SPEAKEASY a new novel by MACK REYNOLDS

L SPRAGUE de CAMP

K 4 *' : Jw® |n y|»,5''::.as|'f ..gj?..- MBB|^^ The Golden Brick P. M. HUBBAKD 5

Zap! (verse) RANDALI, GARRETT 15

Dragon Hunt (article) L. SPRAGUE BE CAMP 16 Myths My Great-Granddaughter Taught Me FRITZ LEIBER 31 Science: He’s Not My Type! ISAAC ASIMOV 37 Books AVRAM DAVIDSON 47

Ferdinand Feghoot: LVHI GRENDEL BRIARTON 51

Way-Station HENRY SLESAR 52 Punch FREDERIK POHL 60

Do You Know Your Elements? (quiz) JOSEPH C, STACEY 64 Speakeasy (short novel) MACK REYNOLDS 66

In this issue . . . Coming soon 4 Editorial 127

F&SF Marketplace 128

Cover hy Ed Emsh (illustrating "Speakeasy”)

The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction^ Volume 24, No. 1, Whole No. 140, Jan. 1963. Published monthly by Mercury Press, Inc., at 40^ a copy. Annual subscription $4.50 in U. S. and Possessions, $5.00 in Canada and the Pan American Union; $5.50 In all other countries. Publication office, 10 Ferry Street, Concord, N. H. Editorial and general mail should he sent to 247 East 53rd St.. Nexv York 22, N. Y. Second Class postage paid at Concord, N. H. Printed in U. S. A. © 1962 by Mercury Press, Inc. All rights, including translations into other languages, reserved. Submissions must be accom~ panied by stamped, self-addressed envelopes; the Publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited manuscripts.

Joseph W. Ferman, publishes Avram Davidson, executive editor Robert P. Mills, consulting editor Ediuard L. Ferman, managing editor Isaac Asimov, contributing science editor In this issue • • •

. . . Witnesseth FRITZ LEIBER with a short prophecy, previously announced and slightly delayed, but worth the wait; MACK REY- NOLDS with a novel which is a long prophecy'— this one of a future “scientific” society, delineated in detail and in depth: our cover story, in fact. FRED POHL, who last month gave us a good article, this month gives us a good story, concerning which only our iron self-control prevents a comment about "geeks bearing gifts.” L. SPRAGUE DE CAMP, linguist, novelist, and traveler, takes us on safari for a dragon hunt; Britain’s P. M. HUBBARD is our guide for a fearsome visit aboard the strangest vessel to stand down the coast of Cornwall since the days of the Phoenicians; HENRY SLE- SAR offers a modern answer to some questions which perplexed the ancients; and for those who like to test their scientific know- ledge there is a short quiz by JOSEPH STACEY. We offer fewer titles than commonly, this issue, but the wordage is the same; and the quality, we trust, at least no less.

Coming next month . . .

... is RICHARD MATHESON’s first appearance here in a long time, with a bitter and off-trail narration of music— and machinery. The theme is (we say it to our shame as an American) one which is constantly appropriate, and has been since 1619. A department store at night has been used, we believe, as a story background only by John Collier. Using the same background, and also with an atmosphere of crime, but in a vastly different direction, is a story by JAMES WHITE of Northern Ireland. Seldom have de- tection and straight Science Fiction been so successfully blended; And there will be a long story, based on the ancient traditions of Jewish mysticism, by the late and alas now neglected ISRAEL ZANGWILL. 4 Introduction to P. fA. Hubbard's THE GOLDEN BRICK

We said of a writer in our first review for The Magazine, “Mr. is not Montague Rhodes James—but then, who isF' The answer may well be, “P.M. Hubbard.” It is not a case of reincarnation, for Mr. Hubbard was a grown man when the late Provost of Eton died; it is certainly not a case of imitation: the author of the poignant BOTANY BAY (Fthriller of sorts) just accepted for publication this autumn. Married, three children, two grandchildren. Like making things with my hands, planting and tending trees.

“The Newdigate Prize of twenty-one guineas (and priceless prestige) is awarded annually for a poem by an undergraduate of Oxford; it figured in the late Lord Dunsany’s THE CLUB SECRETARY (F&SF, July, 1956) in connection with the phrase, "... a rose-red city, half as old as time,” from John William Burgon’s Newdigate Prize poem, PEDRA. Among the other winners was Oscar Wilde. 5 swimming, sailing. Have cottage in Cornwall. Expect to die ” early in 1965, but I may crawl away over the sea yet . .

We trust and hope that Mr. Hubbard’s prophecy in the first part of this last sentence will prove false; for illumination of the second part it will be necessary for readers to complete the reading of this story. This, we predict, will be impossible to avoid doing, once they have well begun this lovely and hor- rifying tale of the summer resident, the black ship, the white, white shipmaster, the thing in the hold which droned and

wrought, and the golden brick . . .

THE GOLDEN BRICK by P. M, Hubbard

Penharrow is one of those heaven has given them. They Cornish fishing villages that have have preserved their Duchy as long ceased to look anyivhere but much from a natural conserva- inland for their livelihood. The tism as from any commercial in- sea is still there, and the granite- stinct; and they give their visi- walled harbour, and the granite tors good value for money be- cottages with roofs of local slate cause they are naturally hospita- cemented into a solid sheet that ble, even on a cash basis. London is as impermeable and almost as and Birmingham and Manchester heavy as lead flashing. There are like getting value for their money, boats in the harbour, and the and so continue to bring it to boats go to sea, weather permit- Penharrow to spend. The thing is ting, and some of them even self-perpetuating so long as the bring in mackerel and lobsters for Cornish don’t lose their simplicity quick cash sales at holiday prices. and over-reach themselves. But the money comes from up- On the afternoon of Good country. London and Birming- Friday my family went on an ex- ham and Manchester make the pedition inland and left me to my money and bring it to Penharrow own devices. I throw in the fam- to spend.The Cornish are still a ily, because this too is supposed to curiously simple people, consid- indicate stabihty and reliability, ering the natural advantages though in my experience marriage.

6 THE GOLDEN BRICK 7

like other restrictive practices, is a climbed out of the cockpit, ran for- great breeding-ground of untruth. ward and let go an anchor just as I had the dinghy out with the out- the ebb tide took hold of her. She board, and was going to potter slipped back to the length of cable round into a neighbouring cove he gave her and sat there, tide- and, if the sun was hot enough, rode. She would still have plenty risk a quick swim. Given fine under her, even at full low. It was weather the Cornish air is as soft aU very neat and efficient. I sat in as silk at Easter, but the Gulf the middle of the boat with tire ex- Stream doesn’t come this way no- tension tiller in my hand and my ticeably, and the sea will defy bows well in the water. I know it any but the adventurous or maso- is amusing to sit in the stern- chistic for some months yet. Not sheets and wave your bows in the being particularly either, I pre- air, but it doesn’t really pay, and I ferred to get somewhere where I have got past the stage of wanting could take my time over it and to be amusing in a boat, or any- change my mind as often as I where else much for that matter. wanted before I committed my- The man stood in the bows of the self. Hence the idea of pottering ketch and watched me coming to- round into a neighbouring cove. wards him. The ketch came round the It was one of those curious headland just as I headed out of mental encounters you get some- the harbour. She was motoring, times with a man you haven’t of course, but the mainsail and spoken to. There was I heading mizzen were stowed along the straight for him and there was he booms and there was a jib on a standing watching me, with the roller. She looked thoroughly sea- green water slipping past him worthy. She was completely black, on either hand along the black even the cabin-top, and must topsides of his ship. If I altered have been all of twenty tons. To course, I should be patently say, now, that she looked sinister avoiding him. If I went on, I is almost certainly being wise af- should have to go alongside and ter the event, but she didn’t look speak to him. I couldn’t do any- like a yachting holiday. She looked thing else. I didn’t want to do workmanlike, lived-in and slightly either. evasive. Curiosity being the first He wore black to the neck, rule of the amateur sailor, I head- wrists and ankles, but all of him ed towards her. that showed was white. I don't I was still some distance from mean merely that he was a white her when I saw that she had lost man in the racial sense. He was way and all but stopped. A man quite colourless, so that his eyes 8 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION and even, as he tilted his head yet. Or I’ve a Maharani’s pearl back, his nostrils showed dark, necklace I want to get rid of. We like cavities in a white-washed ought to be able to think up wall. For a man that spent his something.” time at sea this didn’t seem right. He did not smile any more or My far sight is not as good as it any less. He said, “Hold on a was, but I got the impression of a minute,” and disappeared in- thin face and close-cropped hair. board. There must have been a I suddenly saw a way out. I could fore-hatch. He didn’t go back alter course and pass wide of him, along the deck. Then he re-ap- but wave without speaking as I peared over the side and handed went. me down a parcel. It was smaller I don’t know how far I was than a brick, of course, but of the from him. He smiled, and I held same general proportions, wrapped on my course. The smile split the in brown paper and strongly tied white surface like a running with what looked like whipping crack. It wasn’t an attractive smile, twine. He said, “Got it? It’s but it established personal contact heavy.” as effectively as if he had hailed It was heavy— so heavy I al- me. There was nothing for it now most let it go, but I lowered it but speech. His face was getting safely to the floor-boards between clearer every moment, but this did my feet and looked up at him not seem to improve it. I slipped again. He was not smiling so tlie clutch of the outboard and much now, but did not seem able sidled up to him on the ebb. to leave off entirely. He said, He had a slightly prissified “Sell it for what it will fetch and voice. He leaned over and said, give me half, will you? Don’t “Do you want to buy a golden bother about a receipt.” brick?’’ I got hold 'of his anchor “Why don’t you sell it your- cable, so that the tide swung my self?” I said. My one wish now bows gently against his. When I was to cast off and lose sight of looked up, I found that he was him, but I couldn’t help asking the staring straight down at me. I got obvious question. the feeling that he hadn’t taken “Can’t leave the ship, not just his eyes off my face since he at present. But it’s aU right. I came round the headland. He know I can trust you.” was still smiling. He was, as I I did not find it possible to had thought, entirely white. comment on this. I thought for a I said, “I tell you what. I’ll bit and said, “Where do you reck- swap it for some oil-shares. Fabu- on I can sell a golden brick in lous new gusher no one’s heard of Penharrow?” THE GOLDEN BRICK 9

“Nowhere. But Clanbridge will thing go and sat down heavily on be all right. Try Clanbridge to- the centre thwart.

morrow. I’ll be in again about this The parcel fell clear of the time on Monday.” stem and went to the bottom in “Can I get you anything from one motion. That’s really the best

the shops? A packet of sugar or a way I can describe it. Normally if tin of beans?” you drop a parcel into water it “No. No, thank you. I only hits die surface with a splash and want the money. I’ve got every- either floats a moment imtil it thing else I want.” settles, or at least checks and T thought about this for a mo- drifts down in slow time, espe- ment. “Yes,” I said, “I believe cially in dense Atlantic water. I’m with you there. I’ve got every- This went straight to the sand, thing else I want, probably, bar wrappings and all, as if the water the money.” wasn’t there. It sat on the bottom “Good. That’s aU right, then. looking up at me, with the odd See you on Monday.” His head bubble drifting slowly up out of the disappeared and I let go the cable, folds in the paper. fending myself off from the black I fished it out and carried it up sides of the ketch. Once clear, I the tiny beach. Then I sat down dropped in the clutch and mo- and picked at the seaman’s knots tored away down the ebb. I re- in the soaked twine. I can never membered afterwards that I had- cut string if it is at all capable of n’t noticed the name. being untied. The soggy paper The cove was deserted aU right rubbed off under my fingers and and the afternoon sun struck something gleamed through it. straight down through the green Then the knots gave and I un- ryater. I cut the engine and drift- wrapped the thing. One doesn’t ed in until the bows took the handle gold much nowadays, dense sand. It shelved so steeply more’s the pity. Its loveliness has here that the stern was still in a made it an economists’ symbol and foot or more of water. I took off driven it underground into the my shoes, rolled up my cotton vaults of the international mone- slacks (it still wasn’t weather for tary system. So I couldn’t tell, and shorts) and stood up. Then I re- of course my whole mind was membered the parcel and stooped hell-bent on an alternative expla- to pick it up off the floor-boards. nation. But the thing looked gold- Once again the weight took me by en. It felt stone-cold and unbe- surprise and put me off balance. hevably dense. The boat, pivoted on her bow, It was nothing like brick-size rocked violently and I let every- by modem standards, though it I

10 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION might have made one of those West Country standards. I took small Roman bricks that the early out the tiny yellow pyramid I had English dug in quantity out of cut off the corner of the block and the ruins of Verulamium and put it on the glass counter of a re- built into the rose-red tower of spectable jeweller’s, above the en- St. Albans Abbey. It wasn’t gagement rings and the more ex- smooth by any means. The sur- pensive Swiss watches. I said, face had a pronounced grain, as “Can you tell me what this is — though it was wood. I seized on mean, what the metal is?’’ The this almost in desperation. (My dark, earnest young man had al- incredulity was fighting a last most London clothes but a soft ditch rearguard action, and I did- local voice. He screwed a glass in n’t like it.) I thought it might be his eye and said, “It looks like a wood-block, weighted and in gold. Did you think it was gold, some way or other given a gold then?’’ skin. I had my swim, half anaes- “I wanted to make sure.” thetised by my mental preoccupa- He called an older but equally tion against the alarming cold of earnest man out of the back of the that placid sun-shot water. When shop. “Mr. Tremayne,” he said, I turned Penharrow Point, the “the gentleman wants to know, is ketch was nowhere to be seen. this gold?”

I Mr. Tremayne gave me a pene- I put the parcel in my bottom trating once-over and took the py- drawer and did not tell my wife ramid back into some sort of about it. It wasn’t a blonde I had workshop. He came back carrying collected in Penharrow Bay, and it flat on the palm of his hand and I could not bear to share my looking at me with more reserva- mental agitation with anyone. La- tions than ever. “ ter I- got a loose hacksaw blade ’Tis gold,” he said. “Very pure that I knew was in the boot of the gold indeed. Not jeweller’s gold, car, retired to guaranteed privacy you understand? Too soft, for one and sawed off a corner of the thing. And too expensive.” He block. The steel went straight in pushed the pyramid back at me and made almost no sound at all. and waited for my explanation. It was golden right through the I said, “What’s it worth?” He cut, but the grain was still there. I told me its weight and current collected the dust on a piece of value. By our middle-class stand- paper, screwed it into a ball and ards we could have lived on that with magnificent nonchalance pyramid for quite some time. He washed it down the water-closet. said, “There’s salt on it. It’s been Clanbridge is quite a town by in the sea, I reckon.” THE GOLDEN BRICK 11

I nodded. I could see which weight, told him his first price way his mind was running. Corn- was nonsense and accepted an of- wall has collected more wrecks in fer equal to about two-thirds of its time than almost any bit of the proper value. He didn’t even coast in the world, and the treas- have to go to the bank for the ure-ship and the Spanish galleon money. He had it all, dirty but are always in the back of the current. I stuffed it into my coat Cornish mind, even now. I won- pocket and left him breathing dered whether this was in fact the heavier than ever. He must have explanation. The white man could been the only person who gained have found something and be anything out of the entire trans- playing it cautiously, but it left a action. lot of questions unanswered. On the Monday afternoon the I thanked Mr. Tremayne po- tide was three hours higher, but I htely and went out without an ex- saw the black ketch anchored well planation. It was cruel to leave out in the deep water beyond him like that, but I had no alterna- Penharrow Point. There was still tive, being if anything in a worse no sea at all, but just enough case than he was. I wondered breeze to sail the dinghy on. The whether he would tell anybody, sun was brilliant and almost hot. but it did not seem to matter either I reckon myself a competent in- way. shore helmsman, though no navi- I did a rough calculation on the gator. The ebb sets strongly west- weight and value of the whole ward beyond the Point, and the brick and looked till I found a airs were light. It took me half- jeweller in Tregantle Street much an-hour’s maneuvering, but I laid smaller and less respectable than the dinghy neatly alongside the Mr. Tremayne. The man was just weather side of the ketch with no right. He came out of his back noise at all and no more of a room sideways and sidled along bump than would wake the baby, the counter looking at me across if there happened to be one on the bridge of his nose with his board, which I did not think like- further eye. I lowered the brick ly* carefully on to the counter, over- There wasn’t in fact a sign of stated its weight and asked him any life on board at all. The si- his price. He did not say anything lence was complete except for the except to challenge me on the popple slapping very quietly un- weight. We weighed it on ordi- der the counter. I was going to nary kitchen scales, and he hail her, but it stuck in my breathed heavily through his nose throat. And I had no name to hail the whole time. I agreed the her by. She had no name on her 12 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

anywhere. I ran the mainsail the neat coil of the starboard fore- down and left the foresail to flap sheet. I did not want any of gently on loose sheets. I made them. I climbed out on deck and fast to the ketch’s mainstays, giv- started to go forward. The fore- ing the dinghy a lot of painter, hatch opened suddenly, and the and pushed her off as I climbed most appalling smell I have ever on board. She drifted clear and smelt drifted aft to me along the sat there at the end of her painter. scrubbed, sun-bleached deck. I I didn’t like to see the space of have been years in India and went clear water between us. The through the war as an infantry- black ship gave me the willies. It man, but I could never have im- was all clean, fast and seaman- agined anything like it. Apart like, but there was no one about from my physical nausea, my and something didn’t smell right. mind recoiled from it instinctive- The hatches were shut. ly, as if from the ultimate evil. I was barefoot, but found my- The main hatch slammed open self on tiptoe as I made for the behind me, and I heard the white cockpit. It was only when I got man in his prissy voice cursing in there that I heard the noises, I the cockpit. Then a head and suppose through the shut main shoulders came up out of the hatch, though they sounded dis- forehatch that should have come tant and shut away up forward. from nowhere but a grave, and There was a droning sound, high- shouldn’t by rights have come out pitched and more or less contin- of that. It was, I suppose, a man. uous. I thought on the whole it There were whisps of hair on the was a human voice, but I wouldn’t lower part of the face. It was en- have sworn to human speech. I tirely shrivelled. Apart from the noticed with odd detachment that cranium and frontal lobes, even the hair was standing straight up the bone had collapsed, like a at the back of my neck. I had read football bladder that has leaked of this but never really visualised slowly and crumpled in irregular it. I felt extraordinarily sick. At patches. intervals, overlying the drone like The white man pushed me the chanter notes of a bagpipe, I aside, so that I fell across the recognized the high, precise voice main boom, and ran forward with of the white man, though I could a long iron pin in his hand. He not catch the words and it did not brandished it over the figure in sound hke English. the hatch; "Redde haculum," he I took the currency notes out of shouted. "Redde baculum.” He my pocket and put them on the held out his left hand, demand- cockpit coaming, wedged under ing something. The eyes that THE GOLDEN BRICK 13

looked up at him were dark, statement, standing on the bright and perfectly simian. scrubbed deck with the sun strik- There was a mufSe of clothes, ing down on us and the black ship patterned with coloured diagrams rocking very gently to the popple and smelling of the ultimate cor- that whispered under her coun- ruption, and behind them a hand ter. That was the only noise, that like a lizard’s hand clutched some- and his uneven breathing. thing white, like a conductor’s My reason rebelled as the hor- baton. ror died out of the sunlight. I The white man lifted the pin, said, “You haven’t had anything and I caught his arm from be- four hundred years.” hind and pulled him over back- “My family,” he said. “They wards. We fell together on the brought him back from the Le- deck, and I heard the hatch shut vant. They found what he could and found the air suddenly fit to do. Everyone was trying then, but breathe again. He wrenched him- he could do it. We’ve had him self away and jumped to his feet. ever since. But he’s not to be trust- He stood over the closed hatch, ed. You can see that. And he breathing like a man who has won’t do the work. I’ve got to run for his life, and has not run force him. He’s getting old.” far enough, but cannot run any I thought of the collapsed skull more. There was sweat beaded all and ape eyes. I said, “He is old. over his waxy face, and a plume Can’t you let him die in peace?” of spittle at one corner of his “Die?” He almost screamed. He white mouth. He found his voice, seemed exasperated. “Why should but it was weak and high-pitched. he die after we’ve kept him all “Damn you,” he said, “damn these years?” you. Why did you want to inter- “Kept him prisoner,” I said, “or fere?” why the ship?” I said, “You’d have brained him “The water,” he said. “The wa- with that thing.” ter, don’t you see? He’s safe there. He shook his head. “You don’t We can’t keep him on shore.” understand.” I thought he was I stood facing the white man going to cry. “He’s mine, don’t in the Cornish sunlight, ready, you see?” quite seriously, to argue labour re- “He looks as if you’d had him lations on behalf of an alchemist too long,” I said. who, four hundred years before, He said, quite simply, “We’ve had found the secret w'hile the had him four hundred years.” We rest were inventing porcelain or faced each other, the white man gun-powder or Glauber Salts by and I, across this preposterous mistake, and whose greatest of 14 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

fence now was to be alive at all. The knot came away suddenly, It did not seem wholly unreason- and I pulled the dinghy in, kneel- able. ing where I was. I almost fell into The glare seemed to change her and pushed off violently from and strike upwards from between the topsides that now stood no us. I saw it was the sun reflecting more than six inches above me. I back from the hatch-top, which put an oar in the sculling notch gleamed suddenly golden and and sculled desperately for per- burned like a mirror. The white haps twenty yards. Then I man saw it at the same moment stopped and looked round. and caught his breath noisily. The ketch was going down Then he ran aft and jumped down vertically, in one smooth, unwav- into the cockpit, the iron pin still ering movement, as though some in his hand. For a moment there monstrous force had her by the was silence, and then a horrible keel and was dragging her stead- babel broke out in the focsle be- ily under. The sun struck at her low me, bumping noises, and along the water, and she gleamed that animal drone again, and the all over. When the water was lev- white man cursing steadily in his el with the deck, the forehatch high precise voice and a language opened and something dry rustled I did not recognise. Then he out and crouched there. screamed, a long wavering scream I remember once when I was a of pure terror, cut ofE in the mid- boy I threw a piece of rotten dle as suddenly as if a spring brick into a stream. It was porous valve had shut on the sound. and full of air, sucking in the wa- The silence came hack and I ter and settling slowly. As it went was certain that the forehatch under, a spider emerged from a would open again and bring up crevice in its top and sat rocking that horror from below deck. I on the moving water, too light to ran to the side and began tearing break the tension that skinned its at the dinghy’s painter. The knot, surface. Then it turned, looked unpardonably, had pulled tight, about it and scuttled across the and I broke a finger-nail. I knelt water to the bank. working at it. I think I sobbed at The water, as I have said, is intervals. It was then I realised deep out beyond Penharrow Point, that the ship had stopped its gen- and the ketch’s shining maintruck tle rocking and was settling down vanished without a sound into in the water. I looked at the paint green swirling water which had below me, and as I looked the already stopped bubbling. Noth- level green water slipped half-an- ing was left but a reddish-brown inch higher. bundle which floated twirling on —

THE GOLDEN BRICK 15

the surface of the sea. For half a ure ship somewhere under the minute I watched, waiting for it cliffs around Penharrow Bay. If to sink. Then it gathered itself and anyone is sufficiently interested to crawled away, scrabbling with start a search, I could show him a brown claws at the surface of a place off Penharrow Point which sea too cleanly to take it in. might be worth investigating, but the water is very deep there and I do not think I shall go to the tides are strong. It is no job Penharrow again this summer. I for the aqualung enthusiast, but a shall find means to persuade the professional diver, properly family that it is time we tried equipped, might find, unless I am somewhere else. I should not care very much mistaken, a twenty-ton to sail or swim in those waters ketch in solid gold and somewhere now, nor, when we go to Clan- aboard her a complete golden man bridge, do I want to meet Mr. Tre- with a long gold pin in his hand mayne or the sideways jeweller of and his mouth open. So far as I Tregantle Street. I should be inter- am concerned, he can have the ested to know whether there are lot. Gold or no gold, I want noth- fresh rumours current of a treas- ing to do with them.

