expression on the military facadeaffected by that gentleman.
"For if wisdom _were_ completely synonymous with intelligence," theobese Chairman continued, relishing his exposition, "you would be arival to myself, and consequently would be--disposed of--anyway!"
Such a tingle shot up Gibson's spine that he was sure he must havejumped.
"_Anyway?_" he repeated huskily. His mouth suddenly seemed dry.
Chairman Diamond smiled out of the telescreen, so broadly that Gibsonwas unpleasantly affected by the sight of his small, gleaming, whiteteeth.
"Put it this way," he suggested suavely. "Your highly trained mindobserved, correlated, and memorized the most intricate data andmathematics, meanwhile guiding your social relations with your formercolleagues so as to remain unsuspected while stealing their mostcherished secret. Such a feat demonstrates ability and intelligence."
Gibson tried to lick his lips, and could not, despite the seemingfairness of the words. He sensed a pulsing undercurrent of cruelty andcynicism.
"On the other hand," the mellow voice flowed on, "having received theinformation, being able to use it effectively now without you, andknowing that you betrayed _once_--I shall simply discard you like an oldmessage blank. _That_ is an act of wisdom.
"Had you chosen your course more wisely," he added, "your position mightbe stronger."
By the time Arnold Gibson regained his voice, the Centaurian autocratwas already giving instructions to Colonel Korman. The scientist stroveto interrupt, to attract the ruler's attention even momentarily.
Neither paid him any heed, until he shouted and tried frenziedly toshove the soldier from in front of the telescreen. Korman backhanded himacross the throat without looking around, with such force that Gibsonstaggered back and fell.
He lay, half-choking, grasping his throat with both hands until he couldbreathe. The colonel continued discussing his extinction withoutemotion.
"... so if Your Excellency agrees, I would prefer taking him back toNessus first, for the sake of the morale factor here. Some of them areso addled now at having been caught chasing up wrong alleys that theycan hardly work."
Apparently the Chairman agreed, for the screen was blank when thecolonel reached down and hauled Gibson to his feet.
"Now, listen to me carefully!" he said, emphasizing his order with aringing slap across Gibson's face. "I shall walk behind you with myblaster drawn. If you make a false move, I shall not kill you."
Gibson stared at him, holding his bleeding mouth.
"It will be much worse," Korman went on woodenly. "Imagine what it willbe like to have both feet charred to the bone. You would have to crawlthe rest of the way to the ship; _I_ certainly would not considercarrying you!"
In a nightmarish daze, Gibson obeyed the cold directions, and walkedslowly along the underground corridors of the Centaurian researchlaboratories. He prayed desperately that someone--anyone--might comealong. _Anybody_ who could possibly be used to create a diversion, or tobe pushed into Korman and his deadly blaster.
The halls remained deserted, possibly by arrangement.
_Maybe I'd better wait till we reach his ship_, Gibson thought. _I oughtto be able to figure a way before we reach Nessus. I had the brains tofool Haas and ..._
He winced, recalling Chairman Diamond's theory of the difference betweenintelligence and wisdom.
_The obscene swine!_ he screamed silently.
Colonel Korman grunted warningly, and Gibson took the indicated turn.
They entered the spaceship from an underground chamber, and Gibsonlearned the reason for his executioner's assurance when the latterchained him to one of the pneumatic acceleration seats. The chain wasfragile in appearance, but he knew he would not be free to move untilKorman so desired.
_More of their insane brand of cleverness!_ he reflected. _That's thesort of thing they do succeed in thinking of. They're all crazy! Why didI ever ..._
But he shrank from the question he feared to answer. To drag out intothe open his petty, selfish reasons, shorn of the tinsel glamor ofso-called "service" and "progress," would be too painful.
* * * * *
After the first series of accelerations, he roused himself from hisbeaten stupor enough to note that Korman was taking a strange course forreaching Nessus. Then, entirely too close to the planet and itssatellites to ensure accuracy, the colonel put the ship into subspacedrive.
Korman leaned back at the conclusion of the brief activity on hiscontrol board, and met Gibson's pop-eyed stare.
"Interesting, the things worth knowing," he commented. "How to make aweapon, for instance, or whether your enemy has it yet."
He almost smiled at his prisoner's expression.
"Or even better: knowing exactly how far your enemy has progressed andhow fast he can continue, whether to stop him immediately or whether youcan remain a step ahead."
"B-but--if both sides are irresistible ..." Gibson stammered.
Korman examined him contemptuously.
"No irresistible weapon exists, or ever will!" he declared. "Only anirresistible _process_--the transmission of secrets! You are livingproof that no safeguards can defend against _that_."
He savored Gibson's silent discomfort.
"I am sure you know how far and how fast the Centaurian scientists willgo, Gibson, since I guided you to every laboratory in that plant. Yourmemory may require some painful jogging when we reach the Solar System;_but remember you shall_!"
"But you--you were ordered to ..."
"You didn't think I was a Centaurian, did you?" sneered Korman. "After Ijust explained to you _what_ is really irresistible?"
THE END
Transcriber's Note:
This etext was produced from _If Worlds of Science Fiction_ July 1953. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed. Minor spelling and typographical errors have been corrected without note.
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