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ore substance than a puff of cigarette smoke。 Zaitzev's country had the greatest army on earth； a fact proclaimed regularly by We Serve the Soviet Union； the TV show that everybody watched。
So； why do they want to kill a man who poses no threat？ Would he part the oceans with a wave of his staff or bring down plagues on the land？ Of course not。
And to kill a harmless man is a crime； Zaitzev told himself； exercising his mind for the first time in his tenure at #2 Dzerzhinskiy Square； silently asserting his free will。 He'd asked a question and e up with an answer。
It would have been helpful if he'd had someone to talk to about that； but of course that was out of the question。 That left Zaitzev without a safety valve…a way to process his feelings and bring them to some kind of resolution。 The laws and customs of his nation forced him to recycle his thoughts over and over； and ultimately that led in only one direction。 That it was a direction of which the State would not approve was； in the end； a product of the State's own making。
On finishing his lunch； he sipped his tea and lit a cigarette； but that contemplative act didn't help the state of his mind。 The hamster was still running in its wheel。 No one in the huge dining room noticed。 To those who saw Zaitzev； he was just one more man enjoying his after…meal smoke in solitude。 Like all Soviet citizens； Zaitzev knew how to hide his feelings； and so his face gave nothing away。 He just looked at the wall clock so that he wouldn't be late going back to work for his afternoon watch； just one more bureaucrat in a large building full of them。
Upstairs； it was a little different。 Colonel Rozhdestvenskiy hadn't wanted to interrupt the Chairman's lunch； and so he'd sat in his own office waiting for the hands on the clock to move； munching on his own sandwich but ignoring the cup of soup that had e with it。 Like his Chairman； he smoked American Marlboro cigarettes； which were milder and better made than their Soviet counterparts。 It was an affectation he'd picked up in the field； but as a high…ranking First Chief Directorate officer； he could shop at the special store in Moscow Centre。 They were expensive； even for one paid in 〃certificate〃 rubles； but he only drank cheap vodka； so it evened out。 He wondered how Yuriy Vladimirovich would react to Goderenko's message。 Ruslan Borissovich was a very capable rezident； careful and conservative； and a man senior enough to be allowed to talk back； as it were。 His job； after all； was to feed good information to Moscow Centre； and if he thought something might promise that mission； it was his duty to warn them about it…and besides； the original dispatch had not carried an obligatory directive in it； just an instruction to ascertain a situation。 So； no； Ruslan Borissovich would probably not get into any trouble from his reply。 But Andropov might bark and； if he did； then he； Colonel A。 N。 Rozhdestvenskiy； would bear the noise； which was never fun。 His place here was enviable in one way and frightening in another。 He had the ear of the Chairman； but being that close meant that he had to be close to the teeth； too。 In the history of KGB； it was not unknown for some people to suffer for the actions of others。 But it was unlikely in this case。 Though an undeniably tough man； Andropov was also a reasonably fair one。 Even so； it didn't pay to be too close to a rumbling volcano。 His desk phone rang。 It was the Chairman's private secretary。
〃The Chairman will see you now； rade Colonel。〃
〃Spasiba。〃 He rose and walked down the corridor。
〃We have a reply from Colonel Goderenko；〃 Rozhdestvenskiy reported； handing it over。
For his part； Andropov was not surprised； and to Colonel Rozhdestvenskiy's invisible relief； he did not lose his temper。
〃I expected this。 Our people have lost their sense of daring； haven't they； Aleksey Nikolay'ch？〃
〃rade Chairman； the rezident gives you his professional assessment of the problem；〃 the field officer answered。
〃Go on；〃 Andropov manded。
〃rade Chairman；〃 Rozhdestvenskiy replied； choosing his words with the greatest care； 〃you cannot undertake an operation like the one you are evidently considering without political risks。 This priest has a good deal of influence； however illusory that influence may be。 Ruslan Borissovich is concerned that an attack on him might affect his ability to gather information； and that； rade； is his primary task。〃
〃The assessment of political risk is my job； not his。〃
〃That is true； rade Chairman； but it is his territory； and it is his job to tell you what he thinks you need to know。 The loss of some of his agents' services could be costly to us both in direct and indirect terms。〃
〃How costly？〃
〃That is impossible to predict。 The Rome rezidentura has a number of highly productive agents for NATO military and political intelligence information。 Can we live without it？ Yes； I suppose we could； but better that we should live with it。 The human factors involved make prediction difficult。 Running agents is an art and not a science； you see。 〃
〃So you have told me before； Aleksey。〃 Andropov rubbed his eyes tiredly。 His skin was a little sallow today； Rozhdestvenskiy noted。 Was his liver problem kicking up again？
〃Our agents are all people； and individual people have their individual peculiarities。 There is no avoiding it；〃 Rozhdestvenskiy explained for perhaps the hundredth time。 It could have been worse； Andropov actually listened some of the time。 His predecessors had not all been so enlightened。 Perhaps it came from Yuriy Vladimirovich's intelligence。
〃That's what I like about signals intelligence；〃 the Chairman of KGB groused。 That was what everyone in the business said； Colonel Rozhdestvenskiy noted。 The problem was in getting signals intelligence。 The West was better at it than his country； despite their infiltration of the West's signals agencies。 The American NSA and British GCHQ； in particular； worked constantly to defeat Soviet munications security and occasionally； they worried； succeeded at it。 Which was why KGB depended so absolutely on one…time pads。 They couldn't trust anything else。
〃How good is this？〃 Ryan asked Harding。
〃We think it's the genuine article； Jack。 Part of it es from open sources； but most es from documents prepared for their Council of Ministers。 At that level； they don't lie to themselves much。〃
〃Why not？〃 Jack asked pointedly。 〃Everyone else there does。〃
〃But here you're dealing with something concrete； products that have to be delivered to their army。 If they do not appear； it will be noted； and inquiries will be made。 In any case；〃 Harding went on； qualifying himself carefully； 〃the most important material here has to do with policy questions； and for that you gain nothing by lying。〃
〃I suppose。 I raised a little hell at Langley last month when I ripped through an economics assessment that was going on to the President's office。 I said it couldn't possibly be true； and the guy who drew it up said it was just what the Politburo saw at their meetings…〃
〃And you said what； Jack？〃 Harding interrupted。
〃Simon； I said； whether the big shots saw it or not； it simply could not be true。 That report was total bullshit…which makes me wonder how the hell their Politburo makes policy when the data they base it on is about as truthful as Alice…in…goddamned…wonderland。 You know； when I was in the Marine Corps； we worried that Ivan Ivanovich the Russian Soldier might be ten feet tall。 He isn't。 There may be a lot of them； but they're actually smaller than our people because they don't eat as well as children； and their weapons suck。 The AK…47's a nice rifle； but I'll take the M…16 over it any time； and a rifle is a damned sight simpler than a portable radio。 So I finally get into CIA and find out the tactical radios their army uses are for shit； and so it turns out I was right about that back when I was a shavetail butter…bar in the Green Machine。 Bottom line； Simon； they lie to the Politburo on what are supposed to be economic realities； and if they lie to those folks； they'll lie about anything。〃
〃So； what happened to the report to your President？〃
〃They sent it to him； but with