Similar to John le Carré, Forsyth's novels often depict a schism within the British espionage community (and within the British government as a whole), between those officers who favour a conciliatory, subservient relationship with the better resourced American C.I.A., and those who favour a more independent approach. Sam McCready definitely falls into the latter camp. Much like MI-5's Brian Harcourt-Smith in The Fourth Protocol, the S.I.S. bureaucrat who wants a very effective but older operative like McCready sent out to pasture for biased, stupid reasons plans to make himself important and accomplish great things when he becomes the leader; and just as Harcourt-Smith's subpar performance leads to him being passed over as leader, it is revealed that the S.I.S. hotshot will NOT get his prized position ever, when an experienced S.I.S. official who supports McCready makes it clear he won't support him because he doesn't approve of the selfish reasons presented for retiring McCready.