The Charm School

squat Mr. Marchenko, now wearing an overcoat and flanked by two Border Guards whose shoulder boards were higher than the short man’s head. Marchenko said, “Colonel Hollis, everything is all arranged. No need to call.”
    Hollis snapped, “Where the hell do you get off interrupting my phone call?”
    “Please?”
    Hollis said in Russian, “Move away!” He turned and put another two-kopek piece in the coin slot.
    Marchenko said, “Come, sir, Ms. Rhodes is waiting for you. She seems anxious about you.”
    Hollis turned back to the man. “Where is she?”
    “In the car. Please allow me to introduce myself again. I am Mr. Marchenko, the senior Intourist representative in Minsk. The Soviet Foreign Ministry has wired, instructing me to extend special courtesies to you and Ms. Rhodes. Will you follow me?”
    “We require no special courtesies. We’ll stay here at the airport.”
    Marchenko shook his head. “No, Colonel. I have strict instructions. Ms. Rhodes is even now in the car awaiting you.”
    Hollis’ eyes went past the two uniformed Border Guards, and he spotted three men in brown leather trench coats in the center of the crowded concourse, hands in their pockets, looking at him. He said to Marchenko, “I want Ms. Rhodes brought here to me. Now.” He turned and dialed the long-distance operator again and said in Russian, “Connect me with Moscow, two five two, zero zero, one seven.”
    “Colonel, there is no need to call. We will be late!”
    “For
what?
” Hollis heard humming, buzzing, faraway voices, and other assorted sounds in the earpiece.
    “A helicopter, sir. To take you back to Sheremetyevo. There is a Lufthansa flight leaving there at three-fifty-five for Frankfurt. This Pan Am flight in truth will not leave today. Come.”
    Hollis considered several courses of action, none of which seemed promising. “We’re in no hurry. We’ll stay here. I told you I want you to bring Ms. Rhodes here.”
    “But we have no choice. I have a cable from Moscow.”
    “I’m sure you do. The question is, was the cable from the Foreign Ministry or Dzerzhinsky Square.”
    “I don’t comprehend you. Please, at least come out to the car and talk to Ms. Rhodes and see what she wants to do. Come, she is most anxious about you.”
    Hollis heard a voice come on the line. “Moscow Central.” Hollis said, “I want to be connected with two five two, zero zero, one seven.”
    Marchenko added, “And you perhaps are anxious about her.”
    “You son of a—” The operator came on again. “I cannot complete your call.” Hollis knew how to argue with Ma Bell, but if Moscow Central said they couldn’t complete your call, that could mean anything from a busy phone to a KGB intercept on the line. Hollis would have faked a conversation with O’Shea, except that his coin was still half in the slot and wouldn’t go in unless the call were completed. Hollis put the phone back on the hook.
    Marchenko said, “Intourist has already wired your embassy with your new departure. Please, sir, Miss Rhodes—”
    Salerno suddenly appeared out of the corridor. “There you are. What’s all this?”
    Hollis said, “This is the answer to your question about my diplomatic status. It’s still good.”
    Marchenko said to Salerno, “Do you hold a diplomatic passport?”
    “Hell, no. I work for a living.” He pulled his Soviet press credentials from his pocket.
“Zhurnalista.”
    Marchenko responded, “Then I must ask you to go back to the waiting room. Your bus will be leaving shortly.”
    “Hold your horses.” He said to Hollis, “They told Lisa you wanted her. What the hell’s going on?”
    “We’re being offered a helicopter ride to Sheremetyevo to catch a Lufthansa to Frankfurt.”
    “Well, lucky you. While I’m eating lard with mushroom gravy in the Sputnik, you guys will be landing in Frankfurt. In my next life I want to be a diplomat.”
    “What were you in your last life?”
    “A Russian.” Salerno laughed, then said to Marchenko, “Hey, any chance of taking me back to Sheremetyevo?”
    “Impossible.”
    Salerno said to Hollis in Russian, “
Nelzya.
That’s all you hear in this country. Everything is
nelzya.
Somebody ought to teach them ‘can do.’”
    Marchenko was at the end of his patience. “Please, Colonel! Your companion is waiting.”
    Salerno said to Hollis, “I don’t think you can refuse the honor, Sam.” Salerno motioned to the phones. “I’ll call the embassy right now and tell