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　but　our　man　will　not　be　an　expert。　And　then　there's　the　plicating　factor　of　medical　care。　Unless　you're　shot　through　the　heart　or　brain；　skilled　surgeons　can　often　reach　into　the　grave　and　pull　a　wounded　man　back　out。　So；　realistically；　it　is　a　fifty…percent　operation。　The　consequences　of　failure；　therefore；　must　be　taken　into　account。　That　is　a　political　question；　rade　Chairman；〃　Bubovoy　concluded；　meaning　that　it　wasn't　his　ass　on　the　line；　exactly。　At　the　same　time；　he　knew　that　mission　success　meant　general's　stars；　which；　for　the　colonel；　was　an　acceptable　gamble　with　a　huge　upside　and　little　in　the　way　of　a　downside。　It　appealed　to　his　careerism　as　well　as　his　patriotism。
　　　〃Very　well。　What　needs　to　be　done？〃
　　　〃First　of　all；　the　DS　operates　under　political　guidance。　The　section　that　Colonel　Strokov　mands　operates　with　few　written　records；　but　it　is　directly　controlled　by　the　Bulgarian　Politburo。　So　we　would　have　to　get　political　authorization；　which　necessarily　means　approval　from　our　own　political　leadership。　The　Bulgarians　will　not　authorize　their　cooperation　without　an　official　request　from　our　government。　After　that；　it's　actually　a　straightforward　operation。〃
　　　〃I　see。〃　Andropov　went　silent　for　half　a　minute　or　so。　There　was　a　Politburo　meeting　the　day　after　tomorrow。　Was　it　too　soon　to　float　this　mission？　he　wondered。　How　difficult　might　it　be　to　make　his　case？　He'd　have　to　show　them　the　Warsaw　Letter；　and　they　would　not　be　the　least　bit　pleased　by　it。　He'd　have　to　present　it　in　such　a　way　as　to　make　the　urgency　of　the　matter　plain　and。。。　frightening　to　them。
　　　Would　they　be　frightened？　Well；　he　could　help　them　along　that　path；　couldn't　he？　Andropov　pondered　the　question　for　a　few　more　seconds　and　came　to　a　favorable　conclusion。
　　　〃Anything　else；　Colonel？〃
　　　〃It　hardly　needs　saying　that　operational　security　must　be　airtight。　The　Vatican　has　its　own　highly　effective　intelligence　service。　It　would　be　a　mistake　to　underestimate　their　capabilities；〃　Bubovoy　warned。　〃Therefore；　our　Politburo　and　the　Bulgarians　must　know　that　this　matter　cannot　be　discussed　outside　of　their　own　number。　And　for　our　side；　that　means　no　one；　even　in　the　Central　mittee　or　the　Party　Secretariat。　The　smallest　leak　would　be　ruinous　to　the　mission。　But；　at　the　same　time；〃　he　went　on；　〃we　have　much　working　for　us。　The　Pope　necessarily　cannot　isolate　himself；　nor　can　he　be　protected　as　we　or　any　other　nation…state　would　do　with　such　a　threat　to　its　chief　of　state。　In　an　operational　sense；　he　is；　actually；　rather　a　'soft'　target…if；　that　is；　we　can　find　an　assassin　willing　to　risk　his　life　to　get　sufficiently　close　to　take　his　shot。〃
　　　〃So；　if　I　can　get　authorization　from　the　Politburo；　and　then　we　make　the　request　for　assistance　from　our　Bulgarian　brothers；　and　then　you　can　get　this　Colonel　Strokov　moving；　how　long　before　it　actually　happens？〃
　　　〃A　month；　I　should　think；　perhaps　two　months；　but　not　more　than　that。　We　would　need　some　support　from　Station　Rome；　for　issues　of　timing　and　such；　but　that's　all。　Our　own　hands　would　be　entirely　clean…especially　if　Strokov　assists　in　eliminating　the　assassin　immediately　upon　pletion　of　his　mission。〃
　　　〃You'd　want　this　Strokov　fellow　to　act　personally？〃
　　　〃Da。〃　Bubovoy　nodded。　〃Boris　Andreyevich　is　not　averse　to　getting　his　hands　wet。　He's　done　this　sort　of　thing　before。〃
　　　〃Very　well。〃　Andropov　looked　down　at　his　desk。　〃There　will　be　no　written　records　of　this　operation。　Once　I　have　proper　authorization；　you　will　receive　notice　to　proceed　from　my　office；　but　only　by　operational　code；　and　that　is　15…8…82…666。　Any　plex　information　will　be　relayed　by　messenger　or　by　face…to…face　contact　only。　Is　that　clear？〃　
　　　〃It　is　clear；　rade　Chairman。　Nothing　gets　written　down　except　the　operation　number。　I　expect　I　will　be　flying　a　good　deal　between　Sofia　and　Moscow；　but　that　is　not　a　problem。〃
　　　〃The　Bulgarians　are　trustworthy？〃　Andropov　asked；　suddenly　worried。
　　　〃Yes；　they　are；　rade　Chairman。　We　have　a　long…standing　operational　relationship　with　them；　and　they　are　expert　at　this　sort　of　thing…more　than　we　are；　in　fact。　They　have　had　more　practice。　When　someone　must　die；　it's　often　the　Bulgars　who　take　care　of　matters　for　us。〃
