Neal looked down at him, a look almost of surprise crossing his broad features. He debated with himself whether or not to answer. In the end he couldn’t help himself.

‘It’s very simple really. It’s all about controlling public opinion. Over the last thirty years or so the media and the entertainment industry increasingly dictate what people actually know about the world around them and what they think about it. So we decide what’s for public consumption, and what’s not. We recruit musicians, actors, artists, filmmakers, writers and suchlike, people with a high profile who can use their work to influence public opinion. In the early days of the Initiative that was particularly true. We needed to get inside the heads of the youth movement, so musicians were specifically targeted and we made them successful; a lot of rock stars were created. You’d be surprised how many so-called artists are willing to sell their soul for a bit of guaranteed success.’

‘Until it goes wrong and someone like Scott Swann tries to spill the beans,’ Conrad observed.

‘There are always a reckless few who value integrity over career and have to be dealt with. Collateral damage, nothing more.’

Neal sounded like he was repeating a well-worn mantra.

‘And you peddle your predetermined lies to the masses?’

‘Truth is merely the opinion of the most powerful,’ Neal’s voice was rising in volume again, ‘it’s all just opinion, and ours is more informed. We know what’s for the best and we have the mechanisms to ensure it happens. The percentage of people who believe what they read in newspapers, see on their televisions or hear on the radio is staggering. We identify national and international objectives and, using our media network, ensure the public supports them. Once you’ve got most of the public’s support you can do virtually anything.’

‘So that’s why you killed Stebbings and Moffatt and even Don Silver, because they threatened to expose your lies?’

‘Iraq needs to be stopped, we need their oil. If this situation continues the price of crude could become untenable – even for you with your high-minded ideals. People are ready to believe Saddam is a clear and present danger…they just need a little push. We’ll give them one then we can legitimately go to war and resolve this little situation. An invasion is already planned and budgeted, and war is very good for our economies, boosting the arms industry and helping keep unemployment down. And when it happens, I’ll provide the best news coverage, because I’ll know what’s going to happen before it happens…bit like a pre-scripted film.’

‘And what about democracy? Isn’t that how people of the free world register their support for the actions of their leaders, through their votes?’

‘Fuck me, no,’ Neal threw his head back and laughed mockingly, as though Conrad were a simpleton, before continuing in a patronising tone, ‘democracy is far too precious and far too fragile to leave in the hands of elected amateurs. It takes knowledge, power and experience. That’s where The Initiative comes in. We have the right skills in abundance to ensure a country is run correctly. Politicians can tinker with policies at the margins and indulge their imagined grand designs, but underneath nothing much changes. It is a help to us that people, the electorate, believe the ideology of politicians, but if you look at the last thirty years, would life in the UK, for example, have been vastly different under a different ruling party at any given time? Not substantially. Devising and implementing long-term strategies is beyond party politics. That’s where we come in; guaranteeing public opinion is on our side through our control of the media. We can create fear or euphoria, belief or doubt, heroes or villains, whatever we need to succeed.’