The Spy Who Came in from the Cold/Call for the Dead/A Murder of Quality/The Looking-Glass War/A Small Town in Germany [antikvár]

Chapter OneCheckpointThe American handed Leamas another cup of coflFee and said, 'Why don't you go back and sleep? We can ring you if he shows up.'Leamas said nothing, just stared through the window of the checkpoint, along the empty street.'You can't wait for ever, sir. Maybe he'll come some other time. We can have the poHzei contact the Agency: you can be back here in twenty minutes.''No,' said Leamas, 'it's nearly dark now.''But you can't wait for ever; he's nine hours over schedule.''If you want to go, go. You've been very good,' Leamas added. 'I'll tell Kramer you've been damn' good.''But how long will you wait?''Until he comes.' Leamas walked to the observation window and stood between the two motionless policemen. Their binoculars were trained on the Eastern checkpoint.'He's waiting for the dark,' Leamas muttered. 'I know he is.''This morning you said he'd come across with the workmen.'Leamas turned on him.'Agents aren't aeroplanes. They don't have schedules. He's blown, he's on the run, he's frightened. Mundt's after him, now, at this moment. He's only got one chance. Let him choose his time.'The younger man hesitated, wanting to go and not finding the moment.A bell rang inside the hut. They waited, suddenly alert. A policeman said in German, 'Black Opel Rekord, Federal registration.''He can't see that far in the dusk, he's guessing,' the American whispered and then he added: 'How did Mündt know?''Shut up,' said Leamas from the window. One of the policemen left the hut and walked to the sandbag emplacement two feet short of the white demarcation which lay across the road like the base line of a tennis court. The other waited until his companion was crouched behind the telescope in the emplacement, then put down his bin-