To the Stars Trilogy Part 50

Jan took a large swallow which was more than enough.

"Ground transportation on the way," the radio opera-tor said. The Admiral nodded.

"Good. We'll use the engine room lock."

The combat car was brakingto a skidding stop as they came out, the blue and white emblem of the Earth forces still marked on its side-although it was pierced by an ominous scatter of bullet holes. The Israeli driver threw the door open for them.

"They want you both at HQ," she said, and the vehicle hurled itself forward as soon as they were inside, squealing about in a tight turn and rus.h.i.+ng toward the exit. They bomped through the debris where an opening had been blown in the fence and on into the streets beyond. Smoking wreckage marked the scenes of the worst fighting; crumpled bodies as well. There had been losses, heaviest around the control building that had been the prime target. A field headquarters had been set up in the ground floor. They entered it by the simple expedient of walking throttgh the gaping hole that had been blown in the outer wall. General Blonstein was talking on the radio link, but he dropped the handset when they came in and hurried over to greet them.

"We have won here," he said. "The last defenders have just surrendered. But there are two enemy armored columns coming this way, as well as regiments of para-troops. We hope to have them stopped well before they arrive. Negotiations are going forward now and all the problems seem to be in hand."

He made a gesture toward the adjoining desk, at the man seated there and talking on the phone. Even from the back it was easy to recognize Thurgood-Smythe. He disconnected and turned to face them.

"Welcome back, Jan, Admiral. Things are working according to plan as you can see." There were smears of blood on his face and his clothing was soaked and dark with even more blood.

"You've been injured," Jan said. The corners of Thurgood-Smytbe's mouth lifted slightly.

"Don't sound so hopeful, Jan. The blood is not mine. It belongs to an a.s.sociate, now dead, who attempted to interfere with my plans. Auguste Blanc t'he director-former director I should say~f this s.p.a.ce center. He counter-manded orders of mine to the defending fleet."

"The s.h.i.+ps that were waiting for us?" the Admiral said.

"Precisely. Though I really can't blame him since all of the orders I had sent out were issued in his name.

In case there were difficulties I preferred the responsibility to be his, not mine. He found out what was happening and chose to go along with the ruse instead of confronting me, only countermanding my orders at the last moment. This could have been embarra.s.sing."

"To you," Jan said, his voice tight with anger. "We could have been dead."

"But you aren't, Jan, are you? The delay was not serious in the end. Poor Auguste was fool enough to face up to me, to brag about what he had done. After taking my gun away of course. Everyone seems to have a gun these days. I tried to move away from him, but had to do it slowly in order not to startle him."

Thurgood-Smythe looked down and brushed at his blood-stained clothing. "He was quite startled when my gun exploded. This is his blood. Stunned me a bit. Did worse to him. I was sure he would try to arrest me on his own, that is why I had the gun prepared. He was such a stupid man.

"Mr. Thurgood-Smythe enabled us to take over mis-sile control without sabotage or damage," General Blonstein said. "He had the missiles fired that took out the s.h.i.+ps that were attacking you. He is now negotiating the surrender. He has been invaluable to our cause.

The sub-machinegun was leaning against the wall. Jan turned away, no one even noticed, and walked slowly over to it. Only when he had seized it up and swung around to face them were they aware of what he had done.

"Stand clear of him," Jan ordered. "I'll shoot anyone who is in the way in order to be sure that he is dead."

The muzzle swung back and forth in a tight arc. The room was suddenly silent. There were guns on all sides, but no one was expecting this, no one was ready; they were motionless.

"Put it down, Jan," Skougaard ordered. "This man is on our side. Don't you understand what he has done?"

"I understand too well-not only this, but everything else that he has done. He is a liar and a murderer and he cannot be trusted. We will never know why he has done what he has done, but it doesn't matter.

When he is dead we will be safe."

Someone moved, stepping forward, and Jan swung the gun in that direction. It was Dvora.

"Jan, please," she said. "He is on our side. We need him..."

"No we don't. He wants to take over again, I am sure of that. A hero of the revolution. And when he does it will be for his own benefit. He doesn't care about us or the revolution, or anything else other than himself. There is only one way to stop him"

"Would you shoot me as well?" she said, standing before him.

"If I had to," be said, slowly. "Step aside."

- She did not move-and his finger was tight on the trigger. "Don't be a fool," Admiral. Skougaard said.

"You're dead yoursel{ if you shoot him. Is that worth it?"

"Yes. I know what he has done. I don't want that sort of thing to ever happen g~'

Thurgood-Smythe walked forward and pushed Dvora to one side, coming on until he was just before the muzzle of the waiting gun.

'All right, Jan, here is your chance. Kill me and get it over with. It won't bring any of the dead back, but it will make you happy. So do it. Because if I live I might be a power in your brave new world; might even run for office in your first democratic election. That would be ironic, wouldn't it?

