"Vladimir, please. Please. I see it now. I see it all--" Malenkov
had grown pale staring at his duplicate. "You have this double.
You and Ruscar. You plan to do away with me and keep a figurehead
instead. Vladimir, please, I can listen to reason. I can make my rule
a partnership, a triumvirate if you wish." Malenkov was blubbering.
"I could smell it in the air, this plot, this intrigue, this--I knew
something was afoot. Something I didn't know what. All hands were
turned against me, all--"
Tedor ran to the door, closed it, locked it.
"Vladimir, I beg of you--"
"Oh, shut up! I don't know any more about this than you do. You are
Malenkov, I know that now. The other man looks like you but doesn't
talk like you."
Tedor took Archevski's gun from his own pocket. "You try to figure it
out," he said. He gave the gun to Dorlup, who stood watch over Russia's
two top leaders.
Tedor ran to the drapes which hid the dressing alcove, tore them down,
ripped them into strips. He bound Chenkov first, hand and foot.
"You realize you haven't a chance, whatever game you're playing,"
Chenkov said.
Tedor bound Malenkov, then fastened them together, sitting on the
floor, back to back. If one of them struggled with his bonds he would
strangle the other, for Tedor had tied their necks together.
"Give me the gun, Dorlup," he said, taking the pistol. "I haven't time.
I can't play with you. I want you to answer one question and I'm going
to give you ten seconds to start talking. If you don't, I'll kill you."
Chenkov squirmed, making Malenkov gasp and choke. Chenkov subsided.
"What's your question?"
"I want to know the location of your storage areas for atomic weapons."
"N-never!" Malenkov gasped, his voice breaking.