November 15, 2016
Plot line: the Russians have a mole inside British intelligence at the very highest level. There are indications that the British are aware but the Russians do not know for sure. The Russians need to know. The Russians set up a hoax to capture a British spy; the plan goes awry and instead of a live British spy, they almost assassinate him. In the confusion, it is not known immediately if the British spy was killed or simply severely wounded. The story would end there except that the severely wounded or dead British spy was the homosexual friend of the mole. The mole will do everything he can to bring back his British spy lover, assuming the latter is still alive. The mole succeeds in getting his British homosexual lover-spy back to England.
George Smiley, #2 in British intelligent, is asked to come out of retirement to find the mole. Putting 2+2 together, he realizes who the mole is. The movie then carries us through Smiley’s investigation to confirm his conclusions. There are minor subplots, but in the end, it’s all about Smiley smoking out the mole. He succeeds, but — spoiler alert — his homosexual lover ends up assassinating the mole.
December 19, 2015
After watching the movie for the 100th time, I finally have the movie all figured out except for two scenes, the two scenes with the railroad / train — metaphors. I will come back to that later.
The rough outline of the story:
John Le Carre is telling the story of how George Smiley discovers/identifies the mole.
There is credible evidence that there is a mole. Control has suspected a mole, but he never told his suspicious to Smiley. In fact, Control thought the mole could possibly be Smiley himself. It was only after the minister of intelligence came to Smiley that he found out what Control had thought. It turns out Control had confided his suspicions to the minister but not to Smiley. It was Randy Tarr, in a telephone call to the minister, that confirmed the suspicion.
The Russians are aware that Circus “thinks/knows” there is a mole. Karla (Russia KGB) wants to know how much the Brits know.
Simultaneously / coincidentally, a “free spirit” in Czech/Hungary stumble upon evidence there is a mole at the very top of Circus. He lets MI6 know. Circus / Control tasks Jim Prideaux to go to Czech / Hungary (book / movie) to find out the name of the mole. [Is Prideaux going to get the Russian spy that Ricky Tarr had found?]
Before he leaves, Jim Prideaux lets Bill Haydon know that he’s going to Czech / Hungary — and at that time mentions Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy — this is one of many key points in the story — perhaps the key point.
Bill Haydon warns the Russians what is going on. The Russians are simply going to kidnap Prideaux alive (not kill him) and get the information. Things go wrong; Prideaux is almost killed. Haydon uses his “chips” to get Prideaux out of Russia. If Haydon had not stepped in, Prideaux would have been shot by the Russians.
Haydon saves Prideaux and gets him back to England.
Haydon sends Esterhase (Poorman) to tell Prideaux to become a “lotus-eater” and forget everything about Tinker, Tailor, Soldier Spy.
When Smiley finds out Prideaux is still alive, he visits Prideaux — he finds out that Prideaux knew about Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.
Later, Peter Guillam and Smiley wonder how Haydon knows about TTSS.
At that point, Smiley remembers Connie Sachs telling him that Prideaux / Haydon were inseparable. In fact, they were lovers.
Prideaux knew that Haydon was the mole, but love superseded spying duplicity but it bothered him. Regardless, that’s why he warned Haydon. [So, Control tells Prideaux about TTSS, and Prideaux tells Haydon about TTSS.]
Smiley puts two and two together. He knows it’s Haydon; he just needs to trap him at “the house.”
December 6, 2015: there is a new (or a first) biography of John Le Carre. I saw the review in two periodicals. The one in front of me is in The London Review of Books, December 3, 2015. Like the review elsewhere, it is noted that it is difficult to tell what is true, what is not, because of Le Carre’s lifetime of lying. Apparently the first half of the book is very good, but the second half is simply a review of his literary career, offering not much new. Perhaps the most interesting thing I learned in this review was the reason for Le Carre’s emphasis on boarding schools. It is where he spent much of his childhood. His dad ended up in prison for life, I believe, when Le Carre was about 8 years old.
*******************************
The information below was written in the late summer / autumn of 2015.
Twenty terms to know before watching the movie: http://www.bbcamerica.com/anglophenia/2012/03/the-brit-list-tinker-tailor-glossary-20-terms-you-should-know-before-watching/
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
John Le Carre
Part I
Chapter 1 — Jim Prideaux
Thaunton Races
Major Dover drops dead; opens up teaching spot for Jim Prideaux
Headmaster: Thursgood
Staff: Marjoribanks
Student: Bill Roach
Jim’s car: Alvis
Jim: a linguist
Jim’s best “sport” in school: “ducks and drakes”
An early nickname the students pinned on Jim: Goulash; finally decided on Rhino — living off the land and an appetite for physical activity.
Thursgood noted that Jim’s resume had significant gaps.
Jim: complained of a very, very sore back; hunchback. (As a result of the gunshot wound.)
Chapter 2 — George Smiley: Gets Thrown Out With Control; Percy Alleline and Bill Haydon take over.
Smiley: described as fairly (very?) unattractive
His “beautiful wife”
Lives in Chelsea; on way home, skirts Victoria Station
Heywood Hill’s bookshop on Curzon Street; picked up a book by Grimmelshausen.
Oxford graduate
At Heywood Hill’s runs into Roddy Martindale; worked in the Foreign Office; no other connection with Smiley. Both belonged to a club in Manchester Square.
Reference to White Hall — similar to US Congressional Building?
Brings up Control, who never gave his name to anyone. Martingale tries to learn from Smiley about Control.
First mention (p. 21) of Bill Haydon — got Smiley’s job. Bill Haydon is Percy Alleline’s “cup-bearer.” [Cupbearer: someone who waits on or tends to or attends to the needs of another.]
First mention of Circus (p. 22).
Martindale describes Bill Haydon as “modern day Lawrence of Arabia.” [Rumors that TE Lawrence was homosexual; very, very handsome.]
Chapter 3: Peter Guillam introduced; how Jim knows if his mail is being opened
On way home; remembers he left his Grimmelshausen (the book he bought) at the club; probably annoyed by Martindale.
King’s Road; then his home at 117 Bywater Street, a cul-de-sac.
Two locks: a Banham deadlock, and a Chubb Pipekey (a type of lock that allows the owner to know if it has been tampered with).
Mentions the splinters he puts in the door to let him know if anyone has opened the door while he was gone.
Peter Guillam introduced; somehow got into the house without disturbing the splinters.
Peter Guillam drives; Smiley rides with him. Driving to Ascot, where Mr Oliver Lacon, of the Cabinet office, lived; watchdog of intelligence services.
Second section: back to Jim Prideaux.
Noted that Jim had “stolen” a letter to Miss Aaronson. Two letters had come: one to Jim, one to Miss Aronson; Bill Roach noted that Jim took both of them. [A system to see if his mail is being intercepted and read before being sent to him. Sends two letters — one to entirely benign individual — at very same time; then sees if they arrive at the same time. If his is delayed, he knows his mail is being intercepted and read.]
Chapter 4: describes new organization; Travel; lateralism; how Ricky Tarr was recruited.
Guillam and Smiley on way to Ascot; via Runnymede and Egham Hill.
Smiley surprised that Guillam was not sacked along with the rest of them — a whole group sacked. [Did Haydon keep Guillam — another homosexual?]
Guillam put in charge of scalp-hunters. Official name: TRAVEL.
TRAVEL has been formed by Control on Bill Haydon’s suggestion in the pioneer days of the Cold War, when murder, kidnapping, and crash blackmail were common currency, and their first commandant was selected by Bill Hayden. A small outfit; about a dozen men; handles the hit-and-run jobs that were too dirty or too risky for the residents abroad.
Scalp-hunters were the only ones that were allowed to violate Control’s rule (p. 32); they reflected Haydon’s personality, not Control’s personality.
Men in TRAVEL worked solo and were “stabled out of sight behind a flint wall with broken glass and barbed wire on the top.”
Guillam introduces the word “lateralism” to Smiley.
Guillam explains all the following to Smiley.
In Smiley’s day, Circus ran itself by regions (Africa, satellites, Russia, China, South East Asia, etc). Each region commanded by its own juju man.
Control sat in heaven and pulled the strings.
Bill Haydon ended that. Everything operational was put under one hat: LONDON STATION (MI6 headquarters). Regions were out; lateralism was in.
