The Russia House Page #2

- Mr Blair, sir?

My name's Ned.

I'm about to move the goal posts.

There's no urgent message. There's no

crisis in your affairs - beyond the usual.

I'm from British lntelligence.

Come and meet the others.

This is Clive. This is Walter.

Over here is Bob, who is almost family.

Meet Barley, everyone.

- Hello, Barley!

- Proud to know you, Barley.

I'm the odd man out here. I work

for the Central lntelligence Agency,

which, as you probably know, is based

in Langley in the state of Virginia.

Let's have some fun. Let's do some good.

Now isn't that jolly?

So, where are we all off to?

Nicaragua? Chile? lran?

Or are we just assassinating

some local nuisance?

Don't rant. Sit down.

Perhaps you can tell us

what this letter's all about.

- Recognise the handwriting?

- Read it slowly.

Take all the time in the world, Barley.

She's barmy.

Who is she?

Yekaterina Orlova. Katya?

- Never heard of her.

- The patronymic's Borisovna.

Katya Borisovna Orlova.

Have a think, Barley.

I don't know a Katya. Never screwed one,

never flirted with one, never proposed

to one, never even married one.

What is she, the usual fat-arsed frump?

So, she wrote you a letter

signed ''Your loving K'',

- and you tell me you don't know her?

- I told you. I never met the hag.

She's off her tree.

She wasn't even there.

- Where?

- At Peredelkino.

It's a Soviet writers' village.

They value their writers. The ones

who behave get their own dachas.

I was lucky enough to be a guest.

When was this?

Three or four months ago.

One of my trips.

But there wasn't any Katya.

- What happened?

- I was brilliant.

- Yes?

- Oh, yes.

How to save the world between

lunch and dinner. I was flying.

I believe in the new Russia.

You may not, but I do.

20 years ago, it was just a pipe dream.

Today, it's our only hope.

We thought we could bankrupt you

by raising the stakes in the arms race.

Gambling with the fate of the human race.

Barley, you won your gamble.

Nuclear peace for 40 years.

Oh, rubbish. What peace?

Ask the Czechs, the Vietnamese,

the Koreans. Ask the Afghans.

No. If there is to be hope,

we must all betray our countries.

We have to save each other,

because all victims are equal.

And none is more equal than others.

It's everyone's duty to start the avalanche.

A heroic thought, Barley.

Listen, nowadays you have

to think like a hero

just to behave like

a merely decent human being.

And did you believe this nonsense?

I don't know. I believe it when I say it.

But you've got to be there.

You're taking a leak

in some filthy public urinal,

and the man in the next stall leans across

and asks you about God, or Kafka,

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