`` while tracking down all this information and stalling charlie , and lying through my teeth to peter , telling them that we 're making progress running down the jackal 's possible couriers at the mayflower hotel -- we think ... of course , we 're doing nothing of the sort because we 're up to our credentials in some off-the-wall , twenty-year-old saigon conspiracy involving who knows what , damned if we know , except that the who is terribly impressive .