London Station:
Bill Haydon: commander
#2 to Bill: Roy Bland
Legman between Roy Bland and Bill Haydon: Toby Esterhase
[inside joke: Esterase = Easter Bunny running in between Bill Haydon / Roy Bland]
So, think about this — Smiley is thinking about all this — literalism an invention of Bill Haydon’s; eliminated “compartmentalization”; Bill Haydon knows everything about everyone / every unit
First time we hear “Jim Ellis.” Jim Ellis was headline name: probably when he was repatriated; Smiley asked Guillam how Ellis was doing (thinking about his back). Gilliam replied that Jim Ellis (Prideaux) was in quarantine.
Section 2
Guillam and Smiley arrive at Oliver Lacon’s house (Cabinet office; intelligence oversight). Ugliest house for miles around.
Smiley noted the Cambridge University oar over the fireplace. [Cambridge = homosexuality.]
[So, why did Guillam bring Smiley to meeting with Lacon?]
Ricky Tarr “from Penang” arrives.
Smiley, upon seeing Tarr, felt fear.
Section 3
Smiley thinks back to the beginning of the Cold War and how Ricky Tarr was recruited. Bill Haydon had ordered those in residences abroad to look for likely recruits. Steve Mackelvore from Djakarta came up with Tarr.
Mackelvore: an old pro with cover as a shipping agent, and he had found Tarr an angry drunk, kicking around the docks looking for a girl called Rose who had walked out on him.
Tarr recruited; sent to the Nursery at Sarratt to be looked at. It was there that Smiley was brought in as a moderator. Tarr’s history, p. 36.
In Brixton — p. 37 — was this the first time Brixton was mentioned? If so, what is Brixton?
[Scalp-hunters, whose official name is Travel, is a part of British intelligence. They handle surveillance work that is too messy for other agents. They are headquartered in a Brixton school house.]
Guillam did not care for Tarr. Disliked him a lot.
Guillam is Tarr’s boss.
Chapter ends with Tarr saying he needs to “make his pitch.”
Chapter 5: How Tarr meets Irina; how Tarr first suspects a double-agent.
Tarr begins his story; the story begins in Hong Kong; has to do with Soviet spies. Not sure if there is anything in the story that specifically relates to Tinker Tailor so why the story; this very, very short chapter ends with using this story as an example of lateralism and the London Station. It looks like two things come out of this chapter. First, Tarr mentions that he smells a double agent; and, second, he immediately juxtaposes that concern with the way Bill Haydon has reorganized things.
In hindsight, this should be key to readers that Haydon is the mole. Remember, Percy is the chief, he should be in control. It should be Percy calling the shots, but it is his #2 who barks the orders. I wouldn’t pick this up from the book but with the movie, and now re-reading the book, Haydon has two aspects to his personality. Superficially, he is the good-looking, suave gentleman, comfortable in his skin, part of the organization mostly as a lark, nonchalant, but in fact he is very, very demanding.
Back to the chapter. Tarr mentions Brixton (where scalp-hunters billet), saying it was quiet; “half of us” on standby.
Back to Honk Kong; the scalp-hunters might be able to get “Boris” to defect.
Guillam, it appears was an operations officer at Brixton; he directed Tarr to go to Hong Kong to see what was going on.
I don’t think we get the date when this novel took place, but in this chapter we learn that a young Russian spy had a birthdate of 1946. If he was 25 years old, then that puts Tarr’s Hong Kong story to 1971, and he was probably talking in real time, maybe less than a year later, so let’s say Tinker Tailor takes place in early 1970’s.
Again, remember, this was at the home of Oliver Lacon (Cabinet officer, intelligence oversight), meeting with ousted George Smiley, interviewing Ricky Tarr. Gilliam was there as an intermediary of sorts, driver for George; factotum (?) for George. Guillam was Tarr’s boss. Guillam was a scalp-hunter.
Tarr started to suspect something phony about Boris; were the Russians setting him up as one of their agents to defect on purpose — as a potential mole? [The movie plays it a different way, regarding Boris. The movie suggests that Boris is simply a buffoon married to a very professional fellow Russian spy.]
Before Tarr leaves Hong Kong, he burgles Boris’ hotel room. That’s where the chapter ends.
Chapter 6. Irina’s story; how Tarr falls in love with Irina.
Tarr continues his narrative regarding Irina.
[This is really quite amazing — the amount of writing devoted to Tarr’s story when in fact the story is only needed to introduce the seed about a double-agent in Circus; and, the role Tarr will play near the end of the book in catching the mole.]
It should be noted that I don’t think Tarr was thinking about a double agent in Circus; he was just noting that this most recent Russian delegate was likely being cast as a double agent by Moscow.
p. 44 - this obscure line … “Smiley’s most precious secrets” and “pen friends.” What does Tarr know about Smiley? Tarr is pretty far down the food chain, and yet here he is talking to a Cabinet minister (or officer) and former #2 man at Circus.
Tarr on Irina: “there was gold in her.” (p. 45) Gold is a term, I believe, used by Control/Smiley for someone that might be worth getting to defect.
Tarr cancels his flight to extend his stay in Hong Kong.
All of a sudden Smiley is very, very interested. (p. 46). Why?
Tarr and Irina fall in love. She knows he is a British spy. Tarr says Boris and Irina were a his-and-hers act. He did the heavy stuff; she was the courier. But Boris was chasing girls, not doing his job. Irina just wanted to be free.
Irina tells Tarr her whole story.
Chapter 7. Tarr’s story continues about Irina.
Somehow Russians learn about Irina risk as defecting; Tarr tries to keep track of her; but story suggests Haydon got the message direct from Tarr who alerted the Soviets to take out Irina. [The importance of “lateralism” vs compartmentalization.]
The resident in Hong Kong was Thesinger. Tarr goes to Thesinger’s place to send message to London Station about need to get Irina to Britain. Mentions that Moscow intel is referred to as Centre.
First mention of Esterhase’s lamplighters. Tar suggested Toby’s lamplighters come out to help with the defection. The problem: lamplighters not allowed to work with likely defectors. Lamplighters were not based in Brixton (scalphunters); they were based in Acton. Their job was to provide the support services to mainline operations: watching, listening, transport, and safe houses. (p. 52) [Lamplighters: those responsible for providing surveillance and couriers.]
It turns out that under lateralism, the lamplighters have moved up in the world; they are now the main guys for London Station, doing everything, and that’s why Tarr thought of asking London Station to send lamplighters to Hong Kong to help Irina defect, get to Britain.
Tarr’s message was graded: “flash and by hand of officer only” — new phrase in London Station to get things directly to Haydon without delay.
A little confusing the dialogue at the bottom of page 52.
Haydon was head of London Station. Percy was head of intelligence.
Critical note on page 53. Tarr told London Station to pass the news to Guillam that he was okay, what he was doing. Gilliam said he never heard a thing from London Station. Another clue that Haydon was the mole.
Tarr had to cable again; getting no answer to his first cable. Graded it “flash” again. This time London answers but it was a non-answer. They graded their return message as only “immediate.” Stalling. [The movie does a better job telling this story, or I’m misreading the book.]
Tarr and Irina had a date; she missed it; first time she missed a date.
Learns through a contact that Irina was most likely whisked out of Hong Kong by a Soviet plane, condition of Irina unknown. [In the movie, it doesn’t look like Hong Kong, but rather Europe.]
Writer La Carre then brings Oliver Lacon daughters into the narrative; probably to add some perspective to the rest of the story; obviously the Lacon daughters will have nothing to do with the Smiley story.
Chapter 8: Irina’s story about a mole in the highest levels of the Circus; from Tarr, George Smiley hears the story; this may be the first he knows the story.
Smiley notes that “only” 24 hours had elapsed since Tarr’s first telegram and Irina’s departure. Wow, 24 hours; that’s more than enough time to get a Soviet jet to Hong Kong to “rescue” Irina.
This was clearly one of the first examples in the story of Haydon double-crossing Tarr. [So, watching the movie / reading the book: Tarr finds out about the mole through Irina; gets this information back to Circus ((Hayden gets the message but Haydon alerts Control). This is where “flash” messages sent; “stalling” messages in reply. Irina disappears — this is when Russia gets Irina out of Hong Kong. Ah yes, “talking in Turkish” — Tarr / Irina episode must have been in Turkey in movie, not in Honk Kong.]
