Deathwish World

by Mack Reynolds

  Jerry Auburn went through the agony of the stepped-up recuperation from overindulgence. When he at last felt semi-healthy, he groaned, took himself over to the desk, and flicked on the screen.

  Ted Meer appeared, looking weary as though he hadn’t been to bed the night before.

  Jerry said nastily, “Why in the hell don’t you take pep pills when you’ve got a siege before you?” He knew that his aide had an aversion to stimulants but was in no mood to sympathize. “Yes, sir,” the other said.

  “Well, what have you found out?”

  “We have the Dossier Complete of Roy Cos, as well as his activities of the last weeks since he has broken into the news. The material is on your desk. We have drawn a blank on Nils Ostrander. It is obviously an assumed name. The IABI is on the verge of arresting him in connection with the kidnapping and death of Harold Dunninger but thus far has insufficient evidence with which to operate. There is a vague hint that higher ups are protecting him, though that would seem impossible.”

  “Shit it is,” Jerry muttered. “Go on.”

  “Franklin Pinell was recently deported from the United States after four felony sentences, the last of which was a homicide, He was sent to Tangier but he never reported to the Moroccan police. He is the son of the late Willard Pinell, known in mercenary circles as Buck Pinell. The elder Pinell, in partnership with Lothar von Brandenburg, founded Mercenaries, Incorporated over twenty years ago. Present location of Franklin Pinell is unknown.”

  Jerry said, “He’s here in the States. If he’s a deportee, undoubtedly under an alias and with false papers. Put the Pinkertons on his trail. What about Pamela McGivern?”

  “There hasn’t been sufficient time for much of a report, save that she has not returned to Ireland. Her family lives in Dublin. They haven’t heard from her for a month.”

  Jerry thought over what he had been told for a few moments, then said, “Keep at it. If anything important breaks, get in touch with me immediately. Keep digging on this Franklin Pinell and get some background on his father, Buck. Find out everything you can about him, especially his relationship with Lothar von Brandenburg.” He hesitated, then went on. “I also want to check out a Lee Garrett, including all the dope you can get on her father and mother, who evidently weren’t married. She’s currently in residence at the Palazzo Colonna in Rome and has the job formerly held by Pamela McGivern. Check for any hanky-panky there might have been in her being selected by the computers for her job there. I don’t want a cursory report on this. I want deep digging. It’s extremely difficult, but not impossible, to jimmy the computers or the data banks.”

  “Yes, sir,” Ted Meer said. “Anything else, Mr. Auburn?”

  “No. I’ll get in touch, Ted.” Jerry turned off the screen and ran his hand over his facial stubble.

  He thought some more, then reached for the screen again, touching the stud that would deactivate the video. He dialed slowly, remembering the digits. Max Finklestein’s face appeared, frowning at the fact that his own screen was blank.

  “Who is it?” he said, rubbing the end of his Armenian nose in irritation.

  “Hamp,” Jerry said. “Horace Hampton.”

  “How the hell do I know it’s Hamp?” Max said irritably.

  “The last time I saw you we had our faces buried in the leaves behind the We Shall Overcome Motel, with Tom Horse and Joe Zavalla. Something’s wrong with my damn transceiver.”

  “All right,” the other said. “What spins, Hamp?”

  “I’m tired of being on leave. What do you want me to do?”

  “You’ll have to check with National Headquarters, Hamp. I’m not running you anymore. I’ve been promoted to the National Executive Committee. I’m being sent up to Chicago to represent the Anti-Racist League at the Synthesis meeting.”

  Jerry blinked. This was better than he could have expected. His mind racing, he said, “I’ve heard a little about that meeting, Max, some of it disquieting. I want in.”

  Max Finklestein said, “Why?” puzzlement in his voice.

  “As muscle. Among others, Roy Cos is going to be there and so is Nils Ostrander.”

  “I know about Cos, but who’s Nils Ostrander?”

  “The Nihilist who engineered the kidnap killing of that multimillionaire, Harold Dunninger. There’s an off chance that the IABI might try to pick him up at the meeting.”

  Max said suspiciously, “How in the name of Christ do you know?”

