Phillips was the first to "launch an attack," catching Arthur off guard for a moment.
Yet this was not because Arthur was ill-prepared, but rather because this Permanent Secretary of the Home Office was being somewhat less than sporting.
Not only did he "declare war without notice," he even laid on a veritable Hongmen Banquet for Arthur, choosing his own turf as the main battlefield and not even disclosing the list of guests who would be attending tonight.
But even though Phillips had every advantage of time and place, it still could not offset the fact that Arthur's edge in personal connections was simply too overwhelming.