Tarr continues the story. After he sobers up after Irina whisked away, Tarr goes looking for dead-letter drops to see if Irina left anything behind.
Tarr finds Irina’s diary. He has with him a copy of Irina’s diary with him. He obviously leaves the original elsewhere.
Tarr begins reading the dairy, starting with “Dear Thomas.” Thomas was Tarr’s cover name in Hong Kong; he had posed as an Australian car salesman.
Oh, yes, the correction. He had told her his name was “Tony” but she always called him “Thomas.”
A 4-day diary.
Irina asks if “Thomas” has heard of Karla (this must have gotten Smiley’s attention). Irina was falling in love with Ivlov (Brod) who said he was Karla’s assistant. Ivlov had worked in England; given the cover name “Lapin.”
Brod became Ivlov who became Lapin. “Lapin’s” task was to service a “mole.” [Is this the first time the word “mole” is used?]
Irina provides a definition of a mole (this is the first time this word had ever been used in the English language).
Karla was responsible for recruiting / training most of the initial moles.
The mole whom Lapin serviced in England was known as “Gerald.” Gerald had been recruited by Karla and was the object of extreme conspiracy.
Ivlov became the secret assistant to Colonel Gregor Victorov whose workname at the embassy was Polyakov. (Colonel Gregor Victorov — Chapter 12, mentioned by Connie Sachs to Smiley.)
Polyakov’s cover is as a cultural attache; Polyakov’s job is to brief and debrief Gerald; Polyakov uses different legmen, but it is Karla in Moscow who is the real controller of Gerald.
The diary continues. Ivlov-Lapin says that Gerald is a “high functionary” in the Circus. So here we get first news that there is mole in a high position in the Circus. It’s amazing Ivlov told this to Irina and she told it to Tarr.
Irina’s diary provided the whole story - that there was a mole at the highest levels in the Circus. While writing the diary, she notes that her security detail appears to have caught on that she is to be whisked out of Hong Kong. She feels Tarr said more than he should have to someone in Circus.
Chapter 9: How Tarr got back to London; how meeting with Lacon/Smiley was arranged.
Tarr continues the story. Tarr says that by the time he had found the diary, Irina had been in Moscow for 24 hours.
Tarr wanted to make it look like he had not read the note; so he copied it and placed it back where he found it; he assumed that Irina would have cracked under torture and revealed the diary and the hiding place.
Tarr’s apartment was ransacked; he panicked; left Hong Kong as fast as possible, hiding out in Kuala Lumpur. Why did Tarr decide to go to Lacon / Smiley at this time?
Tarr found his way back to London; got in touch with Guillam who arranged the meeting with Smiley and Lacon.
Chapter 10: Smiley is asked by Lacon to find the mole.
Tarr and Guillam leave. Smiley and Lacon go off and talk. Lacon admits that he was wrong when he told Smiley to call off his inquiries regarding concerns in his intel agency.
Lacon was concerned that Smiley was trying to protect Control, at Control’s direction; Lacon thought Control was trying to save his job, trying to keep Allelein from taking charge. Smiley says Control knew nothing about it at all.
Lacon mentions he will be seeing the “Minister” later — Lacon is probably the Minister’s #2.
The Minister is Ann’s cousin — far removed.
Bill Haydon mentioned again by name. Bill Haydon is Ann’s cousin — “our distinguished Head of London Station” — said by the Lacon. Interesting.
While talking, the name “Ellis” flashed across Smiley’s mind. Interesting that “Ellis” and Bill Haydon kind of pair up in the same conversation. Then Lacon mentions “Ellis” — p. 75.
Lacon tells Smiley that Smiley thought Ellis had been betrayed and that Smiley wanted a witch-hunt.
Lacon retells the story from his view — that Control lost his grip near the end; the private war against the Czechs. Minister wanted a new man at the top and Percy Alleline was the “Minister’s man.”
Smiley tries to defend his and Control’s actions. Lacon says that Percy was producing intelligence instead of scandals… and has not invaded Czechoslovak territory as far as they know.
Smiley counters: “with Bill Haydon to field for Percy.”
Smiley asked if Percy was still running “Witchcraft.” First time Witchcraft is mentioned.
The source for Witchcraft is Merlin (US?) and Lacon backs Percy and Witchcraft. Lacon: “The Circus hasn’t turned in such good material for years.” quote in the movie, also.
They call the mole, “Gerald.” Their hands are tired; they need Esterhase’s lamplighters to search out the mole, but Esterhase himself might be the mole.
Smiley suggests Lacon go to “the competition,” the security people. Lacon replies that the Minister (his boss) would not let him do that. The Minister and Percy are tight as two fingers; they wouldn’t let “the competition/the security people” help out.
It’s this conversation in which Lacon is asking for Smiley’s help to look for the mole.
Ellis/Prideaux mentioned again; and the Bill Haydon’s name comes up again, as a friend of Prideaux’s. Prideaux and Haydon at Oxford before the war.
Mentions again that Ellis/Prideaux was shot in the back in Czechoslovakia.
The assembled ghosts of his past: “Lacon, Control, Karla, Alleline, Esterhase, Bland, and finally Bill Haydon himself — “ He has an internal dialogue with himself — thinking of Martindale, Ann — whether to agree to look for the mole or forget the whole thing.
Then they leave: first two men leave (I don’t know who these two men were, Tarr and handler?). Then Lacon. Then two men, I assume Guillam and Smiley.
Chapter 11: Guillam’s back story; photographs log books; other photographs to Mendel; lots of interaction with Haydon, Esterhase, Bland in London Station, Banking Section
Reseau: French for “network”
Guillam: cover— a shipping clerk
Worked for Smiley after cover blown in North Africa; Guillam shoved out to Brixton when Alleline took over.
Guillam’s back story. Now working in the London docks trying to find recruits. Was vaguely aware of debacle in Czechoslovakia; Jim Prideaux, head of scalphunters had been shot; the oldest Czech hand; “Bill Haydon’s lifelong stringer”; Bill’s “manic anger”; later this catastrophe was called “Testify.”
Circus was frozen; doing nothing.
Smiley invites Guillam for a drink. Smiley says he (Smiley) has been fired.
Goes over new organization: Alleline in charge; Haydon #2 but most know that Haydon was running the show; by Christmas Control was dead. When Alleline took over, Guillam sent to Brixont, ironically to fill Jim Prideaux’s slot.
Guillam now photographing items for Smiley.
Lists the items being photographed.
Guillam calls “London Station,” asks for Lauder Strickland, Banking Section. Guillam needs to launder money; to pay someone.
On way to London Station, Guillam drops “Mr Lampton’s” film off at Lark’s to be developed.
Guillam has lunch with his head man Cy Vanhofer and thug Lorimer.
Meets Bryant at Banking Section, London Station; lift to Strickland.
Bill Haydon saunters, very, very slowly, by.
Guillam thinks of Haydon as “old school.” — p. 90
Roy Bland stops by, followed by Toby Esterhase.
Separates from the group; to Dolphin’s office where money is kept. Opens safe to photograph duty logbooks, searching for April 10 - 11, when the signals traffic between London Station and Ricky Tarr (Hong Kong — 8 hours ahead) were supposed to have taken place.
How janitors bring log books, twice each day, p. 96.
Calls a fellow spy Mendel; who has the photographs. Mendel is an old friend who both Guillam and Smiley know.
Chapter 12: George Smiley visits Connie Sachs, the queen of research
Smiley visits Connie Sachs, the very good scene in the movie. He wants to learn what she knew about Russian agents trained by Karla.
On this surface, this chapter seems to have not much in it. She goes through a litany of three of Karla’s spies but nothing important seems to have been said. EXCEPT: Colonel Gregor Victorov was the third of three men mentioned that were specifically trained by Karla; the other two were known; Colonel Gregor Victorov dropped off the planet; no one knew what happened to him; no photographs; maybe died of natural causes.
Interestingly enough, she mentioned that Karla tried to set up his own “center” — very much like the London Station that Bill Haydon set up.
Chapter 13: Smiley learns more from Connie Sachs; Guillam finds logs of April 10 - 11 missing. Logs had been removed the night that Ricky Tarr had returned to England.
