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the knife upward and across； disemboweling him。
In a moment Russell was at her side。 He put his 。45 against the soldier's head； pulled the trigger。 He hauled Tori to her feet。
〃You okay？〃
She nodded。 ''Nice bit of shooting。 Right between the eyes。''
He had to help her a little until the running could work out the soreness in her abdomen and side。 Her jaw still ached from where she had taken the shot with the stock of the machine pistol。
They caught up with Estilo on the edge of the tarmac。 The Twin Otter sat waiting； closer than ever。 They trotted out onto the airstrip。
The airplane loomed up； and Tori thought； We've made it。 Just then they saw another Jeep careen onto the tarmac。 It headed for them at full speed； machine pistols blazing。
〃Around the other side！〃 Estilo called。 〃Get the plane between us and those guns！〃
They ducked beneath the wing of the Twin Otter。 But as soon as they did； they could make out an advancing column of troops appearing from out of the jungle on that side of the plane。 They were caught in a tightening net。
〃The plane's our only hope now；〃 Estilo said。 〃We've got to get inside。〃
〃But the moving stair is on the other side；〃 Russell said。 〃Those machine pistols will cut us to ribbons if we show ourselves。〃
〃Nevertheless；〃 Tori said； 〃Estilo's right。 If we don't take off in this plane； we're finished。〃 She checked her Uzi。 〃Reload；'' she said。 〃Make sure you've got a full magazine。 Okay。'' She looked at their faces； pale and grim in the reflection of the sodium are lights。 〃Let's go！〃
They began to fire even before they came around beneath the gleaming belly of the Twin Otter。 The Jeep was closer than they expected； the fusillade from the soldiers withering。 Already； they could hear the pop…pop…pop of semiautomatic rifles from the column of soldiers on the other side of the plane。
''We'll never get the moving stair in place！'' Russell shouted over the din。
Tori saw that he was right。 〃Quick！〃 she shouted back。 〃In there！〃 she indicated the open cargo doors。
Russell grabbed Estilo； shoved him into the cargo bay。 Tori got off a quick burst at the Jeep； saw one of the soldiers slump back。 She covered Russell； still firing； as he climbed in himself。 She shot off a final burst； scrambled in； closed the doors behind her。
The semiautomatic fire was like hail against the side of the plane。
〃Shit； shit； shit。〃 Tori； forward of them； was scrabbling at a plate in the ceiling。 She pulled her 。45； shot off the lock； shoved the panel aside； and light flooded downward。 She clambered up； Russell right behind her。
They ran forward。 There was no one on the plane； and she said a prayer for their luck。 She slid into the pilot's chair； began throwing switches。 〃I'm not sure of the takeoff；〃 she said。 〃Once we're in the air I'll be okay。〃
Russell sat in the copilot's seat； went through the pre…takeoff checklist。 The engines started up。 There was no problem； except for the semiautomatic fire directed their way。
〃Time；〃 Russell said； and they began to taxi down the air…strip。 Faster and faster he fed the engines； adjusting the mix； then pulled back on the throttle； and with a great rush they were airborne； lifting slowly away from the llano negro； the insane cocaine city； the unknown enemy； powerful； plotting； hidden beneath layers of deceit； working the soft cell。
BOOK TWO
THE HARD MACHINE
Perfection of means and confusion of goals
seem； in my opinion； to characterize our age。 …ALBERT EINSTEIN
SIX
MOSCOW/STAR TOWN /АРКНАNGELSКОЕ/TOKYO
The next time Irina saw Natasha Mayakova； it was face…to…face。 As it happened； Natasha ran an acting school for women。 There were four instructors； and she herself gave one class a week。 Irina had enrolled in this class。
She had to audition； of course； but oddly； this had posed no great problem。 Irina suspected that her recent work burrowing in between Valeri and Mars had made of her a fairly decent actor。 She found that she had no fear or trepidation at all。 She read from a scene in Chekhov's Three Sisters； which she privately thought was the height of irony。 She must have done well； because the next day she was informed that she had been accepted into Miss Mayakova's class。
The class was attended by six women。 They sat in a dusty back room of the new Moscow Arts Theater； which Irina did not like nearly as much as she did the old one； where Natasha performed five nights a week。
Irina had not； of course； given her real name。 Her goal was to discover what Valeri was secretly doing with Natasha Mayakova； and to find some way to use it against him so that she could get out of him the information Mars needed on the nationalist group； White Star。 Here； she was Katya Boroskaya。
Mars had been delighted to provide the false documentation Irina needed for enrolling in the acting school。 It was too early to give him any information； and he had not asked why she required new identity documents。 ''I want you to think of yourself as a free agent；〃 he had told her。 〃I trust you。〃
The first night； Natasha Mayakova had told her students that this class would not have been possible before perestroika。 She said this with the kind of pride someone tells her girlfriends that her father has granted her the privilege of staying out past midnight。 Irina thought the speech disgusting in its naivete； frightening in its implied condescension。
〃Here we will study such American playwrights as Edward Albee；〃 Natasha continued。 〃I have chosen Albee because in plays such as Tiny Alice and A Delicate Balance； we can discern distinct Chekhovian antecedents。 The characters' existential terror is not so far from the despair with which Chekhov imbued his characters in Three Sisters or The Cherry Orchard。 Both Chekhov and Albee understood the dynamics of inertia； and its ultimate power to affect an audience。〃
Natasha asked them to do 〃cold readings；〃 because； she said； 〃I want to see what you can do when I throw you without warning into an icy stream。〃
She chose two students； one of whom was Irina； to read passages from Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf？ Natasha asked Irina to play Martha； the role acted by Elizabeth Taylor in the American film version Irina had seen in a tiny Cambridge revival theater。 Irina remembered sitting in the dark； surrounded by American students and the smell of popcorn； and feeling as if she were swimming naked in a sylvan mountain lake。 She had felt so 。。。 free。 And then the enlarged image of Elizabeth Taylor had sprung up in front of her； her acting transporting Irina away； away； away 。。。
After class was over Natasha Mayakova asked her to stay behind。 Irina was immediately terrified that； somehow； despite her precautions； Natasha knew who she was and was now prepared to confront her。
When they were alone； Natasha said； 〃Do you have time for a glass of tea？〃
Because it was fairly late； they went to the night bar at the Metropole Hotel； one of the few places in Moscow to stay open past midnight。 Muscovites often frequented the hotel because it had been a favorite speaking spot of Lenin's。 Now it seemed faded； worn； almost shabby beneath the ornate gilt。
Wh