Volume 1, No. 1

Banquet / Tyrras ... 22 

"Yes, you are. Henceforth, you will be the standard against which I shall measure all state security officers."
"Call me Vera," she said with a smile.
They danced a couple of more Russian waltzes, a tango. When the singer started 'Sympathy for the Devil' by the Rolling Stones, Vera asked to sit down. Misha had left the table. He was returning a telephone call, Morozin said brusquely. Vera and Nina bowed their heads together and were talking quietly, although because of the general din in the hall, they sometimes had to shout into each other's ear. Their expressions, Bellamy thought, suggested they were conspiring, and he looked about. The joy of the evening was waning so he asked Morozin to order another bottle of champagne, but he just nodded towards the entrance. Misha was standing there