For the Good of the State Read Free Page A

was saying—’
    It was to Jaggard’s credit that he merely opened his mouth and then closed it without exploding, like some of the Comets which had managed more flights than others.
    ‘There’s this passage he quotes—’ Harvey held Jaggard’s attention ‘—which just about sums up the way he operates, on the rare occasions when he goes out into the field. Because when it’s all over he always says “I didn’t do anything—it just happened that way. It wasn’t my fault.” It’s called “ shibbuwichee” , apparently.’
    ‘It’s called what— ?’
    ‘ “Shibbuwichee” . Which Kipling thought was a form of Japanese wrestling.’ Nod. ‘My elder boy was given a complete set of Kipling by his godfather last year, so I’ve been able to look it up: “ These wrestler-chaps have got some sort of trick that lets the other chap do all the work. Then they give a little wriggle, and he upsets himself. It’s called ’shibbuwichee‘, or ’tokonoma‘, or something” .’ He blessed old Hetherington again, and his own memory too. ‘And that’s how Audley operates. So what I thought was that we might do the same to him now, Henry.’
    ‘How?’ Jaggard was there, ahead of him.
    ‘If we tell him Panin wants to see him, he won’t be able to resist that—’
    ‘But if he does?’
    ‘We’ll make it irresistible. Leave that to me.’ Part of their usual accord was that there were some things which Jaggard didn’t need to know. ‘But I don’t think he’ll want to miss Panin for a return game. And that could solve our Polish problem without the need to risk Viking. Because he’s never going to let Panin outsmart him. So you can be sure that whatever Panin really wants, Audley will find out what it is. And he won’t let Panin get away with it.’
    ‘But … if it goes the other way—?’
    ‘Then there’ll be a scandal.’ Garrod Harvey shrugged. ‘But if we leave Zarubin and Panin to their own devices there’ll be a scandal anyway , most likely, Henry. But this way … this way it’ll be a Research and Development scandal. Because Audley will never come to us for help—it’s not in his nature to come to anyone, not even Jack Butler if he can avoid it. And certainly not when someone like Panin is involved. He’ll want to shibbuwich the man, like last time, Henry. David Audley’s whole psychology is dedicated to winning , not to Queensberry Rules games-playing. But if loses this time … then you can blow R & D wide open, Henry.’
    ‘Yes.’ That enticing possibility plainly captivated Jaggard—as it had from the start. ‘But if he loses , Garry —Panin’s a murderous swine … and Zarubin—’ He fixed Harvey coldly ‘—Zarubin’s worse than Panin, in so far as that’s possible, Garry.’
    That was the good Catholic speaking, echoing generations of good Catholic Jaggards from the Reformation onwards, who had sweated and suffered for their Faith then, and had been disadvantaged even in liberal England for the next three hundred years afterwards, down to the living memory of Henry Jaggard’s own great-grandfather. ‘So?’
    ‘I can’t risk Audley.’ The cold look became deep-frozen. ‘Bringing R & D to heel is important. But what they’re doing at the moment is important also. And Audley’s done a lot of good work, over a lot of years, Garry. So risking him now just isn’t on.’
    ‘I agree—I do agree, absolutely!’ Harvey understood the complexity of his error and Henry Jaggard’s dilemma simultaneously: the professional and patriotic ninety-nine-hundredths of Henry Jaggard wanted what they both wanted; but the hundredth part of Henry Jaggard was old Catholic and very different—what it wanted, that hundredth part, was either Major-General Gennadiy Zarubin on his raw knees in front of the High Altar, praying for the forgiveness which the Holy Catholic Church never denied sinners … or Major-General Gennadiy Zarubin broken and bloody, and turned over to the Civil Power