Connie Sachs begins with Polyakov, how his cover was blown; his medals.
She made the connection between Polyakov and Lapin (Lapin was Polyakov’s legman).
Photograph of Bill Haydon and Prideaux at Sarratt.
Summary: Connie tells this to Alleline. Connie is sacked. Lapin returns to Moscow. Prideaux is shot, Smiley pensioned off, Control dies.
Connie loved Bill. Thought Bill Haydon and Smiley would have been a great team. She despited Percy Alleline.
Smiley takes train to Slough. Meets Mendel who has a car for him. Mendel briefs Smiley on Guillam’s research.
All logs of April 10 - 11 had been removed. Also all inquiries regarding Ivlov / Polyakov had been labeled “Persil” — lowest category of concern. Lapin (Ivlov) had returned to Moscow a year earlier. The logs had been removed on the day that Ricky Tarr returned back to England (remember, how fast things were developing that night — in the movie. Signals back and forth, and now all that stuff had disappeared — Toby Esterhase’s note said London Station had it all).
Mendel suggests he had found Jim Prideaux — Smiley had obviously asked Mendel to hunt him down. Mendel also suggests that Guillam thinks London Station is on them — looking for the mole.
Guillam returned home; chapter ends with Guillam’s plan to steal files on Operation Testify the next day.
Chapter 14: the car scene at the school; someone seeking out Prideaux (either Smiley or Mendel, probably Mendel)
At Jim Prideaux’s school; the car race with Bill Roach learning to drive.
Smiley arrives but doesn’t seek out Prideaux.
Jim visits the graveyard but no communication between Prideaux and Smiley (if it was Smiley; might have been Mendel).
Part II
Chapter 15: Smiley sets up operations in Hotel Islay; starts reading.
Smiley sets up on top floor of Hotel Islay in Sussex Gardens (I remember Hotel Islay from the movie). Makes room look exactly like that of Control. Psychological, but also perhaps also to help him understand how messages in London Station are handled.
Mrs Pope Graham, runs the hotel.
Mendel uses Mrs Graham as his informer. She is to tell all about Smiley’s visitors, comings and goings.
Lacon brings secret papers for Smiley to read every night. Mostly related to Witchcraft.
Chapter 16: Smiley begins reading reports of Witchcraft brought to him by Lacon.
What he was reading, was very thin. His memory held much more.
The protagonists: Percey Alleline and Control.
Bill Haydon felt they learned to hate each other at Cambridge when Control, for a brief spell was a don at Cambridge, and Alleline was an undergraduate.
Alleline’s biography.
Smiley: Control’s chamberlaine.
Control forced to give Alleline a title; he did: Operational Director, which he called Percy’s Fool’s Cap.
Haydon was in Washington, DC, at the time, trying to work with the Pentagon.
This was the time when agents were returning from the field. Roy Bland had just returned from Belgrade, where he was with Toby Esterhase.
Paul Skordeno, head German, returning from East Germany.
Haydon, fuming about Pentagon idiocy, duplicity, returning to England.
Smiley started reading the first of the Witchcraft files.
Percy writing about the beginnings of Witchcraft.
An Alleline Committee formed; this and Witchcraft was just one of many ways Alleline was trying to push his way to the top; Control had little to stop him.
This chapter is in the movie: Control, Smiley looking at a Witchcraft document; Alleline not being helpful how it came about. Source Merlin.
Smiley about ready to give up? but then in the corner of his mind, Irina’s diary to Ricki Tarr, and Operation Testify.
************
Visits his home at Bywater Street.
Reports.
Witchcraft No. 2
Witchcraft No. 3
Witchcraft No. 4 —incredibly good report; must have come from Bill Haydon
Chapter 17. Continues to read the files; trying to figure out Merlin; focuses on Alleline and three others; starts with Toby Esterhase (lied through his teeth) and Roy Bland; Alleline promoted to Chief and knighthood.
Control tried to get rid of Smiley, trying to send him to domestic outstations — Sarratt, Brixton, Acton.
The files that Smiley was reading came from the Minister’s files, not from MI6.
Because Witchcraft so good, Merlin got bigger; became an industry of its own; Control not a part.
A Witchcraft committee was formed: Minister was the chair; Alleline was vice-chairman.
Over and over, Smiley repeated Control’s words: “There are three of them and Alleline.”
Smiley remembers returning from Portugal about this time; Control had turned into an old man. In addition to “three of them and Alleline,” now there were 68 licensed visitors admitted to the Adriatic Working Party.
The list had been retyped since Control’s death. Has Control’s death been mentioned before?
Abrupt new line, page 152, “He had chosen Esterhase first because Toby owed Smiley his career.” I’m not sure what is meant by that — “he had chosen him first…” [Oh, now I get it: Smiley chose to look at Esterhase first because Esterhase owed his career to Smiley.]
Flashback, story of Smiley and Toby Esterhase, which is repeated in the movie in the tarmac scene.
Then on page, 154, Smiley went next “to Bland, knowing as he did so that he was coming one step nearer to Haydon.” — is this telling us that Smiley knew at this time, who the mole was?
Apparently that interview between Esterhase and Smiley (above, page 152) occurred when Witchcraft was just getting started, and being given lots of money with no oversight.
By reading the report, he sees that Esterhase had lied to him, to Smiley. Many trips that Esterhase took, he was accompanied by Roy Bland.
Roy Bland’s bio. Mentions F Scott Fitzgerald, p. 157.
By the time of the Christmas party, the Minister’s annual report: Haydon was almost as good as Merlin; all three got medals (Bland, Haydon, Alleline). Alleline was appointed Chief and eventually his beloved knighthood.
Chapter 18: the history of Bill and Ann.
After looking at the first three (Esterhase, Bland, and Alleline) now ready to look at Bill Haydon.
Smiley aware of Ann’s affair with Haydon. Haydon was brilliant; picked up languages easily; he had connections in every Middle East embassy. Haydon had, at one time, grand designs on how to restore England’s greatness.
But the other side of Haydon: a traitor — “as witness, thank you, my wife.”
Flashback (p. 162): Smiley recollects his last meeting with Haydon. Haydon explicitly says Alleline is the mole, and his “boss” is Karla. Control is still alive at the time of this conversation; Haydon even asks if Control is dead yet. — p. 164. “IF Smiley remembered rightly, Bill was an aggressive English pacifist and wanted the Sweden solution without the Swedes.”
(Control reminds us that Bill Haydon is Ann’s cousin.)
Then Smiley recalls the time he caught Bill Haydon at home with his wife, after he (Smiley) had returned from Berlin. This was the famous scene in the movie. Ann had violated three of her rules: Bill was Circus; Bill was family (Set); and, they did it in her house — an agreed violation of territorial decencies. It was at that point that Smiley moved into the spare bedroom.
Now, again, remembering, about this time, when they were starting to make up, Control had died.
At end of chapter, he still did not know if Ann and Bill had broken it off. He was no farther along with his thoughts about Bill.
Chapter 19: Smiley discovers that there is a safe house in London.
Smiley sees, for the first time, a safe house in London where the mole/Merlin meets. — p. 170
Smiley comes across a memo written by JPR (J.P. Ribble — I don’t think this name is mentioned in the movie) — that there are discrepancies in Merlin’s travels across continents. JPR was told to mind his own business. Caught Smiley’s attention.
At end of chapter, Smiley receives a call from “Lofthouse” (Peter Guillam) and asks to speak to “Mr Barraclough” (Smiley).
Chapter 20: Peter steals the Testify (Czech operation in which Jim Prideaux was shot) folder.
Peter Guillam to the Circus Archives on Charing Cross Road. Guillam thinks back on Brixton (see above, first mentioned on p. 37) — “when Brixton was dead.”
Smiley told Peter: “Lacon swears he holds no file on Testify at all; he has a few resettlement papers on Prideaux and nothing else” and that’s why Peter is in archives, looking for more information on Testify.
Daydreams of Camilla who is living with him (Peter).
Peter steals the Testify file/folder.
Mentions that Jim Prideaux was his predecessor. References Jim Prideaux, his squash racket, and “Jim, with a couple of Czech bullets in your shoulder-bone, how’s your squash game?” So, this means that they know that Prideaux is still alive.
It appears Testify is about the botched Czech operation in which was Prideaux was shot.
