Telling the truth is easy and pleasant—too bad that such a deadly trick can be pulled off with far from everyone. Much more often, you have to tell the truth not all of it, not to everyone, and not everywhere. What did you expect? Politics is the art of hints and half-tones. It’s reassuring that not everyone is so well-mannered. Some people go out of their way to provoke things and end up getting what they deserve: someone goes into the red on arcimagi, someone gets into the black on wives, and someone simply ends up with a fist in the face. Diplomacy is my strong suit. What do you mean—can I get you a different attaché?