moment they registered puzzlement and there was a slight frown, and then Hoffner smiled and held out his hand. âThis is a great pleasure, Comrade Kurbsky. A very great pleasure. We donât often see visitors in Changu.â
âIâve looked forward to this meeting for some time,â Chavasse said. âMay I compliment you on the excellence of your Russian?â
âYou must praise Katya for that, not me.â Hoffner glanced at her affectionately. âWhen shefirst came here a year ago, I knew no Russian at all.â
She kissed his cheek. âCome and eat. Comrade Kurbsky must be hungry. Afterwards, there will be time to talk.â
She had obviously gone to considerable trouble to make the meal into something of an occasion. There were candles burning on the table and the food was surprisingly good. They had a clear chicken soup, mutton, boiled rice and chopped vegetables, Chinese style, and the dessert was tinned pears. There was even a bottle of very passable wine.
As he rose from the table, Hoffner sighed and shook his head. âI donât know how she does it, Kurbsky. I really donât.â
âWhat a hypocrite he is,â Katya said to Chavasse. âEach week he allows poor Colonel Li to win one game of chess, which puts him in such a good mood that he willingly gives me anything I ask for.â
âColonel Li is one of the finest chess players Iâve ever known,â Hoffner said. âHe needs no assistance from me when it comes to winning. But I must say heâs very good to us.â
They went and sat by the fire, and Katya made coffee over a small spirit lamp. She looked very attractive with the firelight gleaming in her fair hair, and Chavasse suddenly felt relaxed and completely at ease.
He lit one of his Russian cigarettes and as heblew out a long plume of smoke, Katya wrinkled her nose and sighed. âThat smell. Thereâs nothing quite like it. It reminds me of home more vividly than anything else ever could.â
âWould you care for one?â
She shook her head. âIâd better not. What would I do when youâve gone?â She poured coffee into delicate porcelain cups and handed him one. âHow is Moscow these days?â
He shrugged. âThereâs a lot of new building going on in the suburbs, but otherwise just the same. To tell you the truth, I see very little of the old town. I spend most of my time abroad.â
âA foreign correspondentâs life must be veryinteresting,â he said. âAlways new places, new faces.â
âIt has its moments. Unfortunately, I never seem to stay anywhere long enough to really get to know the place.â
âWhat brought you to Tibet exactly?â
He shrugged. âThereâs a lot of interest in Russia about whatâs going on here. Besides, a good newspaperman goes where thereâs news and the prospect of a worthwhile story.â
âAnd have you found one?â
âMy experience of yesterday will do for a start,â he said. âBut Iâm really hoping to get something out of the doctor here.â
Hoffner, who had been listening to their conversation as he lit his pipe, raised his eyebrows. âIâm surprised anyone is still interested in me.â
âYouâre too modest,â Katya said, and turned to Chavasse. âSeventy-four and he still supervises his clinic every day. Did they tell you that in Lhasa? Heâs given his whole life to this country, and he could have had a professorâs chair in my university in Europe at any time he wanted.â
âCome now, my dear,â Hoffner said. âYou mustnât try to make me into some sort of plaster saint. Iâm anything but that.â
âBut thatâs the way some people see you,â Chavasse said. âAs a great missionary.â
Hoffner sighed. âIâm afraid I gave up that side of my activities years ago.â
âMay I
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