The Tailor of Panama by John le Carré

Osnard,” said Pendel, passing the closed door of the Chinese jacket makers and deciding for no reason except panic to leave them undisturbed. “The putting it into effect, there I claim the credit.”
    But while Pendel was at pains to keep the movement going, Osnard evidently preferred a slower pace, for he had leaned a bulky arm against the wall, blocking Pendel’s progress.
    â€œHeard you dressed Noriega in his day. True?”
    Pendel hesitated, and his gaze slipped instinctively down the corridor towards the door to Marta’s kitchen.
    â€œWhat if I did?” he said. And for a moment his face stiffened with mistrust, and his voice became sullen and toneless. “What was I supposed to do? Put up the shutters? Go home?”
    â€œWhat did you make for him?”
    â€œThe General was never what I call a natural suit-wearer, Mr. Osnard. Uniforms, he could fritter away whole days pondering his variations. Boots and caps the same. But resist it how he would, there were times when he couldn’t escape a suit.”
    He turned, trying to will Osnard into continuing their progress down the corridor. But Osnard did not remove his arm.
    â€œWhat sort o’ times?”
    â€œWell, sir, there was the occasion when the General was invited to deliver a celebrated speech at Harvard University, you may remember, even if Harvard would prefer you didn’t. Quite a challenge he was. Very restless when it came to his fittings.”
    â€œWon’t be needing suits where he is now, I dare say, will he?”
    â€œIndeed not, Mr. Osnard. It’s all provided, I’m told. There was also the occasion when France awarded him its highest honour and appointed him a Légionnaire. ”
    â€œHell did they give him that for?”
    The lighting in the corridor was all overhead, making bullet holes of Osnard’s eyes.
    â€œA number of explanations come to mind, Mr. Osnard. The most favoured is that, for a cash consideration, the General permitted the French air force to use Panama as a staging point when they were causing their unpopular nuclear explosions in the South Pacific.”
    â€œWho says?”
    â€œThere was a lot of loose talk around the General sometimes. Not all his hangers-on were as discreet as he was.”
    â€œDress the hangers-on too?”
    â€œAnd still do, sir, still do,” Pendel replied, once more his cheerful self. “We did endure what you might call a slight low directlyafter the American invasion when some of the General’s higher officials felt obliged to take the air abroad for a time, but they soon came back. Nobody loses his reputation in Panama, not for long, and Panamanian gentlemen don’t care to spend their own money in exile. The tendency is more to recycle your politician rather than disgrace him. That way, nobody gets left out too long.”
    â€œWeren’t branded a collaborator or whatever?”
    â€œThere weren’t a lot left to point the finger, frankly, Mr. Osnard. I dressed the General a few times, it’s true. Most of my customers did slightly more than that, didn’t they?”
    â€œWhat about the protest strikes? Join in?”
    Another nervous glance towards the kitchen, where Marta was by now presumably back at her studies.
    â€œI’ll put it this way, Mr. Osnard. We closed the front of the shop. We didn’t always close the back.”
    â€œWise man.”
    Pendel grabbed the nearest door handle and shoved it. Two elderly Italian trouser makers in white aprons and gold-rimmed spectacles peered up from their labours. Osnard bestowed a royal wave on them and stepped back into the corridor. Pendel followed him.
    â€œDress the new chap too, don’t you?” Osnard asked carelessly.
    â€œYes, sir, I’m proud to say, the President of the Republic of Panama numbers today among our customers. And a more agreeable gentleman you couldn’t wish to meet.”
    â€œWhere d’you