—Marcus is my real name. I’m not quite as cautious as my friend.

Abdur Salaam smiled in return.

—You do not have Soviet agents trying to kill you. Not that I believe our guest desires to kill me. Fahad vouches for your sincerity. He rarely vouches for anyone, let alone a Soviet.

Greene walked to the window, checking the streets, apparently without any sense of concern, an idle glance, before perching on the window ledge, his legs stretched out in front of him, tidying the line of his trousers while asking:

—You want to defect, Mr Demidov?

The tone of the question was flippant. There was scepticism and reluctance. Of more concern, there was very little excitement. Leo answered carefully:

—In exchange for asylum, not just for myself but—

—Yes, for the girl and the woman, where are they, by the way?

—They’re safe.

Greene paused, registering the distrust. Leo added:

—We would want a new life, the three of us.

Greene replied with a quick nod, as if he’d heard this request a thousand times and was keen to return to the intelligence on offer:

—You’re not a soldier, are you? You’re a civilian employee of the Afghan government, an adviser. What kind of information do you have?

Leo made his case:

—I have worked for the Afghan government for seven years.

—In what capacity?

—I was training their secret police force. Before the Com munist regime took power, I was helping them to survive. After they took power, I continued helping them to survive, the tools and resources changed, the job remained the same.

Greene lit a cigarette.

—What did you do before you came to Afghanistan, Mr Demidov?

—I worked for the KGB.

Greene inhaled deeply, holding the smoke in his mouth. Fahad grew impatient, a soldier, not accustomed to the subtleties of diplomatic negotiations. He snapped at Leo:

—Talk about Soviet operations in Afghanistan, not the KGB. That is the information that we want you to share.

Like a nervous child, Leo hastily listed the points of interest:

—I know specifics, details regarding the equipment being used, tanks, helicopters, anything that is being used or about to be brought in. I know the deployment patterns of the 40th Army. I can tell you the projected mortality rate before the invasion and how that number has been revised since the invasion. I can do the same with the financial costs. I know the names of most of the senior officers and I know their sentiments on the war. I know our limits, how many soldiers we can afford to lose, how much money we’re prepared to spend. I can provide information so that you could accurately estimate the point at which the Soviet Union would have no choice but to retreat.

Greene flicked his cigarette on the carpet, watching to see it burn, before stubbing it out under his shoe.