OCTOBER 1964

SOc

galaxy
THE TACTFUL SABOTEUR by FRANK HERBERT
THE CHILDREN OF NIGHT by FREDERIK POHL
THE 1980 PRESIDENT by MIRIAM ALLEN DEFORD

SOLDIER

ASK

NOT

by

GORDON

DICKSON
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galaxy MAGAZINE
Galaxy is published in French and
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also published in Living Tape by
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OCTOBER, 1964 • Vol. 23, No. 1

CONTENTS WILLY LEY

COMPLETE SHORT NOVEL Science Editor
SOLDIER, ASK NOT 7 DIANE SULLIVAN
by Gordon R. Dickson Associate Editor
NOVELETTES SOL COHEN
THE TACTFUL SABOTEUR 93 Publisher
by Frank Herbert DAVID PERTON
THE CHILDREN OF NIGHT 158 Production Manager
by Frederik Pohl DAVE GELLER ASSOC.
SHORT STORIES Advertising
BE OF GOOD CHEER 65 MAVIS FISHER
by Fritz Leiber Subscription Mgr.
HOW THE OLD WORLD DIED 81 GALAXY MAGAZINE is published
by Harry Harrison bi-monthly by Galaxy Publishing
THE 1980 PRESIDENT Corporation. Main offices: 421
86
Hudson Street, New York 14,
by Miriam Allen deFord
N. Y. 50c per copy Subscrip-
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Elsewhere $3.50. Second-class
PRECIOUS ARTIFACT 142 postage paid at New York, N. Y.
by Philip K. Dick and at additional mailing of-
SPECIAL FEATURES fices. Copyright New York 1964
by Galaxy Publishing Corpora-
BATTLE HYMN OF THE FRIENDLY tion, Robert M. Guinn, Presi-
SOLDIERS 18 dent. All rights including trans-
by Gordon R. Dickson lations reserved. All material

MARTIAN PLAY SONG 63 submitted must be accompani-

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SCIENCE DEPARTMENT sumes no responsibility for un-
FOR YOUR INFORMATION 70 solicited material. All stories
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by Willy Ley
fiction and any similarity be-
FEATURES tween characters and actual
EDITORIAL 4 persons is coincidental.

by Frederik Pohl Printed in the U.S.A.

By The Guinn Co., Inc. N. Y.

FORECAST 157 Title Reg. U. S. Pat. Off.
Cover by Schelling for SOLDIER, ASK NOT
 EING STARS

sphere are lights in the sky at to be more precise — 1600 known

night— and not all of them and catalogued, and a lot that
are stars. Every once in a while aren’t.) You may never have
something elsewheels into view thought of an asteroid as a
— a nova, a long-period comet, naked-eye object, and indeed the
a hatch of meteorites— to bright- other 49,999 aren’t. But Vesta is
en up our night-time sky and not only big, it is for some un-
give us something changeable known reason particularly bright.
and fresh to look at. This Sep- Every once in a while it makes a
tember particularly there are a specially close approach to the
couple of objects on display Earth, and then it comes right up
which you don’t usually find, no to the threshhold of vision.
matter how hard you look. If you’d like to test your
For instance, did you ever see sharpness of eye on Vesta, here’s
an asteroid with the naked eye? how: First, make sure it’s a clear
With a little luck, you just night. (At its brightest Vesta
might be able to see one around reaches just a hair6th above
September 2d. It is the worldlet magnitude, which usually con-
is

Vesta, a 240-mile-diameter boul- sidered the lower limit for bare-

der, third largest of the thou- eye viewing.) Second, locate the
sands of chunks of rock we call constellation Aquarius.
the asteroid belt. (About 50,000, The usual way to locate
4 GALAXY
 These great winds were lioshr/avans

were these men great?

Benjamin Frankie How does anyone —
man or woman achieve —
greatness? Is it not by mastery of the powers i§|f§
within ourselves?
Know the mysterious world within you ! Attune
yourself to the wisdom of the ages! Grasp the
inner power of your mind Learn the secrets of a
!

full and peaceful life

Benjamin Franklin, statesman and inventor . .

Isaac Newton, discoverer of the Law of Gravita-

O' Isaac Newton tion Francis Bacon, philosopher and scientist

. . .

.. like many other learned and great men and

.

women were Rosicrucians. The Rosicrucians

. . .

(NOT a religious organization) have been in

existence for centuries. Today, headquarters of
the Rosicrucians send over seven million pieces
of mail annually to all parts of the world.

Woe ROSICRUCIANS
San Jose (AMORC) California, U.S.A.
'
Francis Bacon
Scribe K.W.B.
iprseooK FR^i The ROSTCRLFCIANS SIND THIS COUPON
(AMORC)
FREB San Jose, California, ILS.A.

coj>y of “The Mas- Please send me the free book. The Mastery af Life,
— which explains how I may learn to use my faculties
cwy of • Life” and powers of mind.
l^tODAY. No ob-
x ligation* A non- Name-
:
:: profit ;£; organiza-
:

TuhriO Address :

i
Scribe K.W.B. |

5
Aquarius is first to find the North Mercury is in the sky, it is un-
Star. Then draw from it an im- fortunately a daylight sky. A
aginary line, slightly curved, couple of times a year, for a day
sweeping south and a touch west- or two at a time, we have a fight-
ward through Cassiopeia and the ing chance to find it. This year’s
Great Square in Pegasus until best remaining chance occurs in
you come to Aquarius. the early mornings around Sep-
That’s the usual way. Fortun- tember 19th.
ately, thisyear it is a little easier. Your first step is to get out of
The planet Saturn happens to bed at least an hour before sun-
be stagnating in Aquarius right rise. Find a spot with an unob-
now, exhibiting that retrograde structed view to the east, and
motion that so puzzled the epicy- look in that direction. You will
clists so if you look toward the
: surely see a very bright object,
south in the late evening the fairly high in the sky. Ignore it.
brightest object you see is prob- It isn’t Mercury, it is Venus.
ably Saturn, and the stars around But below Venus, low on the
it are the constellation you want, horizon just before the sky be-
Aquarius. Well, a few degrees gins to brighten, you should be
southeast of Saturn you should, able to spot another —
lesser,
the fates being with you, find a but still bright —
object; and
very faint object; and if you that is what you are looking for.
watch it for a couple of evenings, Find it? Then consider your-
and it* moves, or changes its ap- self one up on, for example,
pearance, or disappears entirely, Copernicus —
who spent all his
you will then know you have had life looking for Mercury, but was
a naked-eye sighting of the aster- never able to find it at all. (He
oid Vesta. had the misfortune to spend most
of his life in areas with consid-
yt lmost equally difficult to see erable ground fog, it seems.)
-** — but not because it isn’t Seeing Vesta, on the other hand,
bright — is the planet Mercury. puts you one up not only on
Considering that it is a first- Copernicus but on every other
magnitude object, it is surprising astronomer who lived from
that so few people have seen it Eratosthenes to Olbers, who
with the naked eye —
or, at least, discovered it about a hundred
recognized what they have seen. and fifty odd years ago. But
The trouble, of course, is that the Olbers cheated. He used a tele-
little devil lies so close to the scope.
sun that most of the time when — FREDERIK POHL
6 GALAXY
 SOLDIER,
ASK NOT
by GORDON R. DICKSON

Illustrated by MORROW

The star-born "splinter races" of Man

were coming home again, to meet on a
battered planet where men faced Dorsail

Soldier, ask not — now or ever — was like a hand from the dark-,
Where to war your banners go . . • ness behind me, shoving me into
the dark day and the rain. My
I Newsman’s cloak covered me.
The wet chill of the day wrap-
yts I got off the spaceliner on ped around me but did not enter
St. Marie, the little breeze me. I was like the naked clay-
from the higher pressure of the more of my own early ancestors,
ship’s atmosphere at my back wrapped and hidden in the plaid
7
 — sharpened on a stone — and ming on the great ship behind
carried now at last to the meet- me which had shifted me free
ing for which it had been guard- between the stars —
from Old
ed over three years of waiting. Earth to this second smallest of
A meeting in the cold rain of the worlds, this small terraform-
spring. I felt it, cold as old blood ed planet under the Procyon
on my hands and tasteless on my suns —and drumming hollowly
lips.Above, the sky was low and upon the Credentials case slid-
clouds flowing to the east. The ing down the conveyor belt be-
rain fell steadily. side me. That case now meant
The sound of it was like a nothing to me —
neither my
rolling of drums as I went down papers or the Credentials of Im-
the landing stairs, the
outside partiality I had carried six years
multitude of raindrops sounding and worked so long to earn. Now
their own end against the un- I thought than of
less of these
[

yielding concrete all around. The the name the man 1 should
of
'
concrete stretched far from the find dispatching groundcars at
ship in every direction, hiding the edge of the field. If, that was,
the earth, as bare and clean as he was actually the man my
the last page of an account book Earth informants had named to
before the final entry. At its far me. And if they had not lied . . .

edge, the spaceport terminal “. . Your luggage, sir?”

.

stood like a single gravestone.

The curtains of falling water be- T woke from my thoughts and
tween it and me thinned and the rain. I had reached the con-

thickened like the smoke of bat-
tle, but could not hide it entire-
ly from my sight.
It was the same rain that falls
in all places and on all worlds.
It had fallen like this on Athens
of Old Earth, when I was only
a boy, on the dark, unhappy
house of the uncle who brought
me up after my parent’s death,
on the ruins of the Parthenon as
crete. The debarking officer smil-
ed at me. He was older than I,
though he looked younger. As he
smiled some beads of moisture
broke and spilled like tears from
the brown visor-edge of his cap
onto the tally sheet he held.
“Send it to the Friendly com-
pound,” I said. “I’ll take the
Credentials case.”
I took it up from the conveyor

I saw it from my bedroom win- belt and turned to walk off. The
dow. man standing in a dispatcher’s
I listened to it now as I went uniform by the first groundcar in
down the landing stairs, drum- line did fit the description.

8 GALAXY
 “Name,sir?” he said. “Bus- “Yes, sir,” he said softly.
inesson St. Marie?” “Look at me,” I said. “You’ve
he had been described to
If got some information for me,
me, I must have been described haven’t you?”
to him. But I was prepared to He turned slowly back to face
humor him. me. His face was still blank.
“Tam Olyn,” I said. “Old “No, sir.”
Earth resident and Interworld I waited a long moment, look-
News Network representative. ing at him.
I’m here to cover the Friendly- “All right,” I said then, reach-
Exotic conflict.” I opened my ing for the car door. “I guess you
case ^nd gave him my papers. know I’ll get the information
j#|^*Fine, Mr. Olyn.” He handed anyway. And they’ll believe you
em back to me, damp from the told me.”
ain. He turned away to open His little mustache began to
e door of the car beside him look like it was painted on.
and set the automatic pilot. “Fol- —
“Wait ” he said.
low the highway straight to Jo- “What for?”
seph’s Town. Put it on automatic “Look,” he said, “you’ve got
at the city limits and the car’ll to understand. Information like
take you to the Friendly com- that’s not part of your news, is
pound.” it? I’ve got a family
—
“All right,” I said. “Just a min- “And I haven’t,” I said. I felt
ute.” nothing for him.
He turned back. He had a “But you don’t understand.
young, good-looking face with a They’d kill me. That’s the sort
little mustache and he looked at of organization the Blue Front
me with a bright blankness. is now, here on St. Marie. What

“Sir?” d’you want to know about them

“Help me get in the car.” for? I didn’t understand you
“Oh, I’m sorry, sir.” He came meant —
quickly over to me. “I didn’t “All right,” said. reached
realize your leg — for the car door.
I I

“Damp stiffens it,” I said. He “Wait —” He held out a hand

adjusted the seat and I got my to me in the rain. “How do I

left leg in behind the steering know you can make them leave
column. He started to turn away. me alone you?”
if I tell
“Wait a minute,” I said again. “They may be back in power
I was out of patience. “You’re here some day,” I said. “Not
Walter Imera, aren’t you?” even outlawed political groups

10 GALAXY
want to antagonize the Inter- ment panel. One of the Friendly
planetary News Network.” I soldiers would have ripped it off
started to close the door once and thrown it away, or refused
more. the car. And so it gave me a par-
“All right
— he said quickly.
” ticular pleasure to leave it where
“All right. You go to New San it was, though it meant no more

Marcos. The Wallace Street to me than it would to him. It

Jewelers there. It’s just beyond was, not just because of Dave,
Joseph’s Town, where the my brother-in-law, and the other
Friendly compound is you’re go- prisoners they had shot down on
ing to.” He licked his lips. New Earth. It was simply be-
“You’ll them about me?”
tell cause there are some duties that
“I’ll them.” I looked at
tell have a small element of pleas-
him. Above the edge of the blue ure. After the illusions of child-
uniform collar on the right side hood are gone and there is noth-
of his neck I could see an inch or ing left but duties, such pleasures
two of fine silver chain, bright are welcome. Fanatics, when all
against winter-pale skin. The is said and done, are no worse
crucifix attached to it would be than mad dogs.
down under his shirt. “The But mad dogs have to be de-
Friendly soldiers have been here stroyed; it is a simple common
two years now. How do people sense.
like them?” And you return to common
He grinned a little. His color sense after a while in life, inevit-
was coming back. ably. When the wild dreams of
“Oh, like anybody,” he said. justice and progress are all dead
“You just have to understand and buried, when the painful
them. They’ve got their own beatings of feeling inside you are
ways.” finally stilled, then it becomes
I felt the ache in my stiff leg best to be still, unliving, and un-
where the doctors on New Earth —
yielding as the blade of a sword
had taken the needle from the sharpened on a stone. The rain
spring rifle out of it three years through which such a blade is
before. carried to its using does not
“Yes, they have,” I said. stain it, any more than the blood
“Shut the door.” in which it is bathed at last. Rain
He shut it. I drove off. and blood are alike to sharpened
iron.
nphere was a St. Christopher’s I drove for half an hour past
medal on the car’s instru- wooded hills and plowed mead-
SOLD1ER, ASK NOT 11
 ows. The furrows of the fields turned down an approach alley.
were black in the rain. I thought I could see an interior square at
ita kinder black than some other the alley’s far end. The close con-
shades I had seen; and at last crete walls on either side of us
I reached the outskirts of Jo- echoed the sound of our passage
seph’s Town. as we went. I heard drill com-
The autopilot of the car mands growing louder as we ap-
threaded me through a small, proached the square. When we
neat, typical Marie City of
St. rolled out into it, soldiers were
about a hundred thousand drawn up in ranks for their mid-
people. We came out on the far day service, in the rain.
side into a cleared area, beyond
which lifted the massive, sloping nphe groupman left me and
concrete walls of a military corn- went in the entrance of what
s'
pound. seemed to be an office inset in
A Friendly non-com stopped the wall on one side of the
my car at the gate with his black square. I looked over the soldiers
spring rifle, and opened the car standing in formation. They stood
door at my left. at present-arms, their position of
“Thee have business here?” worship under field conditions;
His voice was harsh and high and as I watched, the officer
in his nose. The cloth tabs of a standing facing them, with his
groupman edged his collar. back to a wall, led them into the
Above them his forty-year-old words of their Battle Hymn.
face was lean and graven with
lines. Both face and hands, the Soldier, ask not — now or ever.
Where to war yoor banners go.
only uncovered parts of him,
Anarch's legions, all surround us.
looked unnaturally white against Strike! And do not count the blow!
the black cloth and rifle.
I opened the case beside me I sat trying not to listen. There

and handed him my papers. was no musical accompaniment,

“My Credentials,” I said. “I’m no religious furniture or symbols
here to see your acting Com- except the thin shape of the cross
mander of Expeditionary Forces, whitewashed on the gray wall
Commandant Jamethon Black.” behind the officer. The massed
“Move over, then,” he said male voices rose and fell slowly
nasally. “I must drive thee.” in the dark, sad hymn that prom-
I moved. ised them only pain, and suffer-
He got in and took the stick. ing, and sorrow. At last, the final
We drove through the gate and line mourned its harsh prayer for

12 GALAXY
a battle death, and they ordered the still, self- controlled stiffness
arms. of his body, smaller and slighter
A groupman dismissed the than mine.
ranks as the officer walked back He held the credentials with-
past my car without looking at out looking at them. His mouth
me, and passed in through the quirked a little, dryly and wear-
entrance where my non-com- ily, at the corners. “And no
missioned guide had disappeared. doubt, Mr. Olyn,” he said,
As he passed I saw the officer “you’ve got another pocket filled
was young. with authorities from the Exotic
A moment later the guide Worlds to interview the mercen-
came for me. Limping a little ary soldiers and officers they’ve
on my followed
stiffened leg, 1 hired from the Dorsai and a
him to an inner room with the dozen other worlds to oppose
lights on above a single desk. The God’s Chosen in War?”
young officer rose and nodded as I smiled. Because it was good
the door closed behind me. He to find him as strong as that, to
wore the faded tabs of a com- add to my pleasure of breaking
mandant on his uniform lapels. him.
As I handed my credentials
across the desk to him, the glare II
of the light over the desk came
full in my eyes, blinding me. I T looked across the ten feet or
stepped back and blinked at his ^ so of distance that separated
blurred face. As it came back in- us. The Friendly non-com who
to focus I saw it for a moment had killed the prisoners on New
as if it was older, harsher, twist- Earth had also spoken of God’s
ed and engraved with the lines Chosen.
of years of fanaticism. “If you’ll look under the pap-
Then my eyes refocused com- ers directed to you,” I said,
pletely, and I saw him as he “you’ll find them. The News
actually was. Dark-faced, but Network and its people are im-
thin with the thinness of youth partial. We don’t take sides.”
rather than that of self-starva- “Right,” said the dark young
tion. He was not the face burned face opposing me, “takes sides.”
in my memory. His features were “Yes, Commandant,” I said.
regular to the point of being “That’s right. Only sometimes
handsome, his eyes tired and it’s a matter of debate where
shadowed and I saw the straight,
; Right is. You and your troops
weary line of his mouth above here now are invaders on the

SOLDIER, ASK NOT 13

world of a planetary system your “to provide you with cooperation
ancestors never colonized. And and facilities. We’ll find quarters
opposing you are mercenary for you here. Do you need a car
troops hired by two worlds that and driver?”
not only belong under the Proc- “Thanks,” I said. “That com-
yon suns but have a commitment mercial car outside will do. And
to defend the smaller worlds of I’ll manage my own driving.”
their system —
of which St. Marie “As you like.” He detached tha
is one. I’m not sure right is on papers directed to him, passed
your side.” the rest back to me and leaned
He shook his head slightly and toward a grill in his desktop.
said, “We expect small under- “Groupman.”
standing from those not Chosen.” “Sir,” the grill answered
He transferred his gaze from me promptly.
to the papers in his hand. “Quarters for a single male
“Mind if I sit down?” I said. civilian. Parking assignment for
“I’ve got a bad leg.” a civilian vehicle, personnel.”
“By all means.” to He nodded “Sir.”
a chair beside his desk and, as The voice from the grill clicked
I sat down,
seated himself. I off. Jamethon Black looked
looked across the papers on the across his desk at me. I got the
desk before him and saw, stand- idea he was waiting for my de-
ing to one side, the solidograph parture.
of one of the windowless high- “Commandant,” I said, putting
peaked churches the Friendlies my back in their
credentials
build. It was a legitimate token case,“two years ago your Elders
—
for him to own but there just of the United Churches on Har-
happened to be three people, an mony and Association found the
older man and woman and a planetary government of St.
young girl of about fourteen, in Marie in default of certain dis-
the foreground of the image. All puted balances of credit, so they
three of them bore a family re- sent an expedition in here to
semblance to Jamethon Black. occupy and enforce payment. Of
Glancing up from my credentials that expedition, how much in the
he saw me looking at them; and way of men and equipment do
his gaze shifted momentarily to you have left?”
the graph and away again, as if “That, Mr. Olyn,” he said, “is
he would protect it. restricted military information.”
“I’m required, I see,” he said, “However —” and I closed the
drawing my eyes back to him, case •— “you, with the regular

14 GALAXY
rank of commandant, are acting He stood up. “I have work I must
Commander of Forces for that get back to, Mr. Olyn.”
remnants of your expedition. stood up, too. I was taller
I

That position calls for someone than he was, older, and heavier-
about five ranks higher than you. boned. It was only his almost un-
Do you expect such an officer to natural composure that enabled
arrive and take charge?” him to maintain his appearance
“I’m afraid you’d have to ask of being my equal or better. ,

that question of Headquarters “I’ll talk to you later, perhaps,

on Harmony, Mr. Olyn.” when you’ve got more time,” I

“Do you expect reinforcements said.

of personnel and more supplies?” “Certainly.”heard the office
I

“If I did
—” his voice was level door open behind me. “Group-
— “I would have to consider that man,” he said, speaking past me,
restricted information, too.” “take care of Mr. Olyn.”
“You know that it’s been pret-
ty widely mentioned that your '"T''he groupman he had turned
General Staff on Harmony has me over to found me a
decided that this expedition to small concrete cubicle with a
St. Marie is a lost cause? But window, a camp bed
single high
that to avoid loss of face they and a uniform cabinet. He left
prefer you here to be cut up, in- me for a moment and returned
stead of withdrawing you and with a signed pass.
your men.” “Thanks,” I said as I took it.

“I see,” he said. “Where do I find the Headquar-

“You wouldn’t care to com- ters of the Exotic Forces?”

ment?” “Our latest advices, sir,” he
His dark, young, expression- said, “is that they’re ninety kil-
less face did not change. “Not ometers east of here. New San
in the case of rumors, Mr. Olyn.” Marcos.” He was my height, but,
“One last question then. Do like most of them, half a dozen
you plan to retreat westward, or years younger than I, with an in-
surrender when the spring of- nocence that contrasted with the
fensive of the Exotic mercenary strange air of control they all
forces begins to move against had.
you?” “San Marcos.” I looked at him.
“The Chosen in War
never re- “I suppose you enlisted men
treat,”he said. “Neither do they know your General Headquarters
abandon, or suffer abandonment on Harmony has decided against
by, their Brothers in the Lord.” wasting replacements for you?”

SOLDIER, ASK NOT 15

 “No, sir,” he said. I might have itwas from a spaceport auto-
commented on the rain for all dispatchernamed Imera. I prom-
the reaction he showed. Even ised him protection for telling
these boys were still strong and me. We’d appreciate it if he re-
unbroken. “Is there somewhat mains well and whole.”
else?”
—
“I’m afraid ” He put his
“No,” I said. "Thanks.” hands on the glass top of the
He went out. And I went out, case. They were veined with the
to get inmy car and head ninety years. “You wanted to buy some-
kilometers east through the same thing?”
sort of country to New San Mar- “I’m willing to pay in good
cos. I reached it in about three- will,” I said, “for information.”
quarters of an hour. But I did His hands slid off the counter-
not go directly to find the Ex- top.
otic Field Headquarters. I had “Sir.” He sighed a little. “I’m
other fish to fry. afraid you’re in the wrong store.”
These took me to the Wallace “I’m sure I am,” I said. “But
Street Jewelers. There, three your store’ll have to do. We’ll
shallow steps down from street pretend it’s the right store and
level and an opaqued door let I’m talking to someone who’s a
me in to a long,dim-lighted room member of the Blue Front.”
filled with glass cases. There was He shook his head slowly and
a small elderly man at the back stepped back from the case.
of the store behind the final case “The Blue Front is illegal,”
and I saw him eyeing my cor- he said. “Good-by, sir.”
respondent’s cloak and badge as “In a moment. I’ve got a few
I got closer. filings to say first.”
“Sir?” he said, as I stopped “Then I’m sorry.” He retreat-
across the case from him. He ed toward some drapes covering
raised gray, narrow old eyes in a a doorway. “I can’t listen. No one
strangely smooth face to look at will come into this room with
me. you, sir, as long as you talk like
“I think you know what I rep- that.”
resent,” I said. “All worlds know He
slipped through the drapes
the News Services. We’re not and was gone. I looked around
concerned with local politics.” the long, empty room.
“Sir?” “Well,” I said, a little more
“You’ll find out how I learned loudly, “I guessI’ll have to speak

your address anyway,” I kept on to the walls. I’m sure the walls
smiling at him. “So 111 tell you can hear me.”

16 GALAXY
 —
I paused. There was no sound. turned and went up the long
“All right,” I said. “I’m a cor- room and out. It was not until
respondent. All I’m interested in I was well out on to the street

is information. Our assessment of that I let the feeling of triumph

the military situation here on within spread out and warm me.
St. Marie
—
” and here I told the They would take the bait.
—
truth “shows the Friendly Ex- People of their sort always did.
peditionary Forces abandoned I found my car and drove to Ex-

by their home headquarters and oticHeadquarters.

certain to be overrun by the Ex-
otic Forces as soon as the ground 'Tphese were outside the town.
dries enough for heavy equip- -* There a mercenary com-
ment move.”to mandant named Janol Marat
There was still no answer, but took me in charge. He conducted
the back of my neck knew they me to the bubble structure of
were listening, and watching me. their HQ building. There was a
“As a result,” I went on and — feel of purpose, there, a sure and
here I lied, though they would cheerful air of activity. They
have no way of knowing “we — were well armed, well trained.
consider it that the
inevitable After the Friendlies it jumped
Friendly Command here will at me. I said so to Janol.
have got in contact with the Blue “We’ve got a Dorsai Com-
Front. Assassination of enemy mander and we outnumber the
commanders is expressly in opposition.” He grinned at me.
violation of the Mercenaries’ He had a deeply tanned, long
Code and the Articles of Civil- face that went into deep creases
ized Warfare —but civilians as his lips curved up. “That
could do what soldiers could makes everybody pretty optim-
not.” istic. Besides, our commander
Still was no sound or
there gets promoted if he wins. Back
movement beyond the drapes. to the Exotics and staff rank
“A news representative,” I out of field combat for good.
said, “carries Credentials of Im- It’s good business for us to win.”
You know how highly
partiality. I laughed and he laughed.
these are held. I only want to “Tell me more, though,” I said.
ask a few questions. And the an- “I want reasons I can use in the

swers will be kept confiden- stories I send back to News Net-

.” work.”
tial . .

For a last time I waited, and —

“Well ” he answered the
there was still no answer. I snappy salute of a passing group-
SOLDIEB, ASK NOT 17
 With emphasis *" harshly «nd! proucHy
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man, a Cassidan, by the look of Commander’s office. He’s Kensie

him —
“I guess you might men- Graeme.”
—
tion the usual the fact our Ex- “Graeme?” I said, frowning.
otic employers don’t permit I had spent a day at the Hague
themselves to use violence and looking up Kensie Graeme be-
consequently they’re always fore I came, but I wanted Janol’s
rather generous than otherwise reactions to him. “Sounds famil-
when it comes to paying for men iar.” We approached the office
and equipment. And the Out- building. “Graeme . .
.”

Bond —that’s the Exotic Ambas-

— “You’re probably thinking erf
sador to St. Marie, you know another member of the same
“I know.” family.” Janol took the bait.
“He replaced the former Out- “Donal Graeme. A nephew. The
Bond here three years ago. Any- one who pulled that wild stunt
way, he’s something special, even not long ago, attacking Newton
for someone from Mara or Kul- with just a handful of Freiland
tis. He’s an expert in ontogenic ships. Kensie is Donal’s uncle.
calculations. If that means much Not as spectacular as the young
to you. It’s all over my head.” Graeme, but I’ll bet you’ll like
Janol pointed. “Here’s the Field him better than you would the
18 GALAXY
nephew. Kensie’s got two men’s that live more than a few
He looked at me,
likeableness.”
—
years ” Janol stopped by a
grinning slightly again. commandant sitting at a desk.
“That supposed to mean some- “Can we see the Old Man, Hari?
thing special?” I said. This is a News Network man.”
“That’s right,” said Janol. “His “Why, I guess so.” The other
own likeableness and his twin looked at his desk signal board.
brother’s, too. Meet Ian Graeme “The OutBonds with him, but
sometime when you’re in Blau- he’s just leavingnow. Go on in.”
vain. That’s where the Exotic Janol led me between the
embassy is, east of here. Ian’s a desks. A door at the back of
dark man.” the room opened before we
We walked into the office. reached it and a calm-faced man
“I can’t get used,” I said, “to of middle age wearing a blue
how so many Dorsai seem re- robe and close-cropped white
lated.” hair came out. He looked strange
“Neither can I. Actually, I —
but not ridiculous particularly
guess it’s because there really after you met his odd, hazel-
aren’t so many of them. The colored eyes.
Dorsai’s a small world, and those He was an Exotic.

SOLDIER, ASK NOT 19

 —
T knew Padma, as I knew
of why was expecting to meet
I

the Exotics. I had seen them you here, and now. We’ve cal-
on their own home worlds of culated you into our present sit-
Mara and Kultis. A people com- uation here on St. Marie, Tam.”
mitted to non-violence, mystics “Have you?” I said. “Have
but very practical mystics, mas- you? That’s interesting.”
ters of what were known as the “I thought it would be,” said
“strange sciences” —
a dozen wiz- Padma softly. “To you, espec-
ardic step-children of early psy- ially. Someone like a newsman,
chology, sociology and the hu- like yourself, would find it inter-
manistic fields of research. esting.”
“Sir,” said Janol to Padma, “It is,” I said. “It sounds like
“this is—” you know more than I do about
“Tam Olyn. I know,” said what I’m going to be doing here.”
Padma softly. He smiled up at “We’ve got calculations,” said
me, and those eyes of his seemed Padma in his soft voice, “to that
to catch light for a moment and effect. Come see me in Blauvain,
blind me. “I was sorry to learn Tam; and I’ll show you.”
about your brother-in-law, “I’ll do that,” I said.
Tam.” “You’ll be very welcome.”
I went quite cool all over. I Padma inclined his head. His
had been ready to walk on, but blue robe whispered on the floor
now I stood stock still and looked as he turned, and went out of the
at him. room.
“My brother-in-law?” I said. “This way,” said Janol, touch-
“The young man who died ing my elbow. I started as if I

near Castlemain, on New Earth.” had just wakened from a deep

“Oh, yes,” I said, between stiff sleep. “The commander’s in
lips. “Pm surprised that you’d here.”
know.” I followed him automatically
know because of you, Tam.”
“I into a further office. The indi-
Once more the hazel eyes of vidual I had come to see stood
Fadma seemed to catch light. up as we came through the door.
“We have a science called onto- He was a great, lean man in field
genies, by which we calculate uniform, with a heavy-boned, but
the probabilities of human ac- open, smiling face under black,
tions in present and future situa- slightly curly hair. A sort of
tions. You’ve been an important golden warmth of personality
factor in those calculations for a strange thing in a Dorsai
some time.” He smiled. “That’s seemed to flow out from him as
20 GALAXY
 —
he rose to meet me and his long- “You don’t like the Friend-
fingered, powerful hand swal- lies,” he said.
lowed mine in a handshake. His words took my breath
“Come on in,” he said. “Let away. I had come prepared to
me fix you up with a drink. fence for an opening to tell him.
Janol,” he added to my mercen- It was too sudden. I looked
ary commandant from New away.
Earth, “no need for you to stick did not dare answer right
I

around. Go on to chow. And tell away. I could not. There was

the rest of them in the outer either too much or too little to
office to knock off.” say if I let it come out without
Janol saluted and went. I sat thinking. Then I got a grip on
down as Graeme turned to a myself.
small bar cabinet behind his “If I do anything at all with
desk. And for the first time in the rest of my life,” I said, slow-
three years, under the magic of ly, be to do everything in
“it’ll

the unusual fighting man op- my power to remove the Friend-

posite me, a little peace came lies and all they stand for from
into my soul. With someone like the community of civilized hu-
this onmy side, I could not lose. man beings.”
looked back up at him. He
I
Ill was sitting with one massive el-
bow on his desktop, watching me.
44 /credentials?” asked Graeme, “That’s a pretty harsh point of
as soon as we were settled view, isn’t it?”
with drinks of Dorsai whisky “No harsher than theirs.”
which is a fine whisky in our — “Do you think so?” he said
hands. seriously. “I wouldn’t say so.”
1 passed my papers over. He “I thought,” I said, “you were
glanced through them, picking the one who was fighting them.”
out the letters from Sayona, the “Why, yes.” He smiled a little.

Bond of Kultis, to “Commander “But we’re soldiers on both

— Marie Field Forces." He
St. sides.”
looked these over and put them “I don’t think they think that
aside. He handed me back the way.”
credentials folder. He shook his head a little.

“You stopped at Joseph’s “What makes you say that?”

Town he said.
first?” he said.
I nodded. I saw him looking at “I’ve seen them,” I answered.
my face, and his own sobered. “I got caught up front in the

SOLDIER, ASK NOT 21

lines on Castlemain on New paign I was covering. Because
Earth, three years ago.” I tapped of the series I was writing, he
my stiff knee. “I got shot and I was assigned to me. We both
couldn’t navigate. The Cassidans thought it was a good deal for
around me began to retreat him, that he’d be safer that
they were mercenaries, and the way.”
troops opposing them were I drank some more of the
Friendlies hired out as mercenar- whisky.
ies.” “But,” I said, “you know,
I stopped and took a drink of there’salways a better story a
the whisky. When I took the deeper in the combat zone.
little
glass away, Graeme had not We got caught up front one day
moved. He sat as if waiting. when the New Earth troops were
“There was young Cassidan, retreating. I picked up a needle

a buck soldier,” I said. “I was through the kneecap. The

doing a series on the campaign Friendly armor was moving up
from an individual point of view. and things were getting hot. The
I’d picked him for my individual. soldiers around us took off to-
You
It
see
—was
”
a natural
drank again, and emp-
I
choice. ward the rear in a hurry, but
Dave tried to carry me, because
tied the glass —
“my younger he thought the Friendly armor
sister went out on contract as an would fry me before they had
accountant to Cassida two years time to notice I was a non-com
before that, and she’d married batant. Well,” I took another
him. He was my brother-in-law.” deep breath, “the Friendly
ground troops caught us. They
raeme took the glass from took us to a sort of clearing
my hand and silently re- where they had a lot of prison-
plenished it. ers and kept us there for a while.
“He wasn’t actually a military Then a groupman one of their —
man,” I said. “He was studying fanatic types, a tall, starved-look-
shift mechanics and he had about ing soldier about my age —came
three years to go. But he stood up with orders they were to re-
low on one of the competitive ex- form for a fresh attack.”
aminations at a time when Cas- I stopped and took another
sida owed a contractual balance drink. But I could not taste it.
of troops to New Earth.” I took “That meant they couldn’t
a deep breath. “Well, to make spare men to guard the prisoners.
a long story short, he ended up They’d have to turn them loose
on New Earth in this same cam- back of the Friendly lines. The

22 GALAXY
Groupman said that wouldn’t meant to have it all come out
work. They’d have to make sure like that. It was just that I’d
the prisoners couldn’t endanger been able to tell no one who
them.” would understand how helpless
Graeme was still watching me. I had been. But something about
“I didn’t understand. I didn’t Graeme had given me the idea
even catch on when the other he would understand.
Friendlies —
none of them were “Yes,” he said after a moment,
non-coms like the Groupman — and took and filled my glass
objected.” I put my glass on the again. “That sort of thing’s very
desk beside me and stared at the bad. Was the Groupman found
wall of the office, seeing it all and tried under the Mercenaries
over again, as plainly as if I Code?”
looked through a window at it. “After it was too late, yes.”
“I remember how the Groupman
pulled himself up straight. I saw
his eyes. As if he’d been insulted H e nodded and looked past me
at the wall. “They aren’t all
by the others, objecting. like that, of course.”
“
‘Are they Chosen ot God'?* ” “There’s enough to give them
he shouted at them. ‘Are they of a reputation for it.”
the Chosen ” “Unfortunately, yes. Well” —
I looked across at Kensie he smiled slightly at me “we’ll —
Graeme and saw him still mo- try and keep that sort of thing
tionless, still watching me, his out of this campaign.”
own glass small in one big hand. “Tell me something,” I said,
“You understand?” I said to putting my glass down. “Does
him. “as if because the prisoners that sort of thing —
as you put
weren’t Friendlies, they weren’t it— ever happen to the Friend-
quite human. As if they were lies, themselves?”

some lower order it was all right Something took place then in
to kill.” I shook, suddenly. “And the atmosphere of the room.
he did it! I sat there against a There was a little pause before
tree, safe because of my News he answered. I felt my heart beat
Correspondent’s uniform and slowly, three times, as I waited
watched him shoot them down. for him to speak.
All of them. I sat there and look- He said at last, “No, it doesn’t.”
ed at Dave, and he looked at me, “Why not?” I said.
sitting there, as the Groupman The feeling in the room be-
shot him!” came stronger. And I realized I
I quit all at once. I hadn’t had gone too fast. I had been
SOLDIER, ASK NOT 23
 ;

sitting talking to him as a man into a smile and what I had just
and forgetting what else he was. felt in the room withdrew. I

Now I began to forget that he breathed again.

was a man and become conscious “Well,” he said, putting his
of him as a Dorsai an indivi- — glass down empty on the desk,
dual as human as I was, but “how about joining us in the
trained all his life, and bred Officers’ Mess for something to
down the generations to a dif- eat?”
ference. He did not move or
change the tone of his voice, or T had dinner with them and the
any such thing; but somehow he *- meal was very pleasant. They

seemed to move off some dis- wanted to put me up for the

tance from me, up into a higher, night —
but I could feel myself
colder, stonier land into which I being pulled back to that cold,
could venture only at my peril. joyless compound near Joseph’s
I remembered what was said Town, where all that waited for
about his people from that small, me was a sort of cold and bitter
cold stony-mountained world satisfaction at being among my
that if the Dorsai chose to with- enemies.
draw their fighting men from the I went back.

services of all the other worlds,
and challenge those other worlds,
not the combined might of the
rest of civilization could stand
against them. I had never really
believed that before. I had never
even really thought much about
it. But sitting there just
because of what was happening
in the room, suddenly it became
real to me. I could feel the
knowledge, cold as a wind blow-
ing on me off a glacier, that it
was true; and then he answered
my question.
“Because,” said Kensie Grae-
me. “anything like that is spe-
cifically prohibited by Article
Two of the Mercenaries’ Code.”
Then he broke out abruptly
It was about eleven p.m. when
I drove through the gate of the
compound and parked, just as a
figure came out of the entrance
to Jamethon’s headquarters. The
square was dim-lighted with only
a few spotlights about the walls,
then, their light lost in the rain-wet
pavement. For a moment I did
not recognize the figure —
and
then I saw it was Jamethon.
He would have passed by me
at some little distance, but I got
out of my car and went to meet
him. He stopped when I stepped
in front of him.
“Mr. Olyn,” he said evenly. In
the darkness I could not make
out the expression of his face.
“I’ve got a question to ask,”

24 GALAXY
I said, smiling in the darkness.
“It’s late for questions.”
“This won’t take long.” I
strained to catch the look on his
face, but it was all in shadow.
“I’ve been visiting the Exotic
camp. Their commander’s a Dor-
sai. I suppose you know that?”
“Yes.” I could barely see the
movement of his lips.
“We question
got to talking. A on what I would need to do
came up and I thought I’d ask
you, Commandant. Do you ever
order your men to kill prison-
ers?”
Anodd, short silence came be-
tween us. Then he answered.
“The killing or abuse of prison-
ers of war,” he said without emo-
tion, “is forbidden by
Two of the Mercenaries’ Code.”
“But you aren’t Mercenaries
here, are you? You’re native
troops in service to your own
True Church and Elders.”
“Mr. Olyn,” he said, while I
still strained without success to
make out the expression of his
shadowed face —
and it seemed
that the words came slowly,
though the tone of the voice
that spoke them remained as
calm as ever, “My Lord has set
me to be His servant and a lead-
er among men of war. In neither
of those tasks will I fail
And with that he turned, his
face shadowed and hidden
still
from me, and passed around me
and went on.
SOLDIER, ASK NOT
\ lone, I went back inside to
my quarters, undressed and
lay down on
the hard and narrow
bed they had given me. The rain
outside had stopped at last.
Through my open, unglazed win-
dow I could see a few stars show-
ing.
I lay there getting ready to
sleep and making mental notes
tomorrow. The meeting with Pad-
ma the OutBond had jolted me
sharply. I took his so-called cal-
culations of human actions with
reservation —
but I had been
shaken to learn of them. I would
have to find out more about hojv
much his science of ontogenies
Article knew and could predict. If neces-
sary, from Padma himself. But
I would start first with ordinary
reference sources.
No one, I thought, would or-
dinarily entertain the fantastic
thought that one man like myself
could destroy a culture involving
the populations of two worlds.
No one, except perhaps a Padma.
What I knew, he with his calcu-
lations might have discovered.
And that was that the Friendly
worlds of Harmony and Associa-
tion were facing a decision that
would mean life or death to their
Him.” way of living. A very small thing
could tip the scales they weighed
on.
For there was a new wind
blowing between the stars.
25
 Four hundred years before we of that fusion while holding on
had all been men of Earth — to as much as possible of their
Old Earth, the mother planet own ways.
which was my native soil. One Compromise was necessary —
people. and the harsh, stiff-necked
Then, with the movement out Friendly religion forbade com-
to new worlds, the human race promise and had made many
had “splintered”, to use an Exotic enemies. Already public opinion
term. Every small social frag- moved against the Friendlies on
ment and psychological type had other worlds. Discredit them,
drawn apart by itself, and joined smear them, publicly here in this
others like it and progressed to- campaign and they would not
ward specialized types. Until we be able to hire out their soldiers.
had half a dozen fragments of They would lose the balance of
human types —
the warrior on trade they needed to hire the
the Dorsai, the philosopher on skilled specialists trained by the
the Exotic worlds, the hard scien- special facilities of other worlds,
tist onNewton, Cassida and and which they needed to keep
Venus, and so forth . . . their own two poor-in-natural -
Isolation had bred specific resources worlds alive. They
types. Then a growing intercom- would die.
munication between the younger As young Dave had died. Slow-
worlds, now established, and an ly. In the dark.
ever-increasing rate of technolo- ... In the darkness now, as
gical advance had forced special- Ithought of it, it rose up before

ization. The trade between the me once again. It had been only
worlds was the trade of skilled noon when we were taken prison-
minds. Generals from the Dorsai er, but by the time the Group -

were worth their exchange rate man came with his orders for
in psychiatrists from the Exotics. our guards to move up, the sun
Communications men like my- was almost down.
self from Old Earth bought After they left, after it was all
spaceship designers from Cassida. over and I was left alone, I

And so it had been for the last crawled to the bodies in the
hundred years. clearing. And
found Dave I

But now the worlds were drift- among them; and he was not
ing together. Economics was fus- quite gone.
ing the race into one whole, He was wounded in the body
again. And the struggle on each and I could not stop the bleeding.
world was to gain the advantages It would not have helped if I

26 GALAXY
had, they told me
But then seemed that it would
it
have. So tried. But finally I
I them in a prayer for worthiness.
gave up and by that time it was
quite dark. I only held him and
did not know he was dead until
he began to grow cold. And then
was when I had begun to change
into what my uncle had always
tried to make me. I felt myself
die inside. Dave and my sister
were to have been my family,
the only family I had ever had
hopes of keeping. Instead, I could
only sit there in the darkness,
holding him and hearing the
blood from his red-soaked cloth-
ing, falling drop by drop, slowly
on the dead variform oak leaves
beneath us.
¥ lay there now in the
compound, not able
and remembering. And
while heard the soldiers march-
I cots
ing, forming in the square for
midnight service.
I lay on my back, listening to
them. Their marching feet stop-
ped at last. The single window
my room was over my bed
high in the wall against which
the left side of my cot was set. It
was unglazed and the night air
with its sounds came freely
through it along with the dim
light from the square which
painted a pale rectangle on the
opposite wall of my room. I lay
watching that rectangle and lis-
SOLDIER, ASK NOT
afterwards. tening to the service outside; and
I heard the duty officer lead
After that they sang their battle
hymn again, and I lay hearing it,
this time, all the way through.
Soldier, ask not — now, or ever.
Where to war your banners go.
Anarch's legions all surround us.
Strike —
and do not count the bow.
Glory, honor —
praise and profit.
Are but toys of tinsel worth.
Render up your work, unasking.
Leave the human clay to earth.
Blood and sorrow — pain unending.
Are the portion of us all.
Grasp the naked sword, opposing.
Gladly in the battle fall.
So shall we, anointed soldiers.
Stand at last before the Throne.
Baptized in our wounds, red-flowing.
Friendly Sealed unto our Lord — alone!
to sleep
after a After that they dispersed to
no different from mine.
I laythere listening to the
silence in the square and the
measured dripping of a rain-
spout outside by my window, its
of slow drops falling after the rain,
— one by one, uncounted in the
darkness.
IV
A day I landed, there
fter the
was no more rain. Day by
day the fields dried. Soon they
would be firm underneath the
weight of heavy surface-war
27
equipment, and everyone knew
that then the Exotic spring of-
fensive would get under way.
Meanwhile both Exotic and
Friendly troops were in training.
During the next few weeks, I
was busy about my newswork.
Mostly feature and small stories
on the soldiers and the native
people. I had dispatches to send
and I sent them faithfully.
correspondent is only as good as
his contacts; I made contacts
everywhere but among the
Friendly troops. These remained
aloof, though I talked to many
of them. They refused to show
fear or doubt.
I had heard these Friendly
soldiers were generally under-
trained because the suicidal tac-
tics of their officers kept their
ranks always filled with green
replacements. But the ones here
were the remnants of an Expedi-
tionary Force six times their pre-
sent numbers. They were all vet-
erans, though most of them were
in their teens. Only here and
there, among the non-coms, and
more often among the commis-
sioned officers, I saw the proto-
type of the non-com who had
ordered the prisoners shot on
New Earth. Here, the men of
this type looked like rabid, gray
wolves mixed among polite, well-
schooled young dogs just out of
puppyhood.
It was a temptation to think
28
that they alone were what I had
set out to destroy.
To
fight that temptation I told
myself that Alexander the Great
had led expeditions against the
hill tribes and ruled in Pella,
capital of Macedonia, and order-
ed men put to death when he
was sixteen. But still the Friend-
ly soldiers looked young to me. I
A could not help contrasting them
with the adult, experienced mer-
cenaries in Kensie Graeme’s
forces. For the Exotics, in obe-
dience to their principles, would
hire no drafted troops or soldiers
who were not in uniform of their
own free will.
Meanwhile I had heard no
word from the Blue Front. But
by the time two weeks had gone,
I had my own connections in
New San Marcos, and at the
beginning of the third week one
of these brought me word that
the jewelers shop in Wallace
Street there had closed its door
— had pulled its blinds and emp-
tied the long room of stock and
fixtures, and moved or gone out
of business. That was all I need-
ed to know.
For the next few days, I stay-
ed in the vicinity of Jamethon
Black himself, and by the end
of the week my watching him
paid off.
At ten o’clock that Friday
night I was up on a catwalk
just above my quarters and
GALAXY
under the sentry-walk of the
walls, watching as three civil-
ians with Blue Front written all
over them drove into the square,
got out and went into Jame-
thon’s office.
They stayed a little over an
hour. When they left, I went
back down to bed. That night I
slept soundly.

nr'he next morning I got up

early, and there was mail for
me. A message had come by
spaceliner from the director of
News Network back on Earth,
personally congratulating me on
my dispatches. Once, three years
before, this would have meant a
great deal to me. Now, I only
worried that they would decide
I had made the situation here
newsworthy enough to require
extra people being sent out to
help me. I could not risk having
other news personnel here now
to see what I was doing.
I got in my car and headed
east along the highway to New
San Marcos and the Exotic
Headquarters. The Friendly
troops were already out in the
field; eighteen kilometers east of
Joseph’s Town, I was stopped by
a squad of five young soldiers
with no non-com over them.
They recognized me.
“In God’s name, Mr. Olyn,’’
said the first one to reach my
car, bending down to speak to

SOLDIER, ASK NOT 29

me through the open window at
my “You cannot go
left shoulder.
through.”
“Mind if I ask why?” I said.
He turned and pointed out
and down into a little valley be-
tween two wooded hills at our
left.
“Tactical survey in progress,”
I looked. The little valley or
meadow was perhaps a hundred
yards wide between the wooded
slopes, and it wound away from
me and curved to disappear to my
At the edge of the wooded
right.
slopes where they met open
meadow, there were lilac bushs
with blossoms several days old.
The meadow itself was green and
fair with the young chartreuse
grass of early summer and the
white and purple of the lilacs,
and the variform oaks behind the
lilacs were fuzzy in outline, with
small, new leaves.
In the middle of all this, in
the center of the meadow, were
black-clad figures moving about
with computing devices, measur-
ing and figuring the possibilities
of death from every angle. In
the very center of the meadow for
some reason they had set up
marking stakes —
a single stake,
then a stake in front of that with
two stakes on either side of it,
and one more stake in line before
these. Farther on was another
single stake, down, as if fallen
on the grass and discarded.
30
looked back up into the lean
I
young face of the soldier.
“Getting ready to defeat th»
Exotics?” I said.
He took it as if it had been
a straightforward question, with
no irony in my voice at all.
“Yes sir,” he said seriously.
I looked at him and at the taut
skin and clear eyes of the rest.
“Ever think you might lose?”
“No, Mr. Olyn.” He shook his
head solemnly. “No man loses
who goes to battle for the Lord.”
He saw that I needed to be con-
vinced, and he went about it
earnestly. “He hath set His hand
upon His soldiers. And all that
ispossible to them is victory —
or sometimes death. And what
is death?”
He looked to his fellow sol-
diers and they all nodded.
“What is death?” they echoed.
I looked at them. They stood
there asking me and each other
what was death as if they were
talking about some hard but
necessary job.
I had an answer for them, but
I did not say it. Death was a
Groupman, one of their own
kind, giving orders to soldiers
just like themselves to assassin-
ate prisoners. That was death.
“Call an officer,” I said. “My
pass lets me through here.”
“I regret, sir,” said the one
who had been talking to me. “We
cannot leave our posts to sum-
GALAXY
mon an officer. One will come structure half-hidden in some
soon.” trees. When we stepped through
1 had a hunch what “soon” its front entrance, I realized it

meant, and I was right. It was was Kensie’s personal quarters.

high noon before a Force Leader We passed through a small sit-
came by to order them to chow ting room into a combination
and let me through. bedroom and bath. Kensie had
just stepped out of the shower
A I pulled into Kensie Grae-
s and was getting into battle
me’s Headquarters, the sun clothes. He looked at me curious-
was low, patterning the ground ly, then turned his gaze back on
with the long shadows of trees. Janol.
Yet itwas as if the camp was “All right, Commandant,” he
just waking up. I did not need said, “you can get back to your
experience to see the Exotics duties, now.”
were beginning to move at last “Sir,” said Janol, without look-
against Jamethon. ing at me.
I found Janol Marat, the New He saluted and left.

