by Jack Douglas
O'Hara, but the next tothe last of old Free Companion from Earth. I'm the last, and I said asilent good-bye to O'Hara. By the sixth hour Rajay-Ben had only tenships left. I had twelve. Five thousand of my men were gone. Eightthousand of Rajay-Ben's Lukans. The Sirians of Mandasiva's O Companywere getting the worst of it, and in the eighth hour Mandasiva's secondin command surrendered. It would be over soon, too soon. And the dreamwould be over with the battle. I broke silence.
"Red Stone calling. Do you read me? Commander Stone calling. Requestconference. Repeat, request conference."
A face appeared on the inter-Company beam screen. The cold, blank,hard-bitten face of the only Free Company Commander senior to me nowthat O'Hara was gone, Jake Campesino of the Cygne Black Company. "Areyou surrendering, Stone?"
"No. I want to speak to my fellow Companions."
Campesino's voice was like ice. "Violation! You know the rules, Stone.Silence cannot be broken in battle. I will bring charges. You'rethrough, Stone."
I said, "Okay, crucify me later. But hear me now."
Campesino said, "Close silence or surrender."
It was no good. We'd had it. And across the distance of battleRajay-Ben's face appeared on the screen. The colored lights that were aLukan's face and I knew enough to know that the shimmering lights weremad. "The hell with them, Red, let's go all the damned way!"
And a new face appeared on the screen. A face I knew too well. FirstCouncillor Roark. "Stone! You've done a lot in your day but this is theend, you hear me? You're defending a madman in a Council crime. Do yourealize the risk? Universal imbalance! The whole pattern of galaxiescould be destroyed! We'll destroy you for this, Stone. An ionic projectwithout Council authorization."
I said to Campesino, "Five minutes, Commander. That's all."
* * * * *
There was a long blank on the screen, then Campesino's cold faceappeared. "Okay, Red, talk. I don't like civilian threats. You've gotyour five minutes, make it good."
I made it good. I told them of a handful of people who had a dream. Ahandful of people who wanted their home back. A few lost souls who wouldrather die trying to live the way they wanted to live than go on livingin a world they did not want. And I told them of the great UnitedGalaxies, that had been created to protect the dreams of everyone in itand had forgotten why it had been created. I told them that it did notmatter who was right or wrong, because when a man can no longer dreamsomething has gone wrong in the Universe. When I finished, Campesino'sface was impassive.
Campesino said, "You heard Commander Stone, men. Close off, Stone, giveme a minute to get the vote."
I waited. It was the longest minute of my life.
"You win, Red," Campesino said. He was smiling at me. "Go home,Councillor, battle's over."
The Councillor went. He said there would be hell to pay, and maybe therewill be, but I don't think so, they still need us. We lost thirtythousand good men in all the Companies. But when the next dawn cameNova-Maurania was gone. I don't know where they went, or what happenedto them. Here in my stronghold I sometimes imagine them safe andrebuilding a green world where they can smoke pipes and live their ownlives. And sometimes I imagine them all dead and drifting out there inthe infinity of space. I don't think they would mind too much, eitherway.
THE END
Transcriber's Note:
This etext was first published in _Amazing Stories_ May 1961. 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.