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〃So I've heard。〃
Next in Ryan's pile were the morning briefing papers。 They were labeled SECRET； which meant that the contents might not be in the newspapers for a day or two。 It was interesting even so； because this document occasionally gave sources； and that sometimes told you if the information was good or not。 Remarkably； not all the data received by the intelligence services was very reliable。 A lot of it could be classified as gossip； because even important people inside the world's government loops indulged in it。 They were jealous and backbiting sons…of… bitches； like anyone else。 Especially in Washington。 Perhaps even more so in Moscow？ He asked Harding。
〃Oh； yes； very much so。 Their society depends so much on status； and the backstabbing can be…well； Jack； you could say that it's their national sport。 I mean； we have it here as well； of course； but over there it can be remarkably vicious。 Rather like it must have been in a medieval court； I imagine…people jockeying for position every bloody day。 The infighting inside their major bureaucracies must be horrific。〃
〃And how does that affect this sort of information？〃
〃I often think I should have read psychology at Oxford。 We have a number of psychiatrists on staff here…as I'm sure you do at Langley。〃
〃Oh； yeah。 I know a few of the pshrinks。 Mainly in my directorate； but some in S and T； too。 We're not as good at that as we ought to be。〃
〃How so； Jack？〃
Ryan stretched in his chair。 〃A couple of months ago； I was talking to one of Cathy's pals at Hopkins； his name's Solomon； neuropsychiatrist。 You'd have to understand Sol。 He's real smart…department chairman and all that。 He doesn't believe much in putting his patients on the couch and talking to them。 He thinks most mental illness es from chemical imbalances in the brain。 They nearly chopped him out of the profession for that but； twenty years later； they all realized that he was right。 Anyway； Sol told me that most politicians are like movie stars。 They surround themselves with sycophants and yes…men and people to whisper nice shit into their ears…and a lot of them start believing it； because they want to believe it。 It's all a great big game to them； but a game where everything is process and damned little of it is product。 They're not like real people。 They don't do any real work； but they appear to。 There's a line in Advise and Consent： Washington is a town where you deal with people not as they are； but as they are reputed to be。 If that's true in Washington； then how much more must it be in Moscow？ There； everything is politics。 It's all symbols； right？ So the infighting and backstabbing must really be wild there。 I figure that has to affect us in two ways。 First； it means that a lot of the data we get is skewed； because the sources of the data either don't know reality even when it jumps up and bites them on the ass； or they twist the data for their own ends as they process it and pass it on…whether consciously or unconsciously。 Second； it means that even the people on the other side who need the data don't know good from bad； so even if we can figure it out； we can't predict what it means because they can't decide for themselves what the hell to do with it…even if they know what the hell it is in the first place。 We here have to analyze faulty information that will probably be incorrectly implemented by the people to whom it's supposed to go。 So； how the hell do we predict what they will do when they themselves don't know the right thing to do？〃
That was worth a grin around the pipe stem。 〃Very good； Jack。 You're starting to catch on。 Very little they do makes any bloody sense； objectively speaking。 However； it isn't all that hard to predict their behavior。 You decide for yourself what the intelligent action is； and then reverse it。 Works every time；〃 Harding laughed。
〃But the other thing Sol said that worries me is that people like that who have power in their hands can be dangerous sons…of…bitches。 They don't know when to stop； and they don't know how to use their power intelligently。 I guess that's how Afghanistan got started。〃
〃Correct。〃 Simon nodded seriously。 〃They are captured by their own ideological illusions； and they can't see their way clear of it。 And the real problem is； they do control a bloody great lot of power。〃
〃I'm missing something in the equation；〃 Ryan said。
〃We all are； Jack。 That's part of the job。〃
It was time to change subjects： 〃Anything new on the Pope？〃
〃Nothing yet today。 If Basil has anything； I ought to hear about it before lunch。 Worried about that？〃
Jack nodded soberly。 〃Yeah。 The problem is； if we do see a real threat； what the hell can we do about it？ It's not like we can put a pany of Marines around him； is it？ Exposed as he is…I mean； he's in public so much that you can't protect him。〃
〃And people like him don't shrink from danger； do they？〃
〃I remember when Martin Luther King got whacked。 Hell； he knew…he must have known…there were guns out there with his name on them。 But he never backed away。 It just wasn't part of his ethos to run and hide。 Won't be any different in Rome； buddy； and every other place he goes。〃
〃Moving targets are supposed to be harder to hit；〃 Simon observed halfheartedly。
〃Not when you know where he's moving to a month or two in advance。 If KGB decides to put a hit on the guy； damn； I don't see much we can do about it。〃
〃Except perhaps to warn him。〃
〃Great。 So he can laugh about it。 He probably would； you know。 He's been through Nazis and munists for the past forty years。 What the hell is left to scare the guy with？〃 Ryan paused。 〃If they decide to do it； who pushes the button？〃
〃I should think it would have to be voted on by the Politburo itself in plenary session。 The political implications are too severe for any one member； however senior； to try something like this on his own authority； and remember how collegial they are…no one moves anywhere by himself； even Andropov； who's the most independent…minded of the lot。〃
〃Okay； that's…what？ Fifteen guys have to vote up or down on it。 Fifteen mouths； plus staffs and family members to talk to about it。 How good are our sources？ Will we hear about it？〃
〃Sensitive question； Jack。 I cannot answer that one； I'm afraid。〃
〃Can't…can't or can't…I'm…not…allowed…to？〃 Jack asked more pointedly。
〃Jack； yes； we have sources of which I am aware； but which I cannot discuss with you。〃 Harding actually seemed embarrassed to say it。
〃Hey； I understand； Simon。〃 Jack had some of those himself。 For instance； he couldn't even speak the words TALENT KEYHOLE here； for which he was cleared； but which was NOFORN； no talking about this one to a foreigner…even though Simon and certainly Sir Basil knew quite a bit about it。 It was so perverse； because it mainly denied information to people who might have made good use of it。 If Wall Street acted this way； all of America would be under the poverty line； Jack groused。 Either people were trustworthy or they were not。 But the game had its rules； and Ryan played by those rules。 That was the cost of admittance into this particular club。
〃This is bloody good stuff；〃 Harding said； flipping to page three of Bernie Katz's debriefing。
〃Bernie's smart；〃 Ryan confirmed。 〃That's why Cathy likes working for him。〃
〃But he's an eye doctor； not a psychiatrist； correct？〃
〃Simon； at that level of medicine； everybody is a little bit of everything。 I asked Cathy： The diabetic retinopathy Suslov had is indicative of a major health problem。 The diabetes messes up the little blood vessels in the back of the eye； and you can see it when you do an examination。 Bernie and his team fixed it partway…you can't fix it all the way…and gave him back about； oh； seventy…five to eighty percent of his sight； good enough to drive a car in daylight； anyway； but the underlying health problem is a mother。 It isn't just the small blood vessels in the eye； right？ He's got that problem all over his body。 Figure Red Mike will croak from； kidney failure or heart disease in the next two years at the outside。〃
〃Our chaps think he's got five years or so；〃 Harding offered。
〃Well； I'm not a doc。 You can have