Earth commandant. “All right, Tam,” Kensie said,

“I’ve got to see Field Com- pulling on a pair of uniform
mander Graeme,” I said. slacks. “What is it?”
He shook his head, for all that “I know you’re ready to move
we now knew each other well. out,” I said.
“Not now, Tarn. I’m sorry.” He looked at me a little humor-
“Janol,” I said, “this isn’t for ously as he locked the waistband
an interview. It’s a matter of of his slacks. He had not yet put
life and death. I mean that. I’ve on and in that relative-
his shirt,
got to see Kensie.” ly small room he loomed like a
He stared at me. I stared back. giant, some irresistible na-
like
“Wait here,” he said. We were tural force. His body was tanned
standing just inside the head- like dark wood and the muscles
quarters office. He went out and lay in flat bands across his chest
was gone for perhaps five min- and shoulders. His belly was hol-
utes. I stood, listening to the wall low and the cords in his arms
clock ticking away. Then he came and went as he moved
came back. them. Once more I felt the parti-
“This way,” he said. cular, special element of the Dor-
He led me outside and back sai in him. It was not just his
between the bubble roundness of physical size and strength. It
the plastic buildings to a small was not even the fact that he
SOLDIER, ASK NOT 31
was someone trained from birth He put his other arm in a
to war, someone bred for battle. sleeve.
No, it was something living but “I know that,” he said. “They
untouchable — the same quality want the present government
of difference to be found in the here on St. Marie out of the way
pure Exotic like Padma the Out- and themselves in power which —
Bond, or in some Newtonian or isn’t possible with Exotic money
Cassidan researchist. Something hiring us to keep the peace here.”
so much above and beyond the “They haven’t had Jamethon
common form of man that it Black’s help.”
was like a serenity, a sense of “Have they got it now?” he
conviction where his own type of asked, sealing the shirt closure
thing was concerned that was so between thumb and forefinger.
complete it made him beyond all “The Friendlies are desperate,”
weaknesses, untouchable, uncon- I said. “Even if reinforcements
querable. arrived tomorrow, Jamethon
Isaw the slight, dark shadow knows what his chances are with
of Jamethon Black in my mind’s you ready to move. Assassins
eye, standing opposed to such a may be outlawed by the Conven-
man as this; and the thought of tions of War and the Mercen-
any victory for Jamethon was aries’ Code, but you and I know
unthinkable, an impossibility. the Friendlies.”
But there was always danger. Kensie looked at me oddly
“All right, I’ll tell you what I and picked up his jacket.
came about,” I said to Kensie. “Do we?” he said.
“I’ve just found out Black’s been I met his eyes. “Don’t we?”

in touch with the Blue Front, a “Tam.” He put on the jacket

native terrorist political group and closed it. “I know the men
with its headquarters in Blau- I have to fight. It’s my business

vain. Three of them visited him
last night. Isaw them.”
Kensie picked up his shirt and
slid a long arm into one sleeve.
“I know,” he said.
stared at him.
I business, first, last and always.”
“Don’t you understand?” I
said.“They’re assassins. It’s their
stock in trade. And the one man
they and Jamethon Black both
could use out of the way is you.”
32
to know. But what makes you
think you know them?”
“They’re my business too,” I
said. “Maybe you’d forgotten.
I’m a newsman. People are my
“But you’ve got no use for the
Friendlies.”
“Should I?” I said. “I’ve been
on all the worlds. I’ve seen the
Cetan entrepreneur and he—
GALAXY
wants his margin, but he’s a hu- “I mean you want the assas-
man being. I’ve seen the New- sins,”I said. “You don’t want

tonian and the Cassidan with the Friendly troops. Prove that
their heads in the clouds, but if Jamethon Black has broken the
you yanked on their sleeves hard Conventions of War by arranging
enough, you could pull them with them to kill you; and you
back to reality. I’ve seen Exo- can win St. Marie for the Exotics
tics like Padma at their mental without firing a shot.”
parlor tricks, and the Freilander “And how would I do that?”
up to his ears in his own red “Use me,” I said. “I’ve got a
tape. I’ve seen them from my pipeline to the political group the
own world of Old Earth, and assassins represent. Let me go to
Coby, and Venus and even from them as your representative and
the Dorsai, like you. And I tell outbid Jamethon. You can offer
you they’ve all got one thing in them recognition by the present
common. Underneath it all government, now. Padma and the
they’re human. Every one of present St. Marie government
them’s human — they’ve just heads would have to back you
specialized in some one, valuable up if you could clean the planet
way.” of Friendlies that easily.”
“And the Friendlies haven’t?” He looked at me with no ex-
“Fascinaticism,” I said. “Is that pression at all.
valuable? It’s just the opposite. “And what would I be suppos-
What’s good —
what’s even per- ed to buy with this?” he said.
missible about blind, deaf, dumb, “Sworn testimony they’d been
unthinking faith that doesn’t let hired to assassinate you. As many
a man reason for himself?” of them as needed could testify.”
“How do you know they don’t “No Court of Interplanetary
reason?” Kensie asked. He was Inquiry would believe people
standing facing me now. like that,” Kensie said.
“Maybe some of them do,” I “Ah,” I said, and I could not
said. “Maybe the young ones, help smiling. “But they’d believe
before the poison’s had time to me as a News Network Repre-
work in. What good does that do, sentative when I backed up
as long as the culture exists?” every word that was said.”
There was a new silence. His
A sudden silence came into the face had no expression at all.
-**- room. “I see,” he said.
“What are you talking about?” He walked past me into the
said Kensie. salon. I followed him. He went

SOLDIER, ASK NOT 33

to his phone, put his finger on We were standing face to face;
a stud and spoke into an image- I hithim in the stomach.
less, gray screen. I had done a little boxing as
“Janol,” he said. an undergraduate on the college
He turned away from the level. Imention this not to make
screen,crossed the room to an myself out a sort of muscular
arms cabinet and began putting hero, but to explain why I had
cm. his battle harness. He moved sense enough not to try for his
deliberately and neither looked jaw. Graeme could probably
nor spoke in my direction. After have found the knockout point
a few long minutes, the building there without even thinking, but
entrance slid aside and Janol I was no Dorsai. The area below

stepped in. a man’s breastbone is relatively

“Sir?” said the Freilander of- large, soft, handy and generally
ficer. just fine for amateurs. And I
“Mr. Olyn stays here until fur- did know something about how
ther orders.” to punch.
“Yes sir,” said Janol. For all that, Janol was not
Graeme went out. knocked out. He went over on
I stood numb, staring at the the floor and lay there doubled
entrance through which he had up with his eyes still open. But
left. I could not believe that he he was not ready to get up right
would violate the Conventions so away. I turned and went quickly
far himself as not only to dis- out of the building.
regard me, but to put me essen- The camp was busy. Nobody
tiallyunder arrest to keep me stopped me. I got back into my
from doing anything further car, and five minutes later I was
about the situation. free on the darkening road for
I turned to Janol. He was Blauvain.
looking at me with a sort of wry
sympathy on his long, brown V
face.
“Is the OutBond here in TT'rom New San Marcos to
camp?” I asked him. Blauvain and Padma’s Em-
“No.” He came up to me. “He’s bassy was fourteen hundred kilo-
back in the Exotic Embassy in meters. I should have made it
Blauvain. Be
a good fella now in six hours, but a bridge was
and sit down, why don’t you? washed out and I took fourteen.
We might as well kill the next It was after eight the following
few hours pleasantly.” morning when I burst into the

34 GALAXY
 ”

half-park, half-building that was Of course, he was not Kensie.

the embassy.
“Padma —” I said.
still
— Forces for the Exotics, here in
“Yes, Mr. Olyn,” said the girl
receptionist. “He’s expecting
you.”
She smiled above her purple
robe. I did not mind. I was too
busy being glad Padma had not
already taken off for the fringe
areas of the conflict.
She took me down and around
a corner and turned me over to
a young male Exotic, who intro-
duced himself as one of Padma’s
secretaries.He took me a short
distance and introduced me to
another secretary, a middle-aged
man this time, who
through several rooms and then
directed me down a long corri-
dor and around a corner, beyond
which he said was the entrance
where Padma
to the office area
worked at the moment. Then he
left me.
I followed his direction. But
when I stepped through that
entrance it was not into a room,
but into a further short corridor.
And I checked, stopping myself
dead. For what I suddenly
thought I saw coming at me was
Kensie Graeme —
Kensie with
murder on his mind.
But the man who looked
Kensie n^erely glanced at me and
dismissed me, continuing to come
on. Then I knew.
He was twin brother,
Kensie’s
“Is he Ian, commander of Garrison
Blauvain. He strode on toward
me; and I began once more to
walk toward him, but the shock
stayed with me until we had
passed one another.
I do not think anyone could
have come on him like that, in
my position and not been hit
the same way. From Janol, at
different times, I had gathered
how Ian was the converse of
Kensie. Not in a military sense
— they were both magnificent
specimens of Dorsai officers —
but in the matter of their indi-
led me vidual natures.
Kensie had had a profound
effect on me from the first mo-
ment, with his cheerful nature
and the warmth of being that
at times obscured the very fact
that he was a Dorsai. When the
pressure of military affairs was
not directly on him he seemed
all sunshine; you could warm
yourself in his presence as you
might in the sun. Ian, his physi-
cal duplicate, striding toward me
like some two-eyed Odin, was all
shadow.
Here at was the Dorsai
last
legend come to life. Here was the
like grim man with the iron heart and
the dark and solitary soul. In the
powerful fortress of his body,
what was essentially Ian dwelt as

SOLDIER, ASK NOT 35

isolated as a hermit on a moun- “Come in, Mr. Olyn,” he said,
tain. He was the fierce and getting up. “And come along with
___ 9t
lonely Highlandman of his dis- me.
tant ancestry, come to life again. He turned and walked out
Not law, not ethics, but the through an archway of purple
trust of the given word, clan- clematis blooms. I followed him,
loyalty and the duty of the blood and found a small courtyard, all
feud held sway in Ian. He was but filled with the elliptical
a man who would cross hell to shape of a sedan aircar. Padma
pay a debt for good or ill; and was already climbing into one
in that moment when I saw him of the seats facing the controls.
coming toward me and recogniz- He held the door for me.
ed him at last, I suddenly thank- “Where are we going?” I asked
ed whatever gods were left, that as I got in.

he had no debt with me. He touched the autopilot pan-

el; the ship rose in the air. He
rT''hen we had passed each oth- left it to its own navigation, and
*- er, and he was gone around pivoted his chair about to face
a corner. me.
Rumor had it, I remembered “To Commander Graeme’s
then, that the blackness around headquarters in the field,” he an-
him never lightened except in swered.
Kensie’s presence. That he was His eyes were a light hazel
truly his twin brother’s other color,but they seemed to catch
half. And
that if he should ever and swim with the sunlight strik-
lost the light that Kensie’s bright ing through the transparent top
presence shed on him, he would of the aircar, as we reached alti-
be doomed to his own lightless- tude and began to move horizon-
ness forever. tally. I could not read them, or
It was a statement I was to the expression on his face.
remember at a later time, as “I see,” I said. “Of course, I
I was to remember seeing him know a call from Graeme’s HQ
come toward me in that moment. could get to you much faster
But now I forgot him as I went than I could by groundcar from
forward through another entrance the same spot. But I hope you
into what looked like a small aren’t thinking of having him
conservatory and saw the gentle kidnap me or something like
face and short-cropped white that. I have Credentials of Im-
hair of Padma, the OutBond, partiality protecting me as a
wearing a pale yellow robe. Newsman, as well as authoriza-

36 GALAXY
tionsfrom both the Friendly and nphere was a short silence. The
the Exotic worlds. And I don’t aircar fled on through the
intend to be held responsible for skies without a sound.
any conclusions drawn by Grae- “Now that’s an odd notion,”
me after the conversation the I said slowly and calmly. “I
two of us had earlier this morn- wonder where you got it?”
ing — alone." “From our ontogenic calcula-
Padma sat still in his aircar tions,” saidPadma, as calmly as
seat, facing me. His hands were I had spoken. “And it’s not a
folded in his lap together, pale notion, Tam. As you know your-
against the yellow robe, but self.”
with strong sinews showing under “Oh, yes,” I said. “Ontogenies.
the skin of their backs. I was going to look that up.”
“You’re coming with me now “You did look it up, didn’t
by my decision, not Kensie you, Tam?”
Graeme’s.” “Did I?” I said. “I guess I did,
“I want to know why,” I said seem very clear
at that. It didn’t
tensely. to me, though, as I remember.
“Because,” he said slowly, Something about evolution.”
“you are very dangerous.” And “Ontogenies,” said Padma, “is
he sat still, looking at me with the study of the effect of evolu-
unwavering eyes. tion upon the interacting forces
I waited for him to go on, of human society.”
but he did not. “Dangerous?” I “Am an interacting force?”
I
said. “Dangerous to who?” “At the moment and for the
“To the future of all of us.” past several years, yes,” said
I stared at him, then I laugh- Padma. “And possibly for some
ed. I was angry. years into the future. But possib-
“Cut it out!” I said. ly not.”
He shook his head slowly, his “That sounds almost like a
eyes never leaving my face. I threat.”
was baffled by those eyes. In- “In a sense it is.” Padma’s
nocent and open as a child’s, but eyes caught the light as I watch-
I could not see through them ed them. “You’re capable of de-
into the man himself. stroying yourself as well as oth-
“All right,” I said. “Tell me, ers.”
why am I dangerous?” “I’d hate to do that.”
“Because you want to destroy “Then,” said Padma, “you’d
a race of people. And you know better listen to me.”
how.” “Why, of course,” I said.

SOLDIER, ASK NOT 37

 ”

“That’s my business, listening. said Padma, “because

“No,”
Tell me all about ontogenies — you, like all our ancestors, are
and myself.” from Earth. You’re old, full-
He made an adjustment in the spectrum man. The Splinter peo-
controls, then swung his seat ples are evolutionarily advanced
back to face mine once more. over you.”
“The human race,” said Pad- I felt a little twist of bitter
ma, “broke up in an evolutionary anger knot suddenly inside me.
explosion at the moment in his- “Oh? I’m afraid I don’t see
tory when interstellar coloniza- that.”
tion became practical.” He sat “Because you don’t want to,”
watching me. I kept my face said Padma. “If you did, you’d
attentive. “This happened for have to admit that they were
reasons stemming from racial in- different from you, and had to
stinct which we haven’t com- be judged by different stand-
pletely charted yet, but which ards.”
was essentially self-protective in “Different? How?”
nature.” “Different in a sense that all
I reached into my jacket pock- Splinter people, including my-
et. self, understand instinctively, but

“Perhaps I’d better take a few full-spectrum man has to extra-

notes,” I said. polate to imagine.” Padma shift-
“If you want to,” said Padma, ed a little in his seat. “You’ll get
unperturbed. “Out of that explo- some idea, Tam, if you imagine
sion came cultures individually a member of a Splinter culture
devoted to single facets of the to be aman like yourself, only
human personality. The fighting, with a monomania that shoves
combative facet became the Dor- him wholly toward being one
sai. The facet which surrendered type of person. But with this
the individual wholly to some difference: Instead of all parts
faith or otherbecame the Friend- of his mental and physical self
ly. The
philosophical facet creat- outside the limits of that mono-
ed the Exotic culture to which mania being ignored and atrophi-
I belong. We
call these Splinter ed as, they would be with
Cultures.” you —
“Oh, yes,” I said. “I know
about Splinter Cultures.” interrupted, “Why specifical-
“You know about them, Tam, 1 ly with me?”
but you don’t know them.” “With any full-spectrum man,
“I don’t?” then,” said Padma calmly.

38 GALAXY
“These parts, instead of being time for them to breed back into
atrophied, are altered to agree each other again, to produce a
with and support the monoma- more hardy, universe- oriented
nia, so that we don’t have a sick human.”
—
man but a healthy, different The aircar began to descend.
one.” We were nearing our destination.
“Healthy?” I said, seeing the “What’s that got to do with
Friendly non-com on New Earth me?” I said, at last.
again in my mind’s eye. “If you frustrate one of the
“Healthy as a culture. Not as Splinter Cultures, it can’t adapt

occasional crippled individuals on its own as full-spectrum man

of that culture. But as a culture.” would do. It will die. And when
“Sorry,” I said. “I don’t believe the race breeds back to a whole,
it.” that valuable element will be
“But you do, Tam,” said Pad- lost to the race.”
ma, softly. “Unconsciously you “Maybe it’ll be no loss,” I said,
do. Because you’re planning to softly in my turn.
take advantage of the weakness “A vital loss,” said Padma.
such a culture must have to de- “And I can prove it. You, a full-

stroy it.” spectrum man, have in you an

“And what weakness is that?” element from every Splinter Cul-
“The obvious weakness that's ture. If you admit this you can
the converse of any strength,” identify even with those you
said Padma. “The Splinter Cul- want to destroy. I have evidence
tures are not viable.” to show you. Will you look at
I must have blinked. I was it?”
honestly bewildered. The ship touched ground; the
“Not viable? You mean they door beside me opened. I got out
can’t live on their own?” with Padma and found Kensie
“Of course not,” said Padma. waiting.
“Faced with an expansion into I looked from Padma to Ken-
space, the human race reacted to sie, who and a
stood with us
the challenge of a different en- head taller than headsI — two
vironment by trying to adapt to taller than OutBond. Kensie
it. It adapted by trying out se- looked back down at me with no
parately all the elements of its particular expression. His eyes
personality, to see which could were not the eyes of his twin
survive best. Now that all ele- brother —
but just then, for
ments —the Splinter Cultures — some reason, I could not meet
have survived and adapted, it's them.

SOLDIER, ASK NOT 39

 ”

“I’m a newsman,” I said. “Of substance of God's Churches in an at-

tempt to frustrate that WiH.
course my mind
is open.” [
Be it further ordered that our Bro-
Padma turned and began'- thers on St. Marie be spared the knowl-
edge that no further assistance is
walking toward the headquart - 1

forthcoming, that they may bear wit-

ers building. Kensie fell in with ness to their faith in battle as ever,

us and I think Janol and some and God's Churches be undismayed.

of the others came along be- Heed this Command, in the Name of
the Lord:
hind, though I didn’t look back
to make sure. We went to the By order of he who is called . . •

Bright
inner office where I first met Among The Chosen
Graeme — just Kensie, Padma
Eldest

and myself. There was a file I looked up from the memo.

folder on Graeme’s desk. He Both Graeme and Padma were
picked it up, extracted a photo- watching me.
copy of something and handed “How’d you get hold of this?”
it to me as I came up to him. I said. “No, of course you won’t
I took it. There was no doubt- tell me.” The palms of my hands
ing its authenticity. were suddenly sweating so that
the slick material of the sheet
Tt was a memo from Eldest in my fingers was slippery. I

-* Bright, ranking elder of the held it tightly, and talked fast to

joint government of Harmony keep their eyes on my face. “But

and Association, to the Friendly what about it? We already knew
War Chief at the Defense X Cen- this, everybody knew Bright had

ter, on Harmony. It was dated abandoned them. This just

two months previously. It was proves it. Why even bother

on the single-molecule sheet, showing it to me?”
where the legend cannot be tam- “I thought,” said Padma, “it

pered with, or removed once it

might move you just a little.
is on. Perhaps enough to make you
take a different view of things.”
— I said, “I didn’t say that wasn’t
Be Informed, in God's Name
possible. I tell you a Newsman
—That does seem the Lord's
since it

Will that our on St. Marie

Brothers
keeps an open mind at all times.
make no success, it is ordered that Of course,” I picked my words
henceforth no more replacements or carefully, “if I could study it
—
personnel or supplies be sent them. For
if our Captain does intend us the vic- “I’d hoped you’d take it with
tory, surely we shall conquer without you,” said Padma.
further expenditure. And if it be His wiH
that we conquer not, then surely it
“Hoped?”
would be an impiety to throw away the “If you dig into it and really

40 GALAXY
understand what Bright means of its top. “It’s an Embassy loan
there, you might understand all to you, T am. I won’t worry about
the Friendlies differently. You it.”
might change your mind about “No,” I said. “You needn’t
them.” worry.”
“I don’t think so,” I said. I closed the section and touch-

“But — ed the controls.

“Let me ask you to do that It was a dream of an aircar.
much,” said Padma. “Take the It went up into the air as lightly
memo with you.” as thought, and in a second I
I stood for a moment, with was two thousand feet up and
Padma facing me and Kensie well away from the spot. I made
looming behind him, then shrug- myself calm down, though, be-
ged and put the memo in my fore I reached into my pocket
pocket. and took the memo out.
“All right,” I take it
said. I’ll I looked at it. My hand still
back to my quarters and think trembled a little as I held it.
—
about it. I’ve got a groundcar Here it was in my grasp at
here somewhere, haven’t I?” And last. What I had been after from
I looked at Kensie. the start. And Padma himself
“Ten kilometers back,” said had insisted I carry it away with
Kensie. “You wouldn’t get me.
through anyway. We’re moving It was the lever, the Archi-
up for the assault and the medes pry-bar which would move
Friendlies are maneuvering to not one world but fourteen. And
meet us.” push the Friendly Peoples over
“Take my aircar,” said Padma. the edge to extinction.
“The Embassy flags on it will
help.” VI
“All right,” I said.
We went out together toward rT''hey were waiting for me.
the aircar. I passed Janol in the They converged on the air-
outer office and he met my eyes car as I landed it in the interior
coldly. I did not blame him. We square of the Friendlies com-
walked to the aircar and I got pound, all four of them with
in. black rifles at the ready.
“You can send the aircar back They were apparently the only
whenever you’re through with ones left. Black seemed to have
it,” said Padma, as I stepped turned out every other man of
in through the entrance section his remnant of a battle unit. And

SOLDIER, ASK NOT 41

these were all men I recognized, I faced Jamethon Black alone
case-hardened veterans. One was in the office.
the Groupman who had been in He was putting on his battle
the office that first night when harness, as I had seen Graeme

I had come back from the Exo- putting on his earlier. On Grae-
tic camp and stepped in to speak me, the harness and the weapons
to Black, asking him if he ever it carried had looked like toys.

ordered his men to kill prison- On Jamethon’s slight frame they

ers. Another was a forty-year looked almost too heavy to bear.
old Force Leader, the lowest “Mr. Olyn,” he said.
commissioned rank, but acting I walked across the room to-

Major —
just as Black, a Com- ward him, drawing the memo
mandant, was acting as Expedi- from my pocket as I came. He
tionary Field Commander a — turned a little to face me, his
position equivalent to Kensie fingers sealing the locks on his
Graeme’s. The other two soldiers harness, jingling slightly with his
were non-commissioned, but si- weapons and his harness as he
milar. I knew them all. Ultra- turned.
fanatics. And they knew me. “You’re taking the field against
We understood each other. the Exotics,” I said.
“I have to see the command- He nodded. I had never been
ant,” I said, as I got out, before this close to him before. From
they could begin to question me. across the room I would have
“On what business?” said the believed he was holding his
Force-Leader. “This aircar hath usual stony expression, but
no business here. Nor thyself.” standing just a few feet from
I said, “I must see Comman- him now I saw the tired wraith
dant Black immediately. I of a smile touch the corners of
wouldn’t be here in a car flying his straight mouth in that dark,
the flags of the Exotic Embassy young face, for a second.
if its wasn’t necessary.” “That is my duty, Mr. Olyn.”
They could not take the chance “Some duty,” I said. “When
that my reason for seeing Black your superiors back on Harmony
wasn’t important, and I knew it. have already written you off
They argued a little, but I kept their books.”
insisting I had to see the Com- “I’ve already told you,” he
mandant. Finally, the Force- said, calmly. “The Chosen are
Leader took me across into the not betrayed in the Lord, one
same outer office where I had by another.”
always waited to see Black. “You’re sure of that?” I said.

42 GALAXY
 Once more I saw that little I stepped right up to him. He
ghost of a weary smile. did not move.
“It’s a subject, Mr. Olyn, on “Who’re you trying to fool?”
which I am more expert than I said.“Who? I see through you
you.” just like the peopleon all the
other worlds do! I know you
T looked into his eyes. They know what a mumbo-jumbo your
were exhausted but calm. I United Churches are. I know you
glanced aside at the desk where know the way of life you sing of
the picture of the church, the through your nose so much isn’t
older man and woman and the what you claim it is. I know your
young girl stood still. Eldest Bright and his gang of
“Your family?” I asked. narrow-minded old men are just
“Yes,” he said. a gang of world-hungry tyrants
“It seems to me you’d think that don’t give a damn for reli-
of them in a time like this.” gion or anything as long as they
“I think of them quite often.” get what they want. I know you
“But you’re going to go out know it —
and I’m going to make
and get yourself killed just the you admit it!”

same.” And I shoved the memo under

“Just the same,” he said. his nose.
“Sure!” I said. “You would!” “Read it!”
I had come in calm and in con- He took it from me. I stepped
trol of myself. But now it was as back from him, shaking badly
ifa cork had been pulled on all as I watched him.
that had been inside me since He studied it for a long minute,
Dave’s death. I began to shake. while I held my breath. His face
“Because that’s the kind of hy- did not change. Then he handed
pocrites you are all —
of you it back to me.
Friendlies. You’re so lying, so “Can I give you a ride to meet
rotten clear through with your Graeme?” I said. “We can get
own lies, if someone took them across the lines in the OutBond’s
away from you there’d be noth- aircar. You can get the surrend-
ing left. Would there? So you’d er over with before any shooting
rather die now than admit com- breaks out.”
mitting suicide like this isn’t the He shook his head. He was
most glorious thing in the uni- looking at me in a particularly
verse. You’d rather die than ad- level way, with an expression I
mit you’re just as full of doubts could not understand.
as anyone else, just as afraid.” “What do you mean no?” —
SOLDIER, ASK NOT 43
 ”

“You’d better stay here,” he and got back to his feet, and
said. “Even with ambassadorial raised his face at last to mine.
flags, that aircarmay be shot at And when I saw his eyes I stop-
over the lines.” And he turned as ped breathing.
if he would walk away from me, “If my duty,” he said, in a low,
out the door. controlled voice, “were not in this
“Where’re you going?” I minute to —
shouted at him. I got in front of His voice stopped. I saw his
him and pushed the memo before eyes staring into me; and slowly
his eyes again. “That’s real. You I saw them change and the mur-
can’t close your eyes to that!” der that was in them soften into
something like wonder.
Ti e stopped and looked at me. —
“Thou ” he said, softly —
^ Then he reached out and “Thou hast no faith?”
took my wrist and put my arm I had opened my mouth to
and hand with the memo aside. speak. But what he said stopped
His fingers were thin, but much me. I stood as if punched in the
stronger than I thought, so that stomach, without the breath for
I letthe arm go down in front words. He stared at me.
of him when I hadn’t intended to “What made you think,” he
do so. said, “that that memo would
“I know it’s real. I’ll have to change my mind?”
warn you not to interfere with “You read it!” I said. “Bright
me any more, Mr. Olyn. I’ve got wrote you were a losing propo-
to go now.” He stepped past me sition here, so you weren’t to get
and walked toward the door. any more help. And no one was
“You’re a liar!” I shouted after to tell you for fear you might
him. He kept on going. I had to surrender if you knew.”
stop him. I grabbed the solido- “Is that how you read it?”
graph from his desk and smashed he said. “Like that?”
it on the floor. “How else? How else can you
He turned like a cat and look- read it?”
ed at the broken pieces at my “As it is written.” He stood
feet. straight facing me now and his
“That’s what you’re doing!” I eyes never moved from mine.
shouted, pointing at them. “You have read it without faith,
He came back without a word leaving out the Name and the
and squatted down and carefully will of the Lord. Eldest Bright
gathered up the pieces, one by wrote not that we were to be
one. He put them into his pocket abandoned here —
but that since
44 GALAXY
our cause was sore tried, we be
put in the hands of our Captain
and our God. And further he
wrote that we should not be told
of this, that none here should be
tempted to a vain and special
seeking of the martyr’s crown.
Look, Mr. Olyn. It’s down there
in black and white.”
“But that’s not what he meant!
That’s not what he meant!”
He shook his head. “Mr. Olyn,
I can’t leave you in such de-
lusion.”
I stared at him, for it was sym-
pathy I saw in his face. For me.
“It’s your own blindness that
deludes you,” he said. “You
nothing, and so believe no man
can see. Our Lord is not just a
name, but all things. That’s why
we have no ornament in our
churches, scorning any painted
screen between us and our God.
Listen to me, Mr. Olyn. Those
churches themselves are but ta-
bernacles of the earth. Our Eld-
ers and Leaders, though they
are Chosen and Anointed, are
but mortal men. To none of
still
these things or people do we
hearken in our faith, but to the
very voice of God within us.”
TTe paused. Somehow I could
not speak.
“Suppose it was even as you
think,” he went on, even more
gently. “Suppose that all you
say was a fact; and that our Eld-
SOLDIER, ASK NOT
ers were but greedy tyrants, our-
selves abandoned here by their
selfish will and set to fulfill a
false and prideful purpose. No.”
Jamethon’s voice rose. “Let me
attest as if it were only for my-
self. Suppose that you could give
me proof that all our Elders lied,
that our very Covenant was
false. Suppose that you could
prove to me —
” his face lifted
to mine and his voice drove at
—
me “that all was perversion
and falsehood, and nowhere
among the Chosen, not even in
the house of my father, was there
faith orhope! If you could prove
see to me that no miracle could save
me, that no soul stood with me —
and that opposed were all the
legions of the universe — still I,
I Mr. Olyn, would go for-
alone,
ward I have been command-
as
ed, to the end of the universe, to
the culmination of eternity. For
without my faith I am but com-
mon But with my faith,
earth.
there is r.o power can stay me!”
He
stopped speaking and turn-
ed about. I watched him walk
across the room and out the
door.
Still I stood there, as if I had
been fastened in place —
until I
heard from outside, in the square
of the compound, the sound of
a military aircar starting up.
I broke out of my stasis then
and ran out of the building.
As I burst into the square, the
45
military aircar was just taking
off. I could see Black and his
four hard-shell subordinates in
it. And I yelled up into the air
after them.
“That’s all right for you, but
what about your men?”
They could not hear me.
knew that. Uncontrollable tears
were running down my face,
I screamed up into the air after
him anyway — on it. A continual low-voiced dis-
“You’re killing your men to
prove your point! Can’t you lis-
ten? You’re murdering helpless
men!”
Unheeding, the military aircar
dwindled rapidly to the west and
south, where the converging bat-
tle forces waited. And the heavy
concrete walls and buildings
about the empty compound
threw back my words with a
hollow, wild and mocking echo.
VII
T should have gone to the space-
port. Instead, I got back into
the aircar and flew back across
the lines looking for Graeme’s
Battle Command Center.
I was as little concerned about
my own just then as a
life
Friendly. think I was shot at
I swallowed it down. I could not
once or twice,in spite of the am-
bassadorial flags on the aircar,
but I don’t remember exactly.
Eventually I found the Com-
mand Center and descended.
46
Enlisted men surrounded m«
as I stepped out of the aircar.
I showed my credentials and
went up to the battle screen,
which had been set up in open
air at the edge of shadow from
some tall variform oaks. Grae-
I me, Padma and his whole staff
were grouped around it, watch-
but ing the movements of their own
and the Friendly troops reported
cussion of the movements went
on, and a steady stream of infor-
mation came from the commu-
nications center fifteen feet off.
The sun slanted steeply
through the trees. It was almost
noon and the day was bright and
warm. No one looked at me for
a long time; and then Janol,
turning away from the screen,
caught sight of me standing off
at one side by the flat-topped
shape of a tactics computer. His
face went cold. He went on about
what he was doing. But I must
have been looking pretty bad,
because after a while he came by
with a canteen cup and set it
down on the computer top.
“Drink that,” he said shortly,
and went off. I picked it up,
found it was Dorsai whisky and
taste it; but evidently it did me
some good, because in a few
minutes the world began to sort
itself out around me and I began
to think again.
GALAXY
 I went up to Janol. “Thanks.” “Get backed up in here and
“All right.” He did not look at you find yourself hung up on
me, but went on with the papers high bluffs over the river. There
on the field desk before him. is no easy way across, no cover

“Janol,” X said. “Tell me for retreating troops. It’s nearly

what’s going on.” allopen farmland the rest of the
“See for yourself,” he said, still way, from the other sides of the
bent over his papers. riversto Joseph’s Town.”
“I can’t see for myself. You His finger moved back out
know that. Look —
I’m sorry from the point where the river
about what I is my
did. But this lines came together,the past
job, too. Can’t you tell me what’s small area of darkness and into
going on now and fight with me the surrounding shapes and rings
afterwards?” of light.
“You know I can’t brawl with “On the other hand, the ap-
civilians.” Then his face relaxed. proach to from our
this territory
“All right,” he said, straightening position through open country,
is

up. “Come on.” too —

narrow strips of farmland
interspersed with a lot of swamp
T_T e led me over to the battle and marsh. It’s a tight situation
-* screen, where Padma and for either commander, if we com-
Kensie were standing, and point- mit to a battle here. The first

ed to a sort of small triangle of one who has to backpedal will

darkness between two snakelike find himself in trouble in a
lines of light. Other spots and hurry.”
shapes of light ringed it about. “Are you going to commit?”
“These —
” he pointed to the “It depends. Black sent his
two snakelike lines “are the— light armor forward. Now he’s
Macintok and Sarah Rivers, pulling back into the high
where they come together just — ground, between the rivers.
about ten miles this side of Jo- We’re far superior in strength
seph’s Town. It’s fairly high and equipment. There’s no rea-
ground, hills thick with cover, son for us not to go in after him,
fairly open between them. Good as long as he’s trapped himself
territory for setting up a stub-
— ” Janol broke off.

born defense, bad area to get “No reason?” I asked.

trapped in.” “Not from a tactical stand-
“Why?” point.” Janol frowned at the
He pointed to the two river screen. “We couldn’t get into
lines. trouble unless we suddenly had
SOLDIER, ASK NOT 47
to retreat. And we wouldn’t much difference had twenty-
do that unless he suddenly ac- four made. Off to the
hours
quired some great tactical ad- left the screen I could see
of
vantage that’d make it impos- the gray concrete of a highway.
sible for us to stay there.” “I know that place ” I start-
—
I looked at his profile. ed to say, turning to Janol.
“Such as losing Graeme?” I “Quiet!” he said, holding up
said. a finger. Around us, everybody
He transferred his frown to else had fallen still. Up near
me. “There’s no danger of that.” the front of our group a single
voice was talking.
^TT'here was a certain change in “ —it’s a truce table.”

the movement and the “Have they called?” said the

voices of the people around us. voice of Kensie.
We both turned and looked. “No, sir.”
Everybody was clustering “Well, let’s go see.” There
around a screen. We
moved was a stir up front. The group
in with the crowd and, looking began to break up and I saw
between the soldiers of two of Kensie and Padma walking off
the officers of Graeme’s staff, toward the area where the air-
I saw on the screen the image cars were parked. I shoved my-
of a small grassy meadow en- self through the thinning crowd
closed by wooded hills. In the like a process server, running
center of the meadow, the after them.
Friendly flag floated its thin I heard Janol shout behind
black cross on white back- me, but I paid no attention.
ground beside a long table on Then I was up to Kensie and
the grass. There were folding Padma, who turned.
chairs on each side of the table, “I want to go with you,” I

but only one person a Friend- — said.

ly officer, standing on the “It’s all Janol,”
right, Ken-
table’s far side as if waiting. sie said, looking past me. “You
There were the lilac bushes can leave him with us.”
along the edge of the wooded “Yes, sir.” I could hear
hills where they came down in Janol turn and leave.
variform oak and ash to the “So you want to come with
meadow’s edge; and the laven- me, Mr. Olyn?” Kensie said.
der blossoms were beginning to “I know that spot,” I told
brown and darken for their sea- him. “I drove by it just earlier
son was almost at an end. So today. The Friendlies were
48 GALAXY
taking tactical measurements
all over that meadow and the
hills on both sides. They
weren’t setting up truce talks.”

T7" ensie looked at me for a

long moment, as if he was
taking some tactical measure-
ments himself.
“Come on, then,” he said. He
turned to Padma. “You’ll be
staying here?”
“It’s a combat zone. I’d bet-
ter not.” Padma turned his un-
wrinkled face to me. “Good
luck, Mr. Olyn,” he said, and
walked away. I watched his yel-
low-robed figure glide over the
turf for a second, then turned
to see Graeme halfway to the
nearest military aircar. I hur-
ried after him.
It was a battle car, not lux-
urious like the OutBond’s, and
Kensie did not cruise at two
thousand feet, but snaked it be-
tween the trees just a few feet
above ground. The seats were
cramped. His big frame over-
filled his, crowding me where
I sat. I felt the butt-plate of his
spring pistol grinding into my
side with every movement he
made on the controls.
We came at last to the edge
of the wooded and hilly triangle
occupied by the Friendlies and
mounted a slope under the cov-
er of the new-leaved variform
oaks.

SOLDIER, ASK NOT 49

 They were massive enough
to have killed off most ground
cover. Between their pillar-like
trunks the ground was shaded,
and padded with the brown
shapes of dead leaves. Near the
crest of the hill, we came upon
a unit of Exotic troops resting
and waiting the orders to ad-
vance. Kensie got out of the
car and returned the Force-
Leader’s salute.
“You’ve seen these tables the
Friendlies set up?” Kensie
asked.
“Yes, Commander. That of-
ficer they’ve got is still stand-
ing there. If you go just up
over the crest of the slope here,
you can see him —and the fur-
niture.”
“Good,” said Kensie. “Keep
your men here, Force. The
Newsman and I’ll go take a
look.”
He led the way up among the
oak trees. At the top of the hill
we looked down through about
fifty yards more of trees and
out into the meadow. It was two
hundred yards across, the table
right in the middle, the unmov-
ing black figure of the Friendly
officer standing on its far side.
“What do you think of it, Mr.
Olyn?” asked Kensie, looking
down through the trees.
“There’s plenty of time to
shoot him,” he said, “before he
can get back to cover on the far
side. If we have to shoot him
at all. That wasn’t what I
wanted to know. You’ve seen the
Friendly commander recently.
Did he give you the impression
he was ready to surrender?”
“No!” I said.
“I see,” said Kensie.
“You don’t really think he
means to surrender? What
makes you think something like
that?”
“Truce tables are generally
set up for the discussion of
terms between opposing forc-
es,” he said.
“But he hasn’t asked you to
meet him?”
“No,” Kensie watched the
figure of the Friendly officer,
motionless in the sunlight. “It
might be against his principles
to call for a discussion, but not
to discuss — if we just happened
to find ourselves across a table
from one another.”
He turned and signaled with
his hand. The Force-Leader,
who had been waiting down the
slope behind us, came up.
“Sir?” he said to Kensie.
“Any Friendly strength in
those trees across the way?”
“Four men, that’s all, sir,

“Why hasn’t somebody shot Our scopes pick out their body
him?” I asked. heats clear and sharp. They
He glanced sideways at me. aren’t attempting to hide.”

50 GALAXY
 “I see.” He paused, “Force.” "Form your men ready, just
“Sir?” under the crown of the slope on
“Be good enough to go down the back side, here. If he sur-
there in the meadow and ask renders, I’m going to insist he
that Friendly officer what this come back with me to this side ,

is all about.” immediately.”

“Yes, sir.” “Yes, sir.”
We
stood and watched as the “All this business without a
Force-Leader went stiff-legging regular call for parley may be
it down the steep slope between because he wants to surrender
the trees. He crossed the grass first and break the news of it to
— it seemed very slowly and — his troops afterwards. So get
came up to the Friendly officer. your men ready. If Black in-
They stood facing each other. tends to present his officers
They were talking but there with an accomplished fact, we
was no way to hear their voices. don’t want to let him down.”
The flag with its thin black “He’s not going to surren-
cross whipped in the little der,” I said.
breeze that was blowing there. “Mr. Olyn,” said Kensie, turn-
Then the Force-Leader turned ing to me. “I suggest you go
and climbed back toward us. back behind the crest of the
hill. The Force-Leader will see

TTe stopped in front of Ken- you’re taken care of.”

