”Oh?” Kahl was chewing on the leg of a bird. ”He's been doing prettygood as it is, hasn't he?”
”Much better than I would have thought,” Carter admitted. ”The problemsof waging a war completely off from contact with home are great.Lines of supply, communication--these are all vital to the successfulcampaign. I've got a few ideas on these subjects, too. After all, thereis a limit to how much may be withdrawn from an occupied area--if youstill want to have that area useful to you in the future. A very wiseman in my country once said that an army travels on its stomach. Theplans Zants has been discussing with me for his next campaign call fora very large army.”
”You know,” said Kahl, ”at the rate we're going, it won't be longbefore your country is part of my country.”
”I'm afraid that'll take a while yet.” He laughed. ”Although there hasnever been a nation in history with so much territory under its directrule. Your name will live as the monarch of this country alone, nomatter what you might do on your own.”
Events were moving fast on the planet--almost faster than Carterwanted. Already the lands under Kahl's rule amounted to nearly fiftyper cent of the known areas of the world. At the rate things weresnowballing, it wouldn't be long before his primary objective ofplanetary unification were achieved--thousands of years ahead of time,if events had been permitted to follow their natural course.
Of course, there would be delays and setbacks all along the way.Subsidiary objectives would always be getting in the way, must alwaysbe considered along with other plans. But even so, things were off toa good start. Although he might not live to see the complete fruitionof all of his plans, Carter knew that this world was well on its waytowards galactic citizenship.
* * * * *
”There's a great deal of satisfaction in being a power behind thethrone.” Reilly grinned. ”However, if any of you have a particular yentoward such power, it's only fair to tell you now that our screening isthe most thorough ever devised. And it is constantly being improved. Noman is ever placed in a position where his weaknesses might prove thebetter of him.
”This is not to say that a man might not find himself in a positionwhere he will be called on to do more than his utmost. It's surprisingjust how much a man can do, when he finds out he has no otherchoice....”
VI
The counterfeit Lund reached the bank of elevators a half-dozen runningpaces ahead of the just-coming-to-life audience. He gestured, and theoperator closed the door in their faces.
During the long descent to the street, Lund stripped off his clothesand did things to his face while the operator shoved the discardedcostume into an access panel. Then he gave the now-slim little man aboost up through the roof of the cage and let himself be helped up.
”Thank God for tradition,” the man who had been known as Lund saidwhen he helped the other man up. Stripping off his uniform jacketand reversing it changed the other's appearance. The elevator slowedautomatically for the ground floor. Word had been flashed down from theConference hall, but when the waiting monitors surged into the openingelevator before it had quite eased to a stop, they found nothing at all.
Overhead, the two men threaded their way through a maze of cables andonto the roof of the next cab. It dropped under them, then stoppedhalfway between floors while they climbed down. The new operator eyedthem, but said nothing while they brushed each other off. At a signalfrom the small man, the cab continued its interrupted drop, lettingthem out on the sub-surface shopping level.
The corridors of the level were full of running figures, most of themheading towards the elevator banks. No one paid the newly arrived pairany attention at all, although the powder-blue uniforms of the monitorspredominated.
The two men strode briskly down the corridor until they came to a sidepassage lined with small shops that featured the specialized productsof the various members of the Conference. They stopped in front of onedisplaying gadgets from Ehrla, then entered while the counterfeit Lundpurchased a perpetual razor, having it giftwrapped. Then they wanderedfurther, acting now like the average sightseer, until they reached aflorist's shop set in an alcove at the end of the passage.
They entered, saw that there were no other customers, nodded to thesalesman and continued on to the back.
”Dale!” The waiting pair leaped to their feet and spoke as one. ”Wethought you weren't going to make it!”
”I didn't think so myself,” said Dale Vernon, the slim little man. ”IfDic hadn't been there right on schedule, there'd be nothing left of mebut a few bloody shreds. Those people were _mad_!” His voice showedrespect for the strength of their emotions. ”What's the news?”
”The Park monitors found the real Lund about twenty minutes ago.”
”Good timing. Any sooner, and the fun upstairs would have beendifferent.”
”And you know who is screaming for the dissolving of the Conference.”
”So soon?”
”They, uh, you might say had an inside lead as to what was going tohappen.”
”It's a little early to tell,” added the other man, ”but apparently theoperation was a success. The proper wheels have been set in motion,at least. We'll have to keep applying grease from time to time in thenext forty-eight hours, but I think we can forget about the Ehrlanproblem--during this conference, at least. Ten years from now, they'llhave an entirely different set of plans for the reformation of thegalaxy. And we'll have to come up with an entirely different way ofcrossing them.”
* * * * *
”Do-gooders!” snorted the first man.
”You must admit, they have the best of intentions,” said Vernon.
”But intentions aren't enough,” added the other. ”Man is an imperfectcreature at best, and his best is a rare occurrence indeed. We have todeal with practicalities. Perfection is beyond us, and we'd be idiotsto try and enforce it. That's the basic difference between us and theEhrlans--we know what we can and can't do. They know only what theywould like to do. And that makes them the most dangerous force loosein the galaxy today.”
* * * * *
”To sum it up,” said Reilly, getting up and going to the window, ”oursis not a life of glory and fame.” Another battalion marched out ontothe field below and began the familiar maneuvers. ”We work hard andreceive little thanks--if, indeed, we receive any thanks at all. Thelife is strenuous. The work is demanding. And over all of us rides theconstant specter of failure, for we are not perfect. Nor do we want tobe.
”It is a lonely life for some: it is a short life for others. But forall of us, it's something more.” He turned and faced the boys again.”It is the chance to be something more than just a man, for a man is aselfish creature. And it is the most rewarding life I know.
”Any questions, gentlemen?”
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