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　　　〃Well；　this　might　well　incite　additional　political　unrest　in　Poland；　or　so　my　analysts　tell　me；〃　Andropov　told　his　colleagues；　and　the　room　got　a　little　chilly。
　　　〃How　serious　is　this；　Yuriy　Vladimirovich？　How　serious　might　it　bee？〃　It　was　Brezhnev　speaking　for　the　first　time　from　beneath　his　bushy　eyebrows。
　　　〃Poland　continues　to　be　unstable；　due　to　counterrevolutionary　elements　within　their　society。　Their　labor　sector；　in　particular；　is　restless。　We　have　our　sources　within　this　'Solidarity'　cabal；　and　they　tell　us　that　the　pot　continues　to　boil。　The　problem　with　the　Pope　is　that　if　he　does　what　he　threatens　and　es　to　Poland；　the　Polish　people　will　have　a　rallying　point；　and　if　a　sufficient　number　of　them　bee　involved；　the　country　might　well　try　to　change　its　form　of　government；〃　the　Chairman　of　the　KGB　said　delicately。
　　　〃That　is　not　acceptable；〃　Leonid　Ilyich　observed　in　a　quiet　voice。　At　this　table；　a　loud　voice　was　just　a　man　venting　his　stress。　A　quiet　one　was　far　more　dangerous。　〃If　Poland　falls；　then　Germany　falls。。。〃　and　then　the　entire　Warsaw　Pact；　which　would　leave　the　Soviet　Union　without　its　buffer　zone　to　the　West。　NATO　was　strong；　and　would　bee　more　so；　as　the　new　American　defense　buildup　began　to　take　effect。　They'd　already　been　briefed　on　that　troublesome　subject。　Already；　the　first　new　tanks　were　being　given　to　line　units；　preparatory　to　shipping　them　to　West　Germany。　And　so　were　the　new　airplanes。　Most　frightening　of　all　was　the　vastly　increased　training　regimen　for　the　American　soldiers。　It　was　as　though　they　were　actually　preparing　for　a　strike　east。
　　　The　fall　of　Poland　and　Germany　would　mean　that　a　trip　to　Soviet　territory　would　be　shortened　by　more　than　a　thousand　kilometers；　and　there　was　not　a　man　at　this　table　who　did　not　remember　the　last　time　the　Germans　had　entered　the　Soviet　Union。　Despite　all　the　protestations　that　NATO　was　a　defensive　alliance　whose　entire　purpose　was　to　keep　the　Red　Army　from　driving　down　the　Champs　Elysees；　to　Moscow　NATO　and　all　the　other　American　alliances　looked　like　an　enormous　noose　designed　to　fit　around　their　collective　necks。　They'd　all　considered　that　before　at　great　length。　And　they　really　didn't　need　political　instability　to　add　to　their　problems。　munists…though　not　quite　so　fervent　as　Suslov　and　his　ideological　heir；　Alexandrov…feared　above　all　the　possible　turning　away　of　their　people　from　the　True　Faith；　which　was　the　source　of　their　own　very　fortable　personal　power。　They'd　all　e　to　power　at　second　hand　to　a　popular　peasant　revolt　which　had　overthrown　the　Romanov　dynasty…or　so　they　all　told　themselves；　despite　what　history　really　said…and　they　had　no　illusions　about　what　a　revolt　would　do　to　them。　Brezhnev　shifted　in　his　chair。　〃So；　this　Polish　priest　is　a　threat。〃
　　　〃Yes；　rades；　he　is；〃　Andropov　said。　〃His　letter　is　a　genuine　and　sincere　thrust　at　the　political　stability　of　Poland；　and　thus　of　the　entire　Warsaw　Pact。　The　Catholic　Church　remains　politically　powerful　throughout　Europe；　including　our　fraternal　socialist　allies。　If　he　were　to　resign　the　papacy　and　travel　back　to　his　homeland；　that　in　itself　would　be　a　huge　political　statement。
