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d　other　Marxist　nations。　Hmm；　he　thought；　that's　a　good　idea。　Most　of　the　Soviet　Union's　allies　had　intelligence　services；　and　most　of　them　were　under　KGB's　thumb。
　　　The　best　of　them　was　the　DDR's　Stasi；　superbly　operated　by　its　director；　Markus　Wolf。　But　there　were　few　Muslims　there。　The　Poles　were　good；　as　well；　but　there　was　no　way　he　would　use　them　for　this　operation。　The　Catholics　had　it　penetrated…and　that　meant　the　West　had　it　penetrated　as　well；　if　only　at　second　hand。　Hungary…no；　again　the　country　was　too　Catholic；　and　the　only　Muslims　there　were　foreigners　in　ideological　training　camps　for　terrorist　groups；　and　those　he　probably　ought　not　to　use。　The　same　was　true　of　the　Czechs。　Romania　was　not　regarded　as　a　true　Soviet　ally。　Its　ruler；　though　a　stern　munist；　played　too　much　like　the　gypsy　gangsters　native　to　his　country。　That　left。。。　Bulgaria。　Of　course。　Neighbor　to　Turkey；　and　Turkey　was　a　Muslim　country；　but　one　with　a　secularized　culture　and　a　lot　of　good　gangster　material。　And　the　Bulgars　had　a　lot　of　cross…border　contacts；　often　covered　as　smuggling　activity；　which　they　used　to　get　NATO　intelligence；　just　as　Goderenko　did　in　Rome。
　　　So；　they　would　use　the　rezident　in　Sofia　to　get　the　Bulgars　to　do　their　dirty　work。　They　had　a　debt　of　long　standing　to　KGB；　after　all。　Moscow　Centre　had　enabled　them　to　dispose　of　their　wayward　national　on　Westminster　Bridge　in　a　very　clever　operation　that　been　partially　blown　only　by　the　worst　case　of　bad　luck。
　　　But　there　was　a　lesson　in　that；　Colonel　Rozhdestvenskiy　reminded　himself。　Just　as　with　that　Mafia　killing；　the　operation　could　not　be　so　clever　as　to　point　directly　to　KGB。　No；　this　one　had　to　look　gangsterish　in　its　execution。　Even　then；　there　were　dangers。　Western　governments　would　have　their　suspicions…but　with　no　direct　or　even　indirect　connection　to　Dzerzhinskiy　Square；　they　would　not　be　able　to　talk　about　it　in　public。。。
　　　Would　that　be　good　enough？　he　asked　himself。
　　　The　Italians；　the　Americans；　and　the　British　would　all　wonder。　They　would　whisper；　and　perhaps　those　whispers　would　find　their　way　into　the　public　press。　Did　that　matter？
　　　It　depended　on　how　important　this　operation　was　to　Andropov　and　the　Politburo；　didn't　it？　There　would　be　risks；　but　in　the　great　political　reckoning；　you　weighed　the　risks　against　the　importance　of　the　mission。
　　　So　Station　Rome　would　be　the　reconnaissance　element。　Station　Sofia　would　contract　the　Bulgarians　to　hire　the　shooter…it　would　probably　have　to　be　done　with　a　pistol。　Getting　close　enough　to　use　a　knife　was　too　difficult　a　task　to　plan　for　seriously；　and　rifles　were　too　hard　to　conceal；　though　a　sub…machine　gun　was　always　the　weapon　of　choice　for　something　like　this。　And　the　shooter　would　not　even　be　a　citizen　of　a　socialist　country。　No；　they'd　get　one　from　a　NATO　country。　There　was　some　degree　of　plexity　here。　But　not　all　that　much。
