What Ballmer wants to do between now and then is sit down, have a nice, super-serious chat about Microsoft and Yahoo's desires going forward. Ballmer wants to make some impression of cordiality. If he can do things civil, he wants civil. Yet he makes evident that if the two parties are not to come to a "definitive agreement," Microsoft "will be compelled to take (its) case directly to (Yahoo's) shareholders, including the initiation of a proxy contest to elect an alternative slate of directors for the Yahoo board." Ballmer goes on to press Yahoo's feet to the proverbial fire saying: