The provided text consists of excerpts from the fictional novel "Instruments Of Darkness" by Robert Wilson, including the title page and copyright information, establishing it as a work of fiction published in 1995. The narrative follows Bruce Medway, an expatriate living in West Africa who works as a "fixer" and debt collector in the warm, damp climate of the region. The plot centers on Medway's investigation into the disappearance and subsequent death of a man named Steven Kershaw, leading him through a complex network of drug trafficking, money laundering (specifically concerning rice smuggling), infidelity, and sadomasochistic murder, with the involvement of various colorful characters like the police detective Bagado, the American Charlie, Medway's lover Heike, and the seemingly benevolent businessman B.B. The excerpts illustrate the corrupt and often violent environment of the African setting as Medway attempts to uncover the truth about Kershaw and the murder of Françoise Perec, navigating political instability and deceit among his clients and associates.

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.