Tanner. One can hear all the extremist nonsense one wishes these days. One can read yards of that lunacy in the separatist press. I have heard all these arguments and know them to be fundamentally absurd. It is even difficult for me to believe that native French Canadians can swallow such a tissue of lies, but apparently a tiny percentage of them can and does. Every society has its lunatic fringe.” He shook his head, deploring the existence of lunatics and fringes. “But you are neither French nor Canadian. I repeat – what is your interest? Why do you intrude in affairs that concern you not at all?”

“I sympathize with the cause.”

“A cause that is not your own?”

It was pointless to argue with him. One either identifies with little ragged bands of political extremists or considers them to be madmen; one either embraces lost causes or deplores them. I could have told this odious man that I was also a member of the League for the Restoration of Cilician Armenia, the Pan-Hellenic Friendship Society, the Irish Republican Brotherhood, the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization, the Flat Earth Society – I could have gone on at great length, but why alienate him any further? It would have been a lost cause, and I was already committed to enough of those.

“Why have you come to Montreal, Mr. Tanner?”

“To see Expo.”

“Of course you do not expect me to believe that.”

“I guess not.”

“Would you care to tell me the truth?”

“I already have, but you’re right, I don’t expect you to believe it.”

He pushed his chair back and got to his feet. He turned away from us and walked to the far wall, his hands clasped behind his back. I looked at Minna. She did not look at all happy.

“Mr. Tanner.”

“Yes?”

“You plan demonstrations in Montreal? Another outburst of terrorism?”

“I planned to see the fair. That’s all.”

“The Queen is honoring us with a visit, you know. Is your own visit somehow connected with hers?”