Page 26 (1/2)

Tim thrust one warm little hand into hers

'Perhaps not, but you will be as soon as you stop et out of those daet out your violin'

'OK, Muer to obey now that he had proved his point With a beseeching look at David to hurry, he scae

'You can't keep him wrapped in cotton wool forever, Clare,' David murmured as she turned to follow 'If you coddle the boy too much, he'll never stand on his oo feet… if that's what you want'

Clare whipped around, hands on hips, all too ready to argue 'I don't consider taking reasonable precautions with his health 'coddling' Since he was ill last year, Tim has been very susceptible to infections Couldn't you hear hi? And if he's in poor health he can hardly take a serious interest in the violin, can he, considering the endurance and fitness it requires?'

'I'm sorry, I didn't know he'd been ill Does he suffer froer somewhat

Clare nodded 'Not badly, but enough to complicate coet regular attacks, but I think they were ical than physical He used to worry that he was going to stop breathing when he went to sleep Lee lapsed into unconsciousness before he died, and although Tim read all about leukaemia and seemed to understand, I think he becay' She sination'

'Better to have tooa little chilly out here We were so engrossed, I didn't notice I have a great tolerance for it…my arctic Russian blood, I suppose'

'I thought Russians were hot-blooded,' slipped out involuntarily, and Clare began walking, hoping the small exertion would excuse her flush

'It depends on the circurin as he fell in beside her

'Do you consider yourself Russian rather than a New Zealander?' asked Clare steadily 'I notice your publicity always calls you a 'New Zealand-born Russian'

'That's Efrey He claims everyone expects the bestborn here removes the taint of communism that US audiences find suspicious I have been to Russia— once—during a brief thaw in the political ice-wall You know ees? Well, my father continued to be an active, vocal critic of Russian politics right up until the day he died… particularly as it involved the repression of creative free-thinking in the arts He was considered a traitor, and I, as the son of a traitor, was only issued a visa under sufferance I was visiting es I have no doubt I was kept under surveillance, and I wasn't allowed to perfor Perhaps, with the advent of glasnost, I may be able to play there one day I'd certainly like to see more of the people and the country, but I'm a child of de was just that, an illusion, proic talesone'

'So where is home?'

'Physically, nowhere I have properties in London and New York where I spend soin hotels, so that I don't have to be concerned with domestic details Emotionally, it rounds and that's where I live when I', so I suppose you could call that ift, if you like, to this country for offering e and safe citizenship We Deverenkos like to repay our debts'

'But you didn't really live here very long, did you? I '