Mercenary
Page 11
XI
Major Joseph Mauser, now attired in his best off-duty Category Militaryuniform, spoke his credentials to the receptionist. "I have no definiteappointment, but I am sure the Baron will see me," he said.
"Yes, sir." The receptionist did the things that receptionists do, thenlooked up at him again. "Right through that door, major."
Joe Mauser gave the door a quick double rap and then entered beforewaiting an answer.
Balt Haer, in mufti, was standing at a far window, a drink in his hand,rather than his customary swagger stick. Nadine Haer sat in aneasy-chair. The girl Joe Mauser loved had been crying.
Joe Mauser, suppressing his frown, made with the usual amenities.
Balt Haer without answering them, finished his drink in a gulp andstared at the newcomer. The old stare, the aloof stare, an aristocratlooking at an underling as though wondering what made the fellow tick.He said, finally, "I see you have been raised to Rank Major."
"Yes, sir," Joe said.
"We are obviously occupied, major. What can either my sister or Ipossibly do for you?"
Joe kept his voice even. He said, "I wanted to see the Baron."
Nadine Haer looked up, a twinge of pain crossing her face.
"Indeed," Balt Haer said flatly. "You are talking to the Baron, MajorMauser."
Joe Mauser looked at him, then at his sister, who had taken to herhandkerchief again. Consternation ebbed up and over him in a flood. Hewanted to say something such as, "Oh _no_," but not even that could heutter.
Haer was bitter. "I assume I know why you are here, major. You have comefor your pound of flesh, undoubtedly. Even in these hours of ourgrief--"
"I ... I didn't know. Please believe ..."
"... You are so constituted that your ambition has no decency. Well,Major Mauser, I can only say that your arrangement was with my father.Even if I thought it a reasonable one, I doubt if I would sponsor yourambitions myself."
Nadine Haer looked up wearily. "Oh, Balt, come off it," she said. "Thefact is, the Haer fortunes contracted a debt to you, major.Unfortunately, it is a debt we cannot pay." She looked into his face."First, my father's governmental connections do not apply to us. Second,six months ago, my father, worried about his health and attempting toavoid certain death taxes, transferred the family stocks into Balt'sname. And Balt saw fit, immediately before the fracas, to sell allVacuum Tube Transport stocks, and invest in Hovercraft."
"That's enough, Nadine," her brother snapped nastily.
"I see," Joe said. He came to attention. "Dr. Haer, my apologies forintruding upon you in your time of bereavement." He turned to the newBaron. "Baron Haer, my apologies for _your_ bereavement."
Balt Haer glowered at him.
Joe Mauser turned and marched for the door which he opened then closedbehind him.
On the street, before the New York offices of Vacuum Tube Transport, heturned and for a moment looked up at the splendor of the building.
Well, at least the common shares of the concern had skyrocketedfollowing the victory. His rank had been upped to Major, and oldStonewall Cogswell had offered him a permanent position on his staff incommand of aerial operations, no small matter of prestige. Thedifficulty was, he wasn't interested in the added money that wouldaccrue to him, nor the higher rank--nor the prestige, for that matter.
He turned to go to his hotel.
An unbelievably beautiful girl came down the steps of the building. Shesaid, "Joe."
He looked at her. "Yes?"
She put a hand on his sleeve. "Let's go somewhere and talk, Joe."
"About what?" He was infinitely weary now.
"About goals," she said. "As long as they exist, whether forindividuals, or nations, or a whole species, life is still worth theliving. Things are a bit bogged down right now, but at the risk ofsounding very trite, there's tomorrow."
Transcriber's Note:
This etext was produced from _Analog_ April 1962. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed. Minor spelling and typographical errors have been corrected without note.