The scheme of things

The man slapped a folder down onto the table with a "thwack" sound - a deliberately dramatic gesture designed to get my attention. Which of course it did.

"Surprised? Yes, I can see you are," he said, not a little smugly. "Post hypnotic suggestion, to be more accurate. I must say, it was very considerate of Mr Smith to have primed you like this. Not to mention giving us the trigger codes to put you into and out of this ... co-operative state."

He walked round the table as he spoke. Then, when he was standing in front of me, he bent down to look me straight in the eye.

"As I said earlier, we know what Mr Smith has told you. It was fascinating to read what he believed to be going on, to see the combination of fact and supposition which he passed on to you.

"For instance, he told you we were interested in using your abilities in a military context, yes?"

I nodded, knowing he already knew.

"Yes. It didn't surprise me to read that he was shocked - good grief, the man had some appallingly silly beliefs. What did surprise me was that he didn't think things through properly. Unforgivable really, in one so intelligent."

He straightened up, and moved behind me. While it was a relief not to be looking at his self-satisfied face, his disembodied voice was somehow far more sinister.

"Mr Smith gave you the impression that we want you as some kind of" - he paused - "how can I put this? Secret weapon? Super-soldier? I think those were some of the words he used."

I nodded.

"How fanciful. I can't imagine how that would work - I mean, can you? No, Alan. Rest assured, we don't want to turn you into a soldier. But if we could turn our soldiers into you, now wouldn't that be interesting.

"Mr Smith's mistake was thinking that you were any part of what we wanted. Once you've harvested the pearl, why on earth would you keep the oyster?"



Story begins here.