rance beyond which even the strongest
minds cannot go without some loss of rationality. Dorfman, a seasoned
veteran, had been on tough, grueling missions before, but this---he
could no longer deceive himself---was undoubtedly the cruelest.

He had been able to remain calmly alert and rest his eyes for brief
intervals, trusting somewhat to fate, for the first eighteen hours or
so, and this had bought him time. A product of East German military
training and thinking, his own life or death was now secondary to the
success or failure of the mission and, truly believing this, his fears
had not been able to engulf him. His life had been full: his wife was
a soldier's wife, and his son was now fourteen and able to look after
her. But it was not necessary for him, as it was for some men, to
discount his own death through such a progression of thought. He knew
what his country was up against, and accepted his duty without
reservation.

But even through so many well-laid defenses, the exhaustion and mental
strain had begun to do their work on him. Fatigue became a constant
torture. To keep his eyes open and on anything, let alone the bulbous,
softly glowing scope before him, was next to impossible. But to take a
stimulant, he knew, would be worse. He could ill afford to compound
the demands on mind and body. Muscle tremors and adrenalin surges
would make him useless if ever. . .WHEN he reached his target. Having
no choice, he stayed where he was, his eyes fastened on the scope.

Being a thoroughly disciplined man, it was perhaps more difficult for
him to deal with the violent, primal images and emotions that now
thrashed about inside him. Visions of tearing Stone's throat out, and
of sexual violence toward nameless, faceless women were particularly
prevalent, but not nearly so painful as the occasional outbursts of
groundless hatred toward his wife and son. He knew these for what they
were, distorted by-products of the subconscious, and reminded himself
as their intensity grew that they could not physically hurt him. But
secretly he was upset, and wished they would go away.

Finally he had to make a decision. It was either rest his eyes and
neck for a moment, possibly get up and stretch, or smash his fist
against the screen. He stood up and put his hands together behind him,
craning both neck and back, them pumped his ribs twice with his biceps.
He sat back down after an elapse of two minutes and drank some