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e　official　State　newspapers。　He　knew　that　had　to　be　wrong；　but　his　knowledge　was　unbalanced；　since　he　did　not　really　know　true　information。　And　so　his　leap　to　the　West　was　fundamentally　a　leap　of　faith。　If　his　country　was　so　wrong；　then　the　alternative　superpower　had　to　be　right。　It　was　a　big；　long；　and　dangerous　leap；　he　thought；　walking　down　the　sidewalk　and　holding　his　little　girl's　hand。　He　told　himself　that　he　ought　to　be　more　fearful。
　　　But　it　was　too　late　to　be　frightened；　and　turning　back　would　have　been　as　harmful　to　him　as　going　forward。　Above　everything　else；　it　was　a　question　of　who　would　destroy　him…his　country　or　himself…if　he　failed　to　carry　out　his　mission。　And　on　the　other　side；　would　America　reward　him　for　trying　to　do　what　he　deemed　the　right　thing？　It　seemed　that　he　was　like　Lenin　and　the　other　revolutionary　heroes：　He　saw　something　that　was　objectively　wrong；　and　he　was　going　to　try　to　prevent　it。　Why？　Because　he　had　to。　He　had　to　trust　that　his　country's　enemies　would　see　right　and　wrong　as　he　did。　Would　they？　While　the　American　President　had　denounced　his　nation　as　the　focus　of　all　the　evil　in　the　world；　his　country　said　much　the　same　thing　of　America。　Who　was　right？　Who　was　wrong？　But　it　was　his　country　and　his　employer　that　was　conspiring　to　murder　an　innocent　man；　and　that　was　as　far　as　he　could　see　into　the　right/wrong　question。
　　　As　Oleg　and　Svetlana　turned　left　to　go　into　their　apartment　building；　he　recognized　one　final　time　that　his　course　was　set。　He　could　not　change　it；　but　could　only　toss　the　dice　and　wait　to　see　how　they　came　up。
　　　And　where　would　his　daughter　grow　up？　That　also　rested　on　the　flying　dice。
　　　It　happened　first　in　York；　the　largest　city　in　northern　England。　Fire…safety　engineers　tell　everyone　who　will　listen　that　the　least　important　thing　about　fires　is　what　causes　them　to　start；　because　they　always　start　for　the　same　reasons。　In　this　case；　it　was　the　one　that　firefighters　most　hate　to　discover。　Owen　Williams；　after　a　friendly　night　at　his　favorite　pub；　The　Brown　Lion；　managed　to　down　six　pints　of　dark　beer；　which；　added　to　a　lengthy　and　tiring　day　working　his　job　as　a　carpenter；　had　made　him　rather　sleepy　by　the　time　he　got　to　his　third…floor　flat；　but　that　didn't　stop　him　from　switching　on　the　TV　in　his　bedroom　and　lighting　a　final　cigarette　of　the　day。　His　head　propped　up　on　a　plumped　pillow；　he　took　a　few　puffs　before　fading　out　from　the　alcohol　and　the　day's　hard　work。　When　that　happened；　his　hand　relaxed；　and　the　cigarette　fell　onto　the　bedclothes。　There　it　smoldered　for　about　ten　minutes　before　the　white　cotton　sheets　started　to　burn。　Since　Williams　was　unmarried…his　wife　had　divorced　him　a　year　before…there　was　no　one　nearby　to　take　note　of　the　acrid；　evil　smell；　and　gradually　the　smoke　wafted　up　to　the　ceiling　as　the　low…level　fire　progressively　consumed　the　bedclothes　and　then　the　mattress。