  “Sticking my ears out. Ever since this Roy Cos character has been sounding off, everybody and his cousin have been talking about the different radical organizations. Not just the Wobblies, but all radicals. The idea of fundamental change is in the air.”

  Max considered it. He finally nodded and said, “All right. I’ll check it out with the Executive Committee but they’ll undoubtedly okay it. Each organization is allowed two delegates. You might as well be my partner. Suppose we meet there.”

  “Wizard,” Jerry said. “See you, Max.”

  He cut the screen, then flicked on the video again and the switch for his harassed aide. Ted Meer’s face came on.

  Jerry said, “One more thing, Ted. Plant a news story, and I mean really plant it, so that nobody who listens to the news at all could possibly miss it. The story is that Horace Hampton, an alleged suspect in the recent attack on Governor Teeter, will be present representing the Anti-Racist League at the Synthesis meeting to be held by radical groups in Chicago.”

  His aide said, “Yes, Mr. Auburn. That name again?”

  “Horace Hampton, damn it. Take some pep pills!”

  He flicked off, then immediately back on again. He dialed and almost immediately his own face was there on the screen. He said, “Hi, Jim. What spins?”

  His double grinned at him. “I still think I’ve got the best goddamn job in the world.”

  Jerry laughed. “You probably have at that, you chronic hedonist. I do all the work, you have all the fun, and between us we’re Jeremiah Auburn. Okay, Jim. You’re to surface again, immediately. This time, drop the recluse bit. Go to one of the gambling resorts—Monte Carlo or Nice. Drop a hundred thousand or so at roulette, or whatever. Enough so that it’ll be picked up by the news people and have society commentators asking whether Jerry Auburn is coming out of seclusion to rejoin the Rocket Set.”

  “Got it,” Jim said. “Great. Back to the high life. Do I need to know what it’s all about?”

  “No. Not necessary.” Jerry’s face broke into another fond grin. “Just be sure to remember the names of people you meet and what you did with them, especially the mopsies you might lay, you damned screwing machine. We’ll have to get together again one of these days, Jim, and bend a few elbows. It’s been a long time since we’ve sat across a table from each other and tossed back a few. There’s something weird about getting drenched and sitting across from you… yourself.”

  “Tell me about it,” Jim said. “The last time I didn’t recover for days. And it wasn’t just because I was looking at my own face.”

  Jerry laughed and flicked the screen off, touched another switch. This time, Barry Wimple’s face came on.

  Jerry said, “I’ll be leaving town again, Barry. Dismiss the staff. You and Ted and Lester check into Central, of course. I don’t know how long it’ll be before I’m back this time.”

  His senior executive was aghast. “But, Mr. Auburn, I’ve got a dozen top-priority matters…”

  “That’s what I pay you for, Barry,” Jerry said, brushing aside the other’s complaint. “The decisions are up to you and the rest of your boys. When you start making bad ones, it’s your ass. Meanwhile, I want the staff cleared out of here before noon.”

  “Yes, sir,” the old man said unhappily.

  Jerry turned him off, then slumped in his chair for a moment and took a deep breath before heading for the master bedroom. He passed through it into the dressing room, went into the bath, and to the medical cabinet, which he opened with a small key to bring forth a hypodermic needle.
Minutes later he returned to the dressing room. He sat down before the mirror, pulled out a drawer, and took up the small box containing his colored contact lenses.

  “Doc Jekyll, meet Comrade Hyde,” he muttered.

  Chapter Twenty-One: Horace Hampton

  Horace Hampton looked up at the lanky, stoop-shouldered man who hovered over his table in the automated bar, grinning down at him.

  “Thought I’d find you here,” Max Finklestein said. “It’s the nearest bar to Assembly Halls.”

  “Hi, Max,” Hamp said. “Have some of this syntho-beer. How did Shakespeare put it? ‘Weaker than woman’s tears,’ or something. They ought to stick it back in the horse.”

  “Not up to your usual standards, eh?” the older man said, even as he slid into a chair opposite the black. He put his credit card in the table’s payment slot and dialed for a mug of the brew.

  Hamp looked at him. “What’s that supposed to mean, old chum-pal?”