Zap!

Little Willie, fun of fun. Borrowed Daddy’s proton gun;

He tried it out with great elation Now he’s cosmic radiation.

La Difference

CWith Apologies to H. H. Holmes')

Though the sex of the asteroid vermin

Is exceedingly hard to determine,

You can tell boys from girls By the shape of the curls That a time-warp in space puts their perm in. —Randall Garrett Reading the work of L. Sprague de Camp creates, irresistably, a certain picture of the author. He is tall, to begin with, well- built, handsome, with a trim beard, a fascinating store of anecdote and a command of many languages, including the Swahili (Up-Country dialect). The damnable and deceptive

thing about such an imagined description is that it is all true—

every single word of it, and more of the same! And what a fascinating life this fascinating man has led, too! Graduate

engineer, MS in economics. Naval officer, world traveller, full-time writer (everything from science fact to verse), expert in the history of technology, collaborator with the late Fletch- er Pratt and the quick Willy Ley and P. Schuyler Miller, continuer of Robert E. Howard’s Conan tales, contributor to the Voice of America and (at one time or another) 56 different magazines and newspapers, ex-lumberjack, -surveyor, -ura- nium prospector, author of 32 published books (four of them chosen for various honors), researcher in linguistics and his- tory and phonetics, connoisseur of food/ drink/ music/ con- versation,—space, indeed, and space alone, precludes con-

tinuing the list. In recent years Mr. de Camp has given special attention to the Hellenistic period, and the three

novels so far resultant leave us regretting only that it leaves him so little time for magazine fiction. But when someone so versatile as the versatile Mr. de C. is concerned, very little is improbable—and nothing—save boredom itself—is impossible.

DRAGON HUNT

by L. Sprague de Camp

I WAS TALKING WITH THE COL- Writing historical novels, juvenile onel when he asked me what I had picture books, and other pieces, been doing lately. I told him: Egged on, I went into detail about DRAGON HUNT 17

the novel that had just been pub- a novel about Galileo or Darwin lished: The Dragon of the Ishtar would be. Gate. There have of course been a So, said he, twinkling at me multitude of classical historical over that Rasputinian beard, novels, ever since Wallace and won’t you write a piece for the Sienkiewicz launched their Ben- magazine, telling the readers Hur and Quo Vadis? A large ma- what you have just told me? jority, however, deal either with Aw, shucks, said I modestly, the downfall of the Roman Re- wouldn’t that be committing nar- public or the rise of Christianity. cissism in public? Unprofession- These are certainly legitimate sub- al, maybe? jects for novels, but those particu-

Not at all, said he. You write it, lar corners of the field are, let us we’ll publish it. say, a bit crowded. So here is the story of how The Many other characters and Dragon of the Ishtar Gate came to events in classical history invite be. fictional treatment but have never A few years ago I started a se- been thus exploited by my col- ries of historical novels, based on leagues. To learn about them, a definite plan. My purpose was however, you have to dig through to find a niche for these stories not the original sources: Herodotos, already preempted by any of the Diodoros, and the rest. existing successful historical-fic- Well, that was the plan. An tion writers, such as Mary Re- Elephant for Aristotle, which ap- nault, Alfred Duggan, or Thomas peared in 1958, is based upon the Costain. speculation of Col. Pierre Arman- I therefore picked tire setting di in 1843 that Alexander the that I know best from long read- Great sent an elephant from India ing, namely the classical and es- to his old tutor Aristotle in Atlr- pecially the Hellenistic age in the ens. If this happened —which Mediterranean. Moreover, the there is reason to suspect—some- particular aspect of history that I body had to get that elephant over am most familiar with is the his- 3,000 miles of deserts, mountains, tory of science and technology. and stormy seas, as well as find a Therefore I determined to make couple of hundred pounds of hay the stories turn in one way or an- and vegetables every day to fill the other upon some event, real or fic- monster’s maw. That was the titious, in the growth of scientific story. or technical knowledge. In other The next was The Bronze God words, these are science-fiction of Rhodes (1960, soon to be re- stories, but in a special sense, as printed in paperback). This deals 18 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION with^e siege of Rhodes byDeme- weighs the various probabilities, it trios Poliorketes in -305, with the seems likely that the traveler lively developments in siege en- reached the headwaters of the gineering of the time, with the Nile, in the Lake Region of east- subsequent erection of the Colos- central Africa. sus of Rhodes, and with the found- This hypothesis is confirmed by ing of the Library of Alexandria. the assertions of several Greek The third, The Dragon of the writers (Aischylos, Anaxagoras, hhtar Gate CDec., 1961) arose Euripides, Aristotle, Poseidonios, from a combination of several his- Diodoros, Claudius Ptolemaeus, torical facts and surmises. The etc.) that the Nile originated in first is the story of Sataspes, as told rain or melting snow on tall equa- by Herodotos (IV, 43). Sataspes, torial mountains, the "Silver a Persian nobleman in the reign of Mountain” or the “Mountains of Xerxes, was condemned to be im- the Moon.” As there was no a paled for raping a girl of noble priori reason to expect snow in family. His mother, who was such a tropical clime, it is likely Xerxes’ sister, got his sentence that diese allusions were based commuted to the circumnaviga- upon an actual sight of the snow- tion of Africa. Sataspes got part- capped Ruwenzori range. way down the west coast of Africa Afterwards all details of this but was stopped by adverse winds expedition were forgotten, so that and currents. Xerxes, however, did we do not even know the name of not believe his story (which may the man or men who accomplished have been perfectly true) and had one of the greatest of all feats of him impaled anyway. exploration. The source of the The second source is the fact White Nile remained an enigma Riat, of the twenty-three groups until just about a century ago, of tribute bearers sculptured on when the country was opened up each of the two retaining walls of by Burton, Speke, Grant, Stanley, the Apadana at Persepolis, the last and Baker. group of each set shows three un- Another source for the novel mistakable African Pygmies. One was the argument over the sirrush. carries a pot, one an elephant’s This is the dragon depicted in tusk, while the third leads an Babylonian art as the mascot of okapi. Evidently, in the reign of the great god Marduk, even as the Xerxes (-486 to -465) somebody lion was tlie pet of the goddess traveled from the Achaemenid Ishtar and the bull that of the god Empire to a country where Pyg- Addad. mies and okapis dwelt and re- Koldewey, who dug up Babylon turned to tell the tale. When one at the beginning of this century. DRAGON HUNT 19 suggested that perhaps the priests At this time an officer in the of Marduk, to awe &eir worship- Imperial Guard, Bessas of Za- ers, kept a large lizard in a eage riaspa, has been unjustly sen- and passed it off as a baby sirrush. tenced to deaih by impalement for Although there does not now ap- his unwitting involvement in the pear to be any species of monitor scandal of Sataspes. Bessas is a living in Babylonia, several relat- gigantic young Bactrian who can ed species are found in Iran, Is- outride, outfight, and outdrink ev- rael, and Egypt. Therefore such an erybody, although in some other imposture is possible. respects he is not altogether clever. Finally, for the title, I felt I Xerxes pardons Bessas on condi- could hardly improve upon the tion that he obtain a live sirrush, one that Willy Ley used for a rumored to lurk at the headwaters chapter of his book The Lungfish, of the Nile, and the ear of a king. the Dodo, and the Unicorn, telling To insure his compliance, Xerxes about the controversy over the sir- holds Bessas’ mother as hostage rush. When the sculpture became for his return. known, there was speculation to Bessas sets out with his former the effect that the imaginary beast tutor, a middle-aged Greek school- was based upon some real reptile master named Myron of Miletos. —perhaps a small dinosaur— that They survive ambush in Babylon, had survived down to Achaemenid become involved in the plot of a times somewhere in Africa. How- pretender to the throne in Pales- ever, nothing has happened since tine, engage the services of a gang to confirm this hypothesis. Be that of tomb robbers in Egypt, and at- as it may, with Willy’s kind per- tend a barbaric orgy in Kush. They mission I lifted the chapter title. obtain their king’s ear (read the The plot of the novel is as fol- story to find out how) and, after lows : Xerxes, king of kings of the overcoming great hardships, reach Persian Empire, is feeling his the headwaters of the Nile. years. His tame wizard, Ostanas, However, since tlje story is not tells him that he has discovered one more rehash of Conan Doyle’s an elixir of life, whose ingredients lost-world theme, and since the include the ear of a king, the unknown real explorers did bring blood of a dragon, and the heart back, not a sirrush, but an okapi, of a hero. Naturally, these items the fictional heroes do not find any are not readily come by. But Os- sirrush. Instead, a Pygmy chief- tanas persuades his king that, if tain whom they have rescued from they can find a man who can fetch cannibals furnishes them with a the first two items, the third one live okapi. Hoping that this ani- will take care of itself. mal will placate Xerxes, they start 20 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION for home, Bessas still in ignorance ful Ripon Falls, where the White of the fact that his heart is to fur- Nile flows out of Victoria Nyanza, nish the final ingredient of the po- has been turned into a hydroelec-

tion . , . tric installation. Uganda, being on The next step was to go over as the equator but fairly high up, has much of the ground as I could to the most delightful climate in the see it for myself. Although I have world. a fair collection of books dealing Juma also showed me the tomb with the parts of the world in of Mtesa I, who reigned in gory which my story is laid and have splendor a century ago when Speke read many more, there is nothing and Grant discovered him. The like seeing the country with your tomb is an oversized thatched hut own eyes. If I could not manage to with red-painted woodwork. Pious make the whole journey from Per- Muslim or no, Juma prayed to the sepolis to the Ruwenzori, as did spirit of Mtesa, on whom King my characters, I could cover the Ravonga in my story is based. The African and Syrio-Lebanese sec- fictional incident of King Ravon- tions. ga’s new sword is based upon one So, at dawn on a fine March that happened on the visit of Speke morning, a BOAC airfiner set me and Grant. When the explorers down at Entebbe, the airport for gave Mtesa a gun, the king handed Kampala, capital of Uganda. For it to a page and told the lad to take two days I was driven about Kam- it out and kill somebody with it to pala by Juma Kitalisa, an intelli- see if it worked. And so it was gent and pious Muslim Mganda."^ done. Later Mtesa went on a hunt At noon he asked me to locate the with his gun and, finding no direction of Mecca with my pock- game, shot a number of his sub- et compass so that he could pray jects instead. in the right direction. Juma also showed me the pool Juma showed me the sights, in- in which Mtesa had persons who cluding an excellent small mu- displeased him fed to the royal seum. Here, I learned that the crocodiles. I have sometimes landscape of Uganda in the early wished for such a pond. However, Pleistocene was enlivened by I thought that my King Ravonga, such creatures as a warthog the size living over 2,000 years earher, of a rhinoceros and a sheep the would not have anything so so- size of an elephant. Alas! Beauti- phisticated as a special crocodile pond; so he merely had people tied * Bantu words are modified by prefixes up and thrown into a crocodile- instead of suffixes. Hence one Mganda, infested river. two Baganda, who live in Uganda arid speak Luganda. At Juma’s suggestion, we went DRAGON HUNT 21 to a boxing tournament between draw. Mtesa 11 was a stocky young the King’s East African Rifles and Mganda in a white dinner jacket. the Kampala Boxing Club. Juma The British fighters marched up to sensibly said Cl can only faintly him and halted with the loud suggest the Luganda-English dia- British infantry stamp. The Gan- lect): “We buy ten-silling seats. da boys did as their forefathers Ze Blitiss sink zey have to buy had done a hundred years ago on fifteen-silling seats, but we can meeting the first Mtesa; they see zust as well fom ten-silling threw themselves down prone, cry- seats.” ing: "Nyanzigel" It was just an All of Kampala showed up in act, enjoyed by all. Freddy Mtesa, the open-air stadium on the edge a shrewd young man, has never of town: British colonials in din- fed anybody to a crocodile in his ner jackets, Sikhs in white shorts hfe. and turbans, and several thou- sand Baganda. It was orderly de- Then I went on safari. If any- spite occasional war-whoops and body thinks that nowadays “safari” cries of "Freedom!” This comes out means a train of naked blacks in Luganda as "fi-do,” with a long marching in single file through the nasal vowel on the end. elephant grass with things on their The King’s East African Rifles heads, I must disillusion him. My were British lads; the Kampala safari consisted of four Chevrolets Boxing Club, all Baganda except with Ganda drivers and fourteen for the heavyweight, who was an tourists, mostly American with a Italian. The Baganda, albeit one sprinkling of Britons and other of the many Bantu-speaking nationalities. One Australian had groups, are a rather small, slight a French wife who wore high heels people, and they just didn’t have and carried a parasol all through anybody big enough to fight in the the Ituri Forest. heavyweight class. We drove to the Queen Eliza- It was a massacre. The British beth National Park, bordering on fought like plucky amateurs, the the Congo. As you know, nowa- Africans like pros. While I was days most of Africa is no wilder there, the British won only two than Ohio. The great herds of events out of about a dozen, one game have practically vanished on a foul and the other on a deci- outside tlie parks and preserves, sion that I thought was wrong. and it is anybody’s guess whether Afterwards the reigning Kaba- the new African governments will ka, Mtesa II C formerly called the maintain these preserves or, in re- Honourable Freddy) handed out turn for a little temporary politi- silver cups to all, win, lose, or cal support, turn the tribesmen 22 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION loose with their rifles, wire snares, I had three companions: and poisoned arrows. George Heffernon, a retired U. S. However, I saw two of the parks Army surgeon; his wife; and an while they were still in good older lady whom I shall call Mrs. shape, with elephant aU over the June Branch. George and I got place and plenty of buffalo, hip- out to stalk the hippo with cam- popotamus, antelope of various eras. When we had halved the species, smaller fry like warthog distance, the hippo looked up and hyena, and swarms of exotic witli a scowl; at least, I got the birds. So some of my descriptions impression that if he could have of African animal life, such as the scowled he would have. buffalo’s habit of staring fixedly at We halted and began shooting. distant human beings, are based Presently the beast looked up on personal observation. again. I backed towards the car, We heard lions roaring at but George kept clicking away. night but did not see them. The hippo champed his jaws, There were no rhinoceros in this gave a thunderous snort, and park; hence the account in the started bounding towards us at story of repelling a rhino by clat- appalling speed like an animated tering sticks together (pp. 278f) blimp. George and I ran faster is based upon a method used, I than either of us had done in was told, by the African drivers thirty years, with cameras, binoc- in other parks where rhino do ulars, and light meters, fluttering roam. Nor, I’m sorry to say, did behind us. We jumped into the I see any sign of a sirrush. car and slammed the doors; the The morning after we arrived, hippo went back to his grass as if we set out before breakfast for nothing had happened. animal-watching. Soon we came For the rest of the trip, the upon a hippo, grazing sixty two women kidded us, urging us yards away. The hippo does not to do it again so they could have normally eat water plants. At their cameras ready. We said; to night he comes out to graze, and hell with that; this time you tease in the day he goes back into the the hippopotamus and we’ll take water to digest the grass he has the pictures. eaten. (See pp. 357f of the nov- When we reached the borders el.) The rules say not to approach of the then Belgian Congo, a com- elephant, hippopotamus, or buf- phcation arose. Mrs. Branch, al- falo on foot closer than 100 though a charming lady, was one yards. But we had not yet read the of the most disorganized persons rules, and the Bagasda encouraged I ever met. She was always drop- us to do as we liked. ping her costly cameras, losing DRAGON HUNT 23

things, holding up the rest of us together. Otherwise the officer at by asking the drivers to run spe- the point of exit would want to cial errands for her, and shriek- know if I had quarreled with my ing: petite amie and had fed her to a “Oh, Juma! Stop! Stop! I want crocodile, or what. to take a picture of that pretty Although this was only a month waterfall!” She was perpetually before the ill-starred Congolese in- driving her travel agents crazy by dependence, everything was still changing her plans. quiet in the Congo. The Bel- When we reached the Congo, gians, however, were nervous and Mrs. Branch had no visa, which with good reason. They had run a Americans had to have. There very tightly exploitative regime, had been a misunderstanding in requiring all Congolese to salute Kampala. So, what to do? In the all whites in passing and things customs office were one Belgian of that sort. If— as I believe some and two Congolese. After much of them claim— they began to palaver, one of the latter ap- change these policies in the years proached me, saying shyly: just before independence, the "Avec votre permission, mon- change was too late to do any sieur, nous pouvons mettre Ma- good. An intelligent Portuguese dame Branche sur votre forme de innkeeper told me that he had no douane, comme si elle vous ac- fears about getting along with the compagnaitl” Congolese; the Belgians were the Luckily, Mrs. Branch did not ones who had given him all the speak French. I said: “Eh bien, trouble. Despite his having been elle est un peu vieille pour mai- in Africa for thirty years, they tresse en titre; mais il faut etre still deemed him a sale etranger. agreable doncl” In the Ituri Forest we watched So a rubber stamp was im- a villagefull of Pygmies do a rude pressed upon my brown customs shuffling dance, as they do on declaration form, and the stamp page 380 of the story. Their was filled in to the effect that I dance, if you can call it that, is was “accompanied” by Mme. June not at all like the dancing of the Branch. No doubt somebody will Batutsi and Bahutu, who are real dig this form out of the files half artists. a century hence (if tlie termites Subsequently we passed the don’t get to it first) and say: hey, picturesque Rutshuru Falls and what was this guy up to while his stopped to take pictures. Seeing wife’s back was turned? The Bel- one of those dangling jungle vines gian added a caution that we of the kind that Tarzan swings must be sure to leave the Congo on, we tried swinging on it, too; 24 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

but it didn’t work. In the first where the whole project becomes place, not having been nailed impracticable. fast by the property man, the Hence, for details of scenery vine kept tearing loose from the aroimd Lake George (called in the bough to which it clung. In the story by its older name of Lata second, I shook down on myself a Nzige) I had to faU back on travel swarm of venomous ants, which books. The African trip was nev- crawled inside my clothes to bite. ertheless invaluable in giving Somehow ants never seem to first-hand impressions of the scen- bother Tarzan. ery, weather, wild life, vegeta- The nicest thing about the tion, people, and housing of Congo was the escape from the Uganda, whereof I made full use food, in the British-run hotels and in Chapters XVI to XVIII. lodges. The food in such estab- The cannibal Akulangba of the lishments in East Africa and the story are based upon the Azande Sudan may be described as tropi- or Niam-Niam, a miscellaneous cal British — an incompetent na- group of tribes along the westerly tive imitation of British cooking, Sudanese-Congolese border re- which is the world’s worst to be- gion who, before they were gin with. The Belgians’ food was brought under control half a cen- marvelous. I am told that native tury ago, did practise cannibal- Sudanese food is excellent, too, ism. As I did not get to the but I didn’t have a chance to eat Azande country—Africa is a hell any. of a big place — I had to depend on anthropological reports for my My Central African tour did knowledge of them. not actually cross the path of my I wanted to cover as much of characters. I got only as far north the trip from Uganda north to as Lake George, while my heroes, Cairo as I could on the surface, for reasons of plot, only pene- as one sees little from an airplane trated as far south as Lake Al- that could be useful to a novelist. bert, about 100 miles from my Had I known then what I know northernmost point. For one now about the arrangements one thing, when I planned the trip I has to make, I could have done the had only a vague, general idea southern Sudan by Nile steamer; of where my characters were go- but I didn't and so had to fly it. ing. For another, to forego organ- Therefore I had to get my in- ized tours altogether and insist formation about this region and upon traveling just where you its people from the books of the wish in solitary splendor raises Victorian explorers like Speke, the cost of travel to the point Grant, and Baker; of modern nat- DRAGON HUrJT 25

