Western clothes, which weren't quite the right fit.
'That's true enough.' Quint narrowed his eyes, turning back to Krakovitch. 'He's not skilled that way, but I'm sure he has many other worthwhile talents.' Krakovitch smiled thinly and nodded. He seemed a little sour.
Kyle had been studying Krakovitch, committing him to memory. The Russian head of ESPionage was in his late thirties. He had thinning black hair, piercing green eyes and an almost gaunt, hollow face. He was of medium height, slimly built. A skinned rabbit, thought Kyle. But his thin, pale lips were firm, and the high dome of his head spoke of a rare intelligence.
Krakovitch's impression of Kyle was much the same: a man just a few years younger than himself, intelligent, talented. It was only the physical side of Kyle that was different, which hardly mattered. Kyle's hair was brown and plentiful, naturally wavy. He was well fleshed, even a little overweight, but with his height that scarcely showed. His eyes were brown as his hair, his teeth even and white in a too-wide mouth that sloped a little from left to right. In another face that look might well be mistaken for cynicism, but not in Kyle, Krakovitch thought.
Quint, on the other hand, was more aggressive, but he probably had superb self-control. He would reach conclusions quickly, right or wrong. And he would probably act on them. He would act, and hope he'd done the right thing. But he wouldn't feel guilty if it turned out wrong. Also, there wasn't much emotion in Quint. All of this showed in his face, his figure, and Krakovitch prided himself on reading character. Quint was lithe, built like a cat. In no way massive, but he had that coiled spring look about him. Not nervous tension, just a natural ability to think and act fast. He had eyes of disarming blue that took in everything, a thin, even nose, and a forehead creased from frowning. He too was in his mid-thirties, thin on top, dark featured. And he had a talent. Krakovitch could tell that Quint was extremely ESP-sensitive. He was a spotter.
'Oh, Sergei Gulharov has been trained - , Krakovitch finally answered, ' - as my bodyguard. But not in your arts, or mine. He has not got that kind of mind. Indeed, of the four of us, I could argue that he is the only "normal" man present. Which is unfortunate,' - now he stared accusingly at Kyle - 'for you and I were supposed to meet as equals, without, er, backup?'
At that moment the music went quiet, the rock'n'roll replaced by an Italian ballad.
'Krakovitch,' said Kyle, hard-eyed now and keeping his voice low, 'we'd better be straight on this. You're right, our deal was that the two of us should meet. We could each bring along a second. But no telepaths. What we have to say to each other we'll just say, without someone picking our thoughts. Quint isn't a telepath, he's a spotter, that's all. So we weren't cheating. And as far as your man here - er, Gulharov? - is concerned: Quint says he's clean, so you aren't cheating either. Or you wouldn't appear to be - but your third man is something else!'
'My third man?' Krakovitch sat up straight, seemed genuinely surprised. 'I have no -'
'But you do,' Quint cut in. 'KGB. We've seen him. In fact, he's here in Frankie's Franchise right now.
That was news to Kyle. He looked at Quint. 'You're certain?'
Quint nodded. 'Don't look now, but he's sitting in the corner over there with a Genoese whore. He's changed his clothes, too, and looks like he's just off a ship. Not a bad cover - but I recognised him the moment we walked in here.'
Out of the corner of his eye Krakovitch looked, then slowly shook his head. 'I do not know him,' he said. 'Not to be surprised. I do not know any of them. I dislike - strongly! But... you are sure? How can you be so sure?'
Kyle would have been caught on the hop, but not Quint. 'We run the same sort of branch as the one you run, Comrade,' he stated flatly. 'Except we have the edge on you. We're better at it. He's KGB, all right.'
Krakovitch's fury was obvious. Not against Quint but the position in which he now found himself. 'Intolerable!' he snapped. 'Why, the Party Leader himself has given me his - ' He half stood up, half turned towards the man indicated, a thick-set