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t currency's valueless。 Our new currency's a red ruble； one red ruble's worth a hundred of your capitalist dollars。 。。。' 〃
Suslev laughed； feeling very happy。 〃。。。 and however rich the banks are collectively they'll never be able to write off 70 billions。 Never。 70 plus by that time with all the Eastern Bloc billions！ And if the sudden announcement's timed to one of their inevitable capitalistic recessions as it will be 。。。 they'll be up to their Hebrew bankers' noses in their own panic shit； begging us to save their rotten skins。〃 He added contemptuously； 〃The stupid bastards deserve to lose！ Why should we fight them when their own greed and stupidity's destroying them。 Eh？〃
DeVille nodded uneasily。 Suslev frightened him。 I must be getting old； he thought。 In the early days it was so easy to believe in the cause of the masses。 The cries of the downtrodden were so loud and clear then。 But now？ Now they're not so clear。 I'm still mitted； deeply mitted。 I regret nothing。 France will be better munist。
Will it？
I don't know anymore； not for certain； not as I used to。 It's a pity for all people that there must be some 〃ism〃 or other； he told himself； trying to cover his anguish。 Better if there were no 〃isms；〃 just my beloved C？te d'Azur basking in the sun。
〃I tell you； old friend； Stalin and Beria were geniuses；〃 Suslev was saying。 〃They're the greatest Russians that have ever been。〃
DeVille just managed to keep the shock off his face。 He was remembering the horror of the German occupation； the humbling of France； all the villages and hamlets and vineyards； remembering that Hitler would never have dared attack Poland and start it all without Stalin's nonaggression pact to protect his back。 Without Stalin there would have been no war； no holocaust and we would all be better off。 〃Twenty million Russians？ Countless millions of others；〃 he said。
〃A modest cost。〃 Suslev poured again； his zeal and the vodka taking him。 〃Because of Stalin and Beria we have all Eastern Europe from the Baltic to the Balkans … Estonia； Lithuania； Latvia； Czechoslovakia； Hungary； Rumania； Bulgaria； all Poland； Prussia； half of Germany； Outer Mongolia。〃 Suslev belched happily。 〃North Korea； and footholds everywhere else。 Their Operation Lion smashed the British Empire。 Because of their support the United Nations was birthed to give us our greatest weapon in our arsenal of many weapons。 And then there's Israel。〃 He began to laugh。 〃My father was one of the controllers of that program。〃
DeVille felt the hackles of his neck rise。 〃What？〃
〃Israel was a Stalin…Beria coup of monumental proportions！ Who helped it； overt and covert； e into being？ Who gave it immediate recognition？ We did； and why？〃 Suslev belched again； 〃To cement into the guts of Arabia a perpetual cancer that will suppurate and destroy both sides and； along with them； bring down the industrial might of the West。 Jew against Mohammedan against Christian。 Those fanatics'll never live at peace with one another even though they could； easily。 They will never bury their differences even if it costs them their stupid lives。〃 He laughed and stared at his glass blearily； swirling the liquid around。 DeVille watched him； hating him； wanting to give him the lie back； afraid to； knowing himself totally in Suslev's power。 Once； some years ago； he had balked over sending some routine Struan figures to a box number in Berlin。 Within a day； a stranger had phoned him at home。 Such a call had never happened before。 It was friendly。 But he knew。
DeVille suppressed a shudder and kept his face clear as Suslev glanced up at him。
〃Don't you agree； tovarich？〃 the KGB man said； beaming。 〃I swear I'll never understand the capitalists。 They make enemies of four hundred million Arabs who have all the world's real oil reserves one day they will need so desperately。 And soon we'll have Iran and the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz。 Then we'll have a hand on the West's tap； then they're ours and no need for war … just execution。〃 Suslev drained his vodka and poured another。
DeVille watched him； loathing him now； wondering frantically about his own role。 Is it for this that I have been almost a perfect mole； for sixteen years keeping myself prepared and ready； with no suspicion against me？ Even Susanne suspects nothing and everyone believes I'm anti…munist； pro…Struan's which is the arch…capitalistic creation in all Asia。 Dirk Struan's thoughts permeate us。 Profit。 Profit for the tai…pan and the Noble House and then Hong Kong in that order and the hell with everyone except the Crown； England and China。 And even if I don't bee tai…pan； I can still make Sevrin the wrecker of China that Suslev and Arthur want it to be。 But do I want to now？ Now that； for the first time； I've really seen into this 。。。 this monster and all their hypocrisy？
