“What am I but a glorified public relations man?” MacClure answered angrily. “I haven’t any illusions about this confounded job.”
“Not true, sir. You have the prime policy responsibility. I carry out policy-within the limits of my job.”
“Hummph! You set policy. You drive me like a horse. I’m beginning to realize it.”
“Sorry, sir. I suppose everyone makes policy. . . even the doorman. . . to some extent It’s unavoidable. But I try to do my job.”
Mr. Kiku’s private secretary called in by voice. “Mr. Kiku, is the Secretary with you? Mrs. Beulah Murgatroyd is waiting.”
“Be right in,” called out MacClure.
Kiku added quietly, “Mildred, see that she is entertained. There will be a slight delay.”
“Yes, sir. The Secretary’s aide is taking care of her.”
“Good.”
“There will be no delay,” MacClure said to Mr. Kiku. “If you won’t, you won’t. . . though I’m disappointed in you. But I can’t keep her waiting.”
“Sit down, Mr. Secretary.”
“Eh?”
“Sit down, sir. Even the mighty Mrs. Murgatroyd must wait on some things. A major emergency has come up; you will certainly have to face the Council about it. . . possibly a special session this evening.”
“What? Why didn’t you say so?”
“I was organizing my thoughts preparatory to briefing you, sir, when you came in. For the past several minutes I have been trying to tell you that this department has really important things to do-besides selling Hunkies.”
The Secretary stared at him, then reached across Kiku’s desk. “Uh, Mildred? This is the Secretary. Tell Commodore Murthi that I am unavoidably detained and that he is to do his best to keep Mrs. Murgatroyd happy.”
“Yes. Mr. Secretary.”
MacClure turned back. “Now, Henry, quit lecturing me and spill it.”
Mr. Kiku began a full report of the new Hroshii crisis. Mr. MacClure listened without comment. Just as Mr. Kiku concluded his account of the rejection of the ultimatum the sound communicator again came to life. “Chief? Murthi here. Mrs. Murgatroyd has another appointment.”
Mr. MacClure turned toward the voice. “Hush circuit?”
“Of course, sir.”
“Listen, Jack, I’ll be a few minutes yet. Keep her happy.”
But-”
“Make love to her, if necessary. Now switch off. I’m busy!” He turned back to Mr. Kiku and scowled. “Henry, you’ve shoved me out on a limb again. You’ve left me nothing to do but back your play.”
“May I ask what the Secretary would have done?”
“Huh?” MacClure frowned. “Why, I would have said exactly what you said, I suppose. . . but in nastier language. I admit that I probably wouldn’t have thought of cutting inside them through this Lummox creature. That was cute.”
“I see, sir. It being a rejection of a formal ultimatum, what precautionary action would the Secretary have taken? I should add that I wanted to avoid having the department advise the Council to order battle stations for the entire planet.”
“What are you saying? Nothing like that would have been necessary. I would have ordered the Inner Guard to close and blast them out of the sky, on my own responsibility. After all, they are at our inner defense zone and breathing threats. . . a simple emergency police action.”
Mr. Kiku thought, that is what I guessed you would do. . . but what he said was, “Suppose it turned out that their ship failed to blast out of the sky. . . and blasted back?”
“What? Preposterous!”
“Mr. Secretary, the only thing I have learned in forty years at this trade is that when you are dealing with ‘Out There’ nothing is preposterous.”
“Well, I’ll be. . . Henry, you actually believed they could hurt us. You were frightened.” He searched Mr. Kiku’s face. “Are you holding something back? Do you have evidence that they might be able to carry out this preposterous threat?”
“No, sir.”
“Well?”
“Mr. MacClure, in my country hardly more than three hundred years ago there lived a very valiant tribe. A small force of Europeans made certain demands on them. . . taxes, they called it. The chief was a brave man and his warriors were numerous and well trained. They knew the strangers had guns, but they even had some guns of their own. But mostly they relied on numbers and courage. They planned cleverly and caught the enemy in a box canyon. So they thought.”