There Will Be War
Volume II
edited by Jerry Pournelle
Published by Castalia House
Kouvola, Finland
www.castaliahouse.com
This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise—without prior written permission of the publisher, except as provided by Finnish copyright law.
The stories in this collection are works of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, and/or events is purely coincidental.
Editor: Jerry Pournelle
Technical Editor, 2015 Edition: Eric Pobirs
Cover Art: Lars Braad Andersen
Version 001
Copyright © 1984, 2015 by Jerry Pournelle
All rights reserved
The stories contained herein were first published and copyrighted as follows:
THE WEAPON by Fredric Brown. First appeared in Astounding Science Fiction in 1951. Copyright © 1951 by Street and Smith Publications. Published by arrangement with the Scott Meredith Literary Agency, Inc.
TIME LAG by Poul Anderson was first published in the January 1961 issue of the Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Reprinted by permission of the author. Copyright © 1961 by Mercury Press, Inc.
THE TECHNOLOGICAL WAR by Stefan T. Possony and Jerry E. Pournelle. This essay first appeared in the book THE STRATEGY OF TECHNOLOGY published in 1970. This is a substantially different version and published here for the first time. Published by arrangement with the authors. Copyright © 1970 and 1983 by Stefan T. Possony and J.E. Pournelle.
MANUAL OF OPERATIONS by Jerry Pournelle was first published in the April 1974 issue of Vertex Magazine. Published by arrangement with the author and the author’s agent Blassingame, McCauley & Wood. Copyright © 1974 by Mankind Publications and Copyright © 1983 by J.E. Pournelle.
ENDER’S GAME by Orson Scott Card was first published in the August 1977 issue of Analog Science Fiction/Fact Magazine. Copyright©1977 by Conde Nast Publications, Inc.
‘CASTER by Eric Vinicoff was first published in Rigel. It appears here by special permission of the author. Copyright © 1982 by Aesir Press.
PROUD LEGIONS by T.R. Fehrenbach appeared previously in THIS KIND OF WAR. Copyright © 1963 by T.R. Fehrenbach.
…AND BABY MAKES THREE by Doan Van Toai. This essay was previously published in the October 1st issue of National Review. Copyright © 1982 by National Review, Inc.
IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER by Edward P. Hughes appeared in the September 1980 issue of the Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction. It appears here by special arrangement with the author. Copyright © 1980 by Mercury Press, Inc.
SUPERIORITY by Arthur C. Clarke appeared in the August 1951 issue of Fantasy & Science Fiction. This work appears by permission of the author and the author’s agent, the Scott Meredith Literary Agency, Inc. Copyright © 1951 by Fantasy House, Inc.
FINAL MUSTER by Rick Rubin was previously published in the May 1961 Fantasy & Science Fiction. Copyright © 1961 by Mercury Press.
PARABLE OF THE PHANTOM LIMB by Edward C. Garrett appears here for the first time. Copyright © 1983 by Edward C. Garrett.
FORBIDDEN LINES by Robert Frazier is reprinted by permission of the author and appears here for the first time. Copyright © 1983 by Robert Frazier.
THE NEW WEATHER by Steve Rasnic Tern first appeared in Space and Time #54 in January 1980. DIRECTIONS FOR KILLING THE AUTOMATED HOUSE by Steve Rasnic Tern originally appeared in Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine in the June 8, 1981 issue. Copyright © 1980 and 1981 by Steve Rasnic Tern.
ON THE SHADOW OF A PHOSPHOR SCREEN by William F. Wu appeared previously in Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine, 1979. Copyright © 1979 by the Davis Publications, Inc.
CINCINNATUS by Joel Rosenberg appears here by permission of the author. Copyright © 1983 by Joel Rosenberg.
CODE-NAME FEIREFITZ by David Drake appears here in its first publication. Copyright © 1983 by David Drake.
ALLAMAGOOSA by Eric Frank Russell was first printed in the May 1955 Astounding Science Fiction. It appears here by special arrangement with the Scott Meredith Literary Agency, Inc. Copyright © 1955 by Street & Smith.
MERCENARIES AND MILITARY VIRTUE by Jerry Pournelle first appeared in HAMMER’S SLAMMERS by David Drake as the introduction. This is a substantially different version. Copyright©1980 and 1982 by J. E. Pournelle.
PEACEKEEPER by J.E. Pournelle has not been previously published and appears here by arrangement with the author and the author’s agent, Blassingame, McCauley & Wood. Copyright © 1983 by J.E. Pournelle.
