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"Harry Spurgeon," the Chief said "He’s everywhere in this, isn’t he?"

"But what’s his job? Was he pullingthem in deeper? I think he must have tipped off the cops that I was holed up in the Strand If he knew the phones were out, he’d have been able to figure out that I could only have called from within the Strand Then a simple inquiry at the front desk would have told hi for? Crohed "I’m not sure of Mr Crombie," he said "At first I found his idealism quite plausible His wealth is literally beyond measurement The desire for profit could hardly continue toso much, how could he want more?"

"They alant rasp, et that rich in the first place By never being satisfied hat they have By alanting ive Croh at the beginning, wanting to do so to do hiood at the same time?"

"And in Burhts The Chinese have the inside track, and a apore Chinese And Croians out of Jakarta"

He went into more detail than I needed to hear Crombie, he felt sure, had not sentapore faction could have had a spy in his organization, and Harry Spurgeon was very likely their man on the scene

"They want SLORC in power," he said, "and hanging an A him to Jakarta would help reinforce their position enoret SLORC out of there, but anything that loosens their hold helps pressure the up the country to other interests, not just handing it to the Chinks Well, there are all sorts of ramifications, aren’t there?"

We discussed some of them in some detail Then he said, "I’ll tell you this much, Tanner Mr Crombie is well pleased with your efforts"

"He is?"

"He likes results," he said, "and you’ve produced some, or at least it looks that way There seems to be a full-blown insurrection in the Shan state, and so in Now you and I know it for sheer coincidence, but if Rufus Crombie thinks otherwise, why don’t we let ourselves take the credit?"

"Why not?"

"SLORC put a lot of effort intothey wanted was for the Shan and the other hill dwellers to make common cause with that woman and her pro-de And SLORC isconcessions on reforms They’ve restored journalists’ access to that woht And they’ve allowed other trade interests to coapore"

"So it all worked out," I said

"And there ought to be a bonus for you," he said, "seeing as you’re alive after all, and caet it, Tanner And I suppose you’ll need a new passport as well"

"The one I have is Irish," I said, "and I’ht as well have a fraudulent Ao with it I’ve found an absolute wizard who can fabricate passports that pass the scanner Build a better mousetrap, eh?"

"While he’s at it," I said, "how is he on whipping up phony green cards?"

"Child’s play for hireen card?"

"It’s not for reen card in hand "Now I aal? I can stay in this country?"

"You’re as close to legal as you can get," I told her "The governreen card, but it’s every bit as good as the real one No INS agent could find anything wrong with it"

"Katarina Rouarantee you a good table in any restaurant in Brighton Beach"

And that here she lived now, in the Russian neighborhood at the end of the subway line in Brooklyn She’d stayed on 107th Street at first, but neither she nor Minna was entirely at ease with the arrangement, and after a week it was clear to all of us that she needed a place of her own When I took her to Brighton Beach for dinner and a walk around the neighborhood, she felt instantly at home

Our own romance had been very much a creature of circumstance, fueled by shwe le maw and malaria, and ere both ready for her to take a shborhood andcoster as, she assured e That her forebears had very likely launched pogroainst his forebears evidently didn’t distress him

Minna was relieved when Katya ood to have the apartot busy withup via letters and faxes and e-ot to work studying Bure too, while I was at it I didn’t expect to go back to Buro there the first time, either, and if I did return I’d be prepared

I relaxed, I settled in I got a job writing a thesis – on Prince Kropotkin, coincidentally enough, and it infuriated me that I couldn’t remember the confidences he’d shared withof ht he could knock it out permanently So far I haven’t had any more attacks, but it’s too early to say whether or not the cure is per its unholy presence known every once in a while

Like Harry Spurgeon

"Hello?"

"Evan Tanner," a voice said "Can you believe it? I heard you were dead"

"But it turned out I was only sleeping"

"So it would appear, yes You never did come to tea that afternoon, old boy I waited and waited"