Chapter TenWilliam Shanahan was returned to Baghdad, then flown back to England where he had spinal surgery. He had been given a goodly amount of Vicodin and was comfortably numb all the way up to the time he had his surgery. It greatly improved his mood, and he was much more talkative and cordial with those who sat alongside him in his first-class seat throughout the long trip. He reflected on the fact that he had been somewhat self-absorbed throughout his life. As a matter of fact, he had been downright narcissistic, thinking of himself as MI6's Gold Standard. He thought his shite didn't smell because of his exceedingly high personal and moral standards. Jack Gawain certainly changed his perspective as far as that went.
He considered the fact that he had no real friends. All of whom he