　　　People　rarely　die　from　fire；　and　neither　did　Owen　Williams。　Instead；　he　started　breathing　in　the　smoke。　Smoke…engineers　often　use　the　term　〃fire　gas〃…mainly　consists　of　hot　air；　carbon　monoxide；　and　soot　particles；　which　are　unburned　material　from　the　fire's　fuel。　Of　these；　the　carbon　monoxide　is　often　the　deadliest　ponent；　since　it　forms　a　bond　with　the　red　blood　cells。　This　bond　is　actually　stronger　than　the　bond　that　hemoglobin　forms　with　the　free　oxygen　that　the　blood　conveys　to　the　various　parts　of　the　human　body。　The　overall　effect　on　the　human　consciousness　is　rather　like　that　of　alcohol…euphoria；　like　being　pleasantly　drunk；　followed　by　unconsciousness　and；　if　it　goes　too　far；　as　in　this　case；　death　from　oxygen　starvation　of　the　brain。　And　so；　with　a　fire　all　around　him；　Owen　Williams　never　woke；　only　fell　deeper　and　deeper　into　a　sleep　that　took　him　peacefully　into　eternity　at　the　age　of　thirty…two　years。
　　　It　wasn't　until　three　hours　later　that　a　shift　worker　who　lived　on　the　same　floor　came　home　from　work　and　noticed　a　smell　in　the　third…floor　corridor　that　lit　up　his　internal　alarm　lights。　He　pounded　on　the　door；　and；　getting　no　response；　ran　to　his　own　flat　and　dialed　999。
　　　There　was　a　firehouse　only　six　blocks　away；　and　there；　as　with　any　other　such　house　in　the　world；　the　firefighters　rolled　out　of　their　military…style　single　beds；　pulled　on　their　boots　and　their　turn…out　coats；　slid　down　the　brass　rail　to　the　apparatus　floor；　punched　the　button　to　lift　the　automatic　doors；　and　raced　out　on　the　street　in　their　Dennis　pumper；　followed　by　a　ladder　truck。　The　drivers　both　knew　the　streets　as　well　as　any　taxi　driver　and　arrived　at　the　apartment　building　less　than　ten　minutes　after　their　bells　had　chimed　them　awake。　The　pumper　crew　halted　their　vehicle；　and　two　men　dragged　the　draft　hoses　to　the　corner　fire　hydrant；　charging　the　line　in　a　skillful　and　well…practiced　drill。　The　ladder　men；　whose　primary　job　was　search　and　rescue；　raced　inside　to　find　that　the　concerned　citizen　who'd　called　in　the　alarm　had　already　pounded　on　every　door　on　the　third　floor　and　gotten　his　neighbors　awake　and　out　of　their　apartments。　He　pointed　the　lead　fireman　to　the　correct　door；　and　that　burly　individual　knocked　it　down　with　two　powerful　swings　of　his　axe。　He　was　greeted　by　a　dense　cloud　of　black　smoke；　the　smell　of　which　got　past　his　air　mask　and　immediately　announced　〃mattress〃　to　his　experienced　mind。　This　was　followed　by　a　quick　prayer　that　they'd　gotten　here　in　time；　and　then　instant　dread　that　they　had　not。　Everything；　including　the　time　of　day；　was　against　them　in　the　dark；　early　morning。　He　ran　into　the　back　bedroom；　smashed　out　the　windows　with　his　steel　axe　to　vent　the　smoke　outside；　and　then　turned　to　see　what　he'd　seen　thirty　or　more　times　before…a　human　form；　nearly　hidden　by　the　smoke　and　not　moving。　By　then；　two　more　of　his　colleagues　were　in　the　room。　They　dragged　Owen　Williams　out　into　the　corridor。
　　　〃Oh；　shit！〃　one　of　them　observed。　The　senior　paramedic　on　the　crew　put　an　oxygen　mask　on　the　colorless　face　and　started　hitting　the　button　to　force　pure　oxygen　into　the　lungs；　and　a　second　man　began　pounding　on　the　victim's　chest　to　get　his　heart　restarted　while；　behind　them；　the　enginemen　snaked　a　two…and…a…half…inch　hose　into　the　flat　and　started　spraying　water。
