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The last thing he wanted was for someone in the media to notice any symptoms, like his hand shaking during the proceedings, particularly not now that he had a plan to obviate the problem.
    Rounding a turn in the corridor, they bumped into several particularly liberal senatorial colleagues heading in the opposite direction. Ashley paused and slipped easily back into his signature, syrupy, Southern drawl while complimenting hisfellow politicians’ hairstyles, modish contemporary suits, and flamboyant ties. In a humorously self-deprecatory style, he compared their dapper attire with his own plain dark suit, dark nondescript tie, and ordinary white shirt. It was the same style of clothes he’d worn when he’d first arrived at the Senate back in 1972. Ashley was a man of habit. Not only did he still wear the same type of clothes, he still bought his entire wardrobe from the same conservative haberdashery back in his hometown.
    After he and Carol continued on their way, she commented on the degree of Ashley’s cordiality.
    â€œI’m just buttering them up.” Ashley sneered. “I need their votes on my bill coming up next week. You know I cannot abide such foppery, especially hair transplants.”
    â€œIndeed I do,” Carol said. “That’s why I was taken aback.”
    As they neared the side entrance to the hearing room, Ashley slowed. “Quickly review for me once again what you and the rest of the staff found out about this morning’s first witness. I’ve got a special plan brewing on my back burner that I definitely want to succeed.”
    â€œHis professional resume is what stands out in my mind,” Carol said. She closed her eyes for a moment to help mobilize her memory. “He’s been a science prodigy since middle school, and he breezed through both medical school and his Ph.D. studies. That’s impressive, to say the least! On top of that, he rapidly became one of the youngest department-head scientists at Merck before being actively recruited to a prestigious post at Harvard. The man must have an IQ in the stratosphere.”
    â€œI remember the curriculum vitae. But that’s not what’s important now. Talk to me about Phil’s take on the man’s personality!”
    â€œI remember Phil guessed he was self-centered and cocky because of the way he’s so dismissive of his fellow scientists’ work. I mean, most people, even if they feel that way, keep it to themselves. He’s got to be brash.”
    â€œWhat else?”
    They reached the door to the side room and hesitated. Farther down the hallway at the main entrance to the hearing room, a small crowd was milling about, and the babble of their voices drifted toward them.
    Carol shrugged. “I can’t remember much else, but I have the dossier with me that the staff put together, which certainly incorporates Phil’s impressions. Do you want to take the time to read it over again before we begin the hearing?”
    â€œI was hoping you’d talk to me about the man’s fear of failure,” Ashley said. “Is that something you remember?”
    â€œNow that you mention it, yes, I believe that was one of Phil’s points.”
    â€œGood!” Ashley said, with his eyes staring off into the distance. “And combining that with an apparent ego the size of a racehorse’s paddock gives me an opportunity to exert some significant leverage, wouldn’t you agree?”
    â€œI suppose, but I’m not sure I’m following you. I do remember Dan thought that he had a fear of failure out of proportion to his accomplishments and his obvious intelligence. After all, he could probably be successful at anything he wanted to do, provided he put his mind to it. How does his fear of failure give you leverage, and leverage for what?”
    â€œHe might be able to do anything he sets his mind to, but apparently at this moment in time he wants to become a