(4/15) The Golden Age of Science Fiction Volume IV: An Anthology of 50 Short Stories

by Various

  "What have you been doing," Pardeau asked, "relative to Karl Lenster?"

  The frightened Hillerman licked his fat lower lip as he sought for words. "Everything--everything possible. But Lenster is clever. You know that. You know that yourself."

  Pardeau's eyes bored into those of the Intelligence Director. They were noted for their icy penetration, but upon this night they were like steel knives. It was as though he surveyed Hillerman from behind the bulwark of some new and hostile information. Even as he stared, Cargill was booming from the rostrum:

  "--Karl Lenster, their peerless leader--"

  And Cargill's voice crackled with the inflections of pure contempt.

  "--a degenerate--a dope addict whose greatness lay only in the realms of his sensual dreams. A weak, pitiful figure bereft of followers, cringing alone in--"

  When Pardeau spoke, his voice held a new sharpness to complement the new ice in his eyes. He said, "In half an hour I am attending a meeting of the Council. They will want a report. What about Lenster?"

  Hillerman looked quickly to right and left, then back at his Chief. He hesitated as though fearing the consequences of what he was about to reveal. "You know of the Wyckoff Chemical Transformation Process--"

  "Certainly I know of it," Pardeau blazed. "What about it?"

  "I--I--" But Hillerman seemed to lose the courage he'd screwed up to continue in this direction. He straightened and a little of the hangdog servility dropped away. "I am doing all that is humanly possible to apprehend Lenster. All that any man could do. The secret jails are full. My interrogators work night and day. Even a superficial check of my records would show that more has been done in the last six months and is being done now than--"

  Pardeau raised an impatient hand, opening a gap of silence into which the voice of Cargill poured.

  "--land in which the voice of dissenter is not heard; in which Lenster and men of his despicable ilk are forever crushed and beaten--"

  Pardeau was scowling. Almost unconsciously he had held the pause, with hand upraised, until Cargill finished his passage. As Cargill stopped for breath, Pardeau jerked his hand down sharply, completing the gesture. "I have no time for any more of this. And I resent having to seek you out. Next time report to my office as is proper and keep me posted as to your activities. Next--"

  Pardeau eyed Hillerman for one blank moment and allowed the threat to reflect clearly that possibly there would not be many more next times. Then he turned and strode swiftly from the foyer.

  * * * * *

  Cargill's voice had hardly faded when he picked it up again on his car radio. It was a foregone conclusion that every radio in the land would be tuned to the lecture. So great was Cargill's popularity that every citizen traveling in a car would wish to hear it and turn on his receiver. It was foolish not to have a radio properly tuned when Cargill spoke. He was saying:

  "--and so under the banner of complete solidarity, we will march forward, a solid phalanx against which no force can stand. Now that our own house is swept clean of vermin--rid forever of carrion like Lenster and his ilk, we can--"

  Pardeau had traveled swiftly through the streets at the high speed reserved for higher servants of the New State. Lesser servants of the New State had learned caution and thus no regrettable deaths or maimings occurred; the lesser servants having grown wary and fleet of foot.

  Pardeau switched off his motor but left his radio blaring. Cargill's voice followed him up the broad steps of the Executive Building and was just fading out when Pardeau was able to pick it up again from the loudspeaker under the great arches.

  He entered the building and traversed the vast foyer to a niche which housed a private elevator. He entered the lift, deserting it on the ninth floor, where he entered an unobtrusive door and joined a group which consisted of the New State's well guarded pool of power and brains.

  There was Blanchard of Finance; Keeley, Director of Foreign Education; Masichek, overlord of the nation's larder, and seven others.

  When Pardeau entered, all conversation stopped and every man looked up from a luxurious overstuffed chair. Pardeau must certainly have swelled inwardly with pride at this unconscious tribute. It was well known that he held a key position on the chessboard of politics. His was in reality the most important job of all. It was to Pardeau that this powerful group of men looked for that which they most treasured--their own personal safety.

  A chair was waiting for Pardeau. He said, "I'm sorry to be late, gentlemen. I have been on a personal tour of inspection. I'm sure you will forgive me however. I have a most interesting report."

