I Am Aleister
"Minister, strictly speaking, I shouldn't stop you..."
The secretary behind the Minister of the Navy sighed. "But don't you think it's a little too late to betray them now? The best opportunity was obviously before Captain Camus went to Inspector General Edward.
"And if you really intend to do it, I don't even think we need to keep a copy. Evidence documents like this are of little use if they aren't the original. If we're going to betray them, we might as well go all the way.
"Besides, I think it would be better not to hand the document to Minister Moriarty, but to destroy it right in front of him. That way, the other ministers will assume they have the document and challenge Minister Moriarty in the newspapers, only to find themselves unable to produce any evidence. Minister Moriarty, already prepared, can then strike back forcefully at the first opportunity. Only then can we ensure their complete destruction.
"At the same time, this prevents Minister Moriarty from presenting the document as evidence of our betrayal. Offending so many knightly families has the same consequences as offending the royal family. Either way, the price is one we cannot afford."
Sheldon leaned close behind the old man and whispered, "And all we need to do is play dumb and claim we don't know where the document went."
As an adjutant of the Navy Department, Sheldon was also Minister Ramos's aide.
The old man fell silent for a long while, sinking into thought.
The gardening shears in his hand kept snipping, cutting through branch after branch. It was less a deliberate design than a simple outlet for his emotions.
At last, the old man sighed.
"...You're right. It's too late to betray them now. And it wouldn't look good.