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Molly Finn turned to Grey。 〃Gregor's a good lad too； Mr。 Grey。 He's not one of them nasties。〃 She sipped her tea。 〃Gregor's a good lad。〃
〃That's right； lass；〃 Finn said。
〃Not too good； I hope；〃 Grey said and they all laughed。 〃What made you take up residence here； Sam？〃
〃When we retired； Mrs。 Finn and me； we wanted to see a bit of the world。 We'd put a bit of brass aside and we cashed in a wee coop insurance policy we had； and got a berth on a freighter 。。。〃
〃Oh； my； we did have a good time；〃 Molly Finn broke in。 〃We went to so many foreign parts。 It were proper lovely。 But when we cum here Sam was a bit poorly； so we got off and were to pick up a freighter when she cum back。〃
〃That's right； lass；〃 Sam said。 〃Then I met a right proper nice man and he offered me a job。〃 He beamed and rubbed the black pits in his face。 〃I was to be consultant to some mines he was superintendent for； in some place called Formosa。 We went there once but no need to stay so we cum back here。 That's all there is to it； Mr。 Grey。 We make a little brass； the beer's good； so Mrs。 Finn and me we thought we'd stay。 The kids are all growed up。 。。。〃 He beamed again； showing his obviously false teeth。 〃We're Hong Kongers now。〃
They chatted pleasantly。 Grey would have been totally convinced by the Finns' cover story if he had not read his very private dossier before he left London。 It was known only to very few that for years Finn had been a card…carrying member of the BCP； the British munist Party。 On his retirement he had been sent out to Hong Kong by one of their secret inner mittees； his mission to be a fountain of information about anything to do with the Hong Kong bureaucracy and legislature。
In a few minutes Molly Finn stifled a yawn。 〃My my； I'm that tired！ If thee will excuse me I think I'll go to bed。〃
Sam said； 〃Off thee go； lass。〃
They talked a little more about inconsequential affairs then he too yawned。 〃If thee'll excuse me； I think I'll go too；〃 adding hastily； 〃Now don't thee move； chat to thy heart's content。 We'll see thee before thee leaves Hong Kong； Mr。 Grey 。。。 Gregor。〃
He shook hands with them and closed the bedroom door behind him。 Suslev went over to the television and turned it on with a laugh。 〃Have you seen Hong Kong TV？ The mercials are very funny。〃
He adjusted the sound high enough so they could talk yet not be overheard。 〃One can't be too careful； eh？〃
〃I bring you fraternal greetings from London；〃 Grey said； his voice as soft。 Since 1947 he had been an inner…core munist； even more secretly than Finn； his identity only known to half a dozen people in England。
〃And I send them back。〃 Suslev jerked his thumb at the closed door。 〃How much do they know？〃
〃Only that I'm left…wing and potential Party material。〃
〃Excellent。〃 Suslev relaxed。 Center had been very clever to arrange this private meeting so neatly。 Roger Crosse； who knew nothing of his connection with Grey； had already told him there were no SI tails on the MPs。 〃We're quite safe here。 Sam's very good。 We get copies of his reports too。 And he asks no questions。 You British are very close…mouthed and very efficient； Mr。 Grey。 I congratulate you。〃
〃Thank you。〃
〃How was your meeting in Peking？〃
Grey took out a sheaf of papers。 〃This's a copy of our private and public reports to Parliament。 Read it before I go … you'll get the full report through channels。 Briefly； I think the Chinese are totally hostile and revisionist。 Madman Mao and his henchman Chou En…lai are implacable enemies to international munism。 China is weak in everything except the will to fight； and they will fight to protect their land to the last。 The longer you wait the harder it will be to contain them； but so long as they don't get nuclear weapons and long…range delivery systems they'll never be a threat。〃
〃Yes。 What about trade？ What did they want？〃
〃Heavy industries； oil cracking plants； oil rigs； chemical plants； steel mills。〃
〃How are they going to pay？〃
〃They said they've plenty of foreign exchange。 Hong Kong supplies much of it。〃
〃Did they ask for arms？〃
〃No。 Not directly。 They're clever and we didn't always talk or meet as a group。 They were well briefed about me and Broadhurst and we weren't liked … or trusted。 Perhaps they talked privately to Pennyworth or one of the other Tories … though that won't've helped them。 You heard he died？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Good riddance。 He was an enemy。〃 Grey sipped his beer。 〃The PRC want arms； of that I'm sure。 They're a secretive lot and rotten。〃
〃What's Julian Broadhurst like？〃
