1. Waterboer Mines Limited financed civil wars and dangerous fringe political groups, corrupted governments, assassinated opponents, and destroyed competition with its monopoly of the diamond trade. Yet Waterboer’s trademark is “diamonds are beauty,” with which Carlton, Erika, and MacLean ultimately agree. How can diamonds be and remain beautiful when they are the source of so much death, pain, corruption, and destruction?
2. Carlton, Erika, Cardinal Benedetti, and Don Forza seek to destroy Waterboer by deflating the price of diamonds to their true fair market value, a few dollars per carat. Does the massive decrease in the price of diamonds similarly decrease their beauty?
3. On one hand, Carlton is threatened with the loss of his career and of his and Erika’s lives. On the other hand, he is offered safety and a fortune in diamonds in exchange for his silence. Yet Carlton is resolute in exposing Scott Fress and destroying Waterboer. Is this realistic or does everyone have a price? Is that price always economic? Does it make a difference that Carlton is a Justice Department lawyer and a Navy Reserve officer? Would you have persisted in Carlton’s situation? At what point would you have turned away, if at all?
4. At first, Pink refuses to believe Carlton’s allegations against Scott Fress and Waterboer, despite Carlton’s credibility as a federal prosecutor and a military officer. Once Pink believes Carlton, Carlton begins to distrust Pink, despite his credibility as an intelligence analyst. What accounts for this distrust? Is this distrust personal between Carlton and Pink or institutional between DOJ and CIA? Is such distrust productive or counterproductive?
5. Despite being trained to follow the chain of command and established decision making channels, once Carlton discovers the truth about Waterboer’s corruption of a high-level U.S. government official, he steps outside official channels and recruits a disparate group of individuals to fight Waterboer. Is such behavior by civil servants desirable and if so, under what circumstances?
6. The Church plays an essential role in the fight against Waterboer Mines Limited. Yet it was the Church’s past misdeeds, through Altiplano’s Order, that allowed it to play such a role. Does the Church’s misdeeds nullify the good it does by fighting Waterboer? Does the Church’s fight against Waterboer justify the illegal breach of a sealed police area and its removal of diamonds?
7. Waterboer’s monopoly artificially inflates the price of diamonds, yet people remain willing to purchase diamonds at their inflated price. Should Waterboer’s monopoly constitute a crime if people are willing to pay an inflated price for unessential goods such as diamonds, as opposed to essential goods such as food and shelter?
8. Does a woman’s expectation of a diamond engagement ring from her potential spouse in today’s Western society make diamonds an essential commodity instead of an unessential luxury?
9. The Waterboer diamond monopoly and its advertising creates value in, and justifies high prices for, an item that otherwise would have little or no inherent value. Does this justify such a monopoly? How is Waterboer’s monopoly similar to or different from Standard Oil’s monopoly of oil production and distribution in the late 19th and early 20th centuries?
10. As a man, what would you offer your fiancée as a symbol of your engagement instead of a diamond? As a woman, what would you be satisfied to receive from your fiancé as a symbol of your engagement other than a diamond? Would it make it a difference if diamonds were closer to their fair market value of a few dollars a carat or if they were illegal?
11. Once Carlton discovers the danger that his fight against Waterboer theoretically might pose to Erika, he attempts to prohibit her further involvement. However, when Carlton is actually threatened with her death and is offered the alternative of safety and a fortune in diamonds, he rejects the offer without Erika’s consent and continues opposing Waterboer. What accounts for this seeming contradiction? Is his rejection of Waterboer’s offer without Erika’s consent appropriate?
12. At first, Carlton is reticent to pursue his romantic interest in Erika, both to avoid any semblance of impropriety toward a subordinate employee and because he does not believe that she harbors similar feelings for him. Although Erika has not yet professed her feelings for Carlton, he changes his course of conduct toward her. Why? What role do Erika’s feelings for Carlton play in her continued involvement against Waterboer?
13. Carlton knows that a Congressionally-appointed special prosecutor is the correct legal mechanism to bring Scott Fress to justice under the circumstances. Instead of following the appropriate legal procedure, despite Forbes’ and Justice Kemsfield’s counsel, Carlton takes it upon himself to obtain an arrest warrant of questionable validity. Why does Carlton follow this path and risk the validity of Fress’s arrest, when Fress no longer has any power to save or aid Waterboer?
14. How has the battle against Waterboer changed Carlton as an individual? Pink? Erika? MacLean? Would it make a difference if Waterboer had survived?
