Dubcek. "Hayes is making short work
of our battleship. Poor bastards."

28) Q x R(ch)

"He'll be coming after us, next."

"I hope we didn't make him mad."

Masaryk smiled. Even as they spoke, the great ship, anticipated by a
swarm of torpedo ships and fighter-bombers, began to come forward,
gathering speed as if to ram them from the sky.

"Oh, Lord. Here they come."

"Bring us forward! All guns open fire!"

K-N2.....

........................................................................
.......................................................

INTERLUDE

VOICES

"Morgan? Do you love me?"

He rolled away from her and onto his back, stared at the ceiling. The
blanket was keeping him warm.

"I don't know." He was not sure, only that he had never felt this way
before. Maybe once, long ago, as a child.

"Because I love you."

"How can you?" Now that the rush of sexual elation was over he felt
wounded, and as hollow and empty as a man can feel.

"I don't know. But I do."

He took her hand and held it, against his leg. The motion was
mechanical, without feeling.

"You sure it isn't something Freudian?"

"Don't be stupid, Morgan."

"I'm sorry. He looked straight at the nothing. But something stirred
inside him. "I care for you very much."

She studied him in the half-light.

"Are those your own words?"

"No. I think Lawrence said them." Nothing. "You see what a waste I
am."

"No. I don't think so. But I wish you would kiss me."

He rolled back toward her, felt her long and beautiful beside him. He
began to kiss her, felt something warm at the corner of his eye.

"Why do you have to go? Haven't you done enough already?"

"Apparently not."

"Oh, of course. The Belgians and Swiss, and now the Commonwealth.
That was your fault, too."

"You don't understand, Elonna."

"What am I supposed to understand? That your father was a racist
bastard who didn't love you, or any one or anything else? That you
don't know how to deal with your guilt? God damn it! Are you going to
sacrifice everything we've found, just to satisfy your pride?"

He tried to glare at her, turned away and faced the window. "I'm so
glad I could trust you."

"Don't you say that to me! Don't you dare pretend that you don't care
about me. You didn't bring Johnny and I here just to satisfy you