[He doesn’t need to press further to know that Bastien is absolutely right, and in a way it quiets his anxiety slightly to hear it from a sensible source. But the problem is still there, even if attaching himself to it will make it worse.]

If I went through records, [he asks after a long and contemplative silence,] if I came up with… with solid evidence of our division’s effectiveness. That sort of work is within the purview of my position. Is that anything?