-*• -* sie, and saluted. “Com- “No,” I said. “I’m going
mander,” he said, “the Com- down. If it’s a truce parley to
mander of the Chosen Troops discuss surrender terms, there’s
of God will meet with you in no combat situation involved
the field to discuss a surrender.” and I’ve got a perfect right to
He stopped to draw a fresh be there. If it isn’t, what’re you
breath. “If you’ll show your- doing going down yourself?”
self at the edge of the opposite Kensie looked at me strange-
woods at the same time; and ly for a moment.
you can approach the table to- “All he
right,” said. “Come
gether.” with me.”
“Thankyou, Force-Leader,” Kensie and turned and went
I

said Kensie. He looked past his
officer at the field and the
table. “I think I’ll go down.”
“He doesn’t mean it,” I said.
“Force-Leader,” said Kensie.
down the sharply pitched slope
between the trees. Our boot-
soles slipped until our heels
dug in, with every step down-
ward. Coming through the

SOLDIER, ASK NOT 51

lilacs I smelled the faint, sweet
scent —
almost gone now of the
decaying blossoms.
Across the meadow, directly
in line with the table, four fig-
ures in black came forward as
we came forward. One of them
was Jamethon Black.
Kensie and Jamethon saluted
each other.
“Commandant Black,” said
Kensie.
“Yes, Commander Graeme.
“No,” said Kensie strongly.
— All at once I saw the five
stakes, in the position the Friend-
ly non-coms, officers and Jame-
thon were now, and the stake up
in front of them fallen down.
“Look out!” I shouted at Ken-
sie —
but I was far too late.
Things had already begun to
happen. The Force-Leader had
jerked back in front of Jamethon
and all five of them were draw-
ing their sidearms. I heard the

I am indebted to you for meet- flag snap again, and the sound
ing me here,” said Jamethon. of its rolling seemed to go on for
“My duty and a pleasure, a long time.
Commandant.” first time then I saw a
For the
“I wished to discuss the terms man So
of the Dorsai in action.
of a surrender.” swift was Kensie’s reaction that
“I can offer you,” said Kensie, it was eerily as if he had read

“the customary terms extended Jamethon’s mind in the instant

to troops in your position under before the Friendlies began to
the Mercenaries’ Code.” reach of their weapons. As their
“You misunderstand me, sir,” hands touched their sidearms, he
said Jamethon. “It was your sur- was already in movement for-
render I came here to discuss.” ward over the table and his
spring pistol was in his hand. He
he flag snapped. seemed to fly directly into the
Suddenly I saw the men in Force-Leader and the two of
black measuring the field here, them went down together, but
as I had seen them the day be- Kensie kept travelling. He rolled
They had been
fore. right where on off the Force-Leader who
we were now. now lay in the grass. He
still

“I’m afraid the misunderstand- came to knees, fired, and

ing is mutual, Commandant,”
said Kensie. “I am in a superior
tactical position and your defeat
is normally certain. I have no
need to surrender.”
“You will not surrender?”
his
dived forward, rolling again.
The Groupman on Jamethon’s
right went down. Jamethon and
the remaining two were turned
nearly full about now, trying to
keep Kensie before them. The

52 GALAXY
two that were left shoved them-
selves in front of Jamethon, their
weapons not yet aimed. Kensie
stopped moving as if he had run
into a stone wall, came to his
feet in a crouch, and fired twice
more. The two Friendlies fell
apart, one to each side.
Jamethon was facing Kensie
now, and Jamethon’s pistol was
in his hand and aimed. Jamethon
fired,and a light blue streak
leaped through the air, but Ken-
sie had dropped again. Lying on
his side on the grass, propped on
one elbow, he pressed the firing
button on his spring pistol twice.
Jamethon’s sidearm sagged in
his hand. He was backed up
against the table now, and he
put out his free hand to steady
himself the table top.
against
He made another effort to lift
his sidearm but he could not. It
dropped from his hand. He bore
more of his weight on the table,
half-turning around, and his face
came about to look in my direc-
tion. His face was as controlled
as it had ever been, but there was
something different about his
eyes as he looked into mine and
—
recognized me something odd-
ly like the look a ri%tn gives a
competitor whom he had just
beaten, and who was no real
threat to begin with. A little
smile touched the corners of his
thin lips. Like a smile of inner
triumph.
SOLDIER, ASK NOT
“Mr. Olyn .” he whispered.
. .
And then the life went out of his
face and he fell beside the table.
Nearby explosions shook the
ground under my feet. From the
crest of the hill behind us the
Force-Leader whom Kensie had
left there was firing smoke
bombs between us and the
Friendly side of the meadow. A
gray wall of smoke was rising
between us and the far hillside,
to screen us from the enemy. It
towered up the blue sky like
some impassable barrier, and un-
der the looming height of it,
only Kensie and I were stand-
ing.
On Jamethon’s dead face there
was a faint smile.
VIII
Ti a dazewatched the Friend-
I
ly troops surrender that same
day. It was the one situation in
which their officers felt justified
in doing so.
Not even their Elders expected
subordinates to fight a situation
set up by a dead Field Com-
mander for tactical reasons un-
explained to his officers. And the
live troops remaining were worth
more than the indemnity charg-
es for them that the Exotics
would make.
I did not wait for the settle-
ments. I had nothing to wait for.
One moment the situation on this
53
battlefield had been poised like from St. Marie concerning the
some great, irresistable wave settlement, and drank too much
above our heads, cresting,
all while I watched.
curling over and about to break I had the numb feeling of a

downward with an impact that soldier sentenced to death for

would reverberate through all
the worlds of Man. Now, sud-
denly, it was no longer above us.
There was nothing but a far-
flooding silence, already drain-
ing away into the records of the
failureon duty. Then in the news
dispatches came the information
that Jamethon’s body would be
returned to Harmony for burial;
and I realized suddenly it was
thisI had been waiting for; The

past. unnatural honoring by fanatics

There was nothing for me. of the fanatic who with four
Nothing. henchmen had tried to assassi-
If Jamethon had succeeded in nate the lone enemy commander
killing —
Kensie even if as a re- under a truce flag. Things could
sult he had won a practically still be written.
bloodless surrender of the Exotic shaved, showered, pulled my-
I

—
troops I might have done some- self together after a fashion and
thing damaging with the incident went to see my superiors about
of the truce table. But he had being sent to Harmony to cover
only tried; and died, failing Who the burial of Jamethon, as a
could work up emotion against wrap-up.
the Friendlies for that? The congratulations of the Di-
I took ship back to Earth like rector of News Network, that
a man walking in a dream, ask- had reached me on St. Marie
ing myself why. earlier, stood me ingood stead.
Back on Earth, I told my ed- It was still fresh in the minds of
itors I was not in good shape the men just over me. I was sent.
physically; and theytook one
look at me andbelieved me. I TT'ive days laterI was on Har-

took an indefinite leave from my mony, in a little town called

job and sat around the News Remembered-of-the-Lord. The
Network Center Library, at the buildings in the town were of
Hague, searching blindly through concrete and bubble plastic,
piles of writings and reference though evidently they had been
material on the Friendlies, the up for many years. The thin,
Dorsai and the Exotic worlds. stony soil about the town had
For what? I did not know. I also been tilled as the fields on St.
watched the news dispatches Marie had been tilled when I

54 GALAXY
 —

got to that other world —for and left of me the barriers at

Harmony now was just entering which the congregation would
the spring of its northern hemis- stand during the service were
phere. And it was raining as I lost in gloom. The rafters of the
drove from the spaceport of the steeply pitched roof were hidden
town, as it had on St. Marie that in darkness. There was no music,
first day. But the Friendly fields but the low sound of voices in-
I saw did not show the rich dark- dividually praying to either side
ness of the fields of St. Marie. of me in the ranks of barriers
Only a thin, hard blackness in and in the line blended into a
the wet that was like the color sort of rhythmic undertone of
of Friendly uniforms. sadness. Like Jamethon, the
I got church just as
to the people were all very dark here,
people were beginning to arrive. being of North African extrac-
Under the dark, draining skies, tion. Dark into dark, they blend-
the interior of the church was al- ed, and were lost about me in
most too dim to let me see my the gloom.
way about for the Friendlies I came up and passed at last

permit themselves no windows by Jamethon. He looked as I re-

and no artificial lighting in their membered him. Death had had
houses of worship. Gray light, no power to change him. He lay
cold wind and rain entered the on his back, his hands at his
doorless portal at the back of sides, and his lips were as firm
the church. Through the single and straight as ever. Only his
rectangular opening in the roof eyes were closed.
watery sunlight filtered over I was limping noticably be-

Jamethon’s body, on a platform cause of the dampness, and as I

set up on trestles. A transparent turned away from the body, I
cover had been set up to protect felt my elbow touched. I turned

the body from the rain, which
was channeled off the open space
and ran down a drain in the back
wall. But the elder conducting
the Death Service and anyone
back sharply. I was not wearing
my correspondent’s uniform. I
was in civilian clothes, so as to
be inconspicuous.
I looked down into the face of

coming up to view the body was the young girl in Jamethon’s

expected to stand exposed to sky solidograph. In the gray rainy
and weather. light her unlined face was like
I got in line with the people something from the stained glass
moving slowly down the central window of an ancient cathedral
aisle and past the body. To right back on Old Earth.

SOLDIER, ASK NOT 55

 “You’ve been wounded,” she
said in a soft voice to me. “You
must be one of the mercenaries
who knew him on Newton, be-
fore he was ordered to Harmony.
His parents, who are mine as
well, would find solace in the
Lord by meeting you.”
The wind blew rain down
through the overhead opening
all about me, and its icy feel
sent a chill suddenly shooting
through me, freezing me to my
very bones.
“No!” I said. “I’m not. I didn’t
know him.” And I turned sharp-
ly away from her and pushed
my way into the crowd, back up
the aisle.
After about fifteen feet, I real-
izedwhat I was doing and slowed
down. The girl was already lost
in the darkness of the bodies
behind me. I made my way more
slowly toward the back of the
church, where there was a little
place to stand before the first
ranks of the barriers began. I
stood watching the people come
in. They came and came, walk-
ing in in their black clothing
with their heads down and talk-
ing or praying in low voices.
I stood where I was, a little
back from the entrance, half
numbed and dull-minded with
the chill about me and the ex-
haustion I had brought with me
from Earth. The voices droned
about me. I almost dozed, stand-
56
ing there. I could not remember
why I had come.
Then a girl’svoice emerged
from the jumble, bringing me
back to full consciousness again.
“ —
he did deny it, but I am
sure he is one of those mercen-
aries who was with Jamethon on
Newton. He limps and can only
be a soldier who hath been
wounded.”
Tt was the voice of Jamethon’s
speaking with more
sister,
of Friendly cant on her
the
tongue than she had used speak-
ing to me, a stranger. I woke
fully and saw her standing by the
entrance only a few feet from
me, half-facing two elder people
who I recognized as the older
couple in Jamethon’s solido-
graph. A bolt of pure, freezing
horror shot through me.
“No!” I nearly shouted at
them. “I don’t know him. I never
—
knew him I don’t understand
what you’re talking about!” And
I turned and bolted out through
the entrance of the church into
the concealing rain.
I all but ran for about thirty
or forty feet. Then I heard no
footsteps behind me; I stopped.
was alone in the open. The
I
day was even darker now and
the rain suddenly came down
harder. It obscured everything
around me with a drumming,
shimmering curtain. I could not
GALAXY
even see the groundcars in the you were risking your life, com-
parking lot toward which I was ing here today?”
facing; and for sure they could I opened my mouth deny it.
to
not see me from the church. I Then I realized I had known.
lifted my face up to the down- “What if someone should call

pour and let it beat upon my out to them,” said Padma, “that
cheeks and my closed eyelids. Tam Olyn, the St. Marie cam-
“So,” said a voice from behind paign Newsman, is here incog-
me. “You did not know him?” nito?”
The words seemed to cut me I looked at him with my wolf-
down the middle, and I felt as feeling, grimly.
a cornered wolf must feel. Like “Can you square it with your
a wolf I turned. Exotic principles if you do?”
“Yes, I knew him!” I said. “We are misunderstood,” an-
Facing me was Padma, in a swered Padma calmly. “We hire
blue robe the rain did not seem soldiers to fight for us not be-
to dampen. His empty hands cause of some moral command-
that had never held a weapon ment, but because our emotional
in their life were clasped togeth- perspective is lost if we become
er before him. But the wolf part involved.”
of me knew that as far as I was There was no fear left in me.
concerned, he was armed and a Only a hard, empty feeling.
hunter. “Then call them,” I said.
“You?” I said. “What are you Padma’s strange, hazel eyes
doing here?” watched me through the rain.
“It was calculated you would “If that was all that was need-
be here,” said Padma, softly. “So ed,” he said. “I could have sent
I am here, too. But why
are you word to them. I wouldn’t have
here, Tam? Among
those people needed to come myself.”
in there, there’s sure to be at “Why did you come?” My
least afew fanatics who’ve heard voice tore at my throat. “What
the camp rumors of your respon- do you care about me, or the
sibilityin the matter of Jame- Exotics?”
thon’s death and the Friendlies’ “We care for every individ-
surrender.” ual,” said Padma. “But we care
“Rumors!” I said. “Who start- more for the race. And you re-
ed them?” main dangerous to it. You’re an
“You did,” Padma said. “By idealist, Tam, warped to destruc-

your actions on St. Marie.” He tive purpose. There is a law of

gazed at me. “Didn’t you know conservation of energy in the

SOLDIER, ASK NOT 57

pattern of cause-and-effect as in civilian population, so that the
other sciences. Your destructive- St. Marie government would
ness was frustrated on St. Marie. have to order them home to our
Now it may turn inward to de- Exotics, and stand unprotected
stroy you, or outward against to face a Blue Front revolt.”
the whole race of man.” I stared at him.
I laughed, and heard the “All things are interrelated,”
harshness of my laughter. said Padma. “Kensie was slated
“What’re you going to do for a final promotion to a desk
about it?” I said. command back on Mara or Kul-
“Show you how the knife you tis. He and his brother Ian would

hold cuts the hand that holds have been out of the wars for
it as well as what you turn it the rest of their professional
against. I have news for you, lives. Because of Jamethon’s
Tam. Kensie Graeme is dead.” death, that allowed the surrender
of his troops without fighting, a
I i
|
~Yend?” The rain seemed situation was set up which led
^ to roar around me sud- the Blue Front to assassinate
denly and the parking lot shift- Kensie. If you and Jamethon had
ed unsubstantially under my not come together on St. Marie,
feet. and Jamethon had won, Kensie
“He was assassinated by three would still be alive. So our cal-
men of the Blue Front in Blau- culations show.”
vain five days ago.” “Jamethon and I?” The breath
“Assassinated ...” I whis- went dry in my throat without
pered. “Why?” warning, and the rain came down
“Because the war was over,” harder.
said Padma. “Because Jame- “You were the factor,” said
thori’s death and the surrender Padma, “that helped Jamethon
of the Friendly troops without to his solution.”
the preliminary of a war that “I helped him!” I said. “/
would tear up the countryside did?”
left the civilian population favor- “He saw through you,” said
ably disposed toward our troops. Padma. “He saw through the re-
Because the Blue Front found venge-bitter, twisted surface you
themselves farther from power thought was yourself, to the
than ever, as a result of this fa- idealistic core that was so deep
vorable feeling. They hoped by in the bone of you that even your
killing Graeme to provoke his uncle hadn’t been able to eradi-
troops into retaliation against the cate it.”

58 GALAXY
 ”

The rainthundered between “What crazy thinking was

us. But Padma’s every word that?” I said. Inside the church,
came clearly through it to me. the praying had stopped, and a
“I don’t believe you!” I shout- single strong, deep voice was be-
ed. “I don’t believe he did any- ginning the burial service.
thing like that!” “Not crazy,” said Padma.
“I told you,” said Padma, “The moment he realized this,
“you didn’t fully appreciate the his answer became simple. All
evolutionary advances of our he had to do was begin by deny-
Splinter Cultures. Jamethon’s ing whatever the Satan offered.
faith was not the kind that can He must start with the absolute
be shaken by outer things. If necessity of his own death.”
you had been in fact like your “And that was a solution?” I

uncle, he would not even have tried to laugh but my throat

listened to you. He would have
dismissed you as a soulless man.
As it was, he thought of you in-
stead as a man possessed.
speaking with what he would
have called Satan’s voice.”
“I don’t believe it!” I yelled.
“You do believe it,” said Pad-
ma. “You’ve got no choice except
to believe it. Because only be-
hurt.
“It was the only solution,” said
Padma. “Once he decided that,
A man he saw immediately that the one
situation in which his men would
permit themselves to surrender
was if he was dead and they
were in an untenable position for
reasons only he had known.”
I felt the words go through

cause of it could Jamethon find me with a soundless shock.

his solution.” “But he didn’t mean to die!”
“Solution!” I said.

“He was a man ready to die “He left it to his God,” said
for his faith. But as a comman- Padma. “He arranged it so only
der he found it hard his men a miracle could save him.”
should go out to die for no oth- “What’re you talking about?”
er reasonable cause.” Padma I stared at him. “He set up a

watched me, and the rain thinned table with a flag of truce. He
for amoment. “But you offered took four men —
him what he recognized as the “There was no flag. The men
devil’s choice — his life in this were overage, martyrdom-seek-
world, he would surrender his
if ers.”
faith and
his men, to avoid the “He took four!” I shouted.
conflict thatwould end in his “Four and one made five. The
death and theirs.” them against one man. I
five of

SOLDIER, ASK NOT 59

stood there by that table and behind the clouds it lifted me
saw. Five against
— and carried me away at last tx>
“Tam.” that high, hard and stony land I
had glimpsed when I had asked

Ophe single word stopped me. Kensie Graeme that question

Suddenly I began to be about his ever allowing Friendly
afraid. I did not want to hear prisoners to be killed. It was this
what he was about to say. I was land I had always avoided, but
afraid I knew what he was going to it I was come at last.
to tell me. That I had known it And I remembered . . .

for some time. And I did not From the beginning, I had
want to hear it, I did not want known inside myself that the fan-
to hear him say it. The rain grew atic who had killed Dave and the
even stronger, driving upon us otherswas not the image of all
both and mercilessly on the con- Jamethon was no cas-
Friendlies.
crete, but I heard every word ual I had tried to make
killer.
relentlessly through all its sound him into one in order to hide
and noise. my own shame, my own self-
Padma’s voice began to roar in destruction. For three years I had

my ears likethe rain, and a lied to myself. It had not been

feeling came over me like the with me as I claimed, at Dave’s
helpless floating sensation that death.
comes in high fever. “Did you I had under that tree
sat there
think that Jamethon for a min- watching Dave and the others
ute fooled himself? He was a die, watching the black-clad
product of a Splinter Culture. He Groupman killing them with his
recognized another in Kensie. machine rifle. And, in that mo-
Did you think that for a minute ment, the thought in my mind
he thought that barring a miracle had not been the one with which
he and four overage fanatics I justified three years of hunting

could kill an armed, alert and for an opportunity to ruin some-

ready man of the Dorsai a man — one like Jamethon and destroy
like Kensie Graeme? Before they the Friendly peoples.
were gunned down and killed It had not been me, thinking,
themselves?” what is he doing there, what is

Themselves . . . themselves . . . he doing to those helpless, in-

themselves . . . nocent men! I had thought noth-
I rode off a long way on that ing so noble. Only one thought
word from the dark day and the had filled all my mind and body
rain. Like the rain and the wind in that instant. It had been simp-
60 GALAXY
 —
ly — after he’s done, is he going powerful individual wills. One
to turn that gun on me? seems to try to aid, one to frus-
trate, the evolutionary process;
T came back to the day and to and their influences can be
The rain was slack-
the rain. traced back at least as far as
ening and Padma was holding man’s first venture into space
me upright. As with Jamethon, from Earth.”
I was amazed at the strength of I shook my head.

his hands. “I don’t understand it,” I mut-

me go,” I mumbled.
“Let tered. not my business.”
“It’s

“Where would you go, Tam?” “It is. has been all your
It

said Padma. life.” Padma eyes caught light

“Any place,” I muttered. “I’ll for a moment. “A force intruded

get out of it. I’ll go hole up some- on the pattern on St. Marie, in
where and get out of it. I’ll give the shape of a unit warped by
up.” personal loss and oriented to-
“An action,” said Padma, let- ward violence. That was you,
ting me “goes on reverber-
go,
Tam.”
ating for ever. Cause never ceas- I tried to shake my head again,
but I knew he was right.
es its effects. You can’t let go
now, Tam. You can only change “You are blocked in your ef-
sides.” fort,” said Padma. “But the law

“Sides!” I said.The rain was of conservation of energies could

dwindling fast. “What sides?” not be denied. When you were

I stared at him drunkenly. frustrated by Jamethon, your
“You uncle’s side which is force, transmuted, left the pat-
one,” said Padma. “And the tern in the unit of another indi-
opposing side, which is yours vidual, warped by personal loss
which is ours as well.” The rain and oriented toward violent ef-
was falling only lightly now, and fect on the fabric.”

the day was lightening. A little I stared at him and wet my

pale sunlight worked through lips. “What other individual?”

thin clouds and illuminated the “Ian Graeme.”

space between us. “In addition I stared at him.

there are two strong influences “Ian found his brother’s three
besides we Exotics concerned assassins hiding in a hotel room
with the attempt of man to in Blauvain. He killed them with
evolve. We
can’t calculate or un- his hands —
and in doing that he
derstand them yet, beyond the calmed the mercenaries and
fact they act almost as single frustrated the Blue Front. But

SOLDIER, ASK NOT 61

then he resigned and went home
to the Dorsai. He’s charged now
with the sense of loss and bitter-
ness you were charged with when
you came to St. Marie.” Padma
paused and added softly. “Now
he has great causal potential for
some purpose we can’t yet cal-
uncle couldn’t take it from you.
He could only attack it so that
the threat of death on New
Earth could twist it for a while
against itself. Now you’ve been
hammered straight in the forge
of events on St. Marie.”
I laughed, and the laugh hurt

culate.” my throat still.

“But—” I looked at Padma. “I don’t feel straight,” I said.
“You mean I’m free!” “Give yourself time,” said
Padma shook his head. Padma. “Healing takes time.
“You’re only charged with a New growth has to harden, like
different force instead,” he said. muscle, before it becomes useful.
“You received the full impact Now you understand much more
and charge of Jamethon’s self- about the faith of the Friendlies,
sacrifice.” the courage of the Dorsai and —
He looked at me almost with something of the philosophical
sympathy, and in spite of the strength for man we work toward
sunlight I began to shiver. on the Exotics.”
It was so. I could not deny it. He stopped and smiled at me.
Jamethon, in giving his life up Almost an impish smile.
for a belief, when I had thrown “It should have been clear to
away all belief before the face you a long while ago, Tam,” he
of death, had melted and said. “Your job’s the job of trans-
changed me as lightning melts lator —
between the old and the
and changes the uplifted sword- new. Your work will prepare the
blade that it strikes. I could not minds of the people on all the
deny what had happened to me. —
worlds full-spectrum and Splin-
“No,” I said, shivering, “I can’t ter Culture alike —
for the day
do anything about it.” when the talents of the race will
“You can,” said Padma, calm- combine into the new breed.”
ly. “You will.” The smile softened, his face sad-
He unclasped his hands that dened. “You’ll live to see more
he had held together earlier. of it than I. Good-by, Tam.”
“The purpose for which we He turned. Through the still
calculated I should meet you misty, but brightening air, I saw
here is accomplished now,” he him walking alone toward the
said. “The idealism which was church, from which came the
basic in you remains. Even your voice of the speaker within, now

62 GALAXY
announcing the number of the up a route at the beginning of •
final hymn. new day.

DNow azedly,
self,
I

went
the rain
turned away
to my car and got
was almost over
my- Soldier,, ask

Where to
not — now or ever!
war your banners go!
in.
and the sky was brightening fast. The singing followed me as I
The faint moisture fell, it seem- drove away. And as I got farther
ed, more kindly; and the air was into the distance, the voices
fresh and new. seemed to blend until they
I put the car windows open as sounded like one voice alone,
I pulled out of the lot onto the powerfully singing. Ahead, the
long road back to the spaceport. clouds were breaking. With the
And through the open window sun shining through, the patches
beside me I heard them begin- of blue sky were like bright flags
ning to sing the final hymn in- —
waving like the banners of an
side the church. army, marching forever forward
It was the Battle Hymn of the into lands unknown.
Friendly Soldiers that they sang. I watched them, as I drove
As I drove away down the road forward toward where they
the voices seemed to follow me blended into open sky; and for
strongly. Not sounding slowly a long time I heard the singing
and mournfully as if in sadness behind me, as I drove to the
and farewell, but strongly and spaceport and the ship for Earth
triumphantly, as in a marching that waited in the sunlight.
song on the lips of those taking —GORDON R. DICKSON

MARTIAN PLAY SONG

Urapod! Urapod! Amoeba man!
Make me into twins just as fast as you can.

Take me and break me and prick me with "B"

So I'll know which is Baby and which one is me!

— JOHN BURRESS
SOLDIER, ASK NOT 63
 —

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64 GALAXY
 of Good Ckteer
BY FRITZ LEIBER

Don't worry! We're your friends!

We've token your work, your planet
—
and your hopes but don't worryl

from: Josh B. Smiley

Bureau of Public Moral*
Level 77
The White Pentacle
Manhattan, D. G.
10011100011110

to: Hermlone Fennerghast

10001377 sunset Blvd.
Santa Barbara, Big 'Angeles
101000100 1 001111

Bear Senior Citizen,

I have In hand your letter of fears and surmises regarding the

end of the world: the chilling absence of people on the streets and
slldeways and In neighboring houses (whic.h understandably depresses

65
 5

you); the vanishment of friends and relatives; the cessation of all

personal mail (This letter at least is an exception! ) 5 the decline-
in news of humad interest .on your mass mediator and its replacement
by. what you call Picasserie or robo-blobs; the surliness of robots
when you address questions to them; the invasion of your home at all
hours by other robots (who, however, I note, continue to deliver to
you your wheat gem, yogurt, and other necessities); the failure of
indoor and street lights (though not of robo-supply electricity it-
self and other basic utilities); the labor you have been put to dig-
ging a latrine in your garden; the urge you feel to laugh and babble
—
wildly (which you do well to repress Congratulations on your courage! )
the ominous and evil-smelling gray fogs which roll along the streets
and often blanket most -of the city; the fine metal filaments which
have recently' crawled like wire-worms or fairy ivy into your home;
your wee-hour-of-the-night dreads that some cold mindless machine is
running the cosmos and not a warmly personal God; the darkness; the
damp; the dimming of the star's; the smell of mold; the fading forever
of childish voices; the unintelligible croaking coming closer every
night; the rustle of dry leaves across the floors of long-empty
swimming pools.
All these signs and portents, and the others to which you al-
lude, have been carefully probed by our Fear Scanners and investi-
gated by our Bugaboo Teams.
I have, believe me, turned them over more than once in my mind
before dictating this answer. I am troubled myself at times by dreads,
let me confess. And so I feel an especial sympathy for your appre-
hensions!
But first I must reveal to you that your experience has been
unique. Yours is the .first and only letter about end-of-the-world
fears to be received by this bureau since its establishment during
the period of the Dark: Prelude. In fact, your letter caused quite a
commotion here! exclamations of amazement, faint odor of overheated
insulation, St. Elmo’s fire playing about the robo-sex. (Short for
robo-secretaries no impropriety intended.) You are the only human on
Earth (save myself) ... I repeat, you are the only Humari'Being on
Earth to have felt even the cool shadow of such fears. Elsewhere the
*
world is merry and progresses toward ever dizzier and more delirious
heights of achievement.
We must suppose that your experience is due to a concatenation
of circumstances having a probability 'of inverse infinity.
You know how such things go: a few weeks or months of total

66 GALAXY
eolitude, a scratching at the door by night, a creaking In the hall,
a tall thin shadow trembling on the bedroom doorsill in the hoarded
candlelight . . . and hey, presto! we have a ghost.
Also we must assume that you possess an exceptional sensitivity.
You_are, figuratively or literally, the princess who slept on the
many mattresses. While coarser natures revel in the downy pneumatic
softness, you feel oniy the pea. Or ball-bearing, perhaps.
Don't be offended for one instant at this assessment. The con-
trary rather.. Your sensitivity is a great gift, whereby you can
relieve and enrich your loneliness until you are quite unaware of it
and almost oblivious of the gray fog lapping ever higher each evening
against your view window. Try to discern the subtle meanings that lie
behind the abstract robo-blobs racing across the screen of your mass
mediator. (I sometimes do myself, though must confess X find little
beyond a pattern as random as that of the fading stars - still, it in-
duces sleep with the help of barbiturates.)
Commune with pets! Of course dogs and cats and rats and snakes
are gone,, not to mention the winsome portly elf-footed mice. But
some of our correspondents report establishing a rewarding rapport
with cockroaches, flies, sllverfish and sexton beetles.
Or shut your ears to the dead leaves' rustle and listen to the
exuberant song of the remaining blades of grass as they bravely
shoulder their way through the hairline cracks they make in the
world's oppressive concrete crust. Famous poets are said to have got
great satisfaction thereby.
Now to dispose- of the more important of your specific apprehen-
sions detailed in my first paragraph:
People have gone underground to dwell In the shelter cities, op.
have migrated to other planets, some have donned aqualungs, or under-
gone surgical gill- implant, and retired to the mystic oceanic deeps
because, as those enthusiasts put it, "they are there." others have
soared to the satallite suburbs, which you may see traveling twinkl-
ingly amongst the fixed stars if the gray f6g ever relents and gives
you a clear night, still others have sought permanent tranquility, in
their neighborhood euthanasia booth. A few have had the good fortune
to have their brains incorporated into the memory units of computers
or even mobile robots, discovering in this way a wider vision and a
continuing if somewhat subordinate existence-even a sort of Immor-
tality!
we do not suggest that you seek to follow any of these ex-
amples, since you appear to possess a splendid talent for getting

BE OF GOOD CHEER 67
along without people. Or even without robots. (I Jest.)
Most of the robots who do not respond to your questions are
not being Impolite at all. They are simply unable to speak. English.
.Such language capacity was Installed In early models, but adversely
effected the efficiency of later ones, became burdensome to them,
—
and was discarded. However, they did not become mutes banish that
fear! Most of them speak a melodious Jargon sometimes called Robot-
ese which Is understood only by_ themselves and which accounts for
—
those croaklngs which you hear coming closer in the night and
which I am sure will no longer trouble you now that you know the real
explanation.
I am conscious that I am not explaining all of this as clearly

and persuasively as I might. I'm not programming you altogether ef-

fectively. indeed I sometimes fear that I'm not programmed quite un-
ambiguously myself. There are halts and Jumps In the spool of my
thoughts: indeed. It Is from the Incapacity of human beings to re-
ceive the Higher Programming that there have appeared on the gleaming
surface of civilized perfection those tiny Satanic fly-specks. Rust-
flecks, I should say. But I wander.
Artificial lighting, both exterior and Interior, has been dis-
—
continued for reasons of esthetics and morale early to bed and early
-

to rise! Rumor to the contrary, this wise economy Is In no way con-

nected with the fact that robots have no need of light In the visible
octave, since they see by their own radar.
Nor do the thick gray fogs result In any way from robot resent-
ment .of the faculty of vision in flesh-and-blood creatures. Do not
believe any libels you hear to that effect! As well see evil Intent
In the melting down of ships, bridges, guns and farm equipment for.
their metal, or In the burning of forests for their valuable ash. No
the Coal Soupers, as I sometimes call them, are merely a healing,
—
soothing, rust-lnhlbltlng oil nonlnjurious In small quantities to
—
humans which the robots find increasingly necessary to their comfort-
able operation. (But I advise sealing your windows against the fogs.
To each his taste.)
You ask, "Should I lock my door at night?" I answer Yes, to feel
more secure, and No, to avoid door-breakage. Compromise by locking
your bedroom door.
As for your urge to laugh and babble wildly, I want you to
—
know It is shared as this letter perhaps makes apparent from time
to time.
But as for your deepest fear, dear Senior Citizen, I can as-

68
GALAXY
 —

—
sure you that God Indeed exists here and now on this planet!- r have
watched His brain rise story by story to the clouds. He is Wax®
'• fans enough to air-condition a tropical city are required to cool
—
him! And He is Personal His sensors and effectors extend everywhere—
They are the fairy ivy you have noticed creeping into your home.
Be not afraid!
Cordially,

josh B. Swilevj, T>irector-m-Chief

Josh B. Salley,
Director- ln-Chlef

Accidentally affixed by an errant drop of metal glue to the

bottom of the last aluminum sheet, was the envelope of Miss

Fennerghast’s letter to the Bureau. Scribbled in slack spidery

characters below her return address was this note:

Dear Minnie, I'm 501*15 out on the sktj-decU and

watch the 5ravj fo5 roll. Turn thirsts over to Binnie
or Tinnic and, if vjow please, put on vjour foam rubber
fitters ant)come alo*i5 and bolt* mvj band attachment.
But first send this indestructible old 5irl our End-of-
thc-World Letter.

BE OF GOOD CHEER 69
for
^our

BY WILLY LEY
THE AREA OF

“ACCESSIBLE SPACE”

D uring
when
the last few years,
lecturing or while fac-
ing the cameras of an education-
al TV show, I often had to ex-
plain the concept of the eco-
sphere. In case somebody still
does not know the term I am go-
ing to repeat the explanation
once more and as quickly as it

can be done.

70
 The word “ecosphere” itself
was coined about a dozen years
ago, in analogy with the classical
Greek word oikumene which —
meant the “habitable world”. In
astronomy, ecosphere means the
sperical space around a star in
which a planet, if there one ex-
isted, would be habitable.
Now how do we decide whether
a planet habitable or not?
is
Naturally the definition must
be arbitrary to some extent in
order to answer the next ques-
tion that would come up, name-
ly: “habitable for what?” Of
course, we define a “habitable
planet” as one habitable for our
own kind of life. This means that
water must be liquid, at least
most of the time. That, in turn,
implies a certain distance from
the sun. If a planet were too
close to its sun, all the water
there might be on the planet
would be in the form of water
vapor all the time. If a planet
were too far from its sun, all the
water would be in the form of ice
all the time. Logically, then, the
ecosphere, the volume of space
where a planet will have liquid
water, is a hollow spherical shell
around a star, with an inner lim-
it, inside of which it is too hot,
and an outer limit, beyond which
it is too cold.
The reason for bringing this
up is two-fold. During the last
few weeks I experienced two sur-
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
prises with regard to the eco-
sphere.
rT''he first surprise grew out of
the simple question of how
much of space can be explored
with the rockets we now have.
(No speculation about the fu-
ture, please.)
The approach to the answer
was quite simple. Our space
probe Mariner
II passed the
planet Venus within 20,000 miles;
after the fly-by, it even crossed
the orbit of Venus to a small ex-
tent. The mean distance of Ven-
us from the sun is 67.2 million
miles and even if Venus orbited
the sun somewhat more closely,
say at 50 million miles, Mariner
II could still have made a fly-
by. The Russians have sent a
planetary probe —
named simply
Mars-1 —
in the other direction,
to the planet Mars. Their ex-
periment failed because at one
point the Russian probe started
tumbling, so that there could be
no radio transmission to earth.
But there is little doubt in any-
body’s mind that Mars-1 made a
fly-by of the planet Mars. Now
the mean distance of Mars from
the sun is 141.5 million miles —
and again even if it orbited
somewhat farther away, say at
160 million miles, it could still
have been reached.
Thearea of accessible space,
therefore, extends from 50 mil-
71 i
 The "Heat-Field" of Our Sun
DISTANCE TEMPERATURE
million astronomical (calculated) measured
Mercury
miles units •K -C T OF)
36.0 0.39 460 +187 +369
Venus 67.2 0.72 337 +64 + 148 +800
Earth 93.0 1.00 290 +17 +62 -70 to +120
Mars 141.5 1.52 237 -36 -33 +75
Jupiter 483.3 5.20 127 -146 -231
Saturn 886.1 9.54 95 -178 -288
Uranus 1782.8 19.2 66 -207 -341
Neptune 2793.5 30.0 53 —220 —364
l light year 5,880,000 63,290 1.1 —272 —458

TABLE 1

lion milesfrom the sun to about mann and other early pioneers
160, or even 180, million miles of the age we are now in. As
from the sun. editor I had to write an intro-
After having made this state- ductory chapter, which natural-
ment I realized that the area of ly dealt with the planets of the
space accessible with existing solar system. One of the con-
rockets coincides with the eco- tributors to the book Guido, —
sphere of our sun. The reason is Baron von Pirquet, in Vienna —
that we, living on earth, are loca- had just calculated, purely for
ted in about the middle distance his own amusement, what tem-
between the inner and outer lim- peratures the planets would as-
its of the ecosphere. If we lived sume if they were just bare balls
on Mars and had reached the of rock without any modifying
same technological level, the atmospheres. He called this table
situationwould be different. We the “Sun’s Heat-Field” and I
could pass considerably beyond incorporated it into my chapter.
the outer limit of the ecosphere I ran across it by pure acci-

but could not penetrate to its dent a few days before sitting
inner limit. down to write this column, and I
Now for my second surprise. saw that we could have estab-
Back in 1927 I edited a sym- lished the concept of the eco-
posium volume on space travel sphere in 1927 if we had thought
with the title Die Moglichkeit carefully about the meaning of
der Weltraumfahrt —
The Pos- these figures.
sibility of Space Travel which— Look at Table 1. It is von
contained chapters by Prof. Her- Pirquet’s table of 1927 witliout
mann Oberth, Dr. Walter Hoh- any change, except for the ad-

72 GALAXY
 The curve gives the orbital velocities of bodies
orbiting the sun in near-circular orbits. The
physically accessible region of space runs from
about Vi A. U. to about 2 A. U.

dition of the planetary distances It can be seen that both Venus

in millions of miles and the and Mars are considerably warm-
column temperatures in de-
of er than the mere “heat-field”
grees Fahrenheit. (The original calculation indicated, due in
table, in other words, consisted both cases to the presence of an
of the three center columns atmosphere. Still, it must be em-
only.) phasized that the figure given for
The fact that almost four de- Mars is the measurement of a
cades have gone by since this dark area near the Martian
table was first calculated made equator at the time of Martian
the addition of another, if in- noon. The overall temperature
complete, column possible: the of Mars must be considerably
actually measured temperatures lower.
of the three important planets. In the case of Venus the very

FOR YOUR INFORMATION 73

 AAale Planetoids Approaching the
Earth to within 15 Million Miles or Less
Name and Orbital Length of Minimum
Designation Discoverer Period Major Axis Distance from
(years) (A.U.) Earth
(million miles)

(433) -Eros Witt, 1898 1.76 2.916 13.9

(1221) -Amor Delporte, 1932 2.67 3.846 10.4
Apollo (1932HA) Rcinmuth, 1932 1.81 2.972 2.5
Adonis (1936CA) Delporte, 1936 2.76 3.938 1.2
Hermes (1937UB) Reinmuth, 1937 2.00 2.580 0.22
Icarus (1949MA) Baade, 1949 1.12 2.156 4.0
Geographos (1951QE) Minkowski, 1951 1.41 2.310 3.0

TABLE 2

high temperature which has been ecliptic — say within a handful

measured by Mariner II is main- of million miles above and below
ly the the peculiar
result of the ecliptic.)
atmosphere of the planet and its To begin with we have:
enormous, dense cloud cover. If
Venus had a cloud cover not too A. three major planets, Venus,
different from that of earth, the earth and Mars;
surface temperature would be B. a body of near planetary size,

much closer to the calculated our moon;

value. (I’ll mention in passing C. two tiny planetary compan-
that a number of scientists are ions, less than 10 miles in
now wondering which micro-or- diameter, the two moons of
ganisms we could dump into this Mars;
cloud cover in order to break it D. three “immaterial objects”;
up and then return to my theme, the two Kordylewski “clouds”
namely the area of space acces- in the moon’s orbit, probably
sible with our present rockets. dust clouds, and the Gegen-
schein, also a dust cloud;
t is amazing how many differ- E. more than half a dozen plan-
I ent types of celestial objects etoids (asteroids) which ap-
can be found in this rather small proach, or cross, the earth’s
area of space. (I call it “area” orbit; with th® single excep-
rather than “volume” because I tion of Eros, which measures
have to assume that our space about 17 miles along its long
probes and manned ships will axis, all of them are a mile or
have to stay fairly close to the less in diameter;

74 GALAXY
F. more than a dozen compara- The objects just listed clearly
tively smallcomets which ap- fall into two classes. A to D is

proach, or cross, the earth’s one class, E and F is the other.

orbit. The distinction between the two
is that the A to D objects al-
There are enough objects of ways stay in the accessible area of
research in the accessible space space, while the objects listed
to keep everybody busy for what under E and F enter the acces-
is left of this century. sible space only occasionally.
 inary designation 1936CA. Com-
putation indicated that it was a
so-called “male” planetoid, that
is a planetoid which does not

stay in the “belt” between Mars

and Jupiter but crosses the or-
bit of either of these two planets.
Consequently it had to have a
male name, and Delporte de-
cided on Adonis. At the time of
discovery its distance from the
Orbits of Four Short-Period Comets. earth was million miles. But
The circle marked E is the earth's orbit, this was after it had passed the
dotted portions of the comet orbits are point of its orbit nearest the
to the south of the ecliptic.
earth —
this point is not usually
namely when they are near the referred to as the perigee; peri-
perihelia of their orbits. And gee is the point nearest the earth
even when they are in accessible for bodies orbiting the earth —
space they might still be inac- which had been at a distance of
cessible, because of their rapid 1.36 million miles. And it was
motion relative to the earth. found that it could come even
It is a fundamental fact, but closer, the theoretical minimum
one which is hard to grasp for being 1.2million miles.
people new in this field, that dis- A body which, at its closest,
tance doesn’t matter much in is only five times as far away as
space. It is relative velocities the moon certainly sounds acces-
which are all-important. sible. But at the time of its close
passage it moves with a velocity

L et us look
ample to make
at a specific ex-

In February 1936 the Belgian

this clear.
of 16.777 miles per second rela-
tive to the earth. A rocket which
was to make a close fly-by of
astronomer E. Delporte discov- Adonis would first have to de-
ered a small body that, at the velop 7 miles per second to es-
time of discovery, was not far cape from the earth and then
from earth, as astronomical dis- be able to match velocities with
tances go. Since at the moment Adonis.
it was not clear whether this was This is asking a bit too much
a small comet or a planetoid, it at the moment.
was referred to as Object Del- The male planetoid which can
porte and received the prelim- come closer to earth than any
76 GALAXY
other is Hermes, with a minimum
distance of 220,000 miles (closer
than our moon). Hermes would
be even more difficult. In the
first place the relative velocity
is very different from anything
else we know.
Since the year 1975 would be
a good year for a mission to Eros
it can be expected to be a man-

would be just about one mile ned flight, which would be some-
per second higher than that of what easier to carry out than a
Adonis. On top of that the shot mission to Mars. Because the
to Hermes would be what is gravitational field of Eros must
called an “out of the ecliptic mis- be very weak, landing and sub-
sion” — that is moment
at the sequent take-off would hardly
of its closest approach Hermes add to the fuel consumption.
would be 220,000 miles above the However, there is one other
ecliptic, so that a fly-by would male planetoid which is eyed by
also involve a considerable the experts as a target for a fly-
change in direction. by of an unmanned probe. This
The
best bet for a mission to a is Geographos which, in 1969,
planetoid is still Eros, long will pass the earth at a distance
known and with a well-establish- of just slightly more than 3 mil-
ed orbit — both Adonis and Her- lion miles. Its orbit is inclined to
mes have been “lost” in the the ecliptic, but the relative
meantime, not surprising con- velocities will not be too high.
sidering their small size and
poorly known orbits even — lyTow we come to the last type
though it is much farther away ^ of astronomical objects which
than the others. can enter accessible space: com-
The orbit of Eros shows a ets. Fundamentally different in
comparatively large inclination structure from the inner planets
to the ecliptic (almost eleven de- and the male planetoids we —
grees) but a mission out of the cannot be certain about all the
ecliptic becomes easier if the dis- planetoids in the belt comets —
tance involvedis longer. Eros is consist of frozen gases, ammon-
a promising target also for the ia, methane, the hydrates of
reason that it is known not to be methane, hydrocyanic acid and
spherical. It has been called ordinary ice —
frozen water, that
brick-shaped. Its probable shape is. These gases evaporate when

has even been compared, inele- the comet has entered the eco-
gantly in my opinion, to the sphere and the tail is then form-
shape of an Idaho baking pota- ed.
to.It certainly is a body which The orbits of comets offer the

FOR YOUR INFORMATION 77

 Short-period
Comets Entering Accessible Space
Name Perihelion Perihelion
Distance Passage due in:
in A.U. (last passage)
Grigg-SkjeHerup 0.35 1966, 1971 (1961)
Tuttle-Giacobini 1.12 1967 (1962)
Temple 2 1.39 1967 (1962)
Pons-Winnecke 1.23 1984, 1970 (1951)*
d’Arrest 1.37 1970 (1963)
Daniel 1.46 1970 (1963)
Encke 0.34 1964, 1967, 1971 (1961)
Honda-Mrkos 0.56 1964, 1969 (1959)
Giacobini-Zinner 0.99 1966 (1959)
Tuttle 1.03 1967 (1954)
Borrelly 1.45 1967 (1960)
Finlay 1.08 1967 (1960)
Schaumasse 1.19 1968 (I960)
Gale 1.15 1970 (1959)
* Pons-Winnecke was due in 1957, but there is no record of observation.

table s

largest possible variety. There any special astonishment.

are some comets with orbits that
are hardly more eccentric than
the orbit of Mercury, and there
are some with a perihelion inside
the orbit of the earth and an
Speaking in terms of acces-
sibility, all the comets with
strongly inclined orbits are au-
tomatically discounted. So are
all the long-period comets, the

aphelion far beyond the orbit of latter for the reason that their
Neptune. There are some with velocity at the perihelion of a
an inclination to the ecliptic of very long orbit is very high.
only two or three degrees and There is no hard and fast rule
there are others with inclinations as to what length of time con-
higher than forty-five degrees. stitutes a long period, or, con-
To the best of my knowledge versely, a short period. But it is
there is no cometary orbit that safe to say that a comet with an
actually stands vertically on the orbital period of twenty years
ecliptic,but if one should be dis- would be considered a long-
covered the surprise in interested period comet, while one with a
circles would be relatively mi- period of seven or eight years
nor. It would be mentioned as a would fall into the category of
curiosity, of course, but without short-period comets. A dozen

78 GALAXY
years might be considered the
dividing value. But the distinc-
tion between long and short
period comets is just one of con-
venience. It has no special scien-
tific signifance —
other than ac-
cessibility —
hence there is no
definite rule.
When it comes to deciding
which comets might be the tar-
get for a mission, the first criter-
ion would be a short-period or-
bit with its perihelion near one
A. U. (“astronomical unit”, the
distance of the earth from the
sun) because that would cause
the relative velocities to be fair-
ly small. The next criterion
would be a low inclination to the
ecliptic. And then, of course,
there is the question of when
an otherwise suitable comet will
make its perihelion passage. Of
the fourteen short-period com-
ets listed on table 3 two will do
so in 1966, but in 1967 there will
be no less than six! Only one of
these comets will go through its
perihelion in 1968 and 1969, but
in 1970 four of them will do so.
The years for cometary missions
evidently are 1967 and 1970.
O ne of the six that will go
through perihelion in 1967
is comet Encke, which has at
least two distinctions: it has
been observed for 46 passes and
it has the shortest period of any
comet known, about 1200 days.
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
It is also associated with several
meteor streams.
Since the perihelion distance of
comet Encke is only 0.3 A. U.
(a little less than Mercury’s
mean distance from the sun)
and the orbit is quite elongated,
comet Encke is not the best pos-
sible choice, but the possibility
of a mission has been investiga-
ted in detail. The main reason
for this investigation is that a
great deal is known about comet
Encke from ground-based obser-
vations. Comparing this knowl-
edge with the results one would
obtain by means of a space probe
might be more valuable than the
investigation by space probe of
a more accessible, but relatively
unknown, comet.
The investigation assumed that
a space probe would be flown
through the comet during the
1964 approach, when comet and
earth will pass each other on
July 12 with a minimum dis-
tance of about 24 million miles.
Because of the existence of high
speed digital computers, quite a
number of possibilities could be
investigated. Four of these were
listed in some detail by the re-
searchers of the Space Techno-
logy Laboratories in Los Angeles.
They are:
Case 1. Take-off March 31, tran-
sit time 108 days, dis-
tance from earth at time
79
 of penetration 32.2 mil- million miles. About 60
lion miles. The miss pounds of fuel out of a
without mid-course cor- total payload of 320
rection would be 288,000 pounds would be need-
miles, hence fuel for a ed for the mid-course
correction of 1500 feet correction.
per second would be
needed. The necessary The burnout velocity needed
fuel would weigh about for these missions would be 40,-
100 pounds the total
if 200 ft. p. sec. for Cast 1, 41,000
payload weighs 400 ft. Case 2, 41,800 ft. p. sec.
p. for
pounds. for Case 3 and 41,700 ft. p. sec.
Case 2. Take-off April 14, tran- for Case 4. These velocities can
sit time 92 days, dis- be produced by existing rockets,
tance from earth at time using the Atlas as the booster
of penetration not quite stage.
29 million miles. The The approach of comet Encke
miss without mid-course in 1967 will be a little less fav-
correction would be orable than the 1964 approach,
195,500 miles. but still within the capability of
Case 3. Take-off April 25, tran- existing rockets, say the Atlas-
sit time 80 days, dis- Centaur combination.
tance from earth at time There can hardly be any doubt
of penetration 26^ mil- that a mission to a comet (un-
lion miles. Uncorrected manned) will be flown before a
miss would be 160,000 man lands on the moon.
miles. The space accessible to us
Case 4. Take-off February 26, with the rockets in existence may
transit time 137 days, not be very large, but it so hap-
distance from earth at pens that it contains objects of
time of penetration a great range of variety.
slightly more than 24 — WILLY LEY

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HOW
—
THE OLD This
and
is how
this is
the world ended
what happened nextl

WORLD DIED
BY HARRY HARRISON

C C r T' ell
,
me how the world end- “What I always say is that the
ed, Grandfather, won’t world as we knew it ended. A
you please?” the boy pleaded, drastic upheaval. Death, destruc-
looking up at the seamed face of tion and chaos, murder, rapine
the old man sitting next to him and looting.” Andy squirmed
on the trunk of the fallen tree. with happiness on the other end
“I’ve told you often enough,” of the log. This was always the
the old man said, dozing a bit best part.
in the warm sun. “I bet you’d “And blood and terror, Grand-
rather hear about the old trains. father, don’t forget that.”
They used to —” “It was all of that, too. And
“The world, Grandfather. Tell it was all because of Alexander
me how it ended, how everything Partagas Scobie,cursed be his
went bust.” evil name.”
The old man sighed and “Did you ever meet him,
scratched a bit on his thigh, de- Grandfather?” Andy asked,
feated by the obstinacy of the knowing the cues.
all

very young. “You shouldn’t say “Yes, I saw Scobie. He passed

that it ended, Andy.” just as close to me as you’re sit-
“That’s what you always ting now, even stopped to talk to
say.” me. I was polite to him. Polite!

