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pulled off the sweatshirt she was wearing and sat down facing the mirror.
    “You are here to take a polygraph examination. Have you ever had a polygraph before?”
    “Yes, once, in the military.”
    “This will be different from that experience,” the man said. “Much more sensitive. We’re going to wire you up now, so just relax and take a few deep breaths.”
    The man and the woman began attaching devices to her body: a strap around her chest, probes like those used in an EKG to various parts of her torso, clamps on her fingers and something glued to her throat. Both of them sat down behind her.
    “All right, we’re ready,” the man said. “It is very important to your career with the Agency that you not lie on any question, unless instructed to. Periodically, throughout your career, you will undergo polygraph testing as a security measure, but this is the most important one you will take. Is that clear?”
    “Yes.”
    “I’m going to ask you some questions, which will be easy to answer truthfully.”
    “All right.”
    “Don’t speak, except to answer yes or no.”
    Holly sat quietly, breathing slowly and evenly.
    “Are you sixty-four years old?”
    “No.”
    “Are you a male human being?”
    “No.” She was breathing rhythmically and answering on her exhales.
    “Have you ever served in the military?”
    “Yes.”
    “Do you know how to drive a car?”
    “Yes.”
    “Do you own a pet?”
    “Yes.”
    “All right, now I’m going to ask you some questions, and I want you to lie on each one. This is to help establish a baseline. Do you understand?”
    “Yes.”
    “Is your mother living?”
    “Yes.”
    “Is your father living?”
    “No.”
    “Did you have sex with a man last night?”
    “Yes.”
    “Did you have sex with a woman last night?”
    Holly tried not to laugh. “Yes.”
    “Did you eat steak for lunch today?”
    “Yes.”
    “Did you lie on all these questions?”
    “No.”
    “Very good. Now we will begin. Answer yes or no, and always tell the truth. Some of the questions will be personal, but you must answer them. ”Is your name Holly Barker?“
    “Yes.”
    “Is your father’s name Hamilton Barker?”
    “Yes.”
    “Is he retired from the military?”
    “Yes.”
    “Are you retired from the military?”
    “Yes.”
    “When you were in the military, did you ever steal anything?”
    Holly paused.
    “Yes.”
    “Did you ever steal anything worth more than one thousand dollars?”
    “No.”
    “Do you know how to drive a car?”
    “Yes.”
    “Have you ever fired a weapon?”
    “Yes.”
    “Have you ever had sex with a woman?”
    “No.”
    “Have you ever stolen money entrusted to your care?”
    It hadn’t been entrusted to her care and, she told herself, it wasn’t stealing. “No.”
    “Have you ever committed murder?”
    “No.”
    “Have you ever killed anybody.”
    “Yes.”
    “Was the killing in the line of duty?”
    “Yes.”
    The questioning continued for more than an hour, and Holly became very relaxed, answering the questions easily, hardly thinking about them.
    “In the questionnaire you answered about your background, did you lie about anything?”
    “No,” she said easily.
    “Anything at all?”
    “No.”
    “When you were younger than twelve years, were you ever sexually molested by anyone, male or female?”
    “No.”
    “As an adult, were you ever sexually molested?”
    “Yes.” It had eventually caused her to leave the army.
    “Were you molested by a superior officer?”
    They had read her military record. “Yes.”
    “Did you testify at his court-martial?”
    “Yes.”
    “During your testimony, did you ever lie?”
    “No.”
    “During the accused’s testimony, did he ever lie?”
    “Yes.”
    “Did another female officer testify against him?”
    “Yes.”
    “Did she, during her testimony, ever lie?”
    “No.”
    “Was your superior officer convicted?”
    “No.”
    “Did you feel that justice had been