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Control
Egon Melf clasped his hands together on his desk, a sign Garland Boyette knew meant he was about to be asked to do something unsavory.
"Garland, the new scenario for Planetfall means we need control of Copernicus Nagas. We need his knowledge & skills, and we need the initiative to be seen to be coming from the Office Of The President."
Boyette issued the small facial expression which he thought Melf interpreted as "unsurprised" and "not unexpected". "I understand."
"He's still in hiding."
"He's in Little Gvotia."
Melf's mouth turned up at the corners ever-so-slightly. "So I understand, the key point being he's not where we can use him"
Boyette supressed a sigh. "No."
"If Planetfall is bungled, the Gvot will die too."
"That they will, as will we all." Boyette matched the small smile.
Melf squinted, trying to assess whether he were being laughed at. He was, but Melf thought Boyette lacked the courage.
"We .. I would like you to take your most trusted men down that damned ramp, take out anything and anyone in your path, bring Nagas up to this wheel and keep him under close watch."
Boyette assumed his serious, business-like demeanor. "So killing him is now off the table again? He's now our Tesla?"
Melf's clasped hands were clenching rather tightly, Boyette noticed with some glee. "Killing him is out of the question, but I fail to see the relevance of the Tesla comment."
"Just an observation that Tesla was a genius who died broke and Edison was an asshole who thrived."
"Edison in this case being .. ?" Melf managed a tense smile, eyebrows raised.
Boyette shrugged, feigning innocence. "Anyone who needs what Nagas has, I suppose."
"That would include you."
"It would, yes." Boyette was almost screaming "asshole" again inside.
"How many assholes do the Gvot have down below the laundry?" Melf managed to get his hands apart & reached for a pen.
"One apiece, I should think, just like us."
Melf found himself defeated by his underling. He burst into raucous laughter. "Ahah! I walked right into that, Garland."
Boyette allowed himself a small laugh. "That you did, Sir."
Melf relaxed his approach. His instinct correctly led him to "conspiratorial". "Can we get the bastard in where we can use his genius?"
Boyette had gained stature since he entered the room. "You know we have to monitor his talks with Redstone and O'Brien?"
Melf began his list. "Agreed, just tell me what you need."
"I suggest we give him a room, get some of the DC crowd he used to hang with on the sly, a few of the women are up here, let him dress like us, party a little, loosen him up, we'll get more out of him the more like us we let him be."
Melf looked at Boyette with renewed respect. "You think he serves us best with cigars, women & the good brandy?"
Boyette leaned forward. "I know it still works now with Stevic , who's his 2IC." He paused a second. "Off the record, Mr. Secretary?"
Melf saw no reason to say "no". "Very well."
"I understand both Stevic & Nagas enjoyed the company of Suzanne Devereaux recently."
Melf scowled. "Devereaux? How?"
"She's down in Little Gvotia."
Melf sat back in his chair in genuine surprise. "How did she come to be down there?"
"Leon Freedman."
Melf let out a bit of unexpected extra rope. "So you think if we secure them as well, we'll get more out of Nagas?"
Boyette played the crystallizing ace. "I think if we re-introduce Nagas to our social structure including Suzanne Devereaux, give him a cigar and a bottle of cognac, come PlanetFall, Nagas can put us down on an air mattress in a swimming pool."
Melf nodded barely perceptably for several moments. "Very good, Garland, creative thinking. How be I re-task you to get Freedman & Devereaux, & our Ops friends can acquire Nagas?"
Boyette leaned forward even further. "A much sounder plan, if I may say so. The way to get Nagas is to find Stevic, get Ops to follow Stevic, he'll lead them right to him. You & I don't need to use all our men for Nagas, we can get the bait to keep him living in the luxury he once enjoyed in the arms of a beautiful woman, and we have no need to even keep Nagas in a holding cell."
Melf extended Boyette's thought. "And the Gvot won't even have grounds to be a thorn in our sides."
Boyette's shrug & smile said it all.
Melf's nod lacked its usual insincerity. "Very well, Major, excellent work."
Boyette rose. "And the President doesn't even have to know the plan."
Melf rose. "What will you do with Freedman?"
Boyette shrugged yet again. "Give him to Stormer, may as well take our best shot, don't you think?"
Melf grinned. "Yes, Garland, I do think." He watched Boyette leave and close the door behind him. He pressed the button on his old-school intercom. "You get that?"
"Not bad for a man who rose through the ranks."
Melf nodded at the intercom box. "Not bad at all."
He spoke again after a brief silence. "You have your assignment, let's get on it."