  The center of the table sank down to return with the beer. Max took a drink of it, then wiped the coarse foam from his lips. “It means that usually you drink more expensive stuff than the proles have to put up with.”

  The other’s look turned quizzical. “How do you know?”

  “I’ve been checking up on you.”

  “Wizard, and what’ve you found?”

  “That you’re not exactly a down-and-out nigger subsisting on GAS.” Max grinned at him in deprecation.

  “That’s the trouble with you kikes,” Hamp said. “Nosy.”

  Max Finklestein said, “I was sitting around one day, minding my own business, when the thought came to me that the Anti-Racist League was in better funds than it should be. Most of the membership consists of minority elements who’d contribute a lot to the cause if they could, but they can’t—they’re largely on GAS. Somehow the organization never seems to lack sufficient funds, though. So purely out of curiosity, I began checking on the source of the larger donations that come through. And guess what I found?”

  “I know what you found,” Hamp said. He finished his beer and dialed another.

  Max said, “Why all the secrecy? Why not just openly donate it, in one lump sum, instead of here and there in dribbles?”

  Hamp sighed and said, “Because I’m of the opinion that a race, a nationality, or a social class should finance its own emancipation. You mustn’t hand somebody freedom on a platter. Suppose I came out and gave a million pseudodollars to the Anti-Racist League in a flat sum. Then the membership as a whole would stop their pathetically small donations, as meaningless. But it’s not meaningless for a man to give up his guzzle, his sometime extravagance, or his occasional splurge, for a cause he believes in. It’s not meaningless for him to sacrifice. It’s part of his fight for freedom.”

  “Quite a speech,” Max said. “Where’d you get all this money, Hamp? Or is it a secret? Are you a big-time crook? That’s all the organization needs in the way of publicity—one of its most active members turning out to be a crook.”

  Hamp sighed. “Come off it, Max. It’s according to what you mean by crook, I suppose. Yesterday, I tuned in on this Deathwish Wobbly, who we’re supposed to get together with tonight. According to him, the whole upper class is composed of crooks. Their wealth has been stolen from the useful workers.”

  “So you’re upper class.”

  “I suppose so. It’s a long story, Max.”

  The other looked at his wrist chronometer. “We’ve got time.”

  Hamp sighed again. “It starts with a slave down in South Carolina—Pod Hampton. I haven’t a violin to play so I’ll skip the details of the hard time he had. When he finally lit out, he took old massa’s silver with him. In fact, the kind old massa was on the rich side and some of the so-called silver was gold. Pod managed to get it, and himself, up to Boston. And there he swore a great oath, understand? He wasn’t going to spend any of his, ah, ill-gotten gains on himself. Instead, he was going to invest it and use the proceeds to fight for freeing his people.

  ”At that time there was no valid organization putting up such a fight. He thought the Abolitionists were a bunch of impractical do-gooders, a bunch of starry-eyed whiteys who, beneath it all, believed that blacks really were inferior, and should be pampered like children by those who were good of heart, rather than being exploited as slaves. He continued to invest the money; railroads, mainly. When he died, both the securities and the dream went to his oldest son who, if anything, was even more solidly anti-racist than the old man. He managed the investments—some land in the so-called Great American Desert really paid off—but didn’t spend much of it on himself. During his lifetime the Civil War took place, but it didn’t take any genius to see that the freed blacks weren’t much better off than they had been as slaves. And there was still no organization that seemed fit to turn the money over to. Those were the boom times of industrialization, and the money was still largely in railroads. It grew. It grew still more under his son. And along here somewhere, it became obvious that not spending any of it no longer made sense. The fortune needed full-time management—office employees and so forth. The next son dropped railroads and went into automobiles.”

  Max whistled softly.

  Hamp went on, after dialing still another syntho-beer. “These sons all continued the dream. They were devoted to ending racism. They’d progressed beyond the point of fighting for black rights alone. They were also smart enough not to throw the fortune away on lost causes. They were hanging onto it until the right time and the right organization came along. The fortune was kept as secret as possible and they led very simple lives while managing it. Remember, they were smart. One by one, as new developments such as radio, the airplane, and later, electronics, came along, they got in on the ground floor. For instance, one of them helped launch IBM back in the 1920s.”

