Stranger in a Strange Land

«You'rerushed? Try my forty-eight hour day. Do you still think you are going to have something for us? I don't mind the equipment; I can overhead that. But I have to pay three crews just to stand by for your signal. I want to do you any favor I can. We've used lots of your script and we expect to use more in the future — but I wonder what to tell our comptroller.»

Harshaw stared. «Don't you think that spot coverage was enough?»

«What spot coverage?»

Shortly Harshaw knew that New World Networks had seen nothing of recent events at his home. He stalled Mackenzie's questions, because he was certain that truthful answers would convince Mackenzie that poor old Harshaw had gone to pieces.

Instead they agreed that, if nothing worth picking up happened in twenty-four hours, New World could remove cameras and equipment.

As the screen cleared Harshaw ordered, «Get Larry. Have him fetch that panic button — Anne has it.» He made two more calls. By the time Larry arrived Harshaw knew that no network had been watching when the Special Service squads attempted to raid his home. It was not necessary to check on the «hold» messages; their delivery depended on the same signal that had failed to reach the networks.

Larry offered him the «panic button» portable radio link. «You wanted this, Boss?»

«I wanted to sneer at it. Larry, let this be a lesson: never trust machinery more complicated than a knife and fork.»

«Okay. Anything else?»

«Is there a way to check that dingus? Without hauling three networks out of bed?»

«Sure. The transceiver they set up down in the shop has a switch for that. Throw the switch, push the panic button; a light comes on. To test on through, you call 'em, right from the transceiver and tell 'em you want a hot test to the cameras and back to the stations.»

«Suppose the test shows that we aren't getting through? Can you spot what's wrong?»

«Maybe,» Larry said doubtfully, «if it was just a loose connection. But Duke is the electron pusher — I'm more the intellectual type.»

«I know, son — I'm not bright about practical matters, either. Well, do the best you can.»

«Anything else, Jubal?»

«If you see the man who invented the wheel, send him up.Meddler!»

Jubal considered the possibility that Duke had sabotaged the «panic button» but rejected the thought. He allowed himself to wonder what had really happened in his garden and how the lad had done it — from ten feet under water. He had no doubt that Mike had been behind those impossible shenanigans.

What he had seen the day before in this very room was just as intellectually stupefying — but the emotional impact was not. A mouse was as much a miracle of biology as was an elephant; nevertheless there was a difference — an elephant was bigger.

To see an empty carton, just rubbish, disappear in mid-air implied that a squad car full of men could vanish. But one event kicked your teeth in — the other didn't.

Well, he wouldn't waste tears on Cossacks. Jubal conceded that cops qua cops were all right; he had met honest cops… and even a fee-splitting constable did not deserve to be snuffed out. The Coast Guard was an example of what cops ought to be and frequently were.

But to be in the S.S. a man had to have larceny in his heart and sadism in his soul. Gestapo. Storm troopers for whatever politico was in power. Jubal longed for the days when a lawyer could cite the Bill of Rights and not have some over-riding Federation trickery defeat him.

Never mind — What would happen now? Heinrich's force certainly had had radio contact with its base; ergo, its loss would be noted. More S.S. troopers would come looking — already headed this way if that second car had been chopped off in the middle of an action report. «Miriam — »

«Yes, Boss.»

«I want Mike, Jill, and Anne at once. Then find Larry — in the shop, probably — and both of you come back, lock all doors and ground-floor windows.»

«More trouble?»

«Get movin', gal.»

If the apes showed up — no,when they showed up — if their leader chose to break into a locked house, well, he might have to turn Mike loose on them. But this warfare had to stop — which meant that Jubal must get through to the Secretary General.

How?

Call the Palace? Heinrich had probably been telling the truth when he said that a renewed attempt would simply be referred to Heinrich — or whatever S.S. boss was warming that chair. Well? It would surprise them to have a man they had sent a squad to arrest blandly phoning in, face to face — he might be able to bull his way to the top. Commandant “What's-his-name”, chap with a face like a well-fed ferret. Twitchell. The commanding officer of the S.S. buckos would have access to the boss.

No good. It would be a waste of breath to tell a man who believes in guns that you've got something better. Twitchell would keep on throwing men and guns till he ran out of both — but he would never admit he couldn't bring in a man whose location was known.