"Except he thinks it's a leak in the Moscow embassy. Like a code clerk, maybe."

"Pure speculation on his part - all he really says is that he wants his reports transported by hand now. That's the only definite thing this tells us."

Cabot dodged. "I know we've done that before."

"Yes, we have," Ryan admitted. It would even be easier now with the direct air service from New York to Moscow.

"What's the rat-line look like now?"

Ryan frowned at that. Cabot liked to use Agency jargon, though the term 'rat line,' meaning the chain of people and methods that transported a document from agent to case officer, had actually gone out of favor. "It's a fairly simple one. Kadishev leaves his messages in a coat pocket. The check-room attendant at their Congress retrieves the messages and gets them off to one of our people by brush-pass. Simple and direct. Also rather fast. I've never been comfortable with it, but it works."

"So now we have two top agents who're unhappy with our communications systems, and I have to fly all the way to Japan - personally! - to meet with one."

"It's not all that unusual for an agent to want to meet a high Agency official, Director. These people get twitchy, and knowing that some higher-up cares about them is what they need."

"It'll waste a whole week of my time!" Cabot objected.

"You have to go to Korea in late January anyway." Ryan pointed out. "Catch our friend on the way back. He's not demanding to see you immediately, just soon." Ryan returned to the SPINNAKER report, wondering why Cabot allowed himself to be sidetracked by irrelevancies. The reason, of course, was that the man was a dilettante, and a lazy one, who disliked losing arguments.

The new report said that Narmonov was very worried indeed that the West would find out just how desperate his situation with the Soviet military and KGB was. There was no further information on missing nuclear weapons, but plenty on new changes in parliamentary loyalties. The report gave Ryan the impression of having been slapped together. He decided to have Mary Pat look at it. Of all the people in the Agency, she was the only one who really understood the guy.

"I presume you're taking it to the President."

"Yes, I think I have to."

If I may make a suggestion, remember to tell him that we have not really confirmed anything Kadishev has said."

Cabot looked up. "So?"

"So, it's true, Director. When you single-source something, especially something that's apparently highly important, you tell people that."

"I believe this guy."

"I'm not so sure."

"The Russian department buys it," Cabot noted.

"True, they've signed off on it, but I'd feel a hell of a lot better if we had independent confirmation," Jack said.

"Do you have any firm basis to doubt this information?"

"Nothing I can show to you, no. It's just that we ought to have been able to confirm something by now."