As the situation surrounding the disappearance of Washington Post contributor, Jamal Khashoggi, becomes ever more dire, and as the likelihood of the truth ever becoming known diminishes, the Saudi Arabian government has asked everyone to take a deep breath, and stay calm.
Mr Khashoggi, it says, left its consulate in Istanbul on 2 October, and claims by Turkish authorities that he has been murdered are simply not true.
The Turks, however, are adamant, and say they are in possession of audio and video recordings of the 'event', in which Mr Mohammed al-Otaibi - the consul himself - can be heard pleading:
"Do this outside. You're going to get me into trouble."
The Saudis have said this proves nothing, and that Mr al-Otaibi could, reasonably, have been referring to anything. For example, they said:
- he could have encountered someone eating a hamburger in a storeroom
"Do this outside. You're going to get me into trouble."
- he could have happened upon two gay men bumming
"Do this outside. You're going to get me into trouble."
- or, the most likely scenario, he could have come across a man suckling a goat with his penis
"Do that outside. You're going to get me into trouble."
Saudi Arabia is conducting its own investigation into the Khashoggi situation.
Mr al-Otaibi has now returned to Riyadh, so that he, too, might 'disappear'.
