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"It's too big a task." So, he now saw it as a task, but just one that was too insurmountable.

"We start small," crackled the telephone. It was the first time in many minutes that Johnny Brigg's wife had spoken, and I'd almost thought she'd walked off. "We can start small, Johnny. Just your men doing trade with a few of the Third Battalion. Build up trust first."

"But-"

"Would you like to join us, Mrs. Briggs?" I asked, interrupting her husband. Since Sky had given me all of its controls, I knew that the commander's wife was really just sitting in one of the armoured cars with the rest of the convoy. All this about satellite phones was just an attempt to make themselves seem powerful when really, they had nothing. And maybe that was half the problem.