The red-haired man in the anteroom always spoke quietly. "Way ahead of you, Chief. I'll be on my way in five."
"Garland, the new scenario for Planetfall means we need control of Copernicus Nagas. We need his knowledge & skills, and we need the initiative to be seen to be coming from the Office Of The President."
Boyette issued the small facial expression which he thought Melf interpreted as "unsurprised" and "not unexpected". "I understand."
"He's still in hiding."
"He's in Little Gvotia."
Melf's mouth turned up at the corners ever-so-slightly. "So I understand, the key point being he's not where we can use him"
Boyette supressed a sigh. "No."
"If Planetfall is bungled, the Gvot will die too."
"That they will, as will we all." Boyette matched the small smile.
Melf squinted, trying to assess whether he were being laughed at. He was, but Melf thought Boyette lacked the courage.
"We .. I would like you to take your most trusted men down that damned ramp, take out anything and anyone in your path, bring Nagas up to this wheel and keep him under close watch."
Boyette assumed his serious, business-like demeanor. "So killing him is now off the table again? He's now our Tesla?"
Melf's clasped hands were clenching rather tightly, Boyette noticed with some glee. "Killing him is out of the question, but I fail to see the relevance of the Tesla comment."
"Just an observation that Tesla was a genius who died broke and Edison was an asshole who thrived."
"Edison in this case being .. ?" Melf managed a tense smile, eyebrows raised.
Boyette shrugged, feigning innocence. "Anyone who needs what Nagas has, I suppose."
"That would include you."
"It would, yes." Boyette was almost screaming "asshole" again inside.
"How many assholes do the Gvot have down below the laundry?" Melf managed to get his hands apart & reached for a pen.
"One apiece, I should think, just like us."
Melf found himself defeated by his underling. He burst into raucous laughter. "Ahah! I walked right into that, Garland."
Boyette allowed himself a small laugh. "That you did, Sir."
Melf relaxed his approach. His instinct correctly led him to "conspiratorial". "Can we get the bastard in where we can use his genius?"
Boyette had gained stature since he entered the room. "You know we have to monitor his talks with Redstone and O'Brien?"
Melf began his list. "Agreed, just tell me what you need."
"I suggest we give him a room, get some of the DC crowd he used to hang with on the sly, a few of the women are up here, let him dress like us, party a little, loosen him up, we'll get more out of him the more like us we let him be."
Melf looked at Boyette with renewed respect. "You think he serves us best with cigars, women & the good brandy?"
Boyette leaned forward. "I know it still works now with Stevic , who's his 2IC." He paused a second. "Off the record, Mr. Secretary?"
Melf saw no reason to say "no". "Very well."
"I understand both Stevic & Nagas enjoyed the company of Suzanne Devereaux recently."
Melf scowled. "Devereaux? How?"
"She's down in Little Gvotia."
Melf sat back in his chair in genuine surprise. "How did she come to be down there?"
"Leon Freedman."
Melf let out a bit of unexpected extra rope. "So you think if we secure them as well, we'll get more out of Nagas?"
Boyette played the crystallizing ace. "I think if we re-introduce Nagas to our social structure including Suzanne Devereaux, give him a cigar and a bottle of cognac, come PlanetFall, Nagas can put us down on an air mattress in a swimming pool."
Melf nodded barely perceptably for several moments. "Very good, Garland, creative thinking. How be I re-task you to get Freedman & Devereaux, & our Ops friends can acquire Nagas?"
Boyette leaned forward even further. "A much sounder plan, if I may say so. The way to get Nagas is to find Stevic, get Ops to follow Stevic, he'll lead them right to him. You & I don't need to use all our men for Nagas, we can get the bait to keep him living in the luxury he once enjoyed in the arms of a beautiful woman, and we have no need to even keep Nagas in a holding cell."
Melf extended Boyette's thought. "And the Gvot won't even have grounds to be a thorn in our sides."
Boyette's shrug & smile said it all.
Melf's nod lacked its usual insincerity. "Very well, Major, excellent work."
Boyette rose. "And the President doesn't even have to know the plan."
Melf rose. "What will you do with Freedman?"
Boyette shrugged yet again. "Give him to Stormer, may as well take our best shot, don't you think?"
Melf grinned. "Yes, Garland, I do think." He watched Boyette leave and close the door behind him. He pressed the button on his old-school intercom. "You get that?"
"Not bad for a man who rose through the ranks."
Melf nodded at the intercom box. "Not bad at all."
He spoke again after a brief silence. "You have your assignment, let's get on it."
The red-haired man in the anteroom always spoke quietly. "Way ahead of you, Chief. I'll be on my way in five."