LITMIR.BIZ

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many died, not from the toxic effect of the disease itself, but from simple loss of blood.

      But, like many epidemics, the thing had a fairly short life span. After two weeks, it had burned itself out. Most of those who got it recovered, and a few were evidently immune.

      Eighteen men remained behind in shallow graves.

      The rest went on.

      X

      No man is perfect. Even with four decades of training behind him, Commander Frank couldn’t call the turn every time. After the first few villages, there were no further battles. The natives, having seen what the invaders could do, simply showed up missing when the commander and his men arrived. The villages were empty by the time the column reached the outskirts.

      Frater Vincent, the agent of the Universal Assembly, complained in no uncertain terms about this state of affairs.

      “As you know, commander,” he said frowningly one morning, “it’s no use trying to indoctrinate a people we can’t contact. And you can’t subject a people by force of arms alone; the power of the Truth—”

      “I know, Frater,” the commander interposed quickly. “But we can’t deal with these savages in the hinterlands. When we get a little farther into this barbarian empire, we can take the necessary steps to—”

      “The Truth,” Frater Vincent interrupted somewhat testily, “is for all men. It works, regardless of the state of civilization of the society.”

      The commander looked out of the unglazed window of the native hut in which he had established his temporary headquarters, in one of the many villages he had taken—or, rather, walked into without a fight because it was empty. “But you’ll admit, Frater, that it takes longer with savages.”

      “True,” said Frater Vincent.

      “We simply haven’t the time. We’ve got to keep on the move. And, besides, we haven’t even been able to contact any of the natives for quite a while; they get out of our way. And we have taken a few prisoners—” His voice was apologetic, but there was a trace of irritation in it. He didn’t want to offend Frater Vincent, of course, but dammit, the Assemblyman didn’t understand military tactics at all. Or, he corrected himself hastily, at least only slightly.

      “Yes,” admitted Frater Vincent, “and I’ve had considerable success with the prisoners. But, remember—we’re not here just to indoctrinate a few occasional prisoners, but to change the entire moral and philosophical viewpoint of an entire race.”

      “I realize that, Frater,” the commander admitted. He turned from the window and faced the Assemblyman. “We’re getting close to the Great Bay now. That’s where our ship landed on the second probing expedition. I expect we’ll be more welcome there than we have been, out here in the countryside. We’ll take it easy, and I think you’ll have a chance to work with the natives on a mass basis.”

      The Frater smiled. “Excellent, commander. I…uh…want you to understand that I’m not trying to tell you your business; you run this campaign as you see fit. But don’t lose sight of the ultimate goal of life.”

      “I won’t. How could I? It’s just that my methods are not, perhaps, as refined as yours.”

      Frater Vincent nodded, still smiling. “True. You are a great deal more direct. And—in your own way—just as effective. After all, the Assembly could not function without the military, but there were armies long before the Universal Assembly came into being.”

      The commander smiled back. “Not any armies like this, Frater.”

      Frater Vincent nodded. The understanding between the two men—at least on that point—was tacit and mutual. He traced a symbol in the air and left the commander to his thoughts.

      Mentally, the commander went through the symbol-patterns that he had learned as a child—the symbol-patterns that brought him into direct contact with the Ultimate Power, the Power that controlled not only the spinning of atoms and the whirling of electrons in their orbits, but the workings of probability itself.

      Once indoctrinated into the teachings of the Universal Assembly, any man could tap that Power to a greater or lesser degree, depending on his mental control and ethical attitude. At the top level, a first-class adept could utilize that Power for telepathy, psychokinesis, levitation, teleportation, and other powers that the commander only vaguely understood.

      He, himself, had no such depth of mind, such iron control over his will, and he knew he’d never have it. But he could and did tap that Power to the extent that his physical body was under near-perfect control at all times, and not even the fear of death could shake his determination to win or his great courage.

      He turned again to the window and looked at the alien sky. There was a great deal yet to be done.

      * * * *

      The commander needed information—needed it badly. He had to know what the government of the alien empire was doing. Had they been warned of his arrival? Surely they must have, and yet they had taken no steps to impede his progress.

      For this purpose, he decided to set up headquarters on an island just offshore in the Great Bay. It was a protected position, easily defended from assault, and the natives, he knew from his previous visit, were friendly.

      They even helped him to get his men and equipment and the carriers across on huge rafts.

      From that point, he began collecting the information he needed to invade the central domains of the Greatest Noble himself. It seemed an ideal spot—not only protection-wise, but because this was the spot he had originally picked for the landing of the ship. The vessel, which had returned to the base for reinforcements and extra supplies, would be aiming for the Great Bay area when she came back. And there was little likelihood that atmospheric disturbances would throw her off course again; Captain Bartholomew was too good a man to be fooled twice.

      But landing on that island was the first—and only—mistake the commander made during the campaign. The rumors of internal bickerings among the Great Nobles of the barbarian empire were not the only rumors he heard. News of more local treachery came to his ears through the agency of natives, now loyal to the commander, who had been indoctrinated into the philosophy of the Assembly.

      A group of native chieftains had decided that the invading Earthmen were too dangerous to be allowed to remain on their island, in spite of the fact that the invaders had done them no harm. There were, after all, whisperings from the north, whence the invaders had come, that the armored beings with the terrible weapons had used their power more than once during their march to the south. The chieftains were determined to rid their island of the potential menace.

      As soon as the matter was brought to the commander’s attention, he acted. He sent out a patrol to the place where the ringleaders were meeting, arrested them, and sentenced them to death. He didn’t realize what effect that action would have on the rest of the islanders.

      He almost found out too late.

      XI

      “There must be three thousand of them out there,” said Lieutenant commander Hernan tightly, “and every one of them’s crazy.”

      “Rot!” The commander spat on the ground and then sighted again along the barrel of his weapon. “I’m the one who’s crazy. I’m a lousy politician; that’s my trouble.”

      The lieutenant commander shrugged lightly. “Anyone can make a mistake. Just chalk it up to experience.”

      “I will, when we get out of this mess.” He watched the gathering natives through hard, slitted eyes.

      The invading Earthmen were in a village at the southern end of the eight-mile-long island, waiting inside the mud-brick huts while the natives who had surrounded the village worked themselves into a frenzy for an attack. The commander knew there was no sense in charging into them at that point: they would simply scatter and reassemble. The only thing to do was wait until they attacked—and then smash the attack.

      “Hernan,”

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