PAGE 5
In Case Of Fire
by
“As you can see, the Karna tried to give us several choices on each point, and they were all rigged. Until they backed down to a single point and proved that it wasn’t rigged, Nordon couldn’t possibly make up his mind. I drummed into him how important this was, and the more importance there is attached to his decisions, the more incapable he becomes of making them.”
The Secretary nodded slowly. “What about Braynek?”
“Paranoid,” said Malloy. “He thinks everyone is plotting against him. In this case, that’s all to the good because the Karna are plotting against him. No matter what they put forth, Braynek is convinced that there’s a trap in it somewhere, and he digs to find out what the trap is. Even if there isn’t a trap, the Karna can’t satisfy Braynek, because he’s convinced that there has to be–somewhere. As a result, all his advice to Nordon, and all his questioning on the wildest possibilities, just serves to keep Nordon from getting unconfused.
“These two men are honestly doing their best to win at the peace conference, and they’ve got the Karna reeling. The Karna can see that we’re not trying to stall; our men are actually working at trying to reach a decision. But what the Karna don’t see is that those men, as a team, are unbeatable because, in this situation, they’re psychologically incapable of losing.”
Again the Secretary of State nodded his approval, but there was still a question in his mind. “Since you know all that, couldn’t you have handled it yourself?”
“Maybe, but I doubt it. They might have gotten around me someway by sneaking up on a blind spot. Nordon and Braynek have blind spots, but they’re covered with armor. No, I’m glad I couldn’t go; it’s better this way.”
The Secretary of State raised an eyebrow. “Couldn’t go, Mr. Ambassador?”
Malloy looked at him. “Didn’t you know? I wondered why you appointed me, in the first place. No, I couldn’t go. The reason why I’m here, cooped up in this office, hiding from the Saarkkada the way a good Saarkkadic bigshot should, is because I like it that way. I suffer from agoraphobia and xenophobia.
“I have to be drugged to be put on a spaceship because I can’t take all that empty space, even if I’m protected from it by a steel shell.” A look of revulsion came over his face. “And I can’t stand aliens!”