MICROSOFT

Elizabeth was sitting in the large Seattle lounge, reflecting on how things had changed in America since the 1960s and early 1970s. Her now husband, Philip, he had always been a sucker for what Americans claimed about themselves, but she didn't see it. Back then she'd been a committed communist, loyal to The Party's direction for the people. A direction antithetical to the life she had been faking in Falls Church.

That's why she'd first come to Washington D.C. had come with a perfect stranger - a strategic partner, a fellow KGB Directorate S illegal. They were never meant to mate. She'd come as part of the Cold War, as an embedded illegal, an 'American' in sheep's clothing.

Those were the days, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants tradecraft with a man she hardly knew. Back then there had been little 'hardware' to support them, just a (now quaint) ham radio. There had been Leanne Connors, there had been Gregory Thomas - neither of whom had the luxury of growing old as Elizabeth had grown old, the years had not condemned them.

Both of them, too, were stubborn ideologs, supporters of The Party as Elizabeth had been. Neither Leanne nor Gregory, neither of them had ever asked anything in return for their work.

The work that had got them killed.

Now?

Late 1992, in Seattle, sitting there in a lounge which openly advertised itself as serving 'Lipstick Lesbians'. This was not 1965 on that score, this was not even 1987. As the tagline at the bottom of the sign, as well as the menus, it said, 'Open to all seekers, explorers, any woman wanting to explore solidarity with other women.'

Back between 1967 and 1972, both Elizabeth and Leanne had penetrated what had been then a secretive, underground lesbian network. A network of seedy bars and speakeasys where women of 'that persuasion' could get away from their closeted lives.

But no ordinary women.

Back then in the D.C. area, that's how Elizabeth and Leanne had penetrated America's space program. The white, male heterosexual elitism of the day had back then actually selected out women of all stripes. No less than Mercury astronaut Gordo Cooper, he had said, 'why send a woman into space, we've already sent monkeys.'

Some quite qualified women aviators were then shuttled off to NASA's periphery, where they'd worked by day as top level engineers at places like General Dynamics, Grumman, North American Rockwell - all of which maintained offices near D.C.

By night, those of alternate-sexuality, they gathered to gripe at secretive lesbian bars to gripe. They vented their bitterness about the sexual politics of the day in America - all that left them ripe for the picking for Soviet illegals.

In 1992? In Seattle?

It was different. Lesbians were not so closeted, especially in that other 'Washington', Washington State. Women in general now made up nearly 1/3 of engineering faculties as students across the country - more so in Seattle's universities and colleges. Female engineering faculty was also on the rise.

It was not openness which was the female-gripe in 1992, it was the pay-gap. It was the sexism of senior management in corporate America - still seeing women as second class (professionally!) and paying them accordingly.

This time it was not Gordo Cooper spouting sexism. One such middle manager Elizabeth was drinking with in 1992 (in that opulent, anything-but secret lounge) was more than willing to gripe. Especially after a few tequila sunrises.

"I went to Microsoft in 1987, straight from U-Dub," she said. "Top of the computing-software class. When they hired me in Redmond, though, I found out I was getting half of what the guys got. For the same work. You know what they said? 'Well, you don't have a family to support, besides, you'll just get pregnant and make maternity leave demands'."

Elizabeth, she could sympathize. On her own forced return to the old Soviet Union in early 1988, that country had not turned out to be the 'workers paradise' that she herself had fought for, for over 20 years. Still, for the five years she was in Moscow with Philip, she remained a loyal party member - the only glitch?

The USSR itself had gone out of business in December of last year, 1991. For Russia, Elizabeth's fears were realized in spades - her motherland was now totally open to the excesses of The West - she'd lived amid those corrupting influences for two decades, had raised two children in that cess-pool.

Those two children, now adults, were probably hopelessly American. That was Elizabeth's fault. As a committed party member, now with no party to attend, she felt she'd really let her now alienated children down.

'Okay, Elizabeth,' she said to herself, 'concentrate, concentrate. This Microsoft lady is on her 5th Sunrise. If she invites me back to her place, I'll have to go. But how likely is that? She's 15 years younger than me!' Yet it had to be the woman herself extending the invitation, that how honey-traps worked.

Which this one did. At their table, the two kissed - in an overt manner that even the lesbian speakeasy back in D.C. in the 60s would/could not have tolerated. This was now, obviously, 1992 and equally obviously 'Seattle'. It was not Kansas anymore! No one seemed to care.

Elizabeth Jennings was now inches from getting the skinny on Microsoft's war with the federal government. From a well-placed employee with an axe to grind.

SPIDEY SENSES

Elizabeth had already gone to the ladies room, so did not need to accompany her new companion when she went, as preparation for leaving. Besides, if this had been the 60's, Elizabeth and her mark could have easily got way-laid in one of the toilet stalls. Elizabeth reminded herself that she was no longer 20, let alone lithe enough to maneuver in a cramped space.

Now temporarily alone, the thing which made her well up in fear? Bordering on panic? 'Fear' and 'panic', feelings she'd seldom had during their first tour, many years ago. Now welling up on one of her first operations?

There she was, in the lounge over at the other wall, staring. Staring at the now visibly panicked Elizabeth.

Rene Beeman.

SEMYON ANDREYOVICH PETROV, FROM SERGACH

On seeing Rene? Elizabeth's first thought? 'I'm fifty, I'm stressed, and I've lost it!' It had concerned her greatly, that she had not had any one of her 'spidey' senses go off. She thought she'd been ready for reassignment. Seeing Rene, she resisted the urge to go get Philip, speed to SeaTac airport, and jet-off somewhere that was not the United States.

