The Charm School

the manila envelope from his briefcase. “Here’s all the paperwork, including the export permit and a charge for the coffin that they want paid before they’ll ship it out.”
    “I thought you were
in
the damned coffin. I called the Soviet Foreign Ministry, the KGB—”
    “That’s like dialing M for murder, Seth.”
    “Where did you spend the night?”
    “Is that a professional question?” Hollis inquired.
    Lisa interjected. “We hid out in a village called Yablonya—”
    “Hid out? From whom?”
    Hollis answered, “From a guy named Burov. KGB type. Colonel.” Hollis described him. “Know the man?”
    “Maybe. I’ll ask around. Okay, please be in the sixth-floor safe room in thirty minutes. Both of you. Can you do that?”
    Lisa said, “I need an hour.” She turned and walked into the chancery.
    Alevy stared at Hollis, who stared back. Alevy said, “You know, it was my fault for letting you take her along.”
    “I think I cured her of her fascination with espionage.”
    “On the contrary, I think. Did you get along all right?”
    “She was an asset.”
    “Maybe I should recruit her,” Alevy said.
    “She has what it takes. And we have no female types now.”
    “I’ll wire Langley. What was her strongest asset?”
    “Humor in the face of danger.”
    “We must discuss this soon.”
    “Fine. But not out in the open where the directional microphones can eavesdrop.” Hollis turned and walked into the chancery. He went through the lobby and came out onto the rear terrace. She was there waiting for him. She said, “What were you talking to Seth about?”
    “Your assets.”
    They walked on the birch-lined path beside the quadrangle toward her unit. She said, “I wondered if I’d see this place again.”
    “No more bitching about your unit.”
    “No, sir. I love my bathroom. Kiss the tile.”
    Hollis looked out on the quadrangle. John Uhlman from the consular section was teaching his son how to ride a two-wheeler. The scarecrow had been built in their absence, and there were three oddly shaped pumpkins at its feet. Hollis observed, “No corn stalks.”
    She followed his gaze. “No corn stalks.”
    “Well…” He glanced at his watch.
    “Last chance for a pear.”
    “I’ll take one.”
    She held out the bag. “Take the honey too. I’m off sugar.”
    “I’m off too, sweets.”
    They both smiled. Finally Lisa asked, “How do we stand?”
    Hollis put his hands in his pockets and shrugged.
    “Is that an answer?”
    “How do you stand with Seth?”
    “It’s over.”
    “Then what’s he angry about?”
    She threw the bag over her shoulder. “Well, think about it.” She turned and walked down the path.
    Hollis stood awhile, then made his way across the quadrangle.

13
    Seth Alevy said to Charles Banks, “John Uhlman from the consular section is headed for Sheremetyevo to take care of the business that Colonel Hollis did not complete.”
    Hollis noticed that Alevy was talking mostly to Banks, ignoring him and Lisa.
    Hollis saw that Banks was wearing his Sunday best, though since it was Sunday in Moscow, everyone else was dressed casually. Hollis had showered and put on jeans and a flannel shirt. Alevy wore pleated slacks and a V-necked sweater. Lisa, he thought, looked good in a white turtleneck and tight jeans, though she was somewhat cool to him. Hollis sat at the far end of the conference table in the ambassador’s safe room; Banks sat at the opposite end, and Lisa and Alevy sat in the center facing each other. Hollis noticed for the first time a framed piece of calligraphy hanging on the wall and read it:
    The issues of diplomacy are of ever greater importance, since a stupid move could destroy all of us in a few minutes.
    L ORD H UMPHRY T REVEYAN , 1973
    Hollis thought that Banks and the ambassador would probably prove that true in the next few weeks.
    Alevy continued, “Obviously we can’t retrieve the rented Zhiguli, so we called the Intourist Hotel and told them it was broken down at Gagarin railroad station. We’ll get a hell of a bill for that.”
    Hollis knew that Alevy was not in the least interested in these petty administrative matters, but Charles Banks was. It was the nature of the diplomat to never break a local rule or offend a host country. Even if you were handing the foreign minister a note with a declaration of war on it, you were polite about it. Hollis perceived that Alevy was trying to make points with Banks at Hollis’ expense, so Hollis thought