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e heaviness of her own body； as if it now weighs tons。 Crashing to the tracks； the shining steel coated with a hot； sticky substance； dark； running out of her in a stream。 And Fukuda pausing a moment in the semidarkness of the subway tunnel； her face alight with triumph。 I told you not to get in my way； but you didn't listen。 You took from me something that was very precious。 Now that you'II pay with your life； perhaps you will understand just how precious。 The gloating is cut with her rage and her hate。 You backed the wrong horse。 Sooner or later； we'II take Hitasura down； just as we've taken you down。 No big thing。 Easy does it。 Then she had disappeared； and in her place was the rumbling of the oning train； sweeping around a curve； its startlingly brilliant headlight firing the steel tracks； the light racing toward Tori； who lay on the tracks； immobile 。 。 。
〃Tori！ Tori！〃 Russell was shaking her。 〃Are you all right？〃
White…faced； Tori turned her head toward him。 〃No；〃 she said； her voice a hoarse whisper。 Her eyes locked with his。 They were dark； swirling with emotion。 〃I've e full circle； Russ。 I beat death once。 Now I see I've got to do it all over again。''
EIGHT
ARKHANGELSKOE/STAR TOWN/MOSCOW/TOKYO
〃rade； have you heard the latest news？ They've done it again。〃
〃Who's done it again？〃 Valeri said。
〃White Star；〃 the young man with the strawberry birthmark said。 〃Their elite cadres are better armed； more well…trained。 White Star is no longer merely a ragtag guerrilla organization made up of disparate dissident minorities。 They are a full…fledged army now。 And elements of this new army have attacked the Kyshtym Industrial plex。 It is entirely destroyed！〃
Valeri Bondasenko was sitting on the bench overlooking the large birch tree； outpost of the forest on the other side of which were the grounds of Arkhangelskoe。 On one side of him was the young man with the strawberry birthmark； on the other； his daughter； silent； imperturbable。 At their backs； up the sloping incline； bulked the almost Victorian exterior of the insane asylum。
''Is that so？'' Valeri said。 ''I had heard the story differently。 I had heard that there was a low…level nuclear event at the plex； but that it was under control。〃 Kyshtym； for almost fifty years； had been the site of the Soviet Union's main military atomic reactors。 Three years ago； a massive overhaul of the aging units had begun。 But only after a series of scrupulously unreported events…leaks； explosions； and the like…had killed one…third of the people who worked at Kyshtym； and who lived in a nearby city so secret it was without a name。
The young man laughed。 〃Where do you get your information； rade？ Tass？'' He chuckled； shook his head in disbelief。 When he spoke he looked ahead； never at Valeri。 〃Really！ The gullibility of some people。〃
He seemed to have drifted off； and was talking to himself； and Valeri began once again to consider the enormous miscalculation the president made when he began to replace the central munist party with his own handpicked people。 Cults were dangerous。 If anything in Russia's recent history had been made manifest it was that。
The president had needed some form of stability to hold the center together while he gathered his cult around him； and he had most unwisely chosen the military to aid him。 In return for their help； he had promised…and delivered…more and more money to the generals' annual budget。 This had created a serious shortfall in the other national sectors in dire need of money。
Now the president was paying the fearful price of consolidating his power in the form of strikes； local uprisings； the disintegration of the economy； the appalling Western characteristic of the polarization of the classes； and the conitant rise to power of White Star。
Valeri shivered； trying to free his mind from its turmoil。 He slipped his hand into his daughter's； as if this could reassure her that he was here with her。 He wanted so much to see even the slightest hint of a reaction； a sense that there was the spark of consciousness in her mind； that she might be thinking； I know you're with me； Daddy； and it makes me feel better。
But then the young man spoke directly to Valeri。 〃No； no； rade。 It was White Star。 They blew apart the concrete lake prison labor helped pour。 They exposed cracked reactor cores； defective rods that caused partial meltdowns； and enough carelessly dumped plutonium sludge to irradiate all of Siberia。 I'm told the entire area has been evacuated。 The officials won't get any more idiots from the city without a name to e in and clean up like they did after the disaster of 'fifty…seven。 Within two years； over a thousand people had died of radiation poisoning。 Within ten years； twenty…seven hundred more died of cancer； almost everyone who had been brought in the for the cleanup in exchange for promises of extended vacations。〃 The young man laughed again； but this time there was a disturbing edge to it。 〃The workers got vacations； all right。 Only they were a bit more extended than they had bargained for。''
Valeri gripped the white hand of his daughter all the tighter。 The tracery of blue veins beneath the translucent surface of her skin reminded him of the skein of birch branches； bare； traced with snow； pale against the dark Ukrainian sky in winter。
〃The stars；〃 Valeri's father had said during the last nights of his life。 〃Perhaps our salvation lies in the stars。 The stars look cruel； I know； but Valeri Denysovich； I know they are not。 Here is where the cruelty reigns； in Kiev； in the captive Ukraine。〃
Valeri had stayed with his father； until his nights became hours； then minutes； and at last his eyes closed for the final time。 A moment later the red sun rose over the snow…covered roofs to the east； bloodying their tops。
Valeri； sitting next to his only child in this pastoral； almost peaceful setting near Arkhangelskoe； could not remember his father without also conjuring up the dreaded specter of Solovki。
In the late 1920s and early thirties the Solovki Islands in the White Sea had been turned into one of the most infamous of the Russian death camps。 Into the forbidding universe of Solovki had been thrown the so…called 〃anti…Soviet〃 elements； chief among them the rebel Ukrainian kulaks…the peasants。
Valeri's uncle had been a kulak； but after he had been shot by a Russian soldier in the streets of Kiev for daring to speak his native language； Valeri's father decided on another course of action。 He joined the army。 Not just any division； mind you； but the fiercely independent First Siberian Cavalry Corps。
He had seen that as his revenge against the Russians； but instead it proved his undoing。 Six months after he joined； in the autumn of 1931； the corps was overrun by Russian 〃loyalists；〃 who were sent by Moscow to punish the unit for spreading anti…Soviet propaganda。 The truth was the First Siberian had gotten too powerful。 It had made Moscow nervous in a nervous time； and Moscow had acted accordingly。
Valeri's father was imprisoned for a short time； then sent summarily to Solovki。 There was no trial； no chance to refute the charges。 In fact； charges were never read to him； he never knew what he had bee