Relished my first go-round with SP, and adored it.
But there was one major plot point I lost in the maze.
After the Magician blackmails Karla's man at the Blue Diamond and gets that long confession, how does Karla discover that Kirov is blown and that the 'General' now has the information?
Do you remember the Baltic library scene (the library is opposite the British Museum)? There are two characters there, Mikhail and his wife. The wife is very upset over the death of The General (Vladimir); perhaps too upset.
In the book and the television series, it is suggested that it was probably Mikhail who informed Karla of the knowledge and photographs that the General had in his possession.
There are two reasons why Mikhail might have informed on the General. The first was that he knew the General was having an affair with his wife, and two, Mikhail was an inveterate gambler. By informing on the General, he probably got a nice pay off from Karla.
Hope this helps!
I suspected that it might have been Mikhail, especially given how he eyed the General while he was making long-distance calls in the other office.
As usual in Smiley's stories, some things are suggested and not spelled out. I suppose that's one of the reasons we love them.
Thanks for your reply.
Hadn't thought of that. But it makes sense. If you put two and two together...
Good catch
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