The Atlantis revelation

19

Midas finally emerged from his bluestone kabbalah tank after six hours. He found Natalia in the bedroom, propped up on a pillow naked and playing with her BlackBerry. Natalia was his London mistress whenever Mercedes wasn't around, which at this point was for good.

"We have the private dining room at Roka reserved at nine o'clock," Natalia said. "I've got six friends coming. Two artists, three actors, and a fashion designer."

"We're not going anywhere tonight," Midas said flatly, and climbed into the bed.

She put the BlackBerry on the night table, revealing her full inviting breasts to him. "I'm still going to Paris, yes? I can't miss Mercedes's funeral. Every fashion icon in Europe will be there, and so will the press."

"I'm not taking you to Paris for the funeral of my official girlfriend," Midas said. "How would that look? Her father and family will be there. You can frolic with your friends another time."

Natalia seemed on the verge of pouting but thought better of it. "How long before we can go out together, just the two of us?" There was a slight demand in her voice.

"A week," he said, and she brightened considerably and kissed him voraciously. He felt himself respond in spite of his tiredness but still found himself distracted. "Tell me, have you news from any of your friends?"

Her friends were other Russian "it" girls prancing around the planet with billionaires and politicians of almost every nationality. Natalia, at twenty-six, had become a more formidable spymaster than his old superiors at the KGB.

She picked up her BlackBerry and said, "Little Nichole has a new friend in Gstaad."

An alarm rang in Midas's head, but he didn't know why. "Who's in Gstaad again?"

"Abdil Zawas. I think Nichole and the girls are stir-crazy. Like you, he doesn't get out often enough."

He ignored the displeasure in her voice. "That happens when you're on the international global terrorist watch list, like Abdil," he said. "Who is Nichole's new friend?"

"Some guy named Ludwig," she said, and showed him a picture that Nichole had sent her.

Midas sat up, grabbed the phone, and stared at the picture. He then used the phone to call Vadim, who sounded groggy when he picked up.

"I need you to get to Switzerland," Midas told him. "I've found Yeats."