"In two days, it will be the scheduled time to close the net, and so far, everything has been calm and quiet."
The Colonel of the Guards sipped his coffee and cast a quick glance at Mahè, standing ramrod-straight beside him.
"If we still haven't captured any trace of the rebels by then... someone really needs to take responsibility for this."
"I understand."
Mahè nodded and continued in an unyielding tone:
"I've been aware of this all along."
Failing to capture the insurgents twice in a row, advising to initiate a massive purge, mobilizing the troops to no avail—any one of these would be sufficient to 'move' Mahè's head, making him the perfect scapegoat for someone bound to die.
"Simply being prepared is not enough, and neither is effort. Mahè, as a Senior detective, you are a civil servant of the Empire, and you should understand that the process is of no great importance—it is the result that matters."
"I will bear this in mind."
