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！
ton himself a year earlier； soon after being shot； then he'd learned that Sir Basil admired his invention of the Canary Trap； which had been his path to high…level notice at Langley。 Basil had evidently used it to plug a few annoying leaks。 〃e along； Jack。 We need to get you properly outfitted。〃 He didn't mean Jack's suit； which was Savile Row and as expensive as his own。 No； this meant a trip to personnel。
The presence of C； as the job title went； made it painless。 They already had a set of Ryan's fingerprints from Langley； and it was mainly a matter of getting his picture taken and inserted in his pass…card； which would allow him through all the electronic gates； just like the ones at the CIA。 They checked it through a dummy gate and saw that it worked。 Then it was up in the executive elevator to Sir Basil's capacious corner office。
It was better than the long； narrow room that Judge Moore made do with。 A decent view of the river and the Palace of Westminster。 The DG waved Jack into a leather chair；
〃So； any first impressions？〃 Charleston asked。
〃Pretty painless so far。 Cathy hasn't been to the hospital yet； but Bernie…her boss at Hopkins…says that the boss…doc there is a good guy。〃
〃Yes； Hammersmith has a good reputation； and Dr。 Byrd is regarded as the best eye surgeon in Britain。 Never met him； but I'm told he's a fine chap。 Fisherman； loves to take salmon out of the rivers in Scotland； married； three sons； eldest is a leftenant in the Coldstream Guards。〃
〃You had him checked out？〃 Jack asked incredulously。
〃One cannot be too careful； Jack。 Some of your distant cousins across the Irish Sea are not overly fond of you； you know。〃
〃Is that a problem？〃
Charleston shook his head。 〃Most unlikely。 When you helped to bring down the ULA； you probably saved a few lives in the PIRA。 That's still sorting itself out； but that is mainly a job for the Security Service。 We don't really have much business with them…at least nothing that will concern you directly。〃 Which led to Jack's next question。
〃Yes； Sir Basil…what exactly is my job to be here？〃
〃Didn't James tell you？〃 Charleston asked。
〃Not exactly。 He likes his surprises； I've learned。〃
〃Well； the Joint Working Group mainly focuses on our Soviet friends。 We have some good sources。 So do your chaps。 The idea is to share information in order to improve our overall picture。〃
〃Information。 Not sources；〃 Ryan observed。
Charleston smiled understandingly。 〃One must protect those； as you know。〃
Jack did know about that。 In fact； he was allowed to know damned little about CIA's sources。 Those were the most closely guarded secrets in the Agency； and doubtless here as well。 Sources were real people； and a slip of the tongue would get them killed。 Intelligence services valued sources more for their information than for their lives…the intelligence business was a business； after all…but sooner or later you started worrying about them and their families and their personal characteristics。 Mainly booze； Ryan thought。 Especially for the Russians。 The ordinary Soviet citizen drank enough to qualify him as an alcoholic in America。
〃No problem there； sir。 I do not know the name or identity of one CIA source over there。 Not one；〃 Ryan emphasized。 It wasn't quite true。 He hadn't been told； but you could guess a lot from the character of the information transmitted and the way he/she quoted people…they were usually 〃he；〃 but Ryan wondered about a few of the sources。 It was an intriguing game that all analysts played； invariably in the confines of their own minds； though Ryan had speculated a few times with his personal boss； Admiral Jim Greer。 Usually； the DDO had warned him not to speculate too loudly； but the way he'd blinked twice had told Ryan more than he'd wanted to convey。 Well； they'd hired him for his analytical ability； Ryan knew。 They didn't really want him to turn it off。 When the information transmitted got a little kinky； it told you that something had happened to the source； like being caught； or going nuts。 〃The admiral is interested in one thing； though。。。〃
〃What's that？〃 the DG asked。
〃Poland。 It looks to us as though it's ing a little unglued； and we're wondering how far； how fast； and what it'll do…the effects； I mean。〃
〃So are we； Jack。〃 A thoughtful nod。 People…especially reporters in their Fleet Street pubs…were speculating a lot about that。 And reporters also had good sources； in some areas as good as his own。 〃What does James think？〃
〃It reminds both of us of something that happened in the 1930s。〃 Ryan leaned back in the chair and relaxed。 〃The United Auto Workers。 When they organized Ford； there was trouble。 Big time。 Ford even hired thugs to work the union organizers over。 I remember seeing photos of…who was it？〃 Jack paused for a moment's thought。 〃Walter Reuther？ Something like that。 It was in Life magazine back then。 The thugs were talking to him and a few of his guys…the first few pictures show them smiling at each other like men do right before the gloves e off…and then a brawl started。 You have to wonder about Ford's management…letting something like that happen in front of reporters is bad enough； but reporters with cameras？ Damn； that's big…league dumb。〃
〃The Court of Public Opinion。 Yes；〃 Charleston agreed。 〃It is quite real； and modern technology has made it even more so； and； yes； that is troubling to our friends across the wire。 You know； this CNN news network that just started up on your side of the ocean。 It just might change the world。 Information has its own way of circulating。 Rumors are bad enough。 You cannot stop them； and they have a way of acquiring a life of their own…〃
〃But a picture really is worth a thousand words； isn't it？〃
〃I wonder who first said that。 Whoever he was； he was no one's fool。 It's even more true for a moving picture。〃
〃I presume we're using that。。。〃
〃Your chaps are reticent about doing so。 I am less so。 It's easy enough to have an embassy functionary have a pint with some reporter and maybe drop the odd hint in the course of a conversation。 One thing about reporters； they are not ungracious if you give them the odd decent story。〃
