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　　　〃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。　That　would　cause　America　to　increase　its　support　for　Israel；　and　that　would　annoy　the　Muslim　countries　from　whom　they　buy　their　oil。　There　is　an　elegance　to　it　all；　which　appeals　to　me；　Yuriy。〃
　　　〃So；　the　plexity　of　the　operation　is　entirely　limited　to　its　consequences；〃　Marshal　Ustinov　observed；　〃and　not　to　the　undertaking　itself。〃
　　　〃Correct；　Dmitriy；〃　Andropov　confirmed。
　　　〃What　are　the　chances　that　this　operation　might　be　linked　to　us？〃　asked　the　Ukrainian　Party　Secretary。
　　　〃If　all　we　leave　behind　is　a　dead　Turk；　connections　will　be　very　difficult　to　establish；〃　the　KGB　Chairman　replied。　〃This　operation　has　no　name。　The　number　of　people　involved　is　less　than　twenty；　and　most　of　them　are　in　this　room；　right　here。　There　will　be　no　written　records。　rades；　the　security　of　this　operation　will　be　absolute。　I　must　insist　that　none　of　you　speak　about　this　to　anyone。　Not　your　wives；　not　your　private　secretaries；　not　your　political　advisers。　In　that　way；　we　can　ensure　against　leaks。　We　must　remember　that　the　Western　intelligence　services　are　always　trying　to　discover　our　secrets。　In　this　case；　that　cannot　be　allowed　to　happen。〃
　　　〃You　should　have　limited　this　discussion　to　the　Defense　Counsel；〃　Brezhnev　thought　aloud。
　　　〃Leonid　Ilyich；　I　thought　of　that；〃　Andropov　responded。　〃But　the　political　implications　of　this　matter　mand　attention　by　the　entire　Politburo。〃
　　　〃Yes；　I　can　see　that；〃　the　General　Secretary　agreed　with　a　nod。　What　he　did　not　see　was　that　Andropov　had　carefully　followed　this　course　so　as　not　to　be　seen　as　an　adventurer　by　the　men　who　would　someday　soon　elect　him　to　his　own　head　chair。　〃Very　well；　Yuriy。　I　cannot　object　to　that；〃　Brezhnev　said　thoughtfully。
　　　〃It's　still　a　dangerous　thing　to　contemplate；〃　said　the　Secretary　of　the　Russian　Soviet　Federated　Socialist　Republic。　〃I　must　say　that　I　am　not　entirely　fortable　with　this　plan。〃
　　　〃Gregoriy　Vasil'yevich；〃　the　Ukrainian　Party　boss　responded；　〃about　Poland…if　their　government　falls；　there　will　be　consequences　for　me　that　I　do　not　find　attractive。　Nor　should　you；〃　he　warned。　〃If　this　Pole　returns　home；　the　results　could　be　ruinous　to　all　of　us。〃
　　　〃I　understand　that；　but　murder　of　a　chief　of　state　is　nothing　to　be　undertaken　lightly。　I　think　we　ought　to　warn　him　first。　There　are　ways　to　get　his　attention。〃
　　　The　Minister　for　Foreign　Affairs　shook　his　head。　〃I've　already　said　it…a　waste　of　time。　Men　like　this　do　not　understand　what　death　is。　We　could　threaten　his　church　members　in　the　Warsaw　Pact；　but　that　would　probably　only　have　the　opposite　effect　of　what　we　desire。　It　would　give　us　the　worst　of　all　worlds；　the　consequences　of　attacking　the　Roman　Church　without　the　option　of　eliminating　this　troublesome　churchman。　No。〃　He　shook　his　head。　〃If　it　is　to　be　done；　then　it　must　be　done　properly；　decisively；　and　speedily。　Yuriy　Vladimirovich；　how　long　to　acplish　this　mission？〃
　　　〃Colonel　Rozhdestvenskiy？〃　the　KGB　Chairman　asked。
