the fool is systematically destroying a possible route for future Soviet supremacy!’
‘Then he’s a traitor?’ Dolgikh’s eyes narrowed. The Soviet Union was all. Power struggles within the structure were only to be expected, but treachery of this sort was something else. ‘No.’ Gerenko shook his head. ‘He’s a dupe. Now listen: At this very moment Krakovitch, Gulharov and Quint are stalled at a crossing-point on the Moldavian horder. I organised that through Andropov. I know where they want to go, and very shortly I’ll be sending you to deal with them there. When exactly rather depends on how much we get from Kyle. But in any case we must stop them from doing any more damage. Which means
that time is of the essence; they can’t be stalled forever, and soon must be allowed to proceed. Also, they know the location of whatever it is they’re seeking, and we do not. Not yet. Tomorrow morning you will be there to follow them to their destination, their ultimate destination. At least I hope so. .
Dolgikh frowned. ‘They’ve destroyed something, you say? And they’ll do it again? What sort of something?’
‘If you had been in time to follow them into the Romanian hills, you’d probably have seen for yourself. But don’t worry about it. Let it suffice that this time they mustn’t succeed.’
As Gerenko finished speaking his telephone rang. He lifted it to his ear — and his expression at once became wary, alert. ‘Comrade Krakovitch!’ he said. ‘I was begin-fling to worry about you. I had expected to hear from you before now. Are you in Chernovtsy?’ He looked pointedly across his desk at Dolgikh.
Even from where he sat, Dolgikh could hear the angry, tinny clatter of Krakovitch’s distant voice. Gerenko began to blink rapidly and a nervous tic jerked the corner of his mouth.
Finally, when Krakovitch was finished, he said, ‘Listen, Comrade. Ignore that stupid frontier guard. He isn’t worth losing your temper over. Just stay exactly where you are and in a few minutes I shall have full authorisation phoned through. But first let me speak to that idiot.’
He waited a moment, until he heard the slightly tremulous, inquiring voice of the border official, and then very quietly said, ‘Listen. Do you recognise my voice? Good! In approximately ten minutes I shall phone again and tell you I am the commissioner for Frontier Control in Moscow. Ensure that you and you alone answer the phone, and that you can’t be overheard. I will order you to let comrade Krakovitch and his friends through, and you will do so. Do you understand?’
‘Oh, yes, Comrade!’
‘If Krakovitch should ask you what I have just said, tell him I was shouting at you and calling you a fool.’
‘Yes, of course, Comrade.’
‘Good!’ Gerenko put the phone down. He looked at Dolgikh. ‘As I was saying, I couldn’t hold them up forever. Already this affair is growing clumsy, becoming embarrassing. But even though they’ll now go through to Chernovtsy, they can do nothing tonight. And tomorrow you’ll be there to stop them doing anything.’
Dolgikh nodded. ‘Do you have any suggestions?’
‘In what respect?’
‘About how it should be done? If Krakovitch is a traitor, it seems to me that the easiest way of dealing with this would be —’
‘No!’ Gerenko cut him off. ‘That would be hard to prove. And he has the ear of the Party Leader, remember? We must never leave ourselves open to question in this matter.’ He tapped a finger on his desk, gave the problem a moment’s thought. ‘Ah! I think I may have it. I have called Krakovitch a dupe — so let it appear. Let Carl Quint be the guilty party! Arrange it so that he can be blamed. Let it be seen that the British espers came into Russia to discover what they could of E-Branch, and to kill its head. Why not? They’ve damaged the branch before, haven’t they? But on this occasion Quint will err and become a fatality of his own strategy.’
‘Good!’ said Dolgikh. ‘I’m sure I’ll work something out along those lines. And -of course I’ll be the only witness . .