The Tailor of Panama (1996) by John Le Carré

Author:John Le Carré
Format: epub
Published: 1996-06-06T16:00:00+00:00

‘Good. Because when the time is ripe, all—no, not all, but a corner—will be revealed to you.’

‘I can’t wait.’

‘You must. Patience is also a virtue of the born intelli-gencer. You must have the patience of the Red Indian. His sixth sense also. You must learn to see beyond the far horizon.’

To show him how, Luxmore once again directs his gaze upriver towards the stodgy fortresses of Whitehall and frowns. But his frown turns out to be directed at Washington:

‘Dangerous diffidence is what I call it, young Mr Osnard. The world’s one superpower restrained by puritan principle, God help us. Have they not heard of Suez? There are a few ghosts there that must be rising from their graves! There is no greater criminal in politics, young Mr Osnard, than he who shrinks from using honourable power. The United States must wield her sword or perish and drag us down with her. Are we to look on while our priceless Western inheritance is handed to heathens on a plate? The lifeblood of our trade, our mercantile power, ebbing through our fingers while the Jap economy zeroes out of the sun at us and the Tigers of South–East Asia tear us limb from limb? Is that who we are? Is that the spirit of the modern generation, young Mr Osnard? Maybe it is. Maybe we are wasting our time. Enlighten me, please. I do not jest, Andrew.’

‘It’s not my spirit, I know that, sir,’ Osnard said devoutly.

‘Good boy. Nor mine, nor mine.’ Luxmore pauses, measures Osnard with his eyes, wondering how much more it is safe to tell him.

‘Andrew.’

‘Sir,’

‘We are not alone, thank God.’

‘Good, sir,’

‘You say good. How much do you know?’

‘Only what you’re telling me. And what I’ve felt for a long time.’

‘They told you nothing of this on your training course?’

Nothing of what? Osnard wonders.

‘Nothing, sir.’

‘A certain highly secret body known as the Planning & Application Committee was never mentioned?’

‘No, sir,’

‘Chaired by one Geoff Cavendish, a man remarkable for his far-reaching mind, skilled in the arts of influence and peaceful persuasion?’

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