| No. I – Coast to Coast
In
circumstances intended to surprise him, Roger Templeton ends up
astonishing his friends about the exact circumstances relating to his
birth and upbringing. A strained family relationship, which Roger has
been dissecting much like he would a diplomatic jigsaw puzzle, is
revealed along with his plans for trying to solve the problem. Roger is
troubled, too, and struggles to find his place in a situation where his
girlfriend is the sole provider. Roger finally packs his bags and heads
for Washington DC, soon to be followed by Niki, his girlfriend and the
daughter of a distinguished British diplomat.
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| No. II – Washington
Roger
canvasses the city, as he finds his way as a trade consultant
specializing in technology. He attends policy conferences, and meets
with important decision-makers, whom he tries to convince that they
ought to use his client for improvement of their efforts to fight
international crime and terrorism. Roger gets a firsthand impression of
the dark underbelly of the city, and the reader gets to familiarize
themselves with his preferences for clothing and television viewing
habits. We also do get an understanding of his view upon the world, the
future, and what he perceives to be his own place.
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| No. III – High Anxiety
Roger
has recurring nightmares about the Swedish prime minister having been
assassinated in Australia, awakens to find out that the nightmare was
real, speculates about the association between this incident and other
criminal activities at the international stage, then heads to Australia
where he has a strong and creeping sensation of being followed. He
reveals cynicism about the media’s impact upon significant world
events.
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| No. IV – European Diplomacy
Roger
first tries to get a feel for the separatist conflicts in Southern
Europe, then moves more successfully to become an observer at the
negotiations concerning attempts to find a lasting peace solution for
Northern Ireland. Some of the intricacies and finesses regarding how to
conduct difficult negotiations are explained, and such knowledge
becomes ever more important as Roger becomes an officially acknowledged
negotiator on behalf of the US government, supported by the British
government, and with the quiet acquiescense of the parties involved.
The diplomat feels isolation and despair caused by lack of progress,
and finally decides to consult with an external expert in an attempt to
overcome the stalemate.
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| No. V – Thoughtmaster's Perspective
The
philosopher and scientist whom Roger has decided to consult with
reveals a mixed background in the Spanish student movement, which
undertook violent rebellion against the Franco government, supported by
the academic environment where Thoughtmaster was an integral part. He
subsequently moved on to become a political leader, sheltered by a
complex system of cells, but his position was exposed and risky.
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| No. VI – Critical Mass
Roger
Templeton and his biographer, Joseph Saphier, an FBI agent, approach
Thoughtmaster in an attempt to come closer to a real understanding of
the root causes for international and homegrown terrorism. Joseph tries
to find conclusive answers to the question of whether terrorists may be
viewed as criminally insane. Thoughtmaster’s complex theories on
critical mass as the initiator of events is further explained.
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| No. VII – A Desolate Place
Mr.
and Mrs. Templeton move to a remote American village, where the FBI
agent is already residing, and Roger soon finds himself a somewhat
reluctant participant in a search directed against a local group of
militants having trouble with a religious cult living in the area.
Joseph, who is seeking to infiltrate the group, is having some
apprehensions of his own about the US criminal justice system and the
law-enforcement culture he is a part of.
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| No. VIII – The Search
Roger
remains discretely in the background while Joseph Saphier, working
under cover, organizes a major search/manhunt involving the regular
townspeople, the militants, and the religious folks. Unlike Templeton,
the FBI agent lacks the experience to walk the fine balance between
such different groups. He tries to keep an eye on everybody, pacify the
fanatics while mobilizing the indifferent, all the while knowing that
failure could lead to the much dreaded violent confrontation between
the militants and the religious cult.
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| No. IX – Barristers and Advocates
A British Barrister has accepted the East London Zoo as a client. That will be an easy job; or so he thinks, until he becomes stuck in a case involving animals’ rights, multiple litigants. What to Mr. Banchroft looks very much like a legal quagmire is to his American opponents a golden opportunity. The story forms the backdrop for the Advocate-General and the Court of Ethics to examine whether zoos are legally and morally defensible.
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| No. X – Animal Rights Opinion
Lawyers
for the Coalition Against Cruelty Towards Animals and the East London
Zoo present their case to the Advocate-General, who conducts an
item-by-item hearing with input from Quality-of-Regulation Institute.
Does CACTA even have the right to sue? Is it reasonable to send so many
lawyers? What constitutes appropriate treatment of animals, and are
they entitled to compensation? Should management be held personally
accountable?
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| No. XI – Animal Rights Findings
Inspired
by the Advocate-General’s Opinion, the Court of Ethics takes on some of
the delicate ethical issues associated with holding animals in confined
spaces.
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| No. XII – Intergalactic Diplomacy
A
futuristic scenario with space diplomats, a centralized and deeply
impersonal government, “tradable justice,” cloning, virtual trials, and
multimedia. These are just some of the novel features used to provide
new insight and provocative angles into what is, always has been, and
probably always well be Just & Fair.
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