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.Theofficer thrust him into a crowded room.The place looked more like a cave than an office.It also stank.Generals in red uniforms were sitting in chairs around the rough rock walls.In the recorded strips of thismeeting they look just like Manco Devils.Lombar Hisst was sitting behind a desk, also uniformed in red.He was turned sideways, watching a staffofficer with a remote control in his hand who was electronically chasing an orange arrow around on aprojected map."This is Omaha" the staff officer said."According to earlier intelligence advices, it is a sort of militarynerve center.Estimates are that it will take a million men, after it is occupied, to hold the position and fanout eastward.""A million men!" commented a general."That means no supplementary reserve.""Well, if we are denied the right to simply bomb New York.""That has to be denied," said Hisst."It would obliterate the installations that must be seized in operationalcondition in New Jersey.That requires a solely infantry approach, moving through cities on a slaughterGenerated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlbasis.Are you afraid of casualties?" he asked the first general with a sneer."No," said the first general."I was simply hoping that some way the Army could be coerced intoparticipation.We only have about four million troops.When distribution to other continents isexamined.""We could simply concentrate on the United States," said another general."No, no, no," said a general with artillery badges."There are more than twelve nations that are nucleararmed, according to reports.Failure to make this an infantry action on all continents could result in somehysterical nuclear involvement.If the objectives of the chief are to be attained, we have to prevent theiruse of hydrogen bombs from one country to another across oceans.I think you would find the objectiveareas totally contaminated and unusable."An aide bent over Lombar, "Your Excellency, the Earthman has finally arrived."All eyes swivelled to Madison.(To do him justice, he might not have understood completely that whatwas under discussion was an invasion of Earth, for the meeting transcripts do not, of course, give internalthoughts of those speaking.Madison's own logs shed no light on this.)The general of artillery was the one who spoke."What is the range and thermal penetration potential ofan MX3 missile?"Madison said, "I'm sorry.I don't have it at my fingertips.But I don't think it's much to be worried about.The full project was, if I recall, challenged by the General Accounting Office because of cost overrunsand was suspended.I remember reading about it.""Ha!" said the artillery general."Good man.So that's a system we don't have to worry about.Now whatabout the satellite killers? Those could be used against spaceships.""Well, only the Russians developed those.They received a lot of TV coverage.So I should think that ifyou avoided the sky-space over Russia, they would be no problem.""Aha!" said the artillery general."Show us this Russia,"Madison walked up to the front of the cave and with a "With your permission" took the remote from thestaff officer.He mastered it and the projector began to throw up Earth maps.He found Russia andshowed them.(Madison would not have known, since it had happened after his departure, that there wasno Russia now.)Hisst moved restively.He glared at the generals."All right, you can go and wrangle someplace else now.But get a general operational plan on this desk by tomorrow!"They rose and their aides got their papers together and they left.Lombar, after a bit, became aware thatMadison was still there."You've been dismissed!" said Hisst."I wanted to see you about Gris," said Madison."Gris, Gris, Gris! Well, (BLEEP) Gris! He's the one who is the cause of all this trouble!"Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html"Could I ask what all this trouble is?" said Madison."Amphetamines! Intelligence!" shouted Hisst."If the sun didn't rise tomorrow and I investigated, I canpromise you it would lead to Gris! The Blixo, on its last arrival, should have brought amphetamines.Itdidn't.Now there has not been one freighter since! He never kept his intelligence reports up and nowwe're going blind.""I can get him!" said Madison.That got through to Hisst.But he shook his head."I've sent three assassins into the Royal prison.Gris is still alive! It's impossible.""You don't want him dead," said Madison."You want him talking.""He let Heller get away from him," said Lombar in his usual disconnected way."I'm going to kill him!""I can get Heller, too," said Madison."Heller has turned all Earth against me," said Hisst."I am certain that right this minute Heller is racingthrough the streets of that planet screaming at the people to attack me! He's a scourge! The Army andthe Fleet won't make the slightest effort to smash him!""Please," said Madison."Let's open up our coats.Is there some reason you don't want Gris to talk?"The unpredictable Lombar suddenly broke out laughing.Madison did note later that, with Lombar, hevery often felt like he was dealing with someone who was quite insane."Did you set Gris up some way?" pursued Madison.Lombar was still laughing.Finally he said, "If I were ever accused of anything, nothing could be proved.Every order that ever went to Blito-P3, every shipment that ever came from there, bears only the nameof Soltan Gris.He stamped his life away!""Then you wouldn't mind if Gris came to trial?""What's a trial got to do with it?"Madison said, "A trial that was public, that was reported in the media.Blow by blow.""That's a funny idea.""You can even try him first in the media and then he's certain to be found guilty in the court.That's theproper way to do these things.""How strange.""You'd emerge the hero," said Madison."It would help build your image.""Oh, trials have nothing to do with this," said Hisst, suddenly looking angry."My problem is how to getGenerated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlthe Army and Fleet cooperating.""Is that very vital?" said Madison."He asks me if that's vital," Lombar asked an invisible spectator who wasn't there."I'd have to withdrawthe whole Apparatus from Calabar to invade Earth.At least the Army and Fleet could take over there!""You need the cooperation of the Army and Fleet," said Madison."I CAN GET THEM FOR YOU!"Lombar stopped.Finally he said, "How?""Let me have all the files and witnesses on Gris.I will get him into the press and on trial.Then I will gethim to accuse Heller [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]