"Well said. This matter does require a careful, thorough look. It seems the two of us have arrived at the same conclusion from different doors." Secretary Bell offered a small, agreeable nod, the smile on his face perfectly courteous, perfectly warm, the kind of smile a man could carry into any room in the province without giving offense to a single soul.
Then he turned the conversation, gently but firmly, in the direction he had walked all the way over here to take it.
"That said, I do not believe it is appropriate to leave the inquiry in the hands of the comrades over at the Park Sub-commission." His voice never lifted, and yet each word seemed to settle on the polished surface of Governor Lawson's desk with a small, deliberate weight. "A problem of this magnitude has been festering ri