　　　〃Yes；　Colonel　Rozhdestvenskiy　has　told　me　that。　I　just　have　no　direct　knowledge　of　it。〃
　　　〃You　could；　of　course；　meet　with　Colonel　Strokov　any　time　you　wish；〃　Bubovoy　suggested。
　　　Andropov　shook　his　head。　〃Better　that　I　should　not；　I　think。〃
　　　〃As　you　wish；　rade　Chairman。〃　That　figures；　Bubovoy　thought。　Andropov　was　a　party　man；　not　used　to　getting　his　hands　dirty。　Politicians　were　all　the　same…bloodthirsty；　but　personally　tidy；　depending　on　others　to　carry　out　their　nasty　wishes。　Well；　that　was　his　job；　the　colonel　decided；　and　since　politicians　controlled　the　good　things　in　his　society；　he　needed　to　please　them　to　get　the　honey　from　the　hive。　And　he　had　as　big　a　sweet　tooth　as　anyone　else　in　the　Soviet　Union。　At　the　end　of　this　mission　might　be　general's　stars；　a　nice　flat　in　Moscow…even　a　modest　dacha　in　the　Lenin　Hills。　He'd　be　glad　to　return　to　Moscow；　and　so　would　his　wife。　If　the　price　of　it　was　the　death　of　some　foreigner　who　was　a　political　inconvenience　to　his　country；　well；　that　was　just　too　bad。　He　should　have　been　more　careful　about　who　he　was　offending。
　　　〃Thank　you　for　ing　and　for　giving　me　your　expertise；　rade　Colonel。　You　will　be　hearing　from　me。〃
　　　Bubovoy　stood。　〃I　serve　the　Soviet　Union；〃　he　said；　and　made　his　way　through　the　hidden　door。
　　　Rozhdestvenskiy　was　in　the　secretaries'　room；　waiting　for　him。
　　　〃How　did　it　go；　Ilya？〃
　　　〃I　am　not　sure　I　am　allowed　to　say〃　was　the　guarded　reply。
　　　〃If　this　is　about　Operation　…666；　then　you　are　allowed；　Ilya　Fedorovich；〃　Rozhdestvenskiy　assured　him；　leading　him　out　the　door　into　the　corridor。
　　　〃Then　the　meeting　went　well；　Aleksey　Nikolay'ch。　More　than　that；　I　can　only　say　with　the　Chairman's　approval。〃　This　might　be　a　security　test；　after　all；　however　much　a　friend　Rozhdestvenskiy　might　be。
　　　〃I　told　him　you　could　be　relied　upon；　Ilya。　This　could　be　good　for　both　of　us。〃
　　　〃We　serve；　Aleksey；　just　like　everybody　else　in　this　building。〃
　　　〃Let　me　get　you　to　your　car。　You　can　make　the　noon　flight　easily。〃　A　few　minutes　later；　he　was　back　in　Andropov's　office。
　　　〃Well？〃　the　Chairman　asked。
　　　〃He　says　the　meeting　went　well；　but　he　will　not　say　another　word　with　out　your　permission。　Ilya　Fedorovich　is　a　serious　professional；　rade　Chairman。　Am　I　to　be　your　contact　for　the　mission？　〃
　　　〃Yes；　you　are；　Aleksey；〃　Andropov　confirmed。　〃I　will　send　a　signal　to　that　effect。〃　Andropov　didn't　feel　the　need　to　run　the　operation　himself。　His　was　a　big…picture　mind；　not　an　operational　one。　〃What　do　you　know　of　this　Colonel　Boris　Strokov？〃
　　　〃Bulgarian？　The　name　is　familiar。　He's　a　senior　intelligence　officer　who　has　in　the　past　specialized　in　assassination　operations。　He　has　ample　experience…and　obviously　Ilya　knows　him　well。〃
　　　〃How　does　one　specialize　in　assassinations？〃　the　Chairman　asked。　It　was　an　aspect　of　the　KGB　he　hadn't　been　briefed　in　on。
　　　〃His　real　work　is　something　else；　obviously；　but　the　DS　has　a　small　group　of　officers　with　experience　in　this　sort　of　thing。　He　is　the　most　experienced。　His　operational　record　is　flawless。　If　memory　serves；　he's　personally　eliminated　seven　or　eight　people　whose　deaths　were　necessary…mostly　Bulgarians；　I　think。　Probably　a　Turk　or　two　as　well；　but　no　Westerners　that　I　know　of。〃
　　　〃Is　it　difficult　to　do？〃　Yuriy　Vladimirovich　asked。
　　　〃I　have　no　such　experience　myself；〃　Rozhdestvenskiy　admitted。　He　didn't　add　that　he　didn't　especially　want　any。　〃Those　who　do　say　that　their　concern　is　not　so　much　in　acplishing　the　mission　as　in　pleting　it…that　is；　avoiding　police　investigation　afterwards。　Modern　police　agencies　are　fairly　effective　at　investigating　murders；　you　see。　In　this　case；　you　can　expect　a　most　vigorous　investigation。〃
　　　〃Bubovoy　wants　this　Strokov　fellow　to　go　on　the　mission　and　then　eliminate　the　assassin　immediately　afterward。〃
　　　Rozhdestvenskiy　nodded　thoughtfully。　〃That　makes　good　sense。　We　have　discussed　that　option　ourselves；　as　I　recall。〃
　　　〃Yes。〃　Andropov　closed　his　eyes　for　a　moment。　Again；　the　image　paraded　itself　before