Desperate Games Read Online Free PDF

kind would discredit us in the eyes of the world, or rather of the people, and we need their support, or at least their benevolent neutrality. They would accuse us of wanting to install a dictatorship. This is not the way we should proceed.’
    ‘So how then?’
    The Chinese woman kept silent, screwing up her beautiful slanting eyes a little.
    ‘Our strength lies in our reputation for wisdom. We must preserve and reinforce this reputation at all costs… What we need is a revolution supported by everyone. No, don’t protest. I believe that it is extremely easy to achieve, much easier than your ultimatum accompanied by threats. It’s sufficient to persuade all the leaders of government to give up their power.’
    ‘Sufficient! They’ll never agree to it.’
    ‘They will agree to it,’ Betty asserted, ‘and the people of the world will be on our side if our plan is presented with skill and supported by irreproachable authorities. After the initial surprise and the first bad-tempered reactions, I am convinced that not only will they accept our plan but that they will be grateful to us for freeing them of an unbearable burden, and of duties which have become disproportionate, and only overwhelm them.’
    ‘It is certainly clear,’ commented Fawell, ‘that a change seems to have taken place during recent years within some political factions. A certain apprehension about power has become apparent and at the same time leaders have become vaguely conscious of their mediocrity and incompetence when faced with the problems of our times. I can recall two cases in different parts of the world where there were difficulties in electing a head of state. Candidates hesitated to put themselves forward, and those who finally did so lacked enthusiasm.’
    ‘So you see: if we offer them the chance to disappear with dignity, they won’t pass it up. And we will have public opinion on our side. As a result of a long, sad series of experiences, which now appear to them in their true light, as catastrophes, the people of the world are also starting to realise that they have always been governed by incompetent people. However, I repeat that we have to act skilfully and leave nothing to chance.’
    ‘What do you mean by that?’
    ‘I consider there to be at least two conditions essential for our success. The first is that the project should be underthe patronage of and presented by undisputedly important scientists. Please don’t misunderstand what I’m saying…’ At this point Mrs Betty Han made a pause, and then continued, lowering her voice a little. ‘By this I mean people who are not only scholars but
celebrities
. Men whose value the world no longer needs to affirm, because both for the peoples of the world and for their leaders, their status is synonymous with knowledge and wisdom… I have no wish to offend you, Fawell, nor you Yranne. I know that you are as bright as those persons I am alluding to, and more so than many of them, but you have no chance of gaining general support if you present the project for a world government as being your own. Only they are capable of succeeding.’
    Her words were received with a long reflective silence.
    ‘I understand,’ Zarratoff murmured finally.
    ‘Me too,’ said Fawell. ‘You are referring to the
Nobels
.’
    ‘Precisely. We must have them on our side and even persuade them to take the initiative on the project. Without them we can achieve nothing; with them we can achieve everything.’
    ‘Yes, the
Nobels
are a condition for its success,’ murmured Fawell pensively. ‘Psychology has its good points.’
    After a further period of reflection all were of the same opinion. Mrs Betty Han continued, ‘So our course of action is clear. Fawell, you have kept in contact with the most famous and most influential of them. It’s O’Kearn that you must contact and convince first.’
    The physicist did not hesitate and got up.
    ‘I’ll take a plane to New York tonight,’ he said.