John Daniel

Thanks to Megan Whelan and thanks also to Susan Baldacci.

Thanks also to CNN, TVNZ, BBC, the ABC, Universal and Paramount.

To read more about the documents and articles we've mentioned, you can go to rnz.co.nz forward slash the agency and you can see the links in the show notes.

Previously on the agency.

So his handler has given him the opportunity to press pause and take a step back.

Now, Kit Bennett, who's doing some pretty high-pressure risk assessment on his own here, has made the decision not to tell the SIS, who are, strictly speaking, still his employer, because he's worried they might be a bit strict on the health and safety guidelines around this operation.

So he's going to be economical in what he discloses to his bosses back in New Zealand.

And I'm John Daniel.

This is Episode 4, Arranging the Truth.

And for that lie to work, it's going to need to look like the truth.

Yet whenever we tell a story, even to ourselves, we make choices about how we use information.

If you're a spy working in the knowledge, you might get knocked off at any moment.

You might tell yourself CIA has your back, even when you know that can't be true.

The language we use, the details we put in, the ones we leave out and how we frame them all up make a difference to how the story we're telling is perceived by the person listening to it.

But the Soviet Union straightaway, the Soviet Union embassy straightaway became the Russian embassy, didn't it?

So at that point, Ruben Azizian became the Russian ambassador.

And it's in that capacity as a former ambassador for both countries that we spoke with him in our previous series, The Service.

Don't worry.

Go on, Will.

Number two, though, Jack, that's very creditable.