按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
〃After lunch…three this afternoon； I understand。〃
〃And what will we be able to give him？〃
〃Not very much； I'm afraid…worse； Basil might want me with him。〃
Ryan grunted。 〃That ought to be fun。 Met her before？〃
〃No； but the PM has seen my analyses。 Bas says she wants to meet me。〃 He shuddered。 〃It'd be much better if I had something substantive to tell her。〃
〃Well； let's see if we can e up with a threat analysis； okay？〃 Jack sat down。 〃What exactly do we know？〃
Harding handed a sheaf of documents across。 Ryan leaned back in his chair to pick through them。
〃You got the Warsaw Letter from a Polish source； right？〃
Harding hesitated； but it was clear he had to answer this one： 〃That is correct。〃
〃So nothing from Moscow itself？〃 Jack asked。
He shook his head。 〃No。 We know the letter was forwarded to Moscow； but that's all。〃
〃We're really in the dark； then。 You might want to have a beer before you go across the river。〃
Harding looked up from his notes。 〃Why； thank you； Jack。 I really needed to hear that bit of encouragement。〃
They were silent for a moment。
〃I work better on a puter；〃 Ryan said。 〃How hard is it to get one in here？〃
〃Not easy。 They have to be tempest…checked to make sure someone outside the building cannot read the keystrokes electronically。 You can call administration about it。〃
But not today； Ryan didn't say aloud。 He'd learned that the bureaucracy at Century House was at least as bad as the one at Langley； and after a few years of working in the private sector； it could drive him to distraction。 Okay； he'd try to e up with some ideas to save Simon from getting a new asshole installed in his guts。 The Prime Minister was a lady； but in terms of demands； Father Tim at Georgetown had nothing on her。
Oleg Ivan'ch got back from lunch at the KGB cafeteria and faced facts。 Very soon； he would have to decide what to say to his American； and how to say it。
If he was a regular embassy employee； he would have passed the first note along to the CIA chief in the embassy…there had to be one； he knew； an American rezident whose job it was to spy on the Soviet Union； just as Russians spied on everyone in the world。 The big question was whether they were spying on him。 Could he have been 〃doubled〃 by the Second Chief Directorate； whose reputation would frighten the devil in hell himself？ Or could this ostensible American have been a Russian bearing a 〃false…flag〃？
So； first of all； Oleg had to make damned sure he was dealing with the real thing。 How to do that。。。？
Then it came to him。 Yes； he thought。 That was something KGB could never bring off。 That would ensure that he was dealing with someone able to do what he needed done。 No one could fake that。 In celebration； Zaitzev lit up another cigarette and went back into the morning dispatches from the Washington rezidentura。
It was hard to like Tony Prince。 The New York Times correspondent in Moscow was well…regarded by the Russians； and； as far as Ed Foley was concerned； that spoke to a weakness in his character。
〃So； how do you like the new job； Ed？〃 Prince asked。
〃Still settling in。 Dealing with the Russian press is kind of interesting。 They're predictable； but unpredictably so。〃
〃How can people be unpredictably predictable？〃 the Times correspondent inquired； with a crooked smile。
〃Well； Tony； you know what they're going to say； just not how they're going to ask it。〃 And half of them are spooks or at least stringers； anyway； in case you haven't noticed。
Prince affected a laugh。 He felt himself to be the intellectual superior。
Foley had failed as a general…beat reporter in New York； whereas Prince had parlayed his political savvy to one of the top jobs in American journalism。 He had some good contacts in the Soviet government； and he cultivated them assiduously； frequently sympathizing with them over the boorish； nekulturniy behavior of the current regime in Washington； which he occasionally tried to explain to his Russian friends； often pointing out that he hadn't voted for this damned actor； and neither had anyone in his New York office。
