says Control. Inflection falls from the voice like a cloak tossed upon the floor. “Do you know who I am?”
“I do.”
“Tell me.”
“You’re Control. You’re the Priam Combine’s most valuable asset in North America. You report direct to London. I assure you that I didn’t enter your domain lightly.”
“Fine words,” says Control. Something somewhere between laugh and static hisses softly through the room. “Meaningless sounds. Your attitude is beside the point. Your actions are what’s at issue here.”
“I came to your man with a fair bargain.” Spencer listens impassively to himself described in the third person. He doesn’t take his eyes off Linehan. “He put that bargain to you. You accepted. To what actions of mine are you referring?”
“The very same. You flushed my agent from cover. You blackmailed him into opening up a conduit through which all too many minds vectored onto mine.”