15. The American people are often outraged when members of the U.S. government fight America’s enemies through illegal covert activities, such as certain activities performed in the Iran-Contra affair. Would the American people react the same way if they discovered that Carlton, Erika, Forbes and Pink fought against South African white supremacist rebels, Russian nationalists, and a criminal Sicilian godfather by way of an illegal break-in of the Banco Napolitana Lucchese and the theft of a scandalously obtained Vatican diamond stockpile, both of which were facilitated by a former mafia don? Why?
16. Although President Douglas is an honest man, innocent of wrongdoing in Diamondgate, his chief of staff Scott Fress is corrupt and, in the eyes of most Americans, a traitor. Will Fress’s misdeeds forever taint Douglas’s administration or will Douglas’s candor and his administration’s exposure of his chief of staff’s corruption and its destruction of Waterboer redeem his administration and serve as a model to emulate?
17. President Douglas, Forbes, Pink, and Erika recognize Russia’s legitimate ownership of the Russian diamond stockpile and work with the Russian government through SVR/FSB chief Yagoda, his Spetsnaz team, and his interrogators. However, the USS Seawolf was illegally in Russian territorial waters and Forbes obtained information about Pyashinev’s case through a spy in Russian military intelligence. Is it inappropriate for countries who cooperate to spy on each other or does the practice promote understanding and international stability? What about the U.S. government spying on foreign businesses such as CIA agent Nick Lassiter spying on Waterboer?
18. Some of Fress’s operatives, such as Jones, knew that they were involved in illegal activities when they were tracking down Carlton. Others, such as Lin, likely thought that they were acting legally, in the best interest of the United States, on behalf of the president or the top levels of his administration, and that Carlton was an unstable rogue or potential terrorist. Given the present terrorist threats against the U.S. and her allies, how can the government ensure a steady flow of information, constant vigilance, and preemptive covert counter terrorist operations while making certain that government agents follow only orders issued through the proper chain of command?
19. MacLean, his father Don Innocenti, Don Forza, and Don Arcangelo all have some relationship to the Cosa Nostra. How do they and their interests differ from the Russian mafia godfathers and from one another?
20. Bishop Azimbe argued that the Church may only lead by action and example, rather than by mere preaching. He also argued that to lead by example, the Church must to do more than charity work, such as helping the poor, hungry, homeless, sick, and elderly, which the world already assumes that the Church will do. Yet charity work is an excellent example to set for others to follow, regardless of religion. Other than charity work, what can religions do to lead by setting an example for others?
PATRICK CARLTON - DOJ PROSECUTOR, NAVY OFFICER, HERO
Straight arrow thirty five year old Department of Justice antitrust prosecutor and U.S. Navy Reserve lieutenant. Black crew cut hair, blue eyes, angular jaw. Average height and build. Born in El Centro, California of modest farming parents. Bachelor’s degree in political science from UCLA, law degree from George Washington University. Pilots Navy PT boat on Chesapeake Bay one weekend a month. Friendly and sociable, yet shy in certain situations. Intensely serious with highly developed sense of right and wrong. Dislikes exercise and weak handshakes. Patriotic. Strong opinions on issues, but detests politics. Humble, but always sincerely believes he is right. Roman Catholic. Motivated by meaning in life and having an impact on situations. Honest to a fault and will take risks if the occasion has deep significance or is a matter of principle. Single but hopeful. Lives in a one bedroom apartment in Westover, Northern Virginia. Aficionado of cigars, old cars, black and white film noir movies, and Big Band and Frank Sinatra music. Avid reader. Wears black Nocona cowboy boots that sometimes earn him the nickname “Tex,” Brooks Brothers navy blue suits, and white shirts. Prized possession: a white 1958 Cadillac Biarritz Eldorado convertible nicknamed “the Shark.” Favorite cigar: Padron maduro 3000. Favorite drink: Bombay Sapphire and tonic, with a lot of ice and limes.
MAXIMILLIAN "MAX" MACLEAN - BILLIONAIRE SON OF MAFIA DON GONE GOOD
Forty five year old billionaire founder of global food products company, including restaurants, cafes, frozen foods, cooking schools, maritime food shipping, television food channels, health spas, and Atlantic City hotel and casino. Son of reformed mafia don Giancarlo Innocenti. Renounced all Cosa Nostra involvement at an early age, but maintains all channels of communication open. Educated at Eton and Oxford. ROTC training. Roman Catholic. Moderately tall, of average build, svelte, with dark brown hair worn combed back, and green eyes. Some believe he resembles Cary Grant in physical appearance and accent. Obsessed with beauty. Fascinated by design, fashion, art, music, and gastronomy. Always dressed to the nines. Favors Acqua di Parma cologne and Gucci shoes. Married to Claire des Eaux, a thirty year old marine biologist from an aristocratic French family. Sociable and generous. Donates large sums to charitable causes. Lives in concrete, brushed aluminum and sandblasted glass postmodern compound known as Castel MacLean in Beverly Hills. Maintains other residences throughout the world. Kind and generous, intensely protective of friends and family. Highly developed sense of honor elicits vicious response when he is lied to or double-crossed. Owns a variety of automobiles, ships, and aircraft, but is most often chauffeured in a British Racing Green Bentley Arnage sedan and piloted in a Gulfstream V jet named the “Patria.”
