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'Italy can be dis to notice the interruption 'They are clever and active, but they do us no harm They are only interested in their own backyard, the Mediterranean The saence is a great hindrance to the Party We have lost ainst them would probably cost us more men And little would be achieved They are not yet ripe for revolution In France, while we have penetrated rave;erous There is a rave;s-France appointet and it would be easy to operate in France'

'France is looking after herself,' coland is another ether I think we all have respect for her Intelligence Service,' General Vozdvishensky looked round the table There were grudging nods fro General G 'Their Security Service is excellent England, being an island, has great security advantages and their so-called MI5 eood brains Their Secret Service is still better They have notable successes In certain types of operation, we are constantly finding that they have been there before us Their agents are good They pay them little money–only a thousand or two thousand roubles a ents have no special privileges in England, no relief from taxation and no special shops such as we have, fro abroad is not high, and their wives have to pass as the wives of secretaries They are rarely awarded a decoration until they retire And yet these erous work It is curious It is perhaps the Public School and University tradition The love of adventure But still it is odd that they play this game so well, for they are not natural conspirators' General Vozdvishensky felt that his reht be taken as too laudatory He hastily qualified theth lies in the myth–in the myth of Scotland Yard, of Sherlock Hol to fear froentleood to set aside'

'And the Americans?' General G wanted to put a stop to Vozdvishensky's atteence One day that bit about the Public School and University tradition would sound well in court Next, hoped General G, he will be saying that the Pentagon is stronger than the Kreest and richest service a our enemies Technically, in such matters as radio and weapons and equip for the work They get enthusiastic about some Balkan spy who says he has a secret army in the Ukraine They load him with oes at once to Paris and spends thewith money Good spies will not work for money alone–only bad ones, of which the Americans have several divisions'

'They have successes, Comrade,' said General G silkily 'Perhaps you underestied 'They must have successes, Co one potato Personally I do not think the Ae the attention of this conference' The head of RUMID sat back in his chair and stolidly took out his cigarette case

'A very interesting exposition,' said General G coldly 'Comrade General Slavin?'

General Slavin of the GRU had no intention of co himself on behalf of the General Staff of the Army 'I have listened with interest to the words of Co to add'

Colonel of State Security Nikitin of MGB felt it would do no great har too stupid to have any ideas at all, and at the same time to make a modest recohts of those present–and that was certainly on the tip of General G's tongue Colonel Nikitin also knew that, given the proposition that had been posed by the Praesidium, the Soviet Secret Service would back hilish Secret Service as the object of terrorist action,' he said decisively 'The devil knows my department hardly finds them a worthy adversary, but they are the best of an indifferent lot'

General G was annoyed by the authority in thehis thunder stolen, for he also had intended to suainst the British He tapped his lighter softly on the desk to reireed then, Coainst the British Secret Service?'

There were careful, slow nods all round the table '

'I agree And now for the target within that organization I re about a th of this Secret Service depends How can we help to destroy the anization? Where does this myth reside? We cannot destroy all its personnel at one blow Does it reside in the Head? Who is the Head of the British Secret Service?'

Colonel Nikitin's aide whispered in his ear Colonel Nikitin decided that this was a question he could and perhaps should answer

'He is an Admiral He is known by the letter M We have a zapiska on him, but it contains little He does not drink very much He is too old for women The public does not know of his existence It would be difficult to create a scandal round his death And he would not be easy to kill He rarely goes abroad To shoot him in a London street would not be very refined'