! What are you doing here?" he exclaimed in startled surprise.

Colonel Peng replied in an askew English, the only language he had in
common with Bushmilov. "Our American lieutenant, you kid-stolen." He
pointed at Wims.

Bushmilov unconsciously shifted his bulk to blot Wims from Peng's view.
"You are wrong Colonel Peng. Your intelligence was not getting nowhere
with him and we are having more experience in these matters. We think
you approve to take him to Moscow."

"Ah. Yes? Then why you sneak away like folding Arabian tent? Ah!"

Although Bushmilov did not comprehend what Arabian tents had to do with
this business he did understand the accusation. Before he could reply,
Peng continued. "Us Chinese not fool, Comrade Colonel. You Russian think
us not good like you, like smart. O.K. Us not b'long Russia like
sat'lite. Us b'long us. Us not let you take what you want and no asking.
You will give it back, the American officer. Us can make him say
secret."

Bushmilov stiffened and dropped all pretense at cordiality. "Us will--"
He shook his head in annoyance. "I will not do that without order from
my superior, Minister Modrilensky. Now you will be kind to leave. There
is business to finish."

"No go unless us take officer."

An angry Bushmilov strode to the door and snarled at the two guards in
Russian. One of them dashed away down the corridor. "We shall see,"
Bushmilov sneered at Peng.

"Yes us shall, ah!" said Peng, withdrawing his automatic pistol from its
holster. The other Chinese did the same and their movement was
duplicated immediately by the Russians.

No one moved or spoke further until five Russian security guards burst
into the room with submachine guns at the ready. The corporal in charge
looked to Bushmilov for instructions. The Russian colonel looked long
and thoughtfully at the primed Chinese. He had not expected them to go
to this extreme. Perhaps they were only bluffing but one sudden
misinterpreted movement or the wrong word and another ugly incident in
an already dangerously long chain might be created to accelerate the
deteriorating Sino-Soviet relations. Without specific instructions he
dared not take the responsibility for any untoward action. Bushmilov
ordered the guards to stand at ease and dispatched one of his henchmen
to notify his superior of the crisis.

"You being very wise, Comrade Colonel," Peng said.

"You are being very annoying," Bushmilov snapped.

"O.K., yes," Peng replie