uralists and anduropologists; and It took two days of searching, of popularizers like Moorehead. with some much-appreciated help The customs I attributed to the from the U. S. Embassy, to find Nilotics CKing Gau and his folk) a garage owner with a jeep for are those their descendants ob- rent. So, on the morning of the served in modern times, and there last day, I set out at six down the is good reason to think that these Nile in the jeep with a young people had the same habits 2,500 IChartoumi, Tejani, driving. years ago as in the past century. Hence my description (pp. 274ff) The southern Sudan is the of the Nile between Mero6 and land of the sadd, the great swamps Soba is first-hand. Meroe is as- of the White Nile. It is inhabited sumed — correctly, I think— to by the tall, naked, Nilotic Ne- have looked much like a modern groes such as the Dinka and Shil- Sudanese town, such .as Shendi, luk. The northern Sudanese, who without gas stations and other rule the country, are Egyptianized modern appurtenances, and with Muslims and therefore even more a city wall. puritanical about nudity than I tried also to visit the ruins of Christians. They do not like for- Soba, a town a couple of miles up eigners’ poking about among the the Blue Nile from Khartoum. But Nilotics and taking pictures of the taxi driver who said he could naked tribesmen, which pictures, take me there went up the wrong tliey think, reflect adversely on side of the Blue Nile, and by the the country’s culture and degree time I realized this it was too late. of civilization. But it can be done However, I did find some lines of if you start well in advance and crumbling mud-brick on the south work through the right channels. bank of the Blue Nile opposite Be that as it may, I arrived by Soba, indicating another former air in Khartoum for a stay of town, which the archeologists ap- three days. I wanted to visit the parently do not know about. I pyramids of Meroe, the capital of passed the word on to Jean Ver- ancient Kush—not Conan’s but coutter of the Sudanese Antiqui- the real one. The Kushites once ties Service and hope that he or conquered Egypt. Although driv- one of his successors will some en out by the Assyrians, they took day get around to excavating it. over from the Egyptians the cus- Now, of course, all their resources tom of burying royalty in pyra- are concentrated on the sites in mids. In fact, they continued this Nubia to be flooded by the raising usage for many centuries after of the Aswan Dam. the Egyptians themselves had Some readers and reviewers given it up. commented in a shocked sort of 26 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

way on the description of the that would be easy. We’d stop at raw-meat feast in Chapter XII, in Shendi, where I could buy a the Kushite part of my story. Al- camel, cut off its head, and take though this novel does not bear it with me. My wife is glad that down heavily on sex (even though I did not follow up this sugges- Boy Gets Girls — two of them at tion. once) some found the Kushite We had troubles. The starter orgy too strong for their stomachs. gave out, so we had to re-start However, this revel was not the die jeep by pushing. Try pushing product of the lurid imagination a jeep through soft sand. which some reviewers — the flat- We got to Meroe about two, in terers! — attributed to me. It was blistering heat. Tejani became based on the banquets witnessed bothersome, asking for money. by James Bruce in Abyssinia in This is a common form of extor- the 1760s, and on Wallis Budge’s tion in desert countries. The the- arguments to show that the same ory is that the tourist will be so customs were observed in an- terrified of being abandoned in cient Kush. the waste that he will fork over My General Puerma, by the without protest. way, was based upon a Sudanese Having been through this be- official who was a close friend of fore in Egypt, I merely said: some of my State Department ac- “Ba'den, ba'den [later].” Tejani quaintances. King Saas-herqa in subsided. Most Sudanin are not the story was a real king. King like that, being a warrior race Jakarta is imaginary, but his with the virtues and faults of predecessor Karkamon and his such. The Sudan is the only Mus- successor Astabarqamon were real. lim land where I have had tips The journey to Meroe was a refused, not once but several fifteen-hour round trip, and you times. Hence the allusions in the need a four-wheel drive because story to the relative honesty of of the many stretches of soft sand. the Kushites. Seeing dead camels lying by the On the way home, we were roadside with vultures tearing still nowhere near Khartoum a picturesquely at them, I thought couple of hours after sunset. We that what I needed to add to the had given lifts to several stranded junk in my study was a well- passengers of broken-down trucks. bleached Sudanese camel’s skull. The Sudanin buy trucks on tick So I tried to tell Tejani what I and run them without proper wanted. Not knowing the Arabic maintenance. So now and again for “skull,” I said I wanted the we passed one of these trucks with head of a camel. Oh, said Tejani, the trucker lying under it and DRAGON HUNT 27

fiddling with wrenches, and a kings had been buried near Na- dozen ghostly-looking villagers in pata. And, as the story worked turbans and jallabiyyas waiting out, there was no good excuse to for what God should provide. You stage a scene at Napata. But of run much less risk in giving such course I am not in the slightest a man a lift than you do in pick- sorry that I went, for I learned ing up a hitchhiker in this coun- much more about the Sudan than try. I should ever have done in Khar- Now it was dark, with a zodia- toum or riding about in trains, cal light of extraordinary bright- ships, and airplanes. ness, almost like one of the better At nine, festooned with cam- auroras of the northern United eras and other optical equipment States (cf. p. 177 of the story). and covered by an inch-thick lay- Tejani swerved to avoid an ass, er of Sudanese dust (referred to which had wandered into the on p. 238) I staggered into the road, and lost himself in a grassy bar at the Hotel Grand. As I field. He came to a pair of ruts sank down on a bar stool and and, tired and confused, started demanded a triple scotch, the to turn the wrong way, back to- man on the next stool turned and wards Meroe. I said in Arabic: said: “The road’s to the left.” “Ernest Hemingway, eh?” Tejani made the turn, found the road, and then lost his tem- I went from Khartoum to Luxor per. He burst into a stream of by surface transportation, to see abusive Arabic, flapping his hand what I could of the country. In in front of my face. Although he Luxor I was to meet my wife, who spoke too fast for me to follow had not gone with me to central him, from the occasional word I Africa because she thought she caught I inferred that he was tell- might prove allergic to elephants ing me to mind my own damned witliout bars in front of them. The business; that he was the driver journey comprised a 24-hour trip and I knew no more about the on the narrow-gage Sudanese roads than a blind man. So rela- railways to Wadi Haifa; a journey tions between us were cool there- of a day, a night, and half a day after. by Nile steamer to Shellal; and After all my exertions, I did finally several hours on the Egyp- not find it possible to work the tian state railway. The region pyramids of Mero^ into the story, around Shellal is described on pp. because at the time of the tale the 222ff; ancient Egyptian Swenet Kushites had not yet begun to is the Syene of the Greeks and buUd pyramids at Meroe. All their modern Aswan, while Yeb is 28 fantasy AND SCIENCE FICTION

Greek Elephantine and modern 219 of the novel, especially Hat- Gaziret Asw^n, “Asw^n Island,” shepsut’s temple and the colossi The Sudanese train was late, of Amenhotep III. I did not, so we could not stop the steamer however, visit King Siptah’s at the temple of I^meses 11 at tomb, but got my information Abu Simbel— the one to be from an archeological report. jacked up to keep it out of water In addition to the standard ex- when the Aswra Dam is en- cursions (the Temple of Amon at larged for the third time. I shared Karnak, where the high priest a cabin with an Egyptian agri- Jed-hor entertained my heroes; cultural expert with the most hor- Tutankhamen’s tomb, etc.) I rible snore I have ever heard. spent a day visiting monuments On the train from Shellal to off the tourist track: the temple Luxor (for scenery, see p. 220 of of Seti I at Qurna, the Rames- the book) one of my compart- seum, and the temple of Medina ment companions was a little fat Habu. I told the agency not to man in tweeds and beret, who send a guide, because I knew turned out to be the tax collector more about the things I was to see at Aswan. He complained that no- than most guides. Most guides body loves the tax gatherer, al- have a few well-rehearsed though he is an important and speeches, which they utter like necessary official. Furthermore, recording devices, and get hope- everybody wants a free handout lessly confused if the tourist de- from the government, but nobody viates from the regular routine. wants to pay his share when the I picked up my driver on the tax collector comes around. It west bank. He had a little Euro- sounded familiar. pean phaeton of the vintage of Meanwhile my wife was await- 1930, beautifully kept, up. At ing me in the lobby of the hotel each place we stopped, Nasr dis- in Luxor, getting more and more appeared into the nearest mud nervous as I failed to show up on hut and came out with a falMh, time. At last, towards midnight, who tried to sell me tea and cook- as she described it: ies. For various reasons I did not “I looked up and saw three wish tea and cookies. I finally got ragamuffins come up to the desk; gracefully out of the situation by and I thought, what a shame that saying: "Ana ramadhdni [I’m this nice hotel should let such keeping Ramadan].” Then they filthy people in. Then I thought, were all smiles of admiration. my God, one of them is mine!” The Ramesseum harbors the My three-day sojourn in Luxor broken stone colossus, a report of provided the scenery for pp. 196- which inspired Shelley’s Ozyman- DRAGON HUNT 29 dias. True, the scene does not we landed, Allah sent me an in- look at all like Shelley’s descrip- spiration. I said: "Fi fikri hull id- tion: din kuwayyis [In my opinion, all religion is good].” Broad smiles Nothing beside remains. Round all around again. the decay We went from Luxor to Cairo Of that colossal wreck, bound- by train, seeing more of the Nile less and hare valley, and met old friends in The lone and level sands Cairo. I had visited Saqqara, site stretch far away. of ancient Memphis-, two years But tliat is no serious criticism of previously, and my notes on this the poem, and Shelley had never visit, together with Flinders Pe- been to Luxor. trie’s archeological reports and the I paid olf Nasr, boarded one of descriptions of Memphis by Hero- the 40-foot launches that serve as dotos and Diodoros, furnished ferries, and scrunched down in the background for Chapter IX. the fantail amid a swarm of local Then we flew to Beirut and fallahin, from kids to graybeards. spent a week traveling about Leb- Soon we were chattering away. anon and Syria. Thence came the They asked about my wives and material for Chapters V and VI. I children, and I showed them my did not see all the places de- wallet photographs of these. (One scribed in the story— the Tower of wife only, I hasten to add.) A the Snail, for instance — but I still young schoolteacher came aft to got a pretty good idea of the ap- help out when I ran out of Arabic. pearance of ancient Phoenicia. At last somebody asked if I Fedden’s Syria filled in many were a Muslim or a Copt. Now, gaps. this was a tricky question. There Palestine I was not able to see, are many Copts around Luxor, for lack of time and because of the and there is a good deal of mutual diplomatic difficulties of combin- hostility between the Copts and ing a visit to Israel and one to the the Muslim majority in modern Arab states in one journey. So I Egypt. (“Copt,” from the Greek had to rely on books, of which I Aigyptos via the Arabic Quft, found Howells’ A Naturalist in once meant any Egyptian, but Palestine most useful. now it means a member of the From Beirut we flew back to Coptic Christian Church, which Italy, where we toured Sicily and is very close to the Greek Ortho- tramped the ruins of Ostia. As dox Church.) this article is not an exercise in I hesitated, racking my brains name-dropping, I will spare you for a tactful reply. Then, just as accounts of how we dined with —

30 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

the Stygian Minister of Necro- Italy and Sicily. You have to get mancy and were shown the ruins them from a rare-book dealer at of Zamboula by Professor Thoth- about $20.00 a book, but they

Amon. I fear they would be tedi- are well worth it. ous to you, however fascinating Back home, I turned my notes we found the events at the time. into tj'pescript, outlined my nov- The only real disturbance in our el, and went to work. In this plans was when we failed to get story, I allowed some echoes of into Jordan because our guide’s Robert E. Howard to creep in. I papers were out of order. But we did this deliberately, because the put the time to good advantage Hyborian atmosphere seemed ap- by visiting Kerak des Chevaliers propriate to the time and place the great Crusader castle in Syria of the story. The tale, however, is — and the Phoenician ruins at Byb- not a fantasy. Although the char- los (modern Jebayl). acters believe in many supernatu- All this time, besides working ral things, everything that hap- my RoUeiflex, I was also writing pens also has a materialistic ex- notes in shorthand about every- planation. thing I saw that I had not al- The story also has its realistic ready heard about: the big brown aspects. Like the others, it turns half-tame eagle-hawks of north- upon events in the history of sci- east Africa, the blue-eyed blonds ence: the discovery of the sources of northwestern Syria, and so of the Nile, the discovery of the forth. (Cf. pp. 96, 320.) I also roundness of the earth, and the picked up as many local guide- beginnings of a skeptical, rational books as I could. They are invalu- attitude towards the supernatural able in writing about far places with the rise of Ionian philosophy. and are almost impossible to ob- So that’s that. I have a con- tain by remote control. tract for another novel of this se- For serious travel of our sort, ries. The working title is The Ar- in which museums and ruins take rows of Herakles, and the story precedence over beaches and night will be about Dionysios the Great clubs, the best guides are still the of Syracuse, his wars with Car- old Baedeker guidebooks, pub- thage, and the invention of the lished from 1910 to 1930. No catapult. I hope to get to work on contemporary publication that I it by the end of this year, using have seen compares to the Bae- the photographs made, the notes dekers on Egypt and the Sudan, written, and the guidebooks Palestine and Syria, and Southern bought in Sicily. A recent visit at our apartment from the spit-and-image of Poseidon—beard, mane, and earthquakes; lacking only the trident—reminded us once again of the persistence into our time of mythical archetypes. A few days later this story of Fritz Leibers arrived, telling us that he had noticed the same phenomena: only in Norse, rather than Greek, terms: and that he finds the continuance (or emergence, or re-emergence) of the archetypes infinitely disturbing, rather than merely in-

teresting. The story shook us, we confess. The danger it speaks of is one which shakes us constantly, and seems unlikely to be avertable by offerings of bulls or stallions, or even striplings and virgins. We recalled an old book from our own childhood, with an illustration showing the evil-doing and lying-tongued Loki of the Norse myths. Bound for his sins, he lay prostrate in a cave (an air-raid shelter?) and over him the punishing serpent dripped venom. His daughter held a cup beneath the venomous flow (—or is the daughter the shelter?), but when

it required to be emptied, moved she never so quickly, yet a drop of venom fell upon the sinners face, and he writhed in

agony. . . . Did he break his bonds? Was he pardoned? What damage was it that he wrought? And—in terms of type, arche- type, and prototype—who was Loki? And can we hind him,

can we dare not bind him?—this time, forever . . .

MYTHS MY GREAT-GRAND- DAUGHTER TAUGHT ME

by Fritz Leiber

One afternoon I woke in the the glisten of dreams still on it. I patio feeling sun-toasted and re- ran my hand through my beard laxed, my mind very clear but with and decided to chop it off, which

31 ” ”

32 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

didn’t make sense as it felt silky tiently, “and for G they make a and looked a beautiful silver gray little gibbet.” —when who should come around “That’s not talking, that’s writ- the comer of the house but my ing,” I started to object, but she great-granddaughter with her chin pursed her lips and bored her eyes tucked down against her chest and into me again and asked suspi- her big eyes boring into me as they ciously, “G’gramps, do you know always do when she’s prepared to Norse mythology?” confound me. “You ought to say dig,” I told One skinny arm hugged to her her. “Why don’t you talk cute side a weatherbeaten gray book beatnik like all the other brainy showing faintly on the cover a little eight-year-olds with authors gold-stamped design of three for fathers, or fathers once or curved horns interlocking. I knew twice removed? Why, I’ve known that detail because I’d noticed the writers to make vast fortunes just same warped-cover book lying copying down what their cute teen- around the house several times age beatnik daughters say over the lately, but never bothered to check phone.” what it was, though I’d been She cut me off with, “Oh, G’- meaning to. gramps, beatnik went out twenty She stopped in front of me and years ago.” untucked her chin and pushed a “I’m very glad to hear that,” I strand of long pale hair back from said. "But now about this Norse her cheek and even yawned fakily, jazz, it’s all very wild and doomful but I knew that was just to get me and warlike, and they have nine off guard. worlds, I think, but I remember Then she suddenly shot at me, Jotunheim, where the frost giants "G’gramps” (she pronounces it Uve, and Asgard — that’s where guh-GRAMPS) “G’gramps,” she our boys hve— shot at me, “why do the frost “Oh, so you admit they’re our giants always talk Russian?” boys?” she interrupted. “Well, I guess they have some “Well, I mean they’re the —he- pretty tall people in Russia,” I roes, sort of. They’re the Aesir temporized, “and they certainly “How do you spell that? AEG?” have some pretty chilly winters, as “No, AES,” I told her, “though Napoleon and Hitler discovered to I suppose you could have C-cedil- their sorrow. Hey, how do you la.” know these frost giants talk Rus- “Or AE could stand for Ameri- sian?” can Empire,” she suggested. “Because they write B for V “Look, I’m telling this,” I told and P for R,” she explained impa- her. “There are these Aesir— Odin, ” ” ” ” —

MYTHS MY GREAT-GRANDDAUGHTER TAUGHT ME 33

Thor & Company— and they live the most wonderful gifts for the in Asgard, boozing it up and being gods.” athletic. Leading off from Asgard “They’re the scientists,” she said is the bridge Bifrost (you say that sharply, nodding her head. “The Beef Roast and not By—Frost) with dwarfs are the scientists and the Heimdall to guard it engineers.” “The launching orbit,” she in- “Have it your own way,” I told terrupted excitedly. “Bifrost is the her. “Well, these gifts for the Aesir launching orbit and Heimdall is —who were the gods, of course >y the big radar station that guards against missiles from Jotunheim “They would naturally think and the other countries.” that,” she agreed smoothly. “That’s too science-fictiony,” I I blinked at her, but went on, objected, “though I do seem to re- “These gifts included the spear member that Heimdall could see Gungnir, which would hit what- for a hundred miles in every direc- ever mark it was thrown at no tion and even hear the grass grow matter how bad the aim of the » thrower— “Sonar too,” she said. “Radar I thought I heard her say, “Self- and hyper-sonar.” correcting homing missile,” but I I chuckled in my throat at that, ivent on, “And the boat Skidblad- it was rather cute, though there nir —you know, it’s funny but I was a little chill in the back of my always read that as skin-hladder neck, just behind the chuckle, be- anyhow, the boat Skidbladnir, cause it has always seemed to me which a person—could fold up and that there is something frighten- fit in his pocket ingly for-our-times in this Norse “Pocket battleship,” she said in- notion of embattled worlds with stantly. “It says just that.” magic weapons poised against “And the boar Gold Bristle—that each other and then just going flew forever, shedding light ” I ahead and destroying each other was determined to finish off my at Ragnarok. list. “Go on,” she prompted. “Tell me “Atomic spaceship,” she said. some more about Asgard. Tell me “Or maybe photonic.” any story you remember.” “And Thor’s hammer Mjolnir.”

“Well, it’s been a long time,” I “Another missile, of course. objected, scratching my chin Don't they actually have one through my silky silver beard. “I called Thor?” forget what led up to it, but there “And the gold ring Draupnir, was one about the dwarfs having that dropped eight—rings like itself a contest to see who could make every ninth night 34 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

“That could be atomic transmu- and whispered, “Because the frost tation,” she said thoughtfully, "or giants are the Russians, see?” maybe just the capitalist economic "Well,” I said, trying to get system.” back into the spirit of it all, “I “Now look here,” I said rather have to admit that the Russians do loudly, for I wanted to end this talk gutteral and ho-ho-ho harshly nonsense before it got any more and lumber around in fur coats and nightmarish, "you use awfully big knock themselves out with mon- words and subtle concepts, even ster construction projects and act for a little girl who’s outgrown obtuse but menacing, just like the beatnik.” frost giants.” “I’m your own great-grand- “That’s right,” she told me, nod- daughter, aren’t I?” she coun- ding. “Khrushchev was the giant tered. Skyrmir, I’m pretty sure. Jotun- Nobody could protest that heim and Asgard are Russia and comeback, so I just said, “You America, all set to shoot missiles sure are, honey, but you’re looking at each other across England and pretty scrawny with all this intel- Europe, which must be Midgard, lection.” Really, there was some- of course — though sometimes I thing that had begun to bother me think the English are the Vanir.” about her skinniness and the “Say, have you been reading all anxious intensity of her lemur-like this crazy stuff in that gray book?” gaze. “Why don’t you go inside and I asked her uneasily. “I remember ask you g’gramma for a big peanut- now: three irlterlocking horns are butter sandwich and a glass of Odin’s symbol. Let me see it.” milk?” “Later maybe,” she said, twist- “Later maybe,” she said. “Right ing the side with the book now I want you to tell me every clamped to it away from my hand last thing you remember about the and then backing off a couple of Nine Worlds.” She came over and steps. “Right now we’ve got to dig leaned straight-armed on my some important things out of your couch and bored with the big eyes memory. G’gramps, there’s a tradi- again. tion that Odin wandered all over “That’s asking too much,” I pro- Midgard, and some of the other tested, “especially with this sci- Nine Worlds too, in disguise. Do ence-fiction angle you’ve added. you know rvho Odin might be, You seem to know more about it like Skyrmir being Khrushchev or than I do, so why don’t you tell Balder Abraham Lincoln?” me the answers? Why do the frost “William O. Douglas?” I suggest- giants always talk Russian?” ed wildly, making another attempt She leaned two inches closer to play the game. “He traveled all MYTHS MY GREAT-GRANDDAUGHTER TAUGHT ME 35 over the vv'orld to see things for lessly working— any other solu- himself and he wrote a lot of tion would be dramatically wrong. books about it,” And right now I didn’t want a “I don’t think so,” she said, little girl to glimpse the dread and shaking her head, “but maybe it’s despair that had gripped the not so important to know that. heart of a third-grader and never After all, Odin was one of the quite let go. goods guys. For that matter, all I must have done a poor job of the Aesir were pretty good, at concealment, though, for what she least they were brave and well- said, backing out of reach again, intentioned, but there was one of was, “But G’gramps, don’t you see .” them who wasn’t . . She hesi- that we’ve got to get to Ragnarok? tated and for some reason I shiv- — that that’s what all this is lead- ered. “Loki wasn’t,” she said and ing up to? It all fits. The Midgard hesitated again, and as she said serpent, coiled around the world “Loki” and stared at me with those under the seas and never coming big eyes, the patio seemed to up till the end, is atomic subma- waver for a moment behind her rines. The Fenris wolf, his jaws and the sun grew dim. “Loki was scraping earth and the stars, is always causing trouble. He was spaceflight — and missiles! And one of the Aesir, they adopted Surtur, who came from Muspel- him, but he was always working heim and ended the war with a the worst mischief he could. fireweapon that destroyed every- G’gramps, who was Loki?” thing—he must have been the top “Now let’s stop all this right general of a country, not America now,” I commanded, “or we’ll be or Russia, that started lobbing getting to Ragnarok.” I laughed atomic bombs. But G’gramps, and reached out to touzle her hair, which country was Muspelheim? but really I was a little fright- Who was Surtur? And who was ened. You see, ever since I first the one who tricked them all into ran across the Norse myths in it? —who was Loki?” third grade I’ve never believed for Now she was the one who was a second in that fakey tacked-on advancing, her big eyes pleading happy ending about the sons of but fierce, and I was the one who Odin and Thor establishing a new was backing off a little, across my world after the other gods and couch. She seemed to have die giants were dead. It’s always changed, or maybe it was just that been clear to me that Ragnarok I now saw for the first time that must lie in the future, a horror her cheeks were starved-sunken overhanging us all, a doom to- and her dress was ragged and her ward which the universe is relent- skinny legs were scarred. ” a

36 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

“Who was Loki, G’gramps?” she I had to rub my chin several times repeated. “If you knew, you could to convince myself of that. stop hhn. Wc can’t remember, Then I remembered that I never we’ve got amnesia for that part. had a beard, certainly not a silver We sent back the book and the one. I also remembered that I myths, so you’d know what was don’t have a great-granddaughter. coming and figure out the rest, I have one grandchild, a girl, but and stop it from happening, she’s only two. but that didn’t do any good, so we Oh, one other thing: my wife had to try to come back ourselves. and a couple of friends remember G’gramps, please — seeing that gray weathered book She reached out her hand, with the Odin symbol around the brushing my beard, and shook my house, but none of them ever shoulder. Her fingers were ice. looked into it. And now we can’t "G’gramps, who was Loki?” find it anywhere..