81
If I knew then what I know now
. .There were factories then, I
. fair. They killed him so fast
was an honest working man in the
factory and ran a hydraulic press.
Instead of Fes, Doctor Scobie,
Thank you, Doctor Scobie I
should have fed him into my
hydraulic press, that’s what I
should have done.”
“What’s a hyndraulie press?”
Grandfather didn’t hear. He
was by himself now, reliving the
days before the world ended, the
days when mankind had been
supreme upon the earth.
CtQcobie was mad. They said
^
so later, when it was too
late of course, but no one had
the brains to see it at the time.
They treated him nice and listen-
ed to his ideas and tried to talk
to him, and when he wouldn’t
listen they just let him
all. Just let him go! Him mad
as a hatter, with a laboratory
as big as a mountain and all his
money in the bank and a pension
just in case he didn’t have
enough.”
“He hated everybody
wanted to kill them all,
bie did. Didn’t he, Grandfather?”
“Wouldn’t be say that.”
fair to
The old man shifted sideways a
bit to get back into the sun,
and opened the ragged remains
of a once fine suit so that he
could feel the warmth on his
skin. “I hate Scobie just as
82
much as the next man, but fair’s
when they found out what he
had done that no one bothered
to ask him why he had done it.
Maybe he thought he was doing
right. Or maybe he liked robots
more than people. He sure knew
how to design robots, Scobie did,
give him credit for that. I re-
member years before the end
there were a lot of Scobie robots
around and people were afraid
they would take away their jobs
and They didn’t
stuff like that.
know the half of it. Robots took
away everything. People were
always afraid that the robots
would fight them, turn into mon-
sters and make war on them.
Didn’t happen at all like that.
Scobie made robots that didn’t
even know people were there.”
go, that’s “He made them and turned
them loose in secret so no one
would know?” Andy asked
eagerly. This was the part of the
story he liked best.
“Made God knows how many
and smuggled them out. All over
and the world, in all of the out of the
old Sco- way places. Some he dropped off
near auto junk yards and they
burrowed under the old cars and
disappeared. Other ones he put
down near steel mills where they
hid under the scrap. They were
everywheres, in storage dumps
and warehouses, for months be-
fore they were discovered, and
GALAXY
by that time it was too late. Too
late by far, there was no stop-
ping them.”
“They built each other.”
C t'Tphcy didn’t build each oth-
er, that’s not exactly right.
The ones that Scobie dropped
were already built. Built fine,
simple and smart. Programmed
with a steel tape brain. Pro-
grammed to do only one
thing, and that was to build
other robots just like themselves.
And when a robot was finished
building another robot he ac-
tivated him with a magnetic
copy of his own brain tape and
the new robot went to work do-
ing the same thing. Versatile
those robots were. Some of them
were made almost all out of
aluminum, just dump one of
them down in a warehouse of
mothballed airplanes and within
the week there would be two
robots, if maybe it could find an
old tin can to make a steel tape
out of. Scobie even had one kind
that had mostly wooden gears
and burned charcoal to run, and
these did fine in the jungles of
the Amazon and upper Congo.
They were everywhere you
could think of, and places you
would never think of but Scobie
did, because he was mad. And
all of the first robots were made
to be afraid of the light. So they
scuttled around in the dark and
HOW THE OLD WORLD DIED
no one ever saw them before it
was too late. By the time peo-
ple realized what was going on
there was almost as many robots
as there were people. A few
days later there were more ro-
bots than people and it was the
end.”
“But everyone fought them?
All the guns and tanks and
everything? Blew the old robots
up?”
“By the thousands. But new
ones were being made by the
millions. And the tanks ran out
of ammunition because the fac-
tories were being taken apart by
the robots and made into more
robots, and while the guns in the
front of a tank were blowing up
the robots other robots would be
taking off the back of the tank
to make more robots. It was hell,
I tell you. I fought, all of us
fought, but we couldn’t possibly
win. Robots didn’t mind getting
blown up. Blow off the bottom
of a robot and the top would
keep on working making anoth-
er robot. And the other robots
would stand around watching —
by time they weren’t afraid
this
of the light any more pushing —
and eager, ready to grab up the
broken parts to make more ro-
bots. In the end we just all gave
up. There was nothing else we
could do. Just tried to look after
ourselves. Just eating and stay-
ing alive was a job.”
83
 A bit of wind had come up,
rustling the leaves, the sun
dropped out of sight behind the
trees. Grandfather rose and
stretched: he didn’t
catch a chill.
“Better start back,” he said.
“Then the world was ended?”
Andy asked, pulling' at the old
man’s knobby hand, not wanting
the story to be over.
“End of the world as I knew
it, as you’ll never know it. End
of civilization, end of freedom,
end of the nobility of men, end
of his rule as the top creature
on this planet —
the robots rule
now.”
“Teacher says they don’t rule,
they just exist like trees or
stones, and are just as neutral
that’s what teacher said.”
“What your
does teacher
know?” Grandfather mumbled
testily. “Young kid, twenty years
old. I could tell him.
rule. Mankind has
the pinnacle of power.”
nphey emerged from the woods
then and the first thing they
saw was a robot squatting by
the path, industriously filing
a gear out of a metal blank.
Grandfather kicked out in sud-
den rage and caught the thing
on its side with a dull metallic
boom. It had been badly
sembled, or made of inferior ma-
terial,because when it fell over
84
itshead came off. Almost before
had ithit the ground there was the
thud of rushing feet and a flock
of robots raced by, plucking up
want to the head and chasing after the
rolling gear wheel. There was a
brief flurry of motion and the
decapitated robot was dismem-
bered: the robots hurried off.
“Andy —
!” his mother’s voice
called from the pleasant cottage
at the end of the flagstone walk.
“We’re late for dinner again, I
bet,” the boy said with sudden
guilt. He ran quickly up the steps
that were made of robot bodies
welded solidly together, and
grabbed the handle of the door.
This had been a robot’s hand;
you just shook hands and turned
— it to open the door. He vanished
inside.
Grandfather lingered, not
wanting to face his daughter’s
sharp tongue. Not yet. He could
The robots hear it still echoing in his head
fallen from from the last time. “Don’t fill
the boy’s head with your iron-
sense. It’s a good world. Why
don’t you wear decent clothes
of robot insulation like the rest
of us, instead of those awful old
pre-R smelly things? Robots are
a national resource the na- —
tional resource —
not the enemy.
We never had it so good.” On
and on, the same old record.
as- He packed his pipe made of —
robot fingers with — tobacco
and sucked it alight. There was
GALAXY
the quick sound of running feet “It is not a utopia the way
and a farm wagon ran around they say!” Grandfather mumbled
the corner. Thick boards were fiercely through a cloud of
bolted to the truncated torsos smoke. “Man was meant to work
of a dozen robots. Just the pelvic and work hard. Shouldn’t have
motors and legs were left of each everything handed to him so
one, and they made a fine form easy. They’re using robot parts
of transportation that was com- for everything now, a man can’t
pletely independent of roads. All find an honest day’s work even
of the truck farmers around the if he wants to.
villageused them now. No ex- “End of the world, that’s what
pense and no upkeep. An un- it was.
limited supply of free replace- “End of my world!”
ment parts. — HARRY HARRISON

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HOW THE OLD WORLD DIED 85

THE 1980 PRESIDENT
by MIRIAM ALLEN deFORD

Illustrated by CASTELLON

Wfio wil! be president in

1980? And for how long?

'T''his is a glimpse into the hid-
den history behind history.
In August, 1980, Robert John
Woodruff, Conservative candi-
date for president of the United
States, did an utterly unprece-
dented thing. He consented to
attend a top-secret, private
meeting with his opponent,
Senator Lynn Bartholomew, the
Liberal candidate.
Both candidates, like the coun-
try at large, still felt a little self-
conscious about the new names
of their parties, arising from the
Realignment Act of 1976, the Bi-
centennial Year. Both also felt
self-conscious in themselves, for
obvious reasons, being what they
personally were. This departure
from normal protocol, which or-
dains that rival candidates should
never meet except for argument
and controversy, was doubtless
made possible for both of them
by their own uniqueness.
That, and the fact that they
were meeting at the behest, and
in the seldom visited Washing-
ton home, of the Man in Brown.
The Man in Brown had a
name, of course. He also had a
very important and conspicuous
governmental post, which he had
held under changing administra-
tions for twelve years. But he

86
Tfffi 1980 PRESIDENT 87
was known universally by his
sobriquet —or sometimes as “the
Brown Eminence” or “the Man
of Mystery.”
In a way he was mysterious,
and in a way he was not. There
was no mystery about his rapid
rise in office. There was no mys-
tery about his present post as
head of the Federal agency dedi-
cated, among other duties, to the
protection of the president and
vice-president. But his private
lifeand his private past were
completely unknown. He never
alluded to them, and all he sub-
mitted to “Who’s Who” was the
date of his birth, a history of
his official connections and his
address in Washington. People
said there must be something in
his past of which he was
ashamed. But it could do noth-
ing shameful to himself, or he
could never have been given his
appointment. It was as if he had
appeared, full-blown, about fif-
teen years earlier, and had nev-
er existed before then.
About hispower there was no
question. He did not issue any
commands give any orders.
or
He was not authorized to do so.
He merely assembled small
groups of those who really ran
things in each party. After he
had talked to them they either
followed his advice or were sorry
they hadn’t.
He was spare, not very tall,
88
with thinning brown hair, mild
hazel eyes and a quiet voice. His
trademark and his only eccen-
tricity was that he dressed al-
ways in brown, down to tan
shirts and dark brown ties and
shoes. Hence his nickname.
CCA/f friends,” he said on this
August morning, with
the air-conditioning screening off
the oppressive heat, and with his
guests settled in comfortable
Figurmold chairs and supplied
with glasses beaded with mois-
ture and with the Inhalepruf
Smokesafes that everybody had
finally come to using, “no doubt
you have been racking your
brains on your way here —you,
Mr. Woodruff, from your Foun-
dation chairmanship in Califor-
nia, and you, Senator, from your
constituency in Alaska to try —
to find some explanation for my
asking you to this joint meeting.
It was good of you both to make
the trip without insisting first
on knowing why.”
Senator Bartholomew smiled
and said: “We learned long ago
in the Senate that if the Man in
Brown wants to see us, he has a
very good reason.” Woodruff
cleared his throat and added
“We’ve learned that outside of
the Senate, too.”
“That’s far too kind,” said
their host suavely. “But this time
it happens to be true.
GALAXY
 ”

“What want to say to you

I “I’m used to danger,” said
both, in presence of each
the Woodruff curtly.
other, can be put in very few “Not this sort. Be patient with
words. Whichever of you wins in me a little longer. I’ll try to

November will probably die make things a bit clearer.

soon.”
“You mean, because I
The two voices rose in unison
and broke short in common em-
barrassment.
The Man in Brown looked
them quizzically.
“Because of your age?
not because of that,” he
“Though that was the real rea-
son why both of you, though na-
turally you were both highly
qualified otherwise, were nomin-
ated so easily on the first ballot
— and also the reason that both
your vice-presidential candidates
are such outstanding figures.
“What I mean is —
Let me say
first that I attended both con-
ventions.”
“I didn’t see you,” said Wood-
ruff bluntly.
“Nobody saw me. Except the
few people I talked to there.”
“The wheels behind the
wheels,” inquired the Senator,
with a touch of cynicism gained
from years of public life.
“You might call them so. I
told them what I am now going
to tell you. In consequence, you
two were nominated. But I also
told them that I was not going
to let either of you go blindfold-
ed into danger.”
THE 1980 PRESIDENT
“I want to remind you of a
am— strange phenomenon in Ameri-
can history. It is no secret it —
has been published many times.
It will be talked about through-
at out this campaign. I believe it is
time to take it seriously.
— no, “In 1840 William Henry Har-
said. rison was elected president. He
died in office two months later.
In 1860 Abraham Lincoln was
elected he was assassinated
;
—
not in his first term, but while in
office. In 1880 James A. Gar-
field was elected; he was assas-
sinated the following year. In
1900 the same sequence applied
to William McKinley. In 1920
Warren G. Harding was elected;
he died in office. In 1940 Frank-
lin Delano Roosevelt was elected
to his third term; he died in of-
fice during his fourth term. In
1960 John F. Kennedy was elect-
ed; he was assassinated before
the end of his third year.
“Every twenty years, for 140
years now, the successful candi-
date for president of the United
States has either been killed or
has died of natural causes while
in office.
“This is 1980.”
There was a tense silence.
Then Senator Bartholomew, very
89
 ” —

pale, murmured: “Other presi- vention — I was the darkest of

dents have died in office.” dark horses, and I could scarce-
“Only Zachary Taylor. And ly believe my ears when I heard
I’m not saying what has happen- the votes on the first ballot. And
ed on other dates. I’m only re- when the man who had been the
marking on what is associated likeliest of all was nominated in-
with these dates.” stead for the position of vice pres-
Woodruff avoided his host’s idency
gaze. The Man in Brown smiled “I’m a fool. My
wife and my
again. children will thank you for this!”
“I know what you are think- Senator Bartholomew, who was
ing, Mr.
Woodruff,” he said unmarried, nodded sympathe-
calmly. “What both of you are tically.
thinking : coincidence, supersti- The Man Brown stood up
in
tion. But have I a reputation for and began to pace
the floor of
irrationality? his austerely furnished living-
“I can’t tell you why this has room. He stopped abruptly and
happened. Perhaps there is no laid his hand on Woodruff’s
reason, in any terms in which we shaking shoulder.
can define reason. All I am point- “All this being so,” he said,
ing out is that it has happened “are you still willing to serve?”
every twenty years since 1840, The Conservative candidate
and that it is now twenty years lifted his head. His dark eyes
since 1960.” were somber.
“They should have told us be- “Of course,” he answered. “My
fore the votewas taken,” Wood- followers believe in me and the
ruff muttered. “Your lot too,” he ideals I espouse.”
softly added to Senator Barthol- “And I, for the same reason,”
omew. said the Senator proudly.
“I know. I get both
tried to The Man in Brown sighed in
conventions to agree to that,” the relief.
Man in Brown said regretfully. “That’s what I’ve been wait-
“They refused. They were afraid ing for you both to say. You’re
nobody would be willing to run. not just ambitious politicians,
It took all kinds of effort to get either of you; you’re people with
as much done as
— a cause —with two causes.
“I Woodruff’s tone was
see.” “All right. Now that’s settled,
bitter. should have guessed.
“I let’s if there isn’t some way
see
My campaign manager was the by which we can manage to lift
most surprised man at the con- this curse.”

90 GALAXY
 EDITORIAL FROM THE WASHINGTON lots might constitute a weapon
NEWS-POST-STAR, SEPTEMBER 4, 1980
of indirect murder. For the sec-
This paper is not going to endorse
either candidate for president this year.
ond time in our history neither
It is only 17 years since we Washing- candidate received a plurality.
tonians had any vote at all, and we are
not going to use it to condemn a fel-
The election was thrown into the
low-being to death. Our advice to vot- House of Representatives.
ers would be to stay home on the first Then the Man in Brown ap-
Tuesday after the first Monday in
November —
or to vote only for other
peared again. He consulted with
candidates than president. a selected group of Congressmen,
Every citizen of the United States and suggested to them a brilliant
must know by now what is likely to
happen to the candidate successful in maneuver. By means of every
1980. We are not sure whether it was possible legislative strategem, in-
wise to give this matter such wide
cluding the filibuster with no
publicity, but that was the advice of
high Federal officials. We, like every votes at all for cloture, the House
other communications medium have delayed decision until 1980 was
obeyed.
There seems to be no way in which over. Their choice was announ-
this crisis could have been averted. ced the morning after the incum-
We couldn't change the presidential
bent’s term expired.
election year, or the length of the presi-
dential term, because either would in- The new president (every
volve an amendment to the Constitu- American knows now which one
tion, which would require passage by
it was, and how good a president
two thirds of both Houses and ratifica-
tion bv tv'o thirds of the States; and the the successful candidate became)
1980 election is now onlv two months
had thus been elected in 1981.
away. The present incumbent couldn't
be renominated and re-elected — even Both Robert John Woodruff
if he had been willing to take the and Lynn Bartholomew, as we
risk —
because the twenty-second
amendment has not been repealed, and
know, are alive and usefully ac-
our oresident is now concluding his tive today.
second term. We can't repeal that But had taken the Crisis of
it
amendment in time, either.
So paper has no endorsement ta
this
1980 induce the two major
to
make for the presidency. We do have parties tonominate respectively
somethin*-* to sen/ about the viee-nrest-
a Negro foundation head and a
denev. Both candidates are probably
the mn«t carefully selected and the most Senator who happened to be a
outstanding representatives of thefr woman.
p"'*-. in American history. But In our
opinion . . .
The weird fatality of the twen-
ty year periods will never menace
Tt was the strangest of all elec- a United States president again.
tions. Millions abstained from In 1985, the twenty - eighth
voting at all, and too many voted amendment to the Constitu-
for a president they did not tion was passed and ratified.
want, in the hope that their bal- All presidential elections are now
THE 1980 PRESIDENT 91
held in years ending with an odd requested permission to retire at
number, indivisible by 20. Of last and return home. His retire-
course a president may still die ment took place after due notice,
in office —
but no longer by that against all pleadings from the
inexplicable periodicity. Now, as Administration to reconsider, and
we approach the end of the he promptly disappeared. No
twentieth century, we look for- one on earth has seen or heard
ward without trepidation to the of him since.
election of 2001. The reason is simple. The
And some commentators have superiors to whom he made his
wondered if perhaps that repeat- first, and activating, application
ed doom may not somehow have were not on earth. On a planet
been planned —
may not have of another solar system he had
had a meaning: the ending of been trained and prepared, and
deep-seated preconceptions, the sent here to carry out the mis-
final realization that human be- sion he had so ably performed.
ings may be segregated by in- With bigotry abolished in one
tellect or personality, but never great nation —
and who knows
by race or ancestry or sex. what other missionaries are not
at work in all civilized lands? —
Tn 1982, the Man in Brown Earth is now one step nearer to
(brown was a sacred color in eligibility for membership in the
his birthplace) reported to his great Galactic Federation whose
superiors that the method had member-planets it will so soon
worked, the result was sure and be visiting.
his task was done. He urgently —MIRIAM ALLEN deFORD

THE KICKSTERS
by J. T. McIntosh

FRUIT OF THE TREE

by Lester del Rey

THE CARSO N EFFECT

by Richard Wilson

by
THE LONG
As Bertram Chandler &
WAY
Susan Chandler

All in the new Worlds of Tomorrow-

on sale new!
92 GALAXY
 l

THE
TACTFUL
SABOTEUR
by FRANK HERBERT

Illustrated by GAUGHAN

The first prerequisite of a good

government is that it works. The
second — it mustn't work too well

I Revision to the Constitution,"

said saboteur extraordinary Jorj
tCTJetter men than you have X. McKie. “ ‘The need for ob-
tried!” snarled Clinton structive processes in govern-
Watt. ment having been established as
“I quote paragraph four, sec- one of the chief safeguards for
tion ninety-one of the Semantic human rights, the question of im-
93
munities must be defined with self for the appointment is to
”
extreme precision.’ overcome me with a masterful
McKie sat across a glistening sabotage. Well, McKie, I’ve sat
desk from the Intergalactic Gov- here more than eighteen years.
ernment’s Secretary of Sabotage, Another five months and it’ll be
Clinton Watt. An air of tension a new record. Do your damned-
filled the green-walled office, est. I’m waiting.”
carrying over into the screenview “I came in here for only one
behind Watt which showed an reason,” McKie said. “I want to
expanse of the System Govern- report on the search for sabo-
ment’s compound and people teur extraordinary Napoleon Bil-
scurrying about their morning doon.”
business with a sense of urgency. McKie sat back wondering: It
Watt, a small man who ap- Watt knew my real purpose here
peared to crackle with suppress- would he act just this way? Per-
ed energy, passed a hand across haps. The man had been behav-
his shaven head. “All right,” he ing oddly since the start of this
said in a suddenly tired voice. interview, but it was difficult to
“This is the only Secretariat of determine real motive when deal-
government that’s never immune ing with a fellow member of the
from sabotage. You’ve satisfied Bureau of Sabotage.
the legalities by quoting the law.
Now, do your damnedest!” autious interest quickened
McKie, whose bulk and fat C Watt’s bony face. He wet his
features usually gave him the lipswith his tongue and it was
appearance of a grandfatherly obvious he was asking himself
toad, glowered like a gnome- if this were more of an elaborate
dragon. His mane of red hair ap- ruse. But McKie had been as-
peared to dance with inner flame. signed the task of searching for
“Damnedest!” he snapped. the missing agent, Bildoon, and
“You think I came in here to try it was just possible . . .

to unseat you? You think that?” “Have you found him?” Watt
And McKie thought: Let's asked.
hope he thinks that! “I’m not sure,” McKie said.
“Stop the act, McKie!” Watt He ran his fingers through his
said.“We both know you’re elig- red hair. “Bildoon’s a Pan-
ible for this chair.” He patted Spechi, you know.”
the arm of his chair. “And we “For disruption’s sake!” Watt
both know the only way you can exploded. “I know who and what
eliminate me and qualify your- my own agents are! But we take
94 GALAXY
care of our own. And when one the dusted surface. A broken cir-
of our best people just drops cle with arrows pointing to a
from sight . . . What’s this about right-hand flow appeared in the
not being sure?” chalf. At each break in the cir-
“The Pan-Spechi are a curious cle stood a symbol in one—
race of creatures,” McKie said. place the Pan-Spechi character
“Just because they’ve taken on for ego, then the delta for fifth
humanoid shape we tend to for- gender and, finally, the three
get their five-phase life cycle.” lines that signified the dormant
“Bildoon told me himself he’d creche-triplets.
hold his group’s ego at least an- McKie pointed to the fifth
other ten years,” Watt said. “I gender delta. “I’ve seen a Pan-
think he was being truthful, Spechi in this position who looks
but . .
.” Watt shrugged and some a bit like Bildoon and appears
of the bursting energy seemed to to have some of his mannerisms.
leave him. “Well, the group There’s no identity response
ego’s the only place where the from the creature, of course.
Pan-Spechi show vanity, so . . Well, you know how the quasi-
Again he shrugged. feminine fifth gender reacts.”
“My questioning of the other “Don’t ever let that amorous
Pan-Spechi in the Bureau has attitude fool you,” Watt warned.
had to be circumspect, of “In spite of your nasty disposi-
course,” McKie said. “But I did tion I wouldn’t want to lose you
follow one lead clear to Achus.” into a Pan-Spechi creche.”
“And?” “Bildoon wouldn’t rob a fel-
McKie brought a white vial low agent’s identity,” McKie
from his copious jacket, scatter- said. He
pulled at his lower lip,
ed a metallic powder on the feeling an
abrupt uncertainty.
desktop. Here, of course, was the most
Watt pushed himself back touchy part of the whole scheme.
from the desk, eyeing the pow- “If it was Bildoon.”
der with suspicion. He took a “Did you meet this group’s
cautious sniff, smelled chalf, the ego holder?” Watt asked and his
quick-scribe powder. Still . . . voice betrayed real interest.
“It’s just chalf,” McKie said. “No,” McKie said. “But I
And he thought: It he buys that, think the ego-single of this Pan-
I may away with this.
get Spechi is involved with the Tax
“So scribe it,” Watt said. Watchers.”
Concealing his elation, McKie McKie waited, wondering if

held a chalf-memory stick over Watt would rise to the bait.

96 GALAXY
 “I’ve never heard of an ego then addressed himself to the
change being forced onto a Pan- “The situation has be-
side wall.
Spechi,” Watt said in a musing come one of extreme delicacy,
tone, “but that doesn’t mean it’s Jorj. It’s well known that you’re
impossible. If thoseTax Watch- one of our finest saboteurs.”
er do gooders found Bildoon sa- “Save your oil for someone
botaging their efforts and . . . who needs it,” McKie growled.
Hmmm.” “Then I’ll put it this way,”
“Then Bildoon was after the Watt said, returning his gaze to
Tax Watchers,” McKie said. McKie. “The Tax Watchers in
the last few days have posed a
T X/att scowled. McKie’s ques- real threat toBureau.
the
’ ’ tion was in extreme bad They’ve managed to convinced a
taste. Senior agents, unless join- High Court magistrate they de-
ed on a project or where the in- serve the same immunity from
formation was volunteered, didn’t our ministrations that a . well, . .

snoop openly into the work of public water works or ah. . . . . .

their fellows. Left hand and right food processing plant might en-
hand remained mutually ignorant joy. The magistrate, Judge Ed-
in the Bureau of Sabotage and win Dooley, invoked the Public
for good reason. Unless Watt . . . Safety amendment. Our hands
stared speculatively at his sabo- are tied. The slightest suspicion
teur extraordinary. that we’ve disobeyed the injunc-
McKie shrugged as Watt re- tionand . .

mained silent. “I can’t operate Watt drew a finger across his

on inadequate information,” he throat.
said. “I must, therefore, resign “Then I quit,” McKie said.
the assignment to search for “You’ll do nothing of the
Bildoon. Instead, I will now look kind!”
into the Tax Watchers.” “This TWoutfit is trying to
“You will not!” Watt snapped. eliminate the Bureau, isn’t it?”
McKie forced himself not to McKie asked. “I remember the
look at the design he had drawn oath I took just as well as you
on the desktop. The next few do.”
moments were the critical ones. “Jorj, you couldn’t be that
“You’d better have a legal rea- much of a simpleton,” Watt said.
son for that refusal,” McKie “You quit, thinking that absolves
said. the Bureau from responsibility
Watt swiveled sideways in his for you! That trick’s as old as
chair, glanced at the screenview, timer
THE TACTFU1 SABOTEUR 97
 ”
!

“Then fire me!” McKie said. tion to keep hands off the Tax
“I’ve no legal reason to fire Watchers,” Watt said. “Anything
you Jorj.” that happens to those people or
“Refusal to obey orders of a to their project for scuttling us
superior,” McKie said. — even legitimate accidents —
“It wouldn’t fool
'
anybody, you willbe laid at our door. We must
dolt!” be able to defend ourselves. No
McKie appeared to hesitate, one who has ever been connected
said: “Well, the public doesn’t with us dares fall under the
know the inner machinery of how slightest suspicion of complicity.”
we change the Bureau’s com- “How about a floor waxed to
mand. Perhaps it’s time we open- dangerous slickness in the path
ed up.” ofone of their messengers? How
“Jorj, before I could fire you about a doorlock changed to de-
there’d have to be a reason so lay —
convincing that . . . Just forget “Nothing.”
it.” McKie stared at his chief.
Everything depended now on the
'T'he fat pouches beneath Mc- man holding very still. He knew
Kie’s eyes lifted until the Watt wore detectors to warn him
eyes were mere slits. The crucial of concentrated beams of radi-
few moments had arrived. He ation. But this Jicuzzi stim had
had managed to smuggle a Jicuz- been rigged to diffuse its charge
zi stim into this office past all off the metallic dust on the desk
of Watt’s detectors, concealing and that required several sec-
the thing’s detectable radiation onds of relative quiet.
core within an imitation of the The men held themselves
lapel badge that Bureau agents rigid in the staredown until Watt
wore. began to wonder at the extreme
“In Lieu of Red Tape,” Mc- stillness of McKie’s body. The
Kie said and touched the badge man was even holding his
with a finger, feeling the raised breath
letters there —
“ILRT.” The McKie took a deep breath,
touch focused the radiation core stood up.
onto the metallic dust scattered “I warn you, Jorj,” Watt said.
over the desktop. “Warn me?”
Watt gripped the arms of the “I can restrain you by physi-
chair, studying McKie with a cal means if necessary.”
new look of wary tension. “Clint, old enemy, save your
“We are under legal injunc- breath. What’s done is done.”
98 GALAXY
 A smile touched McKie’s wide willing tospend an interminable
mouth. He turned, crossed to the time with the Jicuzzi themselves.
room’s only door, paused there, No. That was out of the ques-
hand on knob. tion.
“What have you done?” Watt Watt began assessing his posi-
exploded. tion.
McKie continued to look at The stim tendrils couldn’t be
him. removed surgically, couldn’t be
Watt’s scalp began itching tied down or contained in any
madly. He put a hand there, felt kind of disguise without endan-
a long tangle of tendrils!
. . . gering the person afflicted with
They were lengthening under them. Their presence would
his fingers, growing out of his hamper him, too, during this cri-
scalp, waving and writhing. tical time of trouble with the
“A Jicuzzi stim,” Watt breath- Tax Watchers. How could he ap-
ed. pear in conferences and inter-
McKie let himself out, closed views with these things writhing
the door. in their Medusa dance on his
Watt leaped out of his chair, head? It would be laughable!
raced to the door. He’d be an object of comedy.
Locked! And if McKie could stay out
He knew McKie and didn’t of the way until a Case of Ex-
try unlocking it. Frantically, changement was brought before
Watt slapped a molecular disper- the full Cabinet But, no!
. . .

sion wad against the door, dived
through as the wad blasted. He
landed in the outer hall, stared
first one direction, then the oth-
er.
The hall was empty.
T 7"att sighed. The tendrils
’ ’ stopped growing, but they
were long enough now that he
could see them writhing past his
eyes — a rainbow mass of wrig-
glers. part of himself. And Mc-
Kie will) the original stim was
Watt shook his head. This wasn’t
the kind of sabotage that requir-
ed a change of command in the
Bureau. This was a gross thing.
No subtlety to it. This was like ss
practical joke. Clownish.
But McKie was noted for his
had clownish attitude, his irreverence
for all the blundering self-impor-
tance of government.
Have I been self-important?
Watt wondered.
In all honesty, he had to ad-
mit it.

the only one who could reverse I’ll have to submit my resig-
the process —
unless Watt were nation today, he thought. Right

THE TACTFUL SABOTEUR 99

after I fire McKie. One look at The value of the Pan-Spechi
me and there’ll be no doubt of to the universal human society
why I did This is about aa
it. in which they participated was
convincing a reason as you Could beyond question. What other
find. species had such refined finesse
Watt turned to his right, head- in deciding when to hinder and
ed for the lab to see if they could when to help? Who else could
help him bring this wriggling send a key member of its group
mass under control. into circumstances of extreme
The President will want me to peril without fear that the en-
stay at the helm until McKie dangered one’s knowledge would
makes his next move, Watt be lost?
thought. I have to be able to There was always a dormant
function somehow. to take up where the lost one
had left off.
II Still, the Pan-Spechi did have
their idiosyncrasies. And their
TV /TcKie waited in the living hungers were at times bizarre.
room of the Achusian man- “Ahh, McKie.”
sion with ill concealed unease. The voice, deep and masculine,
Achus was the administrative came from his left McKie whirl-
planet for the Vulpecula region, ed to study the figure that came
an area of great wealth, and this through a door carved from a
room high on a mountaintop single artificial emerald of glit-
commanded a natural view to the tering creme de menthe colors.
southwest across lesser peaks and The speaker was humanoid but
foothills misted in purple by a with Pan-Spechi multi-faceted
westering G 3 sun. eyes. He appeared to be a ter-
But McKie ignored the view, ranic man (except for the blue-
trying to watch all corners of green eyes) of an indeterminate,
the room at once. He had seen well-preserved middle age. The
a fifth gender Pan-Spechi here body suggested a certain dain-
in company with the fourth-gen- tiness in its yellow tights and
der ego-holder. That could only singlet. The head was squared
mean the creche with its three in outline with close-cropped
dormants was nearby. By all ac- blond hair, a fleshy chunk of
counts, this was a dangerous nose and thick splash of mouth.
place for someone not protected “Panthor Bolin here,” the
by bonds of friendship and com- Pan-Spechi said. “You are wel-
munity of interest. come in my home, Jorj McKie.”

100 GALAXY
 McKie relaxed slightly. Pan- ego moved somehow from mem-
Spechi were noted for honoring ber to member of the unit group
hospitality once it was extended as they traversed their circle oi
. . provided the guest didn’t
. being.
violate their mores. “I . . . ah . . . not at this time,”
“I’m honored that you’ve McKie said.
agreed to see me,” McKie said. “Well spoken,” Bolin said.
“The honor is mine,” Bolin “Should you ever change your
said. “We’ve long recognized mind, my ego-group would con-
you as a person whose under- sider it a most signal honor.
standing of the Pan-Spechi is Yours is a strong identity, one
most subtle and penetrating. I’ve we respect.”
longed for the chance to have “I’m . . . most honored,” Mc-
uninhibited conversation with Kie said. He rubbed nervously
you. And here you are.” He in- at his jaw, recognizing the dan-
dicated a chairdog against the gers in this conversation. Each
wall to his right, snapped his Pan-Spechi group maintained a
fingers. The
semi-sentient arti- supremely jealous attitude of and
fact glided to a position behind about its wandering ego. The ego
McKie. “Please be seated.” imbued the holder of it with a
McKie, his caution re-alerted touchy sense of honor. Inquiries
by Bolin’s reference to “unin- about it could be carried out
hibited conversation,” sank into only through such formula ques-
the chairdog, patting it until it tions as McKie already had ask-
assumed the contours he wanted. ed.
Bolin took a chairdog facing Still, if this were a member of
him, leaving only about a meter the pent-archal life circle con-
separating their knees. taining the missing saboteur ex-
traordinary Napoleon Bildoon
UTI ave our egos shared near- ... if it were, much would be
-^ness before?” McKie ask- explained.
ed. “You appeared to recognize “You’re wondering if we really
_ »»
me. can communicate,” Bolin said.
“Recognition goes deeper than McKie nodded.
ego,” Bolin said. “Do you wish “The concept of humanity,”
to join identities and explore Bolin said, “ our term for it—
this question?” would translate approximately
McKie wet his lips with his as com-sentiency has been ex- —
tongue. This was delicate ground tended to encompass many dif-
with the Pan-Spechi, whose one fering shapes, life systems and

THE TACTFUL SABOTEUR 101

methods of mentation. And yet
we have never been sure about
one of the ma-
this question. It’s
jor reasons many of us have
adopted your life-shape and
much of your metabolism. We
wished to experience your
strengths and your weaknesses.
This helps but is not an ab-
. . . McKie said. And he wondered:
solute solution.”
“Weaknesses?”
suddenly wary.
“Ahhh-hummm,” Bolin said.
“I see. To allay your suspicions
I will have translated
soon one of our major works. Its
title would be, approximately,
The Developmental Influence of
Weaknesses. One of the strong-
est sympathetic bonds we have
with your species, for example,
is the fact that we both origi-
nated as extremely vulnerable
surface-bound creatures, whose
most sophisticated defense came
to be the social structure.”
“I’ll be most interested to see
the translation,” McKie said.
“Do you wish more amenities
or do you care to state your busi-
ness now?” Bolin asked.
“I was ah . assigned to
. .
seek out a missing agent of our
Bureau,” McKie said, “to be cer-
tainno harm had befallen this
. ah
. . agent.”
. . .
“Your avoidance of gender is
most refined,” Bolin said. “I ap-
preciate the
position and your good
102
will say this for now: the Pan-
Spechi you seek is not at this
time in need of your assistance.
Your concern, however, is ap-
preciated. It will be communi-
cated to those upon whom it will
have the most influence.”
“That’s a great relief to me,”
What did he really mean by
McKie asked, that? This thought elicited an-
other,and McKie said: “When-
ever I run into this problem of
communication between species
for you I’m reminded of an old culture/
teaching story.”
“Oh?” Bolin registered polite
curiosity.
“Two practitioners of the art
of mental healing, so the story
goes, passed each other every
morning on their way to their re-
spective offices. They knew each
other, but weren’t on intimate
terms. One morning as they ap-
proached each other, one of them
turned to the other and said,
‘Good morning.’ The one greeted
failed to respond, but continued
toward his office. Presently,
though, he stopped, turned and
. . . stared at the retreating back of
the man who’d spoken, musing
to himself: ‘Now, what did he
”
really mean by that?’
Tjolin began to chuckle, then
laugh. His laughter grew
delicacy of your louder and louder until he was
taste. I holding his sides.
GALAXY
 It wasn’t that funny, McKie of you to walk right into our
thought. hands. I understand how much
Bolin’s laughter subsided. “A more courage it takes for your
very educational story,” he said. kind to face unit extinction than
“I’m deeply indebted to you. it does for our kind. Admirable!

This story shows your aware- You are indeed a prize.”

ness of how important it is in
communication that we be aware
of the other's identity.”
Does it? McKie wondered.
How’s that?
And McKie found himself
caught up by his knowledge of
how the Pan-Spechi could pass
a single ego-identity from in-
dividual to individual within the
life group of five distinct
circle
protoplasmic units. He wondered
how it felt when the ego-holder
gave up the identity to become
the fifth gender, passing the ego
spark to a newly matured unit
from the creche. Did the fifth
gender willingly become creche
nurse and give itself up as a
mysterious identity-food for the
three dormants in the creche? he
wondered.
“I heard about what you did to
Secretary of Sabotage Clinton
Watt,” Bolin said. “The story of
your dismissal from the service
preceded you here.”
“Yes,” McKie said. “That’s
McKie fought down a sensa-
tion of panic, reminding himself
that the records he had left in his
private locker of Bureau head-
quarters could be deciphered in
time even if he did not return.
“Yes,” Bolin said, “you wish
to satisfy yourself that the ascen-
sion of a Pan-Spechi to the head
of your Bureau will pose no
threat to other human species.
This is understandable.”
McKie shook his head to clear
it. “Do you read minds?” he de-
manded.
“Telepathy is not one of our
accomplishments,” Bolin said, his
voice heavy with menace. “I
do hope that was a generalized
question and in no way directed
at the intimacies of my ego-
group.”
“I felt that you were reading
my mind,” McKie said, tensing
himself for defense.
4 1 Hphat was how I interpreted
-* the question,” Bolin said.

why I’m here, too.” “Forgive my question. I should

“You’ve penetrated to the fact not have doubted your delicacy
that our Pan-Spechi community or your tact.”
here on Achus is the heart of “You do hope to place a mem-
the Tax Watchers’ orangization,” ber in the job of Bureau Secre-
Bolin said. “It was very brave tary, though?” McKie said.

THE TACTFUL SABOTEUR 103

 “Remarkable that you McKie curled his fingers
should’ve suspected it,” Bolin around the shape, squeezed.
said. “How can you be sure our There came a pop, and fumero-
intention is not merely to des- les of purple light emerged be-
troy the Bureau?” tween his fingers accompanied
“I’m not.” McKie glanced by an odor of burnt sugar.
around the room, regretting that “Exit stim,” McKie said.
he had been forced to act alone. “Now I’m completely defense-
“Where did we give ourselves less, entirelydependent upon
away?’ Bolin mused. your hospitality.”
“Let me remind you,” McKie “Ah, you are a tricky one,”
said, “that I have accepted the Bolin said. “But have you no re-
hospitality you offered and that gard for Ser Clinton Watt? To
I’ve not offended your mores.” him, the change you forced upon
“Most remarkable,” Bolin said. him is an affliction. You've des-
“In spite of all the temptations troyed the instrument that might
I offered, you have not offended have reversed the process.”
our mores. This is true. You are “He can apply to the Jicuzzi,”
an embarrassment, indeed you McKie said, wondering why Bo-
are. But perhaps you have a wea- lin should concern himself over
pon. Yes?” Watt.
McKie lifted a wavering shape “Ah, but they will ask your
from an inner pocket. permission to intervene,” Bolin
“Ahhh, the Jicuzzi stim,” Bo- said. “They are so formal. Draft-
lin said. “Now, let me see, is ing their request should take at
that a weapon?” least three standard years. They
McKie held the shape on his will not take the slightest chance
palm. It appeared flat at first, of offending you. And you, of
like a palm-sized sheet of pink course, cannot volunteer your
paper. Gradually, the flatness permission without offending
grew a superimposed image of a them. You know, they may even
tube laid onits surface, then an- build a nerve-image of you upon
other image of an S-curved which to test their petition. You
spring that coiled and wound are not a callous person, McKie,
around the tube. in spite of you clownish poses.
“Our species can control its I’d not realized how important
shape to some extent,” Bolin said. this confrontation was to you.”
“There’s some question on
whether I can consider this a GtOince I’m completely at your
weapon.” mercy,” McKie said.