〃An intellectual who thinks he's a Socialist。 He's the dregs but useful at the moment。 Patrician； old school tie；〃 Grey said with a sneer。 〃Because of that he'll be a power in the next Labour government。〃
〃Labour will get in next time； Mr。 Grey？〃
〃No； I don't think so； even though we're working very hard to help Labour and the Liberals。〃
Suslev frowned。 〃Why support Liberals？ They're capitalists。〃
Grey laughed sardonically。 〃You don't understand our British system； Captain Suslev。 We're very lucky； we've a three…party vote with a two…party system。 The Liberals split the vote in our favor。 We have to encourage them。〃 Happily he finished his beer and got two more from the refrigerator。 〃If it wasn't for the Liberals； Labour would have never got in； not never！ And never will again。〃
〃I don't understand。〃
〃At the best of times the vote for Labour's only about 45 percent of the population； a little under 45 percent。 Tory … Conservatives … are about the same； usually a little more。 Most of the other 10…odd percent vote Liberal。 If there was no Liberal candidate the majority'd vote with the Conservatives。 They're all fools；〃 he said smugly。 〃The British are stupid； rade； the Liberal Party's Labour's permanent passport to power … therefore ours。 Soon the BCP'll control the TUC； and so Labour pletely … secretly of course。〃 He drank deeply。 〃The great British unwashed are stupid； the middle class stupid； the upper class stupid … it's almost no challenge anymore。 They're all lemmings。 Only a very few believe in democratic socialism。 Even so；〃 he added with great satisfaction； 〃we pulled down their rotten Empire and pissed all over them with Operation Lion。〃 Operation Lion was formulated as soon as the Bolsheviks had e to power。 Its purpose； the destruction of the British Empire。 〃In just eighteen years； since 1945； the greatest empire the world has ever seen's bee nonexistent。〃
〃Except for Hong Kong。〃
〃Soon that will go too。〃
〃I cannot tell you how important my superiors consider your work；〃 Suslev said with pretended open admiration。 〃You and all our fraternal British brothers。〃 His orders were to be deferential to this man； to debrief him on his Chinese mission； to pass on instructions as requests。 And to flatter him。 He had read Grey's dossier and the Finns'。 Robin Grey had a Beria…KGB classification 4/22/a： 〃An important British traitor paying lip service to Marxist…Leninist ideals。 He is to be used but never trusted； and； should the British munist Party ever reach power； is subject to immediate liquidation。〃
Suslev watched Grey。 Neither Grey nor the Finns knew his real position； only that he was a minor member of the Vladivostok munist Party … which was also on his SI dossier。
〃You have some information for me？〃 Grey asked。
〃Yes； tovarich； and also； with your permission； a few questions。 I was told to ask about your implementation of Directive 72/Prague。〃 This highly secret directive put top priority on infiltrating covert； hard…core experts into positions as shop stewards； in every car…manufacturing plant throughout the U。S。 and the West … the motor industry； because of its countless allied industries； being the core of any capitalist society。
〃We're full speed ahead；〃 Grey told him enthusiastically。 〃Wildcat strikes are the way of the future。 With wildcats we can get around union hierarchies without disrupting existing unionism。 Our unions're fragmented。 Deliberately。 Fifty men can be a separate union and that union can dominate thousands … and so long as there's never a secret ballot； the few will always rule the many！〃 He laughed。 〃We're ahead of schedule； and now we've fraternal brothers in Canada； New Zealand； Rhodesia； Australia … particularly Australia。 Within a few years we'll have trained agitators in every key machine…shop union in the English…speaking world。 A Brit will lead the workers wherever there's a strike … Sydney； Vancouver； Johannesburg； Wellington。 It'll be a Brit！〃
〃And you're one of the leaders； tovarich！ How marvelous！〃 Suslev let him continue； leading him on； disgusted that it was so easy to flatter him。 How dreadful traitors are； he told himself。 〃Soon you'll have the democratic paradise you seek and there'll be peace on earth。〃
〃It won't be long；〃 Grey said fervently。 〃We've cut the armed services and we'll cut them even more next year。 War's over forever。 The bomb's done that。 It's only the rotten Americans and their arms race who stand in the way but soon we'll force even them to lay down their arms and we'll all be equal。〃
〃Did you know America's secretly arming the Japanese？〃
〃Eh？〃 Grey stared at him。
〃Oh； didn't you know？〃 Suslev was well aware of