“PLATO WILL HAVE TO BE DROPPED,” Owen said.
“Indeed,” Wyman said. “May I ask why?”
“The Minister gave a number of reasons, and I agreed with him.”
“I’m sure you did,” Wyman said.
“First and foremost, there is the question of expense. Two million pounds is an outrageous sum. Had this Plato been prepared to settle for a more sensible figure, we might have taken a different view. If you are certain that Plato will not negotiate, then there is little we can do.”
“Other than give him the money.”
“Other than ignore him altogether,” Owen snapped. “This leads on to the second point. How can we be certain of Plato’s bona fides? You have given us no indication that Plato will fulfill his side of the bargain, apart from your belief in his honesty.”
“After thirty years in this occupation, I think my opinions about the integrity of a source are worth slightly more than you suggest.”
Owen shifted uncomfortably.
“I am not denigrating your abilities,” he said. “I simply maintain that you haven’t proved that Plato is worth the absurdly high fee he’s demanding. Two million pounds for one informant is an unprecedented figure.”
“As I recall,” Wyman said, “there was a time when we would gladly have paid that figure and more, had it meant Philby’s exposure, or that of Burgess. Why is it that we are always wise after the event in these matters?”
“But in this case, what is the event? That’s my third point: we are still not satisfied that there is an infiltrator here in the Department.”
“‘Satisfied’ is a rather odd term to use, isn’t it?” Wyman said. “Until you can provide a better explanation for how the Dovetail network has been systematically dismantled, you must accept that we have a KGB plant in the Department. Surely, elementary logic would dictate this view.”
“I am not talking about logic,” Owen said. “I’m discussing practicalities. The exposure of the Dovetail network can probably be explained by other means. Henceforth, I would like you to explore all the possibilities, not just that of having an infiltrator in the Department.”
Wyman sighed in frustration.
“As I explained to you, an investigation at this end would be an enormous task. It could take months, and I don’t have months. You will recall that I am supposed to leave the Department at the end of June.”
“If you haven’t sorted it out by then,” Owen said, “I shall find a replacement for you. If necessary, I’ll do the work myself.”
The idea of Owen having to plough through twelve hundred dossiers gave Wyman much private amusement.
“I’m sure you’d find the work most agreeable,” he said.
“Of course I wouldn’t,” Owen barked. “But at least it wouldn’t mean giving absurd sums of money to some greedy German, with no guarantee of getting anything in return. In the meantime, you will start the investigation, and we’ll see how you progress.”
“Very well,” Wyman said. “There appears to be no alternative. I only hope that the Minister won’t have cause to regret his decision.”
“If you do your job properly,” Owen said acidly, “he’ll have no cause to regret it. Will he?”