Helmuth looked around. “I thought there were several of you,” he said.
“There are, but I didn’t want to give you the idea that you were facing a panel,” Wagoner said, smiling. “I’ve been forced to sit in on most of these endless loyalty investiga-tions back home, but I can’t see any point in exporting such religious ceremonies to deep space. Do sit down, Mr. Helmuth. There are drinks coming. We have a lot to talk about.”
Stiffly, Helmuth sat down.
“Dillon tells me,” Wagoner said, leaning back comfortably in his own chair, “that your usefulness to the Bridge is about at an end. In a way. I’m sorry to hear that, for you’ve been one of the best men we’ve had on any of our planetary projects. But, in another way, I’m glad. It makes you available for something much bigger, where we need you much more.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I’ll explain in a moment. First, I’d like to talk a little about the Bridge. Please don’t feel that I’m quizzing you, by the way. You’re at perfect liberty to say that any given question is none of my business, and I’ll take no offence and hold no grudge. Also, 1 hereby disavow the authenticity of any tape or other tapping of which this statement may be a part.’ In short, our conversation is unofficial, highly so.”
“Thank you.”
“It’s to my interest; I’m hoping that youTI talk freely to me. Of course my disavowal means nothing, since such formal statements can always be excised from a tape; but later on I’m going to tell you some things you’re not supposed to know, and you’ll be able to judge by what I say then that anything you say to me is privileged. Okay?”