For Jenny, my favorite captain.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Cover
Contents
Preface
Preface 2015
The Weapon, Fredric Brown
Time Lag, Poul Anderson
The Technological War, Stefan T. Possony and Jerry Pournelle
Manual of Operations, Jerry Pournelle
’Caster, Eric Vinicoff
Proud Legions, T.R. Fehrenbach
...And Baby Makes Three, Doan Van Toai
In the Name of the Father, Edward P. Hughes
Superiority, Arthur C. Clarke
Final Muster, Rick Rubin
Poems, Edward C. Garrett, Robert Frazier, and Steve Rasnic Tern
On the Shadow of a Phosphor Screen, William Wu
Cincinnatus, Joel Rosenberg
Code-Name Feirefitz, David Drake
Allamagoosa, Eric Frank Russell
Peacekeeper, Jerry Pournelle
Riding the Red Horse, ed. Tom Kratman and Vox Day
The History of Strategy, Martin van Creveld
Books by Jerry Pournelle
Castalia House
New Releases
Notes
PREFACE
To Provide For The Common Defense
“WE THE PEOPLE of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
In the hot summer of 1787 a remarkably talented group of men met in Philadelphia to institutionalize the first—and in some ways the last—real revolution in history. The Framers set out their goals in the Preamble. Now that we’re approaching the 200th anniversary of the Convention of 1787, it’s appropriate to see how well they accomplished what they set out to do.
The first goal, a more perfect Union, seems secured, although it took the bloodiest war in our history to prove it. Not long ago, few would have doubted their success with the others. Now things don’t seem quite so certain.
It would be interesting to look at what we’ve done to justice, domestic tranquility, general welfare, and the blessings of liberty. Liberty, in particular, was a primary goal of the Framers. However—important as the other goals may be, if we cannot provide for the common defense, we will not survive to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Philadelphia Constitution.
When I was young, defense was not a real problem. There was no realistic possibility of invasion, from this continent or any other. Indeed, we could have survived quite comfortably without any overseas contacts at all. As a maritime nation we had some interest in “freedom of the seas”, but
those interests could be protected by naval forces. There was no need for a large peacetime army.
In those days it was easy to provide for the common defense, and Congress was able to do so. There were plenty of debates on whether it was done well. There were more debates and much acrimony when we adopted peacetime conscription prior to World War II. Whatever we did, though, could only affect the security of others. The United States was never at hazard, nor was world survival at risk.
We all know things have changed. Now not only the blessings of liberty, but our posterity themselves, are threatened.
Simply put: forget how well or how badly the Congress is doing with justice, and welfare, and liberty. Can it provide for the common defense?
Most of the evidence says no.
In the early 1960’s, the Ballistic Systems Division of the US Air Force Systems Command began Project 75. This study pulled together into one document everything known and predictable about ballistic missile technology: structures, guidance, accuracy, warheads, yields, basing, security, command and control, and communications.
Project 75 examined every then-foreseeable question of strategic deterrence. It looked at basing options. It examined multiple-warhead technology and multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles (MIRVs). It looked into hypothetical circumstances: given that the Soviets have such-and-such capability, what does this do to our force requirements, and what must we do now to meet various threats in the future.
Jerry Pournelle
Hollywood, 1984
Preface to the 2015 Reissue
When Volume I of There Will Be War was originally published the Cold War was upon us, and many assumed that Communism would eventually prevail in the global conflict; but even if the Communist World was not victorious most assumed that the best we could expect was stalemate. Henry Kissinger thought that détente—an accommodation with the USSR—was the best we could expect, and convinced President Nixon. I had conceived of the CoDominium, an uneasy alliance between Russia and the United States, avoiding central nuclear war but allowing war on the periphery as one possible end of that strategy.
When this book was first published, people were still building fall-out shelters, and when Ronald Reagan scrapped détente for a more aggressive approach based on economic realism, many were certain that the Soviet Union would not collapse without violence, with millions killed in the death spasm. When the USSR fell quietly the effect was startling. Few had expected it to be so sudden. The Guards Regiments had their tanks surrounding, and threatening, the Capitol Building of the Russian Soviet Republic (the White Palace) and its president, Boris Yeltsin. Junior officers of the USSR Guards persuaded their colonel to go inside and meet President Yeltsin. When he emerged, the tanks rotated 180 degrees to face away from the building, protecting it rather than threatening it, and the USSR was quietly ended.
Western intellectuals rejoiced, and published nonsense proclaiming the end of history. World Peace was upon us. The There Will Be War anthology series ended after nine volumes despite its surprisingly large sales. And the United States engaged in wars in the Middle East and the Balkans, at one point confronting Russia, historic protector of the Slavs, by taking the side of the Albanian and Bosnian Moslems. The First Gulf War ended well, but the precedent was established. A decade later the US engaged in the longest war in her history. It is not ended as I write this. The Second Gulf War has not ended, and the collapse of Hussein’s Baathist Iraq has spawned a new candidate to proclaim itself The Caliphate.
The People’s Republic of China is building a blue water navy, and its operatives move in both Chinese and Russian Turkestan. Current negotiations appear to make inevitable the Iranian acquisition of nuclear weapons. The millennium long war between Shiite and Sunni Moslems flares up again.
There Will Be War.
