said, âNo, itâs all right, Katie, itâs good for me to hear the other side like this.â
Dmitry sat down again. âActually, I am sick of reading every day in your newspapers about the danger of the leakage of nuclear technology from the former Soviet Union when everyone knows the West has done far more in this department than we have⦠why do they not criticise their own record? At least in Russia we hung on to our secrets, while the US passed them on to Israel, and from there to South Africa, and meanwhile the Germans trained ââ
âYes, but ââ
âPlease, let me finish. I want to ask you this: what makes you think there are more unprincipled Russians than there are Germans or Americans or even Britons⦠you have plenty of economic problems here I thinkâ¦â
âIâm not talking about unprincipled, so much as desperate,â said Tim. âIt doesnât matter what your principles are if you donât have enough to eat or canât feed your familyâ¦â
âLook,â said Dmitry suddenly, lowering his voice. âTry to look at it another way. The threat of nuclear war with Russia suddenly evaporates overnight. Why all this hysteria? We should be pleased, but of course for various reasons we are not. First, there is the whole defence industry⦠they are alarmed. Who will buy their armaments now? Then there are the intelligence services. In the absence of any real enemy, they have to justify their existence and find some other threat. But thirdly, perhaps more importantly, I think we ourselves cannot cope with the end of the Cold War. Itâs my belief that mankind psychologically needs the threat of imminent destruction. Now that we no longer believe in the day of judgement or in hell we have to believe in the possibility of a nuclear holocaust. It helps us to believe that we are living in the end times⦠it clarifies our minds so wonderfully.â He poured them both a glass of vodka and raised his in a toast. âWell, to your story, Tim. No doubt you will write it the way you want it.â
Katie lay in bed in the dark, unable to sleep. She was filled with an uneasiness which came close at times to panic. Everything seemed to be going wrong for her and Dmitry. She thought of how they first met, in Vienna, at her friendâs funeral in the rain, and the instant attraction sheâd felt for him. He had seemed so vibrant and strong to her then, so full of moral integrity. Theyâd been through so much together, she could not imagine the bond between them ever being broken. It pained her terribly to see him angry and cynical like this, consumed by financial worries and a sense of failure. Yes, she could understand his growing frustration, but she didnât know how to deal with it. And it was getting worse; there was no need for him to have behaved like that this evening. She had been glad to see Tim, it was good to have someone she knew living downstairs and she didnât want to fall out with him. After all, they didnât see many people; she felt Dmitry had spoiled things for them, had given a false impression to Tim. She understood that he was disappointed about the book, and that she should make allowances, but even so, it was too much.
She rolled over, unable to get comfortable. Dmitry put his hand on her thigh and she removed it. He said, âKatie, what exactly have you told him about me?â
Katie was instantly defensive. âAs it happens, I have told him exactly nothing.â
âThen why did he askâ¦?â
âI donât know⦠it must be coincidence. Honestly, Mitya, I told him you were a scientific and technical translator and that was all.â
âI donât believe in coincidence. Donât ask him in again. I donât like him.â
Katie sat up on her elbow. âWhy not? Thatâs ridiculous⦠Iâve known him for years, heâs a bit