he confusion we've created. And that still
leaves us with the unfortunate need for speedy action on the case of
Mr. Miller."

Suggs rolled his bass across the room. It was the only characteristic
he had favorable to eye or ear.

"Unfortunate, Mr. Undersecretary? Unfortunate is hardly the word to
describe an event so favorable for the fortunes for all."

Favorable. Me? Was I good or bad? I came in just in the middle of the
picture. Keep your ears and your eyes and your ears open, Miller, and
catch up on the feature attraction.

Suggs licked his razor-sharp lips and hooked his fingers in his
stained vest.

"'Unfortunate,' Mr. Undersecretary? Hardly!" He loved to hear his own
voice. "This country, these great United States, these states have
never in their existence been in such a favorable position as
today...."

I would rather have read the Congressional Record. That, at least, I
could have discarded when I became bored.

"No, never in such a favorable position; diplomatically,
economically...."

The Undersecretary coughed politely. It's nice to be tactful and know
how to break in.

"To use your own words, Senator. 'Hardly!' Diplomatically we are at
the brink of one of the worst imaginable pitfalls."

The medals on Five Star clinked. "Bosh!"

Morgan went on. "Where would you like to live, gentlemen?" and his
glance flicked around the table; "in the best liked or most hated
country in the world?"

* * * * *

It mattered not to Five Star, nor to Suggs.

"What difference does it make, Mr. Undersecretary? Speaking for myself
and my constituents, I can truthfully say that the opinion of the
world matters not one good solitary damn. Who cares what some other
country has got to say, if words can't be backed up with action? Right
now, and you know it as well as you're sitting there, Mr.
Undersecretary, right now Uncle Sam is known all over the world as
Uncle Sucker, and Uncle Shylock. Europe and Asia have had what they
wanted over my protests and those of my constituents, and now Europe
and Asia can go hang, for all I care. That's What they want us to do!"

He gave Morgan no chance to break in. That rolling bass rattled off
the walls and crinkled my ears.

"Europe and Asia and the rest of the world could never affect us one
way or another, favorable or otherwise, if it weren't for the
ninny-headed mouthings of a few influential morons. Fight, Mr.
Undersecretary, fight and mur