The President sat back and smiled cynically.

“So… you and your patriotic Committee simply wanted to spare the world any knowledge of this idea.”

“Correct.”

“And… no doubt in your own mind… by hiring Sands you were saving the world.”

“That’s right, sir, saving it from a problem it just… didn’t need.”

“Well, thanks for that,” the President said sarcastically. “I’m going to let you go now Charles, but I want you to notify the Committee that I want to see them all in the very near future. In the meantime I want a file on each member. I want to know where these opinions of yours are coming from.”

He flicked his wrist toward the door.

“And let me assure you,” he said to the Chairman as he got up to leave. “If I hear that anything inappropriate has happened in India, or anywhere else for that matter, I’ll have you indicted – understand? Do not proceed any further with this.”

24.2

In the welcome silence after the Chairman sulked off, the President was again tempted to call Shard. If the old man had a plan, he needed to know it. But he knew the Indian P.M. from his Oxford days, and etiquette dictated he speak to him first.

He reminded the P.M. of a fraternity joke and shared a familiar laugh before coming quickly to the point.

“Well Mohinder, how can I help you?”

Half an hour later he was still listening to the answer.