But how did I expect to track him down? the more logical portion of my brain demanded. Assuming X was a part of Yamatetsu-still an assumption, even though a very fragging good one-where was he or she in the hierarchy? Or, to ask the same question another way, where did the sweetheart deal with Sutcliffe originate? Veep level, meaning that the whole Seattle structure would be backing his actions? Or-at the other end of the scale- an ambitious product manager willing to do anything to advance his career? Maybe it was wishful thinking, but I tended to favor the lower end of the scale. If someone at veep level, or even Barnard himself, had ordered it, there wouldn't have been any frag-ups, and I wouldn't be around to worry about it.