PARTISAN REVIEW
59
It was late in the meeting, at that stage when the floor is well
loaded with empty coffee cups, beer glasses and full ash trays. Some
people had already left.
He wanted to know what he ought to do: "I want to have
the benefit of your expert advice."
As
it happened he had already
taken the decision he was asking about.
Mter some two years of a life not so much double - the word
implies secrecy - as dual,
his
boss
in
the Central Post Office called
him
to ask how he was enjoying his life with the Left. Tom was as dog–
gedly informative with him as he was with us, and said that we were
interesting people, well informed and full of a high-class brand of
idealism which he found inspiring.
"I always feel good after going to one of their meetings," he
reported he had said.
"It
takes you right out of yourself and makes
you think."
.
His Chief said that he, for his part, always enjoyed hearing
about idealism and forward-looking thought, and invited Tom to
tum in reports about our activities, our discussions and most par–
ticularly our plans for the future, as well in advance as possible.
Tom told us that he said to
his
boss that "he didn't like the
idea of doing that sort of thing behind our backs, because say what
you like about the Reds, they are very hospitable."
The Chief had said that it would be for the good of his country.
Tom came to us to say that he had told
his
boss that he had
agreed, because he wanted to be of assistance to the national war
effort.
It was clear to everyone that having told us that he had agreed
to spy on us, he would, since that was his nature, most certainly go
back to
his
boss and tell him that he had told us that he had agreed
to spy. Mter which he would come back to us to tell us that he had
told his boss that.... And so on. Indefinitely, if his boss didn't get
tired of it. Tom could not see that his Chief would shortly find him
unsuitable material for espionage, and might even dismiss him from
being a sorter in the Post Office altogether - a nuisance for us.
After which he, the Chief, would probably look for someone else
to give him information.
It was Harry, one of the other two post office employees at–
tending Left Club meetings, who suggested that it would probably
be himself who would next be invited to spy on us, now that Tom
