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information you asked for.”
    Stanton Rogers pulled a paper from his pocket. “Mary Elizabeth Ashley, Twenty-seven Old Milford Road, Junction City, Kansas. Age, almost thirty-five, married to Dr. Edward Ashley—two children, Beth twelve and Tim ten. Chairwoman of the Junction City Chapter of the League of Women Voters. Assistant Professor, East European political science, Kansas State University. Grandfather born in Romania.” He looked up thoughtfully. “I must admit she sounds interesting.”
    “I think so too. I’d like to have a full security check run on her.”
    “I’ll see that it’s done.”

4
    “I disagree, Professor Ashley.” Barry Dylan, the brightest and youngest of the students in Mary Ashley’s political science seminar, looked around defiantly. “Alexandras Ionescu is worse than Ceau§escu ever was.”
    “Can you give us some facts to back up that statement?” Mary Ashley asked.
    There were twelve graduate students in the seminar being held in a classroom at Kansas State University’s Dykstra Hall. The students were seated in a semicircle facing Mary. The waiting lists to get into her classes were longer than any other professor’s at the university. She was a superb teacher, with an easy sense of humor and a warmth that made being around her a pleasure. She had an oval face that changed from interesting to beautiful, depending on her mood. She had the high cheekbones of a model and almond-shaped hazel eyes. Her hair was dark and thick. She had a figure that made her female students envious, and the males fantasize, yet she was unaware of how beautiful she was.
    Barry was wondering if she was happy with her husband. He reluctantly brought his attention back to the problem at hand.
    “Well, when Ionescu took over Romania, he cracked down on all the pro-Groza elements and reestablished a hard-line, pro-Soviet position. Even Ceau§escu wasn’t that bad.”
    Another student spoke up. “Then why is President Ellison so anxious to establish diplomatic relations with him?”
    “Because we want to woo him into the Western orbit.”
    “Remember,” Mary said, “Nicolae Ceau§escu also had a foot in both camps. What year did that start?”
    Barry again. “In 1963, when Romania took sides in the dispute between Russia and China to show its independence in international affairs.”
    “What about Romania’s current relationship with the other Warsaw Pact countries, and Russia in particular?” Mary asked.
    “I’d say it’s stronger now.”
    Another voice. “I don’t agree. Romania criticized Russia’s invasion of Afghanistan, and they criticized the Russians’ arrangement with the EEC. Also, Professor Ashley—”
    The bell sounded. The time was up.
    Mary said, “Monday we’ll talk about the basic factors that affect the Soviet attitude toward Eastern Europe, and we’ll discuss the possible consequences of President Ellison’s plan to penetrate the Eastern bloc. Have a good weekend.”
    Mary watched the students rise and head for the door.
    “You too, Professor.”
    Mary Ashley loved the give-and-take of the seminar. History and geography came alive in the heated discussions among the bright young graduate students. Foreign names and places became real, and historical events took on flesh and blood. This was her fifth year on the faculty of Kansas State University, and teaching still excited her. She taught five political science classes a year in addition to the graduate seminars, and each of them dealt with the Soviet Unionand its satellite countries. At times she felt like a fraud. I’ve never been to any of the countries I teach about, she thought. I’ve never even been outside the United States.
    Mary Ashley had been born in Junction City, as had her parents. The only member of her family who had known Europe was her grandfather, who had come from the small Romanian village of Voronet.
    Mary had planned a trip abroad when she received her master’s degree, but that summer she