The European Enigma (LSD, #9)

14. The Estonian Eavesdropper

The Estonian Eavesdropper

When the tea was served and the hotel's chamber boy had left, it was time to start with the core of the meeting. The Diplomat didn't want to waste more time: "I hope you can help me with a delicate problem, Mister Chan. I know you are a man of good manners and, most of all, you're someone who can be trusted. Trust is important. Let me explain the situation to you first. We have a contact. Let's call him Mister X. Mister X has an interesting product to offer. This is not about oranges or radios; we're not talking about finished products that Mister X can produce and sell with a profit during many years. The product is a technique, a licence, a concept. Imagine that Mister X has developed an application for mobile phones. First, you install and activate the app on your own phone. Then you can call somebody else. When he picks up, the application will automatically install itself on the phone of the receiver while you apologise for dialling a wrong number. Then you call the number again, but this time via the app. The connection is established, but only half of a normal call works: the phone doesn't ring, you can't talk to the receiver, but you do hear every sound on the other end."

Mister Chan was a good listener, and he was intelligent too: "Such an application would be worth lots of money for any Secret Service; eavesdropping would become as easy as making a phone call... All you'll need is one copy of the app."

"That's correct. But our hypothetical Mister X is not interested in money. He wants a new identity, and he wants to live the rest of his life without problems. That's where I would like to hear your opinion. If my organization were to buy such an application, what would you, as a specialist in technology, advise? What would a man like Mister X ask in return for such a product?"

Mister Chan faked deep thinking like he didn't expect such a question: "I think Mister X would have a list of wishes like everybody else: a place to live, a partner to live with, plus a bit of luxury, respect and entertainment. Mister X would like to know there was nothing left to wish for and nothing to worry about for the rest of his life. If someone would offer such a service, Mister X would like to sell his product, or his licence, or his spy application, to the first organization that could guarantee him such a future."

The grateful smile of the Diplomat almost made Mister Chan feel proud. Almost. He knew The Diplomat was a great actor. But also, The Diplomat worked for the government of one of the richest countries in the world. Secrets were their most profitable export product. This country might be interested in buying an application that changed any mobile phone into a listening ear.

The Diplomat continued his story: "If Mister X would come to me with such a wish list, I could make him very happy. We have a chateau in the green hills of Luxembourg. It's desperately searching for a nobleman to rule it. The nobleman would receive a passport under the name of Duke of Ellington. His noble tasks would be to tell the staff what to do, to visit the casinos and expensive shops in our country regularly, to wine and dine with the most exclusive female company money can buy, and, of course, he would have to test every month another expensive car. With such an important job, this man needs a two-week holiday at least twice every month. The Luxembourg taxpayers would be delighted to pay for the costs of this important task. We can't guarantee Mister X a long life because we're not the Higher Powers, but we do guarantee him that his life will be as happy as he can imagine, and even a little more. Do you foresee that Mister X might have a problem with such a ruling?"

Mister Chan repeated his deep thinking, sipping his tea. After a while, he said: "If I were Mister X, I think I could live with those conditions, except for one tiny little detail, the detail you already mentioned: trust. Can you trust the other party to keep his word? After all, as soon as they have Mister X's application, it would be easy to break their part of the deal. If you could come up with a guarantee that Mister X could receive his lifetime payment, I don't think Mister X would refuse to sell his product to you. Important is not the price but the trust in the buyer to keep his promise."