Operation R.S.V.P.

"Operation R.S.V.P." by H. Beam Piper is a science fiction story unfolding during a future Cold War, highlighting the dangers of spying and powerful weapons like nuclear bombs. As tensions rise between the Union of East European Soviet Republics and the United Peoples' Republics of East Asia due to scientific advancements and land disagreements, the sudden vanishing of important scientists sparks intense suspicion and aggressive diplomatic actions. Amidst this chaos, Shere Ali Abdallah, the leader of Afghanistan, uses the situation to his advantage. By offering advanced technology made by the missing scientists, he cleverly plays the superpowers against each other and proposes a unified government, demonstrating a brilliant shift in global power dynamics.