And last of all, what was the motive behind the attempt to character-assassinate him personally, compromise Karen Heller, and misrepresent the role they had played at Bruno? It seemed strange that Sverenssen had expected the plan to work, because the document Janet had described would not be substantiated by the official minutes of all the delegation’s meetings, a copy of which would also be forwarded to UN Headquarters in New York. Furthermore, Sverenssen knew that as well as anybody; and whatever his other faults, he was not naive. Then a sick feeling formed slowly in his stomach as the truth dawned on him-he had no way of being certain that the minutes which he had read and approved, which had recorded the debates verbatim, would be the versions that would go to New York at all. From what Pacey had glimpsed of whatever strange machinations were in progress behind the scenes, anything was possible.
“In my opinion it would be a good thing if the South Atlantic deal did go to the Americans,” Sverenssen was saying at the bar. “After the way the United States almost allowed its nuclear industry to be wrecked just before the turn of the century, it’s hardly surprising that the Soviets gained a virtual monopoly across most of Central Africa. An equalizing of influence in the general area and the stiffening of competition it would produce could only be in the better long-term interests of all concerned.” The three heads around him nodded obediently. Sverenssen made a casual throwing-away motion. “After all, in my position I can hardly allow myself to be swayed by mere national politics. The longer-term advancement of the race as a whole is what is important. That is what I have always stood for and shall continue to stand for.”
After everything else this was too much. Pacey choked down his mouthful of coffee and slammed his cup down hard on the table. The heads at the bar turned toward him in surprise. “Hogwasht” he grated across the room at them. “I’ve never heard such garbage.”
Sverenssen frowned his distaste for the outburst. “What do you mean?” he asked coldly. “Kindly explain yourself.”
“You had the biggest opportunity ever for the advancement of the race right in your hand, and you threw it away. That’s what I mean. I’ve never listened to such hypocrisy.”
“I’m afraid I don’t follow you.”
Pacey couldn’t believe it. “Goddammit, I mean this whole farce we’ve been having here!” He heard his voice rising to a shout, knew it was bad, but couldn’t stop himself in his exasperation. “We were talking to Gistar for weeks. We said nothing, and we achieved nothing. What kind of ‘standing for advancement’ is that?”
“I agree,” Sverenssen said, maintaining his calm. “But I find it strangely inappropriate that you should protest in this extraordinary fashion. I would advise you instead to take the matter up with your own government.”
That didn’t make any sense. Pacey shook his head, momentarily confused. “What are you talking about? The U.S. policy was always to get this moving. We wanted a landing from the beginning.”
“Then I can only suggest that your efforts to project that policy have been singularly inept,” Sverenssen replied.
Pacey blinked as if unable to believe that he had really heard it. He looked at the others, but found no sympathy for his predicament on any of their faces. The first cold fingers of realization as to what was going on touched at his spine. He shifted his eyes rapidly across their faces in a silent demand for a response, and caught Daldanier’s gaze in a way that the Frenchman couldn’t evade.
“Let us say it has been apparent to me that the probability of a more productive dialogue would have been improved considerably were it not for the negative views persistently advanced by the representative of the United States,” Daldanier said, avoiding the reference to Pacey by name. He spoke in the reluctant voice of somebody who had been forced to offer a reply he would have preferred left unsaid.
“Most disappointing,” Saraquez, the Brazilian, commented. “I had hoped for better things from the nation that placed the first man on the Moon. Hopefully the dialogue might be resumed one day, and the lost time made good.”