　　　All　heads　turned　to　the　colonel；　and　he　did　his　best　to　keep　his　voice　level。　This　was　very　deep　water　for　a　mere　colonel。　The　entire　operation　now　rested　on　his　shoulders；　a　possibility　he　had　somehow　never　fully　considered。　But　if　he　was　to　get　his　general's　stars；　he　had　to　take　this　responsibility；　didn't　he？
　　　〃rade　Minister；　I　would　estimate　four　to　six　weeks；　if　you　authorize　the　operation　today；　and　so　notify　the　Bulgarian　Politburo。　We　will　be　using　one　of　their　assets；　for　which　their　permission　is　necessary。〃
　　　〃Andrey　Andreyevich？〃　Brezhnev　asked。　〃How　cooperative　will　they　be　in　Sofia？〃
　　　The　Foreign　Minister　took　a　moment。　〃That　depends　on　what　we　ask　them　and　how　we　ask　it。　If　they　know　the　purpose　of　the　operation；　they　might　dally　somewhat。〃
　　　〃Can　we　ask　their　cooperation　without　telling　them　what　it　is　for？〃　Ustinov　asked。
　　　〃Yes；　I　think　so。　We　can　just　offer　them　a　hundred　new　tanks　or　some　fighter　aircraft；　as　a　gesture　of　socialist　solidarity；〃　the　Minister　for　Foreign　Affairs　suggested。
　　　〃Be　generous；〃　Brezhnev　agreed。　〃I'm　sure　they　have　a　request　floating　in　the　Defense　Ministry；　yes；　Dmitriy？〃
　　　〃Always！〃　Marshal　Ustinov　confirmed。　〃It's　all　they　ever　ask　for；　more　tanks　and　more　MiGs！〃
　　　〃Then　load　the　tanks　on　a　train　and　send　them　to　Sofia。　rades；　we　have　a　vote　to　take；〃　the　General　Secretary　told　the　Politburo。　The　eleven　voting　members　felt　a　little　bit　railroaded。　The　seven　〃candidate；〃　or　nonvoting；　members　just　watched　and　nodded。
　　　As　usual；　the　vote　was　unanimous。　No　one　voted　no；　despite　the　fact　that　some　of　them　had　doubts　concealed　in　their　silence。　In　this　room；　one　did　not　want　to　stray　too　far　from　the　kollectiv　spirit。　Power　here　was　as　circumscribed　as　everywhere　else　in　the　world；　a　fact　upon　which　they　rarely　reflected　and　on　which　they　never　acted。
　　　〃Very　well。〃　Brezhnev　turned　his　head　to　Andropov。　〃KGB　is　authorized　to　undertake　this　operation；　and　may　God　have　mercy　on　his　Polish　soul；〃　he　added；　in　a　bit　of　peasant　levity。　〃So；　what　is　next？〃
　　　〃rade；　if　I　may。。。〃　Andropov　said；　getting　a　nod。　〃Our　brother　and　friend　Mikhail　Andreyevich　Suslov　will　soon　depart　this　life；　after　long　and　devoted　service　to　the　Party　we　all　hold　dear。　His　chair　is　already　empty　due　to　his　illness；　and　needs　filling。　I　propose　Mikhail　Yevgeniyevich　Alexandrov　as　the　next　Central　mittee　Secretary　for　Ideology；　with　full　voting　membership　in　the　Politburo。〃
　　　Alexandrov　even　managed　to　blush。　He　held　up　his　hands　and　spoke　with　the　utmost　sincerity。　〃rades；　my…our…friend　is　still　alive。　I　cannot　take　his　place　while　he　still　lives。〃
　　　〃It　is　good　of　you　to　put　it　that　way；　Misha；〃　the　General　Secretary　observed；　using　the　affectionate　abbreviation　for　his　Christian　name。　〃But　Mikhail　Andreyevich　is　gravely　ill　and　has　not　long　to　live。　I　suggest　that　we　table　Yuriy's　motion　for　the　moment。　Such　an　appointment　must；　of　course；　be　ratified　by　the　Central　mittee　as　a　whole。〃　But　that　was　less　than　a　formality；　as　everyone　here　knew。　Brezhnev　had　just　given　his　blessing　to　Alexandrov's　promotion；　and　that　was　all　he　needed。
