Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by John le Carré

‘What would you use for a job like this? Cars?’

‘Pavement artists. Put a bus back by the air terminal, walk them through, turn ’em over.’

‘How many?’

‘Eight, ten. This time of year six maybe. We got a lot ill. Christmas,’ he said morosely.

‘And one man alone?’

‘Never. You crazy. One man! You think I run a toffee shop these days?’

Leaving the window, Smiley sat down again.

‘Listen, George, that’s a terrible idea you got there, you know that? I’m a patriotic fellow. Jesus,’ Toby repeated.

‘What is Polyakov’s job in the London residency?’ Smiley asked.

‘Polly works solo.’

‘Running his master spy inside the Circus?’

‘Sure. They take him off regular work, give him a free hand so’s he can handle Toby, master spy. We work it all out, hours on end I sit with him. “Listen,” I say. “Bill is suspecting me, my wife is suspecting me, my kid got measles and I can’t pay the doctor.” All the crap that agents give you, I give it to Polly, so’s he can pass it home for real.’

‘And who’s Merlin?’

Esterhase shook his head.

‘But at least you’ve heard he’s based in Moscow,’ Smiley said. ‘And a member of the Soviet Intelligence establishment, whatever else he isn’t?’

‘That much they tell me,’ Esterhase agreed.

‘Which is how Polyakov can communicate with him. In the Circus’s interest of course. Secretly, without his own people becoming suspicious?’

‘Sure.’ Toby resumed his lament, but Smiley seemed to be listening to sounds that were not in the room.

‘And Tinker, Tailor?’

‘I don’t know what the hell it is. I do what Percy tells me.’

‘And Percy told you to square Jim Prideaux?’

‘Sure. Maybe was Bill, or Roy maybe; listen, it was Roy. I got to eat, George, understand? I don’t cut my throat two ways, follow me?’

‘It is the perfect fix: you see that, don’t you, Toby, really?’ Smiley remarked in a quiet, rather distant way. ‘Assuming it is a fix. It makes everyone wrong who’s right: Connie Sachs, Jerry Westerby… Jim Prideaux… even Control. Silences the doubters before they’ve even spoken out… the permutations are infinite, once you’ve brought off the basic lie. Moscow Centre must be allowed to think she has an important Circus source; Whitehall on no account must get wind of the same notion. Take it to its logical conclusion and Gerald would have us strangling our own children in their beds. It would be beautiful in another context,’ he remarked almost dreamily. ‘Poor Toby: yes, I do see. What a time you must have been having, running between them all.’

Toby had his next speech ready: ‘Naturally if there is anything I can do of a practical nature, you know me, George, I am always pleased to help, no trouble. My boys are pretty well trained, you want to borrow them, maybe we can work a deal. Naturally I have to speak to Lacon first. All I want, I want to get this thing cleared up. For the sake of the Circus, you know. That’s all I want. The good of the firm. I’m a modest man, I don’t want anything for myself, okay?’

‘Where’s this safe house you keep exclusively for Polyakov?’

‘Five, Lock Gardens, Camden Town.’

‘With a caretaker?’

‘Mrs McCraig.’

‘Lately a listener?’

‘Sure.’

‘Is there built-in audio?’

‘What you think?’

‘So Millie McCraig keeps house and mans the recording instruments.’

She did, said Toby, ducking his head with great alertness.

‘In a minute I want you to telephone her and tell her I’m staying the night and I’ll want to use the equipment. Tell her I’ve been called in on a special job and she’s to do whatever I ask. I’ll be round about nine. What’s the procedure for contacting Polyakov if you want a crash meeting?’

‘My boys have a room on Haverstock Hill. Polly drives past the window each morning on the way to the Embassy, each night going home. If they put up a yellow poster protesting against traffic, that’s the signal.’

‘And at night? At weekends?’

‘Wrong number phone call. But nobody likes that.’

‘Has it ever been used?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘You mean you don’t listen to his phone?’

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