an Arab and everyone accusing everyone else of being a CIA agent working for Israel and who's fighting for whose freedom.'
'Beats me how they can begin to talk about freedom when they're holding innocent children and an old lady hostage and threatening to kill them,' said the Major.
'There I must disagree with you,' said the Professor. 'In terms of Neo-Hegelian post-Marxist political philosophy the freedom of the individual can only reside within the parameters of a collectively free society. The People's Army Groups regard themselves as in the forefront of total freedom and equality and as such are not bound to observe the moral norms which restrict the actions of lackeys of imperialist, fascist and neo-colonialist oppression.'
'Listen, old boy,' said the Major angrily removing his Afro wig, 'just whose side are you on anyway?'
'I am merely stating the theory. If you want a more precise analysis...' began the Professor nervously, only to be interrupted by the Head of the Psychological Warfare team who had been working on the voiceprints.
'From our analysis of the stress factors revealed in these tape recordings we are of the opinion that the group holding Fraulein Schautz are emotionally more disturbed than the two other terrorists,' he announced, 'and frankly I think we should concentrate on reducing their anxiety level.'
'Are you saying the Schautz woman is likely to be shot?' asked the Superintendent.
The psychologist nodded. 'It's rather baffling actually. We've hit something rather odd with that lot, a variation from the normal pattern of speech reactions and I must admit I think she's the one who's most likely to get it in the neck.'
'No skin off my nose if she does,' said the Major, 'she's had it coming to her.'
'There'll be skin off everyone's nose if that happens,' said the Superintendent. 'My instructions are to keep this thing cool and if they start killing their hostages all hell will be let loose.'
'Yes,' said the Professor, 'a very interesting dialectical situation. You must understand that the theory of terrorism as a progressive force in world history demands the exacerbation of class warfare and the polarizing of political opinion. Now in terms of simple effectiveness we must say that the advantage lies with People's Army Group Four and not with the People's Alternative Army.'
'Say that again,' said the Major.
The Professor obliged. 'Put quite simply it is politically better to kill these children than eliminate Fraulein Schautz.'
'That may be your opinion,' said the Major, his fingers twitching on the butt of his revolver, 'but if you know what's good for you you won't express it round here again.'
'I was talking only in terms of political polarization,' said the Professor nervously. 'Only a very small minority will be perturbed if Fraulein Schautz dies but the effect of liquidating four small children, and coterminously conceived female siblings at that, would be considerable.'
'Thank you. Professor,' said the Superintendent hastily. And before the Major could decipher this sinister pronouncement he had ushered the adviser on Terrorist Ideologies out of the room.
'It's blasted eggheads like him who've ruined this country,' said the Major. 'To hear him talk you'd think there were two sides to every damned question.'
'Which is exactly the opposite of what we're getting on the voiceprints,' said the psychologist. 'Our analysis seems to indicate that there's only one spokesman for the People's Alternative Army.'
'One man? said the Superintendent incredulously. 'Didn't sound like one man to me. More like half-a-dozen insane ventriloquists.'
'Precisely. Which is why we think you should try to lower the anxiety level of that group. We
