The Book of Blood Volume 6 The Last Illusion Part 22

The Book of Blood Volume 6 The Last Illusion Part 22

watched did the Russian quit the building and lead Ballard into the polite suburbs of Dahlem to a mutually agreed safe house. There, in a small and unheated kitchen, they sat down and talked. Mironenko's command of English was uncertain, or at least appeared so, though Ballard had the impression that his struggles for sense were as much tactical as giammatical. He might well have presented the same facade in the Russian's situation; it seldom hurt to appear less competent than one was. But despite the difficulties he had in expressing himself, Mironenko's avowals were unequivocal. 'I am no longer a Communist,' he stated plainly, 'I have not been a party-member - not here -' he put his fist to his chest'- for many years.' He fetched an off-white handkerchief from his coat pocket, pulled off one of his gloves, and plucked a bottle of tablets from the folds of the handkerchief. 'Forgive me,' he said as he shook tablets from the bottle. 'I have…