"Stop it, I don’t know!” I cried So there you are, that’s the en- out, flinching away from her. "I tire experience, just as it hap- don’t even know your name!" pened. No, wait a moment, 1 have At that a shadow and a strong one slight correction to make — vibration passed across everything correction that keeps me wonder- and when I opened my eyes again, ing. she was gone. I don’t have a great-grand-

My beard was gone too, though daughter . . yet. .

STATEMENT REQUIRED BY THE ACT OF AUGUST 24, 1912, AS AMENDED BY THE ACTS OF MARCH 3, 1938, AND JULY 2, 1946 (Title 39, United States Code, Section 233> SHOWING THE OWNERSHIP. MANAGEMENT, AND CIRCULATION of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, published monthly at Concord, New Hamp- shire, for October 1, 1962.

1. The names and addresses of the publisher, editor, managing editor, and business managers are-: Publisher, Joseph W. Ferman, 347 East 53 St., New York 22, N. Y. ; Editor, Avram David- son, 347 East 53 St., N. Y,;Managing Editor, Edward L. Ferman, 347 East 53 St., New York 22, Press, Inc., 347 East 53 St., N. Y. N. Y. 2. The owners are Mercury New York 22, ; Joseph W. Ferman, 347 East 53 St., New York 22, N. Y. 3. The known bondholders, mortgagees, and other security holders owning or holding 1 percent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages, or other securities are: None. 4. Paragraphs 2 and 3 include, in cases where the stockholder or security holder appears upon the books of the company as trustee or in any other fiduciary relation, the name of the person or corportion for whom such trustee is acting; also the statements in the two paragraphs show the affiant’s full knowledge and belief as to the circumstances and conditions under which stockholders and security holders who do not appear upon the books of the company as trustees, hold stock and securities in a capacity other than that of a bona fide owner. 5. The average number of copies of each issue of this publication sold or distributed, through the mails or other- wise, to paid subscribers during the 12 months preceding the date shown above was: (this informa- tion is required by the Act of June 11, 1960 to be included in all statements regardless of fre- quency of issue) 53,643 (Signed) Joseph W. Ferman, Publisher. Sworn to and^ subscribed before me this 26th day of September, 1962. (Seal) Abraham Firestore (My commission expires March 30, 1964.) )

SCIENCE

According to photographic evidence in the files of The Insti- tute for Twenty-First Century Studies (ITFCS), Isaac Asi-

mov is six feet tall, weighs two hundred well-distributed pounds, has a long white beard, and enjoys a social drink. Who then the short, sagging, baby-smooth-faced teetotaler

who claims to be Asimov really is, then, we have no idea. Ex-

cept that he is raucous and has a smattering of science. But of one thing, reader, you may be sure—he’s not your type.

HE'S NOT MY TYPE!

by Isaac Asimov

I SEEM TO BE A NON-CONFORMIST. THIS IS NOT BY ANY MEANS because I have deliberately set out to be one. On the contrary, nothing would suit me better than to fade into the surroundings. Unfortunately, it turns out that at any gathering I attend I seem, for some mysterious reason, to attract attention. Sooner or later, some curious stranger is bound to ask, “Who is the loud-mouthed extravert over there?” And someone else is bound to say, “That’s Asimov” and accompany the information with several taps on the forehead, a gesture of whose significance I am uncertain. In response to this, I am forced back on the mumbled defense that everyone is different and has his own peculiarities, so there. (It’s either that or stop being a loud-mouthed Whatchamacallit.

* Actually, he says “loud-mouthed nut” but I think the word “extravert” is more accurate and has a more literary ring to it. 37 38 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

And I’m not wrong either. The fact that everyone is different is known perfectly well to all of us. An infant quickly learns to tell his mother from other women and a young woman is very likely to be con- sidered by her young man to be not only different from all others, but infinitely superior to all the others put together. I am told that young women (with less reason, no doubt) have similar feelings with regard to specific young men. But placing these intuitively-felt individual differences on d hard, scientific foundation had to await the turn of the present century. Only then was it indubitably established that there was blood and blood.

Throughout history, men have attributed differences to blood—but all the wrong differences. There was masculine red blood and aristo- cratic blue blood; and people talked of blood-lines when they meant generations of a family. They spoke of good blood and of bad blood in the moral sense rather than the physical one, so that if you said of a person, “He has bad blood,” you didn't mean he had leukemia, but that his father had once forged a check. “It’s in the blood,” people would say meaningfully. When the actual differences among blood were discovered, it turned out to be a very prosaic matter. It had nothing to do with morals or temperament or one’s place in life. It was just that blood from one person didn’t always mix well with blood from another. The consequences of this fact had been apparent for centuries actu- ally. When someone was near death from loss of blood, it didn’t take much imagination to decide that a little blood transferred into die pa- tient’s veins from another person in the full flush of health (and there- fore able to spare a little blood) might stave off death. Occasionally, doctors tried this and occasionally the patient recovered. But occasion- ally the patient died almost at once. The deaths were horrifying, of course, and doctors were forbidden by most enlightened governments to attempt transfusions. In 1900, however, the matter was finally rationalized by an Austrian physician named Karl Landsteiner. He experimented by mixing red blood corpuscles from the blood of one individual with serum* from the blood of another. In some cases, nothing happened. The corpuscles distributed them- selves happily through the foreign serum and all was well. In other

• The liquid portion of blood is called “plasma." If a protein clotting factor, fibrinogen, is removed from plasma, what is left is “serum." In practical matters, the two terms are virtually interchangeable. he’s not my type! 39

cases, however, the corpuscles, upon being added to the serum adhered to each other in clumps. They had "agglutinated.” Clearly, then, there were at least two kinds of corpuscles and it seemed reasonable to suppose that the difference was chemical. One variety of corpuscle contained a chemical which, in the presence of the serum, reacted in such a way as to give rise to agglutination. If we call this chemical “A” (you can’t be simpler than that) then we can suppose there is a substance in the serum that reacts with it and we can call the serum-substance "anti-A.” Using this terminology we can say that if we have serum containing anti-A, we expect A corpuscles to agglutinate and other corpuscles not to agglutinate. But this isn’t all. It is also possible to obtain samples of serum from particular people that will not agglutinate A corpuscles but that will agglutinate corpuscles left untouched by anti-A. There must then be a second chemical present in some corpuscles, one which we can call (you guessed it) “B” and there must be varieties of serum that contain “anti-B.” We can now say that serum which contains anti-A will agglutinate A corpuscles but not B corpuscles, while serum which contains anti-B will agglutinate B corpuscles but not A corpuscles. And still this isn’t all. There are samples of red blood corpuscles which will agglutinate in both types of sera and which therefore con- tain both A and B. We can refer to these as AB corpuscles. Finally, there are red blood corpuscles which will agglutinate in neither type of sera and which therefore contain neither A nor B. These are O cor- puscles (“oh”, that is, and not "zero.”) Every person, then, belongs to one of four "blood groups” or “blood types” depending on whether his red blood corpuscles contain A, B, both' A and B, or neither A nor B. Furthermore, tests show that each person contains those anti-substances in his serum which would not react with his own corpuscles. (Obviously, or he would be dead to begin with,) We can prepare a small table then:

Blood type Corpuscles Serum O anti-A, anti-B A A anti-B B B anti-A AB A, B 40 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

By keeping a supply of sera containing known anti-A and anti-B, any sample of blood can be quickly typed, and transfusion can then i be made safe. Transfusion is possible, without comphcations, when donor and patient are of the same blood type. No agglutination takes place and the donated blood flows freely through the patient's blood vessels. Things are not necessarily ruinous even when donor and patient are of different types. To explain that, let’s begin by supposing that the blood of a B donor is given to an A patient. The donated blood is, roughly, half corpuscles and half serum and each half is a source of possible trouble. The serum of the B donor contains anti-A which could bring about the agglutinaton of the patient’s A corpuscles. This is not particularly serious. The half-pint of serum donated by the B donor does not con- tain enough anti-A to do much damage, especially when it is quickly diluted by several quarts of the patient’s own blood. The second possibility is that the donor’s B corpuscles may be ag- glutinated by the anti-B in the patient’s serum. This is the real danger because it is the anti-B in an entire blood stream that must now be considered. If the corpuscles of the donated blood agglutinate, they are , virtually useless for the performance of their chief function, that of transporting oxygen. Worse than that, the clumps of corpuscles will ; swirl through the blood stream, plugging tiny arteries in the kidney and elsewhere, and this is very likely to kill the patient. In considering transfusion dangers, then, it is important to check ^ tire donor’s red cells (not serum) and the patient’s serum (not red cells.) i Begin with an AB donor. His AB corpuscles cannot safely be given to any patient with either anti-A or anti-B in his serum. This means il that AB blood can be given only to an AB patient. | A sample of A blood can be donated only to patients without anti-A j in the serum, which means that it can be given to eitlier A or AB pa- ^ tients. Similarly a sample of B blood can be given to either B or AB ; patients. People with O blood have corpuscles that will not agglutinate in the presence of either anti-A or anti-B and such blood can be given to anyone. People of blood type O are therefore sometimes called “uni- ^ versal donors.’”’’ ^

* This term is actually a slight exaggeration. Sometimes the anti-substance concen- ^ tration in O blood is too high for comfort and wreaks a bit of havoc among the patient's corpuscles. Consequently, the practice of having donor and patient of the ' same blood type whenever possible is safest. It is also possible on occasion to do good by transfusing only plasma, eliminating the red Mood corpuscles and toith them virtually all the danger of transfusion. :

he’s not my type! 41

This can be summarized in Ae following table

Donor Patient AB AB A AB, A B AB, B O AB, A, B, O

When much blood is needed for transfusions as during wars, or even during lesser catastrophes, blood type O is particularly desirable. This reminds me, always, of an occasion during World War II, when I had given blood and was sitting at the Red Cross center with a glass of milk and a cookie, recovering from the ordeal. A loud-mouthed extra- vert sitting near-by was also recuperating and he announced himself to be of blood type O. I looked up and could see at once that he was not my type, for I am a B. Someone asked the fellow why people of blood type O were so de- sired at the blood banks, and the fellow replied with an insufferable smugness I found very difficult to take, “Well, O blood is particularly rich, you see.” Fortunately, I recover from these blows to my pride quite quickly. I’ve been brooding about this one for only sixteen years and expect to get over it fairly soon. Anyway, Landsteiner’s discovery made transfusion safe, snatched un- counted numbers of lives out of the jaws of death, and, as a result, it took only a full generation for the powers who be to decide that he deserved a Nobel Prize in Medicine. He received it in 1 930.

For purposes of transfusion there are four types of human Wood, but the number is greater from the genetic viewpoint. Every person inherits two genes governing the particular blood groups I have been discussing, one from his mother and one from his father. Each gene can bring about the production of A, of B, or of neither, so that the genes are spoken of as belonging to the A, B, O group.

You can inherit any of six possible combinations then ; OO, AO, AA, BO, BB, AB. When you possess the AO combination, the one A gene brings about the production of A corpuscles just as well as two A genes would. You are of blood type A, then, whether your combination is AA or AO. By similar reasoning, you are of blood type B, whether your combination is BB or BO. Your gene combination is your “geno- type” and what you actually appear to be by test is your “phenotype.” — :

42 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

In other words, the six possible genotypes work out to four pheno- types. But, you may ask, what does it matter whether you are AO or AA? Your blood reacts equally in either case so why make a point of it? As far as transfusion counts, to be sure, the difiEerence is negligible. But consider If two AA individuals marry, each can contribute only A genes to their offspring. All their offspring must be of blood type A. On the other hand, if two AO individuals marry, then it is possible that each will contribute an O gene to a particular offspring, which will then be OO and will test out as blood type O. In other words, if two people, both of blood-type A marry, it is possible for an offspring to be of blood type O, without any hanky- panky having been involved. The existence of the AO genotype as op- posed to the AA genotype is thus very important in paternity suits. It was eventually found that there were two kinds of A corpuscles, one that reacted strongly with anti-A, and one that reacted weakly. The former was called Ai and the latter Aa. This difference is of httle im- portance in transfusion, but is, again, significant in paternity suits since, for example, two A, parents cannot have an A. child, and vice versa. Counting the two A varieties, we have ten genotypes, which I won’t bother to list, giving rise to six phenotypes

O, Ai, As, B, AiB, and AsB

The reason why tlie A, B, O group of substances in the corpuscles was discovered as early as it was, rests with the fact tliat blood serum contains anti-substances that react with appropriate coiqDuscles and ag- glutinate them. But what if the corpuscles also contain other substances capable of bringing about agglutination which, however, do not make their presence felt, owing to the fact that the blood serum lacks the appropriate anti-substance? If this were so, the only way of demonstrating the fact would be to produce the corresponding anti-substance artificially. This can be done by making use of the natural mechanisms of the animal body. The body reacts to the injection of foreign proteins (and of certain other substances all lumped under the heading of “antigen”) by pro- ducing an “antibody” which reacts with that antigen, removing it from circulation and rendering it harmless. Such a reaction is highly specific; that is the antibody will react with the antigen and will react only weakly if at all with any other substance. Serum obtained from such a he’s not my type! 43

sensitized bloodstream can then be used to detect the presence of this particular antigen through some sort of precipitating or clumping re- action. In 1927, Landsteiner was able to show that rabbit blood could be sensitized in such a fashion that it would agglutinate some human cor- puscles and not others, without reference to the A, B, O system. That is, some A corpuscles would be agglutinated but some not; some B corpuscles would be agglutinated and some not; and so on. The obvious deduction was that there were additional corpuscle sub- stances that were inherited and independently of the A, B, O groups. These were labeled M and N, and any individual could be of blood type M, of blood type N, or of blood type MN. Sera containing anti-M and anti-N could he obtained from properly sensitized rabbits, and the human blood types could then be determined by noting whether cor- puscles were agglutinated by anti-M, by anti-N, or hy both. This triples the number of phenotypes, for a person who is of blood group O, can check out as blood group OM, ON, or OMN. The anal- ogous situation is true for the other blood groups. Out of the six genes; O, Ai, A., B, M and N, then, 18 phenotypes are possible.

In 1940, Alexander S. Wiener, an American physician, discovered that when rabbit blood was sensitized against red blood corpuscles ob- tained from a Rhesus monkey, the rabbit’s serum could then be used to distinguish among blood from different human beings in still an- other fashion. Apparently then, the blood corpuscles contain substances that belong neitlier to the A, B, O group nor to the M, N group. The new sub- stances are referred to as the “Rh group”, “Rh” standing for Rhesus monkey. I hesitate to try to explain the ins and outs of the various Rh groups because for twenty years now there has been a fairly violent running fight between various groups of immunologists as to just how to ex- plain those same ins and outs —and I do not wish to get involved in it. Apparently, though, there are at least twelve different Rh phenotypes that can be detected by using four different anti-subtances. The three best known of the anti-substances are called anti-C, anti-D and anti-E by some of the people in the field. One of the phenotypes can be detected by the fact that the red blood corpuscles do not agglutinate in response to any of these three anti- substances and this phenotype is called “Rh negativci” All the other 44 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

phenotypes agglutinate in response to one or another (in some cases, to more than one) of these anti-suhstances and all eleven are lumped together under the general heading of “Rh positive.” This turns out to be of importance not to transfusion, but in child- birth. When an Rh-negative mother is married to an Rh-positive father, the child may inherit, from the father, one of the Rh genes which will make it Rh-positive. This fact becomes true at the moment of concep- tion and manifests itself during embryonic life. The situation then arises of an Rh-negative mother carrying an Rh-positive fetus. The Rh-positive substances of the fetal corpuscles may make their way across the placental barrier into the maternal blood stream. The mother manufactures an anti-substance in response (since these Rh- positive substances do not naturally occur in her own blood). This anti-substance may then make its way back across the placental barrier into the fetal blood-stream. The poor fetus now has both tlie substance and the anti-substance in the blood and is, so to speak, allergic to itself.

If it is not still-born altogether, it is born very sick with a condition called “erythroblastosis fetalis.” It is usually fatal unless extensive transfusion is arranged for at once in order to remove the troublesome anti-substance.

The situation does not always arise, of course, and it almost never arises at the first pregnancy. It is estimated that about 1 birth out of 400 in the United States involves erythroblastosis fetalis. Still doctors like to be ready, just in case, which is why pregnant women are routinely typed for the Rh groups. In any case, if we consider the 1 2 Rh phenotypes, we can see that each of the 18 phenotypes involving the A, B, O and M, N groups can be subdivided into twelve classes, one for each of the Rh pheno- types. The total number of blood types involving these three groups is therefore 1 8 times 1 2, or 2 1 6.

These various phenotypes are not, of course, evenly distributed. In the United States for instance, 45 percent of the population is of blood type O, 42 percent of blood type A, 10 percent of blood type B and 3 percent of blood type AB. This distribution is American but not w’orld-wide. There are Ameri- can Indian tribes that are 98 percent O and 2 percent A, while other American Indian tribes are 80 percent A and 20 percent O. Practically no American Indians are B or AB. The usual explanation for this is that the American Indians are descended from small groups of individuals who made their way across he’s not my type! 45

Siberia, over the Bering Strait, and down the American continents. The individuals who made it happened not to include any B types. (Since B is considerably less common than either A or O in the world as a whole, it is the more easily “lost” in small groups.) Alternatively, the comparatively few B individuals that reached America happened to die out without establishing a family line. This loss of a particular gene among small groups is called “genetic drift.”

On the other hand, blood type B, while always in a minority, is most strongly represented (up to 30 percent) in Central Asia. Its fre- quency declines as one travels westward. It is down to 20 percent on the European border, to 15 percent in western Russia, 10 percent in Germany, and 5 percent in France. Some people suggest that the B gene was brought into Europe by successive floods of Asian invaders, notably the Huns and Mongols. In fact, there are attempts made to follow human migrations by trac- ing the variations in gene frequencies. These, however, are not always easy to work out and modern means of transportation are so churning up the human race tliat any remaining trace will, it seems to me, shortly be wiped out. Anthropologists also try to work out a division of the human species into smaller groups on the basis of gene frequencies. For instance, the American Indians and the Australian Aborigines are both marked by lack of tlie B gene. However, the American Indians are unusually high in M and low in N, whereas the Australian aborigines are un- usually high in N and low in M. Again, Asian individuals of blood type A are almost exclusively Ai, while in Europe and Africa both Ai and A» are strongly represented among such individuals. As another example, there is one Rh gene that seems to occur almost exclusively in Africa. The most interesting result obtained by such subdivisions-by-blood- group-frequencies involves the Rh series. People native to the Americas, to Asia, to Australia and to Africa, are virtually never Rh-negative. Where Rh-negative does occur, it almost always turns out that there are European natives among the ancestors of the individual. It is Europe, then which is the great reservoir of Rh-negativity. Among Europeans and their descendants on the other continents (in- cluding the Americans, of course), one out of seven individuals is Rh- negative. How does this happen? Are there any areas in Europe which are focal points for Rh-negative genes, as the Mongols of Central Asia )

46 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

seem to have been the focal point for B. The answer is "Yes” for there is a small group of people in northern Spain and these are called the Basques.* Among the Basques, one out of three is Rh-negative, and nowhere else in the world is there so high a concentration of this phenotype. It would seem, then, that the Basques represent the remaining rem- nant of a group of Rh-negative "Early Europeans” who were flooded out by the invasions of the Rh-positive “Indo-European peoples” who now populate Europe. In the mountain fastnesses of Europe’s far west they managed to retain a last grip. This possibility is made the more attractive by the fact that the Basque language is not Indo-European in nature and, in fact, has no known relationship to any other language, living or dead.

Nor have new blood groups come to an end with 1940 and the Rh series. Animals continue to be sensitized in various ways and to produce sera that can, in turn, be used to type individuals in new fashions. New blood types with names such as Duffy, Kell, Kidd, Lewis and Lutheran Cusually named after the patients in whose blood they were first located) are constantly being reported. As of now about 60 different blood type series are known. Some of them are uncommon, of course, and no one serological laboratory is equipped to classify human blood in each of the sixty series. (The best laboratories can handle about twenty, I think. It has been calculated that the number of different phenotypes that could actually be differentiated by the proper sera, if all were available, would come to (hold your breath now!) no less than 1,152,900,000,- 000,000,000, or a fittle over one quintillion. This number is 400,000,000 times the population of the earth, so that it is highly unlikely that any two people (barring identical twins) are of absolutely identical blood type. In fact, it is easily conceivable that no two human beings who ever lived (barring identical twins) were of absolutely identical blood type. Not only is he not your type; no one is anybody’s type, most likely. And that explains why it is perfectly all right for me to be a loud- mouthed extravert. — I think.

• At this point, I am tempted to maneuver the article in such a way that I can casually refer to ‘‘putting all my Basques in one exit” but this issue will be coming out during the Christmas season and I shall refrain.

