The earlier argument had not affected the mood at dinner, especially after the Witches had plied Mrs. Jacob with enough wine to aim for cirrhosis. She cast aside her previous restraint, and the atmosphere at the table soon became harmonious. Salomon and the Witches did not mention anything supernatural or violent. On the surface, it looked like a family dinner where an adopted son and his stepmother were getting to know each other. Besides, Cassilius's new partner was not some affected little bourgeois, so none of the dishes paid much attention to appearance. Everyone was quite happy—according to this woman's understanding, Salomon was an Oxford University student and the owner of a business, so he could hardly spare much time for gatherings.
This had also been Cassilius's previous explanation for why he had so few social connections.
The Witches had already learned from their earlier conversation which details did not align with the facts and needed Salomon and them to fill in the gaps. At the table, Salomon needed to discuss his company's revenue, how he balanced school, work, and life, Cassilius's job, and Mrs. Jacob's job, then make himself likable. To be honest, making up an airtight lie on the spot that could withstand scrutiny was not particularly difficult. The difficult part was maintaining that lie. If this woman ever went to London or New York, Salomon could not possibly drop his work and take her on a tour of a real company.
But Salomon had prepared long ago. Even if Cassilius never told Mrs. Jacob the truth, his lie could withstand investigation. This was a thorough application of the knowledge he had learned from Victoria Hand and Natasha Romanoff about crafting an agent's cover identity. Strictly speaking, though, he was taking it too seriously and making far too