—Listen to me carefully, Ara: there is a way for this to end well. Fyodor Mazurov could return to his duties, he could claim he was drunk, or he was homesick, or he thought it was a day off. It doesn’t matter what the excuse is. Some lie could be manufactured. He’s only been missing for eighteen hours. He has an unblemished military record. This is his first time abroad. Furthermore, your father is a minister. No one wants an embarrassment or a scandal, the Soviets would be as glad to conceal this as they would be to apprehend him. We can fix this if we work together. I need you to help me. Where is he?

Despite being ready to lie, Ara was tempted by this offer. Leo stepped forward, moving closer, trying to show to her that this was not a trap.

—We don’t have much time. If you lie to me, and the others find him without a deal being brokered, they may not make you the same offer. And they will find you, within a matter of hours. We’re not the only people searching for him. We’re not the only people who can draw the conclusions that brought us here.

Ara looked at Leo, then at Nara, evaluating the situation.

—I don’t know what yoursquo;re talking about.

Her voice was weak, barely able to finish the denial, the words crumbling away. Leo sighed.

—Then should I call for the military to search the house? They would be here within minutes. They will rip down walls and smash every piece of furniture.

Faced with this possibility, Ara abandoned the pretence, lowering her head. She walked to the door, turning back to Leo, imploring him:

—You promise to help us?

—I promise.

She studied his expression, trying to read into it some sign that he was a good man. It was hard to know what interpretation she drew. More likely, she accepted that she had no choice and led them downstairs, unlocking a door, taking them into a cellar.

The cellar served as a storeroom with low curved ceilings exploiting the naturally cooler air. Ara lit a candle, revealing Fyodor Mazurov in the corner, stunned by the sight of her with two secret police agents. Leo said, in Russian:

—Stay calm. I can help you. But you must do exactly as I say.

Mazurov remained silent. Leo noticed that his fists were clenched. He was almost certainly armed. He was ready to die for the woman he loved. With genuine curiosity rather than mocking cynicism, Leo asked:

—Tell me, what were you planning on doing? Running away together?

Ara took her lover’s hand. It was an audacious display of affection for an Afghan woman and Nara visibly reacted to the gesture. Mazurov replied:

—We were going to make our way to Pakistan.