About the book: 2001 / There were ten of them in the office. They have never gathered in such a composition before and, it is possible, they will never gather again. They were united by nothing but a goal, although each of them had his own goal. It’s just that for some period of time the vectors of their interests coincided. They were not allies at all, these ten, gathered in a dimly lit office around the table, just as they were not enemies. They all knew perfectly well and always followed the rule of old English diplomacy - they had neither permanent friends nor permanent enemies, only permanent interests. Even at this moment, when they, having greeted each other in a friendly manner, sat down around a massive oak table, where - then far away, outside the office, their money, their people, their organizations waged an irreconcilable struggle among themselves. It never even occurred to any of them to offer a truce during the negotiations. They are serious business people.