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coffee to get them off their damned tea； and this new Seattle pany might just pull it off； assuming they could train people to brew it up right。 He looked up when the door opened。
〃Morning； Jack。〃
〃Hey； Simon。 How's Sir Basil this morning？〃
〃He's feeling very clever indeed with this Operation BEATRIX。 It's under way； in a manner of speaking。〃
〃Can you fill me in on what's happening？〃
Simon Harding thought for a moment； then explained briefly。
〃Is somebody out of his fucking mind？〃 Ryan demanded at the conclusion of the minibrief。
〃Jack； yes； it is creative；〃 Harding agreed。 〃But there should be little in the way of operational difficulties。〃
〃Unless I barf；〃 Jack responded darkly。
〃So take a plastic bag；〃 Harding suggested。 〃Take one from the airplane with you。〃
〃Funny； Simon。〃 Ryan paused。 〃What is this； some sort of initiation ceremony for me？〃
〃No； we don't do that sort of thing。 The operational concept es from your people； and the request for cooperation es from Judge Moore himself。〃
〃Fuck！〃 Jack observed。 〃And they dump me in the shitter； eh？〃
〃Jack； the objective here is not merely to get the Rabbit out； but to do so in such a way as to make Ivan believe he's dead； not defected； along with his wife and daughter。〃
Actually； the part that bothered Ryan was the corpses。 What could be more distasteful than that？ And he doesn't even know the nasty part yet； Simon Harding thought； glad that he'd edited that part out。
Zaitzev walked into the administrative office on The Centre's second floor。 He showed his ID to the girl and waited a few minutes before going into the supervisor's office。
〃Yes？〃 the bureaucrat said； only half looking up。
〃I wish to take my vacation days。 I want to take my wife to Budapest。 There's a conductor there she wants to hear…and I wish to travel there by train instead of by air。〃
〃When？〃
〃In the next few days。 As soon as possible； in fact。〃
〃I see。〃 The KGB's travel office did many things； most of them totally mundane。 The travel agent…what else could Zaitzev call him？…still didn't look up。 〃I must check the availability of space on the train。〃
〃I want to travel International Class； partments； beds for three…I have a child； you see。〃
〃That may not be easy；〃 the bureaucrat noted。
〃rade； if there are any difficulties； please contact Colonel Rozhdestvenskiy；〃 he said mildly。
That name caused him to look up； Zaitzev saw。 The only question was whether or not he'd make the call。 The average desk…sitter did not go out of his way to bee known to a senior official； and； like most people in The Centre； he had a healthy fear of those on the top floor。 On the one hand； he might want to see if someone were taking the colonel's name in vain。 On the other hand； calling his attention to that senior officer as an officious little worm in Administration would do him little good。 He looked at Zaitzev； wondering if he had authorization to invoke Rozhdestvenskiy's name and authority。
〃I will see what I can do； rade Captain；〃 he promised。
〃When can I call you？〃
〃Later today。〃
〃Thank you； rade。〃 Zaitzev walked out and down the corridor to the elevators。 So that was done； thanks to his temporary patron on the top floor。 To make sure everything was all right； he had his blue striped tie folded and in his coat pocket。 Back at his desk； he went back to memorizing the content of his routine message traffic。 A pity； he thought； that he could not copy out of the one…time…pad books； but that was not practical； and memorizing them was a sheer impossibility even for his trained memory。
Underway was the single word on the message from Langley； Foley saw。 So they were going forward。 That was good。 Headquarters was hot to trot on BEATRIX； and that was probably because the Rabbit had warned them about general munications security； the one thing sure to cause a general panic on the Seventh Floor at headquarters。 But could it possibly be true？ No。 Mike Russell didn't think so； and； as he'd already observed； were it true； some of his agents would have been swept up like confetti after a parade； and that hadn't happened。。。 unless KGB was really being clever and had doubled his agents； operating them under Soviet control； and he'd be able to determine that； wouldn't he？ Well； probably； Foley judged。 Certainly they could not all be double agents。 Some things were just impossible to hide； unless KGB's Second Chief Directorate had the cleverest operation in the history of espionage； and while that was theoretically possible； it was the tallest of tall orders； and something that they'd probably avoid since the quality of some information going out would have to be good…too good to let go voluntarily。。。
But he couldn't entirely discount that possibility。 For sure； NSA would be taking steps right now to examine their KH…7 and other cipher machines； but Fort Meade had a very active Red Team whose only job was to crack their own systems； and while Russian mathematicians were pretty smart…always had been…they weren't aliens from another planet。。。 unless they had an agent of their own deep inside Fort Meade； and that was a worry that everyone had。 How much would KGB pay for that sort of information？ Millions； perhaps。 They didn't have all that much cash to pay their people and； in addition to being niggardly； KGB was singularly disloyal to its people； regarding them all as expendable assets。 Oh； sure； they got Kim Philby out and safely ensconced in Moscow。 The Western spy agencies knew where he lived and had even photographed the turncoat bastard。 They even knew how much he drank…a lot； even by Russian standards。 But when the Russians lost an agent to arrest； did they ever try to bargain for him； do a trade？ No； not since CIA had bargained for Francis Gary Powers； the unlucky U…2 pilot whom they'd shot down in 1961 and then traded for Rudolf Abel； but Abel had been one of their own officers； a colonel and a pretty good one； operating in New York。 That had to be a deterrent to any American national in the spook business who had illusions of getting rich off Mother Russia's bank account。 And traitors did hard time in the federal prison system； which had to be one hell of a deterrent。
But traitors were real； however misguided they were。 At least the age of the ideological spy was largely ended。 Those had been the most productive and the most dedicated； back when people really had believed that munism was the leading wave of human evolution； but even Russians no longer believed in Marxism…Leninism； except for Suslov…who was just about dead…and his successor…to…be； Alexandrov。 So； no； KGB agents in the West were almost entirely mercenary bastards。 Not the freedom fighters Ed Foley ran on the streets of Moscow； the COS told himself。 That was an illusion all CIA officers held dearly； even his wife。
And the Rabbit？ He was mad about something。 A murder； he said； a proposed killing。 Something that offended the sense of an honorable and decent man。 So； yes； the Rabbit was honorable in his motivations； and therefore worthy of CIA's attention and solicitude。
Jesus； Ed Foley thought； the illusions you have to have to carry on this stupid fucking business。 You had to be psychiatrist； loving mother； stern father； close friend； and father confessor to the idealistic； confused； angry； or just plain greedy individuals who chose to betray their country。 Some of them drank too much； some of them were so enraged that they endangered themselves by taking grotesque risks。 Some were just plain mad； demented； clinically disturbed。 Some became sexual deviants…hell； some started off that way and just got worse。 But Ed Foley had to be their social worker； which was such an odd job description for someone who thought of himself as a warrior against the Big Ugly Bear。 Well； he told himself； one thing at a time。 He'd knowingly chosen a profession with barely adequate pay； virtually no credit ever to be awarded； and no recognition for the dangers； physical and psychological； that attended it； serving his country in a way that would never be appreciated by the millions of citizens he helped to protect； despised by the news media…whom he in turn despised…and never be