From there, our student tells his role in setting up a last-minute appointment between Nokam and JFK during the President’s state visit to Paris in June 1961. Applying ‘laws of history’ of his own making to an analysis of coming events, Nokam realizes the US faces inescapable defeat in Vietnam, so he wants to convince JFK to contain damage and move urgently towards a negotiated withdrawal without dropping the Catholic government of South Vietnam. The meeting comes off and JFK hears Nokam out but ignores the advice and predestined events lock into their worst-case scenario for both Vietnam and himself.

  In 1970, our hero is now a military advisor to the Royal Laotian Navy, with enough spare time to spell out Nokam’s theory of history , called ‘Eventalism’, in a paper ultimately destined for publication so that world’s leaders can optimize damage containment in their management of national and international affairs. Nokam goes on to explain at a private gathering how he had mapped out Nixon’s destiny, including his SE Asia policies and resignation years before the fact. Nokam finally turns over a copy of the manuscript to a US presidential aide in April 1974 but too late to inflect the course of events – Nixon’s resignation was only months away.

  Nokam abruptly disappears in 1975 (probably to act on Moscow but possibly Beijing or Tokyo) leaving behind forecasts on subjects such as World War III and how to mitigate it by transforming it to economic conflict. The book closes with concrete comments from Nokam on myth, religion and the fate of humanity.