Гарри Гаррисон - To The Stars

“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-Smythe’s mouth lifted slightly.

“Don’t sound so hopeful, Jan. The blood is not mine. It belongs to an associate, now dead, who attempted to interfere with my plans. Auguste Blanc the director — former director I should say — of this space center. He countermanded orders of mine to the defending fleet.”

“The ships 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 embarrassing.”

“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 bloodstained 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 missile control without sabotage or damage,” General Blonstein said. “He had the missiles fired that took out the ships that were attacking you. He is now negotiating the surrender. He has been invaluable to our cause.

The submachinegun 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 yourself 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 ag—” 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? Thurgood-Smythe, enemy of the people, savior 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 condemned 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 involving 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 reasons 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 shifted 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 her very 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.

“You never asked.” She was smiling, brushing 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.