In the James Bond novels: Universal Export, abbreviated to "Univex" on an office door in the first film. Later: Transworld Consortium.
In other fiction and real life: No front needed. HQ address and C's name public knowledge.
The Time Patrol
Dalhousie and Roberts, import house.
A minor export-import business in Amsterdam.
A high-quality second-hand bookshop.
Observations
There is a, perhaps appropriate, emphasis on exporting and importing.
Used books also seem appropriate for time travel.
We are told that the bookseller seeks books in other milieus but he can hardly sell old books in their new condition?
8 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
The bookseller might try getting around the difficulty you mentioned by buying books in the past and then leaving them in rented storage spaces for about fifty years, time hopping ahead for that. The books should not be so new by then!
I also thought of Rax's disreputable dope shop in Irumclaw, which we see in A CIRCUS OF HELLS.
Ad astra! Sean
And I stole it as "Universal Imports" for the Black Chamber books.
Indeed. I noticed that at the time.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
Trying again.
Ditto, what Paul said.
Ad astra! Sean
Note that the usual cover for an espionage HQ on foreign territory is an embassy or consulate -- various attaches for this or that are really members of the national intelligence services. Military attaches report to military intelligence. It's a longstanding convention; diplomats started out as intelligence-gatherers as much as representatives of their sovereign.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
And of course the intelligence services of the host country would be totally aware of these spies, both civilian and military, and be keeping tabs on them.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean: that would depend on how competent they were. In some cases, they might know that there were intelligence operatives among the diplomats (because that's common knowledge) but have no idea which ones.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
Well, I would not expect small states, like the Kingdom of Bhutan, stuck between China and India, would have the vast resources available to say, France, for intelligence operations. But I would expect Bhutan, given the desperate need to somehow ensure survival, would have some competence in matters of that kind. Esp. after India gobbled up Sikkim and China has turned Nepal into a puppet client state.
Ad astra! Sean
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