“You’re damn right we have a mole in the Kremlin. And thanks to the Molotov op he’s moved to the very top. Do you understand? The Politburo itself! You’re an intelligence professional. You tell me what a coup like that is worth?

“As for terminating you, that was Ormont’s idea. He had the Russian connection and the only motive to keep you silent. You were a danger to him, not to me. On the contrary, you got me a big promotion. In fact, you were my insurance policy against Ormont, so I deflected that one too.

“But I had to let everyone think you were dead. The president wanted to give you a medal, for Chrissakes. Blow you and the whole op wide open. And if the media had caught wind of the Molotov Plan it would have been a political disaster. We would have performed the almost impossible feat of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory,” Harris said hurriedly.

“Go on,” the Scorpion said. He watched the drop hanging from Harris’s nose, glimmering in the reflected lights like a seed pearl. He wondered when it would fall.

If Harris fell, he would take the government with him, the Scorpion thought. Like Humpty Dumpty, not all the king’s horses and all the king’s men would put it together again. Not that he gave a damn about the president. One politician was little better than another. But he cared deeply about America. His father had taught him that much. He’d had so little time with that oil redneck who had left him with little beyond the memory of a tweedy embrace and the smell of pipe tobacco. But Tim Curry had left the Scorpion with that love for what America wanted to be, if not for what it was.

“Besides, if they thought you were alive, every KGB agent in the world would be on your trail right now. You’re good, Scorpion. But nobody’s that good. Sooner or later they’d corner you. Bad for you, bad for us.

“This way, you’ve been marked KIA. All records to be archived, purged and forgotten. You’re as safe as I can make you, until the KGB picks up your trail again. Bahrain was the old ‘possum’ ploy. Al-Amir was supposed to let you go,” Harris finished.

The Scorpion pressed the muzzle against Harris’ forehead as if he wanted to push it into his brain.

“Was it for Kelly? Is that why you did it? Or didn’t do it, if I’m supposed to believe you?” the Scorpion demanded harshly.

“Neither,” Harris whispered. He closed his eyes. “I did it because you were too good an asset to lose,” he smiled lamely.