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s ill…advised。 And very ill…advised to go along with the fatuous political Yalta agreement of an ailing Roosevelt； the inpetent Attlee to allow Stalin to gorge most of Europe； when it was militarily clear to even the most stupid politician or hidebound general that it was contrary to our absolute national interest； ours and the United States to hold back。 I think Roosevelt hated us really； and our British Empire。〃
The little man steepled his fingers and beamed。 〃I'm afraid there's one big disadvantage in employing me； Mr。 Dunross。 I'm entirely pro…British； anti…munist； and particularly anti…KGB； which is the main instrument of Soviet foreign policy； which is openly and forever mitted to our destruction； so some of my more peppery forecasts you can discount； if you wish。 I'm entirely against a left…wing dominated Labour Party and I will constantly remind anyone who will listen that the anthem of the Labour Party's 'The Red Flag。' 〃 Alan Medford Grant smiled in his pixy way。 〃It's best you know where you stand in the beginning。 I'm royalist； loyalist and believe in the British parliamentary way。 I'll never knowingly give you false information though my evaluations will be slanted。 May I ask what your politics are？〃
〃We have none in Hong Kong； Mr。 Grant。 We don't vote； there are no elections … we're a colony； particularly a free…port colony； not a democracy。 The Crown rules … actually the governor rules despotically for the Crown。 He has a legislative council but it's a rubber…stamp council and the historic policy is laissez…faire。 Wisely he leaves things alone。 He listens to the business munity； makes social changes very cautiously and leaves everyone to make money or not make money； to build； expand； go broke； to go or to e； to dream or to stay awake； to live or to die as best you can。 And the maximum tax is 15 percent but only on money earned in Hong Kong。 We don't have politics here； don't want politics here … neither does China want us to have any here。 They're for the status quo too。 My personal politics？ I'm royalist； I'm for freedom； for free…booting and free trade。 I'm a Scotsman； I'm for Struan's； I'm for laissez…faire in Hong Kong and freedom throughout the world。〃
〃I think we understand one another。 Good。 I've never worked for an individual before … only the government。 This will be a new experience for me。 I hope I will satisfy you。〃 Grant paused and thought a moment。 〃Like Suez in '56？〃 The lines beside the little man's eyes crinkled。 〃Very well； plan that the Panama Canal will be lost to America。〃
〃That's ridiculous！〃
〃Oh don't look so shocked； Mr。 Dunross！ It's too easy。 Give it ten or fifteen years of enemy spadework and lots of liberal talk in America； ably assisted by do…gooders who believe in the benevolence of human nature； add to all this a modest amount of calculated Panamanian agitation； students and so on … preferably； ah； always students … artfully and secretly assisted by a few highly trained； patient； professional agitators and oh so secret KGB expertise； finance and a long…range plan … ergo； in due course the canal could be out of U。S。 hands into the enemy's。〃
〃They'd never stand for it。〃
〃You're right； Mr。 Dunross； but they will sit for it。 What could be a better garrotte in time of hostilities； or even crisis； against your main； openly stated capitalistic enemy than to be able to inhibit the Panama Canal or rock it a little？ One ship sunk in any one of a hundred spots； or a lock wrecked； could dam up the canal for years。〃
Dunross remembered how he had poured two more drinks before answering； and then he had said； 〃You're seriously suggesting we should make contingency plans against that。〃
〃Yes；〃 the little man said with his extraordinary innocence。 〃I'm very serious about my job； Mr。 Dunross。 My job； the one I've chosen for me； is to seek out； to uncover and evaluate enemy moves。 I'm not anti…Russian or anti…Chinese or anti…East German or anti any of that bloc … on the absolute contrary I want desperately to help them。 I'm convinced that we're in a state of war； that the enemy of all the people is the munist Party member； whether British； Soviet； Chinese； Hungarian； American； Irish 。。。 even Martian 。。。 and all are linked in one way or another； that the KGB； like it or not； is in the center of their web。〃 He sipped the drink Dunross had just refilled for him。 〃This is marvelous whiskey； Mr。 Dunross。〃
〃It's Loch Vey … it es from a small distillery near our homelands in Ayr。 It's a Struan pany。〃
