“That is reasonable.” The KGB officer smiled and filled two glasses with vodka. He pushed one across the desk towards Shaw’s chair. “Sit down again,” he said amicably, “and I will tell you.” As Shaw obeyed, the Russian took his own vodka in a gulp, wiped his lips, and refilled his glass. “Now, this is the situation. We have reports indicating certain Chinese elements have been infiltrating into our territory. They have come into the region of the Chalok River, that is not far from Lake Baikal, and they are believed to have come in via Mongolia, where the Chalok River rises. These Chinese have valid papers which our security services cannot fault, but we believe them to be false nevertheless. These persons are being watched, but no more than that for the moment.” Andreyev took another mouthful of vodka, then set his glass down hard on the desk, Folding his arms and lowering his head, he stared fixedly at Shaw. “Now — we also believe that your British Embassy, for reasons of its own that we do not know, is more concerned in this than they would care to admit.”
“Why should that be?”
Andreyev shrugged. “I have told you, we do not know.”
“Yes, but haven’t you any ideas at all. Why should they be interested in that area anyway?”
Andreyev said, “Because — and we make no secret of this now — in the general region of Lake Baikal there are very considerable deposits of uranium. We have been working there successfully for many years, but recently the area has become of more value to us than hitherto. Today, at Slyudyanka at the southern tip of the Chalok River, we have the centre of a very big atomic industry. There could be some connection, and this is all I can say, Cane. The point, so far as you are concerned, is this: we wish to know what your Embassy is up to — whether, indeed, they are backing the Chinese infiltration, and if so, for what purpose. Also what the Chinese intend to do.”
“Haven’t you other avenues?” Shaw asked blandly.
“Our normal methods of obtaining information,” Andreyev answered equally smoothly, “have proved useless, and so we need other help. What better than an Englishman — an Englishman who already is on friendly terms with this man Henderson?” He leaned forward heavily. “Now do you understand, Cane?”
“Perhaps,” Shaw answered, frowning. “What would you want me to do then… supposing I agree, that is?”
Andreyev said with assurance. “You will agree because really you have no choice, Cane. This is what you will do. Through Henderson you will contact Sir Hubert Worth-Butters—”
“I’m not experienced in that sort of thing,” Shaw broke in. “I’d be rumbled in the first five minutes.”
“Ah, but I shall cover that little point in one moment, Cane! I am confident that you can and will find out much of value.”
“I doubt it very much. If what you say is true — if the Embassy really is involved — no one’s going to talk to anyone about it, least of all me!”
“But that is where you are so wrong!” Andreyev said eagerly. “In all matters of obtaining classified information one could say much the same thing, yet many closely-guarded secrets are, in fact, found out, as you must know yourself — and not always from the purloining of documents, Cane.”
“Can’t you,” Shaw asked, “find out something directly from the Chinese? Infiltrate someone into their Embassy?”
Andreyev shook his head. “This would not be possible. This will be done my way, and you, Cane, will be my man. And in this particular case you yourself are going to tell Henderson precisely what I have said to you — but up to this point in our conversation only. Is this clear?”
Shaw felt as rocked as he looked. “At the moment it’s very muddy indeed. I’m not with you at all.”
“Then listen. You will tell Henderson, in great secrecy and with natural anxiety, that you are under threat. You will ask him for his help as a friend in putting you in touch with your Embassy. Whether or not he offers that help, it is certain he will repeat what you tell him to his friend Worth-Butters, who will naturally report at once to the Ambassador. The Embassy will then realize that something has gone wrong and they will send for you. Now, you can take it from me, from that moment onward you will be in their confidence, Cane.”
“I doubt it,” Shaw said again.
Andreyev thumped a fist heavily on the desk. “Do not underrate yourself, Cane! You are a trusted senior civil servant in the British Ministry of Defence, are you not?”
Shaw nodded. “Maybe I am…” he hesitated, biting his lip as if in indecision. “But suppose… suppose they order me to remain in the Embassy? How can I pass any information to you then?”
“They will not do that,” Andreyev said calmly and firmly. “They will treat you as expendable, and use you merely as a decoy. You will be turned loose so that they can watch you, and see what we do — do you understand? It is a game of chess — and that game we can win easily, with your help.”
“I still don’t see,” Shaw objected, “how it’s going to help you. The Embassy isn’t going to give me any secret information — and then turn me loose, as you put it, so that for all they know you’ll third-degree it out of me! There’s no logic in that, Colonel.”
“Ha — you think not, Cane?” Andreyev seemed highly amused. He started helping himself to Turkish delight again. “Diplomacy is a curious game, and most of the real moves are made obliquely. I wish you to go in rather as a stick in a nest of hornets… when the nest is well stirred up, then the buzzing starts, does it not? I am confident that much information will leak to us as a result of your intervention. And now there is just one further point, and to you it is a very important one. It is this:” Andreyev leaned across the desk, wagging a thick finger in Shaw’s face. “If you should attempt to double-cross us once I let you go, or if you do not return to me with a full report of results, then even if your Embassy should succeed in smuggling you out of Russia, which is in itself highly doubtful, to say the least, you are finished in your own country.” He indicated a telephone. “As soon as you leave this room I shall be in touch with certain persons in London who will make arrangements to ensure that you are incriminated and regarded as a double agent, as a man who went to his Embassy with tales merely because he was frightened of what we might do to him. I think you will understand? Oh, and one other point, Cane. Your wife and girl will vanish from their home before you leave this building. If you keep faith with us they will be released and restored to you, safe and sound. If you do not, then they will die. These things can be arranged from this room, and nothing is ever traced back to us afterwards.”
As he finished speaking, Andreyev pressed a bell for the troopers to return. As he was lead away, Shaw glanced back. Andreyev was already reaching out for the phone.
It was nine o’clock in the morning before Shaw got away from MVD headquarters, by which time, Andreyev had himself booked a room for him in the Moskva Hotel — and a mysterious call, which seemed to please the KGB officer, had come back from London. Virginia MacKinlay was released with Shaw. Andreyev had already informed Shaw that the girl would be allowed to go, that her story had checked with his and that she was of no special interest to the KGB or MVD. There would, said the Colonel be no objection to their continuing a natural friendship, and indeed it would be better if they did so, hence the use of the Moskva Hotel. As soon as they were released, they both went along to the Moskva. Virginia’s face was white and drawn with lack of sleep, and Shaw, his head aching abominably still, felt fit for nothing but bed. The girl could have his story later.
As they walked towards the lift, he said, “Don’t remind me that time’s short, but we’ll do more good by having a couple of hours’ sleep first.”