The garage scene from the movie — when the garage calls Guillam and he steals the file. It was Mendel who called him; fake conversation about the car repair.
As he is leaving with the stolen file, he runs into Toby Esterhase. Toby says he has a personal crisis and needs Peter to go with him to Alleline.
Peter asks the Marine guard Alwyn to have the midday shuttle to Brixton take his briefcase (with the stolen files).
Chapter 21: Alleline concerned about Ricki Tarr; Haydon asks about Smiley; Peter Guillam goes off on Ricki Tarr.
Following Toby, Peter Guillam is reminded of the time he and Toby were fleeing in Berne, Switzerland, eight years earlier. Working together in Berne, Peter was boss and legman.
Toby and Peter in Alleline’s office for a meeting. A war party. Everyone was there. Alleline accuses Peter of some indiscretion with Tarr. Alleline brings up Tarr’s daughter, Danny. The story of Tarr’s wife and Danny, supposedly coming to London from Singapore. The point is this: where Danny is, Tarr must be nearby. Peter thought of Tarr as a defector (p. 191). Supposedly Tarr is in Moscow. Alleline talks about Tarr re-defecting.
The Tarrs are traveling under the name “Poole.” — p. 191
Dolphin mentioned — p. 193. Dolphin was mentioned earlier (p. 180).
Peter Guillam leaves the meeting (will report who was there to Smiley). Haydon surprisingly joins him by leaving also.
Haydon asks Peter Guillam about Smiley.
Peter Gulillam is reminded that his briefcase was sent to Brixton as instructed.
Daydreams: remembers that “Sand was Camilla’s husband. She was living a double life….” “Tarr, he thought, that bastard Ricki Tarr” is how the chapter ends.
Chapter 22: Smiley, Guillam meet with Tarr. We learn that Irina is dead; Tarr does not know.
Setting Suffolk.
Peter Guillam meets Ricki Tarr in his place, in an attic. Apparently Smiley and Guillam went to visit Tarr together.
Peter and Smiley had met at Crystal Palace, a van pick-up with Mendel driving. Drove to Barnsbury; then into a Vauxhall. Mendel stayed behind with the Testify file. A12 to Colchester (wall of fog; black ice). Little Horkesley, Wormingford, Bures Green.
Guillam and Smiley talk to Fawn (outside) who apparently lives with or is Tarr’s minder. Guillam wants to know what Tarr and Smiley have been talking about for the past few days. Not about Danny (surprisingly). Tarr has been talking about the Russian lady, Irina.
Fawn talking to Guillam and Smiley in these pages. Then Smiley and Guillam go up to visit Tarr.
Smiley wants to know what Tarr did with the phony Poole passports.
Smiley and Tarr get into a physical altercation — not in the movie; instead it was Tarr and Guillam in a physical altercation.
Smiley and Guillam say good-bye to Tarr and then good-bye to Fawn.
Apparently while riding in the car, they read the report: Russians killed three functionaries: Irina, Ivlov, and her husband, Boris. Smiley tells Guillam: there is no way Tarr should be told that Irina is dead.
Chapter ends with Smiley asking Guillam how much he knows about Karla? They are in greasy-spoon restaurant.
Chapter 23: long, long chapter; one of the longest so far.
Chapter 23: We learn the story of Karla. And then Smiley figures out relationship between Gerald, Alleline, and the mole.
Begins with story of Karla. Mentions Gerald early on. Smiley telling the story to Guillam. In 1955, Smiley actually met with Karla in Delhi, India.
Karla went by cover name Gerstmann in California and Delhi, India. Karla’s operation in California had blown up. Karla was without a country. In Delhi, India; under arrest.
Mentions that Irina, in her diaries, had talked about Karla. Smiley hints to Guillam about Ann’s infidelities.
Smiley, in Delhi, was trying to get Karla to defect.
Smiley talks about cover stories; parallel with reality; makes it easier to remember.
Smiley then talks about Karla being a chain smoker. Then the classic scene — Gerstman (Karla) taking Smiley’s lighter to light his cigarettes — p. 217 — “To George from Ann with all my love.”
Smiley let Karla take his lighter. Incredible scene.
Karla did not give in. He would return to Moscow to face the consequences, even death.
Karla’s nemesis in Moscow: Rudnev. Rudnev was shot a month later, after Karla returned home. Karla got Rudnev’s job; set to work reactivating his old agents. “Among them Gerald, no doubt.”
Karla no longer uses illegal radio (after California blew up) and Karla still has Smiley’s (Ann’s) cigarette lighter.
Smiley asks a direct question to Guillam about Tarr’s innuendo, and Guillam confirms: Tarr knows about Ann’s infidelity with Bill Haydon. Awkward silence. Guillam has something on Smiley.
Guillam demands: “Who’s Source Merlin?” Alleline could only have gotten that information from the Russians themselves.
Smiley provides the key to all this: Alleline has proof that Tarr fooled them; “That is the vital message we have learned form that whole storm in a teacup.”
Guillam: what did Alleline mean by “muddying pools?” He guessed Irina.
Smiley: and Gerald.
When Guillam drops Smiley off, Smiley tells Peter to “take it easy from now on.”
Guillam: “Three months without the option.”
Smiley: “Rest on your oars a bit.”
Then back to his room at the Islay Hotel in Mr Barraclough’s attic room. Smiley is looking at travel records and Merlin’s information.
Some curious preliminary findings:
First: On nine occasions when Merlin had produced a topical report, either Polyakov had been in London or Toby Esterhase had taken a quick trip abroad.
Second: Over the crucial period following Tarr’s adventure in Hong Kong this year, Polyakov was in Moscow for urgent cultural consultations; and soon afterwards Merlin came through with some of his most spectacular and topical material — about American intelligence targets.
Third: The converse was also true. The reports he had discarded on the grounds that they had no close attachment to recent events were those which most generally went into distribution while Polyakov was in Moscow or on leave.
AND THEN HE HAD IT — p. 224 — Smiley — Guillam — Tarr had been on the margins of it all day — between the mole Gerald and the Source Merlin there was an interplay which could no longer be denied; that Merlin’s proverbial versatility allowed him to function as Karla’s instrument as well as Alleline’s. Or should he rather say, Smiley reflected, as Karla’s agent?
And that at the heart of this plot lay a device so simple that it left him genuinely elated by its symmetry. It had even a physical presence: here in London, a house, paid for by the Treasury….
With a lighter heart he took up the stolen file on Operation Testify.
Chapter 24:
Roach back at the boarding school where Jim Prideaux teaches.
Te Deum, Evensong.
Roach sees the black revolver that Jim had dug up.
Chapter 25: Lacon finds something on relationship between Prideaux / Haydon while the two were at Oxford.
Smiley, Lacon, and the Minister meet at Mendel’s residence in Mitcham. Mentions Mendel’s passion for honey bees (a scene in the movie).
They are still arguing whether a mole exists. The three are arguing about paying more for more information; to bring the Americans in or something to that effect; a bit hard to understand.
Lacon tells Smiley that, in fact, they do have some papers on Prideaux — he had stumbled across them while cleaning out files on the internal security of the Circus. Lacon mentions there might be something of interest regarding Jim’s time at Oxford: “Prideaux and Haydon were really very close indeed, you know. I hadn’t realized.
Ends with Smiley returning to Islay Hotel to continue reading of Operation Testify.
Chapter 26: Smiley interviews Sam, the duty officer the night Jim was shot.
Went to visit Sam Collins at his home, just off Grosvenor Square. We will learn that Sam was also fired after Operation Testify debacle. (In the movie, I don’t recall where this conversation took place.)
Smiley signs in as Adrian Hebden. I believe Sam is running a booking (gambling) hall.
Smiley and Sam had worked together, years earlier, in the Far East.
Smiley wants to talk about the night Jim Prideaux was shot; Sam was the duty officer that night; arranged by Control.
The file on Operation Testify had been “filleted” and only way to find out things was to go to source and interview.
Thursday, October 19: called into Control’s office. Bill Haydon was also out of town — Control apparently sent him out of town when he sent Prideaux to Hungary. Percy was in Scotland for the weekend. Roy Bland was in Leeds.
Sam says Saturday, dead. First call came in at 11:20 p.m. exactly. Reuters said there was a shooting in Czech; early stories were confused, but there was a shooting involving a British spy.
