Quiller Salamander

'Why at my price?'

'Because we want this man to succeed, so we don't mind losing a little on the deal. If he succeeds, he won't stop there. With Beijing's encouragement he'll catch North Vietnam vacillating between sucking up to the Americans for favoured-nation status, with all it implies, and going ahead in the caves and cellars concocting their very first little nuclear bomb. Then there'll be South Vietnam in your client's sights.' Hands flat on the table again, my voice almost down to a whisper. 'Can you imagine how much joy it would give that man to destroy the very nation that drove him out of Cambodia?' I sat back. 'But you know all this, Slavsky. As a lackey of Beijing this client of yours could create a Communist block in South-east Asia at a time when the West is desperate to establish democracy here on China's doorstep. We don't see this man as just another sadistic terrorist still ambitious to kill off another million peasants; once he's got real power in his hands he'll rise to the occasion politically and of course ideologically — and he'll need real toys to protect his new territories, not just the bundle of surface-to-surface missiles you're selling him now. And with the huge treasure-chest of merchandise still stockpiled in Russia and Ukraine — conventional and nuclear — we're looking at a brand new and rapidly-developing market, and that is what interests Dmitrovich.'

Above us the ceiling fans stirred the tobacco smoke, and moths began tracing the air with gold under the flickering lights; through the windows the sky was blood-red as the long day neared its end. I hadn't taken much of a risk when I'd talked about a bundle of surface-to-surface missiles: if Pot Pot wanted to take over this country again he could only do it by threatening the capital, and since he'd failed to do it politically he had to do it by a show of force and from a distance, and a cluster of short-range missiles was the perfect tool.

Slavsky drained his vodka and I signalled the boy. Gabrielle's glass was still full, and so was mine — something that Slavsky hadn't noticed yet, but if he did, he'd comment: for a Russian to sit in front of a glass of vodka for more than five minutes was almost an outrage. I would tell him, if necessary, that I'd eaten some uncooked vegetables here and my stomach was queasy. Tonight I had work to do.

'Will your friend,' Gabrielle asked me, 'be staying overnight?'

'I'm not sure, but I should think so. He can't get a plane to Phnom Penh at this hour in any case, otherwise I'd be on it myself — regrettably.' I gave her a rueful smile. 'He might speak a bit of English, by the way — would you like me to ask him?'

'Perhaps.'

The boy was coming up in his rubber flip-flops, and I ordered a single vodka. Slavsky was staring into his empty glass, his strong thick fingers turning it slowly round. I didn't interrupt him, and in a moment he looked up.

'It sounds like a threat,' he said.

'What does?'

Your offer to "pick things up and make a delivery" if I can't manage it.'

I leaned back, raising my hands to shoulder-level, palms towards him and fingers spread. 'My dear Boris, if we'd wanted to move in on your deal we would have done so before now. Be logical.'

He turned his large head away to watch the sundown in the windows, turned it back to watch the innocence in my eyes. 'How soon could you deliver the merchandise,' he asked, 'if something went wrong with my own plans?'

I shrugged. 'Almost immediately. We've got underground stockpiles of stuff like that all over the place, as I'm sure you know. But you don't need to worry yourself over — '

'And what kind of accident would you think I might have, that would prevent delivery?' He was forgetting to leave his eyes blank now, was concerned, defensive.

I leaned forward. 'Look, all you need consider is how much my group stands to profit in the long run from your client's success, and you'll understand — I very much hope — that Dmitrovich is more than happy to see you deliver on time by the nineteenth, without impediment. Tell me, have you ever met him?'

'Dmitrovich?'

'Yes.'

'I've not had that pleasure.' His sense of humour was surfacing, and I noted it.

'He's tough,' I said. 'Dmitrovich is very tough. You know that. But he's prone to indulge himself, and for him to watch over your successful enterprise out here as a kind of benevolent patron is rather attractive to him. The bear that refrains from cuffing the badger is simply demonstrating his greater strength — if you'll forgive the analogy.'

'Well, yes, that I can believe. He's an arrogant bastard — if you'll forgive the description.'

I laughed generously, and it wasn't difficult. The breakthrough I'd made was holding up, and if this man wasn't yet convinced I was a potential ally he seemed to be getting close. But we'd reached the point where it could be dangerous to push things, and as the boy brought Slavsky's drink I looked at my watch and then at Gabrielle. 'As you can tell, we've finished our business.'

'Did it go well?'

'We needed to reach an understanding, and I think we've done that. He's a good man to negotiate with. But I'm feeling a bit under the weather — I ate some raw vegetables at lunch time, which was pretty stupid, and I'm ready for an early night. Would you like me to leave you in Boris's good care, or shall I see you to your hotel?'

She turned away to look across the table for a moment, a mischievous smile on her mouth. 'Perhaps he might ask me to dinner,' she said, 'who knows?'

'I'm damned if I like sitting this one out, but I wouldn't be much company, the way I'm feeling. How long will you be in Pouthisat?'

'For quite a while. I'm here on a photographic assignment.'

'Then maybe I can see you again.'

'I'd like that,' she said.

I looked at Slavsky and switched back to Russian. 'So let's leave it like that, Boris. If you come up against any problem with delivery, I'll be there to help.'

'How will you know?'

I smiled. 'I shall know because I'm here on what we might call a watching brief.'

'You've got your spies out.'

'Oh my dear fellow, that sounds so uncharitable. Do you speak English, by the way?'

'When necessary.'

'That's a good answer, because the lady was asking just now If you're in town overnight.'

'And what did you say, since you know so much?'

I laughed again. 'I told her there are no more planes in any case. She also suggested you might be in the mood to ask her to dinner. I'm out of the running, as I mentioned.' He swung his heavy gaze to Gabrielle. 'But you'll have to do better,' I told him, 'than "the cat sat on the mat", or there won't be much conversation.'

Leaning towards Gabrielle he said in careful English, 'It would give me greatest pleasure if you may have dinner with me tonight.'

I got up, leaving some money for the drinks on the table as Gabrielle said in pleased surprise, 'I'd be delighted.'

'You're a dark horse, Boris,' I said, 'your English is better than mine. The best restaurant in this dump is Les Deux Magots, by the way, and I recommend the escargots and the coq au vin — but for God's sake don't eat any salad or anything else uncooked. Have a nice evening, and don't worry about a single thing.' I kissed Gabrielle's hand and said in English, not to be outdone, 'It is nice for me when I may see you again.'

'Au plaisir, m'sieur.'

The clock over the bar was at twenty past six when I left, and I was stationed in cover not far from the hotel entrance an hour later when Slavsky and Gabrielle came out and climbed into a cyclo, sitting side by side as it started off in the direction of Les Deux Magots.