〃Have you met the new guy； Alexandrov； yet？〃
〃No； but one of my contacts knows him； says he's a reasonable sort； talks like he's in favor of peaceful coexistence。 More liberal than Suslov。 I hear he's pretty sick。〃
〃I've heard that； too； but I'm not sure what's wrong with him。〃
〃He's diabetic； didn't you hear？ That's why the Baltimore docs came over to work on his eyes。 Diabetic retinopathy；〃 Prince explained； speaking the word slowly so that Foley could prehend it。
〃I'll have to ask the embassy doc what that means；〃 Foley observed； making an obvious note on his pad。 〃So； this Alexandrov guy is more liberal； you think？〃
〃Liberal〃 was a word that meant 〃good guy〃 to Prince。
〃Well； I haven't met him myself； but that's what my sources think。 They also think that when Suslov departs from this life； Mikhail Yevgeniyevich will take his place。〃
〃Really？ I'll have to drop that on the ambassador。〃
〃And the Station Chief？〃
〃You know who that is？ I don't；〃 Foley said。
An eye roll。 〃Ron Fielding。 Hell； everybody knows that。〃
〃No； he isn't；〃 Ed protested as sharply as his acting talent allowed。 〃He's the senior consular officer； not a spook。〃
Prince smiled； thinking； You never could figure things out； could you？ His Russian contacts had fingered Fielding to him； and he knew they wouldn't lie to him。 〃Well； that's just a guess； of course；〃 the reporter went on。
And if you thought it was me； you'd blurt it right out； wouldn't you？ Foley thought right back at him。 You officious ass。 〃Well； I'm cleared for some things； as you know； but not that one。〃
〃I know who does know；〃 Prince offered。
〃Yeah； but I'm not going to ask the Ambassador； Tony。 He'd rip my face off。〃
〃He's just a political appointment； Ed…nothing special。 This ought to be a posting for somebody who knows diplomacy； but the President didn't ask me for advice。〃
Thank God； the Station Chief mented inwardly。
〃Fielding sees him a lot； doesn't he？〃 Prince went on。
〃A consular officer works directly with the Ambassador； Tony。 You know that。〃
〃Yeah。 Convenient； isn't it？ How much do you see him？〃
〃The boss； you mean？ Once a day； usually；〃 Foley answered。
〃And Fielding？〃
〃More。 Maybe two or three times。〃
〃There you have it；〃 Prince concluded grandly。 〃You can always tell。〃
〃You read too many James Bond books；〃 Foley said dismissively。 〃Or maybe Matt Helm。〃
〃Get real； Ed；〃 Prince bristled with elegant gentleness。
〃If Fielding is the head spook； who are his underlings？ Damned if I know。〃
〃Well； those are always pretty covert；〃 Prince admitted。 〃No； on that I don't have a clue。〃
〃Pity。 That's one of the games you play in the embassy…who are the spooks。〃
〃Well； I can't help you。〃
〃It's not something I need to know anyway； I guess；〃 Foley admitted。
You never were curious enough to be a good reporter； Prince thought； with a casual； pleasant smile。 〃So； does this keep you busy？〃
〃It's not a ball…breaker。 Anyway； can we make a deal？〃
〃Sure；〃 Prince replied。 〃What is it？〃
〃If you hear anything interesting； let us know here？〃
〃You can read about it in the Times； usually on the front page above the fold；〃 he added； to make sure Foley knew how important he was； along with his penetrating analysis。
〃Well； some things； you know； the Ambassador likes to get a heads…up。 He told me to ask； off…the…record…like。〃
〃That's an ethical issue； Ed。〃
〃If I tell Ernie that； he won't be real happy。〃
〃Well； you work for him。 I don't。〃
〃You are an American citizen； right？〃
〃Don't wave the flag at me； okay？〃 Prince responded wearily。 〃Okay； if I find out they're about to launch nuclear weapons； I'll let you know。 But it looks to me like we're more likely to do something that stupid than they are。〃
〃Tony； give me a break。〃
〃This 'focus of evil in the world' crap wasn't exactly Abe Lincoln talking； was it？〃
〃You saying the President was wrong？〃 the Chief of Station asked； wondering just how far his opinion of this ass might sink。
〃I know about the Gulag； ok