104 GALAXY
“would you try to stop me from lie, McKie thought. “We come
leaving here?” right out and tell our trainees
“An interesting question,” Bo- that one of our chief functions is
lin said. “You have information to create jobs for the politicians
I don’t want revealed at this to fill,” he said. “The more hands
time. You’re aware of this, na- in the pie, the slower the mix-
turally?” ing.”
“Naturally.” “You’ve heard that telling a
“I find the constitution a falsehood to your host is a great
most wonderful document,” Bo- breach of Pan-Spechi mores, I
lin said. “The profound aware- see,” Bolin said. “You under-
ness of the individual’s identity stand, of course, that refusal to
and its relationship to society as answer certain questions is inter-

a whole. Of particular interest is preted as a falsehood?”

the portion dealing with the “So I’ve been told,” McKie
Bureau of Sabotage, those said.
amendments recognizing that the “Wonderful! And what are
Bureau itself might at times your trainees told about the foot
need ah . .adjustment.”
. . . . dragging and the monkeywrench-
Now what’s he driving at? Mc- es you throw into the path of
Kie wondered. And he noted how legislation?”
Bolin squinted his eyes in “I quote from the pertinent
thought, leaving only a thin line training brochure,” McKie said.
“
of faceted glitter. ‘A major function of the Bu-
“I speak now as chief
shall reau is to slow passage of legisla-
officer of the Tax Watchers,” tion.’
”

Bolin said, “reminding you that “Magnificent! And what about

we are legally immune from sa- the disputes and outright bat-
botage.” tles Bureau agents have been
I’ve found out what I wanted known to incite?”
to know, McKie thought. Now “Strictly routine,” McKie said.
if I can only get out of here with “We’re duty bound to encourage
it! the growth of anger in govern-
“Let us consider the training ment wherever we can. It ex-
of saboteurs extraordinary,” Bo- poses the temperamental types,
lin said. “What do the trainees the ones who can’t control them-
learn about the make-work and selves, who can’t think on their
featherbedding elements in Bu- feet.”
reau activity?” “Ah,” Bolin said. “How enter-
He’s not going to trap me in a taining.”

THE TACTFUL SABOTEUR 105

 “We beep entertainment value “You’re suggesting the Bu-
in mind,” McKie admitted. “We reau’s an outlet for society’s regu-
use drama and flamboyance lar crop oftroublemakers?”
wherever possible to keep our ac- “Isn’t that obvious? And
tivities fascinating to the public.” troublemakers naturally call for
“Flamboyant obstructionism,” the services of troubleshooters.
Bolin mused. That’s an outlet for do-gooders.
“Obstruction is a factor in You’ve a check and balance sys-
strength,” McKie said. “Only tem serving society.”
the strongest surmount the ob- McKie waited, watching the
structions to succeed in govern- Pan-Spechi, wondering if his an-
ment. The strongest ... or the swers had gone far enough.
most devious, which is more or “I speak as a Tax Watcher,
less the same thing when it comes you understand?” Bolin asked.
to government.” “I understand.”
“The public pays for this Bu-
1 4 J T ow illuminating,” Bolin reau. In essence, the public is
-“-said. He
rubbed the backs paying people to cause trouble.”
of his hands, a Pan-Spechi man- “Isn’t that what we do when
nerism denoting satisfaction. “Do we hire police, tax investigators
you have special instructions re- and the like?” McKie asked.
garding political parties?” Alook of gloating satisfaction
“We stir up dissent between came over Bolin’s face. “But
them,” McKie said. “Opposition these agencies operate for the
tends to expose reality, that’s greater good of humanity!” he
one of our axioms.” said.
“Would you characterize Bu- “Before he begins training,”
reau agents as troublemakers?” McKie said, and his voice took
“Of course! My parents were on a solemn, lecturing tone, “the
happy as the devil when I show- potential saboteur is shown the

ed troublemaking tendencies at entire sordid record of history.

an early age. They knew there’d The do-gooders succeeded once
be a lucrative outlet for this . long ago. They eliminated
. .

when I grew up. They saw to it virtually all red tape from gov-
that I was channeled in the right ernment. This great machine
directions all through school — with its power over human lives
special classes in Applied Des- slipped into high speed. It moved
truction, Advanced Irritation, faster and faster.” McKie’s voice
Anger I and II only the best
. . . grew louder. “Laws were con-
teachers.” ceived and passed in the same

106 GALAXY
hour! Appropriations came and
were gone in a fortnight. New
bureaus flashed into existence
for the most insubstantial rea-
sons.”
McKie took deep breath,
a one’ or a ‘little one’?” Bolin ask-
realizing he’d put sincere emo-
tional weight behind his words.
“Fascinating,” Bolin said. “Ef-
ficient government, eh?”
“Efficient?” McKie’s voice was
filled with outrage. “It was like
a great wheel thrown suddenly
out of balance! The whole struc-
ture of government was in im-
minent danger of fragmenting
before a handful of people, wise
with hindsight, used measures of
desperation and started what was
called the Sabotage Corps.”
“Ahhh, yes, I’ve heard about
the Corps’ violence.”
He’s needling me, McKie
thought, but found that honest
anger helped now. “All right,
there was bloodshed and terrible
destruction at the beginning,” he
said. “But the big wheels were
slowed. Government developed a
controllable speed.”
“Sabotage,” Bolin sneered. “In
lieu of red tape.”
I needed that reminder, McKie
thought.
“No task too small for Sab-
otage, no task too large,” McKie
said. “We keep the wheel turn-
ing slowly and smoothly. Some
anonymous Corpsman put it into
words a long time ago: ‘When in
THE TACTFUL SABOTEUR
doubt, delay the big ones and
speed the little ones.’ ”
4 CIT TouM you say the Tax
’
’ Watchers were a ‘big
ed, his voice mild.
“Big one,” McKie said and
waited for Bolin to pounce.
But the Pan-Spechi appeared
amused. “An unhappy answer.”
“As it says in the Constitu-
“
tion,” McKie said. ‘The pursuit
of unhappiness is an inalienable
”
right of all humans.’
“Trouble is as trouble does,”
Bolin said and clapped his hands.
Two Pan-Spechi in the uni-
forms of system police came
through the creme de menthe
emerald door.
“You heard?” Bolin asked.
“We heard,” one of the police
said.
‘“Was he defending his bu-
reau?” Bolin asked.
“He was,” the policeman said.
“You’ve seen the court order,”
Bolin said. “It pains me because
Ser McKie accepted the hospital-
ity of my house, but he must be
held incommunicado until he’s
needed in court. He’s to be treat-
ed kindly, you understand?”
Is he really bent on destroying
the Bureau? McKie asked him-
self in sudden consternation. Do
I have it figured wrong?
“You contend my words were
sabotage?” McKie asked.
107
 “Clearly an attempt to sway
the chief officer of the Tax
Watchers from his avowed dut-
ies,” Bolin said. He stood, bowed.
McKie lifted himself out of
the chairdog, assumed an air of
confidence he did not feel. He
clasped his thick-fingered hands
together and bowed low, a grand-
father toad rising from the deep
to give his benediction. “In the
words of the ancient proverb,”
he said, “ ‘The righteous man
lives deep within a cavern and
the sky appears to him as noth-
”
ing but a small round hole.’
Wrapping himself in dignity,
McKie allowed the police to es-
cort him from the room.
Behind him, Bolin gave voice
to puzzlement: “Now, what did
he mean by that?”
Ill
6 6 TY ear ye!Hear ye! System
-* -*
High Court, First Bench,
Central Sector, is now in
sion!”
The robo-clerk darted
and forth across the cleared
dais of the courtarena, metal its
curves glittering in the morning
light that poured down through
the domed weather cover. Its
voice, designed to fit precisely
into the great circular room,
penetrated to the farthest walls:
“All persons having petitions be-
fore this court draw near!”
108
The silvery half globe carrying
First Magistrate Edwin Dooley
glided through an aperture be-
hind the lift dais and was raised
to an appropriate height. His
white sword of justice lay diag-
onally across the bench in front
of him. Dooley himself sat in dig-
nified silence while the robo-
clerk finished its stentorian an-
nouncement and rolled to a stop
just beyond the lift field.
Judge Dooley was a tall, black
browed man who affected the
ancient look with ebon robes
over white linen. He was noted
for decisions of classic penetra-
tion.
He sat now with his face held
immobility to conceal his
in rigid
anger and disquiet. Why had
they put him in this hot spot?
Because he’d granted the Tax
Watchers’ injunction? No matter
how he ruled now, the result
likely would be uproar. Even
President Hindley was watching
ses- this one through one of the hot-
line projectors.
back The President had called
lift shortly before this session. It had
been Phil and Ed all through the
conversation, but the intent re-
mained clear. The Administra-
tion was concerned about this
case. Vital legislation pended;
votes were needed. Neither the
budget nor the Bureau of Sab-
otage had entered their conversa-
tion, but the President had made
GALAXY
 —

his point don't compromise the sat a frightened appearing young

Bureau but save that Tax Watch- aide and Panthor Bolin, the Pan-
er support for the Administra- Spechi complaintant, his multi-
tion! faceted eyes hidden beneath
“Clerk, the roster,” Judge veined lids.
Dooley said. “Are we joined for trial?”
And he thought: They’ll get Dooley asked.
judgment according to strict in- Both Oulson and Vohnbrook
terpretation of the law! Let them arose, nodded.
argue with that! “If the court pleases,” Vohn-
The robo-clerk’s reelslate buz- brook rumbled, “I would like to
zed. Words appeared on the re- remind the Bureau of Sabotage
peater in front of the judge as personnel present that this court
the clerk’s voice announced: is exempt from their ministra-
“The People versus Clifton Watt, tions.”
Jorj X. McKie and the Bureau “If the prosecutor trips over
of Sabotage.” his own feet,” Oulson said, “I
Dooley looked down into the assure him it will be his own
courtarena, noting the group clumsiness and no act of mine
seated at the black oblong table nor of my colleagues.”
in the Defense ring on his left: Vohnbrook’s face darkened
a sour-faced Watt with his rain- with a rush of blood. “It’s well
bow horror of Medusa head, Mc- known how you . .
.”

Kie’s fat features composed in

the look of someone trying not to
—
snicker at a sly joke the two
defendants flanking their attor-
ney, Pander Oulson, the Bureau
of Sabotage’s chief counsel. Oul-
son was a great thug of a figure
in defense white with glistening
eyes under beetle brows and a
face fashioned mostly of scars.
At the Prosecution table on the
right sat Prosecutor Holjance
Vohnbrook, a tall scarecrow of
a man dressed in conviction red.
Gray hair topped a stern face as
grim and forbidding as a latter
day Cotton Mather. Beside him
A great drumming boomed
through the courtarena as
Dooley touched the handle of his
sword of office. The sound
drowned the prosecutor’s words.
When silence was restored, Dool-
ey said : “This court will tolerate
no displays of personality. I wish
that understood at the outset.”
Oulson smiled, a look like a
grimace in his scarred face. “I
apologize, Your Honor,” he said.
Dooley sank back into his
chair, noting the gleam in Oul-
son’s eyes. It occurred to Dooley
then that the defense attorney,

THE TACTFUL SABOTEUR 109

sabotage-trained, could have inal accusation against the pros-
brought on the prosecutor’s at- ecutor and proceeding backward
tack to gain the court’s sym- the premise that . .

pathy. “This is not Gowacliin,” Judge

“The char-ge is outlaw sabotage Dooley said.
in violation of this court’s in- “May I remind the Court,”
junction,” Dooley said. “I un- Vohnbrook said, “that defendant
derstand that opening statements McKie is a saboteur extraordin-
have been waived by both sides, ary. This goes beyond questions
the public having been admitted of champerty. Every utterance
to causae in this matter by ap- this man . .

propriate postings?” “The law’s the same for of-

“So recorded,” intoned the ficial saboteurs as it is for oth-
robo- clerk. ers in respect to the issue at
Oulson leaned forward against hand,” Oulson said.
the defense table, said: “Your “Gentlemen!” the judge said.
Honor, defendant Jorj X. McKie “If you please? I will decide law
has not accepted me as counsel in this court.” He waited through
and wishes to argue for separate a long moment of silence. “The
trial. I am here now representing behavior of all parties in this
only the Bureau and Clinton matter is receiving my most
Watt.” careful attention.”
“Whoappearing for defend-
is McKie forced himself to rad-
ant McKie?” the judge asked. iate calm good humor.
McKie, feeling like a man leap-
ing over a precipice, got to his V^tTatt, whose profound knowl-
' '
feet, said: “I wish to represent edge of the saboteur ex-
myself, Your Honor.” traordinary made this pose a
“You should be cautioned danger signal, tugged violently
against this course,” Dooley said. at the sleeve of defense attorney
“Ser Oulson has advised me I Oulson. Oulson waved him away.
have a fool for a client,” McKie Watt glowered at McKie.
said. “But in common with most “If the court permits,” McKie
Bureau agents, I have legal train- said, “a joint defense on the
ing. I’ve been admitted to the present charge would appear to
System Bar and have practiced violate . .

under such codes as the Gow- “The court is well aware that
achin where the double-negative this casewas bound over on the
innocence requirement must be basis of deposa summation
satisfied before bringing crim- through a ruling by a robo-

,110 GALAXY
legum,” Dooley said. “I warn in the Secretary of Sabotage is
both defense and prosecution, exempted from all immunities.
however, that I make my own I move to quash the indictment

decisions in such matters. Law as it regards myself. I was at the

and robo-legum are both human time a legal officer of the Bu-
constructions and require human reau required by my duties to
interpretation. And I will add test the abilities of my super-
that, as far as I’m concerned, in ior.”
all conflicts between human Vohnbrook scowled at McKie.
agencies and machine agencies “Mmmm,” Dooley said. He
the human agencies are para- saw that the prosecutor had de-
mount.” tected where McKie’s logic must
“Is this a hearing or a trial?” lead. If McKie were legally dis-
McKie asked. missed from the Bureau at the
“We proceed as in trial,
will time of his conversation with the
subject to the evidence as pre- Pan-Spechi, the prosecution’s
sented.” case might fall through.
McKie rested his palms on the “Does the prosecutor wish to
edge of the defense table, study- seek a conspiracy indictment?”
ing the judge. The saboteur felt Dooley asked.
a surge of misgiving. Dooley was For the first time since enter-
a no-nonsense customer. He had ing the courtarena, defense at-
left himself a wide avenue with- torney Oulson appeared agitated.
in the indictment. And this was He bent his scarred features
a case thatwent far beyond im- close to Watt’s gorgon head, con-
mediate danger to the Bureau of ferred in whispers with the de-
Sabotage. Far-reaching prece- fendant. Oulson’s face grew
dents could be set here this day darker and darker as he whisper-
—
•
or disaster could strike. Ignor- ed. Watt’s gorgon tendrils writh-
ing instincts of self preservation, ed in agitation.
McKie wondered if he dared try “We don’t seek a conspiracy
sabotage within the confines of indictment at this time,” Vohn-
the court. brook said. “However, we would
“The robo-legum indictment be willing to separate . .

requires joint defense,” McKie “Your Honor!” Oulson said,

said. “I admit sabotage against surging to his feet. “Defense
Ser Clinton Watt, but remind the must protest separation of indict-
court of Paragraph Four, section ments at this time. It’s our con-
ninety-one, of the Semantic Re- tention that . .

vision to the Constitution, where- “Court cautions both counsel

THE TACTFUL SABOTEUR 111

in this matter that this is not a A look of almost-pleasure
Gowachin jurisdiction,” Dooley came over prosecutor Vohn-
said in an angry voice. “We don’t brook’s cadaverous face. He rub-
have to convict the defender and bed one of his downdrooping
exonerate the prosecutor before eyelids, said: “Call Panthor Bo-
trying a case! However, if either lin.”
of you would wish a change of The Achusian capitalist got to
venue . . his feet, strode to the witness
Vohnbrook, a smug expression ring. The robo-clerk’s screen
on his lean face, bowed to the flashed for the record: “Panthor
judge. “Your Honor,” he said, Bolin of Achus IV, certified wit-
“we wish at this time to request ness in case A0115BDi,gGY74R( )

removal of defendant McKie of System High Court ZRZ 1 .”

from the indictment and ask “The oath of sincerity having
that, he be held as a prosecu- been administered, Panthor Bo-
tion witness.” lin is prepared for testifying,”
the robo-clerk recited.
t C^'lbjection!” Oulson shouted. “Panthor Bolin, are you chief
“Prosecution well knows officer of the civil organization
it cannot hold a key witness un- known as the Tax Watchers?”
der trumped up . . Vohnbrook asked.
“Overruled,” Dooley said. “I ah . y-yes,” Bolin
. . . . .

“Exception!” faltered.He passed a large blue

“Noted.”
Dooley waited as Oulson sank
into his chair. This is a day to
remember the judge thought.
Sabotage itself outfoxed! Then
he noted the glint of sly humor
in the eyes of saboteur extra-
ordinary McKie, realizing with
an abrupt sense of caution that
McKie, too, had maneuvered
this position.
handkerchief across his forehead,
staring sharply at McKie.
Hejust now realizes what it
is must do, McKie thought.
I
“Ishow you this recording
from the robo-legum indictment
proceedings,” Vohnbrook said.
“It is certified by System police
as being a conversation between
for yourself and Jorj X. McKie in
which .” . .

“Prosecution may call its first “Your Honor!” Oulson ob-

witness,” the judge said, and he
punched a code signal that sent
a robo-aide to escort McKie
away from the defense table and
into a holding box.
112
jected. “Both witnesses to this
alleged conversation are present
in this courtarena. There are
more direct ways to bring out
any pertinent information from
GALAXY
this matter. Further, since the
clear threat of a conspiracy
charge remains in this case, I ob-
ject to introducing this recording
as forcing a man to
against himself.”
“Ser McKie is no longer on
trial here and Ser Oulson is not
McKie’s attorney of record,”
Vohnbrook gloated.
“The objection does, however,
have some merit,” Dooley said.
He looked at McKie
the holding box.
“There’s nothing shameful
about that conversation with Ser
Bolin,” McKie said. “I’ve no ob-
jection to introducing this rec-
ord of the conversation.”
Bolin rose up on his toes,
made as though to speak, sank
back.
Now he is certain, McKie
thought.
“Then I will admit this record
subject to judicial deletions,”
Dooley said.
Clinton Watt, seated at the
defense table, buried his gorgon
head in his arms.
Vohnbrook, a death’s-head
grin on his long face, said: “Ser
Bolin, I show you this recording.
Now, in this conversation,
Sabotage Agent McKie subjected
to any form of coercion?”
“Objection!” Oulson roared,
surging to his feet. His scarred
face was a scowling mask. “At
the time of this alleged record-
THE TACTFUL SABOTEUR
ing, Ser McKie was not an agent
of the Bureau!” He looked at
Vohnbrook. “Defense objects to
the prosecutor’s obvious effort to
testify link Ser McKie with .
.”.
“Alleged conversation!” Vohn-
brook snarled. “Ser McKie him-
self admits the exchange!”
Tn a weary voice, Dooley said:
“Objection sustained. Unless
tangible evidence of conspiracy
seated in is introduced here, references to
Ser McKie as an agent of Sabo-
tage will not be admitted here.”
“But, Your Honor,” Vohn-
brook protested, “Ser McKie’s
own actions preclude any other
interpretation!”
“I’ve ruled on this point,”
Dooley said “Proceed.”
McKie got to his feet in the
holding box, said: “Would Your
Honor permit me to act as a
friend of the Court here?”
Dooley leaned back, hand on
chin, turning the question over
in his mind. A general feeling
of uneasiness about the case was
increasing in him and he couldn’t
pinpoint it. McKie’s every ac-
tion appeared suspect. Dooley re-
minded himself that the sabot-
was eur extraordinary was notorious
for sly plots, for devious and
convoluted schemes of the wild-
est and most improbable inver-
sions — like onion layers in a
five dimensional klein-shape. The
man’s success in practicing under
113
the Gowachin legal code could we excuse
to sincerity. I suggest
be understood. Ser Bolin for the time being and
“You may explain what you have Ser McKie continue his
have in mind,” Dooley said, “but explanation under oath.”
I’m not yet ready to admit your Dooley took a deep breath,
statements into the record.” said: “Does defense have any
“The Bureau of Sabotage’s questions of Ser Bolin at this
own Code would clarify mat- time?”
ters,” McKie said, realizing that “Not at this time,” Oulson
these words burned his bridges muttered. “I presume he’s sub-
behind him. “My action in suc- ject to recall?”
cessfully sabotaging acting Sec- “He is,” Dooley said, turning
retary Watt is a matter of rec- to McKie. “Take the witness
ord.” ring, Ser McKie.”
McKie pointed to the gorgon
mass visible as Watt lifted his IV
head and glared across the room.
“Acting Secretary?” the judge IQolin, moving
like a sleepwalk-
asked. er, stepped out of the ring,
“So must be presumed,”
it returned to the prosecution table.
McKie said. “Under the Bureau’s The Pan-Spechi’s multifaceted
Code, once the Secretary is sa- eyes reflected an odd glitter,
botaged he . . moving with a trapped sense of
“Your Honor!” Oulson shout- evasiveness.
ed. “We are in danger of breach McKie entered the ring, took
of security here! I understand the oath and faced Vohnbrook,
these proceedings are being composing his features in a look
broadcast!” of purposeful decisiveness that
“As Director-in-Limbo of the he knew his actions must reflect.
Bureau of Sabotage, I will de- “You called yourself Director-
cide what is a breach of security in-Limbo Bureau of Sa-
of the
and what isn’t!” McKie snapped. botage,” Vohnbrook said. “Would
Watt returned his head to his you explain that, please?”
arms, groaned. Before McKie could answer,
Oulson sputtered. Watt lifted his head from his
Dooley stared at McKie in arms, growled: “You traitor, Mc-
shock. Kie!”
Vohnbrook broke the spell. Dooley grabbed the pommel of
The prosecutor said: “Your Hon- his sword of justice to indicate
or, this man has not been sworn an absolute position and barked:
114 GALAXY
“I will tolerate no outbursts
my court!”
Oulson put a hand on Watt’s
shoulder. Both them glared
of
at McKie. The medusa tendrils
of Watt’s head writhed as they
ranged through the rainbow
spectrum.
“I caution the witness,” Dooley
said, “that his remarks would
appear to admit a conspiracy.
Anything he says now may be
used against him.”
“No conspiracy, Your Honor,”
McKie said. He faced Vohn-
broolc, but appeared to be ad-
dressing Watt. “Over the cen-
turies, the function of Sabotage
in the government has grown
more and more open, but cer-
tain aspects of changing the
guard, so to speak, have been
held as a highly placed secret.
The rule is that if a man can
protect himself from sabotage
he’s fit to boss Sabotage. Once
sabotaged, however, the Bureau’s
Secretary must resign and sub-
mit his position to the President
and the full Cabinet.”
“He’s out?” Dooley asked.
“Not necessarily,” McKie said.
“If the act of sabotage against
the Secretary is profound enough,
subtle enough, carries enough
far reaching effects, the Secre-
tary is replaced by the successful
saboteur. He is, indeed, out.”
“Then it’s now up to the Presi-
dent and the Cabinet to decide
THE TACTFUL SABOTEUR
in between Ser Watt and yourself,
is that what you’re saying?”
Dooley asked.
“Me?” McKie “No,
asked.
I’m Director-in-Limbo because
I accomplished a successful act
of sabotage against Ser Watt and
because I happen to be senior
saboteur extraordinary on duty.”
“But it’s alleged that you were
fired,” Vohnbrook objected.
“A formality,” McKie said.
“It’s customary to fire the sab-
oteur who’s successful in such an
effort. This makes him eligible
for appointment as Secretary if
he so aspires. However, I have
no such ambition at this time.”
W McKie
att jerked
at McKie.
upright, staring
ran a finger around his
collar, realizing the physical peril
he was about to face. A glance
at the Pan-Spechi confirmed the
feeling. Panthor Bolin was hold-
ing himself in check by a visible
effort.
“This is all very interesting,”
Vohnbrook sneered, “but how
can it possibly have any bearing
on the present action? The
charge here is outlaw sabotage
against the Tax Watchers repre-
sented by the person of Ser Pan-
thor Bolin. If Ser McKie .” . .
“If the distinguished Prosecu-
tor will permit me,” McKie said,
“I believe I can set his fears at
rest. It should be obvious to
—
115
 “There’s conspiracy here!” McKie thought. With speeches
Vohnbrook shouted. “What about like that, he could get into the
the . . Legislative branch.
A loud pounding interrupted Abashed, Vohnbrook sank back
him as Judge Dooley lifted his into his chair.
sword, its theremin effect filling “Now,” the judge said, “un-
the room. When silence had been
* less I’m mistaken, Ser McKie
restored, the judge lowered his has referred to two acts of sab-
sword, replaced it firmly on the otage.” Dooley glanced down at
ledge in front of him. McKie. “Ser McKie?”
Dooley took a moment to “So it would appear, Your
calm himself. He sensed now the Honor,” McKie said, hoping he
walked
delicate political edge he read the judge’s present attitude
and thanked his stars that he correctly. “However, this court
had left the door open to rule may be in a unique position to
tha' the present session was a rule on that very question. You
hearing. see, Your Honor, the alleged act
“We will now proceed in an of sabotage to which I refer was
orderly fashion,” Dooley said. initiated by a Pan-Spechi agent
“That’s one of the things courts of the Bureau. Now, though, the
are for, you know.” He took a secondary benefits of that action
deep breath. “Now, there are appear to be sought after by a
several people present whose creche mate of that agent,
dedication to the maintenance of whose . .
.”

law and order should be beyond
question I’d think that among
those we should number Ser
Prosecutor Vohnbrook; the dis-
tinguished defense counsel, Ser
Oulson: Ser Bolin, whose race is
noted for its reasonableness and
humanity; and the distinguished
representatives of the Bureau of
Sabotage, whose actions may at
times annoy and anger us, but
who are, we know, consecrated
to the principle of strengthening
us and exposing our inner re-
sources.”
This judge missed his calling,
“You dare suggest that I’m
not the holder of my cell’s ego?”
Bolin demanded.
Without knowing quite where
it was or what it was, McKie
was aware that a weapon had
been trained on him by the Pan-
Spechi. References in their cul-
ture to the weapon for defense
of the ego were clear enough.
“I make no such suggestion,”
McKie said, speaking hastily and
with as much sincerity as he
could put into his voice. “But
surely you cannot have misin-
terpreted the terranic-human cul-

116 GALAXY
ture somuch that you do not
know what will happen now.”
XI Tamed by some instinct, the
’ * judge and other spectators
to this interchange remained
silent.
Bolin appeared to be tremb-
ling in every cell of his body. “I
am distressed,” he muttered.
“If there were a way to achieve
the necessary rapport and avoid
that distress I would have taken
it,” McKie said. “Can you
another way?”
trembling, Bolin said: “I
Still
must do what I must do.”
In a low voice, Dooley said:
“Ser McKie, just what is going
on here?”
THE TACTFUL SABOTEUR
“Two cultures are, at last, at-
tempting to understand each
other,” McKie said. “We’ve
lived together in apparent under-
standing for centuries, but ap-
pearances can be deceptive.”
Oulson started to rise, was
pulled back by Watt.
And McKie noted that his for-
mer Bureau chief had assessed
the peril here. It was a point in
Watt’s favor.
“You understand, Ser Bolin,”
see McKie said, watching the Pan-
Spechi carefully, “that these
things must be brought into the
open and discussed carefully be-
fore a decision can be reached
in this court. It’s a rule oflaw
to which you’ve submitted. I’m
117
inclined to favor your bid for
the Secretariat, but my own deci-
sion awaits the outcome of this
hearing.”
“What must be discuss-
things
ed?” Dooley demanded. “And
what gives you the right, Ser
McKie, to call this a hearing?”
“A figure of speech,” McKie
said, but he kept his attention
on the Pan-Spechi, wondering
what the terrible weapon was
that the race used in defense of
its egos. “What do you say, Ser
Bolin?”
“You protect the sanctity of
your home life,” Bolin said. “Do
you deny me the same right?”
“Sanctity, not secrecy,” Mc-
Kie said.
Dooley looked from McKie to
Bolin, noted the compressed-
spring look of the Pan-Spechi,
the way he kept a hand hidden
in a jacket pocket. It occurred
to the judge then that the Pan-
Spechi might have a weapon
ready to use against others in
this court. Bolin had that look
about him. Dooley hesitated on
the point of calling guards, re-
viewed what he knew of the
Pan-Spechi. He decided not to
cause a crisis. The Pan-Spechi
were admitted to the concourse
of humanity, good friends but
terrible enemies,and there were
always those allusions to their
hidden powers, to their ego jeal-
ousies, to the fierceness with
118
which they defended the secrecy
of their creches.
Slowly, Bolin overcame the
trembling. “Saywhat you feel
you must,” he growled.
j\ /TcKie said a silent prayer of
* -*-
-*-
hope that the Pan-Spechi
could control his reflexes, ad-
dressed himself to the nexus of
pickups on the far wall that was
recording this courtarena scene
for broadcast to the entire uni-
verse.
“A Pan-Spechi who took the
name of Napoleon Bildoon was
one of the leading agents in the
Bureau of Sabotage,” McKie
said. “Agent Bildoon dropped
from sight at the time Panthor
Bolin took over as chief of the
Tax Watchers. It’s highly prob-
able that the Tax Watcher or-
ganization is an elaborate and
subtle sabotage of the Bureau
of Sabotage itself, a move ori-
ginated by Bildoon.”
“There is no such person as
Bildoon!” Bolin cried.
“Ser McKie,” Judge Dooley
said, “would you care to con-
tinue this interchange in the pri-
vacy of my chambers?” The
judge stared down at the sab-
oteur, trying to appear kindly
but firm.
“Your Honor,” McKie said,
“may we, out of respect for a
fellow human, leave that deci-
sion to Ser Bolin?”
GALAXY
 Bolin turned his multi-faceted “I . . ah
. am not quite
. . .

eyes toward the bench, spoke sure I understand you,” Dooley

in a low voice: “If the court said
please, it were best this were “The best kept secret in the
done openly.” He jerked his universe, the Pan-Spechi cyclic
hand from his pocket. It came change of gender and identity,
out empty. He leaned across isno longer a secret where I’m
the table, gripped the far edge. concerned,” McKie said. He
“Continue, if you please, Ser.” swallowed as he saw Bolin’s
McKie swallowed, momentar- fingers go white where they
ily overcome with admiration tightly gripped the prosecution
for the Pan-Spechi. “It will be table.
a distinct pleasure to serve un- “It relates to the issue at
der you, Ser Bolin,” McKie hand?” Dooley asked.
said. “Most definitely, Your Hon-
“Do what you must!” Bolin or,” McKie said. “You see, the
rasped. Pan-Spechi have a unique
McKie looked from the won- gland that controls mentation,
derment the faces of Watt
in dominance, the relationship be-
and the attorneys up to the tween reason and instinct. The
questioning eyes of Judge five group mates are, in reality,
Dooley. “In Pan-Spechi par- one person. I wish to make that
lance, there is no person called clear for reasons of legal neces-
Bildoon. But there was such a sity.”
person, a group mate of Ser “Legal necessity?” Dooley
Bolin. I hope you notice the asked. He glanced down at the
similarity in the names they obviously distressed Bolin, back
chose for themselves?” to McKie.
“Ah .yes,” Dooley said.
. .
“The gland, when it’s func-

“I’m afraid I’ve been some- tioning, confers ego dominance

what of a nosey Parker, a peep- on the Pan-Spechi in whom it

ing Tom and several other cate- functions. But it functions for
gories of snoop where the Pan- a time that’s definitely limited
Spechi are concerned,” McKie — twenty-five to thirty years.”
said. “But it was because I sus- McKie looked at Bolin. Again,
pected the act of sabotage to the Pan-Spechi was trembling.
which I’ve referred here. The “Please understand, Ser Bolin,”
Tax Watchers revealed too he said, “that I do this out of
much inside knowledge of the necessity and that this is not
Bureau of Sabotage.” an act of sabotage.”

THE TACTFUL SABOTEUR 119

 face toward holder, this ah Bildoon,
B olin lifted
McKie. The Pan-Spechi’s
his
is
.

no longer eligible?”
. . . .

features appeared contorted in “Bildoon, or what was once

grief. “Get it over with, man!” Bildoon, is a creature operating
he rasped. solely on instinct now, Your
“Yes,” McKie said, turning Honor,” McKie said. “Capable
back to the judge’s puzzled face. of acting as creche nurse for a
“Ego transfer in the Pan- time and, eventually, fulfilling
Spechi, Your Honor, involves a another destiny I’d rather not
transfer of what may be termed explain.”
basic experience - learning. It’s
- “I see.” Dooley looked at the
accomplished through physical weather cover of the court arena.
contractor when the ego holder He was beginning to see what
dies, no matter how far he may McKie had risked here. “And
be separated from the creche, you favor this,Ser Bolin’s
ah,
this seems to fire up the eldest bid for the Secretariat?” Dooley
of the creche triplets. The ego- asked.
single also bequeaths a verbal “If President Hindley and the
legacy to his mate whenever Cabinet follow the recommend-
possible and that’s— most of the ation of the Bureau’s senior
time. Specifically, it’s this agents, the procedure always
time.” followed in the past, Ser Bolin
Dooley leaned back. He was will be the new Secretary,” Mc-
beginning to see the legal ques- Kie said. “I favor this.”
tion McKie’s account had “Why?” Dooley asked.
posed. “Because of this unique rov-
“The act of sabotage which ing ego, the Pan-Spechi have a
might make a Pan-Spechi el- more communal attitude toward
igible for appointment as Sec- fellow sentients than do most
retary of the Bureau of Sabo- other species admitted to the
tage was initiated by a ... ah concourse of humanity,” McKie
. . . cell mate of the Ser Bolin said. “This translates as a sense
in court today, is that it?” of responsibilitytoward all life.
Dooley asked. They’re not necessarily maudlin
McKie wiped his brow. “Cor- about it. They oppose where
rect, Your Honor.” it’s necessary to build strength.
“But that cell mate is no long- Their creche lifedemonstrates
er the ego dominant, eh?” several clear examples of this
“Quite right, Your Honor.” which I’d prefer not to de-
“The . . . ah . . . former ego scribe.”

120 GALAXY
 ””

“I see,” but he
Dooley said, “Don’t you agree. Ser Watt?”
had to admit to himself that he McKie asked.
did not. McKie’s allusions to “Oh, yes. Quite,” Watt said.
unspeakable practices were be- The note of sincerity in Watt’s
ginning to annoy him. “And you voice startled the judge. For
feel that this Bildoon-Bolin act the first time, he wondered at
of sabotage qualifies him, pro- the dedication which these men
vided this court rules they are brought to their jobs.
one and the same person?” “Sabotage is a very sensitive
“We’re not the same person!” Bureau,” Dooley said. “I’ve
Bolin cried. “You don’t dare some —
serious reservations
say I’m that that shambling,
. . . “If Your Honor please,” Mc-
clinging . .
.” Kie said, “forbearance is one of
“Easy,” McKie said. “Ser the chief attributes a saboteur
Bolin, I’m sure you see the need can bring to his duties. Now, I
for this legal fiction.” wish you to understand what
“Legal fiction,” Bolin said as our Pan-Spechi friend has done
though clinging to the words. here this day. Let us suppose
The multi-faceted eyes glared that I had spied upon the most
across the courtarena at McKie. intimate moments between you,
“Thank you for the verbal nic- Judge, and your wife, and that
ety, McKie.” I reported them in detail here
“You’ve not answered my in open court with half the uni-
question, Ser McKie,” Dooley verse looking on. Let us suppose
said, ignoring the exchange with further that you had the strict-
Bolin. est moral code against such dis-
“Sabotaging Ser Wf£t through cussions with outsiders. Let us
an attack on the entire Bureau suppose that I made these dis-
contains sublety and finesse closures in the basest terms with
never before achieved in such an every four-letter word at my
effort,” McKie said. “The en- command. Let us suppose that
tire Bureau will be strengthened you were armed, traditionally,
by with a deadly weapon to strike
it.”
McKie glanced at Watt. The at such blasphemers, such
—
acting Secretary’s medusa tan- “Filth!” Bolin grated.
gle had ceased its writhing. He “Yes,” McKie said. “Filth. Do
was at Bolin with a
staring you suppose, Your Honor, that
speculative look in his eyes. you could have stood by with-
Sensing the quiet in the court- out killing me?”
arena, he glanced up at McKie. “God heavens!” Dooley said.
THE TACTFUt SABOTEUR 121
 V
CtOer Bolin,” McKie said, “I
^ offer you and all your race
my most humble apologies.”
“I’d hoped once to undergo
the ordeal in the privacy of a
judge’s chambers with as few
outsiders as possible,” Bolin
said. “But once you were started
in open court .” . .

“It had to be this way,” Mc-

Kie said. we’d done it in
“If
private, people would’ve come
to be suspicious about a Pan-
Spechi in control of .” . .

“People?” Bolin asked.

“Non Pan-Spechi,” McKie
said.“It’d have been a barrier
between our species.
“And we’ve been strength-
ened by all this,” McKie said.
“Those provisions of the Con-
stitution that provide the people
with a slowly moving govern-
ment have been demonstrated
anew. We’ve admitted the pub-
lic to the inner workings of Sab-

otage, shown them the valuable

character of the man who’ll be
the new Secretary.”
“I’ve not yet ruled on the
critical issue here,” Dooley said.
“But Your Honor!” McKie
said.
“With all due respect to you
as a saboteur extraordinary, Ser
McKie,” Dooley said, “I’ll
make my decision on evidence
gathered under my direction.”

122 GALAXY
He looked at Bolin. “Ser Bolin,
would you permit an agent of D ooley’s face
he saw suddenly
darkened,

the
but
in all of
extent of
this court to gather such evi- its stark detail
dence as will allow me to ren- McKie’s analogy and it was to
der verdict without fear of the judge’s credit that he rose
harming my own species?” to the occasion. “If it were ne-
“We’re humans together,” cessary to promote understand-
Bolin growled. ing,” he rasped, “yes!”
“But terranic humans hold “I believe you would,” Bolin
the balance of power,” Dooley murmured. He took a deep
said. “I owe allegiance to law, breath. “After what I’ve been
yes, but my terranic fellows de- through here today, one more
pend on me, too. I have a . . sacrifice can be borne, I guess.
“You wish your own agents to I grant your investigators the
determine if Ser McKie has privilege requested, but advise
told the truth about us?” that they be discreet.”
“Ah . . . yes,” Dooley said. “It will strengthen you for
Bolin looked at McKie. “Ser the trials ahead as Secretary of
McKie, it is I who apologize to the Bureau,” McKie said. “The
you. I had not realized how Secretary, you must bear in
deeply xenophobia penetrated mind, has no immunities from
your fellows.” sabotage whatsoever.”
“Because,” McKie said, “out- “But,” Bolin said, “the Sec-
side of your natural modesty, retary’s legal orders carrying
you have no such fear. I sus- out his Constitutional functions
pect you know the phenomenon must be obeyed by all agents.”
only through reading of us.” McKie nodded, seeing in the
“But all strangers are poten- glitter of Bolin’s eyes, a vista
tial sharers of identity,” Bolin of peeping Tom assignments
said. “Ah, well.” with endless detailed reports to
“If you’re through with your the Secretary of Sabotage at —
little chat,” Dooley said, “would least until the fellow’s curiosity
you care to answer my question, had been satisfied and his need
Ser Bolin? This is still I hope, for revenge satiated.
a court of law.” But the others in the court-
“Tell me, Your Honor,” Bolin room, not having McKie’s in-
said, “would you permit me to sight, merely wondered at the
witness the tenderest intimacies question: What did he really
between you and your wife?” mean by that?
—FRANK HERBERT
THE TACTFUL SABOTEUR 123
MWiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiimimiiimiiiimiiimiimmrniiiinmmmimiuiinimiiiittmtiimiiiiniiiimimmimimiimuniminntumitnn

What’s the Maine

of That Town?
miniiiiiiitiiitiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiuitiiniiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiitiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiijuiiimiiu

BY R. A. LAFFERTY

Poor liftle computer! It couldn't

remember what it most wanted to know
. . and neither could anyone else
.

4 4 TT* piktistes tells me that you “Big, real big,” the machine
are onto something big, issued.
Mr. Smirnov,” Valery said, turn- “What you doing now,
are
ing to her companion. Epikt?” Valery wanted to know.
“Epikt has the loudest mouth “Talk to me, dammit! I’m the
of any machine I was ever asso- man, he’s the machine,” Smir-
ciated with,” Gregory Smirnov nov cut in. “He’s chewing ency-
growled. “I never saw one that clopedias and other references.
could keep a secret. But this one It’s all he ever does.”
goes to extremes. Actually, we “I thought he went through
don’t have a thing. We’re just them all long ago.”
fiddling around with an unborn “Certainly, dozens of times.
idea.” He has all the data that can be
“How about it, Epikt?” Va- fed into a machine, and every
lery asked. day we shovel in bales of the
124
new stuff. But he’s chewing it X Talery was nearly as bad as a
now for a very different pur- * machine at not being able
pose.” to keep a secret. She had the
“What different purpose, Mr. whole Institute staff excited
Smirnov?” about what Smirnov and Epik-
“It’s difficult to say because I tistes were working on. The staff
haven’t as yet been able to state consisted of Charles Cogsworth,
it to him. We’re trying to set a her own over-shadowed husband,
problem where it seems there Glasser the stiff-necked inventor
ought to be one —
and then an- of the E.P. Locator and Aloysius
swer it. We may find the answer Shiplap the seminal genius.
before the question. At first, he They were all after Smirnov
rejected my request, later he ac- and his machine the next day.
cepted it —
ironically. I doubt “We’ve been together on ev-
that he’s sincere now. He can be ery project,” Glasser said. “Va-
quite a clown, as you should well lery tells us that the problem
know.” hasn’t been properly formulat-
“I knowthat you two are onto ed, and that Epikt has only ac-
something good,” Valery said. cepted it ironically. We’re pret-
“The more you deny it, the more ty good at formulating prob-
I’m sure of it. Tell me the truth, lems, Gregory, and a little stern-
Epikt.” er than you, when it comes to
“Big, real big,” Epiktistes is- dealing with clownish ma-
sued to Valery. chines.”
“Valery,” said Smirnov. “All right, this is the way it is,

“You’re a woman and you might Glasser,” Smirnov said re-

be inclined to say something
about this to the other Institute
people. Please don’t. We
have anything yet and it makes
me nervous to have hot little
people breathing down my
neck.”
“I won’t say a word,” Valery
swore with grave insincerity.
She winked at the machine, and
Epikt winked back at her with
three tiers of eyes. Valery Mok
and Epiktistes had a thing going
with each other.
luctantly. “My first statement
was, we should seek to discover
don’t something not known to exist, by
a close study of the absence of
evidence. When I put the prob-
lem to Epiktistes in this general-
ized form he just laughed at me.”
“That would have been my
first impulse too, Smirnov,” said
Shiplap. “Don’t you have a bet-
ter idea of what you’re looking
for?”
“Shiplap, I had the feeling of
trying to remember something

WHAT'S THE NAME OF THAT TOWN? 125

that I’d been compelled to for- tain period,is there padding be-

get. My second statement wasn’t tween the words Sik and Sikam-
much better. ‘Let us see,’ I said los?” Epiktistes asked.
to Epikt, ‘if we cannot recon- “I follow your thought,
struct something of which even Epikt,” Glasser agreed. “That
the idea has been completely could be a clue to something. If
eradicated, let’s see if we can’t the idea and the name of some-
find it by considering the exces- thing were expunged from every
sive evidence that it was never reference, then, in all original
there.’ In this form, Epikt ac- editions, other subjects on the
cepted it. Or else he decided to same page would have to be
go along with me for the gag. padded slightly or another sub-
I’m never quite sure how this ject set in. This filling might be
clanking machine takes things.” hurried, and therefore of an in-
“Well, no hole can be filled ferior quality. So, who knows a
up perfectly,” said Cogsworth. word that is no longer used and
“There will either be too much that comes between Sik and Sik-
or too little of whatever is being amlos? If we knew the word
used as the filler, or it will be of would we know what it meant?
a different texture. The diffi- And would it help us if we did?”
culty is that you didn’t give
Epikt any clues. There will be a tcTtem. Why is the young of a
million things or re-
forgotten bear now referred to as a
pressed that will show an irreg- pup when once it may have been
ularity of fill. How will Epikt known as a cube?” Epikt issued.
know which ofthem is the one “I’ve never heard the young of
that you are somehow trying to a bear referred to as a cube,”
remember?” Shiplap protested.
“Item. The buried thing will “Epikt has come on that by
have a buried tie with my boss our omission-appraisal method,”
man Smirnov,” Epiktistes, the Smirnov explained. “There is
machine, issued. probably an imperfect erasure
“Yes, of course,” said Glasser. working. I believe that cube is a
“Has Epikt turned up any- distortion of a word that has
thing?” somehow been forced out of folk
“Only a bushelful of things memory. Epikt has this clue from
that seem to mean nothing,” said a ballad which I believe is far re-
Smirnov sadly. moved from the main suppres-
“Item. Why in Hungarian dic- sion or it would not have survived
tionary-encyclopedias of a cer- in even this distorted form.”

