Kings of Many Castles

what was being said. By comparison Charlie felt he was blindfolded. Into Charlie’s mind echoed the psychiatrist’s words. I got the impression that he wants to tell someone. After all his life being discarded and downtrodden he’s suddenly someone, the focus of everyone’s attention. “The television of the shooting was incredible. It’s been seen in every country in the world. Millions of people have watched.”

There was a positive smile. Bendall didn’t speak.

“A world stage, with you on it.”

The smile stayed. “Yes.”

Charlie saw a way to continue. “That’s how it should go on.”

“I want it.”

“There’ll be cameras at the trial. Everyone will be watching you: listening to you.”

Arkadi Noskov stirred. There was more movement noise from the doorway. Bendall said, “That’ll be good.”

It was the prearranged time, determined Charlie. “Arkadi Semenovitch Noskov is your lawyer. He’ll be with you in court, we all will be.”

“To help you,” came in Noskov, perfectly on time. “There are things you want to tell the court?”

“Maybe,” withdrew Bendall, cautiously.

“You want them to know, don’t you?” The earlier, ordering command had gone from the sonorous voice, it was coaxing now, inviting.

“Maybe.”

“They’ll have to know everything, to understand. And it’ll be important not to miss anything out.”

Able for the first time to break his total concentration Charlie saw that despite their tape recorder, Anne was hurriedly scribbling notes on a large legal pad. He couldn’t see beyond the two remaining guards at the door. Agayan was sat back, seemingly content with Bendall’s recovery.

“Nothing will be missed out,” said Bendall.

“We’ll have to prepare carefully. Make sure of that.”

“Yes.” Bendall’s smile was back.

“That’s my job,” said Noskov. “Making sure nothing’s left out. You want everyone to know about Vasili Isakov?”

“Yes.”

“Then we’ll need to talk about it, for me to know all there is. You understand that, don’t you?”

“I suppose so.”

Charlie was nervous of the obvious doubt, aching to reenter the exchange but that wasn’t part of their car cramped rehearsal.

“It all has to come out, to make the impact you want,” encouraged Noskov and Charlie relaxed.

“I want to think about it.”

Charlie abruptly realized that Bendall was relaxing, too, formulating proper sentences instead clippping his responses to one or two words.

“I’d like you to do that,” urged the lawyer. “You’ve thought about it already, haven’t you?”

“Of course I have.”

“People will be surprised, won’t they?”

“It’ll be sensational.”

“We know it will. We’ll have to go through it before we get to court, though. So that I can guarantee we don’t forget anything.”

“I won’t forget.”

“It’s best that we talk about it first. There might be things I’ll have to do, evidence I’ll have to find to confirm what you’re going to say.”

“I want to stop now. Think,” declared Bendall.

“I’d like to talk a little further,” tried Noskov.

“When I want to,” insisted Bendall, exercising his imagined control. “Not when you want to.”

“I don’t want him pushed,” said Agayan.

The British psychiatrist’s assessment had been remarkable accurate, thought Charlie. Compared against all the other interviews, they’d made quantum leaps forward. But did he have a comparison against all the interviews, now that the Russians weren’t sharing information anymore? The situation between himself and Olga Melnik had to be resolved as quickly as possible.

“We’ll come again tomorrow. At the same time,” Noskov was saying.

“I’ll see,” postured Bendall. “Go now. I want to think.”

Charlie had to stand to reach across Anne again for their tape machine and as he did so he saw Nicholai Badim in the outer corridor. Olga Melnik was expressionless beside him.

They needed the large waiting room, not Badim’s smaller office. From the way Olga went through the ritual of introduction to Arkadi Noskov, Charlie guessed she knew of the man’s reputation, even if she hadn’t met him before. Olga’s attitude towards Anne Abbott was cursory to the point of being dismissive. No one sat. The hospital surgeon-administrator looked hopefully for guidance between everyone else in the room but was disappointed. Agayan sat quietly in a corner.

Charlie told Olga “I’ve been trying to reach you.” He wondered what he could conjure from this encounter.

Olga said, “I got the message, that’s why I’m here.”

“You and I have a lot of operational things to discuss, apart from today,” said Charlie.

“Those ‘operational things’ have changed.”

“Not between you and I, our two countries.”

“The investigation has moved on,”

“To what?” It was encouraging. Charlie thought.

“It’s officially-legally-under the direction of the Justice Ministry.”

“How can that be?” Noskov’s voice was like a thunder roll.

“The facts have been laid for an official arraignment.”

The declaration removed the restrictive frustration between himself and the two lawyers, but as always part of Charlie’s mind was way ahead of the current conversation, looking for darkened alleys and hidden side tracks. He didn’t believe Olga’s being there was in direct response to his earlier attempted contact, although his messages was that he would be at Burdenko. Was she trying to separate him further from the Americans by the premature announcement? If she were there was every reason to go along with the invitation, even though he was sure by now that Natalia was not keeping anything back. As pivotal though they both imagined her to be, a lot could be withheld from Natalia: if not positive information, attitudes and intentions it was important for them personally, always protectively, to get indications of before they were instigated.

Noskov’s attention was on the doctor. “Is Bendall fit enough to go to court?”

“For an initial arraignment,” confirmed the man.

“And mentally he’s capable,” added Agayan. “He simply mustn’t be crowded, pushed.”

Responding to Anne’s whispered aside, Noskov said, “I’ll seek independent medical advice on that.”

“There are restrictions on access,” said Olga.

“I’ll want those examinations to be in the presence of this doctor, a hospital panel if necessary.”

“You can make your application,” condescended Olga.

“I don’t see how Bendall can be arraigned on what I understand so far to be the available evidence,” protested Noskov.

“That’s a matter for legal judgment and interpretation,” avoided Olga, easily.

“What are the formal court charges going to be?” demanded Noskov, imperious voiced again.

Olga wasn’t as cowed as the ward guards. “Again, a decision for the Justice Ministry and the federal prosecutor. The militia function has been to present the evidence.”

Charlie saw the opening. “Evidence it is officially agreed between our two countries-between London and Moscow-should be shared. I know you have withdrawn material from the American incident room but I expect that agreement still to exist between the two of us.”