tc.redrabbit-第74部分

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　　　〃Many　Russians　do。〃　Then　he　switched　gears。　It　was　time　to　go　back　to　business。　〃Have　you　decided　that　you　can　help　me　or　not？〃
　　　〃Yes；　Oleg　Ivan'ch；　we　can。　Your　daughter　is　darling。　Her　name　is　Svetlana？〃
　　　The　munications　officer　nodded。　〃Yes；　that　is　my　little　zaichik。〃
　　　The　irony　of　that　was　positively　eerie。　Their　Rabbit　called　his　little　girl　his　bunny。　It　generated　a　brilliant　smile。　〃So；　Oleg；　how　do　we　get　you　to　America？〃
　　　〃You　ask　me　this？〃　he　asked　with　no　small　degree　of　incredulity。
　　　〃Well；　we　need　some　information。　Your　hobbies　and　interests；　for　example；　and　your　wife's。〃
　　　〃I　play　chess。　More　than　anything　else；　I　read　books　on　old　chess　matches。　My　wife　is　more　classically　educated　than　I。　She　loves　music…classical　music；　not　the　trash　you　make　in　America。〃
　　　〃Any　particular　poser？〃
　　　He　shook　his　head。　〃Any　of　the　classical　posers；　Bach；　Mozart；　Brahms…I　do　not　know　all　of　the　names。　It　is　Irina's　passion。　She　studied　piano　as　a　child；　but　wasn't　quite　good　enough　to　get　official　state　training。　That　is　her　greatest　regret；　and　we　do　not　have　a　piano　for　her　to　practice　on；〃　he　added；　knowing　that　he　had　to　give　her　this　kind　of　information　to　assist　in　her　efforts　to　save　him　and　his　family。　〃What　else　do　you　require？〃
　　　〃Do　any　of　you　have　any　health　problems…medications；　for　example？〃　They　were　speaking　in　Russian　again；　and　Oleg　noted　her　elegant　language　skills。
　　　〃No；　we　are　all　quite　healthy。　My　Svetlana　has　been　through　all　the　usual　childhood　diseases；　but　without　plications　of　any　sort。〃
　　　〃Good。〃　That　simplifies　a　lot　of　things；　Mary　Pat　thought。　〃She's　a　lovely　little　girl。　You　must　be　very　proud　of　her。〃
　　　〃But　will　she　like　life　in　the　West？〃　he　worried　aloud。
　　　〃Oleg　Ivan'ch；　no　child　has　ever　had　reason　to　dislike　life　in　America。〃
　　　〃And　how　does　your　little　Edward　like　things　in　the　Soviet　Union？〃
　　　〃He　misses　his　friends；　of　course；　but　right　before　we　came　over；　we　took　him　to　Disney　World。　He　still　talks　a　lot　about　that。〃
　　　Then　came　a　surprise：　〃Disney　World？　What　is　that？〃
　　　〃It　is　a　large　mercial　business　made　for　the　pleasure　of　children…and　for　adults　who　remember　their　childhood。　It's　in　Florida；〃　she　added。
　　　〃I've　never　heard　of　it。〃
　　　〃You　will　find　it　remarkable　and　most　enjoyable。　More　so　for　your　daughter。〃　She　paused。　〃What　does　your　wife　think　of　your　plans？〃
　　　〃Irina　knows　nothing　of　this；〃　Zaitzev　said；　surprising　the　hell　out　of　his　American　interlocutor。
　　　〃What　did　you　say？〃　Are　you　out　of　your　fucking　mind？　MP　wondered　at　once。
　　　〃Irina　is　a　good　wife　to　me。　She　will　do　what　I　tell　her　to　do。〃　Russian　male　chauvinism　was　of　the　aggressive　variety。
　　　〃Oleg　Ivan'ch；　that　is　most　dangerous　for　you。　You　must　know　that。〃
　　　〃The　danger　to　me　is　being　caught　by　KGB。　If　that　happens；　I　am　a　dead　man；　and　so　is　someone　else；〃　he　added；　thinking　a　further　dangle　was　in　his　interest。
　　　〃Why　are　you　leaving？　What　convinced　you　that　it　is　necessary？〃　she　had　to　ask。
　　　〃KGB　is　planning　to　kill　a　man　who　does　not　deserve　to　die。〃
