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l the fact that he’d become politically active immediately after leaving university rather than two years later。 I described how McAra； with his typical dogged thoroughness； had discovered all this； turning up detail after detail that gradually destroyed Lang’s account of his early years。 That was presumably what he meant when he said that the key to everything was in the beginning of Lang’s autobiography。 I told him about the satellite navigation system in the Ford and how it had taken me to Emmett’s doorstep； and how strangely Emmett had behaved。
And； of course； the more I talked； the more excited Rycart became。 I guess it must have been like Christmas for him。
“Just suppose；” he said； pacing up and down again； “that it was Emmett who originally suggested to Lang that he should think about a career in politics。 Let’s face it； someone must have put the idea into his pretty little head。 I’d been a junior member of the party since I was fourteen。 What year did Lang join？”
“Nineteen seventy…five。”
“Seventy…five！ You see； that would make perfect sense。 Do you remember what Britain was like in seventy…five？ The security services were out of control； spying on the prime minister。 Retired generals were forming private armies。 The economy was collapsing。 There were strikes； riots。 It wouldn’t exactly be a surprise if the CIA had decided to recruit a few bright young things and had encouraged them to make their careers in useful places—the civil service； the media； politics。 It’s what they do everywhere else； after all。”
“But not in Britain； surely；” I said。 “We’re an ally。”
Rycart looked at me with contempt。 “The CIA was spying onAmerican students back then。 Do you really think they’d have been squeamish about spying on ours？ Of course they were active in Britain！ They still are。 They have a head of station in London and a huge staff。 I could name you half a dozen MPs right now who are in regular contact with the CIA。 In fact—” He stopped pacing and clicked his fingers。 “That’s a thought！” He whirled round to look at me。 “Does the name Reg Giffen mean anything to you？”
“Vaguely。”
“Reg Giffen—Sir Reginald Giffen； later Lord Giffen； now dead Giffen； thank God—spent so long making speeches in the House of Commons on behalf of the Americans； we used to call him the member for Michigan。 He announced his resignation as an MP in the first week of the nineteen eighty…three election general campaign； and it caught everyone by surprise； apart from one very enterprising and photogenic young party member； who just happened to have moved into his constituency six months earlier。”
“And who then got the nomination to become the party’s candidate； with Giffen’s support；” I said； “and who then won one of the safest seats in the country when he was still only thirty。” The story was legendary。 It was the start of Lang’s rise to national prominence。 “But you can’t really think that the CIA asked Giffen to help fix it so that Lang could get into parliament？ That sounds very far…fetched。”
“Oh； come on！ Use your imagination！ Imagine you’re Professor Emmett； now back in Harvard； writing unreadable bilge about the alliance of the English…speaking peoples and the need to combat the Communist menace。 Haven’t you got potentially the most amazing agent in history on your hands？ A man who’s already starting to be talked about as a future party leader？ A possible prime minister？ Aren’t you going to persuade the powers that be at the Agency to do everything they can to further this man’s career？ I was already in parliament myself when Lang arrived。 I watched him come from nowhere and streak past all of us。” He scowled at the memory。 “Of course he hadhelp 。 He had no real connection with the party at all。 We couldn’t begin to understand what made him tick。”
“Surely that’s the point of him；” I said。 “He didn’t have an ideology。”
“He may not have had an ideology； but he sure as hell had an agenda。” Rycart sat down again。 He leaned toward me。 “Okay。 Here’s a quiz for you。 Name me one decision that Adam Lang took as prime minister that wasn’t in the interests of the United States of America。”
I was silent。
“Come on；” he said。 “It’s not a trick question。 Just name me one thing he did that Washington wouldn’t have approved of。 Let’s think。” He held up his thumb。 “One： deployment of British troops to the Middle East； against the advice of just about every senior commander in our armed forces and all of our ambassadors who know the region。 Two”—up went his right index finger—“complete failure to demand any kind of quid pro quo from the White House in terms of reconstruction contracts for British firms； or anything else。 Three： unwavering support for U。S。 foreign policy in the Middle East； even when it’s patently crazy for us to set ourselves against the entire Arab world。 Four： the stationing of an American missile defense system on British soil that does absolutely nothing for our security—in fact； the complete opposite： it makes us a more obvious target for a first strike and can provide protection only for the U。S。 Five： the purchase； for fifty billion dollars； of an American nuclear missile system that we call ‘independent’ but that we wouldn’t be able to fire without U。S。 approval； thus binding his successors to another twenty years of subservience to Washington over defense policy。 Six： a treaty that allows the
U。S。 to extradite our citizens to stand trial in America but doesn’t allow us to do the same to theirs。 Seven： collusion in the illegal kidnapping； torture； imprisonment； and even murder of our own citizens。 Eight： a consistent record of sacking of any minister—I speak with experience here—who is less than one hundred percent supportive of the alliance with the United States。 Nine—”
“All right；” I said； holding up my hand。 “I get the message。”
“I have friends in Washington who just can’t believe the way that Lang ran British foreign policy。 I mean； they wereembarrassed by how much support he gave and how little he got in return。 And where has it got us？ Stuck fighting a so…called war we can’t possibly win； colluding in methods we didn’t use even when we were up against the Nazis！” Rycart laughed ruefully and shook his head。 “You know； in a way； I’m almost relieved to discover there might be a rational explanation for what we got up to in government while he was prime minister。 If you think about it； the alternative’s actually worse。 At least if he was working for the CIA it makes sense。 So now；” he said； patting my knee； “the question is： what are we going to do about it？”
I didn’t like the sound of that first person plural。
“Well；” I said； wincing slightly； “I’m in a tricky position。 I’m supposed to be helping him with his memoirs。 I have a legal obligation not to divulge anything I hear in the course of my work to a third party。”
“It’s too late to stop now。”
I didn’t like the sound of that； either。
“We don’t actually have anyproof ；” I pointed out。 “We don’t even know for sure thatEmmett was