ye v sky ' s ▁novel ; ▁in ▁The ▁Poss essed , ▁Kir il lov ▁is ▁a ▁suic idal ▁Russian ▁engineer ▁who ▁has ▁been ▁driven ▁to ▁n ih il ism ▁and ▁ins an ity ▁by ▁the ▁failure ▁of ▁his ▁philosoph ical ▁quest . ▁True ▁to ▁his ▁literary ▁names ake , ▁God ard ' s ▁Kir il ov ▁also ▁desc ends ▁into ▁mad ness ▁and ▁ultimately ▁commits ▁suic ide . ▁ ▁Event ually , ▁V ér on ique ' s ▁once ▁tender ▁feelings ▁toward ▁Guillaume ▁s our , ▁and ▁she ▁uses ▁a ▁declaration ▁of ▁" un lo ve " ▁to ▁teach ▁him ▁( and ▁the ▁audience ) ▁the ▁Ma o ist ▁less on ▁of ▁" stru gg le ▁on ▁two ▁front s ". ▁V ér on ique ▁then ▁leaves ▁the ▁a partment ▁alone ▁and ▁sets ▁off ▁for ▁what ▁will ▁prove ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁bot ched ▁attempt ▁to ▁kill ▁the ▁Minister ▁of ▁Culture ▁of ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁during ▁his ▁official ▁diplom atic ▁visit ▁to ▁France . ▁ ▁On ▁the ▁train ▁ride ▁en ▁route ▁to ▁the ▁planned ▁assass ination , ▁V ér on ique ▁is ▁engaged ▁in ▁a ▁discussion ▁with ▁the ▁political ▁phil os opher , ▁Francis ▁Je anson ▁( Je anson ▁was ▁actually ▁Anne ▁W ia zem sky ' s ▁philosophy ▁professor ▁at ▁the ▁Paris ▁X ▁University ▁N anter re ▁during ▁ 1 9 6 6 – 6 7 ; ▁a ▁few ▁years ▁earlier , ▁he ▁had ▁once ▁been ▁a ▁commun ist ▁and ▁the ▁head ▁of ▁a ▁network ▁which ▁supported ▁the ▁Al ger ian ▁national