  He seated himself, timing the action so it coincided with the ebb of applause coming over the speaker--applause from the loyal multitudes who had just heard Professor Cargill end his lecture. As it was now permissible, Blanchard reached under the table and snapped a button. The speaker went silent.

  "An interesting report?" Keeley asked.

  "Amazingly so," Pardeau said. "I have just unearthed a traitor--a traitor in a high place."

  Every man in the group strove not to react and this striving was in itself a reaction. "Most interesting," Blanchard murmured. "Are you ready to name names?"

  "That is my intention, but in order to forestall a great many questions, let me give you a complete background."

  Leiderman, Ambassador without Portfolio, and very close to the Man of Almost Sacred Name who never attended these meetings, felt strong enough to evince impatience. "The name, man! First the name. Then the details."

  Pardeau smiled coldly. "Very well. The name is, Karl Lenster."

  Leiderman sprang from his chair, his face bordering on purple. "Is this a joke, Pardeau? We all know Lenster is the arch-traitor of our times--the leader of the resistance movement. Talk sense!"

  Pardeau, not in the least disconcerted, smiled coldly. "I'm sorry. Perhaps I should have said Emil Hillerman, my Deputy of Vital Intelligence, the man who holds immeasurable power in his two hands."

  Blanchard was not given to outbursts. But his lips were grim as he said, "We are waiting for you to talk sense, Pardeau."

  "The confusion comes from your not allowing me to tell it as I wished. There is a gap between Lenster and Hillerman; one which--with your permission--I will fill."

  "Talk, man! Talk!"

  "You have all heard of Formula 652, known also as the Wyckoff Chemical Transformation Process."

  There were expressions of both understanding and bewilderment. Noting these, Pardeau said, "For those of you who haven't made a point of looking into the thing, I'll explain. Wyckoff, in case you don't recall, was a chemical engineer of more than average ability who stumbled onto this formula before he died, most regretfully, four years ago, in 1984."

  Leiderman continued to scowl. "We all know each other, Pardeau. Call a spade a spade. Wyckoff was a reactionary scoundrel whom you did away with for reasons of security."

  "Precisely," Pardeau said. "In its essence, the formula is a process for taking over a man's brain--his body--his personality."

  "You mean--"

  Pardeau refused to be interrupted. "We were of the opinion that Wyckoff, though he and Lenster were great friends, was not able to impart his knowledge to the latter. We took him into custody shortly after he perfected the formula and were fortunate in persuading him to give it to us."

  "But he gave it to Lenster also?"

  "We were certain, at the time of his death, that he had not been able to do that--we are still certain."

  Keeley, with a gesture, requested the floor. "I wonder if you could go into a little more detail concerning the formula--for those of us who--"

  "Of course," Pardeau said. "The formula is a combination of six chemicals and the process of transformation is relatively simple, yet highly dangerous to both subjects involved. It means sure death for the proposed host, and if not delicately handled will also result in death for the usurper. The transformation requires three hours to perform. Once completed successfully, the usurper can never return t
o his own body. It must be destroyed. Also, the mentality of the host vanishes after it is pushed from its original brain tissue through the influence of the formula."

  "Then if Wyckoff didn't give the formula to Lenster, it was stolen from our vaults--or wherever it was kept?"

  "Exactly. Certain investigations I have made prove beyond doubt that Lenster got to my Deputy, Hillerman. I never considered Hillerman very bright, but I thought him to be honest and loyal. But beyond all doubt, with his aid, Lenster stole the formula--possibly got it verbally--and used it to take Hillerman's body from him." Pardeau smiled grimly. "Therefore, gentlemen, we have a traitor in a high place. My Deputy of Vital Intelligence."

  * * * * *

  Pardeau sat silent now, seeming to enjoy the fear he had engendered in his colleagues--sat silent until Leiderman said, "You've arrested him of course."

  "No. I have not."

  "Then get at it, man--get at it."

  "I have no intention of arresting Hillerman."

