Cobweb - Neal Stephenson

The Gulf War is imminent and there’s something mighty strange going on in the Agriculture Department of East Iowa University. When an Arab student turns up drunk – and dead – in the lake, redneck Deputy County Sheriff Clyde Banks gets a feeling he’s on to something big. It’s a suspicion shared by low-ranking CIA agent Betsy Vandeventer. But before two great minds yell conspiracy theory, in steps top US policy-maker James Millikan. Here’s a man well used to dictating the Middle East’s future – from a comfortable seat at a top Paris restaurant. While shenanigans in the Midwest might not be exactly his style, there’s a technique that serves America well in all matters of national security. It’s called the ‘Cobweb’, and it backfires every time...