　　　〃Thank　you；　rade　General　Secretary。〃　And　now　Alexandrov　could　look　at　the　empty　chair　at　Brezhnev's　left　hand　and　know　that　in　a　few　weeks　it　would　soon　be　his　officially。　He'd　weep　like　all　the　others　when　Suslov　died；　and　the　tears　would　be　just　as　cold。　And　Mikhail　Andreyevich　would　even　understand。　His　biggest　problem　now　was　facing　death；　the　greatest　of　life's　mysteries；　and　wondering　what　lay　on　the　other　side　of　it。　It　was　something　everyone　at　the　table　would　have　to　face；　but　for　all　of　them　it　was　sufficiently　distant　to　be　dismissed。。。　for　the　moment。　That；　Yuriy　Andropov　thought；　was　one　difference　between　them　and　the　Pope；　who　was　soon　to　die　at　their　hands。
　　　The　meeting　broke　up　just　after　four　in　the　afternoon。　The　men　took　their　leave；　as　always；　with　friendly　words　and　shaken　hands；　before　they　went　their　separate　ways。　Andropov；　with　Colonel　Rozhdestvenskiy　in　tow；　headed　out　toward　the　end。　Soon　he　would　be　the　last　to　leave；　as　was　the　prerogative　of　the　General　Secretary。
　　　〃rade　Chairman；　a　moment；　if　you　would　allow　it；〃　Rozhdestvenskiy　said；　heading　for　the　men's　room。　He　emerged　a　minute　and　a　half　later　with　an　easier　stride。
　　　〃You　did　well；　Aleksey；〃　Andropov　told　him；　as　they　resumed　their　way　out…the　Chairman　took　the　steps　down　instead　of　the　elevator。　〃So；　what　did　you　make　of　it？〃
　　　〃rade　Brezhnev　is　frailer　than　I　expected。〃
　　　〃Yes；　he　is。　It　didn't　help　him　very　much　to　stop　smoking；〃　Andropov　reached　into　his　coat　pocket　for　his　Marlboros…at　the　Politburo　meetings；　people　now　avoided　smoking；　out　of　deference　to　Leonid　Ilyich；　and　the　KGB　Chairman　needed　a　cigarette　right　now。　〃What　else？〃
　　　〃It　was　remarkably　collegial。　I　expected　more　disagreement；　more　arguing；　I　suppose。〃　Discussions　between　spooks　at　#2　Dzerzhinskiy　Square　were　far　more　lively；　especially　when　discussing　operations。
　　　〃They　are　all　cautious　players；　Aleksey。　Those　with　so　much　power　at　their　fingertips　always　are…and　they　should　be。　But　they　often　do　not　take　action　because　they　fear　doing　anything　new　and　different。〃　Andropov　knew　that　his　country　needed　new　and　different　things；　and　wondered　how　difficult　it　would　be　for　him　to　bring　them　about。
　　　〃But；　rade　Chairman；　our　operation…〃
　　　〃That's　different；　Colonel。　When　they　feel　threatened；　then　they　can　take　action。　They　fear　the　Pope。　And　they　are　probably　right　to。　Don't　you　think？〃
　　　〃rade　Chairman；　I　am　a　colonel　only。　I　serve。　I　do　not　rule。〃
　　　〃Keep　it　that　way；　Aleksey。　It's　safer。〃　Andropov　entered　the　car　and　sat　down；　and　immediately　became　lost　in　his　thoughts。
　　　An　hour　later；　Zaitzev　was　finishing　up　his　day　and　awaiting　his　relief。　Then　Colonel　Rozhdestvenskiy　appeared　at　his　side　without　warning。
　　　〃Captain；　I　need　you　to　send　this　out　to　Sofia　immediately。〃　He　paused。　〃Does　anyone　else　see　these　messages？〃
　　　〃No；　rade　Colonel。　The　message　designator　labels　it　as　something　to　e　to　me　only。　That　is　in　the　order　book。〃
　　　〃Good。　Let's　keep　it　that　way。〃　He　handed　over　the　blank。
　　　〃By　your　or