  Leiderman's eyes widened as did those of the rest of the company. But Blanchard, even under the impact of such a bombshell had the presence of mind to glance at his watch. Immediately he snapped on the loudspeaker. The voice of Professor Cargill blared forth:

  "--and upon this anniversary of the New State, we can look with pride upon a clean and wholesome land--"

  It was the rebroadcast, from recordings, of Cargill's speech and no man in his right mind would have refrained from tuning it in because everyone wanted to hear it at least twice.

  Leiderman, almost apoplectic, ignored the speech. "Not arresting him! Are you mad?"

  "I'm quite sane, and the situation is well in hand." Pardeau grinned and there was wickedness in the grin--wickedness and intelligence. "As I said before, Hillerman was not a smart man. His job was too much for him and I would have been faced, soon, with the necessity of replacing him regardless. Lenster, on the other hand, is of grade-A intellect. But, gentlemen, he is frightened--badly frightened in his new environment--and, in order to insure his own safety, is doing an excellent job. Ever since the transformation, that department has gained in efficiency until it now ranks as one of the highest in our entire government."

  Slowly, Pardeau's strategy dawned on the group. Blanchard suddenly smiled. Then Pardeau scowled and went on with a new and sudden ferocity. "I have the proof, and I have Lenster-Hillerman under my palm. So he stays--continues to do a good job for us. But he'll be watched, gentlemen. He won't be able to go to the bathroom without being under surveillance. We will learn a great deal from him. All we need to know."

  "Then you'll arrest him?" the boss of the state larder wanted to know.

  Pardeau came to his feet. His fist slammed down on the table. "I shall not arrest him--ever. When the time comes, I shall personally shoot him down in the street like a dog. There will come a day, gentlemen, when you will witness this act of vengeance--when I shall make such an example of Lenster-Hillerman as the resistance will not forget--a morale-crumbling example, I promise you."

  "--in which Lenster and his ilk are forever crushed and beaten," the speaker said.

  Blanchard took the floor. "Gentlemen--I move a vote of thanks and confidence for our colleague, Neal Pardeau."

  The Director of Public Security stood at attention and assayed a sharp, military bow. It was a moment of rare triumph. "Thank you, gentlemen," he said.

  * * * * *

  An hour later, Lenster-Pardeau was alone in his apartments. He stripped off his uniform with an air of grim satisfaction. While he undressed, he thought of the martyrs to the Cause; the men who had died. He thought of Wyckoff and wished Wyckoff could have had the pleasure of knowing who had usurped the body of Neal Pardeau--Pardeau the Butcher--the infamous Pardeau.

  From the speaker came the third and final rebroadcast of Cargill's speech:

  "--a clean and wholesome land--"

  "A clean and wholesome land," Lenster murmured, and the tone of his voice was a prayer.

  THE END

  * * *

  Contents

  POSTMARK GANYMEDE

  By ROBERT SILVERBERG

  Consider the poor mailman of the future. To "sleet and snow and dead of night"--things that must not keep him from his appointed rounds--will be added, sub-zero void, meteors, and planets that won't stay put. Maybe he'll decide that for six cents an ounce it just ain't worth it.

  "I'm washed up," Preston growled bitterly. "They made a postman out of me. Me--a postman!"

  He crumpled the assignment memo into a small, hard ball and hurled it at the bristly image of himself in the bar mirror. He hadn't shaved in three days--which was how long it had been since he had been notified of his removal from Space Patrol Service and his transfer to Postal Delivery.

  Suddenly, Preston felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up and saw a man in the trim gray of a Patrolman's uniform.

  "What do you want, Dawes?"

  "Chief's been looking for you, Preston. It's time for you to get going on your run."

  Preston scowled. "Time to go deliver the mail, eh?" He spat. "Don't they have anything better to do with good spacemen than make letter carriers out of them?"

  * * * * *

  The other man shook his head. "You won't get anywhere grousing about it, Preston. Your papers don't specify which branch you're assigned to, and if they want to make you carry the mail--that's it." His voice became suddenly gentle. "Come on, Pres. One last drink, and then let's go. You don't want to spoil a good record, do you?"

  "No," Preston said reflectively. He gulped his drink and stood up. "Okay. I'm ready. Neither snow nor rain shall stay me from my appointed rounds, or however the damned thing goes."

