“The bigger the smile, the sharper the knife.”

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. In “Rules of Acquisition,” Pel warns Quark about Zek’s flattering appointment. If the negotiations succeed, Zek takes the glory; if they fail, Quark becomes the scapegoat. The friendly opportunity conceals an unequal allocation of risk. A broad gold plane turns into a dark pointed underside bearing on one small pale square.