouds were fleeing under the moon； turning the wide ledge over the gorge into a land of phantom shadows。 The wind off the Ukrainian plain was cold on Harry's naked flesh。
So Alec copped it too； eh？ Quint's dead voice had turned sour。 But then he brightened。 Maybe we'll be able to look him up！
〃No；〃 said Harry。 〃No you won't。 I don't think you'll ever find him。 I don't think anybody will。〃 And he explained his meaning。
You have to square things up； Harry； said Quint when he'd finished。
〃It can't be put right；〃 Harry told him。 〃But it can be avenged。 Last time I warned them； this time I have to wipe them out。 Total！ That's why I came here； to see if I could motivate myself。 Taking ；life isn't my scene。 I've done it； but it's a mess。 I'd prefer the dead to love me。〃
Most of us always will； Harry； Quint told him。
〃After what I did to Bronnitsy last time；〃 Harry continued； I wasn't sure I could do it again。 Now I know I can。〃
Felix Krakovitch had been silent until now。 I haven't the right to try and stop you； Harry； he said； but there are some good people there。
〃Like Zek F？ener？〃
She's one of them； yes。
〃I've already told her to get out of it。 I think she will。〃
Well； （Harry could hear Krakovitch's sigh； and almost picture his nod；） I'm glad for that at least。
〃Now I suppose it's time I got mobile；〃 said Harry。 〃Carl； maybe you can tell me： does E…Branch have access to pact high explosives？〃
Why； Quint replied； the branch can get hold of just about anything； given a little time！
〃Hmm；〃 Harry mused。 〃I was hoping to do it a bit faster than that。 Even tonight。〃
Now Mikhail Volkonsky spoke up： Harry； does this mean you're going after that maniac who killed us？ if so； maybe I can help you。 I've done a lot of blasting in my time…mainly with gelignite； but I've also used the other stuff。 in Kolomyya； there's a place where they keep it safe。 Detonators； too； and I can explain how to use them。
Harry nodded； seated himself on the stump of a crumbling wall at the edge of the gorge； allowed himself a grim； humourless smile。 〃Keep talking； Mikhail；〃 he said。
〃I'm all ears 。 。
* * *
Something brought Ivan Gerenko awake。 He couldn't have said what it was； just the feeling that something wasn't right。 He dressed as quickly as possible； got the night Duty Officer on the inter and asked if anything was wrong。 Apparently nothing was。 And Theo Dolgikh was due back any time now。
As Gerenko switched off the inter； he glanced out of his great； curving； bulletproof window。 And then he held his breath。 Down there in the night； silvered by moonlight； a figure moved furtively away from the Chateau's main building。 A female figure。 She was wearing a coat over her uniform； but Gerenko knew who it was。 Zek F？ener。
She was using the narrow vehicular access road； she had to； for the fields all around were mined and set with trip…wires。 She tried to walk light and easy； casual； but there was that in her movements which spoke of stealth。 She must have booked out； presumably on the pretext of being unable to sleep。 Or maybe she really couldn't sleep； was simply out for a walk and a little night air。 Gerenko snorted。 Oh； indeed？ A long walk； presumably…probably right to Leonid Brezhnev himself； in Moscow！
He hurried down the winding stone stairs； took the key to his duty vehicle from the watchkeeper at the door； and set off in pursuit。 Overhead； to the west； the lights of a helicopter signalled its approach： Theo Dolgikh； hopefully with a good excuse for the mess he'd earlier hinted at on the phone！
Two…thirds of the way to the massive perimeter wall that surrounded the entire grounds； Gerenko caught up with the girl； pulled up alongside and slowed to a halt。 She smiled； shielded her eyes from the dazzle of the headlights…then saw who was hunched behind the wheel。 Her smile died on her face。
Gerenko slid open his window。 〃Going somewhere； Fraulein F？ener； my dear？〃 he said。 。
* * *
Ten minutes earlier Harry had stepped out of the M？bius continuum into one of the Chateau's pillbox gun emplacements。 He'd been there before and knew the exact locations of all six； and guessed that they'd only be manned in the event of an alert。 Since that might well be the current state of readiness if Kyle's absence had been discovered； he carried a loaded automatic pistol in the pocket of an overcoat he'd stolen from a peg in the ordnance dump in Kolomyya。
Across his shoulders he bore the weight of a bulky sausage…shaped bag that weighed all of one hundred pounds。 Putting it down； he unzipped it and took out the first of a dozen gauze…wrapped cheeses： that was how he thought of the stuff； like soft grey cheese； except it smelled a lot worse。 He moulded the ultra…high…explosive plastic over a sealed ammunition box； stuck in a timer…detonator and set the explosion for ten minutes'time。 This had taken him maybe thirty seconds； he couldn't be sure for he had no watch。 Then he moved on to the next pillbox； where this time he set the detonation for nine minutes； and so on。
Less than five minutes later he began to repeat the process inside the Chateau itself。 First he went to the mind…lab； where he materialised beside the operating table。 It seemed strange that he （yes； he； now） had been lying on that table something less than three…quarters of an hour ago！ Sweating； he stuffed UHEP into the gap between two of the filthy machines they'd used to drain Kyle's mind； set the detonator； picked up his much lighter bag and stepped through a M？bius door。
Emerging into a corridor in the acmodation area； he met face to face with a security guard doing his rounds！ The man looked tired； shoulders drooping where he ambled down the corridor for the fifth time that night。 Then he looked up and saw Harry； and his hand went straight for the gun at his hip。
Harry didn't know how his new body would react to physical violence； this was when he'd find out。 He'd learned his stuff long ago fro