We have to be subtle about recruiting. You can’t just walk up to a stranger and ask if they’re interested in working under cover. If they say “No” then I guess you could claim, “Sorry, I was just joking,” but it looks bad.
I travel all over the world, so I use many different tricks to test a person without them being aware that they’re being tested. They already have to fit our profile, but it’s an individual’s choice. Most people want to do it. There’s the glamour of being a spy, although you can’t really be the kind of person who would brag about it. That wouldn’t be discrete enough for the job. There’s the extra pay, although it’s usually not much, and we have to find ways to launder the money for them so it doesn’t attract attention. So it usually comes down to whether they care about us and don’t care so much about their own government. Most people don’t care so much about their own government.
Are they disgruntled? It’s not always easy to tell. Especially in a repressive state, because they know people are always listening. Civilian eyes always multiply the eyes of the secret police. You learn to keep your opinions to yourself.
George Duffy would have been a good recruit. He was of the age and had the habits that could easily pass as an American tourist. But he was also the kind of guy that people think they can trust. Well. His loss.
Monologues