It was low and slow at this time of year, all the fish up the creek, all the meltoff out in the Gulf, but it was still beautiful.

And finally, I thank my friend and boss Tom Shroder, the editor at the Post who has refereed the Gene-Gina wars from the start. Tom is belligerent, arrogant, insufferably intolerant of all views not his own, and in general a sockdologizing old poop who is of no value whatsoever except for being the best humor editor alive.

I never told anyone about it. You're the first, except Ivan, of course—Ivan knows everything. He knew about it long before you. But Ivan's a tomb.

Burns was a real hummer inside the Bureau, a bigtime cage rattler.