" The big three hand you the chicken-feed, you hand it to Polyakov, Moscow Centre thinks Toby is all theirs, everyone's served, everyone's content. The only problem arises when it transpires that you've been handing Polyakov the crown jewels and getting Russian chicken-feed in return. If that should turn out to be the case, you're going to need pretty good friends. Like us. "

― John le Carré , Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (George Smiley, #5; Karla Trilogy #1)