　　　〃Who？〃　And　she　had　to　ask　that　one；　too。
　　　〃That　I　will　tell　you　when　I　am　in　the　West。〃
　　　〃That　is　a　fair　response；〃　she　had　to　say　in　reply。　Playing　a　little　cagey；　aren't　we？
　　　〃One　other　thing；〃　he　added。
　　　〃Yes？〃
　　　〃Be　very　careful　what　items　you　transmit　to　your　headquarters。　There　is　reason　to　believe　your　munications　are　promised。　You　should　use　one…time　pads；　as　we　do　at　The　Centre。　Do　you　understand　what　I　am　telling　you？〃
　　　〃All　munications　about　you　were　first　encrypted　and　then　dispatched　by　Diplomatic　Bag　to　Washington。〃　When　she　said　that；　the　relief　on　his　face　was　real；　much　as　he　tried　to　hide　it。　And　the　Rabbit　had　just　told　her　something　of　very　great　importance。　〃Are　we　penetrated？〃
　　　〃That；　also；　is　something　I　will　discuss　only　in　the　West。〃
　　　Oh；　shit；　Mary　Pat　thought。　They　have　a　mole　somewhere；　and　he　might　be　in　the　White　House　Rose　Garden　for　all　we　know。　Oh；　shit。。。
　　　〃Very　well；　we　will　take　the　utmost　security　with　your　case；〃　she　promised。　But　that　meant　that　there'd　be　a　two…day　minimum　turnaround　time　for　important　signals。　It　was　back　to　World　War　One　procedures　with　this　guy。　Ritter　would　just　love　that。　〃Can　you　tell　me　what　methods　might　be　safe？〃
　　　〃The　British　changed　their　cipher　machines　about　four　months　ago。　We　have　as　yet　had　no　success　in　cracking　them。　That　I　know。　Exactly　which　of　your　signals　are　promised；　I　do　not　know；　but　I　do　know　that　some　are　fully　penetrated。　Please　keep　this　in　mind。〃
　　　〃That　I　will　do；　Oleg　Ivan'ch。〃　This　guy　had　information　that　CIA　needed…big…time。　Cracked　munications　were　the　most　dangerous　things　that　could　happen　to　any　covert　agency。　Wars　had　been　won　and　lost　over　such　things　as　that。　The　Russians　lacked　American　puter　technology；　but　they　did　have　some　of　the　world's　finest　mathematicians；　and　the　brain　between　a　person's　ears　was　the　most　dangerous　instrument　of　all；　and　a　damned　site　more　petent　that　the　ones　that　sat　on　a　desk　or　a　floor。　Did　Mike　Russell　have　any　of　the　old　one…time　pads　at　the　embassy？　CIA　had　used　them　once　upon　a　time；　but　their　cumbersome　nature　had　caused　them　to　be　discarded。　NSA　told　everybody　who'd　listen　that　on　his　best　day；　Seymour　Cray　couldn't　brute…force　their　ciphers；　even　with　his　brand…new　CRAY…2　superputer　on　amphetamines。　If　they　were　wrong；　it　could　hurt　America　in　ways　too　vast　to　prehend。　But　there　were　many　cipher　systems；　and　those　who　cracked　one　could　not　necessarily　crack　another。　Or　so　everybody　said。。。　but　munications　security　was　not　her　area　of　expertise。　Even　she　had　to　trust　someone　and　something　once　in　a　while。　But　this　was　like　being　shot　in　the　back　by　the　starting　gun　in　a　hundred…meter　race　and　having　to　run　for　the　tape　anyway。　Damn。
　　　〃It　is　an　inconvenience；　but　we　will　do　what　is　necessary　to　protect　you。　You　want　to　be　taken　out　soon。〃
　　　〃This　week　would　be　very　helpful…not　so　much　for　my　needs　as　for　the　needs　of　a　man　whose　life　is　in　danger。〃
