pointed at scientific symbols running along the top line of the chart. 'Now, if we start here--'
'Forget this stuff,' snapped Park. 'Tell me as if I'm a child. I will have to explain this to our enemies in simple terms. You must inform me in the same words.'
His hand shaking, Li turned off the laser and put it on a tray under the chart. 'We have just passed through the area where we are keeping eggs which carry the smallpox virus,' he began hesitantly. 'As you know, the Americans, British and others have mass-stocked a smallpox vaccine. Once infected, a patient takes two or three days to contract the disease, and several weeks to die. Within that time, the patient can be vaccinated and make a full recovery.'
Park began pulling out a chair. Li broke off to help him. He brushed his hand sycophantically across the seat as if to clean it before Park sat down, then took a seat himself on the other side of the table. 'From Australia we procured mice which had been vaccinated with an agent called interleukin-4 or IL-4. Originally, IL-4 had been part of an experiment to sterilize mice. Of course, it was impossible to vaccinate every mouse. So the idea had been to spread IL-4 through the mouse population on a relatively harmless virus known as mousepox. But IL-4 was far more active than had been anticipated--'
Park slammed his hand down on the table. 'I don't need every detail,' he threatened. 'What I want to know is, does it work?'
Li glanced straight at Park, but didn't hold his gaze. To do so would have been insubordinate.
'We did try using IL-4 with mousepox on humans. But it had no impact. From the agent, we designed another sterilizing substance which is specific to the human ovaries. But again, it did not work on humans when we used mousepox.'
'That is when you asked me to procure smallpox from Pokrov?' said Park, staring directly at the virologist.
'Correct,' answered Li, softly. He lowered his head. 'I believe our redesigned IL-4 and smallpox will have the same impact on humans as IL-4 and mousepox did on mice. Once contracted, death will take place within a matter of hours.'
Park put both hands evenly on the table. 'You haven't tested?'
Li shook his head. 'I am waiting for your instructions.'
Park stood up. 'Very well. Show me.'
Li pulled up the chart and drew back a curtain behind, revealing a panel of thick glass. He turned on a lamp on the other side, lighting up raw mountain rock, with water dripping in dark rivulets from the roof. Below were six metal cages. Inside each one was a woman, her hands tied and hauled up by a chain locked on to a ring embedded in the wall. Because of the uneven surface of the floor, the women lay mostly in puddles, their damp clothes clinging to their skeletal bodies. Two of them reacted to the light, looking up towards it, then looking away. They looked healthier than the other four, who hung limply, apparently unaware that anything had changed at all.
Park turned round angrily. 'Where are they from?' he snapped.
'Khechen,' muttered Li, referring to North Korea's most notorious women's labour camp.
'How dare you?' Park whispered, tapping the glass. 'In there? Is it contaminated?'
'No, General. Except for any diseases they themselves are carrying,' answered Li, taken aback.
'Then let me inside.'
'But, General--'
'Let me inside, damn you,' shouted Park. Li picked up a telephone and called through to the guards. To the left of the glass a door slid open. Park stormed through. He was immediately hit by the cold, dank airlessness. Two guards saluted him. He returned the salute. 'Unlock this door,' he ordered, pointing to the cage furthest to the left.
Park stalked in and knelt down next to the woman. 'Free her hands,' he instructed. The guard undid the padlock which chained her to the wall. The woman dropped to the floor, but strangely, her arms stayed outstretched just as when they were bound. They had been forced into that position for so long. Park held her head in his
'Forget this stuff,' snapped Park. 'Tell me as if I'm a child. I will have to explain this to our enemies in simple terms. You must inform me in the same words.'
His hand shaking, Li turned off the laser and put it on a tray under the chart. 'We have just passed through the area where we are keeping eggs which carry the smallpox virus,' he began hesitantly. 'As you know, the Americans, British and others have mass-stocked a smallpox vaccine. Once infected, a patient takes two or three days to contract the disease, and several weeks to die. Within that time, the patient can be vaccinated and make a full recovery.'
Park began pulling out a chair. Li broke off to help him. He brushed his hand sycophantically across the seat as if to clean it before Park sat down, then took a seat himself on the other side of the table. 'From Australia we procured mice which had been vaccinated with an agent called interleukin-4 or IL-4. Originally, IL-4 had been part of an experiment to sterilize mice. Of course, it was impossible to vaccinate every mouse. So the idea had been to spread IL-4 through the mouse population on a relatively harmless virus known as mousepox. But IL-4 was far more active than had been anticipated--'
Park slammed his hand down on the table. 'I don't need every detail,' he threatened. 'What I want to know is, does it work?'
Li glanced straight at Park, but didn't hold his gaze. To do so would have been insubordinate.
'We did try using IL-4 with mousepox on humans. But it had no impact. From the agent, we designed another sterilizing substance which is specific to the human ovaries. But again, it did not work on humans when we used mousepox.'
'That is when you asked me to procure smallpox from Pokrov?' said Park, staring directly at the virologist.
'Correct,' answered Li, softly. He lowered his head. 'I believe our redesigned IL-4 and smallpox will have the same impact on humans as IL-4 and mousepox did on mice. Once contracted, death will take place within a matter of hours.'
Park put both hands evenly on the table. 'You haven't tested?'
Li shook his head. 'I am waiting for your instructions.'
Park stood up. 'Very well. Show me.'
Li pulled up the chart and drew back a curtain behind, revealing a panel of thick glass. He turned on a lamp on the other side, lighting up raw mountain rock, with water dripping in dark rivulets from the roof. Below were six metal cages. Inside each one was a woman, her hands tied and hauled up by a chain locked on to a ring embedded in the wall. Because of the uneven surface of the floor, the women lay mostly in puddles, their damp clothes clinging to their skeletal bodies. Two of them reacted to the light, looking up towards it, then looking away. They looked healthier than the other four, who hung limply, apparently unaware that anything had changed at all.
Park turned round angrily. 'Where are they from?' he snapped.
'Khechen,' muttered Li, referring to North Korea's most notorious women's labour camp.
'How dare you?' Park whispered, tapping the glass. 'In there? Is it contaminated?'
'No, General. Except for any diseases they themselves are carrying,' answered Li, taken aback.
'Then let me inside.'
'But, General--'
'Let me inside, damn you,' shouted Park. Li picked up a telephone and called through to the guards. To the left of the glass a door slid open. Park stormed through. He was immediately hit by the cold, dank airlessness. Two guards saluted him. He returned the salute. 'Unlock this door,' he ordered, pointing to the cage furthest to the left.
Park stalked in and knelt down next to the woman. 'Free her hands,' he instructed. The guard undid the padlock which chained her to the wall. The woman dropped to the floor, but strangely, her arms stayed outstretched just as when they were bound. They had been forced into that position for so long. Park held her head in his
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