London, 54 Broadway
“I need you in Prague a bit sooner than I’d anticipated. We’re down to the wire … no Second Secretary and now no First—”
“You want me in the embassy? A civil servant? I don’t run agents, Alec. I am an agent.”
“Have you quite finished? I had merely thought to begin at the beginning. Often the best idea. We lost the Second Secretary a while ago. He would, on occasion, do the odd job for us. Not strictly kosher. Not one of the old firm, after all. When he left, the First Secretary took over. Always unwise for a station head to enter the field, but needs must. The only virtue to it is that it keeps it within SIS. Czechoslovakia is a damn sight more important now than it was eighteen months ago—a small, faraway country about which we cannot know too much. But our man was rumbled. The other side took to dogging his every step.”
“Who is the Station Head?”
“Ben Crosland. You know him?”
“Yep.”
“He’s on his way home. Good man. But his wife has a bit of a temper. She acted as courier for a week or two while Ben just became the decoy. She punched a KGB man in public.”
“You’re kidding?”
“Knocked him cold, I gather, so poor old Ben’s been recalled. The Czechs insisted.”
“As you said, he’s a good man. Don’t waste him.”
“I won’t. The stuff he and his wife got out of Prague these last few weeks is priceless. Almost every missive between KGB Prague and Moscow Centre.”
“Everything but the date of Novotny’s resignation?”
“I don’t think he’ll ever resign. But Ben tells me there’s an … I think he called it an undercurrent. And I’m not inclined to ignore the idea. There’s always dissidence, mostly it gets stepped on pretty damn quick. Ben reckons this ‘undercurrent’ will surface.”
“When?”
“Damned if I know. Six months, a year? Novotny might be the dullest leader in the Warsaw Pact. That alone might ensure his survival. However, Ben’s made his report and he’s earned a promotion. I’ve suggested to Upstairs that he’s posted to Washington as Head of Station.”
“Philby’s old job.”
“Not a comparison I would have invoked. Nor a name I care to mention—but yes. Let’s see who Mrs. Crosland can thump in Washington. I could give her a list if she wanted … J. Edgar … Senator Thurmond. But I digress—we have yet to find a Station Head for Prague and the FO needs to find a Second Secretary. It remains, whoever we send out, the other side will be on to them straight away. Until now we’ve always relied on them being strapped for cash and manpower—much as they probably do with us—but they threw everything they’ve got at Ben. Hence you find yourself sitting here. The only way this will work is if the decoy is at the embassy and the real agent is in deep cover.”
“Might work.”
“And it might not—all the same we have to try.”
“How deep is deep cover?”
“How shall I put it … no diplomatic protection. You get caught, you’re on your own.”
“And this cover would be what exactly?”
“You’ll appreciate that this would be a very good moment to phone A&R and send for The Dresser.”