Summary

The novel begins with Ruth in 1952. Ruth tells the story of how her twin sister, Iris, saved her life when they were both children. Ruth was very sick and Iris was the one who noticed. She prompted the nanny to call their mother, but their mother was angry about being called for what she believed to be a stomachache. Iris knew her twin sister, and as such did not settle for that answer. She called an ambulance, and Ruth was taken to have her appendix out.

Currently, Ruth is on a United States military plane with a doctor and some nurses. They are on a trip to rescue injured American citizen, C. Sumner Fox. Where they are going is classified information. She thinks that perhaps this moment is the reason why Iris saved her all those years ago.

Part 1 begins with Lyudmila...