A Coup
A coup would have been a very unusual circumstance. So unusual, in fact, that it was more of a quantum probability – a sort of un-collapsed wave function - rather than a reality but for the system to work, the expression had to be factored in. In an organisation like the Council, where policy is to ensure that each department remains as ignorant as possible of another’s practices and where, for perfectly sound reasons, no one person (nor even a cabal) has oversight, there must always exist the possibility that one of them might just decide that they would like it. Oversight, that is.
The fact that there is no mechanism to permit oversight may not have occurred to them at all but its more likely that they would anticipate being able to develop such a mechanism. As soon as they tried, however, the organisation would cease to be the organisation it was and become a different one. Thus, no coup would succeed. At best, the leader of the coup would have gained control of a similar organisation. This is why most people with the wherewithal to mount a coup would, at the same time, realise it would be utterly futile.
Nevertheless, the probability would always remain that a coup would be mounted. Until such time as it was and then it wouldn’t have happened at all.
‘I don’t understand,’ said Arthur.
A coup would have been a very unusual circumstance. So unusual, in fact, that it was more of a quantum probability – a sort of un-collapsed wave function - rather than a reality but for the system to work, the expression had to be factored in. In an organisation like the Council, where policy is to ensure that each department remains as ignorant as possible of another’s practices and where, for perfectly sound reasons, no one person (nor even a cabal) has oversight, there must always exist the possibility that one of them might just decide that they would like it. Oversight, that is.
The fact that there is no mechanism to permit oversight may not have occurred to them at all but its more likely that they would anticipate being able to develop such a mechanism. As soon as they tried, however, the organisation would cease to be the organisation it was and become a different one. Thus, no coup would succeed. At best, the leader of the coup would have gained control of a similar organisation. This is why most people with the wherewithal to mount a coup would, at the same time, realise it would be utterly futile.
Nevertheless, the probability would always remain that a coup would be mounted. Until such time as it was and then it wouldn’t have happened at all.
‘I don’t understand,’ said Arthur.
Stainforth
‘Good Lord, yes,’ said Stainforth. ‘It’s perfectly possible for MI6 to intercept mobile telephone calls; they do it all the time!’
They had bearded Stainforth in his lair at the Walsingham. He was still in his pyjamas and dressing gown, unshaven and a little hung-over.
‘And is it possible to target phones in an area rather than just individual ones?’
‘Of course it is, old man. All you do is transmit a signal that appears to be a mobile phone and then browse your way through the IMSI and IMEI codes and get the handsets to cough up the ones you want. Once you’ve done that, you can listen in on anything you like. Though why anyone would want to listen in on any more inane drivel than one absolutely had to is beyond me. Stainforth seemed a little irritated. ‘What’s all this about, anyway, Shepherd? I mean, sod it, it is a Saturday, after all.’
‘Do you really want to know?’ Arthur asked. Stainforth thought for a second or two and said,
‘No. Not really, no. I imagine you want a little more than mere information and the less I know about what you’re going to get me to do, the happier and more alive I’m likely to remain.’
Arthur smiled and clapped his hand on Stainforth’s shoulder.
‘Get dressed, there’s a good chap,’ he said. ‘Fancy a ride in a rather nice Jag?’
‘Ooh ra-ther,’ said Stainforth, brightening a little. ‘Can I drive?’
‘No,’ said Jennifer.
‘Madam, you remind me of my wife.’
Arthur’s phone rang.
‘Should I answer that?’ he asked.
‘How should I know?’ Stainforth replied.
‘Arthur,’ Jennifer said, ‘They’ve tried to kill you three times in as many days. What’s the worst that could happen?’
He sighed and put the phone to his ear. It was Ashley Sullivan.
‘Arthur? I have a couple of folks here I think you’d be interested to meet. Can you come over?’
‘I’m a bit busy at the moment, Sullivan. Can it wait?’
‘They have some information regarding Geoffrey.’
‘I’ll be there shortly,’ said Arthur and hung up. ‘Jennifer, I’m sorry but can you and Stainforth manage on your own for a while? I’ll meet you at Lambeth in ninety minutes.’
‘I think we’ll cope, Arthur,’ she said.
‘Good Lord, yes,’ said Stainforth. ‘It’s perfectly possible for MI6 to intercept mobile telephone calls; they do it all the time!’
They had bearded Stainforth in his lair at the Walsingham. He was still in his pyjamas and dressing gown, unshaven and a little hung-over.
‘And is it possible to target phones in an area rather than just individual ones?’
‘Of course it is, old man. All you do is transmit a signal that appears to be a mobile phone and then browse your way through the IMSI and IMEI codes and get the handsets to cough up the ones you want. Once you’ve done that, you can listen in on anything you like. Though why anyone would want to listen in on any more inane drivel than one absolutely had to is beyond me. Stainforth seemed a little irritated. ‘What’s all this about, anyway, Shepherd? I mean, sod it, it is a Saturday, after all.’
‘Do you really want to know?’ Arthur asked. Stainforth thought for a second or two and said,
‘No. Not really, no. I imagine you want a little more than mere information and the less I know about what you’re going to get me to do, the happier and more alive I’m likely to remain.’
Arthur smiled and clapped his hand on Stainforth’s shoulder.
‘Get dressed, there’s a good chap,’ he said. ‘Fancy a ride in a rather nice Jag?’
‘Ooh ra-ther,’ said Stainforth, brightening a little. ‘Can I drive?’
‘No,’ said Jennifer.
‘Madam, you remind me of my wife.’
Arthur’s phone rang.
‘Should I answer that?’ he asked.
‘How should I know?’ Stainforth replied.
‘Arthur,’ Jennifer said, ‘They’ve tried to kill you three times in as many days. What’s the worst that could happen?’
He sighed and put the phone to his ear. It was Ashley Sullivan.
‘Arthur? I have a couple of folks here I think you’d be interested to meet. Can you come over?’
‘I’m a bit busy at the moment, Sullivan. Can it wait?’
‘They have some information regarding Geoffrey.’
‘I’ll be there shortly,’ said Arthur and hung up. ‘Jennifer, I’m sorry but can you and Stainforth manage on your own for a while? I’ll meet you at Lambeth in ninety minutes.’
‘I think we’ll cope, Arthur,’ she said.
