Chapter Seventeen
Progress
“It was amazing!” Anya told the eager face on her screen, her mentor’s hands, as usual, out of range of the webcam, a slight faraway look telling her all she needed to know by way of explanation for their absence.
“He bought it then?” Rajiv pressed, eager, again as usual, to hear of her progress with the intended prey.
“Every single word,” she answered, her own face, had he been able to see it, full of pride for the way she had pulled off the deception. “Though he is unable to disguise his contempt for your non-existent religion neither can he hide his delight at the primitive philosophy we have tailored to meet his superior pomposity.”
Rajiv was nodding, knowingly.
“It is as I explained,” he began. “This is a man to whom self-esteem is everything – whether
