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〃I know about the Gulag； okay？ But that's a thing of the past。 The Russians have mellowed since Stalin died； but the new administration hasn't figured that one out yet； have they？〃
〃Look； Tony； I'm just a worker bee here。 The Ambassador asked me to forward a simple request。 I take it your response is 'no'？〃
〃You take it correctly。〃
〃Well； don't expect any Christmas cards from Ernie Fuller。〃
〃Ed； my duty is to The New York Times and my readers； period。〃
〃Okay； fine。 I had to ask；〃 Foley said defensively。 He hadn't expected anything better from the guy； but he'd suggested this to Ambassador Fuller himself to feel Prince out； and the Ambassador had approved it。
〃I understand。〃 Prince checked his watch。 〃Hey； I have a meeting scheduled at the CPSU Central mittee building。〃
〃Anything I ought to know about？〃
〃Like I said； you can read it in the Times。 They fax you the Early Bird out of Washington； don't they？〃
〃Yeah； it eventually trickles down here。〃
〃Then； day after tomorrow； you can read it；〃 Prince advised； standing to take his leave。 〃Tell Ernie。〃
〃I'll do that；〃 Foley said； extending his hand。 Then he decided he'd walk Prince to the elevator。 On the way back； he'd hit the men's room to wash his hands。 His next stop after that was the Ambassador's office。
〃Hi； Ed。 Meet with that Prince guy？〃
Foley nodded his head。 〃Just cut him loose。〃
〃Did he nibble at your hook？〃
〃Nope。 Just spat it right back at me。〃
Fuller smiled crookedly。 〃What did I tell you？ There used to be some patriotic reporters back when I was your age； but they've mostly grown out of it over the last few years。〃
〃I'm not surprised。 When Tony was a new kid in New York； he never liked the cops very much； but he was good at getting them to talk to him。 Persuasive bastard； when he wants to be。〃
〃Did he work on you？〃
〃No； sir。 I'm not important enough for that。〃
〃What did you think of the Washington request about the Pope？〃 Fuller asked； changing the subject。
〃I'm going to have some people look into it； but…〃
〃I know； Ed。 I don't want to know exactly what you're doing about it。 If you find anything； will you be able to tell me about it？〃
〃Depends； sir；〃 Foley answered； meaning probably not。
Fuller accepted that。 〃Okay。 Anything else shaking？〃
〃Prince is on to something； ought to be in the papers day after tomorrow。 He's on his way to the Central mittee； or so he told me。 He confirmed that Alexandrov will replace Mikhail Suslov when Red Mike checks out。 If they're telling him； it must be official。 I think we can believe that one。 Tony has good contacts with their political types； and it tracks with what our other friends tell us about Suslov。〃
〃I've never met the guy。 What gives with him？〃
〃He's one of the last true believers。 Alexandrov is another one。 He thinks Marx is the One True God； and Lenin is his prophet； and their political and economic system really does work。〃
〃Really？ Some people never learn。〃
〃Yep。 You can take that to the bank； sir。 There are a few left； but Leonid Ilyich isn't one of them； and neither is his heir apparent； Yuriy Vladimirovich。 But Alexandrov is Andropov's ally。 There's a Politburo meeting later today。〃
〃When will we know what they discussed？〃
〃Couple of days； probably。〃 But exactly how we find out； you do not need to know； sir； Foley didn't add。
He didn't have to。 Ernie Fuller knew the rules of the game。 The U。S。 Ambassador to every country was thoroughly briefed on the embassy he was taking over。 To get into Moscow involved voluntary brainwashing at Foggy Bottom and Langley。 In reality； the American ambassador to Moscow was his country's chief intelligence officer in the Soviet Union； and Uncle Ernie was a pretty good one； Foley thought。
〃Okay； keep me posted if you can。〃
〃Will do； sir；〃 the Chief of Station promised。
CHAPTER 13 … COLLEGIALITY
Andropov arrived in the kremlin at 12：45 for the 1：00 P。M。 meeting。 His driver pulled the handmade ZIL through the Spasskiy Gate's towering brick structure； past the security checkpoints； past the saluting soldiers of the ceremonial Tamanskiy Guards Division stationed outside Moscow and used mainly for parades and pretty…soldier duties。 The soldier saluted smartly； but the gesture went unnoticed by the people inside the car。 From there it was a hundred fifty meters to the destination； where another soldier wrenched open the door。 Andropov noted this salute and nodded absently to let the senior sergeant know that he was seen； then made his way inside the yellow…cream…colored building。 Instead of taking the stone steps； Andropov turned right to go to the elevator for the ride to the second floor； followed by his aide； Colonel Rozhdestvenskiy； for whom this was the most interesting and about to be the most intimidating part of his official duties since joining KGB。
There was yet more security on the upper floors： uniformed Red Army officers with holstered side arms； in case of trouble。 But there would be no trouble in his ascension to the General Secretaryship； Andropov thought。 This would be no palace coup。 He'd be elected by his political peers in the usual way that the Soviet Union handled the transition of power…awkwardly and badly； but predictably。 The one with the most political capital would chair this counsel of peers； because they would trust him not to rule by force of will； but by collegial consensus。 None of them wanted another Stalin； or even another Khrushchev； who might lead them on adventures。 These men did not enjoy adventures。 They'd all learned from history that gambling carried with it the possibility of losing； and none of them had e this far to risk losing anything at all。 They were the chieftains in a nation of chess players； for whom victory was something determined by skillful maneuvers taken patiently and progressively over a period of hours； whose conclusion would seem as foreordained as the setting of the sun。
That was one of the problems today； Andropov thought； taking his seat next to Defense Minister Ustinov。 Both sat near the head of the table； in the seats reserved for members of the Defense Counsel or Soviet Orborony； the five most senior officials in the entire Soviet government； including the Secretary for Ideology…Suslov。 Ustinov looked up from his briefing papers。
〃Yuriy；〃 the minister said in greeting。
〃Good day； Dmitriy。〃 Andropov had already reached his acmodation with the Marshal of the Soviet Union。 He'd never obstructed his requests for funding for the bloated and misdirected Soviet military； which was blundering around Afghanistan like a beached whale。 It would probably win in the end； everyone thought。 After all； the Red Army had never failed。。。 unless you remembered Lenin's first assault into Poland in 1919； which had ended in an ignominious rout。 No； they preferred to remember defeating Hitler after the Germans had e to within sight of the Kremlin itself； stopping only when attacked by Russia's historically most reliable ally； General Winter。 Andropov was not a devotee of the Soviet military； but it remained the security blanket for the rest of the Politburo； because the army made sure the country did what they told it to do。 That was not because of love； but because the Red Army had guns in large numbers。 So did the KGB； and the Ministry of the Interior； in order to act as a check on the Red Army…no sense giving them ideas。 Just to make sure； KGB also had the Third Chief Directorate； whose job it 〃was to keep an eye on every single rifle pany in the Red Army。 In other countries； it was called checks and balances。 Here it was a balance of terror。
Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev came in last of all； walking like the aged peasant he was； his skin drooping on his once manly face。 He was approaching eighty years； a number he might meet but would not surpass； by the look of him。 That was both good news and bad。 There was no telling what thoughts wiggled their way around the inside of his doting brain。 He'd been a man of great personal power once…Andropov could remember it plainly enough。 He'd been a vigorous man who'd enjoyed walking in the forests to kill elk or even bear…the mighty hunter of wild animals