Read the following passage and questions, then choose the right answer from options, the answer should be one of A, B, C, D.

<passage>:
has to be—somewhere. As a result, all his advice to Nordon, and all his questioning on In his office apartment, Malloy leafed trying to stall our men are actually working at trying to reach a decision. those men, as a team, are unbeatable because, in this situation, they're psychologically incapable of losing." a question in his mind. "Since you know all that, couldn't you have handled it yourself?" Malloy, Permanent Terran Ambassador "Maybe, but I doubt it. They might Malloy ran his finger down the columns have gotten around me someway by and Braynek have blind spots, but paranoia. The man wasn't technically insane he could be as lucid as the next morbidly suspicious that every man's hand was turned against him. He trusted no one, and was perpetually on his guard against imaginary plots me, in the first place. No, I couldn't go. The reason why I'm here, cooped up in this office, hiding from the Saarkkada the way a good Saarkkadic bigshot should, is because I like it that way. I suffer from agoraphobia and xenophobia. "I have to be drugged to be put on a spaceship because I can't take all Malloy sighed and pushed the dossiers that empty space, even if I'm protected from it by a steel shell." A look of revulsion came over his face. away from him. No two men were alike, and yet there sometimes seemed to be an eternal sameness about all men. He considered himself an individual, for instance, but wasn't flabby muscles, sagging skin, a memories of Diane, dead these ten years, but still beautiful and alive in Malloy closed his eyes. Somewhere out there, a war was raging. He didn't even like to think of that, but it was necessary to keep it in mind. And, Malloy knew, his own position even in the major production line, but it was necessary to keep the drug supply the term to cover a wide range of differences—but their minds just didn't function along the same lines. to one of them would have meant instant loss of prestige. To their way of thinking, an important official was aloof. The greater his importance, the greater must be his isolation. The Occeq of Saarkkad himself was never seen except by a handful of picked nobles, who, themselves, were never seen except by their underlings. It was a long, roundabout way of doing business, but it was the business at all. To violate the rigid social setup of Saarkkad would mean the instant closing off of the supply of biochemical products that the Earth and her allies and outposts. The job would have been a snap cinch in the right circumstances But Malloy didn't have top-grade men. They couldn't be spared from work that required their total capacity. It's inefficient to waste a man on a where there are more important jobs that will tax his full output. So Malloy was stuck with the culls. Not the worst ones, of course there war effort. Malloy knew that, no matter work, useful work could be found for him. Physical handicaps weren't at all difficult to deal with. A blind man can work very well in the total darkness of an infrared-film darkroom. Partial for in one way or another. The mental disabilities were harder to deal with, but not totally impossible. On a world without liquor, a regulations. But Malloy didn't like to stop at merely thwarting mental quirks he liked to find places where they were useful . The phone chimed. Malloy flipped "Malloy here." "Mr. Malloy?" said a careful voice. She was uncommunicative. She liked to gather in information, but she found it difficult to give it up once it was in her possession. Malloy had made her his private secretary. Nothing—but nothing —got out of Malloy's office without his direct order. It had taken Malloy a and persecutions. head that it was perfectly all right—even desirable—for her to keep secrets from everyone except Malloy. Malloy looked at him. "Didn't you Number two suffered from some She came in through the door, sort of emotional block that left him know? I wondered why you appointed over to Malloy. continually on the horns of one dilemma Malloy let her stand there while he or another. He was psychologically it didn't matter because no one would ever find out from her what he had done unless she was ordered to tell someone. incapable of making a decision if he were faced with two or more hushed voice. Malloy read the whole thing through, fighting to keep his emotions possible alternatives of any major her emotions were a secret. Finally, Malloy looked up. "I'll let Malloy watched her go out the door without actually seeing her. The war was over—at least for a while. He looked down at the papers again. is too costly to allow it to continue any longer than necessary, and this one had been going on for more than thirteen years now. Peace was necessary. But not peace at any price. a reputation for losing wars and winning at the peace table. They were clever, persuasive talkers. They could they'd be able to retrench and rearm, and the war would break out to allow supervision of the production potential, forced to disarm, rendered their own advantage ... Already, they had taken the offensive in the matter of the peace talks. only by low-intelligence animals. The Karna considered this to be fully neutral territory, and Earth addition, they demanded that the conference begin in three days, Terrestrial time. was only a few million miles from a planet which was allied with Earth, and that it was unfair for Earth to take so much time in preparing for an galaxy, most of whom had remained as neutral as possible during the of sticking their figurative noses into a battle between the two most powerful races in the galaxy. within the three-day limit or lose what might be a vital point in the negotiations. of the communique, Malloy Malloy knew the woman would listen in on the intercom anyway, and it was better to give her permission to do so. Malloy waved him to a seat. probably one of the most important jobs you'll ever have in your life. It Malloy explained the problem of man. It involves risk, of course. If you make the wrong decisions, your name will be mud back on Earth. But I don't think there's much chance of that, really. Do you want to handle small-time operations all your life? Of course not. "You'll be leaving within an hour "No," said Malloy, "I'm sending I recall, Mr. Malloy. Should I have?" capable of spotting a trap a mile away. You'll be in charge, of course, but I want you to pay special attention to As soon as Nordon had left, Malloy heavy, protruding brows. Malloy asked Again Malloy went through the explanation trick you every step of the way," Malloy will be to find the loopholes they're laying out for themselves and plug them. Don't antagonize them, but don't baby them, either. If you see anything underhanded going on, let Nordon know immediately." "They won't get anything by me, Mr. Malloy." Malloy had full reports on the whole Malloy handed them to the secretary, and as he read, Malloy watched good man, Malloy had to "I thought they would," said Malloy, Malloy nodded. "I think so. The threw a dilemma right back at them." "How do you mean?" "Nordon had a mental block against making decisions. If he took a girl out on a date, he'd have trouble making up his mind whether to kiss her or not until she made up his mind for him, one way or the other. He's with one, single, clear decision which admits of no alternatives, he can't move at all. this was, and the more importance there is attached to his decisions, the more incapable he becomes of making them." "What about Braynek?" "Paranoid," said Malloy. "He thinks everyone is plotting against him. In this case, that's all to the good plotting against him. No matter what they put forth,

<question>:
Which is probably the hardest thing for Malloy to deal with in his current position?

<options>:
A Being surrounded by aliens
B His day-to-day responsibilities as a diplomat
C Not being able to spend time outside on the beautiful planet
D Having to stay isolated from other people

<answer>:

A