Free Devices and Desires by P. D. James Page A

learned by now that I am being sued by Miss Hilary Robarts, the Acting Administrative Officer at Larksoken Power Station, for alleged libel arising from what I wrote in the May issue of the news-sheet. I shall, of course, strenuously defend the action and, as I have no money to pay for a lawyer, will present my own defence. This is just the latest example of the threat to free information and even free speech presented by the nuclear-energy lobby. Apparently now even the mildest criticism is to be followed by the threat of legal action. But there is a positive side. This action by Hilary Robarts shows that we, the ordinary people of this county, are making our impact. Would they bother with our small news-sheet if they weren’t running scared? And the libel action, if it comes to trial, will give us valuable national publicity if properly handled. We are stronger than we know. Meanwhile I give below the dates of the next open days at Larksoken so that as many of us as possible can attend and put our case against nuclear power during the question time which normally precedes the actual tour of the station.”
    She said: “I told you, I’ve seen it. I don’t know why you wasted your time reading it out. He seems determined to aggravate his offence. If he had any sense he’d get himself a good lawyer and keep his mouth shut.”
    “He can’t afford a lawyer. And he won’t be able to pay damages.” He paused, and then said quietly: “In the interests of the station I think you should drop it.”
    “Is that an order?”
    “I’ve no power to compel you and you know that. I’m asking you. You’ll get nothing out of him, the man’s practically penniless, and he isn’t worth the trouble.”
    “He is to me. What he describes as mild criticism was a serious libel and it was widely disseminated. There’s no defence. Remember the actual words? ‘A woman whose response to Chernobyl is that only thirty-one people were killed, who can dismiss as unimportant one of the world’s greatest nuclear disasters, which put thousands in hospital, exposed a hundred thousand or more to dangerous radioactivity, devastated vast areas of land and may result in deaths from cancer amounting to fifty thousand over the next fifty years, is totally unsuitable to be trusted to work in an atomic-power station. While she remains there, in any capacity, we must have the gravest doubts whether safety will ever be taken seriously at Larksoken.’ That’s a clear allegation of professional incompetence. If he’s allowed to get away with that, we’ll never get rid of him.”
    “I wasn’t aware that we were in the business of getting rid of inconvenient critics. What method had you in mind?”
    He paused, detecting in his voice the first trace of that reedy mixture of sarcasm and pomposity which he knew occasionally affected him and to which he was morbidly sensitive. He went on: “He’s a free citizen living where he chooses.He’s entitled to his views. Hilary, he’s not a worthy opponent. Bring him to court and he’ll attract publicity for his cause and do your own no good at all. We’re trying to win over the locals, not antagonize them. Let it go before someone starts a fund to pay for his defence. One martyr on Larksoken headland is enough.”
    While he was speaking she got up and began pacing to and fro across the wide office. Then she paused and turned on him. “This is what it’s all about, isn’t it? The reputation of the station, your reputation. What about my reputation? If I drop the action now, it will be a clear admission that he was right, that I’m not fit to work here.”
    “What he wrote hasn’t hurt your reputation with anyone who matters. And suing him isn’t going to help it. It’s unwise to let policy be influenced, let alone jeopardized, by outraged personal pride. The reasonable course is quietly to drop the action. What do feelings matter?” He found that he couldn’t remain seated while she was striding