game alive, Mr. Smiley. But don't think I'm on your side, d'you hear? Because I'm the wandering Jewess, the no-man's land, the battlefield for your toy soldiers. You can kick me and trample on me, see, but never, never touch me, never tell me you're sorry, d'you hear? Now get out! Go away and kill." She sat there, shivering as if from cold. As he reached the door he looked back. There were no tears in her eyes. Mendel was waiting for him in the car.
XIII
THE INEFFICIENCY OF SAMUEL FENNAN
They arrived at Mitcham at lunch time. Peter Guillam was waiting for them patiently in his car. "Well, children; what's the news?" Smiley handed him the piece of paper from his wallet. "There was an emergency number, too--Primrose 9747. You'd better check it but I'm not hopeful of that either." Peter disappeared into the hall and began telephoning. Mendel busied himself in the kitchen and returned ten minutes later with beer, bread and cheese on a tray. Guillam came back and sat down without saying anything. He looked worried. "Well," he said at last; "what did she say, George?" Mendel cleared away as Smiley finished the account of his interview that morning. "I see," said Guillam. "How very worrying. Well, that's it, George, I shall have to put this on paper today, and I'll have to go to Maston at once. Catching dead spies is a poor game really--and causes a lot of unhap-piness." "What access did he have at the F. O.?" asked Smiley. "Recently a lot. That's why they felt he should be interviewed, as you know." "What kind of stuff, mainly?" "I don't know yet. He was on an Asian desk until a few months ago but his new job was different." "American, I seem to remember," said Smiley. "Peter?" "Yes." "Peter, have you thought at all why they wanted to kill Fennan so much. I mean, supposing he had betrayed them, as they thought, why kill him? They had nothing to gain." "No; no, I suppose they hadn't. That does need some explaining, come to think of it... or does it? Sup--pose Fuchs or Maclean had betrayed them, I wonder what would have happened. Suppose they had reason to fear a chain reaction--not just here but in America--all over the world? Wouldn't they kill him to prevent that? There's so much we shall just never know." "Like the 8.30 call?" said Smiley. "Cheerio. Hang on here till I ring you, will you? Maston's bound to want to see you. They'll be running down the corridors when I tell them the glad news. I shall have to wear that special grin I reserve for bearing really disastrous tidings." Mendel saw him out and then returned to the drawing-room. "Best thing you can do is put your feet up," he said. "You look a ruddy mess, you do." "Either Mundt's here or he's not," thought Smiley as he lay on the bed in his waistcoat, his hands linked under his head. "If he's not, we're finished. It will be for Maston to decide what to do with Eisa Fennan, and my guess is he'll do nothing. "If Mundt is here, it's for one of three reasons: A, because Dieter told him to stay and watch the dust settle; B, because he's in bad odour and afraid to go back; C, because he has unfinished business. "A is improbable because it's not like Dieter to take needless risks. Anyway, it's a woolly idea. "B is unlikely because, while Mundt may be afraid of Dieter he must also, presumably, be frightened of a murder charge here. His wisest plan would be to go to another country. "C is more likely. If I was in Dieter's shoes I'd be worried sick about Eisa Fennan. The Pidgeon girl is immaterial--without Eisa to fill in the gaps she presents no serious danger. She was not a conspirator and there is no reason why she should particularly remember El-sa's friend at the theatre. No, Eisa constitutes the real danger." There was, of course, a final possibility, which Smiley was quite unable to judge: the possibility that Dieter had other agents to control here through Mundt. On the whole he was inclined to discount this, but the thought had no doubt crossed Peter's mind. No... it
XIII
THE INEFFICIENCY OF SAMUEL FENNAN
They arrived at Mitcham at lunch time. Peter Guillam was waiting for them patiently in his car. "Well, children; what's the news?" Smiley handed him the piece of paper from his wallet. "There was an emergency number, too--Primrose 9747. You'd better check it but I'm not hopeful of that either." Peter disappeared into the hall and began telephoning. Mendel busied himself in the kitchen and returned ten minutes later with beer, bread and cheese on a tray. Guillam came back and sat down without saying anything. He looked worried. "Well," he said at last; "what did she say, George?" Mendel cleared away as Smiley finished the account of his interview that morning. "I see," said Guillam. "How very worrying. Well, that's it, George, I shall have to put this on paper today, and I'll have to go to Maston at once. Catching dead spies is a poor game really--and causes a lot of unhap-piness." "What access did he have at the F. O.?" asked Smiley. "Recently a lot. That's why they felt he should be interviewed, as you know." "What kind of stuff, mainly?" "I don't know yet. He was on an Asian desk until a few months ago but his new job was different." "American, I seem to remember," said Smiley. "Peter?" "Yes." "Peter, have you thought at all why they wanted to kill Fennan so much. I mean, supposing he had betrayed them, as they thought, why kill him? They had nothing to gain." "No; no, I suppose they hadn't. That does need some explaining, come to think of it... or does it? Sup--pose Fuchs or Maclean had betrayed them, I wonder what would have happened. Suppose they had reason to fear a chain reaction--not just here but in America--all over the world? Wouldn't they kill him to prevent that? There's so much we shall just never know." "Like the 8.30 call?" said Smiley. "Cheerio. Hang on here till I ring you, will you? Maston's bound to want to see you. They'll be running down the corridors when I tell them the glad news. I shall have to wear that special grin I reserve for bearing really disastrous tidings." Mendel saw him out and then returned to the drawing-room. "Best thing you can do is put your feet up," he said. "You look a ruddy mess, you do." "Either Mundt's here or he's not," thought Smiley as he lay on the bed in his waistcoat, his hands linked under his head. "If he's not, we're finished. It will be for Maston to decide what to do with Eisa Fennan, and my guess is he'll do nothing. "If Mundt is here, it's for one of three reasons: A, because Dieter told him to stay and watch the dust settle; B, because he's in bad odour and afraid to go back; C, because he has unfinished business. "A is improbable because it's not like Dieter to take needless risks. Anyway, it's a woolly idea. "B is unlikely because, while Mundt may be afraid of Dieter he must also, presumably, be frightened of a murder charge here. His wisest plan would be to go to another country. "C is more likely. If I was in Dieter's shoes I'd be worried sick about Eisa Fennan. The Pidgeon girl is immaterial--without Eisa to fill in the gaps she presents no serious danger. She was not a conspirator and there is no reason why she should particularly remember El-sa's friend at the theatre. No, Eisa constitutes the real danger." There was, of course, a final possibility, which Smiley was quite unable to judge: the possibility that Dieter had other agents to control here through Mundt. On the whole he was inclined to discount this, but the thought had no doubt crossed Peter's mind. No... it
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