"After three or four days went bythey told us you were never coming back. Your body had been found on a railwaytrack near the Kiev Station, crushed by a train. Something happened to Katyaafter that. It was like a light went out inside her. When I looked in her faceher eyes were empty. She never knew what that pain seemed like someone cut bothof you away. She wouldn't eat or drink. A doctor was sent for, but the doctorswho came to the orphanage couldn't have cared less if you lived or died. Therewere so many orphans, one less didn't matter."

He hesitated. "The next day theysent me to a correction school. From that institution the secret police oftenpicked their recruits. Katya they sent to an orphanage in Minsk and I never sawher again." He looked up. "Only it wasn't an orphanage. It was aspecial hospital. For special children."

"What do you mean?"

" It was a home for the retarded.The really bad ones were kept in locked cells, chained to their beds likeanimals. Katya had become so withdrawn they locked her in a cell on her own.But there was nothing really wrong with her except her heart was broken and noone could reach her." Lukin paused. "When the war came and theGermans advanced, Stalin ordered that the inmates of all special hospitals wereto be liquidated to conserve food supplies. They took the patients out inbatches to the woods and shot them. Katya was one of them."

After a long silence Stanski said palely,"So Katya died because of me."

No, not because of you. Don't blameyourself. You did what you had to."

"If I'd stayed she would have survived."

" No matter what you think, you wereright to escape. To have stayed would have destroyed you too. Just like itdestroyed me. Not physically, but in spirit. Me, I became the one thing ourparents would never have wanted me to become."

Stanski stood. He took a deep breath andclosed his eyes tightly, as if the pain of what he had heard was too much tobear. After a long time he looked down.

"Tell me what happened to you. Tellme how you learned the truth. How your people knew about my mission?"

Lukin told him. Stanski just stood therelistening, not speaking.

Finally, Lukin said, "You must knownow it's impossible to kill Stalin."

"Maybe the impossible appeals to me.Besides, it can still be done.

"How?" Stanski said warily,"First, I need your word you won't betray me. I need to know I can reallytrust you."

"I'd never betray you, Mischa. Notever. You have my word. And you trusted me by coming out here. So trust menow."

Stanski thought for a moment. "Oneof the Tsar's old escape tunnels leads from the Boishoi Theater to the thirdfloor of the Kremlin and comes out near Stalin's quarters. That's my wayin."

Lukin shook his head. "You'd bewasting your time. Stalin has moved to his dacha at Kuntsevo because of thethreat to his life. And because of this threat it's even more tightly guardedthan the Kremlin. Besides, all the secret Kremlin tunnels are also under extraguard. You'd be dead before you got near the place."

Stanski half smiled. "When the cardsare stacked against you, reshuffle the deck. There's an alternative plan, Asecret underground train line runs from the Kremlin to the Kuntsevo villa. Theline is only ever used when Stalin needs to travel in haste or in an emergency.It can be breached near the Kremlin and leads right under the villa."

"I know about the underground trainbut you can be sure the line is also heavily guarded, especially now. You'd bedead before you got anywhere near Stalin's villa. Besides, there are armedguards everywhere and the woods around it are mined. You'd be committingsuicide."

"I knew that from the start. Butit's a chance I'm going to have to take,"

"And even if You got close enough,how would you kill him?"

"I'm afraid even you can't knowthat, brother. But if I do get close enough, I'll make certain Stalin'spunishment fits his crimes." Lukin thought for a moment, his brow creasedin concentration. "Maybe there's another way into the dacha that standssome chance. Only there's a price to pay,"

"What price?"

"Both our lives."

Stanski hesitated, then shook his head."Me, I figured on dying anyway. But this isn't your battle."

"You're wrong. It's as much mine asyours. You and I, we're two sides of the same coin. We can both repayeverything that happened to us. Stalin has an appointment with death. It's anappointment long overdue, I'm going to make sure he keeps it."

"What about your wife? The childshe's carrying? You can't do that."

"I must, And you can't do what Ihave in mind without me. Your friends might still make it to the border withLebel. The colonel I told you about, Romulka, may suspect that Lebel's trainwill be used, and try to stop it. But if things go the way I plan, the entireMoscow KGB will be in chaos and your friends just may get away in theconfusion. It's the only chance they have, however small. I'll see to it theyget on board safely. Nadia can go with them. After tonight, I'm dead anyway.Staying in Russia, Nadia stands no chance. Going with Lebel, she may make itover the border."

Stanski looked at him intently."You're sure about this?"

"I've never been more certain aboutanything in my life."

Lukin paused. His voice became firm."But one condition. It's best Nadia doesn't know what we're going to do.Or why we're doing it. She'll be confused enough as it is. As far as she'sconcerned, I caught you, but we've come to a mutual understanding. I've allowedAnna and your friends to escape and you've agreed in return for her to go withthem because of the risk to her life. You make sure your friends tell her I'llbe joining her later in Finland. Make sure they tell her that. She'll worryless. But you don't tell any of them about our past. They'd never believe it,and things are confusing enough for them as it is."

"So what do I tell them?"

"That I've failed Beria and my lifeis at risk. And now we've reached an accommodation in return for letting yourfriends escape."

"You think they'll believe it?"

"I don't see why not. Anna and Lebelknow I'm finished after releasing them. They know what Beria's capable of andthat Nadia's life would be in danger because of what I've done." Hehesitated. "There's something else I want to do before the train leaves.Something important."

"What?"

Lukin told him. Stanski's foreheadcreased in thought as he sat there in the cold night, as if trying to take itall in. Lukin said finally, "So, brother, do you agree?"

"You know, I never thought I'd beglad I didn't kill you when I had the chance."

Lukin smiled, a sad smile. "Maybe itwas fate."

Suddenly Stanski seemed to crumple andhis shoulders sagged, a lifetime of hardened anguish peeled away, as if hissoul was exposed. He said, "God, Petya ... it's good to see youagain."

Lukin put a hand on his shoulder, thenembraced him.

As they sat together the snow started tofall more heavily, drifting against the silver birch trees. Beyond the far bankof the frozen river the lights of Moscow were dying slowly. The whole cityseemed to be growing still in the cottony silence.

After a long time Stanski seemed tocompose himself, wiped his face, looked across at Lukin and asked, "Sotell me, how do we kill Stalin?"

Henri Lebel sat uncomfortably at thewindow of the deserted station house outside Moscow, smoking a cigarette andstaring out worriedly beyond the thickly falling snow.