Sam tells Control. Control asks for a cab and for Sam to get a hold of Smiley, but Smiley was in Berlin. Sam says he called Bywater (Smiley’s house). Smiley asks why? In case Smiley had come back from Berlin.
Sam spoke to Ann. (In the movie.)
Bill Haydon shows up at 1:15 a.m. (Remember, Haydon was supposed to have been “out-of-town” — “up-country on a wild goose chase” set up by Control).
“Bill’s the Savile, isn’t he?” — Smiley asks — not sure what this means.
Sam describes Bill’s composure as shaken. Bill apparently doesn’t know whole story which is strange because he should have gotten the story from the ticker-tapes, the bulletins. But he didn’t. Sam blew it off; but to Smiley it made sense; Bill got only part of the story via the phone call to Ann’s house.
Bill Haydon reaches Toby Esterhase and has him grab some Czech students (potential spies) and return them to Czech to get the whole story.
Bill calls Czech head resident in London; threatened him; Bill very, very angry, shaken.
8:00 a.m. Percy Alleline arrived (that would be Sunday morning).
Sam goes on two-month vacation. By time he gets back, Smiley had been sacked; Control dying in hospital; Percy in charge. Percy asked why Sam was duty officer that night; Percy sacks Sam for drinking beer on duty.
Smiley tells Sam that Bill Haydon was in bed with Ann that night
“He stopped at his club on the way to the Circus.” — p. 247 — not sure what this means.
So, why didn’t Bill know that Jim had been shot? Sam ignored the question.
Chapter 27: we learn that Jim had accomplice in Czech, Max; (not in the movie).
Smiley drives to garage on St John’s Wood Road. Looking for a place to garage his car. It was pretense to talk to garage manager, Max, about Jim Prideaux.
They drive to Hampstead; sit in car and talk.
Max had also been sacked.
Max speaks with broken English; probably a Czech specialist for the Circus.
Smiley says he knew nothing of Jim’s mission; Smiley had been in Berlin; got back to late to learn anything.
Jim wanted Max for something. Smiley asked Max how Jim had gotten to Max.
Max’s story: Monday, October 16. Jim shows up, meets Max on a “chance-encounter” ruse.
Jim and Max speak Czech to each other.
Jim asks Max if Max has any “current identities” running for him. (This part left out of the movie; but that explains where Jim got his “Ellis” identity).
Max was to take leave and help Jim with the three-day hit/mission. (This part not in the movie.)
Max would meet Jim in Czech and help get Jim get to hit location and then out of country. Plans if something goes wrong.
Max’s job was to get Jim’s message to Control.
Jim and Max in Czech; go separate ways. Max reads bulletin from Prague; first time he heard of a “general.”
Max makes it safely back to London.
Top of page 257; was Max using hand signals to tell how Jim was shot; outspread hands; five one one hand, four on the other.
Max starts counting the number of Czechs killer in spy operations; the price paid for one Englishman with bullet-hole — p. 257.
They thought it was Jim who exposed the network; that’s why everyone was shot. Of course, Jim would never have exposed the network.
Mendel and Smiley alone after Max rides off in taxi.
Chapter 28: We learn from Westerby that the Russians (who shot Prideaux) had arrived on Friday, about the same time Jim Prideaux had arrived in the area, suggesting someone had tipped off Karla/the Russians. [It looks like Haydon was out of town; somehow hears of Jim going to Prague; alerts the Russians but not to kill Prideaux; when Prideuax is shot, Haydon loses it — or he loses it when it becomes public — hard to say if he loses it because Jim was him close, close friend and now perhaps killed, or whether, the story was now in all the newspapers.
Smiley visits Jerry Westerby.
Westerby mentions Christmas card from Toby.
Apparently Westerby had written a letter to Smiley; Smiley following up.
Westerby had been to Budapest, then Prague. After that trip, Westerby writes letter to Smiley. This is the rest of the story.
Begins with Toby Esterhase.
Then Smiley talks about Jim Ellis, “the story that dear old Toby Esterhase had refused to let him print.”
Again, mentions the Christmas card from Toby. He gets a post-card with Leadenhall Street on the photograph; wonders why Leadenhall Street.
Westerby had been in Prague, a year ago, in December (two months after the shooting).
Westerby was getting intel for Toby. “Toby was the owl.” It is interesting that in the movie there is a scene of an owl in the schoolroom where Jim was teaching.
Westerby had been working for a short time — about two years — for Toby.
Westerby runs into a fellow in Prague who asks Westerby if he would like to hear the truth about Jim Ellis.
Was told that Jim Ellis fought with the Czech partisans during the war; came back to Czech with new cover name, Hajek. (again, not in the movie)
The boy telling the story was a Czech conscript serving in the Czech army. Had been on basic training maneuvers in forests near Brno at the time of the shooting.
Chaos in the forests; Russians, Czechs, while searching for Jim Ellis/Hajek.
This is the key: the Russians had moved in on Friday; but the shooting did not occur until Saturday. The Russians had been tipped off. (My hunch was that somehow Bill Haydon had heard of Control’s plans and had radioed Karla.)
When Toby heard the story, he was mad at Westerby. Smiley suggested that Westerby was probably wondering whom Toby had been talking to after hearing the story. Remember, Westerby was working for Toby; apparently on good terms.
Toby accused Westerby of spreading rumors.
Westerby said he would write up the story for the newspaper but would not include the part about the Russians getting their first.
Westerby says the next day, some owl rings Toby to make sure Westerby forgets the Jim Ellis story.
But by then, Westerby had already written Smiley.
Smiley tells Westerby not to mention this meeting to Toby and asks Westerby to get in touch with him (Smiley) if Toby talks to Westerby in the future.
Westerby did not know who called to tell Toby to tell Westerby to quit on the Ellis story; he thought it had been Smiley. It wasn’t.
Chapter 29: long chapter on Haydon’s recommendation of Prideaux, back in 1937; seems like a long chapter; a filler, or is there something important in this chapter?
Back at Islay Hotel, Smiley looks at the file on Prideaux given to him by Lacon at Mendel’s ouse; it dated from the late 50’s, when the Circus, like other Whitehall departments, was being pressed to look at loyalty of its staff.
Mostly routine, except for one document. “Haydon to Fanshaw, February 3, 1937.” Fanshaw was a Circus talen-spotter. Haydon recommends Prideaux.
Part III
Chapter 30: Jim sees George Smiley at school. Chapter does not say, but next chapter suggests Smiley and Jim drive from school to hotel where they spend the night.
Back at Jim’s school.
Earlier at the church where he hid his gun.
The mail routine — mailing two letters at same time to see if someone reading his mail.
Roach tells Jim that someone strange is watching them.
Chapter ends with Jim seeing George Smiley getting out of car. End of chapter: does not get his gun from the church.
Chapter 31: Jim’s story — Control’s plan; Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, Beggarman; Jim ambushed; caught.
Although not specifically said, it looks like Jim and Smiley drive from school to a motel. Jim and Smiley talking in the motel room.
Jim must have been unaware that Control had died, and Smiley had been sacked.
Jim did not know who got Control’s job. Smile said Alleline got Control’s job.
The Aggravate network in Czech: Pribyl, his wife, his brother-in-law. Or the Plato network: Landkron, Eva Krieglova, Hanka Bilova. Jim had recruited some of them before Roy Bland arrived. Old Landkron even worked for Jim before the war.
He tells Jim that Max is okay. Remember, Max was Jim’s accomplice in Czech.
Jim asks if anyone got out. Smiley says “no.” The secret police “rolled” up both networks the same night.
They leave the motel; drive for 20 minutes. Jim drove.
The story:
Control’s personal janitor MacFadean brought note to Jim, saying Control wanted to see him.
Control asked Jim if he had any more Czech identities. Yes, Vladimir Hajek.
Control says he has “an offer of service.” Highly placed; cover name “Testify.”
Testify was a Czech general of artillery: Stevcek. Stevecek would be willing to meed with someone from Circus on Saturday, the 21st.
Stevecek turned on Russia when his girlfriend was shot/killed.
Stevecek’s real job was in Moscow Centre’s England section; operated under the workname of Minin. “This is the treasure,” Control said: “What Stevecek really wants to tell us is the name of Moscow Centre’s mole inside the Circus.”
