"Then I had an inspiration.  Douglas already lived behind such barricades, already had such a staff.  Since I was forced to surrender the power of that money to Douglas merely to ensure Mike's continued health and freedom, why not make the beggar pay for it by assuming all the headaches, too?  I was not afraid that Douglas would steal from Mike; only pipsqueak, second-rate politicians are money hungry - and Douglas, whatever his faults, is no pipsqueak.  Quit scowling, Ben, and hope that he never dumps the load on you.