There’s a guy at the office I work at that hates silence during conversations. Occasionally, when he and I converse about something trivial, I’ll find a point in the conversation to stop talking. He’ll keep the conversation going of his own accord simply because he isn’t getting verbal feedback from me. Inevitably, what he says to fill the silence becomes increasingly tangential and less intelligent. As that happens, my control of him makes itself clear to both of us.

From The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene:

Law 4: Always Say Less than Necessary

When you are trying to impress people with words, the more you say, the more common you appear, and the less in control. Even if you are saying something banal, it will seem original if you make it vague, open-ended, and sphinxlike. Powerful people impress and intimidate by saying less. The more you say, the more likely you are to say something foolish.

Write a story regarding either the observance or the transgression of this law.