Anyway, power has its advantages, he thought. I shan't disperse the Directorate, of course, stupid - why get rid of a ready-made well-knit organization? One simply had to redirect it, turn it onto its true course. Stop the intrusion into the forest, intensify careful research, try to find points of contact, learn from it... They didn't even know what the forest was, after all. Just imagine, a forest! Mountains of firewood... No, there was a lot of work ahead. Real, important work. People would be forthcoming, too - Kim, Stoyan ... Rita ... Good lord, what was wrong with the manager? ... Alevtina... Well and why not this Alas as well, no doubt a good man, brains there, doing a silly job that was all... We'll show them, he thought cheerfully. We'll show them yet, hell! All right. How are things going just now?
He drew the file folder toward him. On the top sheet was written:
DRAFT DIRECTIVE ON PROCEDURE
1. Over the past year the Forest Directorate has materially improved its work and attained splendid results in all spheres of activity. Many hundreds of acres of forest territory have been taken over, studied, eradicated, and put under military and scientific security. The skills of specialist and worker alike show continued steady development. Organization is being perfected, unproductive spending is being reduced, bureaucratic and other impediments external to productivity are being eliminated.
2. However, alongside the achievements achieved, the harmful effects of the Second Law of Thermodynamics, as well as the Law of Large Numbers continue to be felt, thus lowering the general level of attainment. Our most pressing task is now the elimination of chance effects, productive of chaos and destructive of rhythm as well as inductive of a relaxation of tempo.
3. With reference to the above-mentioned, it is suggested in the future that all manifestations of chance be regarded as exceptional and at variance with the ideal of organization, and involvement in chance effects (probability) - as a criminal activity, or, if the involvement in chance effects (probability) is not attended by major consequences - as a most serious breach of office and production discipline.
4. The guilt of any person involved with chance effects (probabilities), is defined and delimited by articles of the Criminal Code nos. 62, 64, 65 (omitting paras. S and 0) 113, and 192 par. K, or Administrative Codex 12, 15 and 97. NOTE: The fatal upshot of any involvement with chance effects (probabilities) is not regarded per se as a justifying or extenuating circumstance. Conviction, or penalty in this instance, will be imposed posthumously.
5. The present Directive promulgated ... month ... day ... year. No retroactive application.
Signature: DIRECTOR (---------------).
Pepper moistened his dry lips and turned the page over. On the next sheet was an order concerning a summons for a member of the Science Security Group, one H. Toity, with reference to the Directive "On procedure," "for malicious indulgence of the law of large numbers, to wit, sliding on the ice with concomitant damage to the ankle joint, which criminal involvement with chance effects (probability) took place on March llth this year." Officer H. Toity should be referred to in all documents henceforward as probabili-trick Toity.
Pepper clicked his teeth and glanced at the next sheet. This was an order too: the imposition of administrative punishment - a fine of four months pay, posthumously - on dog-breeder G. de Montmorency of the military guard, "carelessly permitting himself to be struck down by atmospheric discharge (lightning)." Further on were requests for leave, requests to do with a lump-sum benefit on the loss of a breadwinner, and an explanatory note from one Z. Lumbago concerning the loss of a reel...
"What in the name of!" said Pepper aloud and reread the draft Directive. He began to sweat. The draft was printed on art paper with a gold edge. I need advice from somewhere, thought Pepper miserably, otherwise I'm done for...
At this the door flung open and into the study, pushing a wheeled cart before her, came Alevtina, dressed with extreme elegance in the latest fashion, and wearing a grave expression on her expertly powdered and made-up face.
"Your breakfast," said she in a delicate voice.
"Close the door and come here," said Pepper. She shut the door, pushed the cart with her foot and, adjusting her hair, came over to Pepper.
"Well now, ducky?" said she, smiling. "Satisfied now?"
"Listen," said Pepper. "This is rubbish. Have a read."
She seated herself on the arm of the chair, put her bare left arm around Pepper's neck, and picked up the Directive with the bare right one.
"Well, I know," she said. "It's all in order. What's the matter? Should I bring the Criminal Code in? The previous director couldn't remember a single article either."
"No, no, wait," said Pepper impatiently. "What's the code got to do with it, what's that to do with it? Have you read it?"
