The appointments buzzer sounded on his desk and Kazin responded at once, the dossier already open before him.

Vladislav Andreevich Belov was the director of the department within the First Chief Directorate responsible for espionage within the United States and Canada. He was a stick-dry, unemotional man who had linked himself to Kazin’s support of the old, out-of-date regimes and now, too late, accepted the mistake. The American proposal would provide the essential recovery, he knew: the uncertainty was presenting it through Kazin. The appointment of a new man to share overall control of the Directorate had to indicate that Kazin was in decline. It was too late now to switch the operation to the supervision of Vasili Malik, who was anyway someone with whom so far he had had no contact. Belov felt trapped; trapped and helpless.

‘We are finally ready!’ greeted Kazin. He was a small, fleshy man who perspired easily. He was sweating now, partially from an habitual nervousness which kept his leg pumping unseen beneath the desk, partially from the anticipation of how he could use the other man’s idea to his own benefit.

‘Almost,’ said Belov guardedly.

‘How long have we had John Willick as a CIA source?’ asked Kazin.

‘Five years.’

‘Burned out?’

‘It was getting close,’ said Belov. ‘He’s being transferred. We don’t know yet to what department.’

‘Suspicion?’

Why did Kazin need to query what was already in the report in front of him? Belov said: ‘He doesn’t think so. There is some personality clash with a new department head.’

‘Sacrificial then?’

‘That was the intention, from the beginning,’ reminded Belov.

‘Who is the conduit to be to the CIA?’

‘Kapalet,’ said Belov. ‘He’s been operating out of our embassy in Paris. We’re sure Washington is convinced he’s genuine.’