"You would be just as tough, as ruthless, with me as Quayle would be with you; as you would be with yourself—if the situation demanded it. You are thinking that possibly the situation will demand it, and so you have decided that it is better, for the moment, to keep me at arm's length with compliments, rather than risk disturbing my mentality, and what you call 'the atmosphere,' by any other approach. You need not worry." She smiled again. "I am quite ready to be sacrificed."
O'Mara thought: Here's a damned clever woman. With brains as well as beauty.
He said: "Nuts!" He grinned at her.
"You know that what I say is true," she said. "But tell me, what happens now? Am I permitted to know what is going on?"
O'Mara said: "Nothing's going on at the moment, and I think you're doing very well