〃Stalin；〃 he said； almost wincing under Suslev's gaze。 〃Did 。。。 you ever meet him？〃
〃I was near him once。 Ten feet away。 He was tiny but you could feel his power。 That was in 1953 at a party Beria gave for some senior KGB officers。 My father was invited and I was allowed to go with him。〃 Suslev took another vodka； hardly seeing him； swept by the past and by his family's involvement in the movement。 〃Stalin was there； Beria； Malenkov 。。。 Did you know Stalin's real name was Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili？ He was the son of a shoemaker； in Tiflis； my home； destined for the priesthood but expelled from the seminary there。 Strange strange strange！〃
They touched glasses。
〃No need for you to be so solemn； rade；〃 he said； misreading deVille。 〃Whatever your personal loss。 You're part of the future； part of the march to victory！〃 Suslev drained his glass。 〃Stalin must have died a happy man。 We should be so lucky； eh？〃
〃And Beria？〃
〃Beria tried to take power too late。 He failed。 We in the KGB are like Japanese in that we too agree the only sin is failure。 But Stalin 。。。 There's a story my father tells that when at Yalta； for no concession； Roosevelt agreed to give Stalin Manchuria and the Kuriles which guaranteed us dominance over China and Japan and all Asian waters； Stalin had a hemorrhage choking back his laughter and almost died！〃
After a pause； deVille said； 〃And Solzhenitsyn and the gulags？〃
〃We're at war； my friend； there are traitors within。 Without terror how can the few rule the many？ Stalin knew that。 He was a truly great man。 Even his death served us。 It was brilliant of Khrushchev to use him to 'humanize' the USSR。〃
〃That was just another ploy？〃 deVille asked； shaken。
〃That would be a state secret。〃 Suslev swallowed a belch。 〃It doesn't matter； Stalin will be returned to his glory soon。 Now； what about Ottawa？〃
〃Oh。 I've been in contact with Jean…Charles an… 〃 The phone rang abruptly。 A single ring。 Their eyes went to it； their breathing almost stopped。 After twenty…odd seconds there was a second single ring。 Both men relaxed slightly。 Another twenty…odd seconds and the third ring became continuous。 One ring meant 〃Danger leave immediately〃； two； that the meeting was canceled； three that whoever was calling would be there shortly； three being continuous； that it was safe to talk。 Suslev picked up the phone。 He heard breathing； then Arthur asked in his curious accent； 〃Is Mr。 Lop…sing there？〃
〃There's no Lop…ting here； you have a wrong number；〃 Suslev said in a different voice； concentrating with an effort。
They went through the code carefully； Suslev further reassured by Arthur's slight； dry cough。 Then Arthur said； 〃I cannot meet tonight。 Would Friday at three be convenient？〃 Friday meant Thursday … tomorrow … Wednesday meant Tuesday； and so on。 The three was a code for a meeting place： the Happy Valley Racecourse at the dawn workout。
Tomorrow at dawn！
〃Yes。〃
The phone clicked off。 Only the dial tone remained。
THURSDAY
39
4：50 A。M。：
About an hour before dawn in the pouring rain Goodweather Poon looked down at the half…naked body of John Chen and cursed。 He had been through his clothes carefully and sifted through endless pounds of mud from the grave that the two youths； Kin Pak and Dog…eared Chen； had dug。 But he had found nothing … no coins or parts of coins or jewelry； nothing。 And Four Finger Wu had said earlier； 〃You find that half…coin； Goodweather Poon！〃 Then the old man had given him further instructions and Goodweather Poon was very pleased because that relieved him of any responsibility and he could then make no mistake。
He had ordered Dog…eared Chen and Kin Pak to carry the body downstairs and had threatened Smallpox Kin； who nursed his mutilated hand； that if the youth moaned once more he would slice out his tongue。 They had left Father Kin's body in an alley。 Then Goodweather Poon had sought out the King of the Beggars of Kowloon City who was a distant cousin of Four Finger Wu。 All beggars were members of the Beggars' Guild and there was one king in Hong Kong； one in Kowloon and one in Kowloon City。 In olden days begging was a lucrative profession； but now； due to stiff prison sentences and fines and plenty of well…paying jobs； it was not。
〃You see； Honored Beggar King； this acquaintance of ours has just died；〃 Goodweather Poon explained patiently to the distinguished old man