126 GALAXY
 “Item. Why is the awkward “Item. Why is—?” Epikt
word Coronal used for the sim- started.
ple doubling or return of a “Oh, shut up and get back to
rope? Why is not a simpler work,” Smirnov ordered his ma-
word used?” Bpikt asked. chine. “Let’s leave him with it

“Has Epikt considered that until tomorrow, folks. It may be-

seamen have always used odd gin to pull together by then,”
terms and that landsmen often said Smirnov, stalking off.
adopt them?” Cogsworth asked. “Going to be real big,” Epik-
“Naturally —
Epikt always tistes issued to them after his
considers everything,” Smirnov boss man had left. “Boys and
answered. “He has thousands of girls, it’s going to be real big.”
these items now, and he believes
that he will be able to put them T^he next day they combined
into a pattern.” the meeting around the ma-
“Item. Why is there a great chine with a party for Shiplap.
hiatus in period jazz. It’s as Aloysius Shiplap had grown —
though a great hunk of it had for the first time ever, anywhere
been yanked out by the roots, in — left-handed grass. It was not
the words of one Benny B-Flat.” called that because it whorled to
“Smirnov, I know that your the left, but because the organic
machine has unusual talents,” constitutents of it were reversed
said Glasser, “but if he can tie in their construction. Left-hand-
these things together he’s a con- ed minerals had been construct-
catenated genius.” ed long since, and perhaps they
“Or a cantankerous clown,” also occurred in nature. Left-
Smirnov said. “I know that he handed bacteria and broths were
has to have some emotional re- long known, but nobody else had
lease from the stress of his work, ever grown anything as complex
but he often overdoes it with hu- as left-handed grass.
mor and drollery.” “In everything, its effect is re-
“Item. Why is reference to the versed,” Shiplap explained.
Amerindian peace-pipe avoided “Cattle pastured on this would
as though some obscenity were lose rather than gain weight. If
attached to it, and none is dis- there ever develops a market for
coverable?” really skinny cattle I’ll be wait-
“That’s a new one while we’re ing for it.”

standing here,” said Smir- They tossed off a good bit of

nov. “He’s accumulating quite a Tosher’s Gin as they got into
few of them.” the celebration. Tosher’s is the

WHAT'S THE NAME OF THAT TOWN? 127

only drink that will buzz up moron on the wall of the men’s
both humans and Ktistec ma- room in an institution in Vinita,
chines. There is a flavoring used Oklahoma?”
in Tosher’s that gets machines Epiktistes giggled, though the
high. The alcohol in it some- item may have been serious
times has a similar effect on hu- when he issued it.

mans. Cogsworth pulled one out of

Epiktistes got as mellow as a his mouth, stripping the crumbs
Pottawattamie County pump- from it with his tongue as it
kin. Ktistec machines are like came.
the Irish and the Indians. They “Item. Why does Petit La-
start unwinding when the gin rousse take five lines too many
begins to flow. Their behavior to say almost nothingabout the
could become quite wild unless ancient Chibcha Indians of Co-
carefully watched. lumbia?”
And the Institute people were At this point Valery went in-
also having a good time. to her high laugh that would
“I wouldn’t have him any oth- even make the alphabet sound
er way,” said Smirnov. “When funny.
he relaxes, he relaxes all over the
place. Hawkin’s machine literal- j^hiplap pulled one out of his
ly bites people when it’s frus- grinning mouth, and it seem-
trated by a difficult problem. ed an extension of his grin as it
Drexel’s smaller machine comes came.
all apart throwing arc-snuffers “Item,” he read. “What is
and solenoids and is mighty dan- there about the Great Blue Is-
gerous to be around. There are land Swamp that puzzles Geolo-
worse sorts than the clown of a gists?Or —
in the old by-lining
machine I have —
though he manner —
how recent is re-
does get pretty slushy when he’s cent?”
in his cups.” Tosher’s is giggle juice. Glass-
Valery Mok had gathered up er’s laughter sounded like a
a bunch of Epiktistes’ utterances string of fire-crackers going off.
and slipped them into cocktail Smirnov extracted the utter-
cookies. Glasser, eating one, ance from his cookie in the lord-
chewed on a bit of the metallic ly manner. He read the utter-
tape. He
pulled it, slithering, off ance as though it were of ex-
his tongue, and read — treme importance —
and it was.
“Item. What was the myster- “Item. What peculiarity is al-
ious name written by a deaf most revealed by the faded paint
128 GALAXY
of old Rock Island and Pacific When the world’s last Tosher’s
Railroad box-cars?” is drunken,
“Oh, stop giggling, Epikt, it and the world’s last item has
flewn,
isn’t asfunny as that!”
and the Institute people are
“It it is!” bubbled Valery.
is,
stunken,
Then she nearly choked bring- and Epikt is high as the —
ing out from her own cookie a
very long tape, and she read it And there he stuck! Eight
with a very gay voice: million billion billion memory
“Item. Why, when
the grue- contacts he had in him, and he
some Little Willy verses were re- couldn’t come up with a rime
vived among sub-teen-agers in for flewn.
the early nineteen- eighties, were “How many items have you
they concerned almost entirely really gathered, Epikt?” Glasser
with chewing gum? In their asked as they began to break up.
Australian and British home- “Millions of them, bub, mil-
lands six decades before they lions of them.”
were concerned with everything. “No. Actually he has about
But here we have gruesome three-quarters of a million that
verses about forty-nine different he believes he can tie together,”
flavors of gum. As for instance,
Smirnov explained. “I feel that
he’ll bring them into a pattern,
Little Willy mixed his gum
but I’m afraid that it will be a
with bits of Baby’s cerebrum
facetious one.”
and Papa’s blood for Juicy
“Epikt, you cute cubicle, will
Fruit.
Mother said, “Or, Will, don’t you be able to give us any idea
duit.” of what to look for by tomor-
row?” Valery asked.
“I’d think it would give too “Boys and girls, I’ll have it all
high a flavor to the gum,” said wrapped up and on display for
Glasser. you tomorrow,” Epiktistes is-
It’s a lot of fun to open cock- sued. “I’ll even be able to tell
tail cookies and read out utter- you what the thing smelled like.”
ances of a Ktistec machine. The
Institute staff generated a bunch T? xpectation ran high among
of what we can only call merri- *~J the people of the Institute.
ment. But they were busy people, Epiktistes wanted to have the
and the party had to come to an reporters in, but Smirnov said
end. Epiktistes issued a verse as no. He didn’t trust his machine.
they prepared to leave. Epikt was a cube twenty meters
WHAT'S THE NAME OF THAT TOWN? 129
 ”

on a side; and ofhis thousands er workers,” issued Epikt, with-

of eyes, some of them always out blinking an eye, “and in the
seemed to be laughing at his important stages,
final stages, the
master. I directed my own assembly. I

“It won’t be a hoax?” Smir- could not have happened other-

nov asked his machine appre- wise.Only I know what is in me.
hensively. As to my own abilities —
“Boss, did I ever hoax you?” “Get on with it, Epikt,” Smir-
Epikt issued. nov ordered, “and try to avoid
“Yes.” the didactic manner.”
“Boss, some things are best “Thento get to the point —
presented in the guise of a hoax, in the year 1980, the largest City
but underneath this won’t be of the American Midland was
one.” destroyed by an unnatural disas-
It was a crooked-tongued ma- ter.”
chine sometimes, and Smirnov “That was only twenty years
was more apprehensive than ago,” Glasser cut in. “It seems
ever. that someone would have heard
The next day everyone gath- of it.”

ered early to hear what Epikt “I wonder if St. Louis knew

had to say. They pulled up that she was destroyed,” Valery
chairs and recording canisters ventured. “She acts as though
and waited for the machine to she thought that she were still

begin. there.”
“Ladies, gentlemen, asso- Louis was not the City,”
“St.
ciates,” said Epikt solemnly, “we issued Epikt. “This destruction
are gathered together to hear of of a metropolitan area of seven
an important matter. I will pre- million persons in much less
sent it as well as I am able. than seven seconds was a great
There will be disbelief, I know, horror from the human view-
but I am sure of my facts. Make point — come
to think of it I
yourselves comfortable.” He now being a little dis-
recall
paused and then as an after- turbed by myself. The thing
it

thought added “You — may was so fearful that it was de-

smoke.” cided to suppress the whole busi-
“You clanking cubicle, don’t ness and blissfully forget about
tellus what we may do,” Smir- it.”

nov screamed. “You’re only a “Wouldn’t that be a little dif-

machine that I made.” ficult?” said Aloysius Shiplap
“You and three thousand oth- sarcastically.

130 GALAXY
<tTt was very difficult to do,” hole, and in close imitation of
issued Epikt, “and yet it was the original handwriting. But
done, completely, within twenty these imitations were often im-
hours. And from that moment perfect. I have a few thousand

until this, nobody has remem- instances of this. But the Tele-
bered or thought about it at all.” Pantographic Distorter was a
“And if Your Whimsical truly remarkable machine, and I
Highness will just explain how regret that it is now out of use.”
this was done?” Smirnov chal- “Kindly explain what hap-
lenged his machine. pened to this remarkable ma-
“I’ll explain as well as I can, chine,” said Smirnov.
good master. The project was “Oh, it’s still here in the In-
put in charge of a master scien- stitute.You stumble into it a
tist who shallbe nameless — but dozen times a day, good master,
only for a few minutes.” and you curse it as ‘That Dam-
“How were the written refer- nable Pile of Junk.’ ” issued
ences of a metropolis of seven Epikt. “But you have a block,
million persons obliterated?” ask- that will not allow you to re-
ed Cogs worth. member what it is.”
“By a device then newly in- “I believe that I have been
vented by our master scientist,” stumbling into such a pile of
Epikt answered. “It was known junk for many years,” mused
as the Tele - Pantographic Dis- Smirnov. “Several times I have
torter. Even I from this distance almost permitted myself to won-
of time and through the cloud der what it was.”
of induced amnesia, cannot un- “And you invented it. The
derstand how it worked. But it master scientist of the memory-
did work, and it simultaneously obliteration was yourself, Greg-
destroyed all printed references ory Smirnov.”
to our subject. This left holes in “Hog hang it, Epikt! Your
the references, and the flow of jug will leak!” protested Ship-
matter to fill those holes was lap. “How of the human memo-
sometimes of inferior texture, as ries? The seven million inhabi-
I have noted. Holographic — tants of the city would have had
that is handwritten, for you, Va- relatives of at least an equal
lery — references were more number elsewhere. Didn’t they
difficult. Most were simply des- wonder about their mothers or
troyed In more importent doc- children or brothers and sis-
ument., the text was flowed in ters?”
automatic writing to fill the “They sorrowed, but they

WHAT'S THE NAME OF THAT TOWN? 131

didn’t wonder,” issued Epikt. “It after them all. But it bothered
was a sorrow to which they him more than others because
could give no name. Examine he was more involved in it. After
the period and see how many this temporary explanation it
really sad songs were popular in will bother him no more. This
the years 1980 and 1981. But time he will forget it with a
broadcast euphoria soon masked clear conscience.
it over. The human memory of “He does not recognize or re-
the thing was blocked by in- member it even now. It was his
duced world amnesia. This was intent and triumph that he nev-
done hypnotically over the er should. The city and its de-
broadcast waves, and over more struction are forgotten forever,
subtle waves Few escaped it. The but the method of that memory-
deaf moron mentioned in one of obliteration has only been
my items was one of those few. forced to a subliminal level. It
He scrawled the name of the will be resurrected and used
town on a wall once, but it again whenever there is a great
meant nothing to anyone.” unnatural disaster.”
“But there would be a hun- “And where in tarnation or
dred million loose ends to clean the American Midlands was this
up,” Glasser protested. city?” Cogsworth hollered.
“Its site is now known as the
UD aise that number sever- Great Blue Island Swamp,” is-
al powers,” issued Epikt. sued Epikt.
“There were very many loose “Finish it, you goggle-eyed
ends, and most of them were gadget!” Ship1ap shrilled.
taken care of. I gathered a mil- “What’s the name of that town?”
lion or so that remained in the “Chicago,” issued Epiktistes.
process of this study, but they That broke it! That tore it
could not break through the in- clear up! It was a hoax after all.
duced amnesia. The door was That clattering clown of a cubi-
bolted on the whole sub- cle had led them into it with all
ject Then it was double-locked. eyes open. Valery went into her
It was necessary to destroy not high laughter, and her good hus-
only the memory, but also the band Cogsworth chortled like
memory of that memory. Mr. that gooney bird with the hic-
Smirnov, in what was perhaps cups.
his greatest feat, put himself un- “Chicago! It sounds like a lit-
der the final hypnosis against it. tle zoo beaver sliding down a
It was his job to pull in the hole mud slide and hitting the water.

132 GALAXY
Chicago!” It was the funniest sasters — for I suspect that there
word Valery had ever heard. were several such —
are well
“Nobody but a machine gone forgotten. The world would lie
comic could coin a name like down and die if it remembered
that,” laughed Glasser with his them too well.
fire-cracker laugh. “Chicago!” “And yet there really was a
“I take my
hat off to you, large city named Chicago. As
Epiktistes,” said Aloysius Ship- Sikago it one Hun-
left a hole in
lap, “You are a cog-foot- garian dictionary - encyclope-
ed, tongue - in - cheek tall tale dia; and the Petit Larousse had
teller. People, this machine is to flow French froth about the
ripe!” Chibcha Indians into the place
“I’m a little disappointed,” where Chicago had stood. Some-
said Smirnov. “So the mountain thing, for which I find the ten-
labored and produced a mouse. tative name of Chicago Hot was
But did it have to be a wall-eyed pulled out of the jazz complex
mouse clown suit, Epikt?
in a by the roots. The Calumet River
It’s too even for a tale. That
tall had flowed about the City some-
a great city could be completely where, so there came a reluc-
destroyed only twenty years ago tance to use that name of the old
and we know nothing about it — Indian peace-pipe. Chicago was
that’s tall enough. But that it a great city. The heart of her
should have the impossible downtown was known as the
name of Chicago tops it all. If Loop, and one of her baseball
you weighed all possible sounds teams was named the Cubs. For
— and I’m sure that you did, that reason those two words were
Epikt —
you could not come up forced out of use. They might be
with a more ridiculous sounding evocative.”
name than that.” “Loop? Cubs?” giggled Va-
lery.“Those words are almost as
tl/^ood people,meant
it is funny as Chicago. How do you
^ ^to be this way,” issued Ep- make them up, Epikt?”
iktistes. “You cannot remember “In popular capsule impres-
it. You cannot recognize it. And sion Chicago was the chewing-
when you leave this room you gum capital of the world. The
will not even be able to recall leader in this manufacture was
the funny name. You will have a man named —
as well as I can
only the dim impression that the reconstruct it Wiggly. Child-
clownish machine played a dren somehow found the echos
clownish trick on you. The di- of the gruesome destruction of

WHAT'S THE NAME OF THAT TOWN? 133

Chicago and tied it in with this ter. Our failures are well forgot.
capsule impression to produce the We’ll hit on something else.
bloody Little Willy verses about We’re working on a lot of
chewing gum.” things.”
“Epikt, you top yourself,” said Then they all shuffled out
Shiplap, “if anything could top sleepily and went back to their
an invention as funny as Chica- work. Smirnov’s machine had
go.” busted on something or other,
“Good people, it comes down but it was a good machine and
over you like a curtain,” issued would hit the next time, of that
Epiktistes. “You forget again — they were sure.
even my joke, even the funny In a corridor, Smirnov stum-
name of the town. And, more to bled into his old Tele-Pantogra-
the point, I forget also. phic Distorter. He had been
“It’s gone
Gone. All gone. stumbling unseeing into it every
How is a long blank
peculiar! It day for twenty years.
tape you all stare at as though The machine rolled nine
you were under hypnosis. I must banks of eyes at Smirnov and
have suffered a black-out. I nev- smiled willingly. Was it another
er issued a blank tape before. of those disasters? Was there
Smirnov, I have the taste in my any deep work to be done? Tele-
terminals of an experiment that Pan was ready. But no. Smirnov
didn’t quite come off. Feed me passed on. The machine smiled
another. I don’t fail often.” again and went peacefully back
to sleep.
tt'T^hat is enough for today, “That damnable piece of
&
Epiktistes. We are all junk,” Smirnov growled, walk-
sleepy for some reason. No it ing along and petting his sore
didn’t work out whatever it — shin. “I feelalmost as if I were
was. what it was that we
I forget on the verge of wondering what
were working on. It doesn’t mat- it is.” — R. A. LAFFERTY
^IIIIIIIItlllllllllllllllllllllHIIlllllllIlllllliiliiiliiiiifiiiiiiilllllllllllllllllliliililliliiiHlIlIllllllllllllllllllllliUlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllU

If You Can Make It to the West Coast — §

| On Labor Day or thereabouts, drop in on the World Convention in Berkeley the I

| weekend September 4 5 6 and 7 All your favorite writers, editors, artists,
of , , .
§
| etc. — or at least a large-scale quorum of them, including Poul Anderson, I
| Antony Boucher, Jack Vance, Frederik Pohl, Edmond Hamilton, James Blish. |
| Interested? Write for information to Pacificon, P.O. Box 261, Fairmont Sta-
|
| tion, El Cerrito, California. =

= s
^iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiJiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiii^

134 GALAXY

MAXWELL’S
MONKEY
They weren't shadows — exactly.
They also weren't human. They
were, in fact, our consciences!
\ shadow maybe. But now
and then it went off to do
something or get something, and
came back into some slightly
different position looking like a
damn fool.
Maxwell saw it first on waking
after a binge.During the eve-
ning’s riot he had insulted his two
dearest friends — the husband
saw him home anyhow — and
knocked over a baby-carriage. It
had no baby in it, but Maxwell
reflected it might have had, and
wept. Then he was trying to pick
a policeman’s pocket and lamen-
tably failing. He heard his friend
explain: “Always does that, Of-
ficer. It don’t mean a thing.” But
why would anyone go to the
135
by EDGAR PANGBORN
trouble of picking a policeman’s
pocket unless he meant some-
thing by it? And in the hurting
morning light, the monkey sat
on the foot of his bed.
He threw a pillow.
The pillow went through, un-
reasonably slowed down. You
don’t expect an object passing
through a ghost to lose momen-
tum. Maxwell said: “You are a
semi-hallucinatory precipitation
of gaseous particules, or a thing
from outer space. Under either
interpretation, your invasion of
my domicile constitutes a tort.”
Maxwell was the most junior
partner in the law firm of Bindle,
Bindle, Bindle and Maxwell.
“Get down off my bed.”
 The monkey did so,
pillow up on the covers,
sumed its earlier position.
“I see,” said Maxwell. “You
understand speech, you manipu-
late material objects although
they don’t necessarily manipu-
late you, and you prefer the let-
ter to the spirit. Please get
an aspirin.”
The monkey just sat there. It
was black, tailless, the
an Airedale, male. So far as Max-
well could tell it was young and
healthy like himself, but prob-
ably not hung over.
Maxwell reeled to
room. The monkey
his movements, just out of reach
— not that Maxwell felt much
desire to grab. Maxwell washed
down two aspirins. “Want one?”
The monkey nodded, caught
tablet, and waited for Maxwell
to get out of the bathroom and
give him room. Maxwell removed
the key and stood aside; the
monkey entered; Maxwell sighed
and locked him in.
The monkey returned through
the keyhole and settled back
into its normal shape, rumpled,
irritated, and larger than before.
“So you were hung over,” said
Maxwell, getting dressed. The
monkey ignored that, imitating
Maxwell’s motions with the
tossed the peared an empty ritual shad- —
and re- ow work.
For breakfast, Maxwell tossed
the monkey some actual burned
toast, but wasn’t about to pour
any extra coffee until the brute
got a cup for himself and set it
down within Maxwell’s reach,
me looking miserable. Maxwell wash-
ed up, the monkey making
theoretical motions at a safe dis-
size of tance from the tangible sink.
Phony-casual, Maxwell asked;
“By the way, how would you
have proceeded if that bathroom
door had had no keyhole? Or,
the bath- say, a Yale lock?”
paralleled The monkey replied only by
looking grave, which was the way
he looked anyhow.
A T axwell could not avoid go-
the -L’-Mng to the office. As the
most junior partner, he was ex-
pected to sweat out a serious
quantity of dogwork to justify
his existence in what the most
senior Bindle described (often)
as a situation of substantial
He told
trust. the monkey; “I
am now about to go downstairs,
out,and five stations uptown on
the subway. I then walk from
Lexington to Third and uptown
two more blocks; elevator from
main to ninth floor. Any com-
ment? . No comment.”
. .

shirt. Since it had no clothes of He stepped out, quickly clos-

its own and showed no inclina- ing the apartment door, which
tion to steal Maxwell’s, this ap- had a Yale lock.

136 GALAXY

A block from the subway en-
trance the monkey caught up
with him.
It had enlarged again, being
now as tall as Maxwell, and was
rubbing its left hip as if it might
be a bit lame, and glowering.
It was one of those lush and
tender mornings in May when
New Yorkers find it a genuine
pleasure to inhale grit. Those
who passed Maxwell and his
associate paid the monkey no
more attention than they would
have given to any offbeat shad-
ow. Faint frowns, puzzled
glances. One elderly lady opened
her mouth but didn’t speak.
Politeness, Maxwell supposed.
Nobody likes to stop a stranger
and say: “Excuse me, sir,
may not have noticed —
your
shadow is looking more simian
than you do this morning.”
Or perhaps the monkey knew
some extra-terrestrial means
co-operating with Maxwell’s wish
for obscurity. Decent of him to
use it, if so. Descending the sub-
way steps, Maxwell said over his
shoulder: “Sorry about all those
doors.”
Understandably, the monkey
went unnoticed in the subway
crowds. At the moment of Max-
well’s apology it had returned to
the size of a child, and quit glow-
ering.
At the office Maxwell hung up
his hat in his own small room,
MAXWELL'S MONKEY
;
leaving the door open for his
usual early morning contempla-
tion of the back of Sheila Walk-
er’s neck.
/fiss Walker at twenty-nine
JVi. was losing hope, but the
back of her neck was exquisite.
She did not lack other pret-
tiness of a spaniel-eyed, wistful
sort. Though
a competent recep-
tionistand secretary to all four
partners,she was developing a
tendency to flutter and squeak.
She recognized it herself with
honest dismay. She also found
herself clutching her mousy hair
at demoralizing sounds, such as
the long angry bray of H. K.
Bindle clearing his throat for
you speech. This uproar was no
worse than T. J. Bindle’s sneeze,
and F. W. Bindle, while dictat-
ing, scratched his left trouser-leg
with dull sonority; so Miss Wal-
of ker sometimes clutched her hair
at all three. Pretty, Shelia at
times became beautiful, when no-
body was looking at her and she
was looking at the back of Max-
well’s neck. The back of Max-
well’s neck was not exquisite
occasionally not even very clean.
When she noticed Maxwell’s
monkey following him into the
office that morning she felt that
to speak of it would be not only
tactless but — well, difficult. She
said: “Good morning, Max!” and
smiled spaniel-eyed, slamming
137
the typewriter carriage back and
savoring the baritone boom of
his “Yo, Sheila!” She too had
gone through a bad time since
waking —
had indeed thought
of talking things over with a
well-heeled friend of hers who
was just about halfway through
her third psychoanalyst.
After Maxwell settled in his
office, with the door open, she
continued tearing away at a
brief in the suit of one Jasper
Baring against his grand-nephew
Judson Baer for defamation of
character. The said Judson Baer
was alleged to have asserted
loudly in a public place, to wit
a bar, before six persons bearing
witness, that the said Jasper
Baring was not fit to carry guts
to a bear. Her exquisite neck
grew warmer and warmer up over
the ears, and she got things all
snarled up.
When she could bear it no
longer, Sheila flung down her
eraser and bravely stepped into
Maxwell’s office to ask him — son said about
flat-out, quickly, before her
courage faded —
how you spell
“eligible.” “I keep thinking it’s
two es, somewhere, but it never
comes out looking right!”
“Mm, well, what’s the con-
text?” Maxwell asked —
not in-
telligently, mostly in order to
keep her in the office while he
made up his mind about some-
thing.
138
“Well, it’s what this old Jas-
per said about Jud —
no, Jud-
son about Jasper —
wait, I’ll get
it, Max.”
\ she fluttered back to her
s
Maxwell was forced to
desk,
abandon his last doubt. He was
not even slightly hung over, and
there were two monkeys in the
room. His own, and the one
standing in the doorway behind
Sheila making desperate motions
with imaginary papers.
Maxwell’s monkey seemed to
be more or less off duty, per-
haps because Maxwell’s desk
chair stood close to the wall,
which cramps the style of any
shadow. Maxwell’s monkey was
in fact deeply interested in the
other one. They were about the
same size —
quite a nice match,
in a way.
“Here it is,” said Sheila, flut-
tering back. “You see, H. K. felt
we should have like a legal
translation of what this old Jud-
—
wait —
‘being
then and there at the site known
as’ —no, it’s further on —
here:
‘defendant having then and there
uttered expressions including the
direct statement that plaintiff
was not qualified or eligible to
initiate or promote or perform
the conveyance or transport of
eviscerated material, to wit en-
trails’ —
oh, look how I spelled
evis — oh — oh, damn!”
GALAXY
 “You poor kid,” said Maxwell, before he could work off those
and made it around his desk feelings of hostility and resent-
fairly fast, heedless of the flying ment which they say we should
pages of legal size. work off, no kidding.
The first kiss, intended partly He told his story coherently.
as a consolation job, bounced As he talked and drank and
off her nose. The second, even brooded, his shadow was more
more complexly motivated, was disturbed than he was, but I
amateur in execution but far could not reach any firm con-
more advanced in concept. clusion about it.
The monkeys too appeared to It has been suggested that
feel that at least one crisis in they possess some means pos- —
their own relations had been met sibly a ray, though I don’t buy
and passed. that —
of unsettling the obser-
During those five or ten min- ver’s vision at its source. I did
utes — (this anyhow was the feel inclined to fault my own
none too clear impression of both visual perception, when Max-
Shelia and Maxwell) three — well’sshadow strolled off to the
persons passed the office door: bathroom and Maxwell just sat
F. W. Bindle, who seemed to there.
note the embrace with mixed “We’ve checked out one thing
feelings, some of them green; F. for sure,” he said. “It won’t let
W.’s father T. J. Bindle, who you do anything you yourself
leered in a manner that could think is wrong. I mean, it’ll let
hardly be interpreted to mean you all right, but it gets bigger
anything but “Nice work Max!” and meaner and uglier till a man
and the most senior H. K. Bindle, can’t stand it. But it goes by
who always noted everything that what you think, not by any other
happened, but never said any- standards. Take cussing. I can’t
thing unless it could be express- see anything wrong about a bit
ed in sentences of not less than of normal cussing, so when I do
two hundred and fifty words. it my monkey doesn’t give a
damn. But Sheila’s got a thing
A passed usually means
crisis about cussing, her own that is.
-**• another one
approached. A Last time she let go with a little
week after his monkey’s first ap- ‘hell’ or something —
and with
pearance Maxwell came to see every provocation, mind you —
me, not so much distressed as a couple of other words came
puzzled, not so much puzzled as along for the ride, and her mon-
angry. It took time and bourbon key —my God, I don’t care to
MAXWELL'S MONKEY 139
 ” ”

see that again! Sheila nearly admit my feelings ran away with
passed out cold.” me. Sheila’s too I guess. But she
“You say there’s been this — said no, and —
well, see, the
gradual growth?” monks had gone outside. No
“All week long. If only you room for ’em on the back seat
damn science-fiction writers any more, they’ve grown so. And
would just — they were hulking around out
“Let’s stay with the subject. there in the dark, and there’s
Approximately how large is your this sudden God-awful pounding
shad —
your monkey, right this on the top of the car as though
moment?” some lunatic ” —
“Can’t you see?” “By which monkey was the
“Not too clearly, I admit. pounding?”
(Cheers.)” “Sheila’s. I stuckmy head out
“That’s evident. (What? Oh, and saw her. Eyes glow in the
cheers.) Why, he’s about two dark, damned if they don’t. Com-
gorillas’ worth and uglier than ing home they rode outside on
dammit.” the roof, and we could see their
“And Sheila’s?” feet stuck down through the rear
“Size of her maternal grand- windows, I suppose to keep the
mother, approximately.” wind from blowing them away.
“Her maternal grandmother If only it could!”
was — ”
“The pounding occurred when
“Is. Stout. About medium- Sheila said no?”
large grizzly size.” “About that time. You see?
“And you feel that your con- No pleasing them.”
duct this week —” “In relation to Sheila what did
“We’ve been good as gold. If you then do, Counselor?”
you confounded science-fiction “Nothing but nothing, you
writers would — crumb. She said no. If you
“Max, now hear this we didn’t : damned science ” —
invent outer space. It has been “And you claim your own mon-
there all the time, and bugs me key is two gorillas’ worth and
as much as you. Please stick to growing all the time. Max, short
the subject.” of rubbing your two stupid noses
“Sure, sure, that’s how a man in it, how
could they make it
talks when he doesn’t happen any plainer?”
to have a monkey. Oh, well, we He made a show of thinking
drove out across the river the that over a long while, but the
other night and parked, and I truth is that Maxwell is anything

140 GALAXY
but stupid. He said at last: “See
what you mean of course. But A lusty young man's
she still says no and she means
it.”
adventures in the
I said (and I think well
enough of the remark so that I
Dark Ages — 400
have it in a notebook and may years in the future!
use it again some time) “Max, :
“Despite the poetically magnifi-
of the many ways of persuading cent language (including the un-
a woman to change her mind, inhibited vulgarity and the una-
bashed sexuality) whiah makes
sitting on your butt thinking sad this an almost exuberent book
thoughts not one.”
is to read, it nevertheless is one
He soon after that. I no-
left which you put down almost with
tears in your eyes. I say ‘almost’
ticed how long it took his shad- only because us sophisticated jerks
ow to follow him after he slam- aren’t supposed to be moved in
med the door. He called me four such a fashion.”
—GROFF CONKLIN
hours later, at two in the morn-
. . chilling and fascinating
ing, sounding peaceful and . . . highly entertaining and de-
friendly. lightful reading.”
All he had to say was: “They —Hartford Courant
“Surprising, provocative ... It is
did too.”
plotted not with contrivances, but
mercilessly with things which can
XT ow that we all have them, happen.”
—THEODORE STURGEON
-* ^ things aren’t going too bad- National Review $4.95
ly — maybe even a little better A novel by Edgar Pangborn
than they used to, as a matter
of fact.
You should see Khrushchev’s,
honest. It probably shows the hu-
man race can get along with
anything, if it has to. Almost any-
thing.
Mine for instance is occupying
the large armchair across the
room from my typewriter, fin-
ishing up something or other
(with my ball-point) and natur-
ally I haven’t a God-damn no-
tion what he’s produced.
— EDGAR PANGBORN
MAXWELL'S MONKEY 141
 BY PHIilP K. DICK

He had helped fa rebuild dying Mars —

now he could do the same for dead Earth

"Delow the ’copter of Milt family here, receive priority of

Biskle lay newly fertile land - acquisition —
as a recon-
lands. He had done well with struct engineer he deserved it.
his area of Mars, verdant from Area Yellow had progressed far
his reconstruction of the ancient faster than the other engineers’
water - network. Spring, two sections. And now his reward
springs each year, had been came.
brought to this autumn world of Reaching forward, Milt Biskle
sand and hopping toads, a land touched the button of his long-
once made of dried soil cracking range transmitter. “This is Re-
with the dust of former times, of construct Engineer Yellow,” he
a dreary and unwatered waste. said. “I’d like a psychiatrist.
Victim of the recent Prox-Terra Any one will do, so long as he’s
conflict. immediately available.”
Quite soon the first Terran
emigrants would appear, stake \TS7hen Milt Biskle entered
their claims and take over. He the office Dr. DeWinter
could retire. Perhaps he could rose and held out his hand. “I’ve
return to Terra or bring his own heard,” Dr. DeWinter said,

142
“that you, of all the forty odd tobahns so crowded you can’t
reconstruct engineers, have been make a move until eleven in the
the most creative. It’s no wonder morning.”
you’re tired. Even God had to “For me,” Milt Biskle said,
days of such work,
rest after six “the overcrowding will be a re-
and you’ve been at it for years. lief after six years of robot auto-
As I was waiting for you to nomic equipment.” He had made
reach me I received a news up his mind. In spite of what he
memo from Terra that will in- had accomplished here, or per-
terest you.” He picked the memo haps because of it, he intended
up from his desk. “The initial to go home. Despite the psychi-
transport of settlers about to
is atrist’s arguments.
arrive here on Mars and . . . Dr. DeWinter purred, “What
they’ll go directly into your area. if your wife and children, Milt,
Congratulations, Mr. Biskle.” are among the passengers of
Rousing himself Milt Biskle this first transport?” Once more
said, “What if I returned to he lifted a document from his
Earth?” neatly-arranged desk. He studied
“But if you mean to stake a the paper, then said, “Biskle,
claim for your family, here — Fay, Mrs. Laura C. June C.
Milt Biskle said, “I want you Woman and two girl children.
to do something for me. I feel Your family?”
too tired, too —
” He gestured. “Yes,” Milt Biskle admitted
“Or depressed, maybe. Anyhow woodenly; he stared straight
I’d like you to make arrange- ahead.
ments for my gear, including my “So you see you can’t head
wug-plant, to be put aboard a back to Earth. Put on your hair
transport returning to Terra.” and prepare to meet them at
“Six years of work,” Dr. De- Field Three. And exchange your
Winter said. “And now you’re teeth. You’ve got the stainless
abandoning your recompense. steel ones in, at the moment.”
Recently I visited Earth and it’s Chagrined, Biskle nodded.
just as you remember —” Like all Terrans he had lost his
“How do you know how I re- hair and teeth from the fallout
member it?” during the war. For everyday
“Rather,” DeWinter corrected service in his lonely job of re-
himself smoothly, “I should say reconstructing Yellow Area
it’s just as it was. Overcrowded, of Mars he made no use of the
tiny conapts with seven families expensive wig which he had
to a single cramped kitchen. Au- brought from Terra, and as to

PRECIOUS ARTIFACT 143

the teeth he personally found
the steel ones far more comfor-
table than the natural - color
plastic set. It indicated how far
he had drifted from social inter-
action. He felt vaguely guilty;
Dr. DeWinter was right.
But he had felt guilty
since the defeat of the Proxmen.
The war had embittered him; it
didn’t seem fair that one of the
twc competing cultures would
have to suffer, since the needs of
both were legitimate.
Mars itself had been the locus
of contention. Both cultures
needed it as a colony on which
to deposit surplus populations.
Thank God Terra had managed
to gain tactical mastery during
the last year of the war hence
itwas Terrans such as himself,
and not Proxmen, patching up
Mars.
“By the way,” Dr. DeWinter
said. “I happen to know
intentions regarding your
low reconstruct engineers.”
thing is wrong, although you
can’t seem to say just what it
might be.”
Watching the yo-yo Biskle
said, “That’s a toy popular in the
Prox system. At least so I read
in a homeopape article, once.”
ever “Hmm. I understood it origi-
nated in the Philippines.” En-
grossed, Dr. DeWinter now did
around the world. He did it well.
“I’m taking the liberty of send-
ing a deposition to the recon-
struct engineers’ gathering, testi-
fying to your mental condition.
It will be read aloud, —
sorry to
say.”
“I still intend to address the
gathering,” Eiskle said.
“Well, then there’s a compro-
. . . mise that occurs to me. Greet
your little family when it ar-
rives here on Mars and then
we’ll arrange a trip to Terra for
you. At our expense. And in ex-
of your change you’ll agree not to ad-
fel- dress the gathering of recon-
burden them
struct engineers or
in any way with your nebulous

M nt Biskle glanced
,
“As a matter of fact,”
up

De Win-
swift- forebodings.”
him
critical
DeWinter eyed
keenly. “After
moment. The
all, this is
first
a
emi-
ter said, “we know they’re at this grants are arriving. We don’t
moment gathering in Red Area want trouble; we don’t want to
to hear your account.” Opening make anyone uneasy.”
his desk drawer he got out a yo- “Would you do me a favor?”
yo, stood up and began to oper- Biskle asked. “Show me that
ate it expertly doing walking the you’ve got a wig on. And that
dog. “Your panic - stricken your teeth are false. Just so I can
speech to the effect that some- be sure that you’re a Terran.”

144 GALAXY
 Dr. DeWinter tilted his wig on Mars . labor we of Terra
. .

and plucked out his set of false applaud and honor, as is right.”
teeth. She fell in beside him, steering
“I’ll take the offer,” Milt Bis- him toward a parked ’copter.
kle said. “If you’ll agree to make “Where would you like to go
certain that my wife obtains the first? New York City? Broad-
parcel of land I set aside for way? To the night clubs and
.”
her.” theaters and restaurants. .

Nodding, DeWinter tossed “No, to Central Park. To sit

him a small white envelope. on a bench.”

“Here’s your ticket. Round trip,
of course, since you’ll be coming
back.”
I hope so, Biskle thought as
he picked up the ticket. But it
depends on what I see on Terra.
Or rather on what they let me
see.
He had a feeling they’d
him see very little. In fact as
tle as Proxmanly possible.
W^en his ship reached
Terra a smartly uniformed
guide waited for him. “Mr. Bis-
kle?’’ Trim and attractive
“But there is no more Central
Park, Mr. Biskle. It was turned
into a parking lot for govern-
ment employees while you were
on Mars.”
“I see,” Milt Biskle said
“Well, then Portsmouth Square
in San Francisco will do.” He
let opened the door of the ’copter.
lit- “That, too, has become a park-
ing lot,” Miss Ableseth said,
with a sad shake of her long, lu-
minous red hair. “We’re so dam
overpopulated. Try again. Mr.
Biskle; there are a few parks
and left, one in Kansas, I believe,

exceedingly young she stepped and two in Utah in the south

forward alertly. “I’m Mary part near St. George.”
Ableseth, your Tourplan com- “This is bad news,” Milt said.
panion. I’ll show you around the “May I stop at that ampheta-
planet during your brief stay mine dispenser and put in my
here.” She smiled brightly and dime? I need a stimulant to
very professionally. He was tak- cheer me up.”
en aback. “I’ll be with you con- “Certainly,” Miss Ableseth
stantly, night and day.” said, nodding graciously.
“Night, too?” he managed to Milt Biskle walked to the
say. spaceport’s nearby stimulant
“Yes. Mr. Biskle. That’s my dispenser, reached into his
job. We expect you to be disor- pocket, found a dime, and
iented due to your years of labor dropped the dime in the slot.

PRECIOUS ARTIFACT 145

 The dime fell completely
through the dispenser and
bounced .onto the pavement.
“Odd,” Biskle said, puzzled.
“I think I can explain that,”
Miss Ableseth said. “That dime
of yoursis a Martian dime, made
for a lighter gravity.”
“Hmm,” Milt Biskle said, as
he retrived the dime. As Miss
Ableseth had predicted he felt
disoriented. He stood by as she
put in a dime of her own and
obtained the small tube of am-
phetamine stimulants for him.
Certainly her explanation
seemed adequate. But — “that I’m a Prox agent?”
“It is now eight p.m. local
time,” Miss Ableseth said. “And
I haven’t had dinner, although
of courseyou have, aboard your
ship. Why not take me to din-
ner? We can talk over a bottle
of Pinot Noir and you can tell
me these vague forebodings
which have brought you to Ter-
ra, that something dire is wrong
and that all your marvelous re-
construct work is pointless. I’d
adore to hear about it.” She
guided him back to the ’copter
and the two of them entered,
squeezing into the back seat to-
gether. Milt Biskle found her to
be warm and yielding, decidedly
Terran; he became embarrassed
and felt his heart pounding in
effort-syndrome. It had been
some time since he had been this
close to a woman.
146
CCT isten,” he said, as the
-*-j automatic circuit of the
’copter caused it from the
to rise
spaceport parking lot, “I’m mar-
ried. I’ve got two children and
I came here on business. I’m on
Terra to prove that the Proxmen
really won and that we few re-
maining Terrans are slaves of
the Prox authorities, laboring
for —
” He gave up; it was hope-
less. Miss Ableseth remained
pressed against him.
“You really think,” Miss Able-
seth said presently, as the ’cop-
ter passed above New York City,
“N-no,” Milt Biskle said. “I
guess not.” It did not seem like-
ly, under the circumstances.
“While you’re on Terra,” Miss
Ableseth said, “why stay in an
over-crowded, noisy hotel? Why
not stay with me at my conapt
in New Jersey? There’s plenty of
room and you’re more than wel-
come.”
“Okay,” Biskle agreed, feeling
the futility of arguing.
“Good.” Miss Ableseth gave
an instruction to the ’copter; it
turned north. “We’ll have din-
ner there. It’ll save money, and
at all the decent restaurants
there’s a two-hour line this time
of night, so it’s almost impossi-
ble to get a table. You’ve prob-
ably forgotten. How wonderful
it’ll be when half our popula-
tion can emigrate!”
GALAXY
 “Yes,” Biskle said
“And like Mars; we’ve
they’ll
done good job.” He felt a mea-
a Perhaps the dispenser hadn’t
sure of enthusiasm returning to
him, a sense of pride in the re-
construct work he and his com-
patriots had done. “Wait until
you see it, Miss Ableseth.”
“Call me Mary,”
Miss Able-
seth said, she arranged her
as
heavy wig; it had be-
scarlet
come dislodged during the last
few moments in the cramped
quarters of the ’copter.
“Okay,” Biskle said, and, ex-
cept for a nagging awareness of
disloyalty to Fay, he felt a sense
of well-being.
“Things happen fast on Ter-
ra,” Mary Ableseth said. “Due to
the terrible pressure of over-
population.” She pressed her
teeth in place; they, too,
come dislodged.
“So I see,” Milt Biskle agreed,
and straightened his own wig
and teeth, too. Could I have been
mistaken? he asked himself.
After all he could see the lights
of New York below; Terra was
tightly. dicate something was subtly, ter-
ribly wrong?
really been there.
I'Tphe next day he and Mary
Ableseth visited one of the
few remaining parks. In the
southern part of Utah, near the
mountains, the park although
small was bright green and at-
tractive. Milt Biskle lolled on
the grass watching a squirrel
progressing toward a tree in
wicket-like leaps, its tail flowing
behind it in a gray stream.
“No squirrels on Mars,” Milt
Biskle said sleepily.
Wearing a slight sunsuit, Mary
Ableseth stretched out on her
back, eyes shut. “It’s nice here,
Milt. I imagine Mars is like
had be- this.” Beyond the park heavy
traffic moved along the freeway;
the noise reminded Milt of the
surf of the Pacific Ocean. It
lulled him. Allseemed well, and
he tossed a peanut to the squir-
rel. The squirrel veered, wicket-
hopped toward the peanut, its

decidedly not a depopulated intelligent face twitching in re-

ruin and its civilization was in- sponse.
tact. As it sat upright, holding the
Or was this all an illusion, im- nut, Milt Biskle tossed a second
posed on his percept-system by nut off to the right. The squir-
Prox psychiatric techniques un- rel heard it land among the ma-
familiar to him? It was a fact ple leaves; ears pricked up,
its

that his dime had fallen com- and this reminded Milt of a
pletely through the amphe- game he once had played with a
tamine dispenser. Didn’t that in- cat, an old sleepy tom which had

PRECIOUS ARTIFACT 147

belonged to him and his brother
in the days before Terra had
been so overpopulated, when
pets were still legal. He had wait-
ed until Pumpkin — the tomcat
— was almost asleep and then he
had tossed a small object into
the corner of the room. Pump-
kin woke up. His eyes had flown
open and his ears had pricked,
turned, and he had sat for fif-
teen minutes listening and
watching, brooding as to what
had made the noise. It was a
harmless way of teasing the old
cat, and Milt felt sad, thinking
how many years Pumpkin had
been dead, now, his last legal
pet. On Mars, though, pets would
be legal again. That cheered
him.
In fact on Mars, during his
years of reconstruct work, he
had possessed a pet. A Martian
plant. He had brought it with
him to Terra and it now stood
on the living room coffee table
in Mary Ableseth’s conapt,
limbs draped rather unhappily.
It had not prospered in the un-
familiar Terran climate.
“Strange,” Milt murmured,
“that my wug-plant isn’t thriv-
ing. I’d have thought in such a
moist atmosphere .”. . ing the bra of her sunsuit, ignor-
“It’s the gravity,” Mary said,
eyes still shut, her bosom rising
and falling regularly.She was
almost asleep. “Too much for
it.”
Milt regarded the supine form
of the woman, remembering
Pumpkin under similar circum-
stances. The hypnogogic mo-
ment, between waking and sleep-
ing, when consciousness and un-
consciousness became blended
. .reaching, he picked up a
.
pebble.
He tossed the pebble into the
leaves near Mary’s head.
At once she sat up, eyes open,
startled, her sunsuit falling from
her
Both her ears pricked up.
“But we Terrans,” Milt said,
“have lost control of the muscu-
lature of our ears, Mary. On
even a reflex basis.”
“What?” she murmured,
blinking in confusion as she re-
tied her sunsuit.
“Our ability to prick up our
ears has atrophied,” Milt ex-
plained. “Unlike the dog and
cat. Although to examine us
morphologically you wouldn’t
its know because the muscles are
still there. So you made an er-
ror.”
“I don’t know what you’re
talking about,” Mary said, with
a trace of sullenness. She turned
her attention entirely to arrang-
ing him.
“Let’s go back to the conapt,”
Milt said, rising to his feet. He
no longer felt like lolling in the
park, because he could no long-
GALAXY
er believe in the park. Unreal blasts emptied the seas. Right?”
squirrel, unreal grass . was
. . Mary said nothing.
it actually? Would they ever “What I don’t understand,”
show him the substance beneath Milt said, “is why it’s worth it to

the illusion? He doubted it. you people to keep the illusion

The squirrel followed them a going. I’ve finished my job.”
short way as they walked to After a pause Mary said, “May
their parked ’copter, then turned be there’re more planets requir-
its attention to a family of ing reconstruct work, Milt.”
Terrans which included two “Your population is that
small boys; the children threw great?”
nuts to the squirrel and it scam- “I was thinking of Terra.
pered in vigorous activity. Here,” Mary said “Reconstruct
“Convincing,” Milt said. And work on it will take generations;
it really was. allthe talent and ability you re-
Mary said, “Too bad you construct engineers possess will
couldn’t have seen Dr. DeWinter be required.” She added, “I’m
more, Milt. He could have just following your hypothetical
helped you.” Her voice was odd- logic, of course.”
ly hard. “So Terra’s our next job.
“I have no doubt of that,” That’s why you let me come
Milt Biskle agreed as they re- here. In fact I’m going to stay
entered the parked ’copter. here.” He realized that, thor-
oughly and utterly, in a flash of
'VX7'hen they arrived back at insight. “I won’t be going back
Mary’s conapt he found his to Mars and I won’t see Fay
Martian wug-plant dead. It had again. You’re replacing her.” It
evidently perished of dehydra- all made sense.
tion. “Well,” Mary said, with a
“Don’t try to explain this,” he faint wry smile, ‘let’s say I’m at-
said toMary as the two of them tempting to.” She stroked
stood gazing down at the his arm. Barefoot, still in her
parched, dead stalks of the once sunsuit, she moved slowly closer
active plant. “You know what it and closer to him.
shows. Terra is supposedly more Frightened, he backed away
humid than Mars, even recon- from her. Picking up the dead
structed Mars at its best. Yet this wug-plant he numbly carried it
plant has completely dried out. to the apt’s disposal chute and
There’s no moisture left on Ter- dropped the brittle, dry remains
ra because I suppose the Prox in. They vanished at once.

