Leslie did not care to know what was going on here in the Committee; since everyone else obviously did know, involvement on her part seemed unnecessary. She felt agreeably secure in the presence of all these diligent faces. And Jaspersen, she noticed, was the most engrossed of all, his elbow bent on his knee, his hand supporting his intent brow.

“Recognizing the basic fluidity of the situation”—the speaker paused, poured water into a glass—“and in the firm conviction”—he drank—“that the pooling of resources…”

When Jaspersen raised his head, a hand appeared at his elbow. It was a curious little hand, plump and pink with astonishing silver nails. Some of these nails were of Oriental attenuation, others were bluntly broken off. Jaspersen, staring at the hand, was tempted to take it in his own. However, he merely accepted a pleated paper from its irregular talons.

He opened the paper, turned it round, and read. “Unification is postponed.”

Jaspersen sat still for a moment or two, with the paper in his hand. He then put it in his folder and dismissed Leslie with a backward nod. He leaned forward and touched his own hand to the elbow in front of him.

The Chief’s head veered to a familiar attitude—not detached from the proceedings of the meeting, yet inclined, receptive, authoritative. It was an attitude of head and shoulders that had been perfected within the Organization and was best demonstrated on the floor of a large conference room.

Jaspersen whispered into the leaning ear. “Unification is postponed.”

The ear appeared to frown. “Not coming up?”

“Not today.”

“—and fervently believing in the vital importance—”

“Nothing to stay for then,” the Chief murmured, turning farther round.

“—and crucial significance—”

“Nothing at all.”

They slid out of their seats furtively, like patrons leaving a bad film. Outside, Jaspersen said, “Now we’ll never know who did it.”

The Chief had a way of permitting a joke to register while denying it official recognition. “I’m anxious,” he said gravely, “to have our item come up.”

The postponement of Unification had gone to Jaspersen’s head. “You realize,” he said, “that they may not approve of what we’ve done?”

The Chief smiled tolerantly. “We must know how to accept criticism, Olaf.” He spoke as if it were some useless gift to be stowed in a closet as soon as the guests had gone. “A most helpful discussion of Item Five, I thought, by the way.”

“Didn’t quite get it,” Jaspersen said.

“Not get it?” The Chief had not known Jaspersen in this mood before. For a moment it seemed that he was going to stop in his tracks, halfway up the sloping corridor, on the rug donated by the Republic of Panama. “Not get what?”