"Your first report," he said. "Catherina Panova. From what you say here, a dangerous reactionary. Certainly she has no place in Party ranks." Ilya Simonov said, "Is that the complete file of my assignment?" "Yes. I've kept it here in my own office. I've wanted this to be ultra-undercover. No one except you and me. I had hopes of you working your way up into the enemy's organization, and I wanted no possible chance of you being betrayed. You don't seem to have been too successful." "I was as successful as it's possible to be." The security minister leaned forward. "Ah ha! I knew I could trust you to bring back results, Ilya. This will take Frol Zverev's pressure off me. Number One has been riding me hard." Blagonravov poured them both another drink. "You were able to insert yourself into their higher circles?" Simonov said, "Kliment, there are no higher circles." His chief glared at him. "Nonsense!" He tapped the file with a pudgy finger. "In your early reports you described several groups, small organizations, illegal meetings. There must be an upper organization, some movement supported from the West most likely." Ilya Simonov was shaking his head. "No. They're all spontaneous." His chief growled, "I tell you there are literally thousands of these little groups. That hardly sounds like a spontaneous phenomenon." "Nevertheless, that is what my investigations have led me to believe." Blagonravov glowered at him, uncertainly. Finally, he said, "Well, confound it, you've spent the better part of a year among them. What's it all about? What do they want?" Ilya Simonov said flatly, "They want freedom, Kliment." "Freedom! What do you mean, freedom? The Soviet Complex is the most highly industrialized area of the world. Our people have the highest standard of living anywhere. Don't they understand? We've met all the promises we ever made. We've reached far and beyond the point ever dreamed of by Utopians. The people, all of the people, have it made as the Americans say." "Except for freedom," Simonov said doggedly. "These groups are springing up everywhere, spontaneously. Thus far, perhaps, our ministry has been able to suppress some of them. But the pace is accelerating. They aren't inter-organized now. But how soon they'll start to be, I don't know. Sooner or later, someone is going to come up with a unifying idea. A new socio-political system to advocate a way of guaranteeing the basic liberties. Then, of course, the fat will be in the fire." "Ilya! You've been working too hard. I've pushed you too much, relied on you too much. You need a good lengthy vacation." Simonov shrugged. "Perhaps. But what I've just said is the truth." His chief snorted heavily. "You half sound as though you agree with them." "I do, Kliment." "I am in no mood for gags, as the Yankees say." Ilya Simonov looked at him wearily. He said slowly, "You sent me to investigate an epidemic, a spreading disease. Very well, I report that it's highly contagious."