"You remember them, de Courcey and Molokov, from Chess, I'm sure," Joan says in that tactful way wives have of giving information to their husbands who are lost and won't ask for directions. "They're both sadistic bastards. If they have Anatoly, they'll want him to suffer, and the women in his life, his loved ones, have always been his weakness."

She pauses, her hand on Arthur's arm and gaze clear. Anatoly is dear, yes, but Arthur is her husband; there's no conflict here. "If I go in, let them think they've captured me unaware, there's every chance I can get Toly and anyone else they've taken out alive. And, you can work from the outside, in case I can't."