Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

'It is the business of agent runners to turn themselves into legends,' Smiley began. “They do this first to impress their agents. Later they try it out on their colleagues and in my personal experience make rare asses of themselves in consequence.”

“All power corrupts but some must govern and in that case Brother Lacon will reluctantly scramble to the top of the heap.”

“We're losing our livelihood. Our self-respect. We've had enough.” Alleline took back the report and jammed it under his arm.

“And like everyone who's had enough,” said Control, as Alleline noisily left the room, “he wants more.”

"I even put it to Control: we should take the opposition's cover stories more seriously, I said. The more identities a man has, the more they express the person they conceal."

Now whole vistas of deceit opened before Guillam. His friends, his loves, even the Circus itself, joined and re-formed in endless patterns of intrigue. A line of Mendel's came back to him, dropped two nights ago as they drank beer in some glum suburban pub: “Cheer up, Peter, old son. Jesus Christ only had twelve, you know, and one of them was a double.”

That one won't crack, though, Mendel decided with approval; one of your flabby oak trees, Smiley was. Think you could blow him over with one puff but when it comes to the storm he's the only one left standing at the end of it.

“So Karla is fireproof?" Guillam asked finally. "He can't be bought and he can't be beaten?”

“Karla's pulled the Circus inside out; that much I understand, so do you,” Smiley said quietly. “Karla is not fireproof because he's a fanatic. And one day, if I have anything to do with it, that lack of moderation will be his downfall.”

“Secret services and their customers are like anyone else, I'm afraid. They value most what costs most, and Merlin costs a fortune. Ever bought a fake picture?”

“I sold a couple once,” said Toby with a flashy, nervous smile, but no one laughed.

“The more you pay for it, the less inclined you are to doubt it.”

Is the Witchcraft committee led from below? From the middle or from the top? I rather like Karla's description of committees don't you? Is it Chinese? A committee is an animal with four back legs.

Patiently Smiley waited for the speck of gold, for Connie was of an age where the only thing a man could give her was time.