been his decision, confirmed in the most simple â and therefore the safest â way. The Agency permanently maintained a room â323 âin the Imperial Hotel, with its view of the palace: by some irony, Jimmy Dale, who was now guarding him against any unexpected eventuality, was the man who occupied it, to cover against any hotel staff curiosity. If Kozlov wanted contact, he telephoned a supposed enquiry against the room number, giving the place. Every three days â purporting to be Dale â he called the hotel, checking messages. The American response, if they wanted a meeting, was for the message to be that a conference was necessary, as always leaving Kozlov to be the decider of where the meeting should be. Fredericks had invoked the system on the American part four days earlier, for the first time. The American said: âMy people arenât happy, about the British. Youâve no cause to distrust us. Weâll keep every promise that weâve made: on my life!â
Kozlov began to move, apparently wanting to view the buddha from a different angle. Fredericks had to go as well, to keep up with him. Kozlov said viciously: âYouâre trying to trick me, like I always knew you would!â
âNo!â said Fredericks, worried. âWeâre doing everything you asked. Hear me out.â
The other man stopped, using the camera that he carried, âWhat is it?â he asked.
Inviting the other manâs understanding, Fredericks said: âItâs not me. Itâs headquarters. You know what headquarters are like.â
âWhat do they want?â
âItâs unnecessary â they feel itâs unnecessary â to bring the British in â¦â Fredericks saw the other man start to speak and said urgently: âWait! Let me finish! You said you wanted $500,000, for yourself. Weâll double it, to $1,000,000, which will give you what youâd get from the British, for Irena. Weâll get you both out: new identities, protection, everything. You can choose whatever house you want, anywhere in America â¦â
âWeâve talked through all this,â dismissed Kozlov. âThis is a ridiculous conversation.â
âYouâve no reason to think we wonât keep our undertaking,â insisted Fredericks, desperately. âIâve been told to offer you whatever guarantee you need.â
Kozlov, who was a small, unobtrusive man of seemingly apparent calmness, said: âIâve already set out the guarantees I need.â He closed his camera, a positive movement. âItâs over,â he declared. âFinished.â
âNo!â protested Fredericks, yet again. He was hot with fear, knowing what would happen if he lost the other man. They were a bunch of stupid bastards, back there at Langley: trying to impress each other with a lot of bullshit talk in comfortable conference rooms, we want this and we want that and we want this, ignoring the warnings heâd sent. And if it fucked up, because of how they wanted it done, it would be his fault and his butt, with a lot more bullshit talk about his incompetence and his inexperience and how they should have sent someone else, who could have done it their way. Fredericks said: âIt was a sincere offer; is a sincere offer. But if you want it to stay the way it was, then fine.â
âIf it was fine my way, you wouldnât have tried to change,â said Kozlov, unmollified.
Fredericks tried to subdue his apprehension, calling upon the other manâs experience. âYou know the way it is,â he urged. âWouldnât your people try to do the same, if someone from the CIA tried to split a crossing, say between Russia and Poland?â
âWe control the Polish service,â refused Kozlov, pedantically. âTheyâd do as they were told.â
âYouâre aware of what I mean,â persisted Fredericks. âWe want you,