See page 63 for an addendum to Vr. Asimov’s November column. SF—THE 7th annual OF THE YEAB’s BEST, Judith Merril, Simon & Schuster, $3.95

THE suKVTFOR, AND OTHERS, H. P. Lovccraft and August Derleth, Ballantine Books, 35^

THE THiRTY-FmsT OF JUNE, J. B. Pricstlcy, Doublc- day, $3.50

No ANTHOLOGIST IN THIS FIELD son’s Rasellas and none of its fla- works as hard as does Judith Mer- vor. But Miss Merril’s love-affair ril; her reading is prodigious, and with this dull morality is of long THE 7TH ANNUAL OF THE standing, she has managed to get year’s BEST shows an improve- it in this year because it was re- ment over some of its predecessors, printed, so I credit her with sin- not all of which have been to my cerity, at least. The two SEPost own taste. Besides the SF maga- items, by Kaatje Hurlbut and Rob- zines, she has tapped the Atlantic ert F. Young, are thin and mild, as Monthly, Saturday Evening Post, is to be expected, considering the Esquire,' Mademoiselle, Rogue, source. There is a dull dull dull The Village Voice, Gent, and The British import by David Rome, a New Yorker, as well as several poor fantasy western by Julian F. books; and has commissioned orig- Grow, another computer piece inal articles hy James Blish and (this is their year) —by J. F. Anthony Boucher. Some of the (“Doc) Bone —which is reason- above would have been, in my able but gimmicky, a strained opinion, the better untapped. vignette of Ray (“Mr. Sardoni- George P. Elliott’s Among The cus’’) Russell’s, fancy poetry by Dangs, for example, I find an in- Aiken and Kumin; good stories by sufferably long and incredibly te- Anne McCaffrey and R. Bretnor dious presumable allegory which and Muriel Spark and Polil/Korn- has all the sparkle of Dr. John- bluth.

47 :

48 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

The very good Ottmar Balleau you’d no more know the Russians X 2 oi George Bamber (and here have Bombs from this than from let me mention a niggling an- that song of theirs which goes noyance which crops up whenever “There’s a little red button in I see that title —isn’t “Balleau” America” (italics mine). Mack intended to rhyme with “times Reynolds and Lawrence Durrell two”? And, if so, shouldn’t it be do not disgrace themselves here, “Balleux” — or something?) is an but neither do they shine. And interesting study of paranoia from James Blish provides a really stim- the inside. Ward Moore’s fine It ulating article on the prospects for Becomes Necessary is an excellent advancement in medical science. example of what Miss Merril calls Also of considerable interest are “Social Science Fiction” — exile the editor’s comments on her new from a Fascist America discovers definition of SF — “Speculative things about her own patriotism, Fiction” — and Anthony Boucher’s Fred Brown has a cute squib on sigh-laden lament on the current the time paradox, Jules FeiflPer state of Science Fiction books. provides a deadly cartoon on the Not a bad buy for the money. horrors of bauhaus architecture; and there is interesting reading by THE SURVIVOR AND OTHERS IS Leo Szilard, Kit Reed, David R. an intriguing and entertaining lit- Bunch, Alice Glaser, Fritz Leiher, tle goodie. Howard Phillips Love- Cordwainer Smith and John craft, Heaven knows, had a talent Wyndham. for writing which was of no mean A few of the remaining items proportion; only what he did with rate particular comment. There is this talent was a shame and a a wordy and baffling “poem” by caution and an eldritch horror. If John Dos Passos. And in case you he had only gotten the Hell down have wondered what sort of SF the out of his auntie’s attic and ob- New Yorker finds acceptable, the tained a job with the Federal answer is, a grim story about an Writers Project of the WPA, he old spaceman in the authentic could have turned out guidebooks Hemingway manner about an old which would be classics and joys bullfighter. Edward Gorey, an il- to read, forever. Only he stayed up lustrator whose work defies de- there, muffled to the tip of his scription, teams up with poet long, gaunt New England chin Paul Dehn for an Anti-Bomb bit against the cold which lay more which demonstrates once again in his heart than in his thermome- that the British Disarmers are ter, living on 19^ worth of beans maybe really Anti-Bomb but are a day, rewriting (for pennies) the certainly really Anti-American crappy MSS of writers whose BOOKS 49 complete illiteracy would have Johnson. And August Derleth, I been a boon to all mankind; and feel it in my bones, would have producing ghastly, grisly, ghoul- sold his soul to an Eldritch Hor- ish and horrifying works of his ror for to have collaborated with own as well — of man-eating H. P. Lovecraft. And now he has. Things which foraged in grave- "Among the papers of the late yards, of human/beastie crosses Hoipard Phillips Lovecraft were which grew beastier and beastlier various notes and/or outlines for as they grew older, of gibbering stories which he did not live to shoggoths, and Elder Beings write. [Ha!— Ed.]. . . These scat- which smelt real bad and were al- tered notes were put together by ways trying to break through August Derleth, whose finished Threshholds and Take Over—ru- stories grown from Lovecraft’s sug- gous, squamous, amorphous nas- gested plots, are offered here as a. ties, abetted by thin, gaunt New final collaboration, post-mortem.’’ England eccentrics who dwelt in “Post-mortem” is indeed le mot attics and who eventually were juste. If ever there was a man who Never Seen Or Heard From Again. loved graveyards and the thought Serve them damn well right, I say. that what was in them wasn’t real- In short, Howard was a twitch, ly quite dead, it was Lovecraft. boys and girls, and that’s all there And if there was a man who is to it. loved Lovecraft, it is Derleth. He Of course, August Derleth feels does his best to conjure up the different. August Derleth is an in- late master’s prose from its essen- credibly active, incredibly pro- tial salts, but he doesn’t make it. lific writer who lives in Wiscon- Mr. Derleth is really too healthy sin and has written something like and wholesome a Mid-Westerner, 811 books under his own name; and they don’t grow ghouls in the pseudonyms, who counts? In a Sauk Center the way they used to way, August Derleth may be said in legend-haunted Innsmouth. to have invented H. P. Lovecraft, But Mr. Derleth tries. Take, for having rescued him from well-de- instance (better you tlian me), served obscurity in the Weird Lovecraft’s preoccupation with Tales files via beautifully printed stinks —There are no less than fif- case-bound volumes put out by teen distinct references to them Arkham House, an August Derleth here, semi-classified, as "reptilian enterprise. We all have our time- musk . . . strong reptilian musk . . . bound longings. Horace Gold powerful reptilian musk . . . strong would love to have made love to musk . . . nauseatingly strong

Nefertiti. I would give lots and musk . . . pervasive and highly re- lots to have poured tea for Dr. pellant musk ... so pmverful a —

50 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

musk . . and so on, including sane as they come and Lovecraft just plain “musk”, plus “a charnel was as nutty as a five-dollar fruit- odor of decay”, presumably for cake. bad smell fanciers who don’t care Verdict: Good, wholesome en- for musk in any form. And, too, tertainment for young and old all the wicked old hooks are here: alike. Come early, and bring the Pnakotic Matiuscripts, R’lyeh whole family. Texts, Unaussprechlichen Kulten [“of von Junzt”, of course —not to THE THIRTY-FIRST OF JUNE haS be confused with any other Un- for its subtitle, “A Tale of True aussprechlichen Kulten], Book of Love, Enterprise, And Progress, Eibon, De Vermis Mysteries, etc., In The Arthurian And Ad-Atomic plus one new to me, the Dhol Ages,” and I guess that’s fairly ac-

Chants, plus a rather merry-sound- curate. This is not the J. B. ing title for so grim a collection: Priestley of (my favorites) the “the Count d’Erlette’s Cules des good novels of London in the Gotiles”—which I’m afraid must Thirties, Angel Pavement and be a misprint for "Cultes”, unless They Walk hi The City, nor of the learned Count really devoted a the several plays on the nature of volume to the buttocks of ghouls time. This is a gentle, fun-poking, wouldn’t surprise me one bit. And whimsical Priestley, writing in of course, of course, the Necro- what I must call a wibberley vein nomicon of Abdul Alhazred! —not that Leonard Wibberley Wheel invented it, but because he is The familiar monsters are out probably the best-known modern in full force, too: Elder Gods, practitioner; and besides, his Ancient Ones, Great Old Ones, name makes a good adjective. Here Azathoth — oh, this is good, listen: we have King Meliot of Peradore, “the idiot god, Azathoth, that “High Lord of Bergamore, Mar- amorphous blight of nethermost ralore and Parlot —Overlord of confusion which blasphemes and Lancington, Low Moss and Three bubbles at the center of all in- Bridges”; his daughter. Princess finity” — not just some infinity, Melicent; Ninette, a pretty and mind you —Yog-Sothoth, Nyarla- conniving lady-in-waiting; Master thotep. Great Cthulhu, Shub-Nig- Malgrim, a suave sorcerer who is gurath (“the black goat of the looking for a court appointment; woods with a thousand young”), his uncle. Master Marlagram, a Hastur “the unspeakable”, and all shaggy sorcerer, who isn’t; Gru- the rest of the girls. As I say, Der- met, dwarf to Meliot; two sol- leth tries hard, but he doesn’t quite diers, Jack and Fred, given to turn the trick, because he is as low jokes in a kind’earted fashion BOOKS 51

— all on the Arthurian plane. On dungeons, on TV shows, at tourna- the Ad-Atomic plane are Sam ments, in bars —with dragons, Penty, a nice young man; Dim- Scotland Yard, and what-all-not. mock, his ad-agency boss, who This is a pleasant trifle which has a nervous stomach; Cap’n might make an amusing musical Plunkett, a tosspot entrepreneur comedy. $3.50 is rather a lot for of questionable ventures; the bar- 168 pages, even with John Coop- maid of the Black Horse; and er’s droll drawings, but it’s the Anne Dutton-Swift and Philip sort of thing I’d recommend with- Spencer-Smith, “U types forced out hesitation for a hospitalized into the rat-race.” The two planes friend. Oh, and there’s some mild cross, re-cross, sub-cross and su- social satire, too, if you don’t vvant per-cross — Sam and Melicent fall to read for fun alone. in love — the two sorcerers fall into rivalry — there are doings in —Avram Davidson

Through Time And Space With Ferdinand Feghoot: LVIll

Like George Washington, Ferdinand Feghoot could not tell a lie. This was dramatically demonstrated in 2362, w'hen he rescued Magda Millsap-Borgia, most famous and beautiful of operatic sopranos, from the clutches of Adrian Haggis, an infamous booking agent who, through illegal time-travelling connections, kidnaped great female voices from the past and the future. Because of him, the Twentieth Century was renowned for having more super-sopranos than any other period in history. Luckily, Magda was snatched from her dressing room in the vast Pinole Opera House just before she was to receive the coveted Tony, an award like the Oscar of pioneer days. Feghoot, who was supposed

to present it, set off in instant pursuit, but Haggis hid her so cunning- ly that a full week went by in her world before her return. The news media had a regular field day— she had eloped with a Martian! she had eloped with her husband! she was having an affair with Ferdinand Feghoot, who also was missing! When she came back, it was all Feg- hoot could do to pacify the reporters. “You managed them ever so nicely,” she told him at supper that evening. “But—naughty boy! —why did you say I’d been held captive in the mountains of California? Ooh, what a fib!" “My dear,” replied Ferdinand Feghoot, “I told them only the absolute truth. I said I had rescued you from the High C Era.” —Grendel Briarton For four days a week “Henry Slesar” is vice-president of a New York advertising agency; nights and weekends he writes. And writes. And writes. At thirty-five, he has published four hundred stories, including novels and TV shows, and has ap- peared in almost every Science Fiction and crime magazine, won the Mystery Writers of America “Edgar” award in 1959 for his novel The Grey Flannel Shroud, has been in sixteen anthologies, etc. it c, including fourteen stories in Playboy and thirty scripts for “Alfred Hitchcock Presents”. In short,

Mr. Slesar is both versatile and prolific, and his real name is none of your business. Here we have the story of an old man who was, to all appearances, dead; a woman who was faith- ful; and a physician who was curious.

WAY- STATION

by Henry Slesar

Dying old men sadden Doc- “Eighty-one. Is there nothing at tors. Saddened this one. Dr. Theo- all you can do?” dore Bray, who looked at the sink- “Make him comfortable, try to ing mercury in the sphygmoma- relieve some of the congestion. nometer, and listened to the shal- Would you mind leaving me alone low breath barely escaping the with him?” parchment lips. He became con- The pupils of her gray eyes scious of the woman at his elbow, flickered, like turning wheels. the quiet, dark-haired daughter “Is that necessary?” with the waxy face. He stopped “I think it might be best.” appraising symptoms, and tried to Still reluctant, she moved si- tliink of words of sympathy. lently out of the bedroom. She ‘Tm afraid there isn’t much was the quietest woman he had hope,” he said. “His pulse is fail- ever seen. Not a floorboard ing, and his pressure’s almost at creaked. Not a rustle, a whisper of bottom. How old is your father. clothing. Nothing. He thought of Miss Lanning?” the word eerie.

•52 ” ””

WAY-STATION 53

The old man was groaning. He was asleep. Pain, the doctor’s enemy. Bray Dr. Bray straightened, and reached into his medical bag. looked towards the door. The There was no cure in the little woman was standing there, quiet rubber-topped bottles he carried, as a secret thought. She came to- only solace. He removed one, wards him, her face no longer filled a syringe, swabbed the placid, but fixed and full of scrawny arm with alcohol. anger. A few minutes later, the old “\Vhat are you doing? What man opened his eyes but didn’t have you done to my father?” see him. “Ah, Jamey,’’ he breathed. “Done?— I’ve merely given him a “I’m a doctor,’’ Bray said. “I’m sedative here to help you.’’ “I didn’t ask you to do that! “Ah, Jamey, the orchard,’’ the Why was he talking? He hasn’t old man sighed. “An apple is like talked in days.” a kiss from God. Pick me a ripe “It must have been his reaction one. Aaah,’’ he said, in ecstasy. to the drug. He was remembering “Can you hear me, Mr. Tan- things, the past. He was talking of .” ning?” flying . . “There was a time,” the dying For a moment, Bray expected a one said, “when I was young. I’d blow. The woman lifted both arms stand beneath the trees, Jamey, in an attitude of checked vio- and then I’d fly to tire highest lence, and her eyes flashed. — limb and pick off the sweetest “It’s nonsense. He’s senile fruit. It grows at the top, you “Perhaps, And sometimes, un- know, the sweetest of the apples. der heavy sedation, people say odd But that was when 1 was young, things.” pnd could still fly.” She was somewhat calmer, die Bray smiled gently. "Could you fire banked. “Thank you, doctor. really fly, old man?” If you’re sure there’s nothing else

“It was all right, in the or- you can do for him. I’ll say good- chard. That was all right, Jamey, night.” — with no one about to see.” There “I still feel that a hospital was a whine in the thin voice. “I “If he’s dying. I’d rather he die wasn’t breaking no rules, Jamey, here.” not I. Me who was always a stick- Bray took up his bag. “That’s up ler. A little bit of flying only, with to you. I’ll stop by in the evening no one about, and I was young. and see how he is.” Ah, them red, red apples!” “Must you?” He began to mutter, and his Bray flushed. "I’ll stop by. Miss eyes dosed again. Tanning.” ”

54 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

He was troubled by the visit for Nor were there heart or lungs. the rest of the day; not so inuch There was a V-shaped organ by impending death as by a sense that might have produced the pul- of unreahty. As he was about to sations of his body, but it was not leave his office that night, he a heart. There was a network of made a sudden decision to put his winding tubes creating senseless portable fluoroscope in the back of patterns throughout the thorax. his station wagon. There were no lungs, and no When he showed up at the heart. Lanning house, lugging the in- He flicked off the light and strument, the woman greeted him stared in disbelief at the old face. with indignation. It was just a face. Beak-nosed, “What is that?” she said. “Why the flesh falling away from bone, are you bringing that here?” hollowing the eye-sockets, the skel- “If you don’t mind. I’d like to eton approach of the very old. examine your father again.” Lamp on again, and staring at “You mean you think there’s the screen. hope?” No lungs, no heart. A strange, “I didn’t say that,” he an- disorderly tangle of alien organs, swered carefully. “The complica- impossible to comprehend, to un- tions are such— well. I’d just like derstand, to believe. to have a look.” “A freak,” he said aloud, “What does this instrument stunned and even exhilarated by do?” the discovery. “The most amazing “Miss Lanning,” Dr. Bray freak ...” sighed, “would you mind if I saw “Dr. Bray!” your father now?” He cursed himself for not lock- She stood aside for him, and he ing the door. He turned off the felt almost triumphant. He took fluoroscope lamp, and found him- the machine into the bedroom, self babbling at the woman. closed the door, and plugged in “I’m sorry. Miss Lanning, I’m the fluoroscope. He had just placed afraid your fatlier— it over the old man’s chest, when She looked at the still figure he realized he was in the presence and went unhurriedly to the bed. of death. She leaned over and touched the He sighed deeply, made an au- dry lips as if seeking breath, dis- tomatic check of heartbeat and trustful of his opinion. Then she pulse, and then switched on the shut her eyes, mumbled something fluoroscope for a post-mortem look that might have been prayer, and at the old man’s interior. straightened up. Her eyes opened, He saw no congestion. glistening faintly. ” ” ”—

WAY-STATION 55

“He’s dead,” she said numbly. “I can.” “Thank you for your services, doc- She folded her arms and sat tor. Good night.” down, quietly. “It’s more than that. Miss Tan- “I don’t want this to happen,” ning.” He tried to control his ex- she said softly. “If I cannot stop citement. “I’m going to ask you to you legally, perhaps I can appeal let me perform an autopsy. The to you morally.” — cause of death isn’t at all cer- “I’m afraid that religion .” tain . . “I don’t mean that.” She looked “He had pneumonia.” up boldly. “If I took you some- “I really must insist. Miss Tan- where, to another place, not far ning. There’s something very odd from here, would you come?” about your father’s internal or- “Take me somewhere?” gans, something I’ve never seen “Your car is outside; I can di- before. For the sake of—medicine, rect you to this place, less than I beg you to allow the autopsy.” fifteen miles from the house. When “No,” she said flatly. “There you see it, I believe you will under- must be no desecration of his stand why this autopsy must not body, doctor.” happen.” “You mustn’t look at it that “I’m afraid —this is too much way— mystery for me “Our religion forbids it. Dr. “It’s not a mystery. I will tell Bray, that’s all there is to it. Would you all. Show you everything. You you please leave now.” will learn more than any man of He was in an agony of frustra- your time has ever known about tion. people like my father. The ones “This may come as a shock, but with no hearts. The ones who your—father’s internal structure is have flown.” not ” He stepped forward, for- “Flown?” getting courtesy, sympathy, his “What you heard was no de- mouth hard. “Miss Tanning, I am lirium, Dr. Bray. My father could coroner of this county as well as a fly when he was still young and physician, and if necessary, I can agile. The Rules forbid it, but the obtain a legal demand for your power was in his body. Will you father’s body. It would be simpler come with me?” if you gave your consent, because He examined her face, wonder- one way or another, I intend to ing if he had met a freak and a make this investigation.” lunatic in one incredible day. She caught her breath sharply. Then he said;

“You can do that? Force me to let “All right. Miss Tanning. I’ll you have him?” come with you.” :

56 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

They drove for half an hour, in She was stooping down, and total silence broken only by the pushing aside the brambles and crisp left-and-right directions of leaves that covered the center of the vpoman. They were off the it. main highway almost at once, and “Look,” she said. onto side roads that bore no U.S. It was a black, gaping hole, or state designation. Once, they some fifteen feet in diameter, pen- struck out on a rocky dirt road etrating an unguessable distance that seemed impassable for any- into the earth. thing but horses and hikers; Dr. “Good God,” Bray said. “What Bray’s six-year-old Buick jounced is it?” and shivered in tlie ruts. “An entrance,” the woman said. Finally, she told him to stop. “There is a rope ladder; will you They climbed out of the car, trust me and follow?” and found themselves flanked by “But what is it? An abandoned deep forest. mine shaft?” “There’s nothing here," Bray “Something like that,” she said. “We’re in the middle of no- smiled. Then she lowered herself — ’’ where to the first rung. “Are you com- “Follow me,” the woman said. ing?" She walked into the woods, and Bray looked at his clothes, al- the Doctor, carrying his flashlight, ready ripped and dusty from the stumbled after her. There were no wild trek through the woods. “All trails, no guideposts, no tree right,” he said, grimly. “I’ve gone blazes, nothing to mark the un- this far.” erring passage of the woman. She He followed her on the ladder. walked surely, rapidly, and Bray The distance seemed enorm- found himself panting, tripping ous; the sides of the hole were over vines and dead branches. smooth and shppery. There was “What is this?” he said anxious- rung after rung to descend; he

ly. “Where are we going?” began to feel dizzy and ill. After “Almost there,” she said. several minutes of the downward She paused in a grove of elms climb, he paused, holding on des- so dense that not a hint of the perately, and said night’s full moonlight reached it. “How much further?” Straight into the thick of them she “Not far,” her voice said below, went, urging Bray to follow. He echoing. “Not far, doctor.” was afraid, but he was too curious He resumed the climb. to protest. Eventually, his feet touched 'There was a clearing, hidden bottom. He flicked on the flash- from the world. light, and saw that they were in a ”