A name for the mole Gerald.
“There’s the rotten apple, Jim,” said Control.
Five possibilities; Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor — Alleline; Haydon; Bland; Toby was Poorman — sailor was dropped because it rhymed with tailor.
Smiley was Beggarman.
Jim thought it was all crazy.
While waiting for train to Brno (Czech) he noted folks that seemed strange, possibly following him. It was their shoes that gave them away. (People can change clothes to disguise themselves, but they didn’t change their shoes. He saw the same shoes on folks.)
He was sure his Hajek cover was blown.
He ditches those following him in a department store — p. 297.
Jim caught up with Max. No thought of giving up the mission.
Met up with the Magyar in a Fiat who would take Jim to the General (Testify).
Jim would go in alone.
Then the plan changed. Jim would have the Magyar go in first to see if the coast was clear.
Ambushed. Soviet troops kill Magyar and severely wound Jim. Captured Jim.
Chapter 32: Smiley gets the whole story from Jim; identifies Karla and Polyakov.
So now Smiley has the story.
Jim goes over his line of defense when he will be interrogated by the Russians.
When Jim gets back, it was Toby Esterhase that first met Jim and told him to quit talking about Operation Testify. Also, and this is important, Esterhase knew about Tinker, Tailor, etc.. Smiley wonders how Esterhase knew. (This is in the movie; Smiley asks that question rhetorically to Guilliam when they are sitting in the car.)
Smiley presents several scenarios to Jim suggesting how Gerald (the mole) could have worked inside Circus.
Jim identifies two of 20 photographs Smiley shows him. Later — one page later — p. 309 — we will learn that one photo was of Karla; the other was of Polyakov (it’s my hunch that Polyakov was Merlin —able to travel so much, and almost seemed to be in two places at once — Polyakov may have been Merlin #1 and there may have been a Merlin #2).
Chapter ends with Peter Guillam driving Ricki Tarr clear across England to Liverpool where Tarr will go to Dublin to fly somewhere.
Chapter 33: very, very short chapter — Smiley moving in for the kill; and Jim has suddenly, unexpectedly left the school.
Smiley, Minister, and Lacon in the Minister’s Rolls Royce, talking. They’re wondering how Russia will play it when Gerald the mole returns to Russia after embarrassing England.
Meanwhile, headmaster Thursgood and teacher Marjoibanks learn that Jim has departed suddenly and unexpectedly. Roach is sick.
Chapter 34: Smiley gets everything from Toby, including the address of the safe house where they meet with Polyakov, but they don’t get the name of Gerald the mole.
Guillam meeting Toby Esterhase in a safe house. Smiley will be there. So will Fawn, the heavy. This is the scene that took place on the tarmac when Esterhase is “arrested.”
Smiley runs through the various Gerald scenarios with Esterhase: how Gerald manipulates Percy. Moves Percy to the top.
Here it is, from Smiley: “Merlin is the source … conveniently Merlin wasn’t just once source … Merlin was a Soviet agent .. but rather like Alleline, he was also the spokesman of a dissident group … Merlin’s job was to collate their intelligence and get it to the West, and over the next few months he showed remarkable versatility in doing just that … helped by Toby Esterhaser’s brave lamplighters ..
… then one day Merlin tells the greatest secret of all — that Merlin caucus has a London end.
… a member of the Soviet Embassy here in London s actually ready and able to act as Merlin’s London representative .. let’s pretend to call him Aleksey Aleksandrovich Polyakov .. and let’s pretend to call him a member of the cultural section of the Soviet Embassy … are you with me, Toby?” Smiley asks.
Esterhase says he’s not listening; that he’s gone deaf.
Polyakov has been with the Embassy for 9 years, but Merlin’s only recently been added to the flock. Who’s Merlin? While Polyakov was on leave in Moscow, perhaps?
Polyakov becomes very important because Gerald appoints him linchpin of Witchcraft operations and a lot more besides. …
… but Witchcraft is too big, it’s huge .. too many people involved …
But the London end — Polyakov’s leg — that part is confined to the original magic circle ..Skordeno, de Silsky…
.. the circle is very tight: you (Toby), Percy, Bill, Roy.
.. let’s speculate how it operates .. there’s a house ….
… but who is handling Polyakov? That’s the nut!
Smiley: all four probably take turns handling Polyakov. Sometimes Percy (rarely); often Bill (the entertainer, fluent in Russian); Roy is an economic expert; Toby on special occasions, like Christmas.
Smiley brings up the name Lapin. Who ordered the lamplighter reports on Lapin destroyed? Toby said he was the one who ordered the lamplighter reports on Lapin destroyed.
Smiley: who said Connie Sachs had to be pushed downhill?
Toby thought it was Percy, maybe Bill. Maybe, it was even Roy.
Smiley: who told you, Toby, to cool off Max? Also, we want to know about Westerby: who put the muzzle on him? Was it the same person who took a thousand quid to Jim to put his mind at rest? Who gave you the message for Jim about Tinker, Tailor? Did you know what it meant? Did you have it straight from Polyakov?
Let’s keep talking about Lapin. What was his job?
Toby: Lapin worked for Polyakov. His secretary in the cultural department. His legman.
Smiley: my god, what is a cultural attache doing with his own legman?
Toby says they bought Polyakov and getting more from Polyakov than the other way around. Does Toby really believe this? Probably.
Smiley: so, who is Polyakov’s agent? This was most important question. Smiley worked a long time to get to this question.
Who is the agent inside Circus. Is it you, Toby? Wow, that would be worth a whole lot of Russian medals.
Smiley going for the kill: once everyone finds out Toby has been duped, it’s curtains for him. Smiley proposes: “Gerald is a Russian mole, run by Karla. And he’s pulled Circus inside out.”
Toby now says he’s just a middleman.
Polyakov’s job in London? Polly works solo.
Who’s Merlin? Esterhase shook his head.
But at least you’ve heard he’s based in Moscow? And a member of the Soviet intelligence establishment? That’s how Polyakov can communicate with him. Secretly, without his own people becoming suspicious.
And Tinker, Tailor? Back to Tinker, Tailor.
Toby says he doesn’t know; took his orders from Percy.
Who told you to “square” Prideaux?
The perfect fix: it makes everyone wrong who was right: Connie Sachs, Jerry Westerby, Jim Prideaux, even Control.
Toby trying to strike a deal, but must talk to Lacon first.
Now the big question: where’s the safe house you keep exclusively for Polyakov?
And there it is: Five Lock Gardens, Camden Town. Wow, Toby spills the beans; he knows he has been found out. Realizes he’s been duped.
The caretaker: Mrs McCraig and then the movie scene.
Smiley tells Esterhase to take the night off; stay there with Fawn, have something to eat.
The plan to visit the safe house.
Smiley asks Peter to have his back — p. 337.
The liquor store scene — Smiley stops in liquor store to keep from being followed. Peter watching.
Through Victorian Kensington — sauntered into a mews and then out again —
.. the chapter ends with a reference to the squash racket jammed behind the safe of his room in Brixton…
Chapter 35: Setting things up.
Tarr in Paris to send Alleline a fake message; Mendel watching building where Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy will show up.
Now in Paris. Steve Mackelvore getting into his car (in the movie scene). Ricki Tarr holds him up, with a pistol.
Macklevore was a Circus elder, with a long record of consular appointments … which had brought him no advancement ..Paris was the last of his appointments … a prelude to his retirement ..
Ricki’s story: he needed to send a message to Alleline. He needed Mackelvore to type it out on his machine.
It would be a short message (200 groups) and then they would wait for Alleline’s reply.
Once Alleline got the message, Tarr bet that Alleline would rush over to Paris — to get Tarr killed by the Russians.
Mackelvore: “You’re crazy, Ricki. It’s not the Russians who want to kill you; it’s us.”
Back in Cambridge Circus .. back to Mendel .. Mendel watching the building across the street through binoculars.
Over past three hours:
9:30 p.m.: blue Ford Transit delivered two men and an ammunition box
10:00 p.m: a shuttle arrived; hot documents from the outstations and stored for safekeeping at the Circus over the weekend; it called at Brixton, Acton, and Sarratt, in that order, and lastly at the Admiralty, and it made it to the Circus by about 10:00.
