deception,’ said Petrov softly. ‘At some moment in the next few years, on the world political scene, there will arise a crisis, an inevitable confrontation between the US and the USSR. The confrontation, as we all are aware, will take place in Korea, Boende, or Iran. At that moment, they will back down or we will back down or there will be war. At that moment, to ensure our victory, we would want a secret weapon. What you have just witnessed on the screen can be our secret weapon. If we have a woman who cannot be told apart from the President’s wife, if we can install our woman in the White House in place of the President’s wife for a short time without detection, we have in place the greatest espionage agent in history. We would be privy to every design the American President and his chief of staff and his war-mongers have in mind. We would learn every plot and plan of the enemy in advance. Our triumph in any crisis would be ensured.’
For long seconds the room was quiet.
At last, Premier Kirechenko’s voice ended the silence. ‘Is it possible, really possible?’
‘Do you mean, could she really do it?’
‘Could she?’
Petrov nodded. ‘She can and will, given the chance. You’ve seen the evidence. She is Billie Bradford. Let me tell you how it came about, how we prepared her, how we plan to prepare her further, how we intend to use her.’
Then, for three-quarters of an hour, Petrov expounded without stop and without interruption.
When he finished, he was almost out of breath. ‘There you have it, Comrade Kirechenko.’
‘But what do I have?’ the Premier said in a low voice. ‘I have someone who actually wants to undertake this risky enterprise in life. Isn’t that what I have? A brief movie is one thing. But expecting her to sustain this for days - perhaps two weeks and get away with it it’s preposterous. She would have to slip, reveal herself. A mistake in a movie, it can be shot again, corrected, but in real life -‘
‘Comrade Kirechenko,’ Petrov interrupted urgently, ‘she made no mistakes - not one in preparation of the film. She would make none in real life. She could sustain it for several weeks. I’d bet my entire career on her.’
Kirechenko studied his KGB chief.
‘It would be your neck, if she failed.’
‘I know.’
‘It would endanger your country, your countrymen, if she failed.’
‘I know that, also.’
‘And still you recommend it?’
‘Absolutely,’ said Petrov with assurance. ‘Because she will not fail. I am that certain of her. She will totally succeed. She will reap benefits for us that could not be gained otherwise. She will lay open their strategies, secrets, disarm them completely. Dangerous? Of course it is. But then, all great, historic enterprises are, Comrade.’
‘One slip,’ said Kirechenko, “could disgrace us in front of the world lead us to the brink of war.’
‘That is true. But if we bring it off - and we are positive we can - it might guarantee the dominance of the Soviet Union over the United States for generations to come.’
The Premier sat lost in thought.
Garanin leaned over and whispered to him, ‘A priceless opportunity.’
Ignoring his adviser, the Premier raised his head and stared at his KGB chief. ‘You are very persuasive, Comrade Petrov.’ His gaze drifted to the blank white movie screen. ‘And so
was she, just now.’ His eyes held on Petrov once more. ‘What do you require?’ the Premier asked.
‘Two things. First, your permission to go ahead. Of course, the final option to proceed with the project or to abort it at the last moment will be your own. But, for now your permission.’
‘You have it,’ said the Premier, almost inaudibly.
‘And the money.’
‘You have it.’
That had been nearly three years ago. Behind his desk, General Petrov came out of his reverie into the present. Tomorrow would begin the countdown. Actually, tonight, since his desk clock told him it was after
For long seconds the room was quiet.
At last, Premier Kirechenko’s voice ended the silence. ‘Is it possible, really possible?’
‘Do you mean, could she really do it?’
‘Could she?’
Petrov nodded. ‘She can and will, given the chance. You’ve seen the evidence. She is Billie Bradford. Let me tell you how it came about, how we prepared her, how we plan to prepare her further, how we intend to use her.’
Then, for three-quarters of an hour, Petrov expounded without stop and without interruption.
When he finished, he was almost out of breath. ‘There you have it, Comrade Kirechenko.’
‘But what do I have?’ the Premier said in a low voice. ‘I have someone who actually wants to undertake this risky enterprise in life. Isn’t that what I have? A brief movie is one thing. But expecting her to sustain this for days - perhaps two weeks and get away with it it’s preposterous. She would have to slip, reveal herself. A mistake in a movie, it can be shot again, corrected, but in real life -‘
‘Comrade Kirechenko,’ Petrov interrupted urgently, ‘she made no mistakes - not one in preparation of the film. She would make none in real life. She could sustain it for several weeks. I’d bet my entire career on her.’
Kirechenko studied his KGB chief.
‘It would be your neck, if she failed.’
‘I know.’
‘It would endanger your country, your countrymen, if she failed.’
‘I know that, also.’
‘And still you recommend it?’
‘Absolutely,’ said Petrov with assurance. ‘Because she will not fail. I am that certain of her. She will totally succeed. She will reap benefits for us that could not be gained otherwise. She will lay open their strategies, secrets, disarm them completely. Dangerous? Of course it is. But then, all great, historic enterprises are, Comrade.’
‘One slip,’ said Kirechenko, “could disgrace us in front of the world lead us to the brink of war.’
‘That is true. But if we bring it off - and we are positive we can - it might guarantee the dominance of the Soviet Union over the United States for generations to come.’
The Premier sat lost in thought.
Garanin leaned over and whispered to him, ‘A priceless opportunity.’
Ignoring his adviser, the Premier raised his head and stared at his KGB chief. ‘You are very persuasive, Comrade Petrov.’ His gaze drifted to the blank white movie screen. ‘And so
was she, just now.’ His eyes held on Petrov once more. ‘What do you require?’ the Premier asked.
‘Two things. First, your permission to go ahead. Of course, the final option to proceed with the project or to abort it at the last moment will be your own. But, for now your permission.’
‘You have it,’ said the Premier, almost inaudibly.
‘And the money.’
‘You have it.’
That had been nearly three years ago. Behind his desk, General Petrov came out of his reverie into the present. Tomorrow would begin the countdown. Actually, tonight, since his desk clock told him it was after
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