WAY-STATION 57

cavern of impressive size; he He looked about wonderingly. "An looked for remnants of mining ma- underground graveyard— terials, but saw none. The roof “No,” the woman said. “Not a was shored with timbers, and the graveyard. Only a way-station. floor was gritty but level. There Our graveyard is not here, nor was a kerosene toreh on the wall; above this ground, nor anyplaee she lit it. on your world. That’s why I didn’t “What is this place? Where are want you to perform the autopsy; we?” my father’s body must join the “Look around you, doctor.” others here, in this place.” He moved the circle of light “I still don’t understand. Miss about, and illuminated the low Banning.” row of parallel wooden boxes on She sat on a coffin, unsqueam- the eavern floor. There seemed to ish, impassive as ever. be dozens of them; even hundreds, “A little over one thousand he thought later, as they marched years ago,” she said, “our people along the stone corridor. Each was came to your world; an explora- roughly eight feet long and three tion team of eight families, for on feet wide; each box was lidded. our planet, the women share equal- They stretched on to a vanishing ly in the exploits of the men. point his flashlight couldn’t There was an error in the calcula- probe. tion of gravity force, and the ve- “Boxes!” he said. “What are hicle crashed upon making its they? What’s in them?” descent. Three of our number “They’re open, doctor. See for were killed, but the others sur- yourself.” vived to become our ancestors.” He went cautiously to one, and, Dr. Bray cursed himself. He holding the flashlight in his left had been wrong after all; freaks hand, lifted the lid. and lunaties could be encountered There was a body in the box. It in one day; here was living proof. was the body of an old woman, “And just where did your— peo- either recently deceased or remark- ple come from?” ably preserved. "From a planet in the star sys- He closed it rapidly, and looked tem Andromeda, the homeland to at Miss Banning aghast. which all of us must someday re- “Coffins,” he whispered. “The turn. And return we shall, this is whole place is full of coffins. But our faith. For a thousand 5^ears whose? How did they get here?” we have waited for the Light to ap- “They were brought here, doc- pear in the heavens, for the vessel tor.” of our homecoming. We are a pa- “But who brought them? Why?” tient race, and we believe.” ” ”

58 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION — “You mean you—your father The doctor stood up, slowly, “Centuries ago, we learned the nonchalantly. wisdom of assimilation. The early “I understand,” he said. “But descendants of the Survivors now we really must be going. Miss learned the lesson through pain Banning . . and suffering. They failed to con- She smiled. “You haven’t be- ceal their alien differences, their lieved me, doctor.” powers of levitation. For this fail- “Yes, of course I did.” He ure, they were either burned as strolled towards the rope ladder. witches or revered as saints; “We won’t hold any autopsy, not neither recognition was desirable. if you feel so strongly about it.” We learned to Assimilate, Live, The woman rose and joined and Wait. This is our Instruction, him. She put her hand on the first

ft is the Rule. So we wait, doctor, rung of the ladder. for the Light to take—us home.” “I can’t believe you mean that, “But these bodies doctor. I’m sure I’ve made you “A way-station, doctor, as I more curious than ever about my said. On our world. Life is not a father’s body, haven’t I?” brief episode as it is on Earth; we “Let’s go up. Miss Banning, do not age, sicken, and die as you please!” do. It is only in the gross atmo- “Patience, doctor,” she said, and sphere of your planet that our reached for the flaming torch on arteries wither, but still we do not the rock wall. She held it in front die and decay ...” of her, her eyes glowing in its “You— mean they’re alive? All glare, and then placed the torch at these ” He waved a limp hand the bottom rung of the rope lad- over the field of coffins. der. It caught fire at once, and “On your world— dead. On began to burn swiftly. ours — they will live again. This is “Stop!” Bray criel. “What are why, when any of our people ‘die’ you doing?” they are brought to some secret “Back, doctor,” she said, hold- place below the ground, to be kept ing the torch before her. “Stay and guarded until the day of the back, please.” Light. With the help of our physi- “The ladder—” cians, and the healing balm of “There’s nothing you can do our own atmosphere, they will live now. It must burn.” once more.” The flames had already eaten “And what if the ship never the visible portion of the rope; comes?” now they were climbing, greedily, “It will come,” the woman said, towards the top, the heavy smoke utterly confident. drifting into the stone chamber. ”

WAY-STATION 59

Bray coughed, and stepped tion—” back. “You can’t do this!" he “You think I belive that?” Bray shouted hoarsely. “Is there no way coughed. “That crazy story?” He out of here?” spun about wildly.— “There must “No other exit, doctor, we made be some way out certain of that.” “No, doctor,” she said. “For “You’re crazy! You’re a luna- you, there is no way.” tic—” She stepped to the smoke-filled “I could not afford to let you hole, and her feet left the ground. repeat my story, doctor; our people And what went up, never came have suffered enough persecu- down again.

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(Requests for specific covers will be filled when possible; otherwise, we will send our selection) Once upon a time there was a man named Laocbon • • •

PUNCH

by Frederik Pohl

The fellow was over seven like shaking hands with a shadow. feet tall and when he stepped on “You will call me ‘Punch,’ Buffie’s flagstone walk one of the please,” he said. “It is not my stones split with a dust of crushed name but it will do, because after rock. “Too bad,” he said sadly, "I all this projection of my real self apologize very much. Wait.” is only a sort of puppet. Have you Buffie was glad to wait, be- a pencil?” And he rattled off the cause BuSie recognized his visitor names of twelve issues Buffie had at once. The fellow flickered, dis- never heard of. appeared and in a moment was That did not matter in the there again, now about five feet least. Buffie knew that when the two. He blinked with pink pu- aliens gave you something it was pils. “I materialize so badly,” he money in the bank. Look what apologized. “But I will make they had given the human race. amends. May I? Let me see. Faster-than-light space ships, pow- \Ypuld you like the secret of er sources from hitherto nonradi- transmutation? A cure for simple oactive elements like silicon, virus diseases? A list of twelve weapons of great force and metal- growth stocks with spectacular worldng processes of great sup- growth certainties inherent in our pleness. development program for your Buffie thought of ducking into planet Earth?” the house for a quick phone call Buffie said he would take the to his broker, but instead he in- list of growth stocks, hugging him- vited Punch to look around his self and fighting terribly to keep a apple orchard. Make the most of straight face. “My name is Charl- every moment, he said to himself, ton Buffie,” he said, extending a every moment with one of these hand gladly. The alien took it guys is worth ten thousand dol- curiously, and shook it, and it was lars. "I would enjoy your apples

© 1961 by HMH Publishing Co., Inc. 60 ” ”

PUNCH 61 awfully,” said Punch, but he boys came roaring into the car- seemed disappointed. “Do I have riage drive vdth a hydramatic spat- it wrong? Don’t you and certain ter of gravel. friends plan a sporting day, as The boys were extremely im- Senator Wenzel advised me?” pressed. Padre had seen one of “Oh, sure! Certainly. Good old the aliens once, at a distance, Walt told you about it, did he? drawing pictures of the skaters in Yes ” That was the thing about Rockefeller Center, but that was the aliens, they liked to poke the closest any of them had come. around in human affairs. They “God! What luck.” “Did you get a said when they came to Earth that super-hairpin from him, Buffie?” they wanted to help us, and all “Or a recipe for a nyew, smyooth they asked of us in return was martini with dust on it?” “Not that they be permitted to study Buffie, fellows! He probably held our ways. It was nice of them to out for something real good, like be so interested, and it was nice six new ways to—Oh, excuse me. of Walt Wenzel, Bufi&e thought, Padre.” to send the alien to him. “We’re “But seriously, Buffie, these going after mallard, down to Lit- people are unpredictably gener- tle Egg, some of the boys and me. ous. Look how they built that There’s Chuck —he’s the mayor dam in Egypt! Has this Punch here, and Jer —Second National— given you anything?” Bank, you know, and Padre Buffie grinned wisely as tliey “That is it!” cried Punch. “To drove along, their shotguns firm- see you shoot the mallard.” He ly held between their knees. puUed out an Esso road map, “Damn it,” he said mildly, “I for- overtraced with golden raised got to bring cigarettes. Let’s stop lines, and asked Buffie to point at the Blue Jay Diner for a min- out where Little Egg was. “I can- ute.” The cigarette machine at not focus well enough to stay in a the Blue Jay was out of sight of moving vehicle,” he said, blinking the parking lot, and so was the in a regretful way. “Still, I can phone booth. meet you there. If, that is, you It was too bad, he reflected, to wish— have to share everything with the “I do! I do! I do!” BufiBie was boys, but on the other hand he painfully exact in pointing out already had his growth stocks. the place. Punch’s lips moved si- Anyway there was plenty for ev- lently, translating the golden eryone. Every nation on Earth lines into polar space-time coordi- had its silicon-drive spaceships nates, and he vanished just as the now, fleets of them milling about station wagon with the rest of the on maneuvers all over the Solar ”

62 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

System. With help from the star- Bud, Padre and of course Buffie,” people, an American expedition he said. “It is kind of you to take had staked out enormous radium a stranger along on your fun. I re- beds on Callisto, the Venezuelans gret I have only some eleven min- had a diamond mountain on Mer- utes to stay.” cury, the Soviets owned a swamp Eleven minutes! The boys of purest penicillin near the South scowled apprehensively at Buffie. Pole of Venus. And individuals Punch said, in his wistful voice, had done very well, too. A ticket- "If you will allow me to give you taker at Steeplechase Park ex- a memento, perhaps you would plained to the aliens why the air like to know that three grams of jets blew up ladies’ skirts, and common table salt in a quart of they tipped him with a design for Crisco, exposed for nine minutes a springless safety pin that was to the radiations from one of our earning him a million dollars a silicon reactors, will infallibly re- month in royalties. An usherette at move warts.” They all scribbled, La Scala became the cosmetic silently planning a partnership queen of Europe for showing corporation, and Punch pointed three of them to their seats. They out to the bay where some tiny gave her a simple painless eye dots rose and fell with the waves. dye, and now ninety-nine percent “Are those not the mallards you of Milan’s women had bright blue wsh to shoot?” eyes from her salon. “That’s right,” said Buffie glum- All they wanted to do was ly. “Say, you know what I was help. They said they came from thinking? I was thinking— that a planet very far away and they transmutation you mentioned be- — ’’ were lonely and they wanted to fore — I wonder help us make the jump into space. “And are these the weapons It would be fun, they promised, with which you kill the birds?” He and would help to end poverty examined Padre’s ancient over- and war between nations, and and-under with the silver chas- they would have company in the ing. “Extremely lovely,” he said. void between the stars. Politely “Will you shoot?” and deferentially they gave away "Oh, not noip," said Buffie, secrets worth trilhons, and hu- scandalized. “We can’t do that. manity burst with a shower of About that transmutation — gold into the age of plenty. “It is extremely fascinating,” Punch was there before them, said the starman, looking at them inspecting the case of bourbon with his mild pink pupils and re- hidden in their blind. "I am de- turning the gun. “Well, I may tell lighted to meet you. Chuck, Jer, you, I think, what we have not an- PUNCH 63 nounced. A surprise. We are soon “That transmutation— secret you to be present in the flesh, or near, mentioned ” Buffie began. at any rate.” “Please,” said Punch, “may I “Near?” Bufifle looked at the not watch you hunt? It is a link boys and the hoys looked at him; between us.” there had been no suggestion of “Oh, do you shoot?” asked Pa- this in the papers and it almost dre. took their minds off the fact that The star-man said modestly, Punch was leaving. He nodded “We have little game. But we love violently, like the flickering of a it. Won’t you show me your ways?” bad fluorescent lamp. Buffie scowled. He could not “Near indeed, in a relative help thinking that twelve growth way,” he said. “Perhaps some hun- stocks and a wart cure were small dreds of millions of miles. My pickings from the star-men, who true body, of which this is only a had given wealth, weapons and projection, is at present in one of the secret of interstellar travel. our own interstellar ships now ap- ‘We can’t,” he growled, his voice proaching the orbit of Pluto. The harsher than he intended. ‘We American fleet, together with don’t shoot sitting birds.” those of Chile, New Zealand and Punch gasped with delight. Costa Rica, is there practicing “Another bond between us! But with its silicon-ray weapons and now I must go to our fleet for the

we will shortly make contact with . . . For the surprise.” He began them for the first time in a physi- to shimmer like a candle. cal way.” He beamed. “But only “Neither do we,” he said, and six minutes remain,” he said sadly. went out.

POST-FIXING IT UP As I rather drearily suspected, I had some arithmetical errors in my article PRE-FIXING IT UP (F & SF, November 1962). I didn’t think they would be so glaring, however. Mr. C. D. Root of Transitron Elec- tronic Corp. right here in the Greater Boston area wrote to tell me that I was off hy one order of magnitude (one shift of the decimal point) in the distance covered hy light at short time intervals. Light will actually travel about 327 yards in a microsecond, about 1 foot in a nanosecond and about 1/100 inch in a picosecond. My own figures were too small by a factor of ten. I should have realized this, too, for the nanosecond is sometimes called a “light-foot” because it is the time in which light travels a foot and I knew that— and yet nothing clicked. Alas! The Gentle Read- ers, by the way, seem to think that the prefix “pico” comes from the Italian “piccolo” meaning “small.” Well, perhaps. —Isaac Asimov The sylph-slender pedant—er, pedagogue—who functions as our Contributing Science Editor informs us that he took this

test himself. At last repoii he was still disgustingly hale, so there would appear to he no risks attached—save, possibly, those to the ego; against which our C.S.E., in his usual cava- lier fashion, provides no guarantees whatsoever.

DO YOU KNOW YOUR ELEMENTS?

by Joseph C. Stacey

Listed below (jumbled fashion) are the names of eleven metallic and non-metallic chemical elements, together with a brief interesting fact concerning each. Can you match up at least 7 of them correctly for a passing score? 8-9 is good; 10-11 excellent. Check your answers on page 126.

1. SILVER _ (a) only non-metallic element liquid at ordinary temper- atures

2. HELIUM _ (b) the lightest known metal

3. OSMIUM _ (c) first element to have been made synthetically before it was found in nature

4. IRON _ (d) best known conductor of heat and electricity

5. TUNGSTEN _ (e) the lightest element DO YOU KNOW YOUR ELEMENTS? 65

6. LITHIUM (f) the first of two new radioac- tive elements discovered by Marie and Pierre Curie (,the other being radium')

8. 7. BROMINE (g) most magnetic metallic ele- ment

9. CESIUM — (h) discovered in the sun’s at- mosphere by means of the spectroscope before it was found in the earth's atmos- phere 10.

HYDROGEN (i) has the highest melting point (3370 degrees Centigrade) of all known metals

TECHNETIUM (j) first metal discovered by means of spectroscope Qby Bunsen and Kirchhoff, in 1860)

11. POLONIUM (k) densest of all elements

CHANGING YOUR ADDRESS? The Magazine of FANTASY and SCIENCE FICTION wiU follow you anywhere* providing you let us know six weeks in advance. Please be sure to give us your old address as well as the new one, and add the zone number if there is one. (If convenient, send the address label from the wrapper of the next copy of F&SF you receive.) Subscription Service MERCURY PUBLICATIONS 347 East 53 Street New York 22, N. Y.

* The American edition of F8eSF is now being sent to seventy two (72) countries of the world. Hot on the trail of Mack Reynolds, our Mr. Pettifogle arrived in Timbuctu—only to find that Mr. Reynolds had departed with the annual salt caravan for Ouagadougou. P. pursued him in all haste, mounted on a spavined dromedary, all the mount available; alas, from Ouagadougou the ubiquitous Mr.

R. had flown to Katmandu—or was it MaHaban? Hence little or no data of a bio-or bibliographical nature is immediately available on the ubiquitous Mack Reynolds, the travellers traveller, whose fascinating articles on foreign parts and the ways thither ornament so many magazines. Besides being a modern-day Burton or Halliburton, he is a Science Fiction writer of repute (RUSSKIES GO HOME Fi^SF, Nov., 1960). In Speakeasy he examines the ever-fruitful theme of If This Goes On—“This”, in this case, being the concurrent marches of technology and the fear of being “controversial.” And that

eternal vigilance is still, as it always was and will be, the price of Liberty.

SPEAKEASY

by Mack Reynolds

Wheti four sit down to conspire, cleared his throat apologetically. .” three are police spies and the oth- “That is, of course . . He let er a fool. the sentence dribble away. OLD EUROPEAN PROVERB Rex laughed reassuringly. “Great Scott, Uncle Bill, stop “My dear boy,” William Mor- worrying about me. Taos isn’t as ris said, bending his knees to ad- wild and wooly as you seem to just to the acceleration of the ele- think. And Dad doesn’t exactly vator, ‘Tm sure I have no need to go about making anti-Technate warn you to, ah . . . well, not ex- speaches from soapboxes, for that press any of your father’s less pop- matter.” ular opinions tliis afternoon.” He “Well,” his uncle said, “I should

66 ’ SPEAKEASY 67

hope not.” The older man cast his himself to her soirees, quite eyes quickly about the elevator often.” compartment. “I do wish you They left the elevator and wouldn’t say things like that, my stood before a door. The older boy.” man pushed a button at its side “Say what? All that I said was and smiled knowledgeably at his that Dad didn’t make a practice nephew. “Swank, eh? An electric of saying things against the gov- button. Lizzy Mihm is famous for ernment.’* her antiques.” His uncle was worried. “Yes, Rex Morris was intrigued. but flippantly. It’s easy enough to “What does it do?” get into a habit of speaking “It rings a bell inside. Then

quickly, flippantly and . . . well, Lizz knows someone is at the \ before you know it you’ve ac- door.” tually allowed your subconscious Rex looked at his uncle blankly. .” to . . He stopped and cleared “Then what?” his throat. “Then she comes to the door to Rex Morris was pushing thirty, see who it is.”

pushing five ten, pushing one “But, look, why not just . . sixty. But he looked as though His uncle said impatiently, thus far life itself hadn’t pushed “It’s an antique, don’t you under- him very hard. He grinned at the stand? I don’t imagine a half older man now. dozen people in the whole city Uncle Bill was unhappy with have them.” him. “You know what I mean,” he Rex Morris muttered something said severely. “Here we are, Lizzy to that, but the door was opening. Mihm’s floor.” “Why, William,’’ Lizzy Mihm “Who is she again? I’ve met so gushed. “And your dear, sweet many people these last few days, nephew from the wild. West.” that I lose track.” Rex Morris winced. “Well, you ought to remember “Do come in,” she fluttered, Elizabeth Mihm. Her husband sweeping a hefty and heavily be- used to be Prime Technician of jeweled arm in the direction of the Transport Functional Se- the sounds of her party. She was quence. Good friend of mine. a middle aged biddy, not more Since he passed on, Lizzy has de- than five foot two and going to voted a good deal of her time to weight by the minute. entertaining. Her apartment is “Of course, you remember quite a center, quite a place for Rex,” William Morris said, giving you to make contacts, my boy. his hostess a peck on the cheek in She has the Supreme Technician the way of greeting. 68 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

“Why, of course, and there are ing her of it. She's one of the old some dear, dear people I want old family robos, one of the very him to meet this afternoon. In- early models that I’ve had all my cluding,” she added archly, “a life and my mother before me. dear, dear young lady.” She laid So what can you do? You can’t a beefy hand on Rex Morris’ arm have her reconditioned. But she as they filed into the inner rooms. uses butter. Heavens knows how “Now Rex, I may call you Rex, my grandparents could have af-

of course . . forded it, I know I can’t. Butter, "Of course, Techna Mihm.” three thousand erg units a pound, She giggled, "Actually, every- I mean.” one calls me Ehzabeth, so you “Servants!” one of the other may too. But just a word before ladies said, casting her eyes ceil- I take you around. Now every- ingward. body, everybody has a wonderful Somewhere along the route of time at my affairs. Oh, wonderful. introductions, Rex Morris ac- Just remember, of course, that quired a drink.. He met this indi- we don’t discuss religion or poli- vidual, that individual, was in- tics, or anything controversial, troduced sweepingly to this whole and, of course, nothing has ever group, that whole group. He re- been said in my home against the tained possibly one name out of government.” ten. “Why, certainly not,” Rex said. Lizzy Mihm finally stopped, to She patted his arm. “Ummm,” reorganize. She took up a glass of she said approvingly. “I remem- wine from one of the autobars and ber your father when he was a sipped it. “Too cold,” she said, young man. I see you have re- frowning. “Servants!” she added tained only his better qualities.” absently, as her eyes darted about There idn’t seem to be any her apartment, hostess-like. “I answer to that. Lizzy Mihm swept wonder if things were better be- him up to a group of ladies who fore, when there were human were currently listening to the servants.” complaints of a breathless mem- Rex lifted his eyebrows. “My ber of their gathering, obviously dear Techna Mihm.” expressing strong opinions on a Her eyes shot to his face, wid- matter of importance. ened. “Oh, don’t misunderstand. "Butter,” she was saying, "my I wasn’t criticizing the govern- dears. I simply don’t know what ment. The Service Functional

I’ll do about the servant problem. Sequence was antiquated and Real butter, mind you, for greas- was due for discontinuation.” ing herself, and there’s no break- “I don’t know anything about SPEAKEASY 69 it,” Rex Morris said primly. “Yes, of course,” his hostess “Of course not, neither do I.” was saying. “What I mean is, Rex, "Who is that very attractive I have your interests very, very woman over there?” Rex said, ob- deeply at heart. William tells me viously changing the subject. that you’ve finished your studies They were dangerously close to and are seeking an appointment the controversial. “The one talk- in a suitable functional sequence. ing to the big Security official.” And, well, we do want you to “Over there with Technician make the right contacts.” Matt Edgeworth? Oh, Nadine,” Rex looked down at her, Lizzy Mihm said. "Didn’t I intro- amused. “You mean Techna Sims duce you to Techna Nadine isn’t to be considered a good con- Sujns?” tact?” “I don’t think so,” Rex said. “I She tapped his arm with a hefty certainly would have remembered. hand. “Now, you stop Rex Mor- Is she the dear, dear young lady ris, I know you’re joshing me. you mentioned?” Isn’t that a wonderful word? Ab- “Well, no,” Lizzy Mihm said. solutely antique. I was ottly re- There was an uncomfortable ele- minding you that you’re a new- ment in her voice. “To tell you comer to the capital and it’s even the truth, I understand Nadine more necessary than usual not to is, well, said to be connected be considered, well, interested in with the SFS.” controversial matters. And Na-

