Read The Return of Retief for Free Online Page B

task force in under them."
     
                "Underarm
strategy, General?" Crodfoller, overcome by strong emotion, covered his
eyes and moaned. "I see I must reemphasize, gentlemen, that this is a peace conference. A unilateral one, to be sure, inasmuch as our overtures through
normal channels have been spurned by the Ree—or worse, ignored. What's an
Acting Assistant Deputy Undersecretary to do?"
     
                "A Temporary Acting Assistant Deputy Undersecretary," someone muttered,
an amendment Crodfoller pretended not to hear, merely jotting the word 'Rot' on
his pad.
     
                "But
I think we all see the problem, now, boys," he went on more spiritedly,
sitting up with an air of briskness.
     
                "The
time, gentlemen," he stated in tones of Impending Doom (731-W) not unmixed
with History in the Making (003-a)(* A nuance not listed in the official
handbook CDT-628B -1 rev. 6/9/25, but well-known to junior bureaucrats throughout the Corps, said
to have been originated by no less a personage than Career Ambassador Spradley
on the occasion of his announcement of the Yill-Terry Accord in 479 AE. ) "has
arrived: the time for creative diplomacy on a scale undreamed of by our
predecessors."
     
                "Cool,
boss," Press Officer Felix murmured, sotto voce, "but what's
it mean?"
     
                "To those
who pretend not to recognize the immense significance of this moment,"
Crodfoller went on, pointedly ignoring Hy's query, though he circled 'Rot' on
his pad, "I can say only that History has not, heretofore, presented honest
diplomats with such an opportunity to lay the foundation for an unprecedented
era of peaceful coexistence."
     
                "What kind of diplomats did he say?" Hy inquired of Magnan, his neighbor at
the long conference table, nudging Magnan with a shirt-sleeved elbow in
solicitation of acceptance of his good-natured jibe.
     
                "Quiet,
Hy," Magnan hissed, withdrawing as far as the confines of his chair would
permit from any appearance of cronyhood with the notoriously indelicate Press
man.
     
                "I
think, Ben," the Undersecretary suggested in an ominously mild tone, his
gaze fixing on Magnan, "that if you and Hy would postpone your lively
exchange until happy hour this evening, I might better be able to convey to the
staff the need for immediate and effective action as regards the alleged
incursions of the Ree into Terran mandated space."
     
                "
'Alleged,' heck!" Hy said, spoiling the moment of respectful silence the
rest of the staff had spontaneously accorded the great man's pronouncement.
     
                "Everybody
knows," Hy went on, "the confounded worms have infiltrated Tip space
and dispossessed Terry settlers from their homes,"
     
                "Hy,"
Crodfoller said sadly, "I've cautioned you before regarding the use of
derogatory epithets directed at alien species!" He eyed Hy without
approval. "After all, Hy," he went on, "after we've succeeded in
our present effort and have entered with a treaty of eternal chumship with
these damned worms, whom I'm sure will settle down to a more halcyon pattern of
coexistence once they've been properly pacified and reoriented, such past
lapses could rise up to haunt your personnel file."
     
                "Just
like not knocking the old-Moosejaw fatso," Marvin whispered over-loudly.
"Which I might wind up with him as my supervisor someday, right, Mr.
Underthrust?"
     
                "A
modicum of discretion, Marvin, might well be in order," Crodfoller
suggested. "And I submit that calling Counsellor Lipschitz 'Fatso' is
unlikely to contribute to your career development."
     
                "I
never meant—" Marvin began, but subsided at a sharp jab in the ribs by his
mentor.
     
                "You
know, Ben," Ambassador Sidesaddle