el.angeleyes-第23部分

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nal　methods；　but　also　absorbing　the　Western　way　of　life。　Sometimes；　when　she　was　most　depressed　about　Russia；　she　worried　that　she　had　been　irrevocably　contaminated　by　the　West。　Too　often　she　found　herself　making　parisons　between　where　she　had　been　（Boston）　and　where　she　was　now　（Moscow）；　and　being　despondent　over　Moscow's　shortings。　Her　sojourns　in　America　had　brought　into　question　the　validity　of　the　entire　Soviet　way　of　life。　This　was　her　secret；　her　terrible　burden；　and　she　knew　that　she　must　never　allow　Valeri　to　know　she　harbored　these　treasonous　thoughts。
　She　said；　with　all　the　patriotic　zeal　she　could　foster；　〃What　progress　have　you　made　in　penetrating　White　Star？〃
　Valeri　delivered　a　rude　expletive。　〃That　bastard　organization　of　minority　dissidents。　They're　like　ghosts。　Can　you　believe　it？　White　Star　has　remained　hidden　from　us。　This　should　be　impossible　in　our　country。　My　guess　is　that　they　are　somehow　being　supplied　by　the　West。　How　else　to　account　for　our　failure　to　discover　even　one　of　their　cells？　〃
　'　'It　seems　to　me　that　you　don't　even　know　if　they　exist。''
　〃Oh；　White　Star　exists；　I've　no　doubt　of　that。〃　He　gave　a　short　laugh。　〃We；　the　government；　are　the　only　ones　adept　enough　at　propaganda　to　create　a　phantom　organization。　God　knows；　we've　done　it　often　enough。〃　He　waved　a　hand。　〃No；　no。　The　only　real　question　is　whether　or　not　White　Star　is　responsible　for　the　wave　of　nationalist　uprisings　in　Georgia；　Uzbekistan；　the　Baltics；　even　the　Bashkir　Autonomous　Republic。　In　every　case；　the　rioters　are　well　led　and　are　even　better…armed：　handguns；　machine　pistols；　even　mortars　are　being　mon。　They　are　being　supplied　by　someone。〃
　〃Isn't　Ufa；　the　site　of　that　recent　awful　dual　train　disaster；　in　Bashkir？〃
　Valeri　nodded。　''Over　two　hundred　people　died　in　the　crash。　But　it　wasn't　an　accident。　It　was　sabotage。　A　cadre　of　Red　Army　generals　was　on　one　of　those　trains。　They　were　bound　for　a　top　secret　military　base　in　the　Urals。　All　of　them　were　killed。''
　〃Sabotage？〃　Irina　said。　〃I　had　no　idea。〃
　〃Nor　has　anyone　else；　beyond　a　select　few。〃　Valeri　cleared　his　throat。　〃The　truth　is；　an　alarming　spate　of　terrorist　acts　has　been　proliferating　since　Chemobyl。　An　internal　investigation；　made　immediately　secret；　proved　that　the　nuclear　event　at　Cher…nobyl　was　a　deliberate　act　of　sabotage。　It　was　the　first；　but　it　was　a　disaster　of　such　dimensions　that　it　should　have　put　us　on　notice　that　these　people　are　quite　serious；　and　quite　mad。　However；　bureaucracies　are　the　same　the　world　over：　overstaffed；　underutilized；　bloated　with　inertia。　And　never　more　so　than　here　in　Russia。''
　〃My　God；　what　you're　telling　me　is　incredible。〃
　〃Unfortunately；　you're　not　the　first　to　say　that。　It　took　me　some　time　to　convince　the　president　of　the　need　for　an　antina…tionalist　task　force。　And　that　I　should　be　put　in　charge　of　it。〃
　〃But　White　Star　is　supposed　to　be　posed　of　Ukrainian　nationalists；〃　Irina　said。
　Valeri　considered　the　rest　of　her　unspoken　question。　〃It　is　true　that　White　Star's　leadership　is　Ukrainian　and　so　am　I；〃　he　said　at　last。　〃But　we　want　two　separate　things。　My　loyalty　is　to　the　state。　Theirs　is　to　themselves。
　〃Now；　however；　it　appears　possible　that　White　Star's　membership　has　became　more　eclectic。　It　might　even　turn　out　to　be　the　first　pan…minority　nationalist　group；　embracing　the　Georgians；　Estonians；　Latvians；　Lithuanians；　even　the　Moslem　minorities。　That　would　naturally　exponentially　increase　White　Star's　power；　and　its　danger　to　us；　the　state。
　〃These　people　have　no　idea　what　it　is　they　want。　Anarchy。　Chaos。　Not　a　better；　more　cohesive　dialectically　consistent　whole。　If　they　gain　autonomy；　they　will；　like　as　not；　begin　warring　with　each　other。　They　are　primitives；　misguided。　Who　better　than　me…a　Ukrainian；　a　member　of　a　Soviet　minority…to　show　them　the　dangerous　error　of　their　ways？''
