“Something that’s been done before. I know of at least one other case, and I think an arrangement was made there about continuity of pension rights, if I’m not mistaken. It’s this. She can resign from the Organization, and be re-recruited at the proper level. What counts against her, don’t you see, is her twelve years in the Subsidiary Category. The Organization will know all about that, of course, but with qualifications like hers—and with our department asking for her—they’d probably close their eyes and pretend they’d never seen her before. They can be decent about things like that, you know. Much simpler to come in afresh as a Specialized staff member than to try to make the leap from a Subsidiary C.”

“You mean—her experience here doesn’t help her?”

“I’m trying to tell you, Lidia, it counts against her—the fact of her having accepted the Subsidiary Category in the first place.” Gregory’s eyes were wandering over his In-tray. “Well, there’s no guarantee, and she should look into it carefully before taking the plunge. But that’s my advice, for what it’s worth.”

“What did she say to this?”

“Oh, I think she may very well try it. She had me go over it all a second time, to make sure she’d got it straight. She said it was certainly something to think about. So let’s see what she decides.”

Lidia got up. “I won’t take up more of your time. But thank you for seeing Dinah.”

“Not a bit. I’ll be glad to help her when the time comes. If you knew the trouble we have getting competent people for this kind of work—really, it’s to our advantage to grab her if we can.”

“Thanks anyway.”

“Oh there’s no generosity involved. Leave the door open, if you would.”

Mr. Clifford Glendenning was staring at a telegram when his colleague Mr. Bekkus knocked and entered. It had been a busy morning for Glendenning, who was concerned with recruiting technicians from the corners of the earth to serve on short-term contracts in the Organization’s aid programs. Only yesterday, in consulting the roster of those who had already completed such assignments, he had hit on the perfect chap to work with chemicals in the Congo. A cable had gone out to Paris, and here was the reply. Clifford Glendenning was standing up, leaning on the desk with both palms and staring at it:

PAS ENCORE PAYÉ POUR LA MISSION PRÉCÉDENTE.