  "That's a smart attitude, Preston. Come on--I'll walk you over to Administration."

  * * * * *

  Savagely, Preston ripped away the hand that the other had put around his shoulders. "I can get there myself. At least give me credit for that!"

  "Okay," Dawes said, shrugging. "Well--good luck, Preston."

  "Yeah. Thanks. Thanks real lots."

  He pushed his way past the man in Space Grays and shouldered past a couple of barflies as he left. He pushed open the door of the bar and stood outside for a moment.

  It was near midnight, and the sky over Nome Spaceport was bright with stars. Preston's trained eye picked out Mars, Jupiter, Uranus. There they were--waiting. But he would spend the rest of his days ferrying letters on the Ganymede run.

  He sucked in the cold night air of summertime Alaska and squared his shoulders.

  * * * * *

  Two hours later, Preston sat at the controls of a one-man patrol ship just as he had in the old days. Only the control panel was bare where the firing studs for the heavy guns was found in regular patrol ships. And in the cargo hold instead of crates of spare ammo there were three bulging sacks of mail destined for the colony on Ganymede.

  Slight difference, Preston thought, as he set up his blasting pattern.

  "Okay, Preston," came the voice from the tower. "You've got clearance."

  "Cheers," Preston said, and yanked the blast-lever. The ship jolted upward, and for a second he felt a little of the old thrill--until he remembered.

  He took the ship out in space, saw the blackness in the viewplate. The radio crackled.

  "Come in, Postal Ship. Come in, Postal Ship."

  "I'm in. What do you want?"

  "We're your convoy," a hard voice said. "Patrol Ship 08756, Lieutenant Mellors, above you. Down at three o'clock, Patrol Ship 10732, Lieutenant Gunderson. We'll take you through the Pirate Belt."

  Preston felt his face go hot with shame. Mellors! Gunderson! They would stick two of his old sidekicks on the job of guarding him.

  "Please acknowledge," Mellors said.

  Preston paused. Then: "Postal Ship 1872, Lieutenant Preston aboard. I acknowledge message."

  There was a stunned silence. "Preston? Hal Preston?"

  "The one and only," Preston said.

  "What are
you doing on a Postal ship?" Mellors asked.

  "Why don't you ask the Chief that? He's the one who yanked me out of the Patrol and put me here."

  "Can you beat that?" Gunderson asked incredulously. "Hal Preston, on a Postal ship."

  "Yeah. Incredible, isn't it?" Preston asked bitterly. "You can't believe your ears. Well, you better believe it, because here I am."

  "Must be some clerical error," Gunderson said.

  "Let's change the subject," Preston snapped.

  They were silent for a few moments, as the three ships--two armed, one loaded with mail for Ganymede--streaked outward away from Earth. Manipulating his controls with the ease of long experience, Preston guided the ship smoothly toward the gleaming bulk of far-off Jupiter. Even at this distance, he could see five or six bright pips surrounding the huge planet. There was Callisto, and--ah--there was Ganymede.

  He made computations, checked his controls, figured orbits. Anything to keep from having to talk to his two ex-Patrolmates or from having to think about the humiliating job he was on. Anything to--

  * * * * *

  "Pirates! Moving up at two o'clock!"

  Preston came awake. He picked off the location of the pirate ships--there were two of them, coming up out of the asteroid belt. Small, deadly, compact, they orbited toward him.

  He pounded the instrument panel in impotent rage, looking for the guns that weren't there.

  "Don't worry, Pres," came Mellors' voice. "We'll take care of them for you."

  "Thanks," Preston said bitterly. He watched as the pirate ships approached, longing to trade places with the men in the Patrol ships above and below him.

  Suddenly a bright spear of flame lashed out across space and the hull of Gunderson's ship glowed cherry red. "I'm okay," Gunderson reported immediately. "Screens took the charge."

  Preston gripped his controls and threw the ship into a plunging dive that dropped it back behind the protection of both Patrol ships. He saw Gunderson and Mellors converge on one of the pirates. Two blue beams licked out, and the pirate ship exploded.