◆ SpookStack

of SCENE ONE. A Ore corner of the Baku restaurant, possibly Moscow’s mast celé- brated, which takes iis name from the Caspian town Te. wowned for caviar, A hard-faced man in his late fiflies - is finishing” Tunch* with two middle - aged women, He is Kim Philby, the most publicised traitor of the century who, by his own admission, while work- ing for the British Secret Service, was for 30 years #lso Russia’s most success- ful spy tn the West, On Philby’s left sits Hilda Terham, now a translator in @ Mascow publishing firm ; on hts right, a dark-haired woman who talks with quick animated gestures, She {5 “his fourth wife, Melinds, a-woman with the unique unenvied distinction of having married not one, bat two Bri¥ish traltors— Arst, Donald Maclean : now, Kim Philby, 7 Philby stants up, puts on his peaked eap, Tig heavy “coat, and iad yout his guess. As they leave, a British tourtst it outside recog- nises them—and raises his t id 2 camera Melinda, news. The strect ts crowded, and In the biting cold, ‘with perhaps 20 women wearing fur hats and fur coats, he hesitates ; everyone looks so much alike, He focuses on Philby, thinking that Melinda wht follow. But Melinda, hea vily wrapped in furs.and so out- wardly {id 4s tingulshable from the other women, knows the drill of dispersion. She turns swiftly in the opposite direction, and — disappears into the safe anonymity of the Metro station. Recognised SCENE TWO: A British akespeare Company has presented “All's Well that Ends Well" In Moscow to athustastic applause, audience leave to photograph for she is always t The woman who marri is herself a committed chose ,to" ‘five in Rus ihe Mohr Bishop ied two, traitors Comfriunist, and sia.. Dées she now regret her choice? fourth - AIL B Mrs. Philby (UT RECORDEBana nave are drawn ty by JAMES LEASOR 76 FEB theatre two visiting English school teachers recognise the Philbys. But before they can Speak to them. Kim’ and Melinda vanish, These: two Sneidents show their pathological hatred and fear of any personal pub- city. Was it for this over-the- shoulder look back at life that, 16 years ago, Melinda gave up her country house tn England, with its house-* keeper and gardener. plys the ever-prodigal generosity of a rich and trusting American mother, to hee with her three children, the youngest still a baby in arms, to join her first husband. Donald Maclean, tn Moscow ? Did she ever fmagine what her present life in Moscow would be ike? And is she content With it, if she did ? prigt MS examine the ys’ Iffe together sno Melinda sees few foftrgncrs, Such contacts as she and her irom the small and close RF f Westerners who ‘choo! ussia for reasons of their own; George Blake, anotht: le agent, who Wormwood Scrubs after being sentenced 2 years’ tinprisoument ; various Left-wing journalists and expatriate British and American apologists for the Communists. The Philbys are ssid to have changed their address three umes to avoid being traced. Why? Has their notoriety in the West endowed them with a com- Plex about thelr safety ? Secure. In Moseow, with the KGB secret police—of which Philby ts a senior and honoured officer—they are surely safer from unwanted visitors than they could be anywhere else In the world. But their safety now seems uncomfortably like the safety of people behind bars. If it 4s, theirs is a prison they have carefully built for themselves over many years. When Melinda fled to HITT EE Ld teas