In addition to reinforcing his weak link, John took extra steps to dissociate the bank from the business. If anything went wrong at this stage, he and the bank might suffer, but nothing would lead an investigation in the direction of the business. He was not satisfied with the arrangement — he did not relish risking a jail sentence, even as a fairly remote possibility — but with Lowson as his best way in to Haran and the Great Father, he had no alternative but to deal with him personally and run that risk. Hugh and Minna and Gwilier would act as his main agents, but it would be an easy matter to keep their status obscure as far as Lowson was concerned, and, at John’s request, Minna arranged a series of false identities they could bolt into at the flick of a switch if necessary, without rel
