THE LOOKING GLASS WAR by John LeCarré

“Who of us does believe?” asked Haldane with contempt. “You said yourself: we do the job.”

“I believe,” Avery declared.

Haldane was about to speak when the green telephone rang. “That will be the Ministry,” Leclerc said. “Now what do I tell them?” Haldane was watching him.

He picked up the receiver, put it to his ear then handed it across the table. “It’s the exchange. Why on earth did they come through on green? Somebody asking for Captain Hawkins. That’s you, isn’t it?”

Haldane listened, his thin face expressionless. Finally he said, “I imagine so. We’ll find someone. There should be no difficulty. Tomorrow at eleven. Kindly be punctual,” and rang off. The light in Leclerc’s room seemed to ebb toward the thinly curtained window. The rain fell ceaselessly outside.

“That was Leiser. He’s decided he’ll do the job. He wants to know whether we can find someone to take care of his garage while he’s away.”

Leclerc looked at him in astonishment. Pleasure spread comically over his face. “You expected it!” he cried. He stretched out his small hand. “I’m sorry, Adrian. I misjudged you. I congratulate you warmly.”

“Why did he accept?” Avery asked excitedly. “What made him change his mind?”

“Why do agents ever do anything? Why, do any of us?” Haldane sat down. He looked old but inviolate, like a man whose friends had already died. “Why do they consent or refuse, why do they lie or tell the truth? Why do any of us?” He began coughing again. “Perhaps he’s underemployed. It’s the Germans: he hates them. That’s what he says. I place no value on that. Then he said he couldn’t let us down. I assume he means himself.”

To Leclerc he added, “The war rules: that was right, wasn’t it?”

But Leclerc was dialing the Ministry.

Avery went into the Private Office. Carol was standing up.

“What’s going on?” she said quickly. “What’s the excitement?”

“It’s Leiser.” Avery closed the door behind him. “He’s agreed to go.” He stretched out his arms to embrace her. It would be the first time.

“Why?”

“Hatred of the Germans, he says. My guess is money.”

“Is that a good thing?”

Avery grinned knowingly. “As long as we pay him more than the other side.”

“Shouldn’t you go back to your wife?” she said sharply. “I can’t believe you need to sleep here.”

“It’s operational.” Avery went to his room. She did not say good night.

Leiser put down the telephone. It was suddenly very quiet. The lights on the roof went out, leaving the room in darkness. He went quickly downstairs. He was frowning, as if his entire mental force were concentrated on the prospect of eating a second dinner.

Eleven

They chose Oxford as they had done in the war. The variety of nationalities and occupations, the constant coming and going of visiting academics and the resultant anonymity, the proximity of open country, all perfectly suited their needs. Besides, it was a place they could understand. The morning after Leiser had rung, Avery went ahead to find a house. The following day he telephoned Haldane to say he had taken one for a month in the north of the town, a large Victorian affair with four bedrooms and a garden. It was very expensive. It was known in the Department as the Mayfly house and carded under Live Amenities.

As soon as Haldane heard, he told Leiser. At Leiser’s suggestion it was agreed that he should put it about that he was attending a course in the Midlands.

“Don’t give any details,” Haldane had said. “Have your mail sent poste restante to Coventry. We’ll get it picked up from there.” Leiser was pleased when he heard it was Oxford.

Leclerc and Woodford had searched desperately for someone to run the garage in Leiser’s absence; suddenly they thought of McCulloch. Leiser gave him power of attorney and spent a hasty morning showing him the ropes. “We’ll offer you some kind of guarantee in return,” Haldane said.

“I don’t need it,” Leiser replied, explaining quite seriously. “I’m working for English gentlemen.”

On Friday night, Leiser had telephoned his consent; by Wednesday, preparations were sufficiently advanced for Leclerc to convene a meeting of Special Section and outline his plans. Avery and Haldane were to be with Leiser in Oxford; the two of them would leave the following evening by which time he understood that Haldane would be ready with his syllabus. Leiser would arrive in Oxford a day or two later, as soon as his own arrangements were complete. Haldane was to supervise his training, Avery to act as Haldane’s assistant. Woodford would remain in London. Among his tasks was that of consulting with the Ministry (and Sandford of Research) in order to assemble instructional material on the external specifications of short- and medium-range rockets, and thus provided come himself to Oxford.

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