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s Baltic states that made the subsequent crackdown in the Ukraine possible。 It was said that every move Bondasenko made was part of a sound strategy。 Irina was intelligent enough to wonder what it was he wanted from her。
She had known full well that she was being seduced； but that knowledge did not stop the process from continuing。 Whatever Valeri wanted； Valeri got； that was what everyone said。 And it was clear that he wanted her。 Irina did not have the political strength to resist him。 No one did。 Still； it had been a sad moment in her life； to be brought home to her in such concrete fashion that she was so helpless to determine her own fate。 Sitting naked for the first time on the edge of his bed； she had prayed for guidance and for the moral strength to resist his corruption。 Then； wiping a single tear from her cheek； she had climbed in beside him。 He exuded the heat of a furnace。
She thought she might be crushed beneath his muscular bulk； but he turned out to be a surprisingly gentle and passionate lover； as if the Valeri Bondasenko she met between the sheets was a different man altogether from the one who stalked through the halls of the Kremlin； consigning to purgatory…figurative and literal…those foolish enough to oppose his rise to power。
This gave Irina some semblance of hope。 She had not hated him when he had taken her； had； almost despite herself； been swept up in the vortex of his lust。 Soon she had found her own； and knew that she could e to find enjoyment on her own terms in this liaison； despite the fact that with him； as with all of her lovers； the moment of his physical parting from her brought a sense of emptiness and of sadness。
One night； in this apartment； with the sleet battering heavily against the outside walls； rattling the ancient windowpanes； Irina discovered another layer to their relationship。 He had still been inside her； thick and hot。 She was still pulsing to then…accelerated heartbeats。
〃Can I confess something？〃 she whispered。 〃I have never felt like this with any other man。〃 She pushed the hair back from his forehead。 〃You frighten people； perhaps you don't know how much you frighten them。 When you approached me that first night； I felt paralyzed。 I couldn't say no to you。 I was terrified if I said no to you I would e to work the next morning to find my job was no longer there。〃
〃Didn't I attract you； even a little？〃
〃Yes； of course you did； but I… Don't you see that whatever I felt at the time didn't matter？ I did what you asked me to do； that was the beginning and the end of it。 And then； later； in bed the first time； I was so frightened I'd displease you。 And then。 〃
〃Then。〃
〃I discovered a whole other Valeri Bondasenko；〃 Irina said。 〃One nobody else knows about。 It made me feel…I don't know…special somehow。 In all the vast sea of women in Moscow； you had chosen me。〃
Valeri laughed。 〃Is that all there is to your confession？〃
〃No。〃 Irina was quiet for some time。 She listened in the stillness to the beating of their hearts； as if it were a language she needed to decipher。 〃For an instant； I felt a part of your power。 Not a reflection； but one with it。 Is that foolish？〃
〃Not at all；〃 Valeri said； stirring。 〃In fact； your confession； as you call it； makes me more confident to confide in you。 I had been thinking of bringing this up for some time； but I wasn't sure I could trust my instincts。〃
Irina snuggled closer to him。 〃What about？〃 She could feel the power radiating from him； bathing her； warming her。 Was it so bad to want to get inside it？
''I want to get inside the head of Mars Petrovich Volkov；'' he said； startling her because in some way she could not yet fathom his thoughts had been paralleling her own。 He was so close； his lips brushed hers as he spoke。 〃Volkov has gotten the inside track against me in the Congress of People's Deputies。 He has lined up a formidable array of party officials behind him； and got himself elected。 I still hold the edge because of my strong union and national district ties； but now that he is in the Congress； he is beginning to make life very difficult。 With reform as the new history； and speaking one's mind being tolerated； certain people have bee drunk on spewing criticism。 Volkov is one of them。 He's making a living directing it at me。 He appears to enjoy branding me a Napoleon； claiming that I have designs on being the next emperor of Russia。 He falsely claims he has no ego and I do。 That is his problem； but he is rapidly making it mine。〃 Irina could see his eyes glowing and her own image filling them up。 〃In order to defeat Mars Volkov； I must know what he is thinking。 I have learned through bitter experience that there are things men cannot do or do well。 This is one of them。 I need you to bee my protege so that you may do to Mars Volkov what I have done to you。''
〃You want me to seduce him？〃 Irina had asked。 〃I cannot。 I don't have the temperament。''
〃Temperament；〃 Valeri said； 〃is forged through circumstance。 I will teach you what you need to know。〃
〃I will not prostitute myself in that way。〃 Irina had grown angry。
To his credit； Valeri had felt this immediately。 He crushed his lips to hers； then smiled。 〃The joke is that it is you； Irina； who has seduced me。 Do you think that you are the latest in a long line of conquests for me？ No。 You know my reputation。 I make these things open so that there cannot be any misunderstanding that my rivals might turn to their advantage。〃
〃No one knows about us。 You made certain of that；〃 Irina had pointed out。
〃True enough； but that； too； is for a purpose。 I； too； have a confession to make。 After my wife died； I found that I had little taste for sexual adventure。 We had tried for the last several years of our marriage to have a child。 Unsuccessfully。 After my wife died； I came to see that being childless was just as well。 In this terrible world； a child； too； might be used against me。〃
He rolled them both over so that she lay astride him。''I know the danger inherent in what I ask you to do； Irina。 But when you say no so hastily； you ignore the rewards to yourself。〃
〃What rewards？ A reassignment？ Money？ Presents from the Beryozka？ These things cannot tempt me。〃
〃Oh； I know that。〃 He looked at her in the semidarkness and laughed again。 〃You see； I felt something in you from the moment I first saw you。 The reason I can ask you to seduce Mars Volkov is that I can understand the power it will bring you。 Most women are content to bask in the reflection of the power of men； but you are different； Irina； you are special。 You want the power for yourself。 Now you understand that I can give you that power。
〃So you will make pillow talk with Mars； you will get to know him； and you will report to me everything you learn。 You will do it happily； Irina。 Trust me。〃
Then the fear had crept through her like a worm burrowing into the core of her。 He's right； she thought； I love this new world he can open up to me。 No more Irina the boring academic； Irina the puter programmer； Irina the educator with ideas no one will listen to。
Now； entering Valeri's kitchen； Irina could smell onions and； startlingly； shallots sauteing in a skillet。 She sat at the small black…and…white； marble…patterned Formica table that might have been at home in an American kitchen of me 1950s。 Valeri brought her yogurt from the Ukraine； and tea into which she dropped two cubes of sugar； a perquisite in the sugar…starved Soviet Union even she was not privy to on her own。
She watched Valeri carefully stirring the eggs into the hot skillet。 This was another benefit of spending the night with Valeri： she adored being served breakfast。 She was an excellent cook in her own right…one of the few gifts her mother had passed down to her…and had the cook's special appreciation of being served food by another good cook。 But it was not an unadulterated pleasure； because she always felt a pang of guilt； as if this small decadence indulged in while others starved would weaken her； would somehow make her unfit for the continual struggle of life here。 She had spent much time in America； learning new educational 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 ra