〃Marvelous！〃 Another appreciative sip of the whiskey and Dunross reminded himself to send Alan Medford Grant a case for Christmas … if the initial reports proved interesting。
〃I'm not a fanatic； Mr。 Dunross； nor a rabble…rouser。 Just a sort of reporter and forecaster。 Some people collect stamps； I collect secrets。 。。。〃
The lights of a car rounding the half…hidden curve of the road below distracted Dunross momentarily。 He wandered over to the window and watched the car until it had gone； enjoying the sound of the highly tuned engine。 Then he sat in a high…winged chair and let his mind drift again。 Yes； Mr。 Grant； you certainly collect secrets； he thought； staggered as usual by the scope of the little man's knowledge。
Sevrin … Christ almighty！ If that's true 。。。
How accurate are you this time？ How far do I trust you this time … how far do I gamble？
In previous reports Grant had given two projections that； so far； could be proved。 A year in advance； Grant had predicted that de Gaulle would veto Britain's effort to join the EEC； that the French general's posture would be increasingly anti…British； anti…American and pro…Soviet； and that de Gaulle would； prompted by outside influences and encouraged by one of his closest advisors … an immensely secret； covert KGB mole … mount a long…term attack on the U。S。 economy by speculation in gold。 Dunross had dismissed this as farfetched and so had lost a potential fortune。
Recently； six months in advance； Grant had forecast the missile crisis in Cuba； that Kennedy would slam down the gauntlet； blockade Cuba and exert the necessary pressure and not buckle under the strain of brinkmanship； that Khrushchev would back off under pressure。 Gambling that Grant was correct this time … though a Cuban missile crisis had seemed highly unlikely at the time forecast … Dunross had made Struan's half a million pounds by buying Hawaiian sugar futures； another 600；000 on the stock market； plus 600；000 for the tai…pan's secret fund … and cemented a long…range plan to invest in Hawaiian sugar plantations as soon as he could find the financial tool。 And you've got it now； he told himself gleefully。 Par…Con。
〃You've almost got it；〃 he muttered； correcting himself。 How far do I trust this report？ Thus far AMG's mittee's been a gigantic investment for all his meanderings； he thought。 Yes。 But it's almost like having your own astrologer。 A few accurate forecasts don't mean they'll all be。 Hitler had his own forecaster。 So did Julius Caesar。 Be wise； be cautious； he reminded himself。 What to do？ It's now or never。
Sevrin。 Alan Medford Grant had written： 〃Documents brought to us and substantiated by the French spy Marie d'Orleans caught by the S？reté June 16 indicate that the KGB Department V （Disinformation … FAR EAST） have in situ a hitherto unknown； deep…cover espionage network throughout the Far East； code name Sevrin。 The purpose of Sevrin is clearly stated in the stolen Head Document：
〃Aim： To cripple revisionist China … formally acknowledged by the Central mittee of the USSR as the main enemy； second only to capitalist U。S。A。
〃Procedure： The permanent obliteration of Hong Kong as the bastion of capitalism in the Far East and China's preeminent source of all foreign currency； foreign assistance and all technical and manufactured assistance of every kind。
〃Method： Long…term infiltration of the press and media； the government； police； business and education with friendly aliens controlled by Center … but only in accordance with most special procedures throughout Asia。
〃Initiation date： Immediate。
〃Duration of operation： Provisionally thirty years。
〃Target date： 1980…83。
〃Classification： Red One。
〃Funding： Maximum。
〃Approval： L。B。 March 14； 1950。
〃It's interesting to note；〃 Grant had continued； 〃that the document is signed in 1950 by L。B。 … presumed to be Lavrenti Beria … when Soviet Russia was openly allied with munist China； and that； even in those days； China was secretly considered their Number Two enemy。 （Our previous report 3/1962； Russia versus China refers。）
〃China； historically； is the great prize that always was … and ever will be … sought by imperialistic and hegemonic Russia。 Possession of China； or its mutilation into balkanized subject states； is the perpetual keystone of Russian foreign policy。 First is； of course； the obliteration of Western Europe； for then； Russia believes； China can be swallowed at will。
〃The documents reveal that the Hong Kong cell of Sevrin consists of a resident controller； code name Arthur； and six agents。 We know nothing about Arthur； other than that he has been a KGB agent since recruitment in England in the thirties （it's not known if he was born in England； or if his parents