“Aren’t you funny?” he said.

“I didn’t think I was being funny.”

“What do you know about that?”

“Nothing.”

“When were you in New Orleans?”

I hesitated.

“Start lying to me,” he said, “and I’ll bust your damn agenda. You won’t get a bit of co-operation as long as you live.”

“I just got back from there.”

“I thought so.”

“Why, what’s wrong?”