　　　Rozhdestvenskiy　lit　up　another　cigarette　and　mentally　walked　back　and　forth　through　his　reasoning；　looking　for　errors；　looking　for　weaknesses。　There　were　some。　There　were　always　some。　The　real　problem　would　be　in　finding　a　good　Turk　to　do　the　shooting。　For　that　they　had　to　depend　on　the　Bulgars。　Just　how　good　were　their　clandestine　services？　Rozhdestvenskiy　had　never　worked　directly　with　them；　and　knew　them　only　by　reputation。　That　reputation　was　not　entirely　good。　They　reflected　their　government；　which　was　cruder　and　more　thuggish　than　Moscow；　not　very　kulturniy；　but　he　supposed　that　was　partly　Russian　chauvinism　on　the　KGB's　part。　Bulgaria　was　Moscow's　little　brother；　politically　and　culturally；　and　big　brother…little　brother　thinking　was　inescapable。　They　just　had　to　be　good　enough　to　have　decent　contacts　in　Turkey；　and　that　meant　just　one　good　intelligence　officer；　preferably　one　trained　in　Moscow。　There　would　be　a　lot　of　those；　and　KGB's　own　academy　would　have　the　necessary　records。　The　Sofia　rezident　might　even　know　him　personally。
　　　This　theoretical　exercise　was　shaping　up；　Colonel　Rozhdestvenskiy　thought　to　himself；　with　some　degree　of　pride。　So　he　still　knew　how　to　set　up　a　good　field　operation；　despite　having　bee　a　headquarters　drone。　He　smiled　as　he　stubbed　out　his　smoke。　Then　he　lifted　his　white　phone　and　dialed　111　for　the　Chairman's　office。
　　　
　　　CHAPTER　8　…　THE　DISH
　　　〃Thank　you；　Aleksey　Nikolay'ch。That　is　a　most　interesting　concept。　So；　how　do　we　move　forward；　then？〃
　　　〃rade　Chairman；　we　have　Rome　keep　us　updated　on　the　Pope's　schedule…as　far　in　advance　as　possible。　We　do　not　let　them　know　of　the　existence　of　any　operation。　They　are　merely　a　source　of　information。　When　the　time　es；　we　might　wish　for　one　of　their　officers　to　be　in　the　area　merely　to　observe；　but　it　is　better　for　all　concerned　that　Goderenko　knows　as　little　as　possible。〃
　　　〃You　do　not　trust　him？〃
　　　〃No；　rade　Chairman。　Excuse　me；　I　did　not　mean　to　give　that　impression。　But　the　less　he　knows；　the　less　he　might　ask　questions　or　inadvertently　ask　things　of　his　personnel　that　might　tip　matters　off；　even　innocently。　We　choose　our　Chiefs　of　Station　for　their　intelligence；　for　their　ability　to　see　things　where　others　do　not。　Should　he　sense　that　something　is　happening；　his　professional　expertise　might　pel　him　at　least　to　keep　watch…and　that　might　impede　the　operation。〃
　　　〃Freethinkers；〃　Andropov　snorted。
　　　〃Can　it　be　any　other　way？〃　Rozhdestvenskiy　asked　reasonably。　〃There　is　always　that　price　when　you　hire　men　of　intelligence。〃
　　　Andropov　nodded。　He　was　not　so　much　a　fool　as　to　ignore　the　lesson。
　　　〃Good　work；　Colonel。　What　else？〃
　　　〃Timing　is　crucial；　rade　Chairman。〃
　　　〃How　long　to　set　something　like　this　up？〃　Andropov　asked。
　　　〃Certainly　a　month；　likely　more。　Unless　you　have　people　already　in　place；　these　things　always　take　longer　than　you　hope　or　expect；〃　Rozhdestvenskiy　explained。
　　　〃I　shall　need　that　much　time　to　get　approval　for　this。　But　we　will　go　forward　with　operational　planning；　so　that　when　approval　es；　we　can　execute　as　rapidly　as　possible。〃
　　　Execute；　Rozhdestvenskiy　thought；　was　the　right　choice　of　words；　but　even　he　found　it　cold。　And　he　had　said　when　approval　es；　not　if；　the　colonel　noted。　Well；　Yuriy　Vladimirovich　was　supposed　to　be　the　most　powerful　man　on　the　Politburo　now；　and　that　suited　Aleksey　Nikolay'ch。　What　was　good　for　his　agency　was　also　good　for　him；　especially　in　his　new　job。　There　might　be　general's　stars　at　the　end　of　this　professional　rainbow；　and　that　possibility　suited　him　as　well。
　　　〃How　would　you　proceed？〃　the　Chairman　asked。
　　　〃I　should　cable　Rome　to　assuage　Goderenko's　fears　and　tell　him　that　his　tasking　for　the　moment　is　to　ascertain　the　Pope's　schedule　for　traveling；　appearances；　and　so　forth。　Next；　I　will　cable　Ilya　Bubovoy。　He's　our　rezident　in　Sofia。　Have　you　met　him；　rade　Chairman？〃
　　　Andropov　searched　his　memory。　〃Yes；　at　a　reception。　He's　overweight；　isn't　he？〃
