el.angeleyes-第44节

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　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。
　When　they　had　ordered；　Natasha　said；　〃I　wanted　a　chance　to　speak　with　you；　Katya；　because　your　reading　of　Albee　intrigued　me。〃　She　stirred　sugar　into　her　tea；　watched　the　crystals　melting。　〃It's　from　Finland；　this　sugar；　did　you　know　that？　I　don't　know　why　there's　never　enough　sugar　and　never　any　milk　here。　Where　does　it　all　go；　do　you　suppose？　I've　heard　that　White　Star　hijacks　the　trucks　and　trains　that　bring　these　staples　to　Moscow；　but　it's　difficult　to　credit　such　stories。〃
　Irina　said　nothing；　sensing　that　Natasha　was　merely　musing；　not　asking　a　question。　Instead　she　dissected　the　other　woman　with　her　eyes。　Natasha　was　indeed　a　beauty：　blond；　blue…eyed；　with　a　dynamic　face　that　might　have　been　judged　overly　aggressive　save　for　her　mouth；　which　was　soft；　gentle；　inviting。　Irina　hated　that　face。
　〃Who's　Afraid　of　Virginia　Woolf？　is　not　an　easy　play　to　decipher；〃　Natasha　said。　She　took　a　sip　of　her　tea；　wrinkled　her　nose。　〃Not　strong　enough。　This　must　be　for　the　tourists！〃　She　gave　Irina　a　small　smile　that　was　at　once　so　shy　and　so　genuine　that　Irina　was　taken　aback。
　〃And　also　the　characters　are　so　plex；〃　Natasha　continued；　〃perhaps　also　stupefyingly　American。〃　She　paused；　as　if　momentarily　unsure　how　to　continue。　〃You　handled　the　character　well。　Very　well；　indeed。〃
　〃Thank　you。〃　Irina　thought　Natasha　so　glamorous；　with　the　actor's　natural　ease　and　grace　in　all　situations；　that　she　had　begun　to　grind　her　teeth　in　envy　and　rage。
　〃As　I've　no　doubt　you　are　aware；　Martha　requires　a　certain　inner　rage；　like　a　pot　untended　for　too　long；　simmering　on　the　stove；　its　contents　about　to　burst　out　and　scar　the　kitchen　forever。〃　She　looked　up　at　Irina　and；　with　the　actor's　impeccable　timing；　said；　''But　I　sensed　in　you　a　very　real　anger；　a　deep　pool　of　rage　from　which　you　created　your　Martha。　I　wanted　to　speak　to　you　of　this　anger　because　I　wonder　if　you　are　aware　how　pletely　you　are　in　its　grip。〃
　Irina　did　not　know　what　to　make　of　this；　was　she；　perhaps；　offended　by　it？　But　then　she　thought　of　her　recurring　nightmare；　her　living　prison；　where　even　the　moon　was　barred。　Sometimes　she　awoke　from　this　nightmare　so　upset　that　she　felt　nauseous。　Could　that　be　the　result　of　rage？　She　looked　at　Natasha　Mayakova　with　renewed　suspicion。　She　had　had　friends　for　years　who　would　never　think　to　ask　her　such　a　personal　and　disturbing　question。　〃Is　this　more　of　your　'perestroika'　talk？〃　she　said。
　Natasha　gave　her　little　laugh　again；　and　there　was　the　shyness　again；　playing　around　her　face　like　an　imp；　defusing　Irina's　deliberate　sharpness。　〃Oh；　that　foolishness。　Well；　it's　what　my　students　want　to　hear；　what　they　expect。　It's　harmless；　really；　but　I've　found　it　immediately　puts　them　at　their　ease。〃
　〃It　isn't　foolish；〃　Irina　said；　〃It's　dangerous　talk。〃
　〃Really？　In　what　way？〃
　''What　your　'harmless'　speech　says　is；　shouldn't　we　be　happy　now；　shouldn't　we　be　content　because　today　is　the　day　we　are　allowed　to　run　around　Daddy's　garden　without　a　leash。〃
　〃What's　wrong　with　that？〃
　〃It's　all　wrong；〃　Irina　said。　〃Because　the　leash　isn't　the　issue。　Woof！　Woof！　We're　still　treated　like　dogs。〃
　Natasha　ordered　vodka　for　them　both　and　a　platter　of　zakuski…a　kind　of　Russian　antipasto。　When　they　were　alone　again；　she　said；　〃Olga；　Masha；　and　Irina；　Chekhov's　three　sisters；　sit　around　for　hours　on　end　talking　about　how；　one　day；　they　will　get　to　Moscow。　They　never　do；　of　course；　and　by　the　end　of　the　play　we've　discovered　that　they　live　only　a　few　kilometers　from　the　city。　I　think　this　is　what　you　are　speaking　of。''
　Irina　again　felt　overe　by　the　irrational　wave　of　jealousy；　as　if　she　wanted　to　shriek　at　Natasha；　What　are　you　doing　with　Valeri　Bondasenko？　Are　you　making　love　to　him　every　afternoon　before　rehearsals？　Or　do　you　share　his　bed　on　the　nights　when　I　am　not　there？
　Ridiculous！　Impossible！　Yet　why　was　she　thinking　it？　Irina　held　herself　together　with　an　effort；　wondering　again　whether　she　was　on　the　brink　of　a　breakdown。　She　sa