"Step into my little apartment," he said.
They entered, to find themselves in a large oblong room furnished in Slavic luxury.
s they crossed a rich Oriental rug spread over the threshold, a musical gong sounded somewhere, and almost instantly two enormous Cossacks sprang into view, to bar their way with rifles.
"My bodyguard," apologized Krassnov, shutting the door. "They are quite harmless, except to intruders. Just one of the little precautions that make life safer."
He spoke to the men in Russian and they withdrew.
Then he advanced to a divan beside a teakwood table on which stood a large copper samovar. Dropping down, he motioned for them to take seats beside him.
"You will have tea, my friends? Or perhaps you would prefer whiskey and soda?"
They chose the latter, since their recent exertions seemed to have warranted it, and their host tinkled a silver bell, bringing a Chinese boy beaming and salaaming.