Anyone in Dryden’s line got into the way of talking of clients as commodities, but it jarred to hear a man discuss his daughter like furniture. And he objected to being put down as if he were some oaf in Queen Victoria’s court. ‘I think there’s something you should understand, Dr. Serafin. I’m aware that I’m your guest up here, but respect is something I don’t believe I owe you. The girl performed well under questioning, and I commented on that. If each remark I make—’
‘Then perhaps I spoke prematurely,’ Serafin cut in. ‘You will find I am not a man to trifle with. I have no sense of humor. If you took offense at anything I said, I withdraw it.’ He folded his arms and looked challengingly at Dryden. Deciding apparently that what he had said had been taken for an apology, he continued, ‘As to Goldengirl’s facility in answering questions, I should make it clear that her answers are not rehearsed. She has a number of response phrases ready to introduce in her own way when certain key topics arise. The greater part of what you heard this afternoon was as fresh to my ears as it was to yours.’
‘If she’s as good as that, why bother with trigger words at all?’ asked Dryden acidly enough to show he was not ignoring the outburst.
‘Ah!’ Serafin nodded as if acknowledging a better-than-average question from a student. ‘They help her over difficult areas of questioning. The point you took up — the influence of commerce on the Olympics — is still a snare. Although it is common knowledge that people like Killy and Spitz made millions out of their Olympic victories, it wouldn’t do for Goldengirl to admit she expects to make even more. So she is triggered — to use your expression — to say she doesn’t read the Wall Street Journal, or something of the sort. It gets a laugh, which provides the bridge to another question.’
‘Neat. And you’re confident she can do it in front of several hundred pressmen?’
‘Certain. In fact, there is actually a delay between question and response in an Olympic press conference while the question is translated into other languages. That is a feature we deliberately excluded from our simulation sessions to sharpen her reactions. TV studio interviews require immediate responses, so we cannot have her getting lazy habits. Did you notice anything about her manner?’
‘She actually enjoyed the experience, if I’m any judge,’ answered Dryden. ‘I’d put it more strongly, in fact. She appeared to be exhilarated.’
‘It came over, then,’ said Serafin, looking pleased. ‘There are three obvious elements in the process of psychological reinforcement: the noticeable stimulus, the response, and the palpable consequence. The latter cannot be overestimated. In its most basic form it consists of reward or punishment. Lee has developed this quite brilliantly in terms of personality dynamics. As you observed, a correct response induces exhilaration in Goldengirl. She is motivated to derive pleasure from the press conference.’
‘It was apparent as soon as she appeared in the room,’ said Dryden.
‘Splendid! You see, Lee’s work with her has marshaled the motivating forces of her personality in the cause of our enterprise. For Goldengirl, the press conference is a situation in which she is involved — how shall I put it?—’
‘Sensually?’ suggested Dryden.
Serafin paused before answering. ‘You could say so.’
‘That was my impression. Is that good for her, Dr. Serafin?’
He frowned. ‘What do you mean?’
‘I’m not a psychologist, but if Lee conditions her to be turned on by flashbulbs and tape recorders, what effect will it have on her personality?’
‘I don’t think you understand,’ said Serafin. ‘She is going to become a goddess overnight, worshiped by millions. What effect will that have on her personality if she is not prepared? It will annihilate her. My duty is to prepare her, so far as I can, for life as a public figure, Dryden. If Lee can help her project facets of her private persona into her public appearances, he is giving her a lifeline.’
‘What you are saying, in effect, is that her private life is sacrificed on the altar of this goddess.’
‘I prefer the image of a butterfly emerging from a chrysalis,’ said Serafin without rancor. ‘An apparently dramatic transformation which has actually been in preparation unobserved for many weeks.’
‘Dr. Lee is an accredited psychologist, is he?’ Dryden asked.
‘But of course. He would be working for the government if they were not ultrasensitive about security. His early training was in Peking, and that has dogged his career ever since, even though he defected as long ago as 1966, the period of the Cultural Revolution. He has no affiliations or sympathy with Red China. Finding his Chinese qualifications were unacceptable here, he joined Columbia as a mature student, graduated and went on to take a doctorate. Then he moved West and obtained a lecturing post at Berkeley, which gives some indication of his caliber. Things went well for him for a time there, but you know what Berkeley is like. An imbecilic group of students calling themselves Maoists raked up his story from somewhere and proceeded to hound him as if they were Red Guards in Peking. They made it impossible for him to continue. He resigned his post and joined the psychiatric team at Los Angeles County General Hospital, which is where I met him four years ago on a public health committee. We found an instant rapport existed between us. As our acquaintance developed, we exchanged more confidences, and when he told me one evening of his experiences in China and at Berkeley, I realised what trust the man was reposing in me, for there are people in the medical world, just as there are in the academic, who delight in destroying reputations. When I needed the help of a psychologist here, it seemed quite natural to approach Lee. He listened to my account of Goldine and agreed to join us as soon as he had worked a month’s notice at the hospital.’
‘Is he in the consortium?’ Dryden asked.
‘No. Lee is staff. He receives a good salary. I see to that. The only members of the consortium you have met so far are Armitage, Valenti and myself.’
‘Not Klugman?’
‘Klugman, like Lee, is staff,’ said Serafin. ‘You assumed he was on the board? I asked him to meet you in the lounge out of courtesy, as one of the senior staff. Lee would have been there too, but he was working with Goldengirl. The schedule has priority over everything here.’
‘Could I see it?’
‘The schedule?’ Serafin took a half step backward and his face shaped into a refusal, but unexpectedly altered. ‘Why not? You are entitled to know how far we are committed to this project. Yes, you can see it. Come to the lounge.’
If it was displayed in there, it was surprising he had not noticed it before.
‘So Lee is in charge of the girl’s psychological conditioning, and Klugman the physical?’ Dryden said as they headed toward the built-up end of the camp.
‘Broadly speaking yes. Klugman has two assistants: Brannon and Makepeace, both former athletes and coaches of some experience. And I am involved as well, of course, physiology being my specialty.’
‘How did you come to recruit Klugman?’ Dryden ventured, making the most of this communicative mood. ‘He doesn’t look to me like a Chinese defector.’