Sublime

“Who’s Mr. Ironside?” Leamas asked. “I don’t think he exists,” she replied. “He’s her big gun when she’s stuck for an answer. I asked her once who he was. She went all shifty and mysterious, and said ‘Never mind.’ I don’t think he exists.” “I’m not sure Miss Crail does,” said Leamas and Liz Gold smiled.

“He’s a killer. He was here a year or two back with the East German Steel Mission. We had an Adviser here then: Maston.” “Quite so.” “Mundt was running an agent, the wife of an FO man. He killed her.” “He tried to kill George Smiley. And of course he shot the woman’s husband. He is a very distasteful man. Ex–Hitler Youth and all that kind of thing.