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I’d been set up, that it was the Americans, not the Chinese, behind those three cyber attacks.’
    â€˜Yeah,’ Dunkley said. ‘Then I teamed up with your old mate Bruce Paxton to show that the man behind that little war was Sir Jack fucking Webster. I had proof he was the mastermind behind the Alliance, those conniving puppeteers working in the shadows of government. But did anyone believe me?’
    Toohey slowly shook his head, then surprised Dunkley by slamming the palm of his hand down on the armrest of the lounge.
    â€˜That was an attack on Australia, designed to mislead the elected government. My government.’ Toohey’s face turned scarlet. ‘It was the straw that broke my back. It was a coup.’
    â€˜Yep.’ Dunkley gave a mock salute. ‘Australia’s Allende, come on down. At least they didn’t shoot you. That fucker damn near killed me.’
    Toohey stood up and paced about the room.
    â€˜Harry, I’ve thought about that conversation every day since I lost office. I didn’t believe you then, but I believe you now.’
    â€˜Excellent. You can put it in your memoirs. I can even give you the title. Webster’s code name for the deception was “the Lusitania Plan”. You’d appreciate the historical allusion to the Churchill conspiracy: let one of your own ships sink to suck America into World War I.’
    Toohey turned to Dunkley, his voice now soft and pleading.
    â€˜I can’t do this alone.’
    â€˜Do what?’
    â€˜Jack Webster.’
    â€˜What about him?’
    â€˜We can’t let this stand. It’s not just about me or you. It’s about the country. It’s about democracy. We have to expose this guy.’
    A shudder swept through Dunkley.
    â€˜Are you insane? Haven’t you been paying attention? I tried. Paxton tried. We had tapes that had him bang to rights. We published them online. He shut them down inside a day and sued. He released intelligence analysis claiming we fabricated the evidence.’
    Dunkley’s heart was racing as he relived the agony of his fall.
    â€˜What was left of my reputation was shredded. Webster took every last cent and there weren’t many to begin with. Paxton was drummed out of parliament and they won’t even give him a pension.’
    Toohey sat back down on the lounge, poised on its edge, eyeing Dunkley earnestly.
    â€˜You know what’s hammered into you when you join a union? There’s strength in numbers. It’s never been more relevant. I need you to help me get this guy.’
    Dunkley shook his head.
    â€˜Webster’s been knighted by Scott, and he’s adored by the public. He’s the nearest thing we have to royalty. Webster is untouchable.’
    â€˜No one’s untouchable.’
    Dunkley snorted. ‘Oh yeah? Didn’t you learn anything from what happened? You were mortally wounded by Webster. Thenyour Labor mates followed the blood trail, hunted you down and put that freak show Catriona Bailey in your place. Get it through your head, Martin. The bad guys won.’
    â€˜Harry, I have to believe that good can triumph. Otherwise what is there to live for?’
    â€˜Maybe it’s just about surviving. You seem to be doing all right with your plush car and rolled-gold pension.’
    Toohey stood again, clearly agitated.
    â€˜I got into politics to make a difference. God knows, amid all the shit, I tried. If I got turfed for my sins, fair cop, that’s democracy. The caucus and the people give you the job, they can take it away.’
    He turned to Dunkley, his face alight.
    â€˜But in Australia the generals don’t get to do that. Here the military obeys civilian orders. That’s what makes us different from South America and Africa, even Fiji, for God’s sake. Webster can’t be allowed to get away with an attack on my government. We have to stop him. I thought you wanted to make a difference