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“You’re armed, I assume?” Kholkov said

“See to do,” Sam replied

“Very carefully, Mr Fargo, let’s have it”

Saer froround between them

Kholkov looked around “Where’s Cipriani?”

“Hog-tied and gagged in his barn,” Sa, he told us about your partnership”

“Too bad for him At any rate, here we are Give me the book”

“First call off Bianco”

“You have no leverage Give me the book or at the count of three I’ll order Bianco to shoot her Then my friend here will shoot you and we’ll take the book”

Ten feet behind and to Kholkov’s left, a shadowed figure rose fro forward

Sam kept his eyes fixed on Kholkov “How do I know you won’t shoot us once you have the book?”

“You don’t,” said Kholkov “As I said, you’ve got no leverage”

The figure stopped just beyond arm’s reach behind the Russian

Saree”

“What exactly is that supposed to mean?”