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"Oh, they are who they say they are," said Gamache "My friend made sure of that They’re file clerks, but with, perhaps, so?"

"CSIS has a ence both domestic and international That’s why Fraser and Delorme were able to collect so much information on Gerald Bull’s activities here and in South Africa and Iraq and Belgium But to do that effectively, to knohat information is real and what is, in Mary Fraser’s word, ent who knohat to look for"

"A file clerk?" asked Lacoste, and Ganment"

"It appears that’s a possibility My contact said it was so instituted early on, but then bureaucracy and civil service unions got in the way Multitasking was out and jobs became more compartmentalized Delineated There was support staff and there were field agents Two distinct areas"

"But soht’ve quietly stayed on," said Lacoste "Doing both jobs Genuine file clerks part of the ti into the field too, to collect intelligence"

"You have no idea of the world you’ve entered," said Ga that, Jean-Guy?"

Beauvoir nodded He’d never forget the chill in the room and had been surprised the words hadn’t come out in a cloud of vapor

"I don’t think she ," said Gamache "Now, my contact was quick to point out that there’s no evidence to support this It’s all a bit of CSIS ents exist In fact, all the evidence points to Mary Fraser and Sean Delor exactly who they say they are File clerks approaching retire sent into the field," said Lacoste "And being given one last chance to distinguish themselves That’s how they struck , likable, but not very effective low-level bureaucrats, sent because they’re the only ones who still know so-abandoned project They were playacting at being real agents"

"And do they still strike you that way?" asked Beauvoir

"No"

"Me neither"

"Will your contact at CSIS dig some more?" asked Lacoste

"She said she would, but I could tell it was getting more delicate," said Gaents, then it ht be best left as is"

They heard the sound of a printer in the background