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〃Think they lost any sleep over that incident？ I do not；〃 C assured him。
〃Looks bad。 They don't do much of this anymore； not that I've heard about。〃
〃Only at home； I grant you that。 But Poland is 'home' for them； well within their sphere of influence。〃
〃But the Pope lives in Rome； and that isn't。 It es down to how scared they are； sir。 Father Tim Riley at Georgetown； back when I got my doctorate； he said never to forget that wars are begun by frightened men。 They fear war； but more than that； they fear what will happen if they don't start one…or take equivalent action； I suppose。 So； the real questions are； as I said； how seriously they will take the threat and how serious it will appear to them。 On the former； yes； I don't think this is a bluff。 The Pope's character； background； and personal courage…those are not things to be doubted。 So the threat is a real one。 The larger question is how to evaluate the magnitude of the threat to them。。。〃
〃Go on；〃 the Director General ordered gently。
〃If they're smart enough to recognize it…yes； sir； in their position； I'd be concerned about it。。。 maybe even a little frightened。 As much as the Soviets think they're a superpower…America's equal and all that…deep down they know that their state is not really legitimate。 Kissinger gave a lecture to us at Georgetown。。。 〃Jack leaned back and closed his eyes for a moment to recapture the performance。 〃It was something he said near the end； talking about the character of the Russian leaders。 Brezhnev was showing him around some official building or other in the Kremlin； where Nixon was going to e for his last summit meeting。 He was lifting cloth covers off the statuary； showing how they'd taken the time to clean everything up in preparation for the visit。 Why do that； I wondered at the time。 I mean； sure； they have maids and maintenance people。 Why make a point of showing it to Henry？ It has to be a sense of inferiority； fundamental insecurity。 We keep hearing that they're ten feet tall； but I don't think so； and the more I learn about them； the less formidable I think they are。 The Admiral and I have argued this one back and forth for the last couple of months。 They have a large military。 Their intelligence services are first…rate。 They are big。 Big ugly bear； like Muhammad Ali used to say； but you know； Ali beat the bear twice； didn't he？
〃That's a roundabout way of saying that； yes； sir； I think this letter will scare them。 Question is； scare them enough to do something？〃 Ryan shook his head。 〃Possibly yes； but we have insufficient data at this time。 If they decide to push that particular button； will we know beforehand？〃
Charleston had been waiting for Ryan to turn the tables on him。 〃One can hope so； but it's impossible to be sure。〃
〃In the year I've been at Langley； the impression I get is that our knowledge of the target is deep but narrow in some areas； shallow and broad in others。 I've yet to meet somebody who feels fortable analyzing them…well； that's not exactly true。 Some are fortable； but their analyses are often…to me at least…unreliable。 Like the stuff we get on their economy…〃
〃James lets you into that？〃 Basil was surprised。
〃The Admiral sent me all around the barn the first couple of months。 My first degree was economics from Boston College。 I passed my CPA exam before I went away with the Marine Corps…certified public accountant。 You call it something different over here。 Then； after I left the Corps； I did okay in the stock…and…bond business before I finished up my doctorate and went into teaching。〃
〃Exactly how much did you make on Wall Street？〃
〃While I was at Merrill Lynch？ Oh； between six and seven million。 A lot of that was the Chicago and North Western Railroad。 My uncle Mario…my mom's brother…told me that the employees were going to buy out the stock and try to get the railroad profitable again。 I took a look at it and liked what I saw。 It paid off a net of twenty…three to one on my investment。 I ought to have dropped more into it； but they taught me to be conservative at Merrill Lynch。 Never worked in New York； by the way。 I was in the Baltimore office。 Anyway； the money's still in stocks； and the market looks pretty healthy at the moment。 I still dabble in it。 You never know when you're going to stumble across a winner； and it's still an interesting hobby。〃
〃Indeed。 If you see anything promising； do let me know。〃
〃No fees…but no guarantees； either；〃 Ryan joked。
〃I'm not accustomed to those； Jack； not in this bloody business。 I'm going to assign you to our Russian working group with Simon Harding。 Oxford graduate； doctorate in Russian literature。 You'll see just about everything he sees…everything but source information…〃 Ryan stopped him with two raised hands。
〃Sir Basil； I do not want to know that stuff。 I don't need it； and knowing it would keep me awake at night。 Just so I see the raw。 I prefer to do my own analysis。 This Harding guy is smart？〃 Ryan asked with deliberate artlessness。
〃Very much so。 You've probably seen his product before。 He did the personal evaluation on Yuriy Andropov we turned out two years ago。〃
〃I did read that。 Yeah； that was good work。 I figured he was a pshrink。〃
〃He's read psychology； but not quite enough for a degree。 Simon's a clever lad。 Wife is an artist； painter； lovely lady。〃
〃Right now？〃
〃Why not？ I must get back to my work。 e； I'll walk you down。〃
It wasn't far。 Ryan immediately learned that he'd be sharing an office right here on the top floor。 This came as a surprise。 Getting to the Seventh Floor at Langley took years； and often meant climbing over bloody bodies。 Somebody； Jack speculated； must have thought he was smart。
Simon Harding's office was not overly impressive。 The two windows overlooked the upriver side of the building； mainly two… and three…story brick structures of indeterminate occupancy。 Harding himself was crowding forty； pale and fair…haired with china…blue eyes。 He wore an unbuttoned vest…waistcoat locally…and a drab tie。 His desk was covered with folders trimmed in striped tape； the universal coding for secret material。
〃You must be Sir John；〃 Harding said； setting down his briar pipe。
〃The name's Jack；〃 Ryan corrected him。 〃I'm really not allowed to pretend I'm a knight。 Besides； I don't own a horse or a steel shirt。 〃 Jack shook hands with his workmate。 Harding had small； bony hands； but those blue eyes looked smart。
〃Take good care of him； Simon。〃 Sir Basil immediately took his leave。
There was already a swivel chair in place at a suspiciously clean desk。 Jack tried it out。 The room was going to be a little crowded； but not too badly so。 His desk phone had a scrambler under it for making secure calls； Ryan wondered if it worked as well as the STU he'd had at Langley。 GCHQ out at Cheltenham worked closely with NSA； and maybe it was the same innards with a different plastic case。 He'd have to keep reminding himself that he was in a foreign country。 That ought not to be too hard； Ryan hoped。 People did talk funny here： grahss； rahsberry and cahstle； for example； though the effect of American movies and global television was perverting the English language to the American version slowly but surely。
〃Did Bas talk to you about the Pope？〃 Simon asked。
〃Yeah。 That letter could be a bombshell。 He's wondering how Ivan's going to react to it。〃
〃We all are； Jack。 You have any ideas？〃
〃I just told your boss； if Stalin was sitting there； he might want to shorten the Pope's life； but that would be a hell of a big gamble。〃
〃The problem； I think； is that although they are rather collegial in their decision…making； Andropov is in the ascendancy； and he might be less reticent than the rest of them。〃
Jack settled back in to his chair。 〃You know； my wife's friends at Hopkins flew over there a couple of years ago。 Mikhail Suslov had diabetic retinopathy of the eyes…he was also a high myope； very nearsighted…and they went over to fix it； and to teach some Russian docs how to do the procedure。 Cathy was just a resident then。 But Bernie Katz was on the fly team。 He's the director at Wilmer。 Super eye surgeon； hell of a good guy。 The Agency interviewed him and t