11:00: an hour ago - a cab arrived … Mendel, from a description, thought it was Alleline getting out of the taxi.
Alleline enters the building; goes up to the 5th floor where he lives.
Mendel: “Looks like Tinker has checked in.”
Then a second taxi: Tailor shows up — and Soldier. (Hayden, Esterhase)
Finally, an old Mercedes 190 — Roy Bland. [Have to re-check this; in the movie Tailor/Hayden shows up; and then Soldier/Bland shows up. It is NOT Soldier/Esterhase as suggested here; Esterhase was flown out by plane in the movie; Esterhase gave the address of the house.]
Mendel: now all we need to know is who comes out.
Chapter 36: Haydon captured at #5.
Number 5, Lock Gardens, Camden: Mrs McCraig and her lodger, Mr Jefferson.
Lock Gardens with Mr Jefferson’s pied-a-terre.
9:00 p.m. Smiley appears on Mrs McCraig’s porch. Mrs McCraig invites, suspiciously, Smiley in. Semi-basement where she lived; Circus could ring her on her basement phone. Separate line upstairs but for outgoing calls only. Basement phone had an extension in the upstairs dining room. Ground floor: kitchen.
The mikes were bedded behind the wallpaper — two pairs to each room on the ground floor, one to each room upstairs.
Top floor contained a grey steel frame with eight tape machines, four up, four down. Voice activated system once turned on.
Two milk bottles on the porch: coast is clear; all is safe.
Guillam shows up. Guillam re-wires the mikes so Smiley can hear things upstairs. Remember, Mrs McCraig thinks she is working for Circus, a patriot.
McCraig goes to basement to ring Lacon.
Smiley places two bottles on the porch.
Smiley takes up his post in the armchair just as Mendel made his connecting call.
Guillam outside, watching; has Smiley’s back.
They were waiting.
Meanwhile, back in Paris — Tarr gets the telegram from Alleline — asks Ben to decipher it. Ben refuses; says it is marked “personal.” Macelvore told him to translate it.
Tarr laughs: “Alleline is stalling.” He’s stalling; to contact the Russians to kill Tarr.
Back to Smiley. Occasional comment to Mendel across town.
Smiley and Guillam communicate with flashlights (torches, p 352).
Mendel tells Smiley: one has left Alleline’s house; doesn’t know whom; from description, sounds like Alleline. Heading toward Smiley’s location.
Smiley says he’s “ringing off.” Trap set in motion.
Smiley: three long flashed to Guillam; the mole is on his way.
Smiley checks the scullery again — down the hall from where he sits in his chair. Smiley now waits in the scullery.
Smiley thinks: the mole arrives first; the mole plays host: that is protocol, part of the pretense that Polyakov is Gerald’s agent.
Page 354: first taxi arrives; individual enters; Smiley assumes it is Gerald, the mole
Page 355: second taxi arrives: second individual arrives.
Page 355: author says “Polyakov” is there; pouring drinks; talking to one man. Asking about cover story in case they are disturbed.
Page 355: Smiley could not recognize voice of second man. Definitely recognized Polyakov’s voice.
Page 356: Author says the second man is Haydon — who says he will have a Scotch. I don’t know if Smiley yet recognizes the voice. The first man reminds the other that he has diplomatic immunity.
Aha! Two things. Smiley definitely recognizes Haydon’s voice, and recognizes when Haydon reads aloud “the very telegram that Smiley himself had drafted for Tarr’s use only forty-eight hours ago.”
Smiley, for a moment has doubts: Haydon was his wife’s lover; and perhaps Jim’s lover, as well. He was wobbly on going after Haydon.
Smiley felt that men like Lacon and Alleline were also despicable and why should anyone, like Haydon, be loyal to men like Lacon and Alleline. For a moment, Smiley sees Haydon’s viewpoint.
Smiley recognizes that he and many others, including Connie Sachs, probably knew all along; just couldn’t face the truth.
Guillam rushing down alley with torch, to Gloucester Avenue. Lacon was standing at the corner of Princess Road. Guillam tells Lacon that Smiley has Gerald (the mole).
Thirty yards down the road: Mendel waiting in a “tame” cab.
They drove together to the house. Guillam was holding Esterhase’s door key (remember, they got the address/information from Esterhase; I don’t recall anything about the key at that time).
#5 was the address. Mendel and Guillam climb over the gate. Writing suggests Guillam knows that the mole is Haydon.
At that moment Guillam did not feel merely betrayed, but also orphaned.
Guillam rushes in; grabs Haydon. And it’s all over. Smiley calmly takes control. Mendel arrives. They wait until Percy Alleline arrives.
Chapter 37: Wrapping things up at #5.
Alleline and Roy Bland arrive.
Lacon arrives.
Esterhase and Fawn arrive (Esterhase — interesting).
Haydon separated from the rest; some interrogation began — trying to sort out which agents in the field at risk.
Esterhase and Bland leave togetjher; Bland is dreadfully shaken; Esterhase tries to console him.
Haydon remained his familiar bored pose.
A telegram is sent to Paris telling Tarr he can return to London “with honor.”
Guillam was not sure Alleline understood what was going on. “After all, Percy was still Chief, and Haydon was still his Iago.”
In the following days, Guillam’s life took on a brighter look (we saw that in the movie).
Percy Alleline dispatched on indefinite leave.
Smiley had been asked to come back for a while and help sweep up what was left. For Guillam, there was talk of being rescued from Brixton.
Foreshadowing: Guillam would learn there was yet a final act to be played out.
Chapter 38: Smiley’s last visit with Haydon; Haydon killed.
Smiley despondent.
Living alone; not with Ann.
Smiley prevailed on Lacon to take extreme care of Haydon’s physical safety while he was at Sarratt (foreshadowing, again).
Lacon thought Smiley was being over-dramatic about Haydon’s safety (more foreshadowing).
Three days later, Lacon visits Smiley. Haydon insists on seeing Smiley.
Sarratt: a sprawling brick mansion.
Haydon was in a Nissen hut hidden among the trees.
They walked on the grounds. Smiley noted that the perimeter was not guarded (more foreshadowing).
Haydon tells his story, the one we saw in the movie.
At Haydon’s request, Smiley visits Jan (Haydon’s girlfriend). Smiley tells Jan that Haydon was called away for top secret mission overseas and won’t be returning for quite some time.
A baby in the house. Haydon’s?
Next day Smiley visits Haydon again, at Sarratt.
Haydon in a great mood. Questioning over; would be going to Soviet Union in a day or so.
Page 372: the evolution of Merlin, Operation Testify; Witchcraft — get Control off his tail and arrange for succession.
Talks about Operation Testify; turns out the Russian general Stevcek never planned to turn. [I assume this was the general that Jim went to Hungary/Czech to get; and was almost killed in the process.]
Smiley seems upset. Haydon snaps: “Well, damn it, I got him back.” [One of the best lines in the movie.]
Jim came to warn Haydon (because Jim “loved” Haydon) what Control was up to, but Jim couldn’t reach Haydon because Haydon was in Berlin.
Doesn’t answer why the Russians didn’t simply shoot Jim. Unanswered. Out of deference to Haydon, most likely.
Smiley leaves. Last question regards Ann, his wife, how to break it to her. Haydon explains Ann was Karla’s idea.
Haydon mentions how that night was screwed up: Jim getting shot; Haydon at Ann’s; almost got caught.
Haydon asks Smiley which one was he? Smiley says “Tailor.” Smiley was “Beggarman.” NOTE.
Smiley arrives home late; finds Lacon and Miles Sercombe on his doorstep.
They drive to Sarratt at full speed.
They find Haydon dead.
Chapter 39: Epilogue. Ann leaves Smiley again; Bill becomes Jim’s salvation. The gun.
Smiley despondent; on his way home from Sarratt, trying to figure it all out. Sees Ann’s car; she gets out — going to another man.
Page 380 — last few paragraphs of the book — begins with “Jim …”
Roach continues to befriend / help Jim. Jim very, very depressed. Over time, Jim improves.
Bill becomes Jim’s salvation.
The last line of the book: “The gun, Bill Roach had finally convinced himself, was, after all, a dream.” [Was he talking about the gun Jim used to kill Bill Haydon?]
No comments:
Post a Comment