Topaz - Leon Uris [79]
Now that the hour of decision was coming, the young President was calm and determined. “Lowenstein,” he said in a tone that spelled decision, “keep all my appointments running. I want everything to appear as normal as possible. Mac, you keep me on a minute-to-minute briefing about any new intelligence. I go with you. The Devereaux report makes it hard. Now, we’ll see what kind of poker player Khrushchev is.”
Marshall McKittrick’s face broadened in a smile.
“This week,” the President said, “I’m going to earn my salary.”
10
MICHAEL NORDSTROM RANG THE bell of the Devereaux home in Georgetown. He was baggy-eyed and yawned.
André opened the door, punctual and ready to go, a habit reluctantly learned from the Americans. They shook hands, exchanged good mornings. André grabbed his briefcase and they continued down the steps to Mike’s car.
Mike pulled out into the traffic stream, yawned and apologized for it. “Had a beef with Liz,” he said. “She’s after me for a new car. Anyhow, I got P.O.-ed and slept on the couch. My back’s broken. I guess none of us got much sleep last night.”
“To say the least,” André agreed.
They were both silent a long while, still in a state of shock over Boris Kuznetov’s revelations.
“André,” Mike said at last, “I had a long session with my people yesterday. We all believe you were not aware of this Section P, or of the existence of Topaz. That goes for McKittrick, too.”
André grunted an indefinite answer.
“What I’m saying is that no matter what else is revealed by Kuznetov, we want you to stick to your office. Stay with it, no matter.”
“Are those my orders?” André said acidly.
“I said, we trust you.”
“I’m a Frenchman, that’s my first duty. Don’t forget that, Mike.”
The usual air of friendly exchanges was gone from the interrogation room. The atmosphere was cold, formal and stripped for business. When Boris was wheeled in, he glanced quickly at André and nodded, feeling the guilt a fighter sometimes experiences when he has beaten up an opponent badly. On this note of mutual discomfort the session began with the turning on of the tape.
“When I was recalled from my post in Berlin as Resident,” Boris began slowly, “and was told to form the anti-NATO division of KGB, the first thing I did was to order an intensive study of the NATO countries, their political habits, their leaders, their military, their intelligence. My section is small, but elite.”
“How many?”
“In Moscow, seventy to a hundred men.”
“In the NATO countries?”
Boris shook his head. “We used only the Soviet Residents in each NATO capital and their existing espionage systems.”
“You are saying, then, you don’t know who any of the anti-NATO agents outside Moscow were.”
“That is correct.”
“You know no one in Topaz?”
“No one.”
“You have no idea who this No. 1 Columbine, is?”
“No. It is standard intelligence for a division leader not to know his agents, is it not? In KGB we are even closer about it than the Western systems.”
“Go on.”
“By the early nine teen-fifties, the Soviet Union had lost two of its prime postwar objectives. First, we failed to prevent the reunification of western Germany. Second, we failed to remove the West from Berlin.”
He paused for his Pepsi and realized he would appreciate the day when he would be permitted a vodka.
“NATO is probably the most effective and ultimate military alliance ever devised. The breaking of the NATO shield has top priority in Soviet thinking, for as long as NATO stays intact the Soviet Union cannot encroach further on western Europe. In my study, I must find the weak link in NATO. It is France.”
Boris chanced a look into Devereaux’s burning eyes. “I regret it for your sake, Devereaux, but NATO will be broken by France, and here is where we have concentrated our efforts through Topaz.”
André continued to avoid looking at the Americans. He became sullen for he knew what was coming from the Russian, and he knew the man would be telling the truth.
“My study shows me that France is traditionally unstable politically, and that Frenchmen are loyal