Ballroom of the Skies Read Online Free PDF Page A

had a chance to see at least five years of peace ahead of us. But I was present when Branson blew the whole scheme sky high by trying to make a second-level deal with the Iranian representative. Irania will make a tokenconcession, of no value. Then the others will water down their concessions, and the net result will be more world tension instead of less. I doubt whether your … diggers have uncovered that, Mr. Haggins. I want you to make a big splash so that the world can know how close it came to temporary nirvana. It might do some good. It might be like a nice clean wind blowing through some very dusty parliamentary sessions. Your sheet is influential. I feel that your cooperation is in the public service.”
    Haggins looked flustered. He got up and walked to the nearest diorama as though he were staring out a window. He had a curious habit of walking on his toes. He clasped his hands behind him, wriggling his thumbs.
    “You … ah … hand us a very hot potato, Mr. Lorin.”
    “Any good story is likely to be, isn’t it?”
    “As you know, in exposing corruption, venality, we are absolutely fearless.”
    “So I’ve heard,” Dake said dryly.
    “However, there is one consideration here which we must examine … ah … rather closely.”
    “And that is?”
    “The possibility that our motives might be misinterpreted, Mr. Lorin. You have stated that this was all … secret negotiation. I refer now, of course, to the Public Disservice Act of ’75. It would not give us recourse to any court of law, or any chance to state our own case. The Board might arbitrarily consider our publication of your story a Disservice to the State. You know the answer to that. Confiscatory fines.”
    “I feel that it is worth the risk.”
    Haggins turned toward him. “Risk is in direct ratio to what you have to lose, is it not?”
    “That Act itself is the result of fear. If there were less fear in the world, Mr. Haggins, that Act might be repealed.”
    Haggins came back to the desk. Dake could see that he had reached a decision. He was more at ease. He said, “A bit visionary, Mr. Lorin?” He smiled. “We do our best, Mr. Lorin. We feel that we improve the world, improve our environment, in many modest, but effective ways.Now you would have us take something that I can only consider as a vast gamble. If we should win, the gain is rather questionable. Should we lose, the loss is definite. By losing we would forfeit our chance to continue to do good in our own way.”
    “In other words, it’s a lack of courage, Mr. Haggins?”
    Haggins flushed, stood up, his hand outstretched. “Good luck to you, sir. I trust you will find a publisher who will be a bit more … rash, shall we say.” He coughed. “And naturally, I will not mention this to anyone. I would not care to be accused of a personal Disservice. I am a bit too old to work on the oil shale.”
    Dake looked at the pink, neatly manicured hand. After a few moments Haggins withdrew it, rubbed it nervously on the side of his trousers. Dake nodded abruptly and left the office, took the elevator up the reinforced concrete shaft to ground level. Fear was a tangible thing in the world. Fear, on the government level, the business level, the personal level. Live out your neat little life and hope for the best. Fools took chances. Men carried weapons when they walked the night streets. Dake did not. His very size protected him adequately, his size and his look of dark, compressed fury.
    He ate soybean steak in a small dismal restaurant and continued his search. At
Life-Look
and at
Time-Week
the brushoff was less delicate, but just as effective.
    At dusk he managed an interview in a rattle-trap building in Jersey City, an interview with a vast brick-red Irishman with a whisky rasp and a smell of barbershop.
    The Irishman interrupted him. “Fleng the theories, Lorin. All that prono soup is over my head. You want to reach people. I’ve got a circulation. So let’s get down