Thurg()()(1-Smythe, enemy of the peopl~avior of the people-being elected to power by a free choice of the people. So shoot. You can't have enough faith in your new freedom to permit someone like me to live in it, can you? So you, the one who has been so much against killing, will be the first to kill in the new republic. Why-you might even be the first one tried and condemne~ under the new laws~'

There was irony in his voice, but he wasn't smiling as he spoke. If he had been Jan would surely have pulled the trigger. But he didn't. It would have taken just a touch, the slightest pressure and the problem of Thurgood-Smythe would have been ended forever. But matters in-volving Thurgood-Smythe were never so simple.

"Tell me the truth," Jan said, so quietly that none of the others could hear. "Just for once in your life. Had you planned it all this way, or did you just see an opportunity to change sides and make the most of it?

Which was it?"

Thurgood-Smythe looked Jan fully in the eyes as he spoke.

"My dear brother-in-law, telling you anything now would be a complete waste of time. You would not believe me whatever I said. So you will just have to make your mind up on your own for I shan't help you.

He turned about when he had finished speaking, walked slowly away and drew out a chair and seated himself. Jan willed himself to fire. But he could not. Whatever Thurgood-Smythe had done, whatever his rea-sons had been, he had aided them in the end. The liberation of Earth would not have been possible without his help. With sudden insight Jan realized that the victory might have been won in another manner without Thurgood-Smythe's help; but once he had become involved the responsibility had s.h.i.+fted to him.

All choice had been removed. Jan actually smiled as he engaged the safety with his thumb and let the gun slide to the floor.

'All~right, Smitty; this round to you. You are free to go For now. Run for office, do whatever you like.

But don't forget that I am watching. Revert to your bad old ways...

"I know. You will come and find me and kill me. I don't doubt that for a second. So we will just have to let the future take care of itself, won't we?"

Suddenly Jan wanted to get out into the fresh air, to be free of this man, of the very room he was in, to forget him and the past and to look forward to the future. He was not stopped as he turned about and left. He stood outside, drawing in breath after deep breath, wondering at the emotions that tore at him.

Someone was next to him; he turned and saw that it was Dvora. Without thought his arms were about her, holding hervery tight.

"I am going to forget him," Jan said in a fierce whisper. "I'm going to put him from my mind and go home to Halvmork, to my wife, to my people there. There's work to be done."

'And here as well," she said. 'And I'll go back to my husband..."

"You never told me," he said, surprised, holding her at arm's length.

'~ou never asked." She wa~s smiling, brus.h.i.+ng the hair out of her eyes, smearing even more her beautiful but battle-stained face. "I told you that, remember? That between us, it was only chemistry. He's a rabbi, very devout and serious, but a very good pilot as well. He flew one of the planes here. I was very worried about him. The condition of the world has kept us apart too long. Now it is going to draw us together."

Jan found himself laughing, for no reason at all, laughing until tears rolled down his face. He hugged Dvora to him then released her for the last time.

"You're right. It's over and we have to believe that it is over. And we have to work to see that it comes out right for everyone." He looked up into the smoke-filled sky with sudden realization.

'And I'm coming back to Earth. I don't think Alzbeta will like it at first, but she will get used to it in the end. Earth is going to be the center of the worlds as it always has been. I can do the most for Halvm6rk and its people by being right here..."

"You can do the most for everyone. You know Earth and you know the planets and you know what people must have."

"Freedom. They have that now. But it might be even harder to hold than it was to get."

"It always has been," she said. "Read your textbooks. Most revolutions are lost after they have been won."

"Then let us make sure that this one stays won." He looked up at the sky again. "I wish it were night now. I would like to see the stars."

"They are out there. Mankind has gone out to them once and did not do very well. We have a second chance now. Let us see if we can do better this time."

"We had better," Jan said, thinking of the power they had, the weaponry and the infinite ways of dealing death and absolute destruction.

"We must. I doubt if we will have a third chance if we don't get it right this time."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR.

HARRY HARRISON is one of the most successful and respected authors of speculative fiction writing today. In a career that spans over three decades, Harry Harrison has written such novels as Deathworld, Skyfall, Make Room! Make Roonl! and bestsellers such as West of Eden and the Stainless Steel Hat series. Harrison worked as a commercial artist, art director and editor before turning to writing full time.

A past president of the World Science Fiction a.s.sociation, he is also a noted anthologist, editing the acclaimed Nova series and co-editing the highly praised Decade and Year's Best SF volumes with British author Brian Aldiss. Harry Harrison was born in Stamford, Connecticut, and has made his home in Mexico and in several European coun-tries over the years, and now lives in Ireland. He is presently at work on a new novel.