Hellstrom's Hive by Frank Herbert

good people.”
    â€œMy orders were explicit and you know it,” Merrivale said.
    â€œAnd given those orders, you did what you thought best.”
    â€œNaturally.” Merrivale could feel sweat collecting under his collar and he rubbed a finger around against his skin there. “We had no way of knowing precisely what had happened to Porter. You told me to send him in alone. Those were your very words.”
    â€œAnd when Porter—just vanished?”
    â€œYou said yourself that he could’ve had personal reasons for disappearing!”
    â€œWhat personal reasons? Porter’s record was one of the best.”
    â€œBut you said he’d quarreled with his—wife.”
    â€œDid I say that? I don’t remember that at all.”
    So that’s the way it is, Merrivale thought. His stomach felt painfully knotted. “You know you offered that as a possible reason for sending in a double team, but with identical orders for them.”
    â€œI don’t know anything of the kind, Merrivale. You’ve sent Depeaux and Grinelli down that Oregon rathole and you sit there making excuses. When Porter was missed, you should’ve originated an official inquiry for a vacationer believed to be missing in that region.”
    So that’s going to be our new approach, Merrivale thought. And if it succeeds, Peruge gets the credit. If it fails, I get the blame. How neat!
    Merrivale said, “I presume that’s the line of attack you’ll take when you get out to Oregon.”
    â€œYou know damned well it is!”
    The Chief himself is probably listening to this, Merrivale thought. Oh, God! Why did I ever get into this business?
    â€œHave you told the new teams that I’ll be leading them personally?” Peruge asked.
    â€œI was briefing them when you called.”
    â€œVery well. I’ll be leaving within the hour and I’ll meet the new teams in Portland.”
    â€œI’ll tell them.” Merrivale spoke with weary resignation.
    â€œAnd tell them this: tell them I want it emphasized that this new operation must be handled with the utmost discretion. There will be no grandstand plays, understood? Hellstrom has powerful friends and I don’t mind telling you that this ecology issue is explosive. Hellstrom has said all the right things to the right people and they think he’s some kind of ecological messiah. Luckily, there are others who realize he’s a fanatic madman, and I’m sure we’ll prevail. Understand me?”
    â€œPerfectly.” Merrivale did not try to conceal his bitterness now. The Chief was listening to Peruge. No doubt of that. Thewhole thing was a staged performance: preparation of the sacrificial goat. The goat’s name was, of course, Merrivale.
    â€œI doubt very much that you understand me perfectly,” Peruge said, “but it’s likely that you understand me well enough to follow the orders I’ve just given you without any more disgusting errors. See to it at once.”
    There was a sharp click on the line.
    Merrivale sighed, replaced the receiver in its cradle on the elaborate scrambling phone. The signs were clear. He must juggle his own hot potato. And if he dropped it, or if anyone else dropped it, fingers would point in only one direction. Well, he had been in this position before, just as he had placed others in the identical position. There was only one safe response. He must delegate authority, but do it so subtly that everything still appeared to be in his own hands. The logical candidate was Shorty Janvert. As a first step, Shorty would be named as number two on this project, right under Dzule Peruge himself. Peruge had not specified who he wanted as number two. That had been a mistake on his part. If Peruge changed this assignment, a thing he might very well do, then he would be responsible for the actions of his new second. Shorty was a logical choice. Peruge had made it clear on several