To be fair I should have told Dominic that I was not at all close to Tom. And that in case he wanted someone to broach the topic of subversive incentivization with Tom, someone else who knew Tom better should be doing it. Like a Dufresne partner or someone high up in the Lederman organization who is friendly with Dufresne. And who might also be open to a profit sharing sub-stake in our new scheme.

Just as I was about to open my mouth to say this, Diary I swear it was destiny, my stomach made yet another little growling sound. This time I am sure Dominic heard. He was scrolling through his BlackBerry. But I saw a slight smile on his face.

But then I began to think again. And then it suddenly occurred to me!!!!

THIS WAS NOT A TIME FOR HONESTY! THIS WAS A TIME FOR BRAVERY!

At that moment, after the noise from stomach, everything became clear to me. That gastric interruption had been a message from god. I could have admitted to my lack of closeness to Tom and that would have been that. Dominic would have asked someone else to talk to Tom. And who knew how that would go? What if Tom disagreed?

Project finished. Consultant gone.

What does the latest Dufresne associates-only baseball cap say on the back in small font?

Exactly: Without the consultant, there is no client! Without the client, there is no consultant! Together we stand! (And then something something) we fall!

Those are words I can never forget as long as I am a consultant.

I knew I had to do this. Not for me, not for Dufresne. But for Lederman. For the client.

Goosebumps came all over my body, Diary, when I thought about this. You know that moment in the movie when the senior officer asks for volunteers for a suicide mission to save hostages kidnapped by terrorists who are hiding in the jungle? And only one fellow (Mohanlal) actually volunteers while the others (who will eventually die) have to be forced to do it?

Truly, at that point, I felt like Mohanlal.

I took a deep, heroic breath, but not too deep so as to avoid stomach noise, and then told Dominic that I knew Tom very well indeed. And that I would be more than happy to undertake this mission for the company even if it came at great personal cost.

Dominic was silent for a moment. And then he told me that there was tremendous risk involved in this. I had to handle my interactions with Tom very carefully. Tom was not to be made upset or angry at any cost. If he told anybody that we had tried to bribe him, then Dufresne would be in a ‘world of pain’.

I told him that I would operate with utmost discretion.