The essence of espionage is duplicity. A clandestine operation without successful deception is not a clandestine operation. In no other field of human endeavor is the widely denigrated maxim concerning justification of means by ends still held in such high regard. Spooks,” as they are called, deal in the devious; lie, cheat and steal is the name of the game. And it sometimes comes to pass that they prey upon each other for various reasons doubtless considered good in some quarter. In the business, few professionals have more than three close friends. Wise survivors have none. There are exceptions, but it is generally held that even with those who succeed in retiring from the business with reasonable honor and persona intact, it’s not over when it’s over. After all, a trained and experienced unemployed spook is a rare resource and an attractive target. His experience and abilities should not be wasted.