Thoughtworld by Terry Greenhough

Author:Terry Greenhough [Greenhough, Terry]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780450036408
Goodreads: 5564227
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

There’d been an unaccustomed fire burning in Derek’s normally dull eyes, a passion in his speech rarely evinced. These two things in themselves warranted a check on the last days of Dat.

‘Also I’m curious,’ mused Pertra, decisively standing up and booting his way to the filing-cabinets. He didn’t know exactly what an investigation would turn up, yet obviously the exit of ex-Director Burl Dat must be closely examined.

‘I might learn something to make my own tenure less uncertain. A selfish motive, but…’

In the fourth drawer he opened, Pertra found a copy-spool of Dat’s last official communication from Thoughtworld. The Director pulled it from its clip, lifting out a portable playback. Strapped in again, he set the machine on his desk and inserted the spool. He caught Dat in mid-sentence: ‘ … in view of the many previous conflicts in policy, I feel I can no longer hold this position with an untroubled conscience. It seems to me that my term of usefulness has expired. These latest differences, especially those with Prime Minister Lundren…’

Pertra jerked forward, made the words repeat themselves. He’d heard right first time.

Superfluously, he listened through till the end. ‘ … have made concrete a decision which has been forming in my mind for some time, throughout all the political turbulence haunting this post; and haunting it unnecessarily and most unfairly, in my opinion, since I believe politics and self-interest should not be allowed to interfere with the remarkable work being carried out by the excellent team here. Being no hypocrite, I have no intention of remaining in this intolerable situation solely for the prestige involved. Prestige I can live without, self-respect I cannot. Nor shall I wait passively until an enemy has pulled the job out from underneath me by force. The only course open to me is to regretfully offer my resignation.’

The Director switched off. He didn’t need to check further. Dat’s resignation had been accepted, no doubt about that, and probably no doubt about who’d made sure the Thirteen accepted it! I’d like to have met you, he thought, replacing spool and playback. He pictured Dat as a creature of integrity, most likely an ideal Director. But he’d tackled Lundren and Lundren was plainly not a safe man to tackle. ‘You’ve opened my eyes, Derek. Thank you.

Only why the fire in your own?’

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