　　　〃Josef　Vissarionovich　Stalin　once　asked　how　many　army　divisions　the　Pope　had。　The　answer　is　none；　of　course；　but　we　cannot　disregard　his　power。　I　suppose　we　could　try　diplomatic　contacts　to　dissuade　him　from　this　course。。。〃
　　　〃A　plete　waste　of　time；〃　the　Foreign　Minister　observed　at　once。　〃We　have　had　occasional　diplomatic　contacts　in　the　Vatican　itself；　and　they　listen　to　us　politely；　and　they　speak　reasonably；　and　then　they　take　whatever　action　they　want　to　take。　No；　we　cannot　influence　him；　even　with　direct　threats　to　the　church。　They　merely　see　threats　as　challenges。〃
　　　And　that　put　the　matter　squarely　in　the　middle　of　the　table。　Andropov　was　grateful　to　the　Foreign　Minister；　who　was　also　in　his　camp　for　the　issue　of　succession。　He　wondered　idly　if　Brezhnev　knew　or　cared　about　what　would　happen　after　he　died…well；　he'd　care　about　his　children's　fate　and　protection；　but　that　was　easily　handled。　Sinecure　Party　posts　could　be　found　for　all　of　them；　and　there　would　be　no　future　marriages　to　require　the　china　and　tableware　from　the　Hermitage。
　　　〃Yuriy　Vladimirovich；　what　can　KGB　do　about　this　threat？〃　Brezhnev　inquired　next。　He　is　so　easy　to　manage；　Andropov　reflected　briefly　and　gratefully。
　　　〃It　may　be　possible　to　eliminate　the　threat　by　eliminating　the　man　who　makes　it；〃　the　Chairman　replied；　with　an　even；　unemotional　voice。
　　　〃To　kill　him？〃　Ustinov　asked。
　　　〃Yes；　Dmitriy。〃
　　　〃What　are　the　dangers　of　that？〃　the　Foreign　Minister　asked　at　once。　Diplomats　always　worried　about　such　things。
　　　〃We　cannot　entirely　eliminate　them；　but　we　can　control　them。　My　people　have　e　up　with　an　operational　concept；　which　would　involve　shooting　the　Pope　at　one　of　his　public　appearances。　I　have　brought　my　aide；　Colonel　Rozhdestvenskiy；　to　brief　us　in　on　it。　With　your　permission；　rades？〃　He　received　a　collection　of　nods。　Then　he　turned　his　head：　〃Aleksey　Nikolay'ch？〃
　　　〃rades。〃　The　colonel　rose　and　walked　to　the　lectern；　trying　to　keep　his　shaking　knees　under　control。　〃The　operation　has　no　name；　and　will　have　none　for　security　reasons。　The　Pope　appears　in　public　every　Wednesday　afternoon。　He　generally　parades　around　Saint　Peter's　Square　in　a　motor　vehicle；　which　offers　him　no　protection　against　attack　and　es　within　three　or　four　meters　of　the　assembled　multitude。〃　Rozhdestvenskiy　had　chosen　his　words　carefully。　Every　man　at　the　table　knew　biblical　matters　and　terminology。　You　could　not　grow　up；　even　here；　without　acquiring　knowledge　of　Christianity…even　if　it　was　just　enough　to　despise　everything　about　it。
　　　〃The　question　then　is　how　to　get　a　man　with　a　pistol　to　the　front　rank　of　spectators；　so　that　he　can　take　his　shot　at　sufficiently　close　range　to　make　a　successful　shot　likely。〃
　　　〃Not　'certain'？〃　the　Minister　of　the　Interior　asked　harshly。
