Agent Alpha is sitting in his office aboard a yacht with Agent Gamma, Aka Ao from Kyoto, Japan, and Agent Zeta, Edward Kestler from Christchurch, New Zealand. Ao is a raccoon, Kestler is a...you figure that one out.

Alpha: Three men were found dead on the Transcontinental train to Medicine Hat. One of them was Nietzche. What have you got to say about that, Agent Zeta?
Kestler: (NZ accent) It was Ao's choice. His people failed.
Aka Ao: (Japanese accent) It was your plan, they followed it implicitly.
Kestler: Impossible. It was perfect.
Aka Ao: Except for one thing, they were dealing with Juan el Ratón.
Kestler: Who is Juan compared with Kestler?
Alpha: Exactly. (Zoon enters) Juan is still alive and the decoder is not yet in our possession. I've negotiated with the Japanese Communist Party for its return; we've agreed on a price. And INERT always delivers what it promises. Our entire organization survives upon the keeping of those promises... (to Ao as Zoon gets out a serum-infused blade) I warned you: We do NOT tolerate failure, Agent Gamma. You know the penalty.
Aka Ao: (numbly) Yes, Agent Alpha.
Alpha: Our rules are very simple: if you fail... 

Zoon hits Kestler with the blade; he slowly collapses to the floor and regresses to an egg.

Alpha: Twelve seconds. One of these days we must invent a faster-working serum. 

Zoon takes away the egg that used to be Kestler.

Alpha: Agent Gamma!
Aka Ao: Yes, sir?
Alpha: I do not wish to have to tell the JCP that there will be another delay.
Aka Ao: There will be no delay, Agent Alpha. There's still time.