〃At Langley； they hate the press； Sir Basil。 And I do mean hate。〃
〃Rather backward of them。 But； then； we can exercise more control over the press here than you can in America； I suppose。 Still and all； it's not that hard to outsmart them； is it？〃
〃I've never tried。 Admiral Greer says that talking to a reporter is like dancing with a rottweiler。 You can't be sure if he's going to lick your face or rip your throat out。〃
〃They're not bad dogs at all； you know。 You just need to train them properly。〃
Brits and their dogs； Ryan reflected。 They like their pets more than their kids。 He didn't care for big dogs all that much。 A Labrador like Ernie was different。 Labs had a soft mouth。 Sally really missed him。
〃So； what's your take on Poland； Jack？〃
〃I think the pot's going to simmer until the lid slides off； and then when it boils over； there's going to be a hell of a mess。 The Poles haven't really bought into munism all that well。 Their army has chaplains； for Christ's sake。 A lot of their farmers operate on a free…agent basis； selling hams and stuff。 The most popular TV show over there is Kojak； they even show it on Sunday morning to draw people away from going to church。 That shows two things。 The people there like American culture； and the government is still afraid of the Catholic Church。 The Polish government is unstable； and they know they're unstable。 Allowing a little wiggle room is probably smart； at least in the short term； but the fundamental problem is that they operate a fundamentally unjust regime。 Unjust countries are not stable； sir。 However strong they appear； they're rotten underneath。〃
Charleston nodded thoughtfully。 〃I briefed the PM just three days ago out at Chequers； and told her much the same thing。〃 The Director General paused for a moment； then decided。 He lifted a file folder from the pile on his desk and handed it across。
The cover read MOST SECRET。 So； Jack thought； now it starts。 He wondered if Basil had learned to swim by falling into the Thames； and thought everyone should learn the same way。
Flipping the cover open； he saw that this information came from a source called WREN。 He was clearly Polish； and by the look of the report； well placed； and what he said…
〃Damn；〃 Ryan observed。 〃This is reliable？〃
〃Very much so。 It's a five…five； Jack。〃 By that he meant that the source was rated 5 on a scale of 5 for reliability； and the importance of the information reported was graded the same way。 〃You're Catholic； I think。〃 He knew； of course。 It was just the English way of talking。
〃Jesuits at high school； Boston College； and Georgetown； plus the nuns at Saint Matthew's。 I'd better be。〃
〃What do you think of your new Pope？〃
〃First non…Italian in four centuries； maybe more： That's saying something right there。 When I heard the new one was Polish； I expected it to be Cardinal Wiszynski from Warsaw…guy's got the brains of a genius and the cunning of a fox。 This guy； I didn't know beans about； but from what I've read since； he's a very solid citizen。 Good parish priest； good administrator； politically very astute。。。〃 Ryan paused。 He was discussing the head of his church as though he were a political candidate； and he was damned sure there was more substance to him than that。 This had to be a man of deep faith； with the sort of core convictions that an earthquake couldn't budge or crack。 He'd been chosen by other such men to be the leader and spokesman for the world's largest church； which； by the way； also happened to be Ryan's church。 He'd be a man who didn't fear much of anything； a man for whom a bullet was his get…out…of…jail…free card； a key to God's own presence。 And he'd be a man who felt God's presence in everything he did。 He was not someone you could scare； not someone you could turn away from what he deemed the right thing。
〃If he wrote this letter； Sir Basil； it's not a bluff。 When was it delivered？〃
〃Less than four days ago。 Our chap broke a rule getting it to us so quickly； but its importance is patently clear； is it not？〃
Wele to London； Jack； Ryan thought。 He'd just fallen into the soup。 A big pot； like they used to boil missionaries in the cartoons。
〃Okay； it's been forwarded to Moscow； right？〃
〃So our chap tells us。 So； Sir John； what will Ivan have to say about this？〃 And with that question； Sir Basil Charleston lit the fire under Jack's personal cauldron。
〃That's a multifaceted question；〃 Ryan said； dodging as artfully as the situation allowed。
It wasn't very far： 〃He will say something；〃 Charleston observed； leveling his hazel eyes at Ryan。
〃Okay； they won't like it。 They will see it as a threat。 The questions are how seriously they will take it and how much credence they will attach to it。 Stalin might have laughed it off。。。 or maybe not。 Stalin defined paranoia； didn't he？〃 Ryan paused and looked out the windows。 Was that a rain cloud blowing in？ 〃No； Stalin would have acted somehow。〃
〃Think so？〃 Charleston was evaluating him； Jack knew。 This was like the orals for his doctorate at Georgetown。 Father Tim Riley's rapier wit and needlepoint questions。 Sir Basil was more civilized than the acerbic priest； but this exam was not going to be an easy one。
〃Leon Trotsky was no threat to him。 That assassination came from a bination of paranoia and pure meanness。 It was a personal thing。 Stalin made enemies； and he never forgot them。 But the current Soviet leadership doesn't have the guts to do the stuff he did。〃
Charleston pointed out the plate glass window toward Westminster Bridge。 〃My lad； the Russians had the intestinal fortitude to kill a man right on that bridge； less than five years ago…〃
〃And got blamed for it；〃 Ryan reminded his host。 It had been a bination of good luck and a very smart British doctor； and it hadn't been worth a damn in saving the poor bastard's life。 They had identified the cause of death； though； and it hadn't resulted from a street hood。
〃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