Whilst Harry and Malcolm have been away and in order to get rid of what had been negative energy that she knew wasn't doing her any good, Ros along with doing what she was paid to do as Section Chief, nigh on impossible with so few core members, had instead decided that Connie's desk needed to be burnt along with its contents, only to be told that this wasn't possible unless she wanted the entire population of Thames House to breathe in toxic fumes, which as tempting as that was meant that it had been consigned to the cellars along with the rest of the vermin that were rumoured to live there. But still unsettled and needing to do more to boost her moral, she had made the unilateral decision to change the layout of the grid which meant that when Harry came in the next morning, it would she hoped, allow him along with the rest of team to get back to doing what they were paid to do and more importantly with their new Senior Analyst on board.
One who when Jo had called, combined with the suggestion that before she brought Ruth onto the grid she should give her the tour which everyone who ever had or would in the future walk through the doors of Thames House, something which in the first instance required her up her security status which she did by passing her a personalised pendant, not knowing of course that Ruth amongst her many searches and having pulled up a schematic of the building, had come to the decision that the stairs rather than using the lift would allow her to find out in advance of walking onto the floor where Section D resided, in a building which compared to GCHQ was not only vast but fitted in with the landscape in a city that she would be calling it home, saw Jo who was in no hurry either going along with her suggestion.
After which and keeping to the script, 'don't rush to read it,' Jo told her once they emerged through the pods, passing Ruth the manual that all new recruits were issued with, none of which during the time she had been there had involved any reading and in Zaf's case had been used as a door stop, only for Ruth's questioning expression to force her to say, 'Harry's at the Home Office so let's go and see what Malcolm's up to,' without mentioning that as they all were he was avoiding the archives because she wasn't sure if Ruth knew the reason that there had been a vacancy and in Malcolm's case was trying to pigeon hole the fact that prior to Connie, Tessa had also been summarily dismissed by Harry for lining her pockets by inventing bogus agents and Juliet Shaw for attempting not only to blackmail him but to kill Ros.
In complete contrast to Ruth herself and not just because on the drive back to London she had on one occasion when she hadn't been gazing out of the car window, mentioned that amongst her interests was a love of classical music which was the reason that Harry who having been to the Home Office seeking and surprisingly getting an apology for the suggestion that he had been a Russian Spy, passing on secrets over a period of thirty years walked back onto an empty and what appeared to be a non-productive grid without the usual smoke coming out of his ears.
Before assuming quite rightly that they were in the meeting room, arriving just in time to see Jo carrying a tray of coffees and for Ruth tea, after which having been given his preference in that he liked strong coffee there was a short pause during which he acknowledged that his new analyst unlike the treacherous Connie was occupying the seat on his left, before saying, 'we still don't know who prevented us from seeing the short list, but given that Ruth was the only candidate who worked at GCHQ and to be on the safe side we need to find out and by the same back door means if there is a hidden agenda aimed against us, because not only do I want to know if it exists but if it does I want it nipped in the bud.'
What he doesn't say and for good reason is that he is concerned that at some yet to be specified date Ruth will have to return to Cheltenham if not to GCHQ itself, although why other than he has an uncomfortable feeling that there is someone within the service itself who as yet hasn't shown their hand in as much as Ruth might be the target, he parks for now but if he continues in this vein will be something that he'll share with the entire team.
One although depleted in terms of field officers he watches returning to their desks and what he concedes is not only a far better layout but is pleasantly surprised to see that Jo along with Malcolm appears to have taken Ruth under her wing and ignoring the fact that had it been Ros, she would in all probability have been on the first train back to Cheltenham, Jo he knows has taken on the responsibility of explaining what her duties will entail. Which as well as analysing data on a daily basis and producing a report on a weekly basis, she is responsible for what are six full time analysts and the updating of his own personal diary ensuring that he goes to meetings some of which he'd rather not, whilst hoping that Jo won't decide to tell her what he is pretty sure Ruth already knows are the lengths that people and not just Connie will go to when it comes to hurting people who they know as well as those that they don't, if it gets them what they want, but either way he's grateful that she's occupying a desk in his direct line of sight.
More than that at the first sign of panic he'll be out there telling her that he'll deal with it and if needs be without asking permission from Dolby who as far as he knows is still making himself scarce having handed Connie the chance to frame him which means he can bring in an outsider, in this case Alec White who not only will fit the bill but by whatever means will discover whether his fears are founded or not.
In fact, sod it is what he thinks, given that the male female ratio of the grid is heavily weighted towards the latter, not to mention that Alec and Ros his knows will make a formidable partnership, which sees him grabbing his coat and heading out through the pods, only to remember once he reaches the foyer that he hasn't told anyone where he's going.