anyone believe thestory now? There are a hundred more likely ways in which a Geest guncould have got to Roye. The gun is tangible evidence of the hoax, butthat's all."
Phil asked, "Does anybody ... including the cautious gentlemen in thecar over there ... disagree with that?"
There was silence again. Phil shrugged, turned towards the cliff edge,drew his arm back and hurled the Geest gun far up and out above the sea.Still without speaking, the others turned their heads to watch it falltowards the water, then looked back at him.
"I didn't think very much of that possibility myself," Phil saidunsteadily. "But one of you might have. All right--_we_ know the Geestsknow we're here. But we won't be able to convince anyone else of it.And, these last few years, the war seems to have been slowing downagain. In the past, that's always meant the Geests were preparing a bignew surprise operation.
"So the other thing now--the business of getting off Roye. It can't bedone unless some of you have made prior arrangements for it Earthside.If it had been possible in any other way, I'd have been out of thisplace ten years ago."
Ronald Black said carefully, "Very unfortunately, Boles, no sucharrangements have been made."
"Then there it is," Phil said. "I suppose you see now why I thought thisgroup should get together. The ten masterminds! Well, we've hoaxedourselves into a massive jam. Now let's find out if there's any possibleway--_any possibility at all!_--of getting out of it again."
A voice spoke tinnily from Jackson's lapel communicator. "MajorJackson?"
"Yes?" Jackson said.
"Please persuade Miss Adams that it is no longer necessary to point hergun at this car. In view of the stated emergency, we feel we had bettercome out now--and join the conference."
* * *
FROM THE RECORDS OF THE TERRITORIAL OFFICE, 2345 A.D.
... It is generally acknowledged that the Campaign of the 132nd Segmentmarked the turning point of the Geest War. Following the retransfer ofColonel Silas Thayer to Earth, the inspired leadership of Major WayneJackson and his indefatigable and exceptionally able assistants, notablyCLU President Boles, transformed the technically unfortified and thinlysettled key world of Roye within twelve years into a virtual death trapfor any invading force. Almost half of the Geest fleet which eventuallyarrived there was destroyed in the first week subsequent to the landing,and few of the remaining ships were sufficiently undamaged to be able tolift again. The enemy relief fleet, comprising an estimated forty percent of the surviving Geest space power, was intercepted in the 134thSegment by the combined Earth forces under Admiral McKenna's command andvirtually annihilated.
In the following two years ...
Transcriber's Note:
This etext was produced from _Analog_ August 1962. 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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