"It comes down to this," said Ned. "It's crude and un-English but I'll say it anyway. Do you want to be a passive or an active player in the defence of your country?"

Barley was still hunting for an answer when walter supplied it for him, and with an air of finality that brooked no contradiction. "You're from a free society. You've got no choice," he said.

—John LeCarré, The Russia House, 1988