PRECIOUS ARTIFACT 149

 “And now,” Mary said busily, Modern Art?” Mary said brisk-
“we’re going to visit the Museum ly, with a smile.
of Modern Art in New York
and then, if we have time, the ater, at the Smithsonian,
Smithsonian in Washington, I after he had viewed the
D.C. They’ve asked me to keep Spirit of St.Louis and the
you busy so you don't start Wright brothers’ incredibly an-
brooding.” cient plane —
it appeared to be

“But I am brooding,” Milt said at least a million years old he —

as he watched her change from caught sight of an exhibit which
her sunsuit to a gray wool knit he had been anticipating.
dress. Nothing can stop that, he Saying nothing to Mary she —
said to himself. And you know was absorbed in studying a case
it now. And as each reconstruct of semi-precious stones in their
engineer finishes his area it’s go- natural uncut state —
he slipped
ing to happen again. I’m just the off and, a moment later, stood
first before a glass-walled section en-
At least I’m not alone, he re- titled
alized. And felt somewhat bet-
ter. PROX MILITARY OF 2014
“How do I look?” Mary asked
as she put on lipstick before the Three Prox soldiers stood fro-
bedroom mirror. zen, their dark muzzles stained
“Fine,” he said listlessly, and and grimy, side arms ready, in a
wondered if Mary would meet makeshift shelter composed of
each reconstruct engineer in the remains of one of their
turn, become the mistress of transports. A bloody Prox
each. Not only is she not what flag hung drably. This was a de-
she seems, he thought, but I feated enclave of the enemy;
don’t even get to keep her. these three creatures were about
It seemed a gratuitous loss, to surrender or be killed.
easily avoided. A group of Terran visitors
He was, he realized, beginning stood before the exhibit,
to like her. Mary was alive; that gawking. Milt Biskle said to the
much was real. Terran or not. man nearest him, “Convincing,
At least they had not lost the isn’t it?”
war to shadows; they had lost to “Sure is,” the man, middle-
authentic organisms.
living He aged, with glasses and gray hair,
felt somewhat cheered. agreed. “Were you in the war?”
“Ready for the Museum of he asked Milt, glancing at him.
150 GALAXY
 “I’m in reconstruct,” Milt can hardly reconstruct a colony
said. “Yellow Engineer.” world for them; even I can see
“Oh.” The man nodded, im- that. But I want to know the
pressed. “Boy, those Proxmen truth. Show it to me and I’ll go
look scary. You’d almost expect on with my job.”
them to step out of that exhibit Marysaid, “No, Milt, if you
and fight us to the death.” He knew the truth you wouldn’t go
grinned. “They put up a good on. You’d turn that gun on your-
fight before they gave in, those self.” She sounded calm, even
Proxmen; you have to give ’em compassionate, but her eyes
credit for that.” were bright and enlarged, wary.
Beside him the man’s gray, “Then I’ll kill you,” he said.
taut wife said, “Those guns of And, after that, himself.
theirs make me shiver. It’s too “Wait.” She pondered. “Milt
realistic.” Disapproving, she — this is so difficult. You know

walked on. absolutely nothing and yet look

“You’re right,” Milt
Biskle how miserable you are. How do
said. “They do look frightening- you expect to feel when you can
ly real, because of course they see your planet as it is? It’s al-
are.” There was no point in most too much for me and
creating an illusion of this sort I’m —” She hesitated.
because the genuine thing lay “Say it.”
immediately at hand, readily “I’m just a —” she choked out
available. Milt swung himself the word — “a visitor.”
under the guard rail, reached the “But I am right,” he said. “Say
transparent glass of the exhibit, it. Admit it.”

raised his foot and smashed the “You’re right, Milt,” she
glass; it burst and rained down sighed.
with a furious racket of shiver-
ing fragments. npwo uniformed museum
As Mary came running, Milt -* guards appeared, holding
snatched a rifle from one of the pistols. “You okay, Miss Able-
frozen Proxmen in the exhibit seth?”
and turned it toward her. “For the present,” Mary said.
She halted, breathing rapidly, She did not take her eyes off
eyeing him but saying nothing. Milt and the rifle which he held.
“I am willing to work for “Just wait,” she instructed the
you,” Milt said to her, holding guards.
the rifle expertly. “After all, if “Yes ma’am.” The guards
my own race no longer exists I waited. No one moved.

PRECIOUS ARTIFACT 151

 Milt said, “Did any
women survive?’’
After a pause Mary
“No, Milt. But we Proxmen are
within the same genus, as you
well know. We can interbreed.
Doesn’t that make you feel bet-
ter?”
“Sure,” he said. “A lot bet-
ter.” And he did feel like turn-
ing the rifle on himself now,
without waiting. It was all he
could do to resist the impulse.
So he had been right; that thing
had not been Fay, there at Field
Three on Mars. “Listen,” he said
to Mary Ableseth, “I want to go
back to Mars again. I came here
to learn something, learned it,
I nique in this repertory ready for
now I want to go back. Maybe
I’ll talk to Dr. DeWinter again,
maybe he can help me. Any ob-
jection to that?”
“No.” She seemed to under-
stand how he felt. “After all, you
did all your work there. You
have a right to return. But even-
tually you have to begin here on
Terra. We can wait a year or so,
perhaps even two. But eventual-
ly Mars will be filled
we’ll need the room. And it’s go-
ing to be so much harder here
as you’ll discover.” She tried to
smile but failed; he saw the ef-
fort.“I’m sorry, Milt.”
“So am I,” Milt Biskle said.
“Hell, I was sorry when that
wug-plant died. I knew
the truth
then. It wasn’t just a guess.”
152
Terran “You’ll be interested to know
that your fellow reconstruct en-
said, gineer Red, Cleveland An-
dre, addressed the meeting in
your place. And passed your in-
timations on to them all, along
with his own. They voted to send
an official delegate here to Ter-
ra to investigate; he’s on his
way now.”
“I’m interested,” Milt said.
“But it doesn’t really matter. It
hardly changes things.” He put
down the rifle. “Can I go back
to Mars now?” He felt tired.
“Tell Dr. DeWinter I’m com-
ing.” Tell him, he thought to
have every psychiatric tech-
me, because it will take a lot.
“What about Earth’s animals?”
he asked. “Did any forms at all
survive? How about the dog and
the cat?”
Mary glanced at the museum
guards; a flicker of communica-
tion passed silently between
them and then Mary said, “May-
be it’s all right after all.”
up and What’s all right?” Milt
Biskle said.
. . . see. Just for a mo-
“For you to
ment You seem to be standing
up to it better than we had ex-
pected. In our opinion you are
entitled to that.” She added,
“Yes, Milt, the dog and cat sur-
vived; they live here among the
ruins. Come along and look.”
GALAXY
 He followed after her, think- naked and dark brown, seared
ing to himself, Wasn’t she right over from the atomic heat gen-
the first time? Do I really want erated by the repair autonomic
to look? Can I stand up to what rig —a construct, Milt Biskle
exists in actuality what — thought, not much differ-
they’ve felt the need of keeping ent from those I employ on Mars.
from me up until now? At least to some meager extent
At the exit ramp of the mu- the rig had the task of clearing
seum Mary halted and said, “Go away the old. He knew from his
on outside, Milt. I’ll stay here. own reconstruct work on Mars
I’ll be waiting for you when you that it would be followed, prob-
come back in.” ably within minutes, by an
Haltingly, he descended the equally elaborate mechanism
ramp. which would lay the groundwork
Andsaw. for the new structures to come.
was, of course, as she had
It And, standing off to one side
said, ruins.The city had been de- in the otherwise deserted street,
capitated, leveled three feet watching this limited clearing-
above ground-level; the build- work in progress, two gray, thin
ings had become hollow square, figures could be made out. Two
without contents, like some in- hawk-nosed Proxmen with their
finite arrangement of use- pale, natural hair arranged in
less, ancient courtyards. He high coils, their earlobes elon-
could not believe that what he gated with heavy weights.
saw was new; it seemed to him The victors, he thought to
as if these abandoned remnants himself. Experiencing the satis-
had always been there, exactly faction of this spectacle, witness-
as they were now. And how — ing the last artifacts of the de-
long would they remain this feated race being obliterated.
way? Some day a purely Prox city will
To the right an elaborate but rise up here: Prox architecture,
small - scale mechanical system streets of the odd, wide Prox pat-
had plopped itself down to a de- tern, the uniform boy-like build-
bris-filled street. As he watched, ings with their many subsurface
it extended a host of pseudopo- levels. And citizens such as these
dia which burrowed inquisitive- will be treading the ramps, ac-
ly into the nearby foundations. cepting the high-speed runnels
The foundations, steel and ce- in their daily routines. And
ment, were abruptly pulverized; what, he thought, about the Ter-
the bare ground, exposed, lay ran dogs and cats which now in-

PRECIOUS ARTIFACT 153

habit these ruins, as Mary said? Mars with me. I’ve always liked
Will even they disappear? Prob- cats. Especially the orange ones
ably not entirely. There will be with stripes.”
room for them, perhaps in mu- One of the museum guards,
seums and zoos, as oddities to after a glance at his companion,
be gaped at. Survivals of an ecol- said, “We can arrange that, Mr.
ogy which no longer obtained. Biskle. We can get a —
cub, is
Or even mattered. that the word?”
And yet —
Mary was right. “Kitten, I think,” Mary cor-
The Proxman were within the rected.
same genus. Even ifthey did not
interbreed with the remaining /'An the trip back to Mars,
Terrans the species as he had ^^ Milt Biskle sat with the
known it would go on. And they box containing the orange kitten
would interbreed, he thought. on his lap, working out his plans.
His own relationship with Mary In fifteen minutes the ship
was a harbinger. As individuals would land on Mars and Dr. De-
they were not so far apart. The Winter —or the thing that
resultsmight even be good. posed as Dr. DeWinter anyhow
The results, he thought as he — would be waiting to meet him.
turned away and started back in- And it would be too late. From
to the museum, may be a race where he sat he could see the
not quite Prox and not quite emergency escape hatch with its
Terran; something that is gen- red warning light. His plans had
uinely new may come from the become focused around the
melding. At least we can hope hatch. It was not ideal but it
so. would serve.
Terra would be rebuilt. He In the box the orange kitten
had seen slight but real work in reached up a paw and batted at
progress with his own eyes. Per- Milt’s hand. He felt the sharp,
haps the Proxmen lacked the tiny claws rake across his hand
skill that he and his fellow re- and he absently disengaged his
construct engineers possessed . . retreating from the prob-
flesh,
but now that Mars was virtually ing reach of the animal. You
done they could begin here. It wouldn’t have liked Mars any-
was not absolutely hopeless. Not how, he thought, and rose to his
quite. feet.
Walking up to Mary he said Carrying the box he strode
“Do me a favor. Get
hoarsely, swiftly toward the emergency
me a cat I can take back to hatch. Before the stewardess

154 GALAXY
 ”

could reach him he had thrown into the ship and to his seat.
open the hatch. He stepped for- And don’t think you stopped me,
ward and the hatch locked be- he said to himself. Because it

hind him. For an instant he was wasn’t you. I could have gone
within the cramped unit, and ahead and done it. But I decid-
then he began to twist open the ed not to.
heavy outer door. He wondered why.
“Mr. Biskle!” the stewardess’
voice came, muffled by the door
behind him. He heard her fum-
bling to reach him, opening the
L
him
ater, at Three on
Field
Mars, Dr. DeWinter met
as he had expected.
door and groping to catch hold The two of them walked to the
of him. parked ’copter and DeWinter in
As he twisted open the outer a worried tone of voice said,
door the kitten within the box “I’ve just been informed that
under his arm snarled. during the trip —
You, too? Milt Biskle thought, “That’s right. I attempted sui-
and paused. cide. But I changed my mind.
Death, the emptiness and utter Maybe you know why. You’re
lack of warmth of ’tween space, the psychologist, the authority
seeped around him, filtering as to what goes on inside us.” He
past the partly opened out- entered the ’copter, being care-
er door. He smelled it and some- ful not to bang the box contain-
thing within him, as in the kit- ing the Terran kitten.
ten, retreated by instinct. He “You’re going to go ahead and
paused, holding the box, not try- stake your land parcel with
ing to push the outer door any Fay?” Dr. DeWinter asked pres-
farther open, and in that mo- ently as the ’copter flew above
ment the stewardess grabbed green, wet fields of high protein
him. wheat. “Even though you —
“Mr. Biskle,” she said with a know?”
half-sob, “are you out of your “Yes.” He
nodded. After all,
mind? Good God what are you there was nothing else for him,
doing?” She managed to tug the as far as he could make out.
outer door shut, screw the emer- “You Terrans.” DeWinter
gency section back into shut po- shook his head. “Admirable.”
sition. Now he noticed the box on Milt
“You know exactly what I’m Biskle’s lap. “What’s that you
doing,” Milt Biskle said as he al- have there? A creature from
lowed her to propel him back Terra?” He eyed it suspiciously;

PRECIOUS ARTIFACT 155

obviously to him it was the man- The technical achievement was
ifestation of an alien form of impressive, even to him, and he
life. “A rather peculiar-looking saw clearly —
as Milt Biskle of
organism.” course did not. This artifact, ac-
“It’s going to keep me com- cepted by the Terran as an au-
pany,” Milt Biskle said. “While thentic organism from his fa-
I go on with my work, either miliar past, would provide a
building up my private parcel pivot by which the man would
or — ” Or helping you Proxmen hang onto his psychic balance.
with Terra, he thought. But what about the other re-
“Is that what was called a ‘rat- construct engineers? What
tlesnake’? I detect the sound of would carry each of them
its rattles.” Dr. DeWinter edged through and past the moment of
away. discovery as each completed his
“It’s purring.” Milt Biskle work and had to —
whether he
stroked the kitten as the auto- liked it or not —
awake?
nomic circuit of the ’copter
guided it across the dully red t would vary from Terran
Martian sky. Contact with the I to Terran. A dog for one, a
one familiar life-form, he re- more elaborate simulacrum, pos-
alized, will keep me sane. It will sibly that of a nubile human fe-
make it possible for me to go male, for another. In any case
on. He felt grateful. My race may each would be provided with an
have been defeated and de- “exception” to the true state.
stroyed, but not all Terran crea- One essential surviving entity,
tures have perished. When we re- selected out of what had in fact
construct Terra maybe we can totally vanished. Research into
induce the authorities to allow the past of each engineer would
us to set up game preserves. provide the clue, as it had in
We’ll make that part of our Biskle’s instance; the cat-simula-
task, he told himself, and again crum had been finished weeks
he patted the kitten. At least we before his abrupt, panic-strick-
can hope for that much. en trip home to Terra. For in-
Next to him, Dr. DeWinter stance, in Andre’s case a parrot-
was also deep in thought. He ap- simulacrum was already under
preciated the intricate work- construction. It would be done
manship, by engineers stationed by the time he made his trip
on the third planet, which had home.
gone into the simulacrum resting “I call him Thunder,” Milt
in the box on Milt Biskle’s lap. Biskle explained.

156 GALAXY
 "Good name,” Dr. DeWinter
— as he titled himself these
— And
said. thought,
we could not have shown him
the real situation on Terra. Ac-
tually it’s quite interesting that
he accepted what he saw, be-
cause on some level he must re-
alize that nothing survives a war
of the kind we conducted. Ob-
viously he desperately wanted to
believe that a remnant, even
though no more than rubble, en-
dures. But it’s typical of the Ter-
ran mind to fasten onto phan-
days toms. That might help explain
A shame their defeat in the conflict;they
were simply not realists.
“This cat,” Milt Biskle said,
“is going to be a mighty hunter
of Martian sneak-mice.”
“Right,” Dr. DeWinter agreed,
and thought, As long as its bat-
teries don’t run down. He, too,
patted the kitten.
A switch closed and the kitten
purred louder.
— PHILIP K. DICK

FORECAST
Harry Harrison, who wrote Deathworld, How the Old World Died (in this

issue) and a great many other first-rate science-fiction stories, gives us a

complete short novel in our next Galaxy. It is about an immense interstellar

war. Cultures clash. Huge fleets raven at each other. Casualties mount at

the speed of light. It is, in short, a space-war yarn m the classic tradition

. . . except that Harrison, who is a very funny man, began chuckling to

himself as he put the first page on paper. And the result is something to see.

Now, we don't promise that The Starloggers will inspire you or make you

a Better Person . . . but we are prepared to bet it will make you laugh out

loud!

Backing it up are a pair of noteworthy novelettes, too: Wyman Guin's

A Man of the Renaissance and Lester del Rey's To Avenge Man. Good is-

sue, we think. Don't miss it!

PRECIOUS ARTIFACT 157

 l

CHILDREN OF NIGHT
by FREDERIK POHL

ILLUSTRATED BY FINLAY

Waging war from star to star

is expensive , long-1 a s t i n g —
and remarkably hard to stop

I “No? All right. Mr. Gunnar-

— ”

CC
W e met before,”
** Haber. “In 1988, when
you were running the Des Moin-
I told
sen
“Not ‘Mr. Gunnarsen’,
Just ‘Gunner.’
“That’s right, Gunner;
”
either.

I’d
es office.” almost forgotten.”
He beamed and held out his I “No, you hadn’t for-
said,
hand. “Why, darn it, so we did! gotten. You never knew my name
I remember now, Odin.” in Des Moines. You didn’t even
“I don’t like to be called know I was alive, because you
Odin.” were too busy losing the state

158
THE CHILDREN OF NIGHT
for our client. I pulled you out
of that one, just like I’m going
to pull you out now.”
The smile was a little crack-
ed, but Haber had been with the
company a long time and he
wasn’t going to let me throw him.
“What do you want me to say,
Gunner? I’m grateful. Believe
me, boy, I know I need help ” —
“And I’m not your
you were a fat cat
you’re a fat cat now. All I
from you is, first, a quick look
around the shop here and, sec-
ond, a conference of all depart-
ment heads, including you, in
thirty minutes. So tell your sec-
retary to round them up, and
let’s get started on the sightsee-
ing.
/"doming in to Belport on the
^ scatjet I had made
of things to do. The
was:
1. Fire Haber.
Still, inmy experience that
isn’talways the best way to put
out a fire. Some warts you re-
move, some you just let wither
away in obscurity. I am not paid
by M&B to perform cosmetic
surgery on their Habers, only to
see that the work the Habers
should have done gets accom-
plished.
As a public relations
160
manager he was a wart, but as t
tourist guide he was fine, al-
though he was perspiring. He
led me all around the shop. He
had taken a storefront on one
of the main shopping malls, air-
curtain door, windows draped
tastefully in gray silk. It looked
like the best of four funeral par-
lors in a run-down neighborhood
boy. Haber, In gilt letters on the window was
then, and the name of the game:
want
MOULTRIE AND BIGELOW
Public Relations
Northern Lake State Division
T. Wilson Haber, Division
Manager
“Public relations,” he informed
me, “starts at home. They know
we’re here, eh, Gunner?”
“Reminds me of the Iowa of-
a list fice,” I said, and he stumbled
top item where there wasn’t even a sill.
That was the presidential cam-
paign of ’88, where Haber had
been trying to carry the state
for the candidate who had re-
tained us, and those twelve elec-
toral votes came over at the
lastminute only because we sent
Haber to Nassau to rest and I
took over from him. I believe
Haber’s wife had owned stock
in the company.
His Belport layout was pretty
good at that, though. Four pry
booths, each with a Simplex 9090
branch and an operator-receptionist in
GALAXY
the donor’s waiting room. You thing directly. He took my elbow
can’t tell from appearances, but and turned me to the data-pro-
the donors who were waiting for cessing room.
their interrogation looked like a “Want you to meet someone,”
good representative sample a — he said, opened the door, led me
good mixture of sexes, ages, con- inside and left me.
ditions of affluence and with — A tall, slim girl looked up from

proper attention to weighing he a typer. “Why, hello, Gunner,”

should at least be getting a fair she said. “It’s been a long time.”
survey of opinions. Integration of I said, “Hello, Candace.”

the pry-scores was in a readout Apparently Haber was not

station in back —
I recognized
one of the programmers and nod-
ded to him: good man along
with telefax equipment to the
major research sources, the Bri-
tannica, Library of Congress,
news-wire services and so on.
From the integration room the
readout operator could con-
struct a speech, a 3-V commer-
cial, a space ad or anything else,
with the research lines to feed
him any data he needed, and
' 5.
test its appeal on his subjects.
In the front of the building was
a taping booth and studio.
Everything was small and semi-
portable, but good stuff. You
could put together a 3-V inter-
view or edit one as well here as
you could on the lot in the Home
Office.
“An A-Number One
right, Gunner?” said Haber. “Set
it up myself to do the job.”
I said. “Then why aren’t you
doing it?” He tightened up. The
eyi . looked smaller and more
quite such a fat cat as he had
seemed, for he had clearly found
— out a little something about my
personal life before I showed up
in his office. The rest of the list
I had scribbled down in the scat-
jet was:
2. Need “big lie”.
3. Investigate Children.
4. Investigate opponents prop-
osition.
Marry Candace Harmon?
nphis was a relatively small job
for Moultrie & Bigelow, but
it was for a very, very big ac-
count. It was important to win
it. The client was the Arcturan
Confederacy.
In the shop the word was that
they had been turned down by
setup, three or four other PR agencies
before we took them on. No-
body said why, exactly, but the
reason was perfectly clear. It was
just because they were the Arc-
turan Confederacy. There is

intelligent, but he didn’t say any- nothing in any way illegal or

1111 C HILDREN OF NIGHT 161

immoral about a public-relations
firm representing a foreign ac-
count. That is a matter of statute
— as most people don’t take the
trouble to know: the Smith-
Macchioni Act of ’71. And the
courts held that it applied to
extra-planetary “foreigners” as
well as to Terrestrials in 1985,
back when the only “intelligent
aliens” were the mummies on
Mars. Not that the mummies
had ever hired anybody on Earth
to do anything for them. But it
was Moultrie & Bigelow’s law
department that sued for the
declaratory judgement, as a mat-
ter of fact. Just on the off
chance. That’s how M&B
oper-
ates.
Any public-relations man
takes
on the color of his clients in the
eyes of some people. That’s the
nature of the beast. The same
people wouldn’t think of blaming
a surgeon because he dissolved
a malignancy out of Public
Enemy No. 1, or even a lawyer
for defending him. But when you
are in charge of a client’s emo-
tional image, and that image
isn’t liked, some of the dislike
rubs off on you.
At M&B there is enough in the
paycheck at the end of every
month so that we don’t mind
that. M&Bhas a reputation for
taking on the tough ones the —
only surviving American cigarette
manufacturer is ours. So is the
162
4
exiled Castroite government of
Cuba, that still thinks it might
one day get the State Depart-
ment to back up its claim for
paying off on the bonds it printed
for itself. However, for two rea-
sons — as a simple matter of
making things easy for ourselves;
and because it’s better doctrine
— we don’t flaunt our connection
with the unpopular clients. Es-
pecially when the job is going
badly. One of the surest ways
to get a bad public response to
PR is to let the public know that
some hotshot PR outfit is work-
ing on it.
So every last thing Haber had
done was wrong.
In this town, it was too late
for pry booths and M/R.
I had just five minutes left
before the conference, and I
spent it in the pry-booth section
anyhow. I noticed a tri-D display
of our client’s home planet in
the reception room, where donors
were sitting and waiting their
turn. It was very attractive: the
wide, calm seas with the vertical
air-mount islets jutting out at
intervals.
T turned around and walked out
fast, boilingmad.
A layman might not have seen
justhow many ways Haber had
found to go wrong. The whole
pry-booth project was probably
a mistake anyway. To begin with,
GALAXY
to got any good out of pry booths I had
just seen the trend-
you need depth interviews, way charts, too. The referendum on
deep-down M/R stuff. And for granting rezoning privileges to
that you need paid donors, lots our client was going to a vote in
of them. And to get them you less than two weeks. When Haber
have to have a panel to pick had opened the branch, sampling
from. showed that it would fail by a
That means advertising in the four to three vote. Now, a month
papers and on the nets and in- and a half later, he had worsen-
terviewing twenty people for ed the percentage to three to
every one you hire. To get a two and going downhill all the
satisfactory sample in a town way.
the size of Belport you need to Our client would be extremely
hire maybe fifty donors. And unhappy —
probably was un-
that means talking to a thousand happy already, if they had man-
people, every one of whom will aged to puzzle out the queer
go home and talk to his wife or terrestrial progress reports we
her mother or their neighbors. had been sending them.
In a city like Chicago or Saska- And this was the kind of cli-
toon you can get away with it. ent that a flackery didn’t want
With good technique the donor to have unhappy. I mean, all
never really knows what he’s be- the others were little-league stuff
ing interviewed for, although of in comparison. The Arcturan
course a good newspaperman or Confederacy was a culture as
private eye can interview a cou- wealthy and as powerful as all
ple of donors and work back- Earth governments combined,
ward from the sense-impulse and as Arcturans don’t bother
stimuli with pretty fair accuracy. with nonsense like national gov-
But not in Belport, not when we ernments or private enterprise,
never had a branch here before, at least not in any way that
not when every living soul in makes sense to us, this one client
town knew what we were doing was —
because the rezoning ordinance As big as every other possible
was Topic One over every coffee client combined.
table.In short, we had tipped They were the ones who de-
our hand completely. cided they needed this base in
A-: I say, an amateur might Belport, and it was up to M&B
not have spotted that. But Haber — and specifically to me, Odin
WM i not supposed to be an ama- Gunnarsen — to see that they
teur. got it

III! ( HILDREN OF NIGHT 163

 It was too bad that they had be able to handle this one; if I
been fighting Earth six months remember correctly, you ran the
earlier. Duluth shop for a year.”
In fact, in a technical sense He sucked on a cal pipe with-
we were still at war. It was out expression. “Well, thanks,
only armistice, not a peace, that Mr. Gun —”
had called off the H-bomb raids “Just Gunner.”
and the fleet engagements. “Well, thanks, but as copy
Like I say. M&B takes on the chief —”
tough ones! “Manny here should be able
to take care of that, If I remem-
Tjesides Haber, four of the staff ber the way you ran the Duluth
looked as though they knew operation, you’ve probably got
wh'ch end was up. Candace Har- things set up so he can step
mon, the pry-integration pro- right in.” And so he probably
grammer and two very junior did. At least, it surely would do
T.A.s. took the head chair at
I no real harm to give somebody
the conference table without else a chance at lousing things
waiting to see where Haber up. I handed Spockman the “po-
would want to sit and said, “We’ll sitions wanted” page from the
make because we’re in
this fast, paper I’d picked up at the scat-
trouble here and we don’t have port and a scrawled list of notes
time to be polite. You’re Percy?” I’d made up on the way in. “Hire
That was the programmer; he these girls I’ve marked for your
nodded. “And I didn’t catch your staff, rent an office and get some
name?” I said, turning to the letters out. You’ll see what I
next along the table. It was the want from the list. Letters to
copy chief, a lanky shave-head- every real estate dealer in town,
ed oldster named Tracy Spock- asking them if they can put to-
man. His assistant, one of the gether a five thousand acre parcel
T.A.s I had had my eye on, in the area covered by the zon-
turned out to be named Manny ing referendum. Letter to every
Brock. general contractor, asking for
I had picked easy jobs for all bids on buildings. Make it separ-
the deadheads, reserving the ate bids on each — I think
smart ones for whatever might there’ll be five buildings alto-
turn up, so I started with the gether. One exoclimatized so —
copy chief. “Spockman, we’re get the air-conditioning, heating
opening an Arcturan purchasing and plumbing contractors to bid,
agency and you’re it You should too. Letter to every food whole-

164 GALAXY

Baler and major grocery outlet
asking if they are interested in
bidding on supplying Arcturans
with food. Fax Chicago for what
the Arcturans fancy, I don’t re-
—
member no meat, I think, but
a lot of green vegetables — any-
way, find out and include the
data in the letters. Electronics
manufacturers, office equipment
dealers, car and truck agencies
— well, the whole list is on that
piece of paper. I want every busi-
nessman in Belport starting to
figure out by tomorrow morning
how much profit he might make
on an Acturan base. Got it?”
“I think so, Mr. — Gunner. I
was thinking. How about station-
ery suppliers, attornies, C.P.-
—
looked at my notes. “I have
something down here about vet-
erans’ groups, but I haven’t got
the handle for it. Still, if you can
think of an angle, let me know
what’s the matter?”
He was looking doubtful. “It’s
only that I don’t want to con-
flict with Candy, Gunner.”
And so, of course, I had to
face up to things and turn to
Candace Harmon. “What’s that,
honey?” I asked.
“I think Henry means my
Arcturan-American Friendship
League.” It turned out that that
had been one of Haber’s proudest
ideas. I wasn’t surprised. After
several weeks and about three
thousand dollars it had worked

A’s?” up to a total of forty-one mem-

“Don’t ask, do it. Now, you bers. How many of those were
down at the end there — ” employees of the M&B branch?
“Henry Dane, Gunner.” “Well, all but eight,” Candace
“Henry, what about club out- admitted at once. She wasn’t
lets in Belport? I mean special- smiling, but she was amused.
ized groups. The Arcturans are “Don’t worry about it,” I ad-
hot for navigation, sailing, like vised Henry Dane. “We’re fold-
that; see what you can do with ing the Arcturan - American
the motorboat clubs and so on. Friendship League anyway.
I noticed in the paper that Candace won’t have time for it.
there’s a flower show at the Arm- She’ll be working with me.”
ory next Saturday. It’s pretty “Why, fine, Gunner,” she said.
late, but squeeze in a speaker “Doing what?”
on Arcturan fungi. We’ll fly in
a display. They tell me Arctur- T almost did marry Candace
ans are hot gardeners when one time, and every once in
—
they’re home love all the bio- a while since I have wished I
logical sciences— nice folks, like hadn’t backed away. A very good
to dabble.” I hesitated and thing was Candace Harmon.

THE CHILDREN OF NIGHT 165

 “Doing,” I said, “what Gun- “What’ve you got on him?” I

ner says for you to do. Let’s see. asked.

First thing, I’ve got five hundred Iturned to Candace, who said
Arcturan domestic animals com- promptly, “Forty-one years old,
ing in tomorrow. I haven’t seen Methodist, married, three kids
them, but they tell me they’re of his own plus one of the cas-
cute, look like kittens, are pretty ualties, ran for State Senate last
durable. Figure out some way of year and lost, but he carried Bel-
getting them distributed fast — port, running opposed to the ref-
maybe a pet shop will sell them erendum this year, very big in
for fifty cents each.” Junior Chamber of Commerce
Haber protested, “My dear and V.F.W.—
Gunner! The freight alone — “No. What’ve you got on him?”
“Sure, Haber, they cost about I persisted.
forty dollars apiece just to get Candace said slowly, “Gunner,
them here. Any other questions look. This a nice guy.”
is

like that? No? That’s good. I “Why, know that, honey. I

I

want one in each of five hundred read his piece in the paper to-
homes by the end of the week, day. So now tell me the dirt that
and if I had to pay a hundred he can’t afford to have come
dollars to each customer to take out.”
them, I’d pay. Next: I want “It wouldn’t be fair to destroy
somebody to find me a veteran, him for nothing!”
preferably disabled, preferably brushed aside the “fair” busi-
I

who was actually involved in the ness. “What do you mean, ‘for
bombing of the home planet — nothing’?”
I laid out a dozen more work- “We’re not going to win this
ing lines, an art show of the Arc- referendum, you know.”
turan bas-relief stuff that was “Honey, I’ve got news for you.
partly to look at but mostly to This is the biggest account any-
feel, a 3-V panel show on Arc- body ever had and I want it. We
turus that we could plant . . . will win. What’ve you got on
the whole routine. None of it Connick?”
would do the job, but all of it “Nothing. Really nothing,” she
would help until I got my bear- said quietly.
ings. Then I got down to busi- “But you can get it.”
ness. “What’s the name of this Candace said, visibly upset,
fellow that’s running for coun- “Of probably
cilman, Connick?” some —course, there’s

“That’s right,” said Haber. “Of course. Get it. Today.”

166 GALAXY
 ”

II “And you’re from Moultrie and

Bigelow —here, sit down, Mr.
T>ut wasn’t relying totally on
I Gunnarsen —and you want to
anyone, not even Candace. know won’t think it over and
if I

Since Connick was the central back the Arcturan base. No, Mr.
figure of the opposition I caught Gunnarsen, I won’t. But why
a cab and went to see him. don’t you have a drink with me
It was already dark, a cold, before dinner? And then why
clear night, and over the mush- don’t you have dinner?”
room towers of the business dis- He was a genuine article, this
trict a quarter-moon was begin- Connick. I had to admit he had
ning to rise. I looked at it almost caught me off balance.
with affection, I had hated it so “Why, I don’t mind if I do,” I

when I was there. said after a moment. “I see you

As I paid the cab two kids in know why I’m here.”
nowsuits came sidling out to in- He was pouring drinks. “Well,
spect me. I said, “Hello. Is your not altogether, Mr. Gunnarsen.
Daddy home?” You don’t really think you’ll
One was about five, with change my
mind, do you?”
and bright blue eyes; the
freckles “I can’t say that until I know
other was darker, brown-eyed, why you oppose the base in the
and he had a limp. The blue- first place, Connick. That’s what
eyed one said, “Daddy’s down I want to find out.”
in the cellar. Mommy will let He handed me a drink, sat
you in if you ring the doorbell. down across from me and took a
Just push that button.” thoughtful pull at his own. It
“Oh, that’s how those things was good Scotch. Then he looked
work. Thanks.” Connick’s wife to see ifthe kids were within ear-
turned out to be a good-looking, shot, and said “The thing is
:

skinny blonde in her thirties; and this,Mr. Gunnarsen. If I could,

the kids must have raced around
the back way and alerted the old
man, because as she was taking
my coat he was already coming
through the hall.
I shook his hand and
can tell by the smells from your
kitchen that it’s dinner time. I
won’t keep you. name ia
Gunnarsen and — finished
I would kill every Arcturan alive,
and if it meant I had to accept
the death of a few million Earth-
men to do it, that wouldn’t be
too high a price. I don’t want the
said, “I base here because I don’t want
anything to do witfi those mur-
dering animals.”
My “Well, you’re candid,” I said;
my drink, and added,

THE CHILDREN OF NIGHT 167

 ” ”

“If you meant that invitation to cause smart enough to

you’re
dinner, I believe I will take you know I wouldn’t take money. So
up on it.” it isn’t money. What is it, then?

Moultrie & Bigelow working for

T must say they were a nice me instead of Schlitz in the elec-
family. I’ve worked elections tion? That’s a pretty good offer,
before: Connick was a good can- but the price is too high. I won’t
didate because he was a good pay it.”

man. The way his kids behaved “Well,” said, “as a matter of
around him proved it; and the fact, we would be
I

willing
—
way he behaved around me was “Yes, I thought so. No deal.
the clincher. I didn’t scare him a Anyway, do you really think I

bit. need help to get elected?”

Of course, that was not alto- That was a good point, I was
gether bad, from my point of forced to admit. I conceded,
view. “No, not if everything else was
Connick kept the conversation equal. You’re way ahead right
off Topic A during dinner, which now, as your surveys and ours
was all right with me, but as soon both show. But everything else
as it was over and we were alone isn’t equal.”
he said, “All right. You can make “By which you mean that
your pitch now, Mr. Gunnarsen. you’re going to help old Slits-
Although I don’t know why and-fits. All right, that makes it

you’re here instead of with Tom a horse race.”

Schlitz.” I held up my
and he re-
glass
Schlitz was the man he was filled it. I said, “Mr. Connick,
running against. I said, “You I told you once you didn’t know

know this business, I guess.

don’t this business. You don’t. It isn’t
What do we need him for? He’s a horse race because you can’t
already committed on our side.” win against us.”
“And I’m already committed “I can sure give it the hell of
against you, but I guess that’s a try, though. Anyway ” he fin-
—
what you’re hoping to change. ished his own drink thoughtfully
Well, what’s your offer?” — “you brainwashers are a little
He was moving too fast for bit fat, I think. Everybody knows
me. pretended to misunder-
I how powerful you are, and you
stand. Mr. Connick, I
“Really, haven’t really had to show it
wouldn’t insult you by offering much lately. I wonder if the em-
a bribe
— peror’s really running around
“No, I know you wouldn’t. Be- naked.”

168 GALAXY
 — I

Mr. Connick. Best

“Oh, no, you’re a Democrat and you go
dressed emperor you ever saw, in to cast your vote. We know
take my word for it.” how you’re going to vote for
He said, frowning a little bit, president, right? You’re going to
“I think I’ll have to find out for vote for the Democratic candi-
myself. Anyway, frankly, I think date.”
people’s minds are made up and Connick said, not unbending
you change them.”
can’t much, “Not necessarily. But
“We don’t have to,” I said. probably.”
“Don’t you know why people
vote the way they do, Connick? CtXTot necessarily, right. And
They don’t vote their ‘minds’. ^ ' why not necessarily? Be-
They vote attitudes and they cause maybe you know this fel-
vote impulses. Frankly, I’d rather low who’s running on the Dem-
work on your side than against ocratic ticket —or maybe some-
you. Schlitz would be easy to body you know has a grudge
beat. He’s Jewish.” against him, couldn’t get the post-
Connick said angrily, “There’s master’s job he wanted, or ran
none of that in Belport, man.” against his delegates for the con-
“Of anti-semitism, you mean. vention. Point is, you have some-
Of course not. But if one candi- thing against him just because
date is Jewish, and if it turns up your first instinct is for him. So
that fifteen years ago he tried to how do you vote? Whichever
square a parking ticket and — way happens to get dominance
there’s always something that at the moment of voting. Not at
turns up, Connick, believe me any other moment. Not as a mat-
then they’ll vote against him for But right then.
ter of principle.
fixing parking tickets. That’s No, we don’t have to change any
what I mean by ‘attitudes’. Your minds .because most people
. .

voter —
oh, not all of them; but don’t have enough mind to
enough to swing any election change!”
goes into the booth pulled this He stood up and absent-mind-
way and that. We don’t have to edly filled his own glass —
change his mind. We just have wasn’t the only one who was be-
to help him decide which part of ginning to feel the liquor. “I’d
it to operate on.” I let him refill hate to be you,” he said, half to
my glass, and took a pull at it. himself.
I was aware that I was begin- “Oh, it’s not bad.”
ning to feel the effects. “Take He shook his head, then
you, Connick,” I said. “Suppose recollected himself and said,

THE CHILDREN OF NIGHT 169

“Well, thanks for the lesson. I “Inexcusably bad staff work,
didn’t know. But I’ll tell you one Mr. Gunnarsen,” he said, nod-
thing you’ll never do. You’ll nev- ding judgematically. “It ought to
er get me to vote on the Arctur- make me feel good. But you
an side on any question.’’ know, it doesn’t. It scares me.
I sneered, “There’s an open With the kind of power you
mind for you! Leader of the throw around, you should al-
people! Takes an objective look ways be right.”
at every question!” “Spit it out!”
“All right, I’m not objective. “It’s just that you lose your
They stink.” bet. Didn’t you know there’s an
“Race prejudice, Connick?” Arcturan in town right now?”
“Oh, don’t be a fool.”
“There is,” I said, “an Arc- Ill
turan aroma. They can’thelp
it.” "fit Then I got back to the car
* '
“I didn’t say ‘smell’. I said the phone was buzzing and
‘stink’. I don’t want them in this the “Message Recorded” light
town and neither does anybody blinked at me. The message was
else. Not even Schlitz.” from Candace:
“You don’t have to ever see “Gunner, a Truce Team has
them, They don’t like Earth cli- checked into the Statler-Bills to
mate, you know. Too hot for supervise the election and get
them. Too much air. Why, Con- this. One of them’s an Arctur-
nick,” I said, “I’ll bet you a hun- an!”
dred bucks you won’t set eyes on The staff work wasn’t so bad,
an Arcturan for at least a year, after all, just unpardonably
not until the base is built and slow. But there wasn’t much
staffed. .And then I doubt they’ll comfort in that.
—
bother to What’s the matter?” I called the hotel and was
He. was looking at me as connected with one of the Truce
though I were an idiot, and I —
Team staff the best the hotel
almost began to think I was. would do for me. The staff man
“Why,” he said, again in that was a colonel who said, “Yes,
tone that was more to himself Mr. Knafti is aware of your work
than to me, “I guess I’ve been here and specifically does not
overrating you. You think you’re wish to see you. This is a Truce
God, so I’ve been accepting your Team, Mr. Gunnarsen. Do you
own valuation.” know what that means, exactly?”
“What do you mean?" And he hung up on me. Well,
170 GALAXY
 —
I did know what it meant
strictly hands-off, all the way
I simply hadn’t known
that they
would interpret it that rigidly.
It was a kick in the eye, any
way I looked at it. Because it
made me look like a fool in front
of Connick, when I kind of want-
ed him scared of me. Because
Arcturans do, after all, stink
not good public relations at all,
when your product smells like
well-rotted garlic buds a few
hundred feet away. I didn’t want
the voters smelling them.
And most of all because of the
interference that I was sure any
red-blooded, stubborn-minded,
confused voter would draw.
Jeez, Sam, you hear about that
Arcturan coming to spy on us?
Yeah, Charley, the damn bugs
are practically accusing us of
rigging the election. Damn right,
Sam, and you know what else?
They stink, Sam.
Half an hour later I got a di-
rect call from Haber. “Gunner,
boy! Good God! Oh, this is the
reeking end!”
I said, “It sounds to me like
you’ve found out about the Arc-
turan on the Truce Team.”
“You know? And you didn’t
tell me?”
Well,had been about to ream
I got into a robe and was in the
him for not telling me, but ob-
viously that wasn’t going to do
any good. I tried anyway, but he
fell back on his fat ignorance.
172
“They didn’t clue me in from
Chicago. Can I help that? Be
fairnow, Gunner, boy!”
Gunner boy very fairly hung
up.
I was beginning to feel very
sleepy. For a moment I debated
taking a brisk-up pill, but the
mild buzz Connick’s liquor had
left with me was pleasant
enough, and besides it was get-
ting late. I went to the hotel
Candace had reserved for me
and crawled into bed.
It only took me a few minuter
but I was faintly
to fall asleep,
aware of an odor. It was the
same hotel the Truce Team was
staying at.
I couldn’t really be smelling
this Arcturan, Knafti. It was just
my imagination. That’s what I
told myself as I dialed for sleep
and drifted off.
'T'he pillow-phone hummed
and Candace’s voice said out
of it, “Wake up and get decent,
Gunner, I’m coming up.”
I managed to sit up, shook my
head and took a few whiffs of
amphetamide. As always, it woke
me right up, but at the usual
price of feeling that I hadn’t
had quite enough sleep. Still, I
bathroom fixing breakfast when
she knocked on the door. “It’s
open,”I called. “Want some cof-
fee?”
GALAXY
 ”

“Sure Gunner.” She came and an orderly sort of mind that I

stood in the doorway, watching couldn’t match and couldn’t —
me turn the Hilsch squirt to full stand, either. Undoubtedly she
boil and fill two cups. I spooned knew what was thinking be-
I
dry coffee into them and turned cause undoubtedly she was think-
the squirt to cold. “Orange ing it too; but there wasn’t any
juice?” She took the coffee and nostalgia in her voice when she
shook her head, so I just mixed said: “You went and saw him
one glass, swallowed it down, last night, didn’t you? And . . .

tossed the glass in the disposal you’re still going to knife him?”
hamper and took the coffee into “I’m going to see that
I said,
the other room. The bed had he is defeated in the election,
stripped itself already it was : yes. That’s what they pay me
now a couch, and I leaned back for. Me and some others.”
on it, drinking my coffee. “All “No, Gunner,” she said, “that’s
right, honey,” 1 said, “What’s not what M&B pay me for, if

the dirt on Connick?” that’s what you mean, because

She hesitated, then opened her there isn’t that much money.”
bag and took out a photofax “I got up and went over be-
and handed it to me. It was a re- side her. “More coffee? No?
production of an old steel-en- Well, I guess I don’t want any
graving headed, in antique either. Honey —
script, The Army of the United Candace stood up and crossed
States, and it said, the room, sitting in a straight-
backed chair. “You wake up all
Be it known to all men that of a sudden, don’t you? Don’t
DANIEL T. CONNICK
change the subject. We were
ASIN Aj-32880515
has this date been separated from the talking about
—
service of the United States for the
convenience of the government; and
“We were talking,” I told her,
Be it further known to all men that “about a job that we’re paid to
the conditions of his discharge are
do. All right, you’ve done one
DISHONORABLE
part of it for me, you got me
“Well, what do you know,” I what I wanted on Connick.”
said. “You see, honey? There’s I stopped, because she was
always something.” shaking her head. “I’m not so
Candace finished her coffee, sure I did.”
set the cup down neatly on a “How’s that?”
windowsill and took out a cig- “Well, it’s not on the fax, but
arette. That was like her: she I know why he got his DD. ‘De-
always did one thing at a time, sertion of hazardous duty.’ On
THE CHILDREN OF NIGHT 173
the Moon, in the U.N. Space it necessary to explain. And
Force. The year was 1998.” Candace only said, “Wait tillwe
I nodded, because I under- get to the hospital. You’ll see
stood what she was talking about. for yourself.”
Connick wasn’t the only one. Donnegan General was seven
Half the Space Force had stories of cream-colored ceramic
cracked up that year. November. brick, air-controlled, wall-lighted
A heavy Leonid meteor-
strike of throughout, tiny asepsis lamps
ites and a solar flare at the same sparkling blue where the ventila-
time. The Space Force top brass tion ducts opened. Candace
had decided they had to crack parked the car in an under-
down and asked the U.S. Army ground garage and led me to
to court-martial every soldier an elevator, then to a waiting
who cut and ran for an under- room. She seemed to know her
ground shelter, and the Army way around very well. She
had felt obliged to comply. “But glanced at her watch, told me
most of them got presidential we were couple of minutes
a
clemency,” I said. “He didn’t?” early and pointed to a routing
Candace shook her head. “He map that was a mural with col-
didn’t apply.” ored lights showing visitors the
“Urn. Well, it’s still on record.” way to whatever might be their
I dismissed the subject. “Some- destination. It also showed,
What about these Chil-
thing else. quite impressively, the size and
dren?” scope of Donnegan General. The
Candace put out her cigarette hospital had twenty-two fully
and stood up. “Why I’m here, equipped operating rooms, a
Gunner. It was on your list. So specimen and transplant bank,
—get dressed.” X-ray and radiochemical depart-
“For what?” ments, a cryogenics room, the
She grinned. “For my peace most complete prosthesis instal-
of mind, for one thing. Also for lation on Earth, a geriatrics sec-
investigating the Children, like tion, O.T. rooms beyond num-
you say. I’ve made you an op- ber . . .

pointment at the hospital in fif- And, of all things, a fully

ty-five minutes.” equipped and crowded pediatric
wing.

