Ganesh didn’t carry a gun or have a bomb strapped to his body; nor had he ever come armed on any of the many other visits he had made to this facility. Nevertheless, he didn’t take offense at being an object of suspicion, because such scrutiny was a wise protocol. Ganesh Patel rarely took offense at anything; to do so was a waste of emotional energy. Nor did he grow impatient about the delay, for impatience was a characteristic of those who didn’t understand that time flowed to a purpose that neither impatience nor haste could change for the better, though often for the worse.

