“Ninety-six hours,” Angleton says drily. “It’s been shortening progressively ever since the 1960s. Although most of the initial die-off is down to the sane ones working out their likely fate and killing themselves to avoid it. If they survive longer than a year—vanishingly rare, these days—there’s no obvious upper limit.”

“Except for the ceilings imposed by epidemiology.”

“And fratricidal predation, yes.” Angleton meets the Senior Auditor’s gaze with his own unblinking expression. “Bob knows it is his duty to keep Ms. Murphy alive, for the sake of the organization. He’s a clever boy and he’ll work out the angles for himself. The risks, I believe, are that Ms. Murphy will underestimate and try to manipulate him, or that Agent CANDID will prove to be an insurmountable distraction rather than a pillar of strength.”

“Human relationships are so painfully messy.” The Senior Auditor looks away; he carefully removes his glasses and starts to polish their lenses with the end of his tie. “But for the greater good . . .”

“If Agent HOWARD expresses concern about Agent CANDID, I believe he will come to me in the first instance,” says Angleton. “So we will have sufficient warning. It would be expedient to have an urgent assignment ready for her, though.”

“A wild goose chase?” asks Lockhart.

“No, that would potentially make things worse, if she can see through it. But . . . don’t over-stress her. The business out east—”

“Vile, I know.” Lockhart looks at the Senior Auditor. “She should really be on sick leave, you know.”

“I am aware of that.” The Senior Auditor replaces his spectacles. “But she is dangerously close to indispensable.”

“We should find a plausible task that is important enough to demand her full attention while being unlikely to generate additional stress in the Howard/O’Brien household. And which takes her away from home while not placing her at such a remove that we can’t call her back in a hurry if we need her.”

“Yes.” The Auditor falls silent for a moment. “She’s cleared for BLUE HADES, isn’t she? The upcoming treaty renewal negotiations . . .”

“That’ll do it. Come to think of it, they know her, which gives it even more plausibility.” Angleton is nodding now. “It doesn’t do to show them a weak front. It makes perfect sense for us to send her along with the delegation.”

Lockhart interrupts: “But if she’s on a disused gas platform in the North Sea—”

“That’s what helicopters are for.” The Auditor looks at him. “We need to clear the stage for the next act of this little drama, so that the reluctant star can be tempted into the floodlights to deliver his soliloquy.

“See to it.”

• • •