Mack Reynolds - Earth Unaware

“Yes, sir,” they both said. Yardborough left.

“What the devil goes on?” Ed demanded.

Johnson seemed impressed. “You’re the first ‘A’ priority we turned up,” he said.

“Oh, great,” Ed snapped. “What’s ‘A’ priority mean?”

“Search me,” the other told him.

He waited possibly half an hour before a jittery looking type issued forth from one of the several inner offices that opened off the reception room, and called, “Edward Wonder?”

Ed stood up. His two guards came to attention.

The newcomer approached. “You’re Wonder?”

“That’s right.”

“Come with me.” Even as they walked into the inner sanctum, the other was scanning the report and Ed’s three clippings. The guards stayed behind.

There were two desks inside, the second occupied by an army major who had discarded his tunic which hung over the back of a chair, and had loosened his tie. He looked as if he hadn’t slept for quite a while.

The jittery looking type said, “I’m Bill Oppenheimer. This is Major Leonard Davis. You’ve been turned over to us as an ‘A’ priority.”

Even as he spoke he had tossed the report and clippings to Major Davis, who began tiredly perusing them.

Oppenheimer bent over an intercom on his desk and rapped, “I have here in my office a Mr. Edward Wonder of Kingsburg, New York. I want an immediate complete on him. Send a team.” He flicked off the intercom and turned back to Ed. “Sit down,” he said emptily.

Ed said, “What in the devil’s ‘A’ priority?”

“Somebody who thinks he knows what caused TV and radio to go haywire.”

“Why don’t you add movies?” Ed said. He was still confused. The curves were coming too fast for him to assimilate.

The army man looked up from the papers. He snapped, “We thought them separate phenomenon!”

“Well, they aren’t,” Ed told him definitely.

Oppenheimer sat on the edge of his desk and sighed. “Thus far, Mr. Wonder, the major and I have interviewed some three hundred persons in this office. All of them thought they knew the reason for the disruption of the air waves. All of them had been passed on to us as ‘A’ priority. Now, will you please tell us your story, in detail. As much detail as possible.”

The major snorted and tossed the dippings and report to his desk. “First, what was that crack about the movies?”

Ed said, “The same thing that caused TV and radio to go on the blink is the cause of the movies failing to project correctly.” He added. “For that matter, it’s also the cause of the Homespun Look fad.”

The major flicked a switch and said into his intercom, “Immediate action. It has been suggested that the failure of cinema is connected with TV and radio phenomenon. Will communicate further in due course.” He flicked the switch again. “All right,” he said to Ed Wonder. “The complete story.”

Ed told it to them, in all the details they wanted. He brought it right up to the last, and the disappearance of Buzz De Kemp.

When he had finished they continued to goggle him for a long silent moment.

Finally, Bill Oppenheimer coughed, as though apologetically. He said to the major, “What’d you think, Lenny?”

The major knuckled his chin and twisted his mouth. “I just gave up thinking,” he said. “I’ve heard everything, so now I don’t have to think any more.”

Ed was irritated. “Oh, funnies we get,” he said. “Big joke.”

Oppenheimer said, hopefully, “You think we ought to just throw him out?”

“I didn’t ask to come here,” Ed growled. “I was kidnaped.” They ignored him. The major shook his head and said, “We can’t throw him out. We can’t throw anybody out until we’ve checked the story through all ways from Tuesday.” He flicked his desk switch again and said, “If any of the following haven’t already had pickups, get them. Also immediate completes on all. This is an ‘AA’ priority. Buzz De Kemp, Jensen Fontaine, Helen Fontaine, Matthew Mulligan, Ezekiel Joshua Tubber. Yes, I said Ezekiel Joshua Tubber. And Nefertiti Tubber. All are from Kingsburg, New York, except the last two, last seen in Saugerties.”

Oppenheimer sighed and spoke into his own intercom. “Alice, the tape we just cut. Do it up immediately. Fifty copies. The usual distribution. It’s an ‘AA’ now. He sticks to his story.”

They both looked back at Ed Wonder, wordlessly for the moment.

The major opened his mouth to say something. Then he closed it again.

Oppenheimer said, without inflection, “Hexes.”

The intercom on the major’s desk reported something. The major’s eyebrows went up. “Send it in immediately.”

Within moments a messenger entered, deposited two copies of a report on the desks, hurried out again.

Ignoring Ed Wonder, the two read.

Oppenheimer looked up. His eyes went to Major Davis. “Crash priority?”

“Yes.” The major came to his feet, reached for his tunic, changed his mind. Then, in his shirt sleeves, tie still loose, he headed for the door. He said to Ed Wonder. “Come along.” Ed shrugged, got up and followed him. Oppenheimer brought up the rear, carrying the papers pertaining to Ed and the new report as well.

In the reception room, Johnson and Stevens shot to their feet and came forward.

The major said, “You’re Mr. Wonder’s guards?”

“Yes, sir.”

The major beckoned to two of the other guards present. “You’re released from your present assignment. You’ll help guard Mr. Wonder. With your lives, if necessary. This is crash priority.”

“Yes, sir.” All four of the guards brushed back coattails so that quick draw holsters were revealed on their hips, and now instantly available.

“What the devil,” Ed protested. He was ignored.

“Come along,” the major said again, and led the way. This time they ascended to the above floor. The bustle here was considerably less. They went through this hall, through that. Finally winding up before a door where a guard stood. As they approached, his hand went to his gun and remained there until the major and Oppenheimer identified themselves.

Oppenheimer said to him, “Another guest. There are six of you now. You’ll take it in shifts. One man outside, one in at all times. I’ll send lientenant Edmonds to arrange details. Until he turns up, all six of you stand by.”

He got a chorus of yes sirs , then opened the door and led the way inside. It was a lavish suite.

Buzz De Kemp looked up from the chair in which he was sitting reading a paperback novel. He grinned, took his stogie from his mouth and said, “Hi, Little Ed. So they picked you up too.”

Ed Wonder was beyond surprise by now. He sat down on the couch and closed his eyes.

Oppenheimer and the major looked at the newspaperman. The former said, “We’ve just read your report on the Tubber affair. Largely, you corroborate what Wonder has just told us. That ups you from ‘AA’ priority to crash.”

“Well, good for us,” Buzz beamed. “How many other crash prforities are there?”

“Several hundred, at least, in the United Welfare States. How many in England, Common Europe and the Soviet Complex, I’d have to check again to find out. Possibly by this time the Allied Neutral States have gotten underway as well.”

Buzz whistled silently. “This thing is getting really big.”

“It’s as big as a war,” the major said flatly.

Ed was beginning to adjust. He said peevishly, “When do we eat around here? If I’ve got to be a prisoner, I ought to be fed once in a while.”

Oppenheimer said to him. “You’re not a prisoner. You’re a volunteer, working for the government.”

“There’s a difference?”

“We’ll get in touch with you shortly.”