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Mars ignored her。 〃If you do not answer my question； I will assume that you have no use for food。〃
〃Are you certain you wouldn't be more fortable with the KGB rank boards on your shoulders？〃
〃No food； then。〃 Mars ticked off a box on the top sheet of the dossier； turned to the next page。 〃What is your relationship with Valeri Denysovich Bondasenko？''
〃Valeri is my brother。〃
Mars looked up。 He seemed genuinely startled。 〃Your brother？〃
〃Did I say brother？ I meant lover。〃
Mars frowned。 〃Which is it？ Brother or lover？〃
〃Both。〃
Mars put aside his pen； folded his hands； one over the other。 Natasha； with the kind of heightened sense that often es in such life…threatening situations； noticed with revulsion how his small ears made him look more like a beast than a movie idol。
〃Natasha；〃 Mars said carefully； 〃I assure you that talking with me will be far more preferable to the alternatives。〃
〃My alternatives；〃 Natasha said； 〃are life or death。〃
Now Mars smiled。 〃Out there； in the streets of Moscow； I would be inclined to agree with you。 But you are here now； with me； and please believe me when I say that there are other alternatives to answering my questions。 All of them are extremely unpleasant。〃
〃 'Unpleasant；' I take it； is the current KGB euphemism for painful？〃
〃Why are you bent on making this difficult for yourself？〃
Natasha said； 〃I am only doing what I have to do。〃
''I can see in your eyes； Natasha； how frightened you are。''
〃Oh； yes； I'm exceedingly frightened。 But that will hardly change my mind。〃
Mars stared at her for some time。 〃What is your relationship with Valeri Denysovich Bondasenko？〃
''Valeri is my brother or my lover； or both。''
Mars flipped over another page。 〃And what is your relationship with the Hero？〃
〃Oh； there's no doubt there。 I'm fucking his brains out。〃
〃The vulgarity hardly suits you； Natasha。〃
〃Now； now； Mars。 Your prudishness is showing。〃
〃Are you providing the Hero with access to official government limited distribution documents？''
〃I 'm an actor； Mars。 Not a spy。''
〃Natasha； do you know what the penalty for spying is？〃
〃If it's being incarcerated in this shithole for the rest of my life； I'd rather die； thank you very much。〃
Mars nodded。 〃All right；〃 he said。 〃I've done what I can。〃
〃You certainly have。〃
Mars pressed a buzzer on the underside of the table。 〃It's time for the hard man；〃 he said to no one in particular。
Natasha was so frightened； she had been on the verge of vomiting throughout the interrogation。 She had always known what consequences her actions might bring。 She thought she had been prepared for them。 But； like the death of a parent； she reflected now； one can never truly prepare for the reality of this kind of nightmare。
It was odd； she thought； how disorienting being without a semblance of time could be。 Without watch or clock； without a window to know whether it was dark or light； let alone the hour； with the random switching on and off of the cell light； she had already lost an important guidepost to reality。 She had entered a new realm； where time did not seem to exist。 Had she been picked up an hour ago or half a day？ She tried to work it out but could not； and this loss frightened her even more。 But she knew that she must never show her fear to Mars。 If she did； she knew with a profound conviction that he would eat her alive。
〃Here es the hard man。〃
Natasha's head snapped up； and she saw； to her horror； an ugly dark…haired man approaching her with a hypodermic needle。
〃No！ 〃she cried。
But the needle had already pierced the flesh of her arm； the plunger was depressed； and a moment afterward an unfortable icy chill slipped through her like a wraith。 Natasha's spirit convulsed as if already in torment。
* * *
''Kunio Michita's not at home。'' Yen Yasuwara was in a panic。 He put down the receiver of the car phone。
〃Perhaps that's the way you planned it；〃 Big Ezoe said。
〃No； no。〃 Yen Yasuwara threw a fearful look Koi's way。 〃I know I can find him。〃 His brow furrowed。 〃Why don't we try Kaijin？〃
Both Big Ezoe and Koi were familiar with Kaijin。 They knew Yen Yasuwara meant Kaijin ni Kisuru； which was the full name of one of Tokyo's most exclusive tea houses。 It was an after…hours place； but unlike most akochochin； it clung tenaciously to the older； more sedate term so that a facade of respectability could be maintained。 Nevertheless； its name； loosely translated； meant 〃to be reduced to ashes； to burn to the ground；〃 which had nothing at all to do with drinking tea。
Kaijin was in Shimbashi； and without a word Big Ezoe turned the Mercedes around； headed there。
Like most of Japan's exclusive and expensive clubs； Kaijin had a wholly unprepossessing exterior。 All that was visible； in fact； was an oversized door made of thick vertical kyoki wood slabs bound in hand…beaten iron。 Though the door was obviously very old； it glowed； bespeaking the care lavished on it。 Local legend had it that this was the original door from the first Shogun； Ieyasu Tokugawa's castle keep。 In fact； the truth was unknown。 As was typical of a country where much of its history was oral； Japanese scholars found it impossible to discern fact from myth。
Stone steps were guarded by a pair of gnarled dark green Hinoki cypresses； trimmed to resemble fantastic creatures。 A buzzer one pressed sounded deep within Kaijin's heart； and it might be many minutes until the door was opened。 And then； unless one was known by sight or was acpanied by a member； one would not gain entrance。 Thus were the elite of Japan guarded against any unwanted intrusion。
Keeping a handkerchief to the side of his face。 Yen Yasuwara rang the buzzer； waiting impatiently on Kaijin's doorstep。 When the front door at last opened inward； a voice from the darkness inside said； 〃Wele； Mr。 Yasuwara。 Two guests this evening？〃
Yen Yasuwara nodded； mumbled something unintelligible as he stumbled over the threshold。
The kind of silence that enfolded the interior of Kaijin was sepulchral； almost holy； as if one had entered the innards of a church。 Lights were few。 What there was of them created indirect pools across whitewashed stone walls on which hung scrolls so ancient they depicted landscapes from China rather than Japan。
This stark； rather cold shell was in direct contrast to the furniture in the rooms； which was sybaritic。 Long leather couches with sensuously curved backs； plush chairs wide enough to acmodate two； luxurious chaise longues across which were thrown animal pelts…all contributed to the bizarre； almost schizophrenic interior design。
〃Mr。 Michita is expecting us；〃 Yen Yasuwara said to a heavyset man with a scar on the lobe of one misshapen ear。
The man looked from the young lawyer to his two panions and back again。 Then he nodded。 〃This way；〃 he said； beckoning to them。 〃Mr。 Michita is taking tea in the Green Room。〃
Each environment within Kaijin was named for a different color which corresponded to either its design or location。 The Green Room happened to be set as a traditional tea house overlooking a minuscule but dense interior garden。 Though the garden was surrounded by walls on all sides； its d