‘I know nothing about this,’ Modinsky said, in his sing-song voice, which sounded more Swedish than Russian. ‘If you call back this evening I may have information for you, although I cannot promise anything.’

Cavalier rang back seven hours later.

‘My advice is that he should go to meet Kisley, yes,’ Modinsky reported.

‘Can you say why, Ivan?’

‘It will be very good for Mr Haut, I can tell you that.’

‘May I ask how you know that?’

‘I spoke to Vladimir.’

‘Vladimir?’

‘Why, Putin, of course.’

‘I’m impressed, Ivan.’

‘Why?’ Modinsky replied with a gruff laugh. ‘Vladimir is only a colonel in the security services reserve. I am a general!’

*

Anatoly Kisley was not what Haut expected. Big-boned, and oozing bonhomie, he was warm. He kept sweeping back his grey hair and, but for his heavy jowls, was still a handsome man for his sixty years. Kisley’s English was good, despite his Russian accent. They met at a bar in the middle of a Hamburg square not far from Haut’s hotel, which the Russians had wished to pay for. Haut decided against that too. He was wary of being seen to have been ‘bought’ in any way.

Kisley was accompanied by two bodyguards, and a very tall, shapely blonde woman of about thirty years. They filtered away to another part of the bar.

‘She can’t be one of your bodyguards,’ Haut said, smiling at her.

‘Catherine the Great, we call her,’ Kisley said. ‘She is an assistant. Rather like Marilyn Monroe, don’t you think?’

Haut was eager to learn what Putin’s proposition might be. But at first Kisley did everything to avoid any business talk.

‘The smoke in here is choking me,’ Haut said with a grimace as he looked up at roof fans that were fighting a losing battle in dispersing the detritus of a hundred cigarettes and cigars.

Kisley then asked questions about Haut’s life, and after an innocuous interrogation came the telling remark.

‘You know that Putin is a devout Christian?’

‘No,’ Haut replied.

‘Oh, yes, he is. But of course he keeps it quiet. Vladimir is a most private man. Most private.’

‘Because Christianity is not the image you want in a communist country?’

‘Not so,’ Kisley said with a tilt of the head. ‘We are not a communist state anymore.’

‘But your history since Lenin …’

Kisley pulled a face.

‘You would be surprised to see how religious our people are. They were suppressed for a very long time. But we Russians are a spiritual lot.’

‘And you?’

‘I am a Christian too. We are aware of your own spirituality.’

‘Oh?’

‘We have our spies in Australia,’ Kisley said with a grin.

‘And I have mine everywhere,’ Haut said. ‘I understand you have instigated the building of Russian Orthodox churches in communist countries.’

Kisley’s eyebrows went up. ‘I cannot comment on this. We have to move carefully.’