TEN
Dr Jim Samuels had moved on from Westminster Roman Catholic Cathedral to Downing Street and now addressed an extraordinary meeting. It was a rapidly arranged affair, but needs must as Umble Pie gathered momentum. Sitting around the table were the prime minister, deputy PM, senior cabinet ministers, the heads of the most important ministries and their permanent secretaries, known as Whitehall mandarins. It was unusual for them to be present, but Samuels’ request had been more like a demand.
The prime minister called the gathering to order and nodded to Samuels. Each and every person around the table had not a clue what the meeting was about, including the prime minister himself, but they knew Samuels headed up a special division of domestic covert operations for MI5; this would be ser
