"Which adds up to a lot of enemies," Dillon put in. "Lermov, who'll be the new Head of Station for the GRU here, was at the UN reception with Putin, and we were talking to him. Baited him, really. Asked after Boris Luzhkov, and was told he was in Moscow being considered for a new post."

"Six pounds of gray ash, that bastard," Billy said.

"And when I asked after Yuri Bounine, he said he'd been given another assignment."

"He knew something," Miller said. "I'm sure of it."

"Well, if he knows that Bounine is guarding Alex Kurbsky at his aunt Svetlana's house in Belsize Park, we're in trouble," Ferguson told him.

They were all silent at the mention of the famous Russian writer whose defection had caused so much mayhem recently but of whom they'd all become unaccountably fond.

Dillon said, "We're going to have to do something, General. They could be in harm's way."

"I'm aware of that, Dillon," Ferguson snapped. "But you could widen the circle to include a lot of people who've been involved with us." He turned to Miller. "What about your sister, Major? She helped us out in that business involving the IRA in County Louth last year. She even shot one of them."

Miller's sister, Lady Monica Starling, an archaeologist and Cambridge don, had indeed proved her mettle-and, in the process, had become as close a friend to Dillon as a woman could.

Miller frowned and turned to Dillon. "He's got a point, Sean, we should speak to her."

Roper said, "If the rest of you can shut up for a moment, I'll get her on the line." He was answered at once. She sounded fraught, her voice echoing through the speakers.

"Who is this?"

"No need to bite my head off, darling," said Miller. "It's your big brother."