Promulgation
Sep. 8th, 2019 10:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
hennessysTitle: Promulgation
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Miranda discusses methodology with a colleague.
Warnings: Miranda imagines several ways to kill Harry, including strangulation, fire, and stabbing.
Notes: I really like this AU.
AU: CIA
"It's very easy," Harry was saying, as Miranda imagined strangling him with his own tie. "We tell them what we want them to think, and they do."
"You are quite seriously underestimating the average person's intelligence," she told him, "and apart from that you're underestimating their cynicism. What would you think if the NSA told you it was a simple misunderstanding?"
"That's the NSA," he said, rather smugly, and leaned his elbows on the broad, polished table between them. "We're different."
Maybe she could stab him instead, but a bloody wound would be obvious. Unfortunately so would ligature marks. Perhaps a staged accident? "We are not different," she said, sharply. "In fact in some ways we are rather worse at the same game. You cannot just tell people things, you have to... lead them to conclusions."
Harry looked down his long (patrician, he would say) nose at her. "And how, pray tell, would you do that?"
"Initially," she said, "deny it. The cover story, I mean. Deny it completely. Deny specifics. Tell people what isn't true, and they will immediately suspect that it is."
He leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers. "In other words, we tell them what to think."
Miranda repressed a sigh. "No," she said. "We tell them what they're not to think. You'll find it's very different."
"Assuming it is," he said, "what then?"
She shrugged. "Leak occasional corroborating details. Let them think they've discovered it on their own. It's much more efficient."
Harry looked at her for a long moment, then quirked a patronizing smile. "I'll tell you what. We'll try it your way first, hmm?"
And when it fails, we'll do it mine. He didn't say it so very clearly.
"Good," Miranda said, and gave him a tight little smile.
Fire. His messy demise would definitely involve fire.
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Miranda discusses methodology with a colleague.
Warnings: Miranda imagines several ways to kill Harry, including strangulation, fire, and stabbing.
Notes: I really like this AU.
AU: CIA
"It's very easy," Harry was saying, as Miranda imagined strangling him with his own tie. "We tell them what we want them to think, and they do."
"You are quite seriously underestimating the average person's intelligence," she told him, "and apart from that you're underestimating their cynicism. What would you think if the NSA told you it was a simple misunderstanding?"
"That's the NSA," he said, rather smugly, and leaned his elbows on the broad, polished table between them. "We're different."
Maybe she could stab him instead, but a bloody wound would be obvious. Unfortunately so would ligature marks. Perhaps a staged accident? "We are not different," she said, sharply. "In fact in some ways we are rather worse at the same game. You cannot just tell people things, you have to... lead them to conclusions."
Harry looked down his long (patrician, he would say) nose at her. "And how, pray tell, would you do that?"
"Initially," she said, "deny it. The cover story, I mean. Deny it completely. Deny specifics. Tell people what isn't true, and they will immediately suspect that it is."
He leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers. "In other words, we tell them what to think."
Miranda repressed a sigh. "No," she said. "We tell them what they're not to think. You'll find it's very different."
"Assuming it is," he said, "what then?"
She shrugged. "Leak occasional corroborating details. Let them think they've discovered it on their own. It's much more efficient."
Harry looked at her for a long moment, then quirked a patronizing smile. "I'll tell you what. We'll try it your way first, hmm?"
And when it fails, we'll do it mine. He didn't say it so very clearly.
"Good," Miranda said, and gave him a tight little smile.
Fire. His messy demise would definitely involve fire.
