re a Russian revolutionary
organization devoted to the _withering away_ the Russian Communist
State. To gain its ends, it co-operates with a Capitalist country's
agent." His grin broadened. "I suspect that neither Nicolai Lenin nor
Karl Marx ever pictured such contingencies."

Hank said, "I wouldn't know I'm not up on my Marxism. I'm afraid that
when I went to school academic circles weren't inclined in that
direction." He returned the Russian's wry smile.

Which only set the other off again. "Academic circles!" he snorted.
"Sterile in both our countries. All professors of economics in the
Soviet countries are Marxists. On the other hand, no American
professor would admit to this. Coincidence? Suppose an American
teacher was a convinced Marxist. Would he openly and honestly teach
his beliefs? Suppose a Russian wasn't? Would he?" Georgi slapped his
knee with a heavy hand and stood up. "I'll speak to various others.
We'll let you know."

Hank said, "Wait. How long is this going to take? And _can_ you help
me if you want to? Where are these extraterrestrials?"

Georgi looked down at him. "They're in the Kremlin. How closely
guarded we don't know, but we can find out."

"The Kremlin," Hank said. "I was hoping they stayed in their own
ship."

"Rumor has it that they're quartered in the _Bolshoi Kremlevski
Dvorets_, the Great Kremlin Palace. We'll contact you later--perhaps."
He stuck his hands in his pockets and strode away, in all appearance
just one more pedestrian without anywhere in particular to go.

One of the younger boys, the ham who had first approached Hank, smiled
and said, "Perhaps we can talk a bit more of radio?"

"Yeah," Hank muttered, "Swell."

* * * * *

The next development came sooner than Henry Kuran had expected. In
fact, before the others returned from their afternoon tour of the
city. Hank was sprawled in one of the king-sized easy-chairs, turning
what little he had to work on over in his mind. The principal
decisions to make were, first, how long to wait on the assistance of
the _stilyagi_, and, if that wasn't forthcoming, what steps to take on
his own. The second prospect stumped him. He hadn't the vaguest idea
what he could accomplish singly.

He wasn't even sure where the space aliens were. _The Bolshoi
Kremlevski Dvorets_, Georgi had said. But was that correct, and, if
so, where was the _Bolshoi Kremlevski Dvorets_ and how did you get
into it? For that