Ben and Nikolas know that if they were to compare recollections of their life together, they'd remember things very differently. Ben never asks about their time together in the Department, because he doesn't want to hear Nikolas lie. Nikolas never talks about those early years, because he can't afford for Ben to know the truth. After all, some old secrets, like hidden traps, lie rusty but ever eager to spring shut and destroy the unwary. But Nikolas, in love, truly happy, forgets to be vigilant. He takes a very serious misstep. For the first time since their strange meeting in Whitehall fourteen years ago, Ben is forced to rethink his claim that nothing Nikolas could ever do would make him stop loving him