　　　Rozhdestvenskiy　smiled。　〃Yes；　Ilya　Fedorovich　has　always　fought　that；　but　he's　a　good　officer。　He's　been　there　for　four　years；　and　he　enjoys　good　relations　with　the　Dirzhavna　Sugurnost。〃
　　　〃Grown　a　mustache；　has　he？〃　Andropov　asked；　with　a　rare　hint　of　humor。　Russians　often　chided　their　neighbors　for　facial　hair；　which　seemed　to　be　a　national　characteristic　of　Bulgarians。
　　　〃That　I　do　not　know；〃　the　colonel　admitted。　He　was　not　yet　so　obsequious　as　to　promise　to　find　out。
　　　〃What　will　your　cable　to　Sofia　say？〃
　　　〃That　we　have　an　operational　requirement　for…〃
　　　The　Chairman　cut　him　off：　〃Not　in　a　cable。　Fly　him　here。　I　want　security　very　tight　on　this；　and　flying　him　back　and　forth　from　Sofia　will　raise　few　eyebrows。〃
　　　〃By　your　order。　Immediately？〃　Rozhdestvenskiy　asked。
　　　〃Da。　Yes；　at　once。〃
　　　The　colonel　came　to　his　feet。　〃Right　away；　rade　Chairman。　I　will　go　to　munications　directly。〃
　　　Chairman　Andropov　watched　him　leave。　One　nice　thing　about　KGB；　Yuriy　Vladimirovich　thought；　when　you　gave　orders　here；　things　actually　happened。　Unlike　the　Party　Secretariat。
　　　Colonel　rozhdestvenskiy　took　the　elevator　back　down　to　the　basement　and　headed　for　munications。　Captain　Zaitzev　was　back　at　his　desk；　doing　his　paperwork　as　usual…that's　all　he　had；　really…and　the　colonel　went　right　up　to　him。
　　　〃I　have　two　more　dispatches　for　you。〃
　　　〃Very　well；　rade　Colonel。〃　Oleg　Ivan'ch　held　out　his　hand。
　　　〃I　have　to　write　them　out；〃　Rozhdestvenskiy　clarified。
　　　〃You　can　use　that　desk　right　there；　rade。〃　The　municator　pointed。　〃Same　security　as　before？〃
　　　〃Yes；　one…time　pad　for　both。　One　more　for　Rome；　and　the　other　for　Station　Sofia。　Immediate　priority；〃　he　added。
　　　〃That　is　fine。〃　Zaitzev　handed　him　the　message　form　blanks　and　turned　back　to　his　work；　hoping　the　dispatches　wouldn't　be　too　lengthy。　They　had　to　be　pretty　important　for　the　colonel　to　e　down　here　even　before　they　were　drafted。　Andropov　must　have　a　real　bug　up　his　rectum。　Colonel　Rozhdestvenskiy　was　the　Chairman's　personal　gofer。　It　had　to　be　kind　of　demeaning　for　someone　with　the　skills　to　be　a　rezident　somewhere　interesting。　Travel；　after　all；　was　the　one　real　perk　KGB　offered　its　employees。
　　　Not　that　Zaitzev　got　to　travel。　Oleg　Ivanovich　knew　too　much　to　be　allowed　in　a　Western　country。　After　all；　he　might　not　e　back…KGB　always　worried　about　that。　And　for　the　first　time；　he　wondered　why。　That　was　the　kind　of　day　it　had　been。　Why　did　KGB　worry　so　much　about　possible　defections？　He'd　seen　dispatches　openly　discussing　the　troublesome　possibility；　and　he'd　seen　officers　who　had　been　brought　home　to　〃talk〃　about　it　here　in　The　Centre　and　often　never　returned　to　the　field。　He'd　always　known　about　it；　but　he'd　never　actually　thought　about　it　for　as　much　as　thirty　seconds。
　　　They　left　because…because　they　thought　their　state　was　wrong？　Could　they　actually　think　it　was　so　bad　they　would　do　something　so　drastic　as　betray　their　Motherland？　That；　Zaitzev　belatedly　realized；　was　a　very　big　thought。
　　　And　yet；　what　was　KGB　but　an　agency　that　lived　on　betrayal？　How　many　hundreds…thousands…of　dispatches　had　he　read　about　just　that？　Those　were　Westerners…Americans；　Britons；　Germans；　Frenchmen…all　used　by　KGB　to　find　out　things　that　his　country　wanted　to　know…and　they　were　all　traitors　to　their　mother　countries；　weren't　they？　They　did　it　mainly　for　money。　He'd　seen　a　lot　of　those　messages；　too；　discussions　b