The Charm School

already live in the West aren’t making it. That’s not your concern. Just get him there.”
    “I’m telling you, Sam, he’ll die when he leaves mother Russia. I know the type.”
    “He has religion.”
    “I’d love to keep him here in his job. He would be the highest-ranking agent we’ve ever had in the Soviet military. I’d turn him over to Bert Mills and—”
    “Don’t give me that crap about him not surviving in the West. If you had an ounce of human compassion left in you, you’d see the man was suffering. If we ever do beat this system, it will be because we hold out an honest light to the decent people here. I never understood Surikov’s motives because I wasn’t thinking of the most obvious motive—the man wants to be free, whatever that means to him. He delivered, now
you
deliver.”
    “All right… it was a thought—”
    “Take a leave, Seth. You need it.”
    “Oh, I know. By the way, I scanned that microfilm and found a picture of our custodian, Mr. Kellum, born Anatoli Vladimirovich Kulagin, in Kursk, USSR.”
    Hollis nodded. “So we bagged the first one. How about Mrs. Kellum?”
    “Didn’t come across her yet. Lots of work to do on that. She may be a real American, and she may or may not know who her husband is.”
    “What are you going to do with the Kellums?”
    “I’ll debrief them in the cellar for a few months. Dick, we know, is guilty, and as far as I’m concerned Ann is guilty by association. However, we can’t get them back to stand trial. And I can’t keep them locked up here forever. Also, they’re no good as trading cards because the Soviets will never claim them. So…” Alevy scratched his head. “I don’t know. Any ideas? What should I do with Dick and Ann, Sam?”
    “Why don’t you shoot them in the head and drop them in the Moskva?”
    “Excellent idea. Why didn’t I think of that?”
    Hollis said, “I have to go.”
    Alevy put his hand on Hollis’ arm. “When I was a young college liberal, I used to wonder how American airmen could drop bombs on the Vietnamese. Now I’m all grown up, contemplating cold-blooded murder for my country, and an airman is looking down his nose at me. Can’t win.”
    “You’ve made your point. I apologize. Do what you have to do.”
    “Thank you. I will. Well, so much for bad business. The good news is that the microfilm was an incredible counter-intelligence coup. Three
thousand
agents. My God, Sam, that’s the biggest single catch in history. And now with those Russian Americans in our hip pocket, we can tackle the problem of the Charm School itself.”
    “A trade?”
    Alevy nodded. “Three thousand of theirs for three hundred of ours. It’s a possibility. And we have you to thank for that. You did it, Sam. I think you got your people home.”
    “But I thought there were people in Washington who didn’t want them home.”
    “We’ll work on that. You have some clout yourself now. When you get to D.C., you’re going to be treated like a conquering hero. No parades, of course. Very quiet. But the top CIA people and your people in the Pentagon are going to present you with some awards. Real awards. And, you’re going to have an interview with the President, and don’t be surprised if he pins a general’s star on you. I just got that over the wire. I’d like to be there if you don’t mind.”
    “Fine.”
    “You outdid me this time, Sam.”
    “Surikov just fell into my lap, Seth. You know that as well as I do.”
    “Don’t be modest. Well… a personal note… on the subject of Lisa, all I can say is that I’m glad it was you and not some Foreign Service wimp.”
    Hollis didn’t reply.
    “Good luck. I wish you both happiness.”
    “Thank you.” Hollis put out his hand. “And thanks for showing me around.”
    Alevy took his hand. “We’ll meet again, in a better place than this.”
    Hollis turned and walked toward the diplomatic wing. He said to himself, “That would be just about anyplace, Seth.”
    Hollis also had the impression that Alevy did not think there was a better place. The truth was that Seth Alevy liked it here, or more accurately, needed to be here. He needed to breathe Moscow air and smell Moscow river fog. He needed the KGB, and in some perversely reciprocal arrangement they needed him, or they’d have had him expelled or killed long ago.
    Possibly Seth Alevy was a living legend at the Lubyanka, and his stature increased the self-worth of his adversaries. But now their