　Irina　did　not　know　whether　she　felt　admiration　or　disgust。　Perhaps　it　was　a　bination　of　both。　She　suspected　that　there　was　a　measure　of　truth　to　what　Valeri　said。　Dissidents'　motives　were　often　muddled；　because　they　stemmed　from　the　irrational：　anger　and　fear。　And　the　sad　truth　was　that　revolutionaries　rarely　had　any　idea　how　to　wield　power　once　they　got　it；　so　they　ended　up　making　a　mess　of　things。　Yet　she　wanted　to　say；　But　can't　you　see　that　this　White　Star　is　a　symbol；　a　yearning　of　the　non…Russian　people　to　be　free？　Don't　you　see　it　as　a　sign　that　a　change　must　e；　just　as　it　has　e　on　other　Eastern　European　nations？　Are　you　and　your　ilk　so　far　from　the　czars；　after　all？
　If　only　she　could　trust　someone。　It　was　awful　having　to　bottle　up　one's　true　feelings　every　hour　of　the　day　and　night。　A　nightmare。　Her　nightmare：　imprisoned　in　her　own　country。　How　she　longed　to　confide　in　someone；　but　there　was　no　one　she　could　trust；　not　even　the　priest　at　the　Church　of　the　Archangel　Gabriel。　Certainly　never；　ever　Valeri　Denysovich　Bondasenko。　So　she　held　her　tongue；　continued　to　play　the　good　little　Russian　girl　with　him。''What　a　perfect　pragmatist　you　are；〃　she　said　evenly。
　〃munism　is　the　essence　of　pragmatism；　so　I　must　be　an　expert；〃　Valeri　said。　〃Now　e；　breakfast　is　ready。〃
　He　brought　the　omelettes　and　his　own　glass　of　strong　tea。　As　was　his　habit；　he　had　already　consumed　his　portion　of　yogurt　while　he　was　doing　the　cooking。
　〃This　is　delicious；〃　Irina　said；　tearing　off　a　hunk　of　coarse　black　bread。
　Valeri　grunted。　〃The　recipe　is　from　the　New　York　Times。　It　didn't　help　that　I　couldn't　get　butter。　Pierre　Franey　says　that　butter　makes　all　the　difference。　I　had　to　use　oil。〃
　〃It's　just　as　well；〃　Irina　said。　〃Oil　is　far　healthier。　It's　not　full　of　cholesterol。''　Her　fork　stopped　midway　to　her　mouth。　My　God；　she　thought；　we　sound　just　like　husband　and　wife。　Have　I　actually　begun　to　get　used　to　this　life　of　deceit　and　treachery？　God　forbid。　But　she　thought　again　of　what　Valeri　had　said　about　her　wanting　to　be　free；　and　the　fear　gripped　her　again。
　〃What　is　it？〃　Valeri　said。　〃You　look　pale。〃
　Irina　took　a　bite　of　her　omelette　to　give　herself　some　time。　〃I。　。　。　was　just　thinking　about　tonight…and　Mars。〃
　Valeri　delivered　a　colorful　oath。　〃That　sonuvabitch　is　out　to　bury　me。　And　the　sooner　the　better；　as　far　as　he's　concerned。　Now　he's　begun　questioning　my　proposal　for　promise　with　the　Baltic　states。〃
　〃Doesn't　he　understand　that　your　promise　was　the　best　thing　that　could　have　happened？〃　Irina　said。　〃It　proved　to　the　world　that　our　reform　is　for　real；　and　it　showed　your　colleagues　in　the　Politburo　the　need　to　be　elastic。　Besides；　everyone　knows…although　they're　afraid　to　say　it…that　the　Baltic　states　were　never　really　a　part　of　the　Soviet　Union。　They　were　awarded　illegally　to　Stalin　by　Hitler　in　the　Molotov…von　Ribbentrop　accord　of　1939。　For　years　Estonia；　Lithuania；　and　Latvia　have　had　their　own　legations　in　the　United　States。　Isn't　it　shameful　that　we　have　held　on　to　them？　Wasn't　it　time　that　they　broke　away？''
　Valeri　Bondasenko　smiled　sardonically。　〃Even　though　Lithuania　and　Latvia　have　succeeded　in　being　independent；　the　Central　mittee　is　not　happy。　It　still　calls　these　secessions；　the　virus　of　nationalism；　and　seeks　some　way…any　way…to　return　these　Baltic　states　to　the　Soviet　fold。''
　〃Surely　that's　an　exaggeration；〃　Irina　said。　〃I　mean；　we　wouldn't　go　to　war　over　it。〃
　He　wiped　his　mouth。　〃Lenin　said；　〃The　interests　of　socialism　are　above　the　interests　of　the　right　of　nations　to　self…determination。　'He　was　just　following　in　Marx's　footsteps：　'the　proletarian　has　no　country。'〃
　Irina　hated　him　when　he　spouted　Ideology　by　rote。　How　could　he；　a　Ukrainian；　be　so　devoutly　Marxist…Leninist　when　history…the　history　of　his　people…had　so　painfully　proven　them　wrong？
　〃In　any　case；〃　Valeri　was　saying；　〃we　can't　give　away　the　world　the　way　the　American　president　Roosevelt　did　in　Yalta。　We　have　held　on　to　Estonia。　We'll　hold　on　to　the　Ukraine　and　Georgia；　Armenia　and　Moldavia；　in　the　face　of　all　nationalist　agitation。　This　is　the　point　that　Mars　Volkov　continually　avoids；　as　he　hammers　at　me　over　and　over。　He's　sounding　as　repetitive　as　a　rock　and　roll　record。〃
　Irina　laughed　despite　herself。　〃My　God；　Valeri；　sometimes　I　forget　just　how　backward　you　can　be。〃
　〃Politics　is　my　only　concern；〃　he　said　simpl