Rene: Your girlfriend, Elizabeth, she's not coming back to get you. I told her former partner that she was drunk and vomiting in the bathroom. Her partner will make sure she gets home.

Elizabeth: Jesus, she wasn't that drunk! - pause - Hello, Rene, it is so good to see you.

Rene: Well, that's crap, Elizabeth. I've been sitting there, wondering what you're doing here. In Seattle. In here. I didn't take you as playing for the home team, were you like this in Falls Church? You certainly hid it in the closet well. - silence - I've seen you. I've seen you and Philip. Jesus, Elizabeth, am I safe?

Elizabeth: Safe from what?

Rene: Safe from you! - pause - Will I make it home tonight?

Elizabeth: I don't know what you're talking about. - hearing no response, she added - Really.

Rene: Okay, no matter. - pause - You, you and Philip, you destroyed Stan you know.

Elizabeth: I don't know what you think it is I know, Rene. It's good to see you. - pause, looked around the lounge - A bit of a surprise to see you, too. In here.

Rene: Ha! You're funny, Elizabeth. I never knew that about you.

Elizabeth: Look, I have to go. But I need to know. Am I safe?

Rene: Wow, two witticisms in a row. From a Falls Church, presumably bisexual housewife, Elizabeth Jennings.

Elizabeth: - silence - You know nothing about me. Just who are you, Rene Beeman?

Rene: You said you had to go. - pause - Me, too. I get the feeling that I should just call the police. - pause - But I won't, and I bet you know why.

Elizabeth: Why is that, Rene?

Rene: Okay. It's not that we're working for the same team. The USSR is no more, so I know you're not with the KGB, not any more. The KGB, it's no more. But I'm positive you're not working with my people. They've had a reach into America, always have, just like your people. - silence - It's just that I don't kill people. - pause - Are you going to kill me, Mrs. Jennings?

Elizabeth: No! Where did you get that idea? Look, give me your number and we can reconnect. Maybe at Pike Place Market, you seem to like it there.

- silence -

Rene: Well, I know one thing. I'll give you my number. But my insurance? It's that I know what happened to Semyon Andreyovich Petrov. Your Gabriel.

Elizabeth: I don't know what you're talking about.

Rene: I think you do. If you want to know about him, you'll make sure I'm safe until we meet again. - pause - Deal?

SEATTLE CENTRAL PUBLIC LIBRARY

Philip: Hey, Elizabeth, there you are. Your note said you'd be here. Why the library? - looking at the stack of US phone books in front of her - Oh, okay. You're on your search. There are better ways, honey. Why don't we just ask The Centre?

Elizabeth: This isn't about The Centre. This is on our own time. Jesus, did you not learn anything from last time? Even Zotov, even he has his own agenda. - pointing to the telephone books - This, this is us.

Philip: - pointing over to the public desk, where a row of computers sat - Y'know, when the travel agency opens, we're going to have those things. I've hired agents, ready to hit the ground running. I'm not a techie, but they are…. they're all familiar with Lotus 1-2-3? Thank God I got to know Deirdre Kemp.

Elizabeth: - giggle - One of your more spectacular conquests, Philip! See? Putting up with 'Ms. Personality' was not a total waste!

Philip: That part of our tour this time will be minimal, I guarantee you, Elizabeth.

Elizabeth: I know! You're in your 'fifties, so I know!

Philip: Well, we won't be in Seattle for 25 years, that's for sure. - pause - Believe it or not, you have your lead into Microsoft. One of their divisions may become a customer of the Agency, once we're up and running. They're in a dispute with the American Feds, and the millionaires in Microsoft need to go back and forth a lot. Your girl in MicroSoft, she's already paying off for us.

Elizabeth: And you?

Philip: I just had coffee with an investment manager from New York. He's in town investigating an internet 'start-up', he wants to raid Microsoft employees. Wants to sell books on-line.

Elizabeth: Sounds 'American', Philip. That's why this guy appeals to you.

Philip: Don't sweat it. - pause, pointed again to the phone books - And….?

- silence -

Elizabeth: - sat back from the table, then sighed - Henry was easy, you just had to look for Stan's info. Stan's still in the Falls Church phone book. - silence - Rene, she's who I'm worried about. But Paige, Paige is hard.

Philip: What does Arkady Ivanovich say?

Elizabeth: He says it's a bad idea, what do you think he'd say?

Philip: - pause, then quietly - Did you look into Gabriel? Did you ask The Centre?

Elizabeth: No. - wiping back a tear - I want to hear from Rene first. I'm not sure I could take anything happening to him. - sobering and sitting up - Look, Philip, it was your idea that we come back to the States!

Philip: My idea! It was you and Zotov who dreamed this up! I came along because I didn't want to break up our team!

Elizabeth: You came because working at Aeroflot was getting to you! You came to meet real-Americans again, people like your New York investment manager!

Philip: I'm not going to argue. You keep with your phone books, I'll see you at home tonight.

Elizabeth: - wry smile - … unless you run into Deidre Kemp, that is!

Philip: Oh Jesus, Elizabeth, I hope I never get that desperate again! - pause - I'm now meeting with a staffer in Paul Allen's office. I know, I know, I know, Zotov wanted us to establish ourselves before something like Allen, but I couldn't pass this one over.

Elizabeth: Good luck to you. - pause - Maybe I will go over to the computer desk, I'm getting nowhere here. Maybe even get a librarian to show me how to use them…