  “That would explain it, without the other stuff,” said Max.

  “And along in here came a new development. It wasn’t practical to live like misers while hoarding a fortune that would one day be used to end world racism. To manage a modem fortune, you’ve got to be educated in top schools, you’ve got to have the correct social and financial contacts, which are often the same people. In short, you’ve got to move in the right circles. It’s all part of the great fortunes game. A Rockefeller, a Mellon, a Rothschild, can’t operate out of a sleazy flat in Harlem. At any rate, Max, I’m the current holder of the purse strings and the Anti-Racist League is being doled out all the funds I feel it can handle at this point.”

  Max was eyeing him. “I’ll be damned,” he said. “That fortune must be king-size by now.”

  “It is,” Hamp said dryly. “And the present descendant of Pod Hampton still has the dream.”

  Max said, “But for Christ’s sake, you shouldn’t be risking yourself carrying out extreme assignments for the organization.”

  Hamp looked at him flatly. “I refuse to finance activities that I’m not willing to take on myself. If Indians like Tom Horse and Chicanos like Jose Zavalla are willing to take the risks they do, so is Horace Hampton.”

  Max nodded acceptance of that stand. “Right,” he said. “I assume you want me to keep this to myself.”

  “If I thought you couldn’t, I wouldn’t have told you,” Hamp said.

  Max looked at his wrist chronometer again. “I suppose we ought to get going. The Synthesis committee has rented a small hall for the meeting. Only delegates are to be admitted—and their bodyguards.”

  As they stood, Hamp looked over at him questioningly. Max laughed. “I assume nobody’ll have bodyguards besides Roy Cos. That rule was made with him in mind. From what I hear, they average two attempts on his life a day, the poor bastard.”

  They headed for the door. “Yeah,” Hamp growled. “Every hit man in Mercenaries, Incorporated has zeroed in on him.”

  They went out onto the street and headed for the Assembly Halls, a commercial building devoted to a score of rentable halls ranging from a large auditorium to small lectu
re rooms that would hold audiences of fifty or so.

  Max was eyeing his companion strangely. “How do you know?” he said.

  Hamp covered. “Just guessing. It makes sense. It’s not just that insurance conglomerate that wrote the Deathwish Policy now. Poor Cos has everybody and his nephew down on him—the United Church, the government of every country in the world that fears revolutionary change, the World Club, God knows who else. He’s the sorest thumb to show up for many a year.”

  Max said, frowning, “Why the World Club?”

  The black shrugged. “They want a World State, but under their wing—not the kind he’s agitating for.”

  As they got nearer to the building in which the meeting was to be held, the crowd began to manifest itself. There were several police cars, lights flickering above them, a police ambulance, and a contingent of uniformed police stationed across the street from the entrance to the halls. There was also one Tri-Di unit mounted atop a truck, and a couple of hundred curiosity seekers, gawking. Among them were twenty-five or so teenagers of both sexes, each carrying a child’s baseball bat. These latter were dressed identically in prole clothing—sweaters and denim shorts.

  Hamp said, “Not much of a turnout when you consider Cos is exposing himself. I’d think there’d be thousands.”

  Max said cynically, “The news media has been given orders to play down the Deathwish Wobbly. They can’t ignore him entirely, news being news, and the fact that he might get burned any minute. But they’re trying to ease coverage on him and especially this meeting. Every radical organization going, no matter how zany, is on Roy Cos’s bandwagon, whether he wants them or not. Everybody’s beginning to have second thoughts about whether basic changes ought to be made in the world’s socioeconomic systems, even in the Soviet Complex and the People’s Republic of China.” They came up to the entry to the halls, just as two heavy limousines slid quickly to the curb immediately before them. “Cos,” Max grunted.

  Four men, Gyrojets swinging from their hips in quick-draw holsters, sprang from the first vehicle and immediately dashed back to surround the second one, each of them at a corner. Their hands rested on their guns and their eyes were never still as they scanned the crowd, not excluding the police or the Tri-Di crew. Two of the doors of the second limo opened and three more guards erupted. They immediately stationed themselves between the car and the entry, and they too had their hands on pistol butts. The teenagers with the baseball bats pressed closer, between the guards and the building entrance.