'She doesn't know anything about the Romanian connection, Jack.'
'But she can put two-and-two together. And Audley's already told her far too much for my liking. I don't know what he was playing at, frankly.'
'Oh . . . David was taking a calculated risk. And for once I must support him, Jack. Because we really cannot afford the publication of another book. And particularly a book about R
& D ... So he really had to stop her somehow.'
'By telling her everything?'
'He didn't tell her everything, exactly . . . But, look at it this way, Jack: the Russians will rein in the Romanians now —
they know that no one will believe the DIE wasn't acting on their orders. And they certainly wouldn't like everyone to know that the Romanians have been feeding our disinformation to Moscow all these years — '
'I'm not worried about them. It's the woman Fielding I'm concerned with: she's well-connected. And she's tricky, like all journalists. And the man Robinson, who writes her books dummy2
— he can't be trusted, either.'
'Oh, I don't think he'll write this one, Jack.'
'No? Why not?'
'He doesn't want to, apparently. And . . . he's about to get the offer of a rather nice research fellowship at Rylands College in Cambridge, I happen to know.'
'How do you know?'
'I have a friend there who is an admirer of his work. We've had a little talk, and we both think Mr Robinson will be happier in the groves of academe. And he has rather gone off Miss Fielding-ffulke, Mitchell says.'
I see. But that still leaves her, Latimer.'
'Yes. But . . . well, I think we can leave her to David now, Jack.'
'To Audley?But—'
'They've rather taken to each other. And David says that she could be very useful to us, in the right place and handled properly. And . . .'
'And?'
'And David also particularly wants to know who put her on to him in the first place. He says that Masson turning up like that again . . . that was pure accident. But the Honourable Jennifer Fielding-ffulke overhearing one particular piece of gossip about her beloved godfather . . . that was too much of a coincidence. And David doesn't like coincidences. And nor, dummy2
I must say, do I.'
'You mean . . . it wasn't the Romanians?'
'We're not sure. But we do have other enemies. And it's as well to know who they are, don't you think?'
'Very well. But only on the strict understanding that no positive action is to be taken — is that understood, Latimer?
Not by you — and not by Audley: no settling of scores —
understood? We've had quite enough of that in this affair already.'
'Understood, Jack. "Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord". I'll tell David that.'
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