How we cite our quotes: Chapter name.(Chapter Number).Paragraph
Quote #1
"A torrent of thoughts poured through my mind," Gold later said of this moment. The map could easily be explained—he'd just say he loved Western stories, which was true, and that, out of curiosity, he'd sent to a Santa Fe museum for the map. Surely they didn't keep records of such requests; no one could prove he was lying.
But then he thought about what would happen if he continued claiming innocence: "My family, people with whom I worked, and my friends whom I knew, my lifetime friends—they would all rally around me. And how horrible would be their disappointment, and the letdown, when finally it was shown who I really was." (Prologue.22-23)
This is one of the main problems with espionage: You have to lie to all of your friends and family. Carrying on that level of deceit for so long was a huge source of anxiety for Gold—it cost him the love of his life—and was a major motivating factor in everything he did. Lies can sometimes become all-encompassing.
Quote #2
Some spies do it for the money; others are trying to change the world. Gold's reasons were a lot less dramatic. He was thankful to Black for getting him a job and wanted to repay the debt. Also, Gold had what he described as "an almost puppy-like eagerness to please." Here was a chance to do something nice for Black and help the Soviet people. The chemical processes Black wanted didn't seem so secret, and if the information could really help the Soviets build a better society, why not share it? Who would it hurt? (Tradecraft.(4).23)
This is a question a lot of people ask themselves about lying: "Who would it hurt?" Sometimes the answer is no one, and sometimes the truth can be far more damaging. But in this case, Gold was misled. His deceit started off small, but once they had him he was stuck betraying his country for years.
Quote #3
The message to Soviet leaders was clear. If the Soviets were going to get an atomic bomb any time in the near future, they were going to have to steal it. (Enormoz.(6).8)
It seems like an odd conclusion to jump to. "Oh, we don't have the resources or knowledge with which to make this weapon. Let's just steal it instead." What was it about the Soviets that their first instinct was to do something sneaky?