The Honor of Spies

"Gehlen wants to set up an operation something like Phoenix for his people," von und zu Waching said. "What he wants to do immediately is send one of his officers to Argentina to see what has to be done. That's why I said he needs--I suppose I mean we need--money. Abwehr doesn't have warehouses full of no-longer-needed gold wedding rings, dental prostheses, and eyeglass frames that can be turned into cash."

"You don't think that anyone would notice that one of Gehlen's officers--and he would have to be one of his senior officers--was suddenly no longer around?" Graham asked.

"The officer Gehlen has in mind--a major--will ostensibly give his life for the Fatherland on the Eastern Front. We can get him as far as here, or Madrid, one or the other, with identity credentials that should get him past the border guards."

"And from here, or Madrid, to Buenos Aires?"

"That you'd have to arrange," von und zu Waching said.

"And what do we get?" Graham asked.

"Eventually everything, and that includes Oberstleutnant Gehlen and myself. And possibly even the admiral. Immediately, we will give you the names of the people the Soviets have at Oak Ridge, Los Alamos, the University of California at Berkeley, and elsewhere. There are eleven names in all. More will be furnished when they turn up, as I'm sure they will. Stalin wants your bomb and is working hard to get it."

"And how much money are you asking?" Dulles asked.

"It will probably turn out to be several millions of dollars. Not all at once, of course. In the immediate future, probably not more than a hundred thousand dollars."

Neither Dulles nor Graham said anything.

After a long silence, von und zu Waching said: "And we will, of course, furnish you with whatever we learn about Operation Phoenix and what von Deitzberg is really doing."

"The idea, if I understand this correctly," Graham said, "is that once this officer gets himself established in Argentina, he will then arrange for other officers . . ."

"The admiral has told him he can have no more than two more officers. More than that would attract unwanted attention. The next people to be sent will be the families of those officers and soldiers in which we feel the Russians have the greatest interest. In other words, the selection will be on the basis of who the Russians think has the greatest knowledge, rather than on rank."

Dulles said, "But by those criteria, Captain, the first officer who would go to Argentina would be the admiral. And then Gehlen. And then you."

"I'm sure Colonel Graham will understand, Mr. Dulles. It's naval tradition. The admiral and Gehlen will stay on the bridges of their respective sinking ships until all the women and children are safely off and into lifeboats. And then the men. And, finally, the other officers."

There was a long moment of silence, which Allen Dulles finally broke: "Obviously, Captain, neither Colonel Graham nor I have the authority to accept or reject a proposal like this--"

"Or even to have been having this conversation," Graham interrupted. "There are those who would consider it trafficking with the enemy . . ."

"Even giving aid and comfort to the enemy," Dulles chimed in.

"But you have been honest and forthcoming with us," Graham said. "And we'll try to be the same with you. What I think Mr. Dulles and I are going to have to do is decide, first, if we should--if we dare--bring Admiral Canaris's offer to the attention of our respective superiors . . ."

"Which might well carry the risk of seeing one or both of us relieved of our posts," Dulles chimed in again.

"So, if you will be so good, Captain, to give Mr. Dulles and myself a little time--say, thirty minutes--to decide between us whether we can take the next step, bringing this to the attention of our respective superiors or not. And if not, what other--"

"I understand," von und zu Waching said. "I will await your call, your decision."

Von und zu Waching walked to the door, unlocked it, opened it, turned to look at Graham and Dulles, bobbed his head, and then went through the door.

Dulles waited a full thirty seconds--which seemed longer--before breaking the silence: "The basic question, of course, is whether or not he's telling us the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but."

"I think that we have to presume he is not, Allen. And further, that he has an agenda we can't even guess at."

"And insofar as telling Colonel Donovan about this, can you imagine his reaction if he knew about this meeting?"

"Or that I flew over here to participate?"

"Or what the President would do if he heard about this?"

"Well, he would certainly tell the Vice President, and Uncle Joe Stalin would know within twenty-fours that we know he has spies all over the Manhattan Project. Do you know General Graves, Allen? Know him well?"

Dulles nodded.

"He told me that he thinks at least six of Dr. Oppenheimer's geniuses are--how did he put it? 'Far to the left of Vice President Wallace.' "