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Following the Rabbit family？
〃Uh； Jack？〃
〃Yeah； Andy？〃
〃That's our bloody Rabbit； Mrs。 Rabbit； and the little Bunny。〃
Ryan turned to look； and was startled to see the three people from the photos walking right toward him。 〃What the hell。。。？〃
〃Must be going shopping on the next block。 It's a tourist area…shops and everything。 Bloody strange coincidence；〃 Hudson observed； wondering what the hell this might mean。
〃Follow them？〃 Jack asked。
〃Why not？〃 Hudson asked rhetorically。 He lit a smoke of his own…he liked small cigars…and waited for his panion to ignite a cigarette as the Rabbits passed。 They waited for Trent to pass by before heading that way as well。
〃Does this mean anything？〃 Ryan asked。
〃I do not know；〃 Hudson answered。 But while he wasn't visibly uneasy； the tone of his voice carried a message of its own。 They followed anyway。
Things were clear almost immediately。 Within minutes； it was apparent that the Rabbits were shopping； with Mrs。 Rabbit taking the lead； as all mama rabbits usually do。
Vaci Street was seemingly an old one； though the buildings must have been restored after World War II； Ryan thought。 This city had been fought for； and viciously so； in early 1945。 Ryan looked in the shop windows and saw the usual variety of goods； though of poorer quality； and lesser quantities than one saw in America or London。 Certainly they were impressive to the Rabbit family； whose matriarch gestured with enthusiasm at every window she passed。
〃Woman thinks she's on Bond Street；〃 Hudson observed。
〃Not quite。〃 Jack chuckled back。 He'd already dropped a fair bit of his personal exchequer there。 Bond Street was perhaps the finest shopping street in all the world； if you could afford to walk the sidewalk there。 But what was Moscow like； and how did this shopping area look to a Russian？
All women； it seemed to Jack； were alike in one respect。 They liked window shopping； until the strain of not buying things drove them over the edge。 In Mrs。 Rabbit's case； it lasted about 0。4 blocks before she walked into a clothing store； dragging little Bunny with her； while Mr。 Rabbit went in last； with visible reluctance。
〃This is going to be a while；〃 Ryan predicted。 〃Been there； done that； got the T…shirt。〃
〃What's that； Jack？〃
〃You married； Andy？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Kids？〃
〃Two boys。〃
〃You're lucky。 Girls require more expensive upkeep； buddy。〃 They walked forward to eyeball the store in question。 Women's and girls' stuff。 Yeah； Jack thought； they'll be a while。
〃Well； good； we know what they look like。 Time for us to be off； Sir John。〃 Hudson waved up and down Vaci Utca as though describing it to a new visitor to Budapest； and then led his guest back to the embassy； his eyes sweeping like radar antennae。 He kept gesturing out of sync with his words。 〃So； we know what they look like。 I don't see any obvious coverage。 That is good。 If this were one of your sting operations； they would not have let the bait e so near to us like this…at least； I would not do it that way； and KGB is fairly predictable。〃
〃Think so？〃
〃Oh； yes。 Ivan is very good； but predictable； rather like they play football； or chess； I suppose： a very straightforward game with excellent execution； but little in the way of originality or flair。 Their activities are always circumscribed。 It's their culture。 They do not encourage people to stand out from the crowd； do they？〃
〃True； but their leaders often have。〃
〃That one died thirty years ago； Jack； and they do not want another one。〃
〃Concur。〃 No sense arguing the point。 The Soviet system did not encourage individualism of any sort。 〃Now where？〃
〃The concert hall； the hotel； points of interest。 We've had enough surprises for one morning； I think。〃
Little boys generally detest shopping； but that is not ordinarily true of little girls。 It was certainly not true of zaichik； who had never seen such a variety of brightly colored clothing； even in the special shops to which her parents had recently achieved access。 With her mother selecting and watching； Svetlana tried on a total of six coats； ranging from forest green to an incandescent red with a black velvet collar； and while she tried two after that one； the red one was the one they purchased； and which zaichik insisted on wearing right away。 The next stop was for Oleg Ivan'ch； who bought three videocassette recorders； all unlicensed Hungarian copies of Sony Betamax machines from Japan。 This shop； he learned； would deliver them to his hotel room…visiting Westerners shopped there…and this purchase took care of half of his office shopping list。 He decided to toss in some tapes also； the sort that he didn't want his daughter to see； but which would have gone over well with his friends at The Centre。 And so； Zaitzev parted with nearly two thousand econ rubles； for which he would have little use in the West anyway。
The shopping expedition continued nearly to lunch； by which time they were carrying more goods than it was fortable to lug about； and so they walked back to the ancient metro and headed back to their hotel to dump them off before doing something for their daughter。
Heroes square was a place built by the Hapsburgs to honor their royal （but not entirely willing） possession of Hungary at the end of the previous century； with statues of previous Hungarian kings； back to St。 Stephen…〃Istvan〃 in the Magyar language…whose crown Jimmy Carter had returned to the country just a few years before； the one with the bent cross on the top。
〃That happened； so they say；〃 Hudson explained； 〃when Stephen slammed his crown atop the other one。 Returning it was probably a clever move on Carter's part。 It's a symbol of their nationhood； you see。 The munist regime could not very well reject it； and in accepting it； they had to acknowledge that the history of the country long predates Marxism…Leninism。 I am not really a fan of Mr。 Carter； but that was； I think； a subtle move on his part。 The Hungarians mainly detest munism； Jack。 The nation is fairly religious。〃
〃There are a lot of churches；〃 Ryan observed。 He'd counted six or seven on the way to this park。
〃That's the other thing that gives them a sense of political identity。 The government doesn't like it； but it's too big and too dangerous a thing to destroy； and so there's rather an uneasy peace between the two。〃
〃If I had to bet； I'd put my money down on the church。〃
Hudson turned。 〃As would I； Sir John。〃
Ryan looked around。 〃Hell of a big square。〃 It looked like more than a square mile of pavement。
〃That goes back to 1956；〃 Hudson explained。 〃The Sovs wanted this to be large enough to bring in troop carriers。 You can land an AN…ten Cub right here； which makes it quicker to bring in airborne troops if the locals ever revolt again。 You could bring； oh； say ten or twelve Cubs； a hundred and fifty soldiers each； and they would defend the center of the city against the counterrevolutionaries and wait for the tanks ing in from the east。 It's not a brilliant plan； but that is how they think。〃
〃But what if you park two city buses here and shoot the tires out？〃
〃I didn't say it was perfect； Jack；〃 Hudson replied。 〃Even better； a few land mines。 Might as well kill a few of the bastards and start a nice little fire。 No way a pilot would be able to see them on his approach。 And transport pilots are the blindest and dumbest lot going。〃
And Ivan figures he'd insert his troops before things really got out of hand。 Yeah； it made sense； Ryan thought。
〃You know who the Soviet ambassador was in 'fifty…six？〃
〃No…wait a minute； I do。。。 wasn't it Andropov？〃
Hudson nodded。 〃Yuriy Vladimirovich himself。 It explains why he is so beloved of the locals。 A bloody great lot of people lost their lives in that adventure。〃
Ryan remembered being in grammar school then…too young to appreciate the plications： It was the fall of a presidential election year； and at the same time Britain and France had decided to invade Egypt to protect their rights with the Suez Canal。 Eisenhower had been hamstrung by two simultaneous crises； and had perforce been unable to do much of anything。 But America had gotten a good bunch of imm