Чужак в чужой стране

           Harshawwentongently,"IamforcedtosaythatIthinkitisextremelylikelythatBenisdead.Hehasbeengonetoolong.Butwe’veagreedtoassumethatheisalive–untilweknowotherwise.Nowyouintendtolookforhim.Gillian,canyoutellmehowyouwillgoaboutthis?WithoutincreasingtheriskthatBenwillbedoneawaywithbytheunknownpartyorpartieswhokidnappedhim?"

           "Uh-Butweknowwhotheyare!"

           "Dowe?"

           "Ofcoursewedo!ThesamepeoplewhowerekeepingMikeaprisoner–thegovernment!"

           Harshawshookhishead."Wedon’tknowit.That’sanassumptionbasedonwhatBenwasdoingwhenlastseen.Butit’snotacertainty.Benhasmadelotsofenemieswithhiscolumnandbynomeansallofthemareinthegovernment.Icanthinkofseveralwhowouldwillinglykillhimiftheycouldgetawaywithit.However-"Harshawfrowned."Yourassumptionisallwehavetogoon.Butnot‘thegovernment’–that’stoosweepingaterm.‘Thegovernment’isseveralmillionpeople,nearlyamillioninWashingtonalone.Wehavetoaskourselves:Whosetoeswerebeingsteppedon?Whatpersonorpersons?Not‘thegovernment’–butwhatindividuals?"

           "Why,that’splainenough,Jubal.Itoldyou,justasBentoldittome.It’stheSecretaryGeneralhimself."

           "No,"Harshawdenied."Whilethatmaybetrue,it’snotusefultous.Nomatterwhodidwhat,ifitisanythingroughorillegal,itwon’tbetheSecretaryGeneralwhodidit,evenifhebenefitsbyit.