‘Telephone between London and Hamburg?’ Smiley interrupted, suggesting by his tone that this was new and unwelcome information.
‘They used word code, he tells me. Old pals, they know how to fox around. But not with the proof, says Vladi; with the proof there’s no foxing at all. No phones, no mails, no trucks, they got to have a camel, period. Vladi’s security-crazy, okay, this we know already. From now on, only Moscow Rules apply.’
Smiley remembered his own phone call to Hamburg of Saturday night, and wondered again what kind of establishment Otto Leipzig had been using as his telephone exchange.
‘Once the Circus has declared its interest,’ Toby continued, ‘they pay a down payment to Otto Leipzig of five thousand Swiss for an audition fee. George! Five thousand Swiss! For openers! Just to be in the game! Next – George, you got to hear this – next, Otto Leipzig to be flown to a safe house in England for the audition. George, I mean I never heard such craziness. You want the rest? If, following the audition, the Circus wants to buy the material itself – you want to hear how much?’
Smiley did.
‘Fifty grand Swiss. Maybe you want to sign me a cheque?’ Toby waited for a cry of outrage but none came.
‘All for Leipzig?’
‘Sure. They were Leipzig’s terms. Who else would be so cuckoo?’
‘What did Vladimir ask for himself?’
A small hesitation. ‘Nothing,’ said Toby reluctantly. Then, as if to leave that point behind, set off on a fresh wave of indignation.
‘Basta. So now all Hector got to do is fly to Hamburg at his own expense, take a train north and play rabbit for some crazy entrapment game that Otto Leipzig has lined up for himself with the East Germans, the Russians, the Poles, the Bulgarians, the Cubans, and also no doubt, being modern, the Chinese. I said to him – George, listen to me – I said to him : “Vladimir, old friend, excuse me, pay attention to me once. Tell me what in life is so important that the Circus pays five thousand Swiss from its precious reptile fund for one lousy audition with Otto Leipzig? Maria Callas never got so much and believe me she sings a damn lot better than Otto does.” He’s holding my arm. Here.’ Demonstrating, Toby grasped his own bicep. ‘Squeezing me like I am an orange. That old boy had some strength still, believe me. “Fetch the document for me, Hector.” He is speaking Russian. That’s a very quiet place, that museum. Everyone has stopped to listen to him. I had a bad feeling. He is weeping. “For the sake of God, Hector, I am an old man. I got no legs, no passport, no one I can trust but Otto Leipzig. Go to Hamburg and fetch the document. When he sees the proof, Max will believe me, Max has faith.” I try to console him, make some hints. I tell him émigrés are bad news these days, change of policy, new government. I advise him, “Vladimir, go home, play some chess. Listen, I come round to the library one day, have a game maybe.” Then he says to me : “Hector, I began this. It was me sent the order to Otto Leipzig telling him to explore the posirion. Me who sent the money to him for the groundwork, all I had.” Listen, that was an old, sad man. Past it.’
Toby made a pause but Smiley did not stir. Toby stood up, went to a cupboard, poured two glasses of an extremely indifferent sherry, and put one on the table beside the Degas maquette. He said ‘Cheers’ and drank back his glass, but still Smiley did not budge. His inertia rekindled Toby’s anger.
‘So I killed him, George, okay? It’s Hector’s fault, okay. Hector is personally and totally responsible for the old man’s death. That’s all I need.’ He flung out both hands, palms upward. ‘George! Advise me! George, for this story I should go to Hamburg, unofficial, no cover, no baby-sitter? Know where the East German border is up there? From Lübeck two kilometres? Less? Remember? In Travemünde you got to stay on the left of the street or you’ve defected by mistake.’ Smiley did not laugh. ‘And in the unlikely event I come back, I should call up George Smiley, go round to Saul Enderby with him, knock on the back door like a bum – “Let us in, Saul, please, we got hot information totally reliable from Otto Leipzig, only five grand Swiss for an audition concerning matters totally forbidden under the Boy Scout laws?” I should do this, George?’