　　　All　in　all；　it　was　a　textbook　exercise。　The　fire　was　snuffed　out　in　less　than　three　minutes。　Soon　thereafter；　the　smoke　had　largely　cleared；　and　the　firemen　took　off　their　protective　air　masks。　But；　out　in　the　corridor；　Owen　Williams　showed　not　a　flicker　of　life。　The　rule　was　that　nobody　was　dead　until　a　physician　said　so；　and　so　they　carried　the　body　like　a　large　and　heavy　limp　rag　to　the　white　ambulance　sitting　on　the　street。　The　paramedic　crew　had　their　own　battle　drill；　and　they　followed　it　to　the　letter；　first　putting　the　body　on　their　gurney；　then　checking　his　eyes；　then　his　airway…it　was　clear…and　using　their　ventilator　to　get　more　oxygen　into　him；　plus　more　CPR　to　get　the　heart　moving。　The　peripheral　burns　would　have　to　wait。　The　first　thing　to　be　done　was　to　get　the　heart　beating　and　lungs　breathing；　as　the　driver　pulled　out　onto　the　darkened　streets　for　Queen　Victoria　Hospital；　just　more　than　a　mile　away。
　　　But　by　the　time　they　got　there；　the　paramedics　in　the　back　knew　that　it　was　just　a　waste　of　their　highly　valuable　time。　The　casualty…receiving　area　was　ready　for　them。　The　driver　reversed　direction　and　backed　in；　the　rear　doors　were　wrenched　open；　and　the　gurney　was　wheeled　out；　with　a　young　doctor　observing　but　not　touching　anything　yet。
　　　〃Smoke　inhalation；〃　the　fireman…paramedic　said；　on　ing　in　the　swinging　doors。　〃Severe　carbon　monoxide　intoxication。〃　The　extensive　but　mainly　superficial　burns　could　wait　for　the　moment。
　　　〃How　long？〃　the　ER　doc　asked　at　once。
　　　〃Don't　know。　It　does　not　look　good；　doctor。　CO　poisoning；　eyes　fixed　and　dilated；　fingernails　red；　no　response　to　CPR　or　oxygen　as　yet；〃　the　paramedic　reported。
　　　The　medics　all　tried。　You　don't　just　kiss　off　the　life　of　a　man　in　his　early　thirties；　but　an　hour　later　it　was　clear　that　Owen　Williams　would　not　open　his　blue　eyes　ever　again；　and；　on　the　doctor's　mand；　lifesaving　efforts　were　stopped　and　a　time　of　death　announced；　to　be　typed　in　on　the　death　certificate。　The　police　were　there；　also；　of　course。　They　mostly　chatted　with　the　firemen　until　the　cause　of　death　was　established。　The　blood　chemistry　was　taken…they'd　drawn　blood　immediately　to　check　blood　gasses…and　after　fifteen　minutes；　the　lab　reported　that　the　level　of　carbon　monoxide　was　39　percent；　deep　into　the　lethal　range。　He'd　been　dead　before　the　firemen　had　rolled　off　their　cots。　And　that　was　that。
　　　It　was　the　police　rather　than　the　firemen　who　took　it　from　there。　A　man　had　died；　and　it　had　to　be　reported　up　the　chain　of　mand。
　　　That　chain　ended　in　London　in　the　steel…and…glass　building　that　was　New　Scotland　Yard；　with　its　revolving　triangular　sign　that　made　tourists　think　that　the　name　of　the　London　police　force　was；　in　fact；　Scotland　Yard；　when　actually　that　had　been　a　street　name　years　before　for　the　old　headquarters　building。　There；　a　Post…it　note　on　a　teletype　machine　announced　that　Chief　Superintendent　Nolan　of　Special　Branch　wanted　to　be　informed　at　once　of　any　death　by　fire　or　accident；　and　the　teletype　operator　lifted　a　phone　and　called　the　appr