Y
the
ou have to remember that I
didn’t know anything about
Children except rumors.
I said, “I thought this was a

V-A. facility.”
“Exactly. Here comes our
Bless Haber, he hadn’t thought boy.”

174 GALAXY
 A Navy officer was coming in, “Oh, hi, Mr. Whitling,” the
hand and smile outstretched to man said. “Jeez. I must’ve got
Candace. “Hi, good to see you. lost again looking for the PX.”
And you must be Mr. Gunnar- “Carhart,” said the commander
tt
sen. dangerously, “if I catch you in
Candace introduced us as we this wing again you won’t have
shook hands. The fellow’s name to worry about the PX for a
was Commander Whitling; she year. Hear me?”
called him “Tom”. He said, “Well, jeez. All right, Mr.
“We’ll have to move. Since I Whitling.” As the man saluted
talked to you there’s been an all- and turned, his face wearing an
hands evolution scheduled for expression of injury, I noticed
—
eleven some high brass inspec- that the left sleeve of his bath-
tion. I don’t want to hurry you, robe was tucked, empty, into a
but I’d like it if we were out of pocket.
the way . . . this is a little ir- “You can’t keep them out,”
regular.” said Whitling and spread his
“Nice of you to arrange it,” hands. “Well, all right, Mr. Gun-
I said. “Lead on.” narsen, here it is. You’re seeing
We went up a high-rise ele- the whole thing.”
vator and came out on the top I looked carefully around. It

floor of the building, into a cor- —

was all children limping chil-
ridor covered with murals of dren, stumbling children, pale
Disney and Mother Goose. From children, weary children. “But
a sun deck came the tinkle of a what am I seeing, exactly?” I

music box. Three children, chas- asked.

ing each other down the hall, “Why, the Children, Mr. Gun-
dodged past us, yelling. They narsen. The ones we liberated.
made pretty good time, consid- The ones the Arcturans captured
ering that two of them were on on Mars.”
crutches. “What the hell are you
doing here?” asked Commander \ nd then I connected. I re-
Whitling sharply. membered about the cap-
I looked twice, but he wasn’t ture of the colony on Mars.
talking to me or the kids. He was Interstellar war is waged at
talking to a man with a young the pace of a snail’s crawl, be-
face but a heavy black beard, cause it takes so long to go from
who was standing behind a Don- star to star. The main battles of
ald Duck mobile looking incon- our war with Arcturus had been
spicuous and guilty. fought no farther from Earth

THE CHILDREN OF NIGHT 175

than the surface of Mars and the that easily, at least. Some had
fleet engagement around Orbit not been killed at all, and some
Saturn. Still, it had taken eleven of those were here in Donnegan
years, first to last, from the sur- General Hospital.
prise attack on the Martian col- But not all.
ony to the armistice signed at Comprehension beginning to
Washington. emerge in my small mind I said,
I remembered seeing a recon- “Then these are the survivors.”
structed tape of that Martian Candace, standing very close
surprise attack. It was a sum- to me, said, “Most of them,
mer’s day — —
hot at full noon, ice Gunner. The ones that aren’t
melted into water. The place was well enough to be sent back in-
the colony around the Southern to normal life.”
Springs. Out of the small de- “And the others?”
scending sun a ship appeared. “Well, they mostly don’t have
It was a rocket. It was bril- families —having been killed,
liant gold metal, and it came you see. So they’ve been adopted
down with a halo of gold radia- out into foster-homes here in
tion around its splayed front, Belport. A hundred and eight of
like the fleshy protuberance of a them, isn’t that right, Tom? And
star-nosed mole. It landed with now maybe you get some idea of
an electrical crackle on the fine- what you’re up against.”
grained orange sand, and out of
it came the Arcturans. sphere was something like a
Of course, no one had known hundred of the Children in
they were Arcturans then. They that wing, and I didn’t see all of
had swung around the sun in a them. Some of them were not
long anecliptic orbit, watching to be seen.
and studying, and they had se- Whitling just told me about,
lected the small Martian outpost but couldn’t show me, the blood-
as the place to strike. In Mars temperature room, where the
gravity they were bipeds two — very young and very bad cases
of their ropy limbs were enough lived. They had a gnotobiotic
to lift them off the ground man — atmosphere, a little rich in oxy-
tall, in golden pressure suits. gen, a little more humid than the
The colonists came running out ambient air, plus pressure to
to meet them, and were killed. help their weak metabolism keep
All of them. All of the adults. oxygen spread in their parts. On
The children, however, had not their right, a little farther along,
been killed, not that quickly or were the small individual rooms
176 GALAXY
 ”

belonging to the worst cases of I could hear in his voice the

all. The contagious. The incur-
ables. The unfortunates whose
very appearance was bad for the
others. Whitling was good enough
to open polarizing shutters and
letme look in on some of those
where they lay (or writhed, or
stood like sticks) in permanent
solitary. One
of the Arcturan ef-
forts had
been transplantation,
and the project seemed to have
been directed by a whimsical
person. The youngest was about
three; the oldest in late teens.
They were a disturbing lot,
sound of what I was up against;
because he loved and pitied those
kids. “Hi, Terry,” he said on the
sun- deck, bending over a bed
and patting its occupant on his
snow-white hair. Terry smiled
up at him. “Can’t hear us, of
course,” said Whitling. “We
grafted in new auditory nerves
—
four weeks ago I did it myself
— but they’re not surviving.
Third try, too. And of course,
each attempt is a worse risk than
the one before; antibodies.”
I said, “He doesn’t look more

and if I have glossed lightly over than five years old.” Whitling
what I felt, it is because what I nodded. “But the attack on the
felt is all too obvious. colony was —
Kids in trouble! Of course, “Oh, I see what you mean,”
those who had been put back said Whitling. “The Arcturans
into population weren’t put back were, of course, interested in re-
shocking as these. But they production too. Ellen she left —
would pull at the heartstrings, us a couple of weeks ago was —
they even pulled at mine; and only thirteen, but she’d had six
every time a foster-parent, or a children.Now, this is Nancy.”
foster-parent’s neighbor, or a Nancy was perhaps twelve,
casual passer-by on the street, but her gait and arm coordina-
felt that heartstring tug he would tion were those of a toddler. She
feel, too, a single thought: The came stumbling in after a ball,
Arcturans did this. stopped and regarded me with
For after killing the potentially dislike and suspicion. “Nancy’s
dangerous adults they had caged one of our cures,” Whitling said
the tractable small ones as val- proudly. He followed my eyes.
uable research specimens. “Oh, nothing wrong there,” he
And I had hoped to counteract said. “Mars-bred. She hasn’t ad-
this with five hundred Arcturan justed to Earth gravity, is all;
pets! she isn’t slow, the ball’s bouncing
Whitling was all this time too fast. Here’s Sam.”
taking me around the wing, and Sam was a near-teen-ager, gig-
THE CHILDREN OF NIGHT 177
gling from his bed as he tried I didn’t even listen, because
what was obviously the extreme- Candace knev/ what I would
ly wearing exercise of lifting his want to know, I just watched
head off the mattress. A candy- Belport cycle through an average
striped practical nurse was count- dull Monday at my feet. Bel-
ing time for him he touched
as port was a radial town, with an
chin to chest, one and two, one urban center-cluster of the mush-
and two. He did it five times, room-shaped buildings that were
then slumped back, grinning. popular twenty years ago. The
“Sam’s central nervous system hotel we were in was one, in
was almost gone,” Whitling said fact,and from my window I
fondly. “But we’re making pro- could see three others looming
gress. Nervous tissue regenera- above and below me, to right
tion, though, is awfully— ” I and left, and beyond them the
wasn’t listening; I was looking cathedral of the apart-
spires
at Sam’s grin, which showed ment condominia of the residen-
black and broken teeth. “Diet could see a creep-
tial districts. I
deficiency,” said Whitling, fol- ing serpent of gaily colored cars
lowing my look again. moving along one of the traffic-
“All right,” I said, “I’ve seen ways, pinpointed with sparks of
enough, now I want to get out our pro-referendum campaign
of here before they have me parades. Or one of the opposi-
changing diapers. I thank you, tion’s. From four hundred feet
Commander Whitling. I think I it didn’t seem to matter.
thank you. Which way is out?” “You know, honey,” I said as
she clicked off the 3-V, “there
IV isn’t any sense to this. I admit
the kids are sad cases, and who
T didn’t want
to go back to Ha- can resist kids in trouble? But
ber’s office. I was afraid of they don’t have one solitary
what the conversation might be damned thing to do with whether
like. But I had to get a fill-in or not the Arcturans should have
on what had been happening a telemetry and tracking station
with our work and I had to eat. out on the lake.”
So I took Candace back to my Candace said, “Weren’t you
room and ordered lunch from the man who told me that logic
room service. didn’t have anything to do with
I stood at the thermal window public relations?” She came to
looking out at the city while the window beside me, turned
Candace checked with the office. and half-sat on the ledge and
178 GALAXY
 ”

read from her notes: “Survey She told me about them, and
index off another half-point . . . about the series of injections
Haber says, be sure to tell you and marrow transplants that they
that’s a victory, would have have had needed to restore the body’s
been off two points at least with- immune reaction without killing
out the Arcats. Supplier letters the patient. And the ones with
out. Chicago approves budget auditory and vocal nerves de-
overdraft. And that’s all that stroyed, apparently because the
matters.” Arcturans were investigating the
“Thanks.” The door chimed, question of whether humans
and she left me to let the bell- could think rationally in the ab-
men in with our lunch. I watched sence of articulate words. The
her without much appetite, ex- ones raised on chemically pure
cept maybe for the one thing that glucose for dietary studies. The
I knew wasn’t on the menu, induced bleeders. The kids with
Candace herself. But I tried to no sense of touch, and the kids
eat. with no developed musculature.
Candace did not seem to be “Tom told you all this?”
trying to help me eat. In fact, “And lots more, Gunner. And
she did something that was quite remember, these are the surviv-
out of character for her. All the ors. Some of the kids who were
way through lunch she kept talk- deliberately
—
ing,and the one subject she kept “How long have you known
talking about was the kids. I Tom?”
heard about Nina, who was fif- She put down her fork, sug-
teen when she came to Donnegan ared her coffee and took a sip,
General and had been through looking at me over the cup. “Oh,
the occupation all the way who — since I’ve been here. Two years.
wouldn’t talk to anybody, and Since before the kids came, of
weighed fifty-one pounds, and course.”
screamed unless she was allowed “Pretty well, I judge.”
to hide under the bed. “And af- “Oh, yes.”
ter months,” said Candace,
six “He really likes those kids, I
“they gave her a hand-puppet, could see that.And so do you.” I
and she finally talked through swallowed some more of my own
that” coffee, which tasted like diluted
“How’d you find all this out?” pig swill, and reached for a cig-
I asked. arette and said, “I think maybe I

“From Tom. And then there waited too long about the situa-
were the germ-free kids . . tion here, wouldn’t you say?”

THE CHILDREN OF NIGHT 179

 “Why, yes, Gunner,” she said help do our job. And I certainly
carefully, “I think you maybe wasn’t going to marry Candace
missed the boat.” Harmon.
“I tell you what else I think, Come to think of it, I thought,
honey. think you’re trying to
I lightinganother cigarette from
tell me something, and it isn’t the stub of the old one, there
all about Proposition Four on had been a fifth item, and I had
the ballot next week.” blown that one too.
And she said, not irrelevantly, The classics of public relations
“As a matter of fact, Gunner, clearly show how little reason
I’m going to marry Tom Whit- has to do with M/R, and yet I
lingon Christmas day.” had allowed myself to fall into
that oldest and most imbecilic of
T sent her back to the office and traps set for flacks. Think of his-
stretched out on my bed, smok- tory’s masterstrokes of flackery:
ing and watching the smoke be- “The Jews stabbed Germany in
ing sucked into the wall-vents. the back!” “Seventy-eight (or
It was rather peaceful and quiet fifty-nine, orone hundred and
because I’d told the desk to hold three) card-carrying communists
all calls until further notice, and in the State Department!” “I
I wasn't feeling a thing. will go to Korea!” It is not
Perfection is so rare, it is in- enough for a theme to be ration-
teresting to find a case in which al indeed it is wrong for a theme
;

one has been perfectly wrong all to be rational, if you want to

the way. move men’s glands, because,
If I had taken out my little list above all else, it must seem new,
then I could have checked off and fresh, and of such revolu-
all the points. One way or an- tionary simplicity that it illum-

other. I hadn’t fired Haber, and inates an enormous, confused and

in fact I really didn’t want to disagreeable problem in a fresh
any more, because he wasn’t and hopeful light. Or so it must
much worse than I was at this seem to the Average Man. And
particular job; the record showed since he has spent any number
it. I had investigated the Chil- of surly, worried hours groping
dren, all right. A little late. I had for some personal salvation in
investigated Connick, the num- the face of a bankrupt Germany,
ber one opponent to the proposi- or a threat of subversion, or a
tion, and what I had found would war that is going nowhere, no
hurt Connick, all right, but I rational solution can ever meet
couldn’t really see how it would those strictures since he has
. . .

180 GALAXY

already considered all the
tional solutions and found
that they are useless or that the
cost is more than he wants to
pay.
So what I should have con-
centrated on in Belport was the
bright, irrational, distractive is-
sue. The Big Lie, if you will. And
I had hardly found even a Sly
Insinuation.
It was interesting to consider
in just how many ways I had
done the wrong thing. Including
maybe the wrongest of all I had
:
let Candace Harmon get away.
And then in these thoughts,
selfalmost despising, haply the
door chimed and I opened it,
and there was this fellow in
Space Force olive-greens saying,
“Come along, Mr. Gunnarsen,
the Truce Team want to talk to
you.”
TT'or one frozen moment there, I
was nineteen years old again.
I was a Rocketman 3/c on the
Moon, guarding the Aristarchus
base against invaders from outer
space. (We thought that to be
a big joke at the time.
how unfunny a joke can turn.)
This fellow was a colonel, and
his name was Peyroles, and he
took me down the corridor, to
a private elevator I had never
known was there, up to the
dome of the mushroom and
a suite which made my
THE CHILDREN OF NIGHT
” ””
;
ra- look like the cellar under a dog-
either run in Old Levittown. The reek
was overpowering. By then I had
gotten over my quick response
to the brass and I took out a
ker-pak and held it to my nose.
The colonel did not even look at
me.
“Sit down!” barked the colonel,
and left me in front of an un-
lighted fireplace. Something was
going on; I could hear voices
from another room, a lot of them
—
“ burned one in effigy, and
—
by God we’ll burn a real one
—
—
“ smells like a skunk
my- —
“ turns my stomach!” And
that last fellow, whoever he was,
was pretty near right, at that —
although actually in the few sec-
onds since I entered the suite I
had almost forgotten the smell.
It was funny how you got used
to it. Like a ripe cheese; The
first whiff knocked you sick, but
pretty soon the olfactory nerves
got the hang of the thing and
built up a defense.
—
“ all right, the war’s over
and we have to get along with
them, but a man’s home town —
Shows Whatever it was that was going
on in the other room, it was go-
ing on loudly. Tempers were al-
ways short when Arcturans were
around, because the smell, of
course, put everybody on edge.
flat People don’t like bad smells.
into They’re not nice. They remind
suite us of sweat and excrement, which
181
 ”

we have buttressed our lives meet you, gentlemen. As you

against admitting as real, person-
al facts. Then there was a loud
military yell for order —
I recog-
nized the colonel, Peyroles
perhaps know, I tried to set up
an appointment before but your
people turned me down. I take
— it now the shoe is on the other

and then a voice that sounded foot.”

queerly not-quite-human, al- Colonel Peyroles frowned to-
thought it spoke in English. An ward the door he had just shut
Arcturan? What was his name, — there were still noises behind
Knafti? But I had understood — but said
it to me, “You’re
they comun’t make human quite right. That was a meeting
sounds. of a civic leaders’ committee —
Whoever was, he put an end
it The door interrupted him by
to the meeting.The door opened. opening, and a man leaned
Through it I could see a couple through and yelled: “Peyroles!
of dozen hostile backs, leaving Can that thing understand white
through another door, and com- man’s talk? I hope so. I hope it

ing toward me the Space Force hears me when I say that I’m
colonel, a very young man with going to make it my personal
a pale, angel’s face and a drag- business to take it apart if it’s
ging limp, in civilian clothes . . . still in Belport this time tomor-
and, yes, and the Arcturan. It row. And if any human being, or
was the first one I had ever been so-called human being like you,
with at so close range, in so small gets in the way, I’ll take him
a group. He wobbled toward me apart too!” He slammed the door
on four or six of his coat-hanger without waiting for an answer.
limbs, breathing-thorax encased “You see?” said Peyroles gruff-
in a golden shell, his mantis face ly, angrily. Things like that
and bright black eyes staring at would never have happened with
me. well-tempered troops. “That’s
Peyroles closed the door be- what we want to talk to you
hind them. about.”
He turned to me and said, “I see,” I said, and I did see,
“Mr. Gunnarsen . Knafti
. . . . . very clearly, because that
fel-
Timmy Brown.” low who had leaned through the
I hadn’t the ghost of a clue door had been the Arcturan-
whether to offer to shake, and if property-sale standard bearer we
so, with what. Knafti however had counted on, old what had —
merely regarded me gravely. The Connick called him? — old Slits-
boy nodded. I said: “I’m glad to and-Fits Schlitz, the man we
182 GALAXY
were attempting to elect to get he’s speaking for Knafti,” said
our proposition through. the colonel. “Interpreter. See?"
The boy moved his lips for a
udging by the amount of noise —
moment shifting gears, it seem-
J I’d heard from the citizens’ ed — and said, “That is right, I
delegation, there was lynch in am Timmy Brown. Knaiti’s
the atmosphere. I could under- translator and assistant.”
stand why they would reverse “Then ask Knafti what he
themselves and ask for me, be- wants from me.” I tried to say it
fore things got totally out of con- the way he had —
a sort of
trol and wound up in murder, if sneeze for the “K” and an in-
you call killing an Arcturan mur- describable whistle for the “F.”
der — Timmy Brown moved his lips
—although, it occurred to me, again and said, “I, Knafti, wish
lynching Knafti might not be the you to stop ... to leave ... to
worst thing that could happen; discontinue your operation in
public sentiment might bounce Belport.”
back — From the twining-tree, the
I shoved that thought out of Arcturan waved his ropy limbs
my mind and got down to busi- and chittered like a squirrel. The
ness. “What, exactly?” I asked. boy chirped back and said: “I,
“I gather you want me to do Knafti, commend you on your
something about your image.” effective work, but stop it.”

Knafti sat himself down, if “By which,” rumbled Colonel

that’s what Arcturans do, on an Peyroles, “he means knock it
entwining-rack. The pale boy off.”
whispered sofnething to him, “Go fight a space war, Pey-
then came to me. “Mr. Gunnar- roles. Timmy — I mean, Knafti,
sen,” he said, “I am Knafti.” He this is the job I’m paid to do.
spoke with a great precision of The Arcturan Confederacy itself
vowels and a stress at the end hired us. take my orders from
I

of each sentence, as though he Arthur Bigelow, Jr., and I

had learned English out of a
handbook. I had no trouble in
understanding him. At least, not
in understanding what it was he
said. It did take me a moment to
comprehend what he meant; and
then Peyroles had to help.
“He means at this moment
THE CHILDREN OF NIGHT
S.
carry them out whether Knafti
likes it or not.”
Chirp and chitter between
Knafti and the pale, limping boy.
The Arcturan left his twining-
tree and moved to the window,
looking out into the sky and the
copter traffic. Timmy Brown
183
 ”

said: “It doer, not matter what appointments schedule. Gunner.

your orders may be, I, Knafti, It just says ‘Meeting with civic
tell you that your work is harm- leaders.’ But one of the leaders
ful.” He hesitated, mumbling to has a secretary who goes to
himself. “We do not wish to ob- lunch with a girl from Records
tain our base here at the cost 8s Accounting here and
—
of what is true, and — ” he turn- “And you’ll find out. All right,
ed imploringly to the Arcturan do that, and now what’s the cur-
— “and it is apparent you are rent picture?”
attempting to change the truth.” She began reading off brief-
He chirped at the Arcturan, ing digests and field reports.
who took his blind black eyes They were mixed, but not al-
from the window and came to- together bad. Opinion sampling
ward us. Arcturans don’t walk, showed a small rise in favor-
exactly. They drag themselves on ability toward the Arcturans, in
the lower part of the thorax. fact. It wasn’t much, but it was
Their limbs are supple and thin, the plus change I had seen,
first
and what are not used for sup- and doubly puzzling because of
port are used for gestures. Knaf- Knafti’s attitude and the brawl
ti used a number of his now, as with the civic leaders. I asked,
he chirped one short series of “Why, honey?”
sounds at the boy. Candace’s face in the screen
“ —
Otherwise,” Timmy Brown was as puzzled as mine. “We’re
finished off, “I, Knafti, tell you still digging.”
we will have to fight this war “All right. Go on.”
over again.” There were more pluses. The
Flower Fair had yielded sur-
A s I was back in my
soon as prisingly big profits in attitudes
*- room
messaged Chicago
I — among those who attended.
for orders and clarification and Of course, they were only a tiny
got back the answer I expected: fraction of the population of Bel-
Hold everything. Referring mat- port. The Arcats were showing
ter to ASB-jr. Await instructions. a plus for us, too. Where we
So I awaited. The way I await- were down was in PTA meeting
ed was to call Candace at the of- resolutions, in resignations from
fice and get the latest sitrep. I Candace’s Arcturan-American
told her about the near-riot in Friendship League, in poor at-
the Truce Team’s suite and ask- tendance at neighborhood coffee-
ed her what it was all about. She klatsches.
shook her head. “We have their Now that I knew what to look

184 GALAXY
 :

for, could see what the Chil-

I containing some of the Children.
dren had done to us. In every I don’t want the integration or
family-situation sampling, the anaylsis. Just the raw interviews
attitudes were measurably worse but with the scutwork left out.”
than when the subjects were in- And as soon as she was off the
terviewed in a non-family en- line the Chicago circuit came in
vironment —
at work, stopped on with a message they’d been
the street, in a theater. holding
The importance of that was Query from ASB-jr. Provided
just what I had told Connick. No top is taken off budget and your

man is a simple entity. He be- hand is freed, can you guarantee,

haves one way when his self- repeat guarantee, win on refer-
image is as head of a family, an- endum question?
other when he is at a cocktail
party, another at work, another Tt was not the response I had
still when a pretty girl sits down expected from them.
beside him on a commuter-cop- Still, it was a legitimate ques-
ter. Elementary truths. But it tion. I took a moment to think
had taken the M/R boys half a it over.
century to learn how them.
to use Junior Bigelow had already
In this case the use was clear: given me a pretty free hand —
Play down family elements, play as he always did; how else can
up play. I ordered more floats, a troubleshooter work? If he
torchlight parades and a teen-age was now emphasizing that my
beauty contest. I canceled the hand was freed entirely, it would
fourteen picnic rallies we had not be because he thought I
planned and ordered a hold on hadn’t understood him in the
the coffee-klatsches. first place. Nor would it be be-
I was not exactly obeying Chi- cause he suspected I might be
cago’s orders. But it didn’t mat- cheese-paring secretarial salaries.
ter. All this could be canceled He meant one thing: Win, no
with a single word, and anyway matter what.
it was only nit-picking detail. Under those conditions, could
The One Big Weeny still escaped I do it?
me. Well, of course I could win.
I lit a cigarette, thought for a Yes. Provided I found the One
minute and said, “Honey get me Big Weeny. You can always win
some of the synoptic extracts of an election, any election any-
opinion-sampling from heads of where, provided you are willing
families and particularly families to pay the right price.

THE CHILDREN OF NIGHT 185

 It was finding the price to pay nphe office circuit chimed then.
that was hard. Not just money. Probably it was Candace,
Sometimes the price you pay is but I didn’t want to talk to her
a human being, in the role for just then. I turned all the com-
which I had been lining up Con- munication circuits to “hold”,
nick. Throw a human sacrifice stripped down, climbed into the
to the gods and your prayer is shower, set it for full needle
granted ... spray and let the water beat
But was Connick the sacrifice on me. It was not an aid to
the gods wanted? Would it help thought, it was a replacement for
to defeat him, bearing in mind thought. v

that his opponent was one of the I didn’t want to think any
men who had been screaming at more. wanted time out.
I

Knafti in the Truce Team suite?
And if so —
had my knife enough
edge to drain his blood?
Well, it always had had before.
And if Connick wasn’t the right
man, I would find the man who
was. I messaged back, short and
sweet, Yes.
And in less than a minute, as
though Junior had been standing
by at the faxtape receiver, wait-
ing for the word from me and — foaming water anesthetize me.
perhaps he had! his—reply
came back:
Gunner, we’ve lost the Arc-
turan Confederacy account. Arc
Con liaison man says all bets off.
They’re giving notice of cancel-
lation our contract, suggestion
they will cancel entire armistice
treaty too. I don’t have to tell
I did not want to think about
(a) whether the war would break
out again, and, if so, in what de-
gree I would have helped to bring
that about; (b) what I was do-
ing to Nice Guy Connick; (c)
whether It Was All Worth It or
(d) how much I was going to
dislike myself that coming
Christmas day. I only wanted to
let the hot splash of scented
When my skin began to look
pale and wrinkly, although I had
not come to any conclusions or
found any solutions, I came out,
dressed, opened the communica-
tions circuits and let them all be-
gin blinking, ringing and wink-
ing at once.
I took Candace first. She said,

you we need them. Some pos- “Gunner! Dear lord, have you
sibility that showing strong re- heard about the Armistice Com-
sults in Belport will get them mission? They’ve just released
hack. That’s what we have to a statement —
play for. No holds barred, Gun- “I heard. What else, honey?”
ner, win that election. Good girl, she shifted gears

186 GALAXY
 ”” ” ”

without missing a beat. “Then “ — and She trailed off

. .

there was that meeting of civic and looked at me. “Gunner, are
leaders in the Truce Team suite you putting me on? You don’t
»
really want to see all these peo-
“I saw. Feedback from the ple.”
Armistice Commission’s state- I smiled and reached out and
ment. What else?” patted the viewphone. From her
She glanced at the papers in point of view it would look like
her hand, hesitated, then said: an enormous cloudy hand dor, '<
“Nothing important. Uh, Gun- in on her screen, but she would
ner. That 3-V preempt for to- know what I meant. I said, “You
night — could not be more wrong. I do.
“Yeah, honey?” I want to see them all, the more
“Do you want me to cancel it?” the better, and the way I’d like
I “No. You’re right, we
said, to see them best is in my office,
won’t use the time for the all at once. So set it up, hone-
Arcturan- American Friendship because I’ll be busy between now

League or whatever we had and then.”

scheduled, but you’re wrong, “Busy doing what, Gunner?”
we’ll use the time some way. I “Busy trying to think of what
don’t know how right now.” I want to see them for.” And I

“But Junior said — turned off the viewphone, got up

“Honey,” I told her. “Junior and walked out, leaving the
says all sorts of things. Anybody others gobbling into emptiness
looking to scalp me?” behind me. What I needed was
“Well,” she said, “There’s Mr. a long, long walk, and I took it.
Connick. I didn’t think you’d
want to see him.” Then I was tired of walking
\\
“No, I’ll see him. I’ll see any- * ^ went to the office and
I
body.” evicted Haber from his private
“Anybody?” I had surprised quarters. I kept him standing by
her. She dived into her list again. what had once been his own desk
“There’s somebody from the while I checked with Candace
Truce Team — and found that she had made all
“Make it everybody from the my appointments for that eve-
Truce Team.” ning, then I told him to get lost.
“ —and Commander Whitling “And thanks,” I said.
from — Hepaused on his way to the
“From the hospital. Sure, and door. “For what, Gunner?”
tell him to bring some kids.” “For a very nice office to kill

THE CHILDREN OF NIGHT 187

time in.” I waved at the furnish-
ings. “I wondered what you’d
spent fifty grand on when I saw
the invoices in the Chicago of-
fice, Haber, and I admit I
thought there might have been a
little padding. But I was wrong.”
He said woundedly: “Gunner,
boy! I wouldn’t do anything like
that.”
“I believe you. Wait a minute.”
I thought for a second, then told
him to send in some of the tech-
nical people and not to let any-
body, repeat anybody, disturb
me for any purpose whatever. I
scared him good, too. He left a
shaken man, a little angry, a lit-
tle admiring, a little excited in-
side, I think, at the prospect of
seeing how the great man would
get himself out of this one. Mean-
while the great man talked brief-
ly to the technicians, took a ten-
minute nap, drank the Martinis
out of his dinner tray and pitch-
ed the rest of it in the dispos-all.
Then, as I had nearly an hour
before the appointments Can-
dace had set up for me, I scroung-
ed around fat-cat Haber’s office
to see what entertainment it of-
fered.
There were his files. I glanced
at them and forgot them; there
was nothing about the hoarded
memoranda that interested me,
not even for gossip. There were
the books on his shelf. But I did
not care to disturb the patina of
188
dust that even the cleaning ma-
chines had not been able to
touch. There was his private bar,
and the collection of photographs
in the end compartment of his
desk drawer.
It looked like very dull times
waiting, until the studio men re-
ported in that they had com-
pleted their arrangements at my
request, and the 3-V tape-effects
monitor could now be controlled
by remote from my desk, and
then I knew I had a pleasant
way of killing any amount of
time.
Have you ever played with the
console of a 3-V monitor, back-
ed by a library of tape-effects
strips? It is very much like be-
ing God.
All that the machine does is
take the stored videotapes that
are in its files and play them
back. But it also manipulates
size and perspective or superim-
poses one over another ... so
that you can, as I in fact have
done, put the living person of
someone you don’t like in a posi-
tion embarrassing to him, and
project it on a montage screen so
that only a studio tech can find
the dots on the pattern where the
override betrays its presence.
Obviously, this is a way out of
almost any propaganda difficul-
ty, since it is child’s play to make
up any event you like and give
it the seeming of reality.
GALAXY
 Of course, everybody knows I looked for a larger scope. I
it can be done. So the evidence spread the whole panoply of the
of one’s own eyes is not longer heavens across the screen of the
quite enough, even for a voter. tape machine. I sought out the
And the laws can cut you down. crook of the Big Dipper’s handle,
I had thought of whomping up traced its arc across half the
some frightful frame around heavens until I located orange
Connick, for example. But it Arcturus. Then
zoomed in onI

wouldn’t work; no matter when the star, as littler stars grew

I did it there would still be time largerand hurtled out of range
for the other side to spread the around it, sought its seven gray-
word of an electoral fraud, and green planets and located num-
a hoax of this magnitude would ber five among them, the watery
make its own way onto the front world that Knafti had spawned
pages. So I used the machine upon. I bade the computing mind
for something much more inter- inside the tape machine recon-
esting to me. I used it as a toy. struct the events of the orbit
I started by dialing the lunar bombing for me, and watched
base at Aristarchus for back- hell-bombs splash enormous
ground, found a corps of Rocket- mushrooms of poisonous foam
man marching off in the long into the Arcturan sky, whipping
lunar step, patched my own face the island cities with tidal waves
onto one of the helmeted figures and drowning them in death.
and zoomed in and out with the Then
destroyed the whole
I

imaginary camera, watching planet. turned Arcturan into a

I

R3/c Odin Gunnarsen as a boy nova and watched the hot driven
of nineteen, scared witless but gases sphere out to embrace the
doing his job. He was a pretty planet, boil its seas, slag its cities
nice boy, I thought objectively, . and found myself sweating.
. .

and wondered what had gone I ordered another drink from

wrong with him later. I abandon-
ed that and sought for other
amusements. I found Candace’s
images on tape in the files and
pleasured myself with her for a
time. Her open,
gave some dignity to the fan-
tastic bodies of half adozen 3-V
strippers in the files; but I
stopped that child’s game.
the dispenser and switched the
machine off. And then I became
aware that the pale blue light
over the door to Haber’s office
was glowing insistently. It was
friendly face time; my visitors had arrived.
onnick had brought his kids
C along, three of them; the
lover from Donnegan General

THE CHILDREN OF NIGHT 189

 ” ”

had brought two more; Ilnafti had a nervous breakdown the

and Colonel Peyroles had Tim- year after your discharge, space
my Brown. “Welcome to Romp- cafard, as they call it on the
er Room,” I said. “They’re soapies. Yellow fever is what we
making lynch mobs young this called it on the Moon.”
year.” He glanced quickly at his kids,
They allyelled at me at once the two that were his own and
— or all but Knafti, whose tweet- the one that was not, and said
ing chitter just didn’t have the rapidly: “You know I could have
volume to compete. I listened, had that DD
reversed
—
and when they showed signs of “But you didn’t. The signifi-
calming down I reached into fat cant fact that you deserted.
isn’t
cat Huber’s booze drawer and The significant fact is that you
poured myself a stiff one and were loopy. And, I’d say, still
said, “All right, which of you are.”
creeps want first crack?” And Timmy Brown stuttered: “One
they boiled up again while I moment. I, Knafti, have asked
drank my drink. All of them, ex- that you cease —
cept Candace Harmon, who only But Connick brushed him
stood by the door and looked at aside. “Why, Gunnarsen?”
me. “Because I intend to win this
So I said, “All right, Connick. election. I don’t care what it costs
you Are you going to make
first. — especially what costs you.” it
me spreadit all over the news- “But, Knafti, have instruct-
I,

casts that you had a dishonor- ed — ” That was Timmy Brown

able discharge? . . . And by the trying again.
way, maybe you’d like to meet “The Armistice Commission
my assistant blackmailer; Miss issued orders
— ” That was Pey-
Harmon over there dug up the roles.
dirt on you.” “I don’t know which is worse,
Her boy friend yelped, but you or the bugs!” And that was
Candace just went on looking. Candace’s little friend from the
I didn’t look back, but kept my hospital, and they all were talk-
eyes on Connick. He squinted ing at once again. Even Knafti
his eyes, put his hands in his came dragging toward me on his
pockets and said, with consider- golden slug’s belly, chirruping
able self-restraint, “You know I and hooting, and Timmy Brown
was only seventeen years old was actually weeping as he tried
when that happened.” to tell me I was wrong, I had to
“Oh, sure. I know more. You stop, the whole thing was against

190 GALAXY
 ” ”

orders and why wouldn’t I de- I allowed myself a sneer .“And

sist? what does that prove? Your kids
I shouted: “Shut up, all of like you,I admit even the one —
you!” from Mars. The one that Knafti’s
They but the volume
didn’t, people used for vivisection —
level dropped minutely. I rode that Knafti himself worked over,
over it: “What the hell do I care likely as not. Nice picture, right?
what any of you want? I’m paid Your bug-buddy there, killing
to do a job. My job is to make babies, destroying kids ... or
people act a certain way. I do it. didn’t you know that Knafti him-
Maybe tomorrow I’ll be paid to self was one of the boss bugs on
make them act the opposite way, the baby-killing project?”
and I’ll do that, too. Anyway, Timmy Brown shrieked wild-
who the hell are you to order me ly, “You don’t know what you
around? A stink-bug like you, are doing. It was not Knafti’s
Knafti? A GI quack like your- fault at all!” His ashen face was
self, Wliitling? Or you, Connick. haggard, his rotten teeth bared
A—” in a grimace. And he was weep-
“A candidate for public office,” ing.
he said clearly. And I give him
much mana; he didn’t shout, but Tf you apply heat to a single
he talked right over me. “And as molecule it will take off like
such I have an obligation — a tom with a spark under his tail,
But I out-yelled him anyway. but you cannot say where it will
“Candidate! You’re a candidate go. If you heat a dozen mole-
right up to till the minute I tell cules they will fling out in all
the voters you’re a nut, Connick. directions, but you still do not
And then you’re dead And I will know which directions they will
—
!

tell them,promise, if
I be. however, you heat a few
If,

I didn’t get a chance to finish billion, about as many as are in

that sentence, because all three a thimble of dilute gas, you
of Connick’s kids were diving at know where they will go: they
me, his own two and the other will expand. Mass action. You
one. They sent papers flying off can’t tell what a single molecule
Haber’s desk and smashed his may do — call it the molecule’s
sand-crystal decanter; but they if you like
free will, but mass- —
didn’t get to my throat, where es obey mass laws. Masses of
they clearly were aimed, because anything; even so small a mass
Connick and Timmy Brown as the growling troop that con-
dragged them back. Not easily. fronted me in Haber’s office. I

THE CHILDREN OF NIGHT 191


letthem yell, and all the yelling
was at me. Even Candace was
showing the frown and the dark-
ening of the eyes and the work-
ing of the lips, although
watched me as silently and stead-
ily as ever.
Connick brought it to a head:
“All right, everybody,” he yell-
ed, “now listen to me! Let’s
this thing straightened out!”
He stood up, a child gripped
by each elbow and the third, the
youngest, trapped between him
and the door. He looked at me
with such loathing that I could
feel it — and didn’t like it,
although was no more than I
it
had expected, and he said: “It’s
true. Sammy, here, was one of
the kids from Mars. Maybe that
has made me think things I
shouldn’t have thought he’s
my kid now, and when I think
of those stinkbugs cutting
He stopped himself and turn-
ed to Knafti. “Well, I see some-
thing. A man who would do a
thing like that would be a fiend.
I’d cut his heart out with my
bare hands. But you aren’t a
man.”
Grimly he let go of the kids
and strode toward Knafti. “I
can’t forgive you. God help me,
it isn’t possible. But I can’t blame
you —exactly —
any more than
I can blame lightning for strik-
ing my house. I think I was
wrong. Maybe I’m wrong now.
192
” ”
But — I don’t know what you
people do —
I’d like to shake
your hand. Or whatever the hell
it is you’ve got there. I’ve been
she thinking of you as a perverted
murderer and a filthy animal,
but I’ll tell you right now, I’d
rather work together with you —
for your base, for peace, for
get whatever we can get together on
— than with some human beings
in this room!”
I didn’t stay to watch the ten-
der scene that followed.
I didn’t have to, since the
cameras and tape recorders that
either, the studio people had activated
for me behind every one-way
mirror in the room would be
watching for me. I could only
hope they had not missed a single
word or scream, because I didn’t
— think I could do that scene over
again.
— I opened the door quietly and
left.And as I was going I caught
the littlest Connick kid sneaking
past me, headed for the 3-V set
in the waiting room, and snaked
out an arm to stop him. “Stink-
er!” he hissed. “Rat fink!”
“You may be right,” I told
him, “but go back and keep your
father company. You’re in on
living history today.”
“Nuts! I always watch Dr. Zhi-
vago on Monday nights, and it’s
on in five minutes and —
“Not tonight it isn’t, son. You
can hold that against me, too.
GALAXY
We preempted the time for a clutching the children and pro-
different show entirely.” tecting them against the attack
escorted him back into the
I of that monster from another
room, closed the door, picked up planet, me. The studio people
my coat and left. had done a splendid job of splic-
ing in no time at all. The whole
andace was waiting for me scene was there on camera, as
C with the car. She was driving real as I had just lived it.

it herself. “Want to listen?” Candace

“Will I make the nine-thirty fished out and passed me a hy-
flight?” I asked. perboloid long-hearer, but I

“Sure, Gunner.” She steered didn’t need it. I remembered

onto the autotraffic lane, put the
car on servo and dialed the scat-
port, then sat back and
cigarette for each of us. I took
it and looked morosely out tin-
window.
Down below us, on the slow-
traffic level, we were passing a
torchlight parade, with
and glee clubs and free beer at
the major pedestrian intersec-
tions. I opened the glove com-
partment and took out field
glasses, looked through them
what the voices would be saying.
There would be Connick de-
lit a nouncing me. Timmy Brown de-
nouncing me. The kids denounc-
ing me, all of them. Colonel
Peyroles, denouncing me; Com-
mander Whitling, denouncing
me; even Knafti denouncing —
floats me. All that hate and only one
target.
Me.
“Of course. Junior’ll fire you.
He’ll have to, Gunner.”
— I said, “I need a vacation any-

“Oh, you don’t have to check way.” It wouldn’t matter. Soon-

up, Gunner. 1 took care of it. er or when the pressure
later,
They’re all plugging the pro- was Junior would find a way
off,

gram.” to hire me
back. Once the law-
“I see they are.” Not only were suits had been settled. Once the
the marchers carrying streamers armistice commission could fin-
that advertised our preempt ish its work. Once I could be put
show, that was now already be- on the payroll inconspicuously,
ginning to be on the air, but the at an inconspicuous job in an
floats carried projection screens inconspicuous outpost of the
and amplifiers. You couldn't firm. With an inconspicuous fu-
look anywhere in the procession ture.
without seeing Knafti, huge and We slid over the top of a spi-
hideous in his gold carapace, raling ramp and down into the

Till CHILDREN OF NIOIIl 193

parking bays of the scatport. “So
long, honey,” I said, “and Merry
Christmas to you both.”
“Oh, Gunner! I wish — blast.She didn’t wave to me, but
But I knew what she really
wished and I wouldn’t let her
finish. I said, “He’s a nice fel-
low, Whitling. And you know?
I’m not.”
I didn’t kiss her good-by.
The scatjet was ready
boarding. I fed my ticket into
the check-in slot, got the green
light as the turnstile clicked
open, entered the plane and took
a seat on the far side, by the
window.
Youcan win any cause if you
care to pay the price. All it takes
is one human sacrifice.
Bythe time the scatjet began
to roar, to quiver and to turn on
its axis away from the terminal
I had faced the fact that that
price once and for all was paid.
I saw Candace standing there
on the roof of the loading dock,
her skirts whipped by the back-
she didn’t go away as long as I
could see her standing on the
platform.
Then, of course, she would go
back to her job and ultimately
on Christmas morning to that
for nice guy at the nospital. Haber
would stay in charge of his no-
longer-important branch office.
Connick would win his cam-
paign. Knafti would transact his
incomprehensible business with
Earth; and if any of them ever
thought of me again it would be
with loathing, anger and con-
tempt. But that is the way to win
an election. You have to pay the
price. It was just the breaks of
the game that the price of this
one was me.
— FREDERIK POHL

They came from space. Earth was their prey!

THE HOUNDS OF HELL

A thrilling new science-fiction adventure novel
by Keith Latimer

In the same issue —

FATHER OF THE STARS
by Frederik Pohl

Many more in the October IF— now monthly!

Don't miss it!
r
194 GALAXY
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Forgotten road to success in writing
By J. D. Ratcliff

X can't imaginewhy more beginners don’t

take the short road to publication by —
writing magazine and newspaper articles.
I’ve made a good living for 25 years
writing articles, and I’ve enjoyed every
minute of it. I’ve interviewed Nobel Prize
winners and heads of state. I’ve covered
stories from Basel to Bangkok to Buffalo.
It’s a great life. No commuter trains to
catch, no office routine. Whether I’m at
home or abroad on assignment, I write
from eight to noon every day —
no more,
no less. My
afternoons are my own.
The market for articles is vast and hun-
gry. Over 350,000 were sold last year to
magazines alone. Editors want pieces on
almost any subject that comes natural to
you —but they demand that your writing
be sound and professional.
To teach professional writing techniques
to serious beginners, I joined with Rod
Serling, Faith Baldwin, Bennett Cerf, and
eight other leading authors to start the
Famous Writers School.
We poured everything we know about
successful writing into a new kind of
course which trains you at home, in spare “Jack” Ratcliff is one of America’s highest paid
time. You begin with the fundamentals of free-lance writers. Although he works only
four hours a day, he has had hundreds of articles
all good writing. Then, you specialize in published in top magazines, including over
articles and other non-fiction. (Or in Fic- 100 in Reader’s Digestalone.
tion, Advertising or Business Writing.)
You learn to write by writing. Our in-
structors, themselves all published au- Famous Writers School
thors, work with you by mail much as
Dept. 6508, Westport, Connecticut
editors do with established writers.
I want to know' if I have writing aptitude.
Our School is young. Yet students, many Please mail me, without obligation, your
still in training, have broken into print in Aptitude Test and 48-page brochure.
more than 60 publications. Several sold Mr.
pieces they wrote as School assignments. Mrs Age,
Miss (please print)
Street
Writing Aptitude Test offered
City Zone...
To find out if you too can be a published
writer, send for the School’s revealing Apti-
County State
tude Test. If you test well —
or offer other The School is accredited by the Accrediting
evidence of writing ability — you may enroll. Commission of the National Home Study
However, there is no obligation to do so. Council, Washington, D.C.