Sara wasn't the right size, but one of the older girls in the outer
office would lend Annie some clothes if I would let her go see the
Swami, too. It developed that her own teacher was a guest of Los Angeles
County for a while, purely on a trumped-up charge, you understand, Mr.
Kennedy. Not that she was a cop hater or anything like that. She was
perfectly aware of what a fine and splendid job those noble boys in blue
did for us all, but--
In my own office! Well, you never knew.
Yet, what was the difference between her and me? We were both trying to
get hold of and benefit by psi effects, weren't we? So I didn't comment.
Instead, I found myself much farther ahead with my tentative plans than
I'd anticipated at this stage.
Yes, my interviewer's teacher had quite a large following, and now they
were all at loose ends. If the Swami were willing, she could provide a
large and ready-made audience for him. She would be glad to talk to him
about it.
Annie hurriedly said that she would be glad to talk to him about it,
too; that she could get up a large audience, too. So, even before it got
started, I had my rival factions at work. I egged them both on, and
promised that I'd get Army Intelligence to work with the local boys in
blue to hold off making any raids.
Annie told me again what a kind man I was. My interviewer spoke up
quickly and said how glad she was to find an opportunity for expressing
how grateful she was for the privilege of working right in the same
department with such an understanding, really intellectually developed
adult. She eyed Annie sidelong, as if to gauge the effects of her
attempts to set me up on a pedestal, out of Annie's reach.
I hoped I wouldn't start believing either one of them. I hoped I wasn't
as inaccurate in my estimates of people as was my interviewer. I
wondered if she were really qualified for the job she held. Then I
realized this was a contest between two women and I, a mere male, was
simply being used as the pawn. Well, that worked both ways. In a fair
bargain both sides receive satisfaction. I felt a little easier about my
tactical maneuvers.
But the development of rivalry between factions of the audience gave me
an additional idea. Perhaps that's what the Swami really needed, a
little rivalry. Perhaps he was being a little too hard to crack because
he knew he was the only egg in the basket.
I called Old Stone Face and told him what I planned. He responded that
it was up to me. He'd stepped in and got things under way for me, got
things going, now it was my job to keep them going. It looked as if he
were edging out from under--or maybe he really believed that.
Before I settled into the day's regular routine, I wired General
Sanfordwaithe, and told him that if he had any more prospects ready
would he please ship me one at once, via air mail, special delivery.
* * * * *
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account