Chapter 73 - Impostors (11) (1/2)
After having realized why some M.I.T professors had tried to influence him, Lazar also had the impression at that time that he understood why the professor who had insulted him had reacted that way even though he wasn't responsible for what Andrew had done...
According to him, it was more a matter of ego than ethics, because if what had angered her was just the fact that she was being asked to convince an already admitted high school student to study at her university, then she wouldn't have seen that student as someone to blame.
A more logical explanation for Lazar was that Andrew had overlooked the fact that the people he had asked to perform such a thankless task were at the top of the scientific world, and therefore that there would surely be one person in the batch with such high self-esteem that she wouldn't lower herself to do what he asked her...
In this occurrence, that person existed and that was the woman who had just stepped forward on her high heels between Lazar and the crowd while displaying an irritating condescending air.
If Lazar were to take into accounts elements of this woman's behavior that day to try to take advantage of it today, then it would be that she had been too proud to comply with Andrew's demands but too smart to dare to direct her anger at the latter, which was why she had directed it against him.
Seen this way, one might think that she was a difficult person to manipulate, but even smart people can have obvious loopholes, and in this woman's case, Lazar quickly guessed the ones he was going to exploit; her pride and her arrogance.
”If you're as honest as you claim to be...” The woman began to say in a haughty tone while pointing at Lazar a curved saber resembling those that some Europeans and Americans officers had during the 19th century, ”...then objectively explain us why cooperating is in our best interest.”
'Is she really doing that?' Lazar thought with a frown, wondering if she realized that if she went a little further in her provocation, he would cut off the arm with which she was pointing her weapon at him.
This woman's behaviour was particularly annoying but on the other hand, the fact that no one seemed to view her intervention negatively after she mentioned 'their' common interest made Lazar smile inwardly.
It strengthened his belief that if he could convince her to cooperate, it would amounted to convincing everyone.
Lazar was going to answer this question directly so that he wouldn't be told later that he had invented the reasons he was going to enumerate. At worst, if he was blamed for the rapidity of his response on the pretext that it was premeditated, he could claim that he had already considered their options because he cared about their fate from the moment he was given this mission.
”Very well, in the case that you don't accept to cooperate...” He began to say with a resolute face, ”Then I would leave and it will probably be the last time you will see me, I don't intend to force you. I have neither the dėsɨrė nor the time.”