and enormously massive. Malone sidestepped, and the Mongol
moved slightly to block him. To one side, Malone saw Her Majesty
scurrying by. The Mongol was apparently more interested in Malone than
in trying to stop sweet little old ladies. Malone saw Her Majesty
heading for the bar, and forgot about her for the second.

The Mongol shifted again to block Malone's forward progress.

"What seems to be such great hurry, _Tovarishch_?" he said in a voice
that sounded like an earthquake warning. "Have you no culture? Why you
run across floor in such impolite manner?"

The man might have been blocking his way because of Lou, or might
simply want to teach an uncultured _Amerikanski_ a lesson. Malone
couldn't tell which, and it didn't seem to matter. He whirled and
reached for a glass of vodka standing momentarily unattended on a
nearby table.

He tossed the vodka at the giant's eyes, and scooted around the
mountain of flesh before it erupted with a volcanic succession of
Russian curses that shook the room with their volume and sincerity.

But Lou and Her Majesty were nowhere in sight. Major Petkoff was
staring, and Malone followed his line of sight.

A door in the rear of the restaurant was just closing. Behind it
Malone saw Her Majesty and Lou, disappearing from sight.

Malone knocked over a waiter and headed for Petkoff. "What's going on
here?" he bellowed over the crash of dishes and the rising wave of
Russian profanity.

Petkoff shrugged magnificently. "I have no ideas, colleague," he said.
"I have no ideas."

"But she--"

"Miss Garbitsch was taken suddenly ill," Petkoff said.

"Damn sudden," Malone growled.

"Her friend, Miss Thompson, has taken her to the ladies' room,"
Petkoff said. He gestured, narrowly missing a broken, lumpy face
Malone had seen before.

"You are under arrest," the face said. Its partner peered over
Petkoff's shoulder.

"I?" Petkoff said.

"Not you," the face said. "Him." He started for Malone and Petkoff
threw out both arms.

"Hold!" he said. "My orders are to see that this man is not molested."

The guests had suddenly and silently melted away. Malone backed off a
step, looking for something to stage a fight with.

"On the other hand, Comrade," one of the lumpy-faced men said, "we
have orders also."

"My orders--" Petkoff began.

"Your orders do not exist," the other lumpy man said. "We are to
arrest this man. Our orders say so."

"You are fools," Petkoff said. He spread h