I eased the phone back into the cradle, the side of my face tingling. Then I let out my breath and tried to decompress. What’s the old lesson in the army? Don’t make enemies with anybody in records. What’s the larger lesson in an organization? Don’t humiliate bureaucrats whose careers are characterized by mediocrity. It may take them a while, but sooner or later, they’ll park an arrow between your shoulder blades.