“Oh,” Rex said. “How nice.” dine might be . . . well, you know. Lizzy Mihm said hurriedly, But do come along, I can see “Now, Rex, you know your uncle you’re intrigued now.” is an old, old friend of mine, and, Nadine Sims gave him an of course, I knew your father too, overly ready smile. “I was wonder- before he huffed off out there to ing when we’d be introduced,” .” wherever it is he . . she said. “Our celebrities come “Taos,” Rex said, still eying the few and far between these days.” girl across the room. She was a “Celebrities?” Rex Morris said. slender, quiet sophisticate, clad “The son of Leonard Morris simply in a gray sari. The big po- makes interesting meeting,” she lice official had gone off some- said. where now. Rex wondered wheth- Lizzy Mihm fluttered, “Now, er it was her connection with the I’ll just leave you young people Security FS that accounted for and check on things. I do believe the absence of the admirers that I heard the doorbell.” She bustled should have been banked three or off. four deep in her vicinity. “Quite an old girl,” Rex said. 70 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

looking for something to say. that what he is primarily known “The capital’s most successful for? Of course not. His fame is hostess,” Nadine said. “I hear based on his refusal to conform .” you’re in town for good.” and . . He grinned at her. “That “Techno Morris," she said gen- sounds like a terrible thing to say tly. “I don’t believe we really about any thirty year old bache- know each other this well, do lor.” we?” She frowned. “I beg your par- He was immediately repentive. don.” “Sorry.” He did a mock leer. “Far from She gave him her ready smile. being in town for good, I’m wide “I know what you mean. And I open to any suggestions about see your position. And with your what the capital ofiEers in the connections, what need is there way of bad.” to specialize?” She laughed at him. “I’ll have Before they could develop that to ofiFer my guide services. What I further, the hulking Security meant was, you’re in town per- Technician Matt Edgeworth who manently.” she’d been talking to earlier came “Only if I can find an appoint- up and swept Nadine Sims away ment that seems promising.” toward a room that had been “I think I’d enjoy another cleared for dancing. She looked Siisskratzer,” she said, strolling back over her shoulder at him, toward the nearest autobar, as grimaced hopelessly as though she they talked. “Is your specialty the would rather have remained. same as your father’s?” Rex pursed his lips in a silent He dialed her a glass of the appreciative whistle as he looked sparkling wine and grimaced. after her. “That’s the difficulty. I’m incura- A voice at his elbow said in a bly lazy. I haven’t specialized in drawn out way, “V-e-r-y bad, my anything.” He handed her the dear boy.” chilled glass. Rex turned to his uncle. She raised her eyebrows. “You “What?” shock me. What is the Techno "Nothing. Nothing at all, Rex. class coming to?” How’re you enjoying yourself?” Rex Morris shrugged, dialed “Fine. Lot of nice people. Un- himself a Tequila Cooler. “Too cle Bill.” much trouble. And, besides, all “How do you like, ah, Techna it gets you is difficulty. Look at Sims?” my dad, the scientist who con- "Pretty girl, all right.” quered the virus diseases. But is “That she is. Ah, well ... I un- SPEAKEASY 71

derstand she sometimes does cians and this numbskull tries to

chores for . . he hesitated. pull his authority on us.’ “For the Security FS,” Rex fin- Everyone laughed. ished for him. “So they tell me.” Uncle Bill interrupted to say, His uncle cleared his throat. “Fred, I wanted to introduce my “Want you to meet some other nephew. This is Rex. Rex, Fred- friends of mine, my dear boy. rick Morrison is Technician of Technician Marrison over here is the Textile Functional Sequence a mucky-muck in the Textile FS. for the whole eastern seaboard.” Always looking for new blood, you Marrison visably puffed. He know.” shook hands condescendingly. Technician Marrison, a chub- ‘Tour nephew?” he said to Wil- by, bred nosed executive type, was liam Morris. And then, less jovial- in the midst of what he evidently ly, “Not the son of your brother considered a hilarious affair when Leonard?” they came up. Rex nodded. “Leonard Morris

. . and then we switched to is my father." Hawaiians,” he related. “Four Marrison made a moue. “Well, parts gin, two orange juice, one I admire your father’s researches curacao. Served in a hollowed out into the viruses, of course, how- pineapple, you know. By this time ever, I could never appreciate ." we were all kinked. Absolutely his . . kinked. You should’ve seen Jeff. Lizzy Mihm had swept up. .” Jeff was kinked. And Martha . . “Gentlemen, gentlemen,” she “Martha?” someone interrupt- twittered, “we’re not arguing any- ed. "Not Martha. Martha has a thing over here, are we? Rex, you capacity like a camel. I’ve never come along. I want you to meet .” seen . . a dear, dear friend of mine.” “Kinked,” Technician Marrison In view of the fact that his insisted happily. “And then we uncle could probably speak his all took off for the Flop House, case more effectively than he, Rex carrying these pineapples, under- Morris let himself he led off, stand. Really hilarious. Each of after some routine banality to the us had a pineapple in each hand.” textile potentate. “Is that where the SFS effective In fact, his head was still stopped you?” somebody else turned back to the last group, “. laughed. when Lizzy Mihm said, . . “Did we tell him, where to Paula Klein. Paula, this is that head in,” Marrison chuckled. “Im- nice, nice boy I told you about. agine, there we were, two Prime Rex Morris from, how do you say Technicians and three Techni- it, Touse?” 72 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

"Taos,” Rex said, “rhymes with They both laughed, but then

house, or mouse, or . . . well, both cast their eyes quickly about hello.” their vicinity. None seemed close Paula Klein frowned at him. enough to have evesdropped. He got the vague feeling that in “Drink?” Rex said. this beautiful young lady’s life, “No thanks, I don’t drink.” meeting someone in her own age He looked at her. “These days? bracket could be considered a What do you do with your time?” waste of valuable time. She must Her eyes went over him, mus- have been in her mid-twenties, he ingly, “By your appearance, you decided, but she had the serious, don’t look as though you do too sincere air of the sophmore on much bottle belting yourself. .” ideals bent. Techno . . ". . . her mother,” Lizzy Mihm “Morris. Rex Morris.” was saying, “one of my dearest “And you’re from Taos? Good friends.” She patted Rex on the Howard, I wasn’t listening I’m arm with one beefy hand, Paula afraid when Lizzy introduced us. .” with the other. “Now you two get You must be the son of . . to know each other.” She added He chimed in with her again archly, “But mind yourselves. and together they chanted, "Leon- I’m afraid Rex’s father has an un- ard Morris." fortunate reputation for discuss- Rex said, “I’m beginning to ing politics, and, of course, get tired of being my father’s Paula’s grandfather and his re- son.” .” ligion . . She giggled to indi- She had new interest in her cate how bold she was being and face and in her voice. “No you’re swept off. not,” she said. Rex Morris pulled his thinking “No, I suppose not, really.”

away from Paula’s physical attri- Paula Klein said, her voice lit- butes, which were excellent, and tle more than a whisper. “The said, “Grandfather’s religion?” question you asked. My grandfa- Paula Klein said expression- ther was one of the very last to lessly, “I believe Lizzy rather in- hold out against the religious sists on no politics or religion, no amalgamations of the Temple.” sex, no criticism of current insti- “I see,” Rex said uncomfort- tutions, no race or any other con- ably. troversial subjects, and, above She said, “He practiced one of all . . the old religions until the last, al- Rex chimed in with her and though they demoted him to a together they chanted, “No criti- common engineer.” She added, cism of the government." her voice musing, “It takes time in —

SPEAKEASY 73

our society today to live such a “Not as many as you’d think,” matter down.” Rex told her, as they waited. Rex said uncomfortably, "I’m “Taos has an adequate Transport afraid it would be embarrassing if FS garage. Of course, our house someone heard us, Techna Klein.” is about eight miles out of town She looked at him strangely so it takes a time for delivery. for a moment but then shook her But the trouble with owning your head. “Look,” she said, “how own is you’re so limited. Using would you like to get out of here the TFS garage services means and talk?” you can use a fast sports model He grinned, “Best proposition one day, an eight passenger lim- I’ve had all day.” ousine the next, a pick-up truck “Follpw me, I know this apart- the following day, a four pas- ment of Lizzy’s. There’s a back senger sedan another time.” way.” “Of course,” Paula said. “My Rex Morris mentally shrugged. grandfather remembered when This cocktail party, like a dozen cars were commonly privately others he’d already attended un- owned —except for taxis and rent- der his uncle’s wing, wasn’t par- a-car services which were in their ticularly significant. Uncle Bill infancy then. He said the streets was pulling the right strings, us- were so filled that you couldn’t ing his contacts to the best ad- find a place to park. Here we vantage. Some of the top heir- are.” A robo controlled aircushion archy of the functional sequences two seater had made its way down and the Temple were here today, a ramp and now approached them. but Rex’s appearance on the scene “I’ll drive, if you don’t mind,” was not particularly necessary. Paula said. “Look,” Rex asked her, “where The service elevator lowered are we going?” them at sickening speed to two “You’ll see,” she chuckled. “My levels below ground. They issued invitation was that we go some- into one of the building’s servo- place — and talk.” They entered terms and Paula, who obviously the city’s traffic at one of the knew her way around, stepped lower levels and Paula set the over to a Transport FS box and dials. dialed for a two passenger air- Ten minutes later brought cushion car. them to their destination, wher- In the way of conversation she ever it was. Not that Rex Morris said, “I imagine that in your part would have had much of a time of the Technate there are still finding the place again. It was quite a few privately owned cars.” one of the less swank theatrical 74 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

and nightclub-restaurant-bar cen- She said impatiently, “I tell ters. you, he’s perfectly safe.” Paula dismissed the car, led the "But how do we know? I am way down a narrowish side street. sorry, sir, this is a private estab-

Rex Morris looked about him. lishment and . . “This must be one of the older Paula snapped, “This is Techno streets in the city.” Rex Morris, son of Hero of the “I suppose so.” Technate Leonard Morris. Now is “Look, confound it, where are that enough for you?” we going?” There was a long moment of She grinned at him. The first silence. time he’d seen her smile, really. The voice said, “Welcome to “You’ll see, mister-son-of-Leonard- this speakeasy, Techno Morris.” Morris.” Paula snorted and led the way He groaned. to where a door was sliding open. They entered an averagely “Speakeasy!” Rex blurted. nondescript building that Rex She turned her head to him first decided was an effective and her grin was mischievous. “I class apartment house but which told you — someplace where we immediately obviously wasn’t. can talk.” They walked along a corridor for “Great Scott,” Rex muttered. a few yards and then took what Inside, there must have been seemed to be a service elevator. half a dozen rooms. Each of them, Two levels down they emerged in turn, held half a dozen round into a small furnitureless room, tables. Rex Morris was reminded, and Paula stood before a tell- vaguely, of a poker table, only screen. these were larger. Each table A voice said, “We recognize would comfortably seat a dozen or you, Techna Klein, but who is so. Some, however, had twice the stranger?” that number, seated or standing

“I vouch for him,” Paula said about it. Each table had at its impatiently. center an autobar and possibly Rex Morris felt a stir of nerv- half of the club’s attenders were ousness. Where was this leading? sipping away at coffee or other He didn’t like it. He’d had no beverages. idea . . . But drinking was obviously not The voice was saying, “Ob- the attraction. viously, or you wouldn’t have “Come over here,” Paula said brought him. However, Paula to him. And then, under her Klein, you know the rules of this breath. “There is only one fast establishment.” rule. You’re not to take exception —

SPEAKEASY 75

to what anyone says —no matter On top of it all what is good and how extreme. You're allowed to what is bad is usually arbitrarily say anything you wish, but so is decided upon by a priesthood.” everyone else.” The speaker’s voice went dry. Rex Morris cleared his throat. “And often indeed their decisions

“See here, I’d rather you wouldn’t on what is sin, or what is right- introduce me by name.” eous, are strongly influenced by She looked at him oddly. “All their own material advantage.” right, but you can trust these One of his audience grunted. people. They’re in the same boat The speaker turned to him. as you are. I gave your name out “Seldom does one find, through- there just so we could get in. out history, an organized reli- From novi^ on, you’d have no gion’s priesthood which has not trouble if you ever wanted to re- managed to control considerable turn on your own.” wealth. There are exceptions, but They had come up to a table, they are only exceptions, the rule largely occupied by more elderly stands.” conversationalists. Most of these Another of the table’s occu- remained quiet, listening, possi- pants said, “I think you’re drifting bly puffing on pipe or cigarette, away from your original point.” or sipping coffee or beer. Just at “No I’m not. My question, present one was holding forth which I ask of the religious, is pronouncedly. He was a thin, why? On this lower level of per- sharply incisive senior effective. sonal gods the situation is most “My question is why" he was obvious. God creates man, sets saying. “Why, why why? And him some rather impossible regu- nobody answers it. On the lower lations, and then punishes or re- levels of religious belief we de- wards him according to how he scend to the ridiculous. The argu- reacts. But V7hy? Why should a ment gives us a supreme being, god go to such bother? The ques- or beings, who create universe tion is the same, however, on any and man, and then spend con- level of religious thought. If there siderable time supervising him is a supreme being directing all and usually making demands in this, what motivates him? To the way of worship. If individual what end does he create such a man is ‘good’, upon death he is foolish, pathetic creature as man?” rewarded throughout all eternity; One of the older men took his if he is ‘bad’ he is punished pipe from his mouth and said throughout all eternity. An obvi- softly, “The fact that we cannot ously childish conception and answer your question doesn’t originally born in primitive minds. mean there is no answer. Perhaps —

76 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

to the Diety the answer is a very able kid of eighteen and let her obvious one.” be caught with her prophylactic Rex drew Paula Klein back a equipment malfunctioning. Nine few yards from the table. His months later and miracle, she’s a lips were dry. “Look here,” he veritable shrine at which to wor- whispered. “If the Temple knew ship. She’s a motkerl Say any- about this conversation, those thing against motherhood and men would lose status. They the mob is screaming for your might even be exiled from the blood. Not that I hold any brief .” Technate. Or ... or even . . for fathers either. In my estima- “Be imprisoned or meet vio- tion not one person in a hundred lence,” Paula finished for him. who becomes a parent is capable “Yes, that’s what I mean,” he of raising the nation’s young. said urgently. They muddle through, untrained, “Well?” she said. incapable, being the product of “I think we ought to get out of the same sort of parents them- here.” selves. How we do as well as we She laughed softly. “I’m afraid seem to is a mystery to me.” He the example your father set snorted his disgust and lapsed among others —has swept the into temporary silence. more intelligent citizens of our Paula said slyly, “Don’t you love society. This isn’t the only speak- your own mother. Effective?” easy in this city. And every city He looked up at her and snort- has its quota.” ed again. “I love her, perhaps, but “But what’s the point? Sooner I also realize her short comings. or later the Temple is going to God! how she suffers. What a crack down on these men.” martyr. How she has sacrified “It’s not just the Temple. What through the years for her children. controversial subjects, in particu- How cruel they all are, not to lar, are you interested in?” realize and appreciate her. A

.’ .” “Me? Why, I . typical example!” “Come over here. If I know this Rex shook his head. “What’s chap, there at the table in the over here?” he said, nodding at a corner, you’ll get a laugh.” table that was not only full, but “Motherhood,” a heavy-set, pale had several standees around its complexioned junior effective was perimeter of chairs. sneering. "What is there about a “I wouldn’t know,” Paula said, mother that automatically makes “the idea is just to drift around her a subject of adoration? Take until you hear something of inter- a sloppy- half-baked, under-edu- est. Then you listen or join in, if cated, mealy mouthed, objection- you wish.” .

SPEAKEASY 77

A minor debate was evidently Paula’s eyes were darting about underway, instead of a mono- the room. Already the speakeasy’s logue. membership was on its feet, mill- One participant was saying ing about undecidedly. There was doggedly, “I’m not narrow mind- a sound of pounding in the dis- ed. I have no desire to burn homo- tance, a door was evidently being

sexuals at the stake. If their . . . forced.

tastes . . . are different than mine, "Great Scott,” Rex blurted. it’s their own business.” He leaned “We’re caught. I’ll never get a de- forward and pointed a finger at a cent appointment now.” younger man across the table from Paula looked at him strangely him. “However, I think they for a moment, then, “Look, fol- should stick to themselves. I low me. Here, come through don’t approve of their seducing here.” young people who otherwise He followed her through sev- would remain normal.” eral rooms, back through a door “What do you mean by nor- into a small corridor beyond. Into mal?” the other said in disgust. a tiny office. “You know what I mean. The Behind the desk was seated a basic reason for the sex act is to middle aged, red face man in the procreate. When you start inter- dress of a senior effective. His fering with that end product, you expression registered disgust now. begin striking at the race. When “A raid,” he said bitterly. “The an homosexual leads an other- second one this month. What’s wise normal young man or woman wrong with the SFS, their Tech- into his or her own path, he in- nician trying to get a promotion? terfers with that person having Hello, Paula.” He looked at Rex. children and replenishing the “Who’s this?” earth, as the expression goes.” Paula said urgently, “Mike this

“That’s ridiculous,” the other is Leonard Morris’ son. He’s newly said. "Did Kinsey five for noth- in town. You’re right about Tech- ing? It’s well known that prac- nician Edgeworth, he’s bucking tically everybody has a touch of for Prime Technician. If he the homosexual in him. The race catches Rex in a speakeasy, he isn’t in danger simply because . might throw the book at him. Red lights were flashing on the You know that. Besides, Rex isn’t wall, and the room went mo- alfihated with a functional se- mentarily still. quence as yet. He’d have nobody The last speaker groaned, “A to go to bat for him if he gets into raid! And me on probation from the Technacourt. Mike, you’ve the last time I was caught.” got to do something.” 78 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

Mike was a man of quick deci- “Let’s hurry,” Paula said breath- sion. He was on his feet. lessly. “All right, through here. You’re In the street beyond were half on the vulnerable side yourself, a dozen or so SFS effectives under Paula.” the orders of another of the se- He pulled open the door of a curity police of engineer rank. clothes closet. They were obviously guarding “I’ve only used this two or the entrance to the speakeasy three times. Possibly the police while other members of their

know about it. I don’t think so. I force were conducting the raid don’t even use it myself. It’s for inside. Four or five of their ve- real emergencies. Good luck. hicles, of various size, were Techno Morris.” parked strategically around. Pe- Rex muttered back. “Thanks destrians went by with eyes di-

. . . Mike.” rectly to the front, ignoring com- “Oh hurry. Good Howard!” pletely that something out of the Paula said. ordinary was going on. There was a pounding of foot- Paula Klein and Rex Morris steps in the corridor. joined them, as inconspicuously She had pushed aside two or as possible, and strolled past the three coats to reveal a small door SFS men. beyond, so set within the wall as However, the Engineer in com- to escape easy notice. She pressed mand blinked suddenly, blurted against it and it fell away in- something to his men and the ward, even as Mike closed the whole contingent snapped to rigid closet door behind them. attention. Paula nodded to them, It was dark. and continued on the way. “A lighter?” she whispered. A hundred feet down the He flicked his lighter, and by street, Rex said, “What in the it they made their way down the world was all that?” ultra-narrow passage. It de- Paula was biting her lip. She bouched through a seemingly nor- said, “That fool saw me come out mal door into a corridor beyond. of the hotel with you.” The door stopped being normal “What of it? But what I want when, evidently on a tight spring, to know, what was that salute it clicked shut behind them. Rex bit?” tried the knob, but it was now Paula said impatiently, “Klein, tightly locked. Klein. Don’t you recognize my They were in a small hotel, ob- name?” viously of senior effective and be- Rex came to a halt and stared low ranking. at her. “You mean that Warren SPEAKEASY 79

Klein’s your husband? The Prime has a milch goat, one of the last Technician of the Security Func- three or four in the area. Makes tional Sequence?” quite a hobby out of her.” "Not my husband, my brother. “How antique,” his uncle said, Good Howard, he’ll be furious.” wide eyed. “I must tell Lizzy

Mihm about it. She’ll be green.” In the morning, at breakfast, The robo said from the wall William Morris was slyly inquisi- speaker, “Engineer Lance Fredrics tive. “We seem to, ah, have lost of the Security Functional Se- one another at Lizzy’s party.” quence at the disposal of Tech- Rex was dialing turtle eggs nician William Morris and Tech- and sea pork, toast, butter and no Rex Morris.” coffee. “Uh huh, I went off with William Morris’ eyebrows rose. Paula Klein.” “Security? What in the world His uncle pursed his lips. would a Security Engineer want “Paula, eh? Nice girl. However, with me?” .” well . . Rex said nervously, “Oh, oh.” “However, what?” Rex frowned The older man’s eyes went to at him. him. “Well, frankly, quite a mad- Rex put down his fork, looked cap, so I understand. She’s quite his embarrassment at his older her brother’s, ah, despair. You companion. “I’m afraid I’ve pulled seem to have a tendency for ladies a boner. Uncle Bill. I hope it connected with the Security FS, doesn’t jeopardize your position.”

