Chapters 30-32 Summary and Analysis

By September of 1986, Gust Avrakotos, at the behest of his new boss, also his old enemy, works for the African division. The deciding event stems from Avrakotos verbal lack of support for the Iran-Contra incident. He goes on record against the agency's actions, and, later, proves to be right. Even though he feels banished from his rightful place, he acknowledges that he acted nobly, and made decisions he can live with. Avrakotos takes the move uncharacteristically quietly, as his bride-to-be and son now work for the agency; he fears retribution could extend to them.

The greatest injustices, though, are that, unlike Howard Hart, Avrakotos leaves the division without an official award. At his obligatory going away party, he only gets an honor from the agency's African-American employees. He is, however, the first white man to receive it. In addition...