Jerry Pournelle
Hollywood, 2015
Editor's Introduction to:
THE WEAPON
by Fredric Brown
The late Fredric Brown was an important writer of short fiction. He was best known as a mystery writer. Sometimes classified as an “absurdist” writer, Brown’s best known novel is Martians Go Home!, in which the men from Mars really do turn out to be little green men.
This story raises questions that it cannot answer. How do you put the djinni back in the bottle? And what happens if you cannot…
THE WEAPON
by Fredric Brown
The room was quiet in the dimness of early evening. Dr. James Graham, key scientist of a very important project, sat in his favorite chair, thinking. It was so still that he could hear the turning of pages in the next room as his son leafed through a picture book.
Often Graham did his best work, his most creative thinking, under these circumstances, sitting alone in an unlighted room in his own apartment after the day’s regular work. But tonight his mind would not work constructively. Mostly he thought about his mentally arrested son—his only son—in the next room. The thoughts were loving thoughts, not the bitter anguish he had felt years ago when he had first learned of the boy’s condition. The boy was happy; wasn’t that the main thing? And to how many men is given a child who will always be a child, who will not grow up to leave him? Certainly that was rationalization, but what is wrong with rationalization when— The doorbell rang.
Graham rose and turned on lights in the almost-dark room before he went through the hallway to the door. He was not annoyed; tonight, at this moment, almost any interruption to his thoughts was welcome.
He opened the door. A stranger stood there; he said, “Dr. Graham? My name is Niemand; I’d like to talk to you. May I come in a moment?”
Graham looked at him. He was a small man, nondescript, obviously harmless—possibly a reporter or an insurance agent.
But it didn’t matter what he was. Graham found himself saying, “Of course. Come in, Mr. Niemand.” A few minutes of conversation, he justified himself by thinking, might divert his thoughts and clear his mind.
“Sit down,” he said, in the living room. “Care for a drink?”
Niemand said, “No, thank you.” He sat in the chair; Graham sat on the sofa.
The small man interlocked his fingers; he leaned forward. He said, “Dr. Graham, you are the man whose scientific work is more likely than that of any other man to end the human race’s chance for survival.”
A crackpot, Graham thought. Too late now he realized that he should have asked the man’s business before admitting him. It would be an embarrassing interview; he disliked being rude, yet only rudeness was effective.
“Dr. Graham, the weapon on which you are working—”
The visitor stopped and turned his head as the door that led to a bedroom opened and a boy of fifteen came in. The boy didn’t notice Niemand; he ran to Graham.
“Daddy, will you read to me now?” The boy of fifteen laughed the sweet laughter of a child of four.
Graham put an arm around the boy. He looked at his visitor, wondering whether he had known about the boy. From the lack of surprise on Niemand’s face, Graham felt sure he had known.
“Harry”—Graham’s voice was warm with affection— “Daddy’s busy. Just for a little while. Go back to your room; I’ll come and read to you soon.”
“ ‘Chicken Little?’ You’ll read me ‘Chicken Little’?”
“If you wish. Now run along. Wait. Harry. This is Mr. Niemand.”
The boy smiled bashfully at the visitor. Niemand said, “Hi, Harry,” and smiled back at him, holding out his hand. Graham, watching, was sure now that Niemand had known; the smile and the gesture were for the boy’s mental age, not his physical one.
The boy took Niemand’s hand. For a moment it seemed that he was going to climb into Niemand’s lap, and Graham pulled him back gently. He said, “Go to your room now, Harry.”
The boy skipped back into his bedroom, not closing the door.
Niemand’s eyes met Graham’s and he said, “I like him,” with obvious sincerity. He adde
d, “I hope that what you’re going to read to him will always be true.”
Graham didn’t understand. Niemand said, “ ‘Chicken Little,’ I mean. It’s a fine story—but may ‘Chicken Little’ always be wrong about the sky falling down.”
Graham suddenly had liked Niemand when Niemand had shown a liking for the boy. Now he remembered that he must close the interview quickly. He rose, in dismissal. He said, “I fear you’re wasting your time and mine, Mr. Niemand. I know all the arguments, everything you can say I’ve heard a thousand times. Possibly there is truth in what you believe, but it does not concern me. I’m a scientist, and only a scientist. Yes, it is public knowledge that I am working on a weapon, a rather ultimate one. But, for me personally, that is only a byproduct of the fact that I am advancing science. I have thought it through, and I have found that that is my only concern.”
“But, Dr. Graham, is humanity ready for an ultimate weapon?”
Graham frowned. “I have told you my point of view, Mr. Niemand.”
Niemand rose slowly from the chair. He said, “Very well, if you do not choose to discuss it, I’ll say no more.” He passed a hand across his forehead. “I’ll leave, Dr. Graham. I wonder, though… may I change my mind about the drink you offered me?”
Graham’s irritation faded. He said, “Certainly. Will whisky and water do?”
“Admirably.”
Graham excused himself and went into the kitchen. He got the decanter of whisky, another of water, ice cubes, glasses.
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