Rex. Do you think that ah . . . “Position? Don’t be ridiculous, .” well . . he let his sentence go I’m retired. What are you talking unfinished. about?” Rex Morris poked at his food. “I went to a speakeasy yester- “Whale butter,” he said. “Do you day. There was a raid. I thought I know. Dad raises real butter on got out, undetected, but evidently our place near Taos.” not. How bad I spot am I in?” "Real butter? Oh, come now. “A speakeasy! Not in town a Not even the Prime Technicians week and you’ve already located serve real butter at their tables. I yourself a speakeasy?” ate with one only last week. You “I was taken to one. I’ve heard mean cow butter? Has he connec- about such places before but I’ve tions with a zoo? Oh, now really, never seen one. We don’t have my dear boy.” them out in the country.” “Goat,” Rex said. “Dad’s big William Morris cast his eyes joke these days is telling people upward. “Well, let’s have the of- he’s the last of the ranchers. He ficer in, and explain it all. How- 80 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION ever, I would think, Rex, that in “Inadvertently,” William Mor- view of your father’s, ah, notorie- ris chuckled again. “Utter foolish- ty, that you’d be more circum- ness. I’ve already spoken to him spect.” about it.” “Sorry, Uncle Bill.” Engineer Fredrics was embar- His uncle raised his voice. rassed. “Well, sir, my orders .” “Show Engineer Fredrics in.” are . . “Carried out,” the robo’s voice William Morris raised a hand said. and waved it in negation. “Don’t

The door opened and a blank bother, young man. I’ll get in faced, stockily built Security FS touch with your Technician and uniformed engineer entered. He clear this all up.” stopped two feet within the door- Rex Morris spoke for the first way, clicked his heels and time. “Uncle Bill, I don’t want to snapped, “Respects to Technician hide behind you on this. I made Morris.” a mistake and I’m willing to face “Oh, relax, relax,” William up to it.” Morris muttered. “Sit down, “Let me handle this, Rex. Fredrics. Would you like coffee? You’re too new in town to be get-

It’s genuine coffee, from the ting a bad name for yourself. It South American Technate.” might jeopardize your receiving a Engineer Fredrics was taken suitable appointment.” Uncle Bill aback. “Genuine coffee?” turned to the security officer. “I William Morris chuckled. suppose Edgeworth is your supe- “Well, from the Brazilian hydro- rior. I’ll phone him right after ponics tanks. You’ll appreciate the breakfast.” fact that rank has its privileges, Fredrics squirmed in his chair, Fredrics. Ah, particularly after sorry now drat he hadn’t been you secure your own appointment able to resist the invitation to cof- to Technician, eh?” fee. It’s difficult to deal in an of- The Security man took a chair ficial capacity with someone selfconsciously. He cleared his whose hospitality you are accept- throat and said, “Yes, sir. Thank ing. He said, “Sir, my orders are you. Uh, actually, it’s Techno to bring Techno Morris into Morris I’ve been assigned to see.” headquarters.” The older man chuckled as he “Indeed?” William Morris said dialed the coffee. “So I under- coldly. “Perhaps you’d better have stand. My nephew was just tell- your Technician phone me. Engi- ing me, he was inadvertently neer Fredrics. I am not at all sure taken to a speakeasy, yesterday.” I appreciate this cavalier treat- “Well, yes.” ment of my guest and relative.” SPEAKEASY 81

The SFS man was on his feet Rex shurgged and buttered an- again, his face flushed. other piece of toast. “What dif- “Sir, Technician Edgeworth ference will it make to her, with has been conducting a crackdown her brother Prime Technician of pn speakeasies. The statistics show Security? Everything will take they’ve more than doubled in the care of itself. This nosy Tech- past year. The Technician was nician Edgeworth wouldn’t dare indignant this morning when he involve a member of his supe- heard that Techno Morris, hardly rior’s family in a scandal.” in tow'n more than a few days, “Perhaps,” his uncle said, still was already seen in one.” uncomfortable. “I told you, my nephew was Rex said, “See here, how did taken to this place without his they know I was at that speak- knowledge. It was not his fault.” easy? We escaped.” “Taken by whom?” The secu- The older man grunted in dis- rity ofiicer was standing firm. gust. “Those effective class speal<- Rex blurted, “i don’t mind easies are riddled with police. telling you that. I object to these Nothing is said, nothing goes on places and don’t mind cooperating that isn’t reported.” at all. I was taken by Techna “But then why are they toler- Paula Klein.” ated? Why doesn’t this Technician “Rex ... I” his uncle said. Edgeworth close them all up with "Paula Klein!” the officer said one big raid?” blankly. “Probably because a known There was a long moment of evil that you can keep track of is uncomfortable silence. Rnally better than an unknown one. Engineer Lance Fredrics clicked The Security FS knows that a his heels again. “I’ll report to my certain element of the population superior. Technician Morris, my is going to discuss controversial respects. May I have permission subjects come what may. It’s far to leave?” better to keep track than to try to “Certainly.” suppress completely. When some Before turning to make his re- individual goes too far, becomes treat, the Security officer shot a downright subversive, he’s picked quick glance at Rex Morris. up and dealt with.”

There was a faint contempt in it. Rex shook his head unbeliev- When he was gone, William ingly. “Well, all I can say is that Morris said uncomfortably, “Did I can see where the Technate’s you think that was necessary, my best brains, as represented by the boy? Paula is a bit on the way- Supreme Technician himself and ward side, but she’s a fine girl.” such high ranking officials as you 82 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

Prime Technicians and Techni- Panama. Established in the lat- cians might find it necessary to ter part of the twentieth century, discuss controversial matters but it was an internally self-sufficient, I can’t see it being allowed anyone collectivized society requiring beneath, say. Senior Engineer’s neither foreign sources of raw rank, at the very lowest.” materials nor markets for surplus His uncle grunted. “That’s the commodities. way it goes, my boy. Everybody The developments of the sec- seems to think that he shouldn’t ond industrial revolution in sci- be abridged in his thinking, nor ence, in industry, in practically his speech, but that everyone be- all fields of endeavor, had solved low his rank should.” the problems of production of “Uncle Bill,” Rex Morris said, abundance. The government of shocked, “you must be joking.” the Technate solved those of dis- His uncle grunted cynically tribution. The lowliest citizen once again. “However, next time commanded from the cradle to you want to take in a speakeasy, the grave not only the necessities don’t go to one of these lower of life, but its luxuries. class ones. They exist on all levels The government itself was a my boy, effective, engineer and self perpetuating heirarchy. Rec- technician. When the urge hits ommendation from below and ap- you, let me know.” pointment from above, was the The eyes of the younger man formula. widened. “You mean you belong At the peak was the Supreme yourself?” He looked quickly about Technician, head of the Congress the room. of Prime Technicians and carry- William Morris chuckled. “No ing a veto power over its deci- microphones, Rex. Certainly you sions. His office was held for life know that one of the privileges of and upon his demise the Prime my rank, even though I’m re- Technicians elected from their tired, is that there is no monitor- number a new incumbent of the ing of my home. You’re as free office. here as in a speakeasy, and con- Such an election was the sole siderably safer.” example of the democratic proc- ess in the Technate society, for it The Technate of North Amer- has been in complete rejection of ica consisted of an amalgamation the democratic principle that the of the former Canada, United Technate had come to power. States, Mexico, the Caribbean Is- Democracy, it had been decided, lands and the Central American was inefficient in the modern nations down to and including world. It led to graft, corruption SPEAKEASY 83

and invariably to the power of somewhat since the Communica- inept politicians whose efforts tions Functional Sequence would were directed at gaining office for have other problems than, say, the office’s sake. Political parties those of the Entertainment Func- had become a disgrace by the tional Sequence or of Medicine. middle of the 20th century, elec- The Technician was the official in

tions a farce; in another genera- charge . of aU activity in a given tion they had become a dangerous Functional Sequence in a given farce. geographical area. For instance, Ranking head, then, of the a Technician might be in com- Technate was the Supreme Tech- plete command of the Entertain- nician who was elected from and ment FS for the West Coast, an- by the twenty-five man body of other for the Middle West, an- the Congress of Prime Techni- other for the area once known as cians. Upon the death or retire- Mexico. ment of a member of this ruling The formula was recommenda- body, a new member was ap- tion from below, appointment pointed from the ranks of the from above. When a Prime Tech- next lower echelon, the Techni- nician died or retired, the Tech- cians of the Functional Sequence nicians under him recommended of the industry the demised from their ranks a candidate for Prime Technician had headed. the office. The Congress either For each Prime Technician appointed this candidate or re- was the titular head of one of the jected him and called for another Technate’s Functional Sequences recommendation. such as Transport, Communica- And so it went all the way tion, Education, Medicine, En- down the line. Below the Tech- tertainment, Construction — or nicians were the Senior Engi- Security. The work of the Con- neers, below them the Junior En- gress of Prime Technicians was to gineers. Then came the big drop plan the Technate’s production to Senior Effective, Junior Effec- and distribution and to coordi- tive and at the bottom of the nate the efforts of the twenty-five pyramid, the Effective. different Functional Sequences. Recommendation from below, It was a planning body, rather appointment from above. than a legislative or judicial one. From the first nepotism and Below each Prime Technician favoritism were the rule. When a was a varying number of Techni- man is in a position to appoint cians, according to the make-up of others to power and privilege he the individual Functional Se- is hard put to ignore his children, quence. Obviously they differed his relatives, his friends. 84 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

A new aristocracy arose, a new thrust. His plans were of neces- class in a society that supposedly sity changed, and he hadn’t want- was classless — there had been so- ed to change them. cieties before that had claimed to He sat up finally and called, be classless. The Technate system "Tell-screen.” differed possibly from class di- The screen set in the wall on vided society in the past when the opposite side of the room lit basically upper classes differed up and he said, “Techna Nadine from lower ones in their enjoy- Sims." ment of the material products of A voice said, "Carried out.” their culture, but the Techno Rex Morris strolled over to the class was still an upper one, the set and was standing before it Engineers a middle, and the Ef- when Nadine Sims’ face ap- fective class a lower one. Food, peared. She raised her eyebrows, clothing, shelter, medicine, edu- smiled her quick smile. “Well, the cation and entertainment there earnest young man from the West, were for all aplenty —but there seeking employment in the big are other things than these. city.” A society whose direction is "All work and no play makes based on nepotism is apt to be a Jack a jerk,” Rex grinned back. static society. When one is born “How about living up to your to the purple, rather than achiev- promise?” ing it through his own superior “Promise?” she said. “As I re- efforts, he is apt to have small call I was normally kinked before ability for the office. Why strive, Lizzy Mihm’s party finally dis- when the goal is effortlessly solved the other day but not so achieved? much so that I would have forgot- Such a society is also apt to be ten a promise.” ultra-conservative for no crown is Rex said, “You asked if I was in less easy than an undeserved one. town for good and I replied I was The trend toward conformism more interested in what it of- had started even before the advent fered in the way of ‘bad’ and of the Technate. The tendency thereupon you offered your guide accelerated under it. Until even- services. And tliat’s a promise in tually. . . . my book.” It came back to her and Na- In his room Rex Morris lay dine Sims laughed. “Guilty,” she back on his couch, his hands be- said, “And I always keep a prom- hind his head, and stared at the ise.” ceiling. He was irritated by the “Would you be free this eve- position into which he’d been ning?” • SPEAKEASY 85

“Free as a bird.” that sunsets were wasted on a city "Let’s not get controversial. — any city. Back home I have four parakeets The single seater whooshed up and they’re all caged.” to the curb and he climbed in and “Fool,” she laughed. “About said into the tell-screen, "Coordi- eight? We can have a couple of nates unknown. Home of Techna -John Brown’s Bodys while I give Nadine Sims.” you a rundown on what the En- A voice said, “Carried out,” and tertainment FS is offering these Rex leaned back and relaxed, days, and then out on the town watching the streets go by, the pe- we can go.” destrians, the fast moving idiocy “John Brown’s Bodys?” Rex of urban life. He’d spent practi- said. “That’s a new one for me.” cally all of his life in the area once “In the morning,” Nadine known as New Mexico. Compara- said, “you feel like you’re molder- tively, there was still room to ing in your grave. Eight?” breath out there. However, there “I’ll be there sharp.” were other angles and at the age He dressed carefully in the of tlrirty, education considered garb of an unassigned Techno. complete, a man had to take his He wasn’t certain where the eve- stand, make his way, put in ten ning might take him before it was years of work before being eligible through but you never knew when for retirement. He sighed. It was- the prestige of his rank might be n’t a pleasant prospect, the imme- of value. He paused thoughtfully diate years before him. over his luggage, made a quick They pulled up before an ultra- decision and ran a thumbnail modern building, evidently one of along a seam of a bag. It opened the most recently constructed, and from the small pocket inside which overlooked the river. he selected several items which The tell-screen said, “Techna disappeared into his clothes. He Nadine Sims resides in the pent- pressed the seam together and it house. Carried out.” knit tight. Rex Morris stepped to the curb, In front of the apartment build- looked up at the building and ing which housed his uncle, he whistled appreciatively. The resi- dialed a single seater at the Trans- dence was as swank as his uncle’s port FS box and stood on the curb building and Uncle Bill held Tech- whistling softly between his teeth nician rank, even though retired. as he waited. The sun was setting, In the lobby there were half a the city darkening except for here dozen elevators but only one and there where lights already marked for as high as the pent- winked on. Rex Morris decided house. He stepped inside and said, 86 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

"Techno Rex Morris, calling on He stared at her. “How in the Techna Nadine Sims.” world did you know?” The elevator tell-screen said, Nadine Sims laughed. “There’s “Carried out,” and Rex began to a particularly viperish society com- whisk upward, slowly accelerat- mentator I can’t resist listening to ing, reaching a peak of speed, then of an afternoon. You have to be in slowly decelerating. on all the latest to get his innuen- He stepped out into the recep- does but he managed to put over tion room of her apartment, and the idea that the son of Leonard she was advancing upon him, sari- Morris was evidently following clad again although in more bril- his father’s footsteps.” liant color this time. He suspected Rex set down his glass with a real silk. She had a glass in each bang. “Great Scott,” he com- hand, one with contents half gone. plained. “The old boy’s habit of “A John Brown’s Body,” she sounding off is going to haunt me said. “No rest for the wicked.” the rest of my life.” “Is it that bad? I thought the “I take it you don’t approve of Rattlesnakes we drink back home your father’s, shall we say uncon- were the end.” He took the glass, ventional beliefs.” silently toasted her, took a sip. He He growled his disgust. “So far let his eyes go round and pretend- as I’m concerned he can think ed to cough. “I just felt my arches what he wants but I wish he’d fall,” he said, “What in the world keep it to himself.” He took up his goes into this?” drink again and finished off half She led the way back to the liv- its contents. “I’ve had to put up ing room with its view over the with discrimination all my life. river. One whole wall was trans- All I’ve wanted is to have a good parent. “Absinthe, slivovitz and a time, like everybody else. But what tiny bit of kirsh,” she told him. do I get? Ha! I meet what seems “For best results you let it blend to- to be a perfectly ordinary girl, and gether for at least a week.” in fifteen minutes she’s taken me He snorted, “By that time I’d into a speakeasy. Why? Because think it would have bubbled away I’m Leonard Morris’ son.” in chemical reaction.” Nadine laughed at him. “Well, She found a couch, settled back doesn’t it have its advantages too? on it and looked at him over her 'There must be something in being glass. “And how goes the search for the son of the only living Hero of employment?” she asked, and then the Technate; The right schools. added mischievously, “Or have The right coritacts. Hmmm, some- you been spending all your time in thing has just occured to me.” the speakeasies?” She came to her feet and went SPEAKEASY 87

over to the autobar where she Nadine Sims shivered. “Every dialed two more of their drinks. day I learn something,” she said. She brought them back to him, this “Is this the way they operate in the time settling to the couch next to West? Why do you think I look where he sat. like this Nefretiti woman?” “What just occured to you? To He said with mock criticism, “I get another drink?” suppose it’s the neck and the line “Silly,” she said. “No, what I of the jaw. Ummm, you have the was thinking was that between the same jaw.” fact that your father is a Hero of “And that’s what a thirty year

the Technate and your uncle a old . . Technician, we could probably Her eyes glazed and she froze take in the Flop House or the Tech- in position, her mouth half open, no-Casino.” her glass held rigidly in her right “Sounds wonderful, but I’ve hand. never heard of either.” Rex Morris came to his feet. He “Oh, the Flop House’s quite the quickly brushed a residue of place. No one under the rank of brownish powder from the callused Senior Engineer. Real meat you finger tips of his right hand, then know. Even game from the pre- looked down at her. He passed a serves. Heavenly.” hand over her face without result. “Just so it isn’t a speakeasy,” He put a hand under her left Rex said, moving closer to her. He breast, could detect not even her dipped a hand inconspicuously heart beat. With the tip of an in- into his pocket, then put his arm dex finger he touched one of her over her shoulders. eyeballs. No flicker of response. Her eyebrows went up and she Without further hesitation, he looked at him quizzically but did- started for the back areas of her n’t move. “Not to change the sub- apartment, darting a quick glance ject over-abruptly,” he said, his at his wrist watch as he went. He voice low, “but how many people found the kitchen, left by its back have told you that you look hke door. Eound the stairway to the Queen Nefretiti?” rear.

“Nefretiti?” she said. He took it down one flight and “Her bust is currently in the then sumnioned one of the service Louvre in the European Technate,” elevators which he took all the way he said. “Egyptian. The most beau- to the cellers. There was no one tiful woman the world has ever there. seen.” With the fingers of the hand Rather than dial a car from this he’d dipped into his pocket, he point, he walked up the ramp on stroked the lobe of her right ear. his toes, silently. The alley was FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

dark before him, but he hesitated nation, using the manual controls. before leaving the entranceway to He dismissed it at that point, and the apartment building. From an strode rapidly the rest of the way. inner pocket he brought a pair of As he entered the building here, what seemed sun glasses, donned he darted another look at his watch. them, and then from another pock- The elevator took him to the et brought forth a gadget no larger third floor. He used a key and let than a package of cigarettes. himself into a small efficiency He played the infra-red flash- apartment. No one was present. He light about the alleyway, caught a went to the sole window that let figure lounging in a doorway upon the main street and manu- across from him. Rex Morris sucked ally opened it. He wanted no pos- in his breath. He hadn’t thought he sible record of his voice on the was being followed. Certainly not robo-command. He looked out to the point where there would be without getting near enough that a man stationed both before and anyone below could have identified behind the building. him, even had they been looking. He withdrew further into the Down the street approximately shadows and brought a small hand 300 yards, a large limousine was weapon from a hip pocket. He dravdng up before an official knelt, took as rock-like a position building. as he could, using both hands to He shot another look at his steady his aim, and pressed the watch, hurried to a corner and trigger, once, t^vice. The weapon from a bag of golf clubs drew a hissed and across the alleyway the sporting rifle, complete with tele- other folded up, crumpled to his scope sight. As he strode back to knees and then went prone. the window, he threw the bolt, Rex Morris slipped the gun into checking the shell before ramming the side pocket of his jacket and it home into the breech. High ve- sped across to the security agent. locity, armor piercing. He manhandled the SFS man into At the window he sat on a foot the doorway in which he’d been stool bracing one elbow on a knee, standing, propped him in such rested the rifle barrel on the win- wise as to appear as though he’d dow ledge. And waited. passed out from drink. Still hur- The limousine was disgorging its riedly he made his way down the passengers. alley and to the street, merging in The man for whom he was wait- the pedestrian traffic there. ing stepped forth and hesitated He walked a full block before momentarily while shaking hands summoning a car, and then rode it with another of the car’s occu- to within two blocks of his desti- pants. SPEAKEASY 89

He was fully in the crosshairs of fect of the air dart Rex Morris had the scope. used on him earlier. Rex Morris breathed deeply, He returned to the Sims apart- then held his breath and slowly ment house and to the service ele- squeezed. The silenced gun vator which he took to the floor be- coughed and a spurt of dust ex- neath the penthouse. From there ploded on the granite wall behind the back stairway took him to the the target. Sims kitchen. Rex Morris muttered, shot the He took two full minutes to run bolt again, and tried for another. cold water over his wrists, to wash His target was darting for the his face, to brush his clothes and building entrance, a dozen secur- to catch his wind. Then he re- ity men, weapons in hand, were turned to the couch at which she on the move. Five or six of them sat. He looked a last time at his crowded around their superior. watch, took up his glass from the Rex Morris grunted, dropped the cocktail table where he’d sat it ear- rifle and hurried for the apart- lier and sat next to Nadine, his ment door. Down the stairs, into eyes on her face. the street. He figured it would take Within three minutes her eyes “. them anywhere from fifteen min- cleared and she said, . . bach- utes to half an hour to find the win- elor particularly notices in a wom- dow from which the shot had an tliese days?” come. Rex shrugged and took a pull at He walked two blocks. At one his drink. "That’s me. Fm a neck point he broke the lenses of his man. Figures are all very nice, per- infra-red glasses before dropping haps, but all women have pleasant them into a street waste receptacle. figures these days, at least all Further on he tossed his flashlight Techno women have. But necks !” into the rubble of a construction . . . he took a deep breath and job. He stripped his gloves from let a mock swooning expression his hands and left them, with his run over his face. pocket dart gun, in another re- “You fool,” she said. ceptacle further on. “About this evening,” Rex He checked his timepiece, changed the subject. “What hap- dialed a car at a corner Transport pens after the Flop House?” FS box and, once again using She pursed her lips. “Let’s see. manual controls, returned to the What does the Entertainment FS vicinity of Nadine §ims apart- have on a Techno level these days? ment house. He hustled down the I suppose you have no interest in alley, checked the security agent slumming among the effectives?” and found him still under the ef- “You’re the guide.” —

90 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

She looked at the dainty bejew- not just opening doors, taking eled watch on her wrist. “It’s later coats and hats, or ushering diners than I thought. Let’s hurry along to their tables. But isn’t the subject

and we can discuss the balance of becoming somewhat . . . say, the evening at the Flop House. sticky?” Actually I understand one never Rex Morris immediately knows what will develop there. switched to some banality about You’ll usually run into some sort the decor. of party that spontaneously erupts. An unctuous faced type ap- And that can lead to anything.’’ proached them, his voice dripping Rex Morris grunted sceptically. condescension. “I am sorry, but "Well, don’t introduce me by I am afraid this establishment is .” name. My name has a way of restricted to . . chilling the air.’’ Nadine Sims said with hauteur, .” She looked at him, her face “This is Techno . . quizzical. “You really have a case The other was shaking his head. of anti-daditis, don’t you?” “Techno rank is insufficient, I am afraid. The Flop House is reserved .” At the entrance to the Flop for . . “, House, Rex Morris was impressed. Nadine overrode him. . . A uniformed attendant opened Rex Morris, son of Hero of the the door of their car, murmured a Technate Leonard Morris.” polite good evening to them, The other was already reversing turned and preceded them to the his engines. “Of course, how stu- door of the restaurant which he pid of me. Techno Morris. Your opened manually. uncle is with us tonight, will you Inside, Rex said to his com- be at his table?” panion, “How swank can you get? Nadine said, “If I know your I didn’t know there were still any uncle, Rex, we’d both be kinked members of the Service Functional before we ever got out of here, and Sequence.” we did want to make it a night, Nadine Sims said, "If I’m not didn’t we?” wrong, the servants you’ll find here “Right as rainbows,” Rex said, are all members of the Security and to the headwaiter, “A table of FS.” our own, if you please.” “Oh?” He looked surprised. “I’d They were given a table pleas- think even an effective would con- antly located near the dance floor. sider it beneath him.” “Heavens to Veblen,” Nadine “These are hardly effectives,” whispered, impressed. “You’ll have Nadine said dryly. “And the prin- to admit that your father’s name ciple job is — so I understand has its advantages.” SPEAKEASY 91

Rex Morris looked about the tray disgust. "Who did you say that room. At the far side of the dance effective dressed in technician floor his Uncle Bill was waving to clothes was?” him jovially. Tlie older Morris was Nadine Sims eyes -narrowed. seated at a table with