A Delicate Truth

by John Le Carré

The weavers had clubbed together to build themselves an old-world handloom? Suzanna must have the loom demonstrated to

would be justified in ringing off, she informs him that the erstwhile minister Mr Fergus Quinn has not been at his post for three years

The walk from

wearing a smart dark-blue blazer with a triangle of white handkerchief in the top pocket, sat Jeb.

No prior warning, whether by email, telephone or the public post, is necessary, or advisable.

Because Paul is Kit, and Kit is Paul! And between you, you make one low flyer and one red telephone,

huddled on the hillside with Jeb, Shorty, Andy and Don, and provided his own ear- and eyewitness account of Operation Wildlife and its supposedly glorious conclusion.

‘They conned him. Ethical did.

Nobody wants to admit they handed over a couple of million dollars in a suitcase for a load of old cobblers, well do they?’

Returned from his foray in the bowels of the club, Kit heaves the bedside table to the middle of the floor and

Because British intelligence won’t buy into the operation, will it?

Nor will they, I don’t suppose.

It is Toby’s turn to go to the window and, freed from Kit’s accusing stare, abandon himself to his thoughts. ‘By the time this Dr Costello rang off, had

Kit was worried sick, we both were, and you came straight away.

and you can delve without, well’ – little smile – ‘losing your pension.’

I’ll be Bailey, after the Fayre.’

the implication that Oakley was in some way his protector.

Close your eyes, say Hamburg, and tell yourself the story you swore you would never speak aloud.

And from Toby, also not a word, and none from Giles Oakley either, beyond the three hundred euros in an envelope that Toby found lying in his embassy mailbox in payment for the new suit.

Treated me like a colleague too. There was a couple from the Met there. Directing operations for their country brothers.’

But I don’t believe the bastard who shot himself to

kill us, and I don’t love him either.

‘And the leathercraft?’ Toby asked. ‘Where did Jeb get his leathercraft skills from?’

They passed a couple of wartime pillboxes covered in graffiti.

Don, Andy, Shorty – they was all good buddies until Wildlife. Never after. Only Shorty, till him and Jeb had their fight and broke it off.’

‘There’s a fellow Crispin.

Oportunistas

Get rid of Harry, and as soon as I’m done we’ll start

over again: you, me and Danny, same as old times.” That’s how depressed he was a few hours before he shot his fucking head off, Mr Bell.’

but Charlie Wilkins’s warning words were not lost on him.

such cellphones were known as ‘burners’ because of the tendency of their owners to dispose of them after a few hours.

and a plastic model of a London Beefeater to his collection.

‘The kids think we keep drugs here,’

‘Is Kit at risk of suicide too?’ ‘Absolutely not,’ he retorts firmly, having asked himself the same question ever since leaving Brigid’s house.

Go and hide the draft document in some hayloft, leave everything to the devious Bell and keep my stupid mouth shut.

The Foreign Office waiting room was a windowless dungeon of prickly chairs, glass tables and unreadable magazines about Britain’s industrial skills.

‘Whether I know it or you know it is neither here nor there.

Want to take a stroll in the garden? Day like this, seems a pity to waste the sunshine.’

In a half-hearted effort to find excuses for Crispin,

‘Don’t think this is over, son. This is for appetizers. Remember that.’

And so was she, whether she liked it or not.

In the kitchen,

OPERATION WILDLIFE – AFTERMATH AND RECOMMENDATIONS