"A handful of people . . . How many are we? A thou- sand?"

"But we're in a special position. We can pull their fangs. We can stop them from fighting."

"They'll call us traitors. They will kill us."

Kinsman nodded. "They'll try. Your government will probably take your kids."

"Yes."

"We could hold some of the officers from your space stations as counter-hostages."

"That might work." Leonov seemed dazed; his face was blank, his voice distant and toneless.

"Would they . . . kill the children?"

With a slow shake of his head, Leonov replied, "No. I doubt it. What good would that do them?"

"They'd be dead anyway, if the war . . ."

There were tears in the Russian's eyes. "So my choice is to have them bombed by the Americans or shot by the security police?"

ItT '»

"No, no, it won't work. It could never work. It is madness even to think about it." Leonov paced away from the window.

Kinsman stood there and said nothing. He watched the Russian's back, the tension in the corded muscles of his neck. "It could work, Peter," he said. "We could make it work."

Leonov wheeled around to face him. "What would you have me do? Betray Russian and take away her only defense against American attack? Leave my homeland, my children, my whole life, to remain an exile forever here on this rock? Put my trust in a handful of strangers? Lunatics? Americans? How do I know I can trust your people? How do I know I can trust you7"

"You're afraid—"

"Of course I'm afraid!"

Kinsman felt the cold of that empty sky seeping into his guts. ". . . because I killed one of your cosmonauts,"

Leonov rocked backward half a step. "Then it's true." His voice was hollow.

"It's true."

"I didn't believe the intelligence reports. Sometimes they contain exaggerations—outright lies, propaganda."

"I killed her," Kinsman said.

The Russian stepped close to Kinsman. Tears still glis- tened in his eyes. "I never meant to force you to confess to me."

Kinsman felt lightheaded, almost giddy. It was like coming out of anesthesia. "It was something I had to tell you; it had to be removed from between us." 403

Leonov closed his eyes.