　　　〃I　see；〃　she　said；　not　quite　seeing。　This　guy　might　be　laying　a　line　on　her；　but　if　so；　he　was　doing　it　like　a　real　pro；　and　she　wasn't　getting　that　signal　from　this　guy。　No；　he　didn't　read　like　an　experienced　field　spook。　He　was　a　player；　but　not　her　kind　of　player。
　　　〃Very　well。　When　you　get　to　work　tomorrow；　make　a　contact　report；〃　she　told　him。
　　　That　one　surprised　him：　〃Are　you　serious？〃
　　　〃Of　course。　Tell　your　supervisor　that　you　met　an　American；　the　wife　of　a　minor　embassy　official。　Describe　me　and　my　son…〃
　　　〃And　tell　them　you　are　a　pretty　but　shallow　American　female　who　has　a　handsome　and　polite　little　boy；〃　he　surmised。　〃And　your　Russian　needs　a　little　work；　shall　we　say？〃
　　　〃You　learn　quickly；　Oleg　Ivan'ch。　I　bet　you　play　a　good　game　of　chess。〃
　　　〃Not　good　enough。　I　will　never　be　a　Grand　Master。〃
　　　〃We　all　have　our　limitations；　but　in　America　you　will　find　them　far　more　distant　than　they　are　in　the　Soviet　Union。〃
　　　〃By　the　end　of　the　week？〃
　　　〃When　my　husband　wears　his　bright　red　tie；　you　set　the　time　and　place　for　a　meeting。　Possibly　by　tomorrow　afternoon　you　will　get　your　signal；　and　we　will　make　the　arrangements。〃
　　　〃Good　day　to　you；　then。　Where　did　you　learn　your　Russian？〃
　　　〃My　grandfather　was　equerry　to　Aleksey　Nikolayevich　Romanov；〃　she　explained。　〃In　my　childhood；　he　told　me　many　stories　about　the　young　man　and　his　untimely　death。〃
　　　〃So；　your　hatred　for　the　Soviet　Union　runs　deep；　eh？〃
　　　〃Only　for　your　government；　Oleg。　Not　for　the　people　of　this　country。　I　would　see　you　free。〃
　　　〃Someday；　perhaps；　but　not　soon。〃
　　　〃History；　Oleg　Ivan'ch；　is　made　not　of　a　few　big　things　but　of　many　small　things。〃　That　was　one　of　her　core　beliefs。　Again；　for　the　cameras　that　might　be　there　or　not；　she　shook　his　hand　and　called　her　son。　They　walked　around　the　park　for　another　hour　before　heading　back　home　for　lunch。
　　　But　for　lunch　instead　they　all　drove　to　the　embassy；　talking　on　the　way　about　nothing　more　sensitive　than　the　admirably　clear　weather。　Once　there；　they　all　had　hot　dogs　in　the　embassy　canteen；　and　then　Eddie　went　to　the　day…care　room。　Ed　and　Mary　Pat　went　to　his　office。
　　　〃He　said　what？〃　the　Chief　of　Station　snapped。
　　　〃He　said　his　wife…named　Irina；　by　the　way…doesn't　know　his　plans；〃　Mary　Pat　repeated。
　　　〃Son　of　a　bitch！〃　her　husband　observed　at　once。
　　　〃Well；　it　does　simplify　some　of　our　exposure。　At　least　she　can't　let　anything　slip。〃　His　wife　was　always　the　optimist；　Ed　saw。
　　　〃Yeah；　baby；　until　we　try　to　make　the　exfiltration；　and　she　decides　not　to　go　anywhere。〃
　　　〃He　says　she'll　do　what　he　says。　You　know；　the　men　here　like　to　rule　the　roost。〃
　　　〃That　wouldn't　work　with　you；〃　the　Chief　of　Station　pointed　out。　For　several　reasons；　not　the　least　of　which　was　that　her　balls　were　every　bit　as　big　as　his。
　　　〃I'm　not　Russian；　Eddie。〃
　　　〃Okay；　what　else　did　he　say？〃
　　　〃He　doesn't　trust　our　ms。　He　thinks　some　of　our　systems　are　promised。〃
　　　〃Jesus！〃　He　paused。　〃Any　other　good　news？〃
　　　〃The　reason　he's　skipping　town　is　that　KGB　wants　to　kill　somebody　who；　he　says；　doesn't　deserve　to　be　killed。〃
　　　〃Did　he　say　who？〃
　　　〃Not　until　he　breathes　free　air。　But　there　is　good　news。　His　wife　is　a　classical　music　buff。　We　need　to