The setting is worthy of a spy novel: the narrow, softly lit Mediterranean joint down a cobblestone Soho street, the bright-coloured curtains draping rough plaster walls, the somewhat gauche posters of West End plays and Renaissance art. I imagine hushed conversations, an agent meeting a source, or luring a recruit, over a kebab and a glass of wine. My guest, Sir Richard Moore, until recently Britain’s spy chief, will not share whether the unimaginatively named Mediterranean Cafe has featured in his clandestine career: “I couldn’t possibly say.” But he is a regular at the haunt, knows Ali, the owner, and is familiar with the Turkish menu.
这情景堪比一本谍战小说：苏活区(Soho)一条鹅卵石街上的一家狭窄而柔和灯光的地中海小馆，鲜艳的窗帘垂挂在粗糙的灰泥墙上，墙上还贴着有些俗气的西区戏剧和文艺复兴艺术海报。我不禁想象有人低声密语——一名特工与线人会面，或在烤肉串与一杯葡萄酒间引诱新成员。我这次的对谈对象是理查德•摩尔(Richard Moore)爵士，直到不久前还是英国情报首长。他不愿透露这家名字毫无新意、仅叫“地中海咖啡馆”的地方是否出现在他的秘密履历中：“我可不便多说。”不过，他是这里的常客，认识店主阿里(Ali)，对这家店的土耳其菜单也相当熟悉。