ERIKA WASSENAAR, ESQ. - ROOKIE DOJ LAWYER AND ROMANTIC FLAME
Twenty five year old Department of Justice rookie lawyer in Washington, assigned to the antitrust division litigation section. Petite with red hair worn long, green eyes, mischievous smile, and graceful legs. Men find her attractive, yet are often intimidated by her professional self-confidence. Parents of Dutch origin. Non-practicing Lutheran. Exercises daily. Dresses conservatively but wears a belly button ring. Bachelor’s degree in political science from UCLA. Law degree from Pepperdine University. Loyal and eager to make her mark. Not afraid to take on big projects. Single. Longs for a meaningful romantic relationship with a strong man unafraid to be her equal yet who will lead by example. Has no patience for male chauvinism. Favors Paco Rabanne Calandre perfume.
THOMAS "TOM" PINK - CIA ANALYST WITH JAMES BOND DREAMS
Thirty six year old CIA analyst in the Directorate of Intelligence, Russian Section. Resident expert in Russian diamond industry. Southern Baptist African American. Workaholic. Single. Bachelor’s degree in international relations from Georgetown University and law degree from George Washington University. Entered CIA too late to be involved in cold war operations he had dreamed of in college. Would like to join the Directorate of Operations. Conservative dresser. Analytical and cautious. James Bond aficionado. Gets along with everyone but rarely socializes due to long hours at work.
THE HON. RANDALL "MALCOLM" FORBES - CIA INTEL DIRECTOR
Sixty three year old Deputy Director of Central Intelligence Agency. Tenth generation descendant of wealthy patrician Connecticut family. Episcopalian. Never married. Graduate of Yale University with degrees in philosophy and law. Member of Skull and Bones Society. Permanently confined to a wheelchair after paralyzing injury to both legs during infantry service in Korean conflict. Transferred to military intelligence. Two-time recipient of Purple Heart for bravery under fire. Practiced law in Boston after Korean conflict. Appointed United States ambassador to South Africa, where he developed interest in diamonds and was opposed to apartheid. Served two terms in U.S. House of Representatives representing home district in Connecticut. Appointed Deputy Director of Military Intelligence, then returned to former law firm in capacity of counsel. Appointed Deputy Director of CIA. Secretly awarded Congressional Medal of Honor for neutralizing terrorist activities in American and foreign urban centers on January 1, 2000. Relishes his job. Nicknamed “Malcolm” due to his independent wealth in reference to Malcolm Forbes. Hard driving and demanding. Lean with thin silver hair and gunmetal gray eyes. Dresses conservatively in Savile Row bespoke suits. Wears Hermes ties and gold framed glasses. Smokes a pipe and favors cherry-scented tobacco. Loyal to United States’ interests rather than to administration officials or other people.
CARDINAL GIOVANNI BENEDETTI - DIRECTOR OF THE VATICAN BANK
Seventyish prince of the Church in the title of Saint Matthew. Director of the Institute for Works of Religion, commonly known as the Vatican Bank. Portly, with a pronounced aquiline nose, closely cropped gray-white hair, and warm, brown eyes. Began career as a parish priest in Tuscany after World War II, then promoted to secretary of local bishop. Degrees in accounting and theology. Promoted up the Vatican financial hierarchy. Intense fear and dislike of Church scandals. Generally conservative but open minded and flexible. Stable position in Vatican curia due to merit rather than political support. Humble and more concerned with financial health of the Church than with political power and Vatican intrigue. No aspiration to papacy. Longs to return to Tuscany as a parish priest. Acquaintance of DDI Randall Forbes. Chauffeured in black Vatican Mercedes sedan.
HENRI MONET - FRANCO-AMERICAN COMPUTER WIZARD
Thirty one year old Department of Justice master computer researcher with office in DOJ basement. First generation French American. American patriot and French cultural chauvinist. Educated in France. Single. Highly eccentric personality. Chain smoker of Gauloises cigarettes. Takes long lunches and extended vacations. Speaks broken English with heavy French accent. Idolizes Carlton.
DANIEL WENZEL, ESQ. - HONEST AND LOYAL CORPORATE LAWYER
Forty two year old name partner of Shaughnessy, McGuire & Wenzel LLP law firm in Century City, California. Curly black hair, black eyes, and slightly overweight. Principal counselor to and friend of Maximillian MacLean. Jewish. Married. Graduate of Harvard Law School. Honest to a fault, ethical, and intensely loyal. Workaholic. Aficionado of espressos made with vintage Italian hand-operated presses. Chain smoker of John Player Special cigarettes. Wears oval wire-rimmed glasses and suspenders.
SCOTT FRESS - CORRUPT WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF
Late fortyish White House Chief of Staff to U.S. President John Douglass. Background uncertain, except for banking and deep ties to Arkansas. Owns Little Rock Savings & Loan. Ruthless and consummate politician. Workaholic. Impatient. Unmarried. Secretly helped both presidential candidates to ensure his own political office after election, regardless of who won. Is relied upon heavily by the big-picture president to take care of details. Controls the president’s agenda and flow of information. Selected a majority of the president’s middle and lower political appointees, who are loyal to Fress and take their direction from him. Loyal to political power rather than to a political party or elected official. Seeks political power not for influence or prestige, but to accumulate wealth. Addicted to amphetamines and caffeine. Favors driving navy blue Rolls Royce Silver Spur instead of using chauffeured White House limousine.
YEVGENI VILINOVSKY aka "MOLOTOK" - RUSSIAN FASCIST LEADER WITH BIG PLANS
Leader of Russian militant nationalist party Russkost (“Russianness”). Age unknown. Birthplace unknown. Marital status unknown. Imposing physical presence. Tall, muscular, with black eyes, long black hair, thick mustache, and red-veined nose. Lives in dacha in remote area of Siberia. Pledges to rid Holy Mother Russia of its enemies, foreign and domestic. Ardent xenophobe. More politically intuitive and manipulative than intellectually astute. Assiduously cultivates his cult of personality by impromptu speeches, dressing in coarse peasant clothes, and referring himself as “Molotok” (the Hammer). Chauffeured in drab, aging Moskvitch Soviet-era sedan. Political master of Volki nationalist soldiers.
COLONEL GRIGORIY ULIANOV - RUSSIAN MERCENARY WITH AN AGENDA
Fortyish hard driving founder and leader of the Volki (“Wolves”), the military arm of the Russkost nationalist political party, composed mostly of former Spetsnaz elite special forces soldiers. Former Spetsnaz colonel. Blond with blue eyes, physically fit and athletic, and highly trained in multiple forms of combat and small strike force strategies. Marital status unknown. Unceremoniously placed on indefinite leave after dissolution of Soviet Union. Humiliated by and acrimonious about Russia’s loss of empire. Communist party member since early age of membership, member of childhood Octobrists and local Komsomol. Uninterested by financial wealth. Ardent supporter of Russian power and glory than ideological partisan politics. Developed Volki from a small organization involved in theft of armaments and ordnance, then of more dangerous items from Russian military and resale to highest bidder, mostly Middle Eastern terrorist nations of Iraq, Libya, and Iran. Fiercely loyal disciple of Molotok.
PIET SLYTHE - MEGALOMANIACAL DIAMOND LORD
Fifty five year old scion of South African Slythe family, which usurped the power of Nicholas Waterboer, founder of the Waterboer Mines Limited international diamond monopoly. Educated in England at Harrow and in geology at Oxford. Assumed reins of Waterboer cartel at an early age after father’s death. Lives in posh Brenthurst district of Johannesburg, South Africa. Married. Handsome, brilliantly intelligent control freak. Photographic memory. Quickly bored. Chauffeured in armored silver Jaguar KJ16L Sovereign sedan. Paranoia induced by addiction to cocaine. Sadist. Churchgoer in local Church of England parish and active donor to charities. Maintains highly-visible public and charitable persona. Obsessed with maintenance of Waterboer international diamond monopoly, which he sincerely believes is his near-religious destiny to control.
COLONEL NIKOLAI KOVANETZ - GREEDY RUSSIAN MILITARY INTEL OFFICER
Fortyish liaison to Russian President Vasily Illych Orlov from Russian Military Intelligence (GRU). Head of investigation in death of Leonid Pyashinev, the late director of the Russian state diamond agency Komdragmet. Humorless and hard working. Politically shrewd. Corrupt. Wants greater power. Knows how to play institutions against one another. Disciplined, with military bearing, wiry frame, angular features and green eyes.