　　　Rozhdestvenskiy　did　his　best　not　to　wilt。　〃rade　Minister；　we　rarely　deal　in　absolute　certainties。　Even　a　skilled　pistol　shot　cannot　guarantee　a　perfect　shot　against　a　moving　target；　and　the　tactical　realities　here　will　not　allow　a　carefully　aimed　round。　The　assassin　will　have　to　bring　his　weapon　up　rapidly　from　a　place　of　concealment；　and　fire。　He　will　be　able　to　get　off　two；　possibly　three；　shots　before　the　crowd　collapses　on　him。　At　that　point；　a　second　officer　will　then　kill　the　assassin　from　behind　with　a　silenced　pistol…and　then　make　his　own　escape。　This　will　leave　no　one　behind　to　speak　to　the　Italian　police。　For　this；　we　will　use　our　Bulgarian　socialist　allies　to　select　the　assassin；　to　get　him　to　the　scene；　and　then　to　eliminate　him。〃
　　　〃How　will　our　Bulgarian　friend　get　away　under　these　circumstances？〃　Brezhnev　asked。　His　personal　knowledge　of　firearms　allowed　him　to　skip　over　technical　issues；　Andropov　saw。
　　　〃It　is　likely　that　the　crowd　will　concentrate　on　the　assassin；　and　will　not　take　note　of　the　intelligence　officer's　follow…up　shot。　It　will　be　virtually　silent　and　there　will　be　a　great　deal　of　crowd　noise。　He　will　then　simply　back　away　and　make　his　escape；〃　Rozhdestvenskiy　explained。　〃The　officer　we　want　on　this　is　well　experienced　in　operations　of　this　kind。〃
　　　〃Does　he　have　a　name？〃　Alexandrov　asked。
　　　〃Yes；　rade；　and　I　can　give　it　to　you　if　you　wish；　but　for　security　reasons。。。〃
　　　〃Correct；　Colonel；〃　Ustinov　put　in。　〃We　do　not　really　need　to　know　his　name；　do　we；　rades？〃　Heads　shook　around　the　table。　For　these　men；　secrecy　came　as　naturally　as　urination。
　　　〃Not　a　rifleman？〃　Interior　asked。
　　　〃That　would　risk　exposure。　The　buildings　around　the　square　are　patrolled　by　the　Vatican's　own　security　force；　Swiss　mercenaries；　and…〃
　　　〃How　good　are　these　Swiss　militiamen？〃　another　voice　asked。
　　　〃How　good　do　they　need　to　be　to　see　a　man　with　a　rifle　and　to　raise　an　alarm？〃　Rozhdestvenskiy　asked；　reasonably。　〃rades；　when　you　plan　an　operation　like　this　one；　you　try　to　keep　the　variables　under　strict　control。　plexity　is　a　dangerous　enemy　in　any　such　undertaking。　As　planned；　all　we　need　to　do　is　to　insert　two　men　into　a　crowd　of　thousands　and　get　them　close。　Then　it's　just　a　matter　of　taking　the　shot。　A　pistol　is　easily　concealed　in　loose　clothing。　The　people　there　are　not　screened　or　searched　in　any　way。　No；　rades；　this　plan　is　the　best　we　can　establish…unless　you　would　have　us　dispatch　a　platoon　of　Spetsnaz　soldiers　into　the　Vatican　Apartments。　That　would　obviously　work；　but　the　origin　of　such　an　operation　would　be　impossible　to　conceal。　This　mission；　if　it　es　off；　depends　only　on　two　people；　only　one　of　whom　will　survive；　and　who　will　almost　certainly　escape　cleanly。〃
　　　〃How　reliable　are　the　participants？〃　the　Chairman　of　the　Party　Control　mission　asked。
　　　〃The　Bulgarian　officer　has　personally　killed　eight　men；　and　he　has　good　contacts　within　the　Turkish　criminal　munity；　from　which　he　will　select　our　assassin。〃
　　　〃A　Turk？〃　the　Party　man　asked。
　　　〃Yes；　a　Muslim；〃　Andropov　confirmed。　〃If　the　operation　can　be　blamed　on　a　Turkish　follower　of　Mohammed；　so　much　the　better　for　us。　Correct？〃
　　　〃It　would　not　hurt　our　purposes；〃　the　Foreign　Minister　confirmed。　〃In　fact；　it　might　well　have　the　effect　of　making　Islam　look　more　barbaric　to　the　West。　T