‘Yes.’
‘Have you engaged in activities endangering the security of the United States of America?’
Before the sentence was completed the skin was pincered between Levin’s teeth but the phrasing of the question made it easier than he expected. ‘Yes,’ he said.
‘Do you regret engaging in activities endangering the security of the United States of America?’
Careful, thought Levin, biting slightly harder. He said: ‘No.’ There was a pause in the questioning and Levin knew there would be another notebook notation.
‘Do you consider yourself a traitor?’
‘Yes.’
‘Do you imagine you will regret what you have done?’
Need for caution again. ‘Yes,’ he replied.
‘Do you consider the United States of America a freer country than the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics?’
‘Yes.’
‘Have you become a traitor for money?’
It was necessary permanently to bite now. ‘Yes,’ Levin said.
‘Is money the primary cause for your becoming a traitor?’
‘No,’ said Levin. The perpetual use of traitor was intentional, he recognized. It was not antagonizing him as it was intended.
‘Do you consider you have become a traitor for reasons of ideology?’
‘Yes.’
‘Do you no longer regard yourself as a communist?’
Time for another lapse. ‘I was never…’
‘Yes or no.’
‘No.’
‘Do you intend completely to cooperate with people who will be interviewing you in the coming weeks and months?’
‘Yes.’
‘Cooperating with complete honesty?’
‘Yes.’ That had not been as difficult as he had feared.
‘Have you provided members of the FBI with material concerning the KGB mission within the United Nations?’
‘Yes.’
‘Was all the information accurate?’
‘Yes.’
‘Do you have knowledge that you believe will be useful for the continued security of the United States of America?’
‘Yes.’
‘Do you know the identities of people domiciled in this country engaged in activities contrary to the security of the United States of America?’
‘Yes.’
‘Will you provide details of those identities, to your questioners?’
‘Yes.’
‘Do you regard yourself as an honest man?’
The question was as clever as the one that had followed the testing sex queries and it was the closest Levin came to faltering. ‘No,’ he said, alert for the reaction. It came exactly as he expected.
‘You do not regard yourself as an honest man?’
‘No.’ He imagined he heard the sound of the pen, making the notebook entry.
‘Yet you intend cooperating honestly with your debriefers?’
‘Yes.’ Levin reckoned at the moment the technician was more unsettled than he was but knew it would be dangerous to relax. Part of his lip was becoming numbed under the pressure and he nipped at the left side, needing the continued pain.
‘Have you operated as a member of the KGB in parts of the world other than the United States of America?’
‘Yes.’
‘Were there to be requests from those other countries, would you cooperate with their counter-intelligence organizations in disclosing details of those operations?’
‘No.’ The pause for the notebook query was obvious this time.
‘Do you find this test difficult?’
‘Yes.’
‘Did you expect to be subjected to it?’
‘I did not…’ started Levin, aware of the danger and needing the time.
‘Yes or no.’
‘No.’
‘Would you be prepared to undergo further polygraph examination, if it were considered necessary?’
‘Yes.’ There was hardly a choice, but Levin wondered if it were a standard question or whether he had made a mistake. Wrong to become nervous, risking any increase in the sweat or heart rate.
‘Do you believe in God?’
An intentional leapfrog, to disorient him, guessed Levin. He said: ‘No.’
‘In truth?’
‘Yes.’
‘Do you always tell the truth?’
Now it was the technician who was being very clever. ‘No,’ said Levin.
‘Do the KGB use the United Nations as a spy base?’
‘Yes.’
‘Can you identify KGB personnel among the Soviet mission to the United Nations?’
Practically repetition of an earlier question. Checking the previous answers then. ‘Yes,’ Levin said.
‘Are you aware of KGB personnel in places other than the United Nations?’
Time to throw the needle off course. ‘I do not believe…’
‘Yes or no.’
‘No, but…’
‘Yes or no.’
‘No.’ Come on! come on! thought Levin.
‘Do you have knowledge of people working on behalf of the KGB in places other than the United Nations?’
‘Yes!’ The man had responded exactly as Levin had hoped.
‘Can you identify them?’
‘Yes. No.’
‘One or the other.’
‘Maybe.’
‘Yes or no.’
‘Maybe,’ refused the Russian.
There was another pause which Levin imagined to be for a further notebook entry, but then the technician was by his side, sliding the palm monitor off his hand. So intense had been Levin’s concentration that he had been unaware of the man’s approach. The ease with which the palm pad came off indicted that he was sweating quite heavily: to an acceptable degree or too much? ‘Well?’ asked Levin, as the man removed the other two straps. It was the sort of question they would expect.
‘We’ll have to see,’ avoided the man, noncommittal. ‘Please wait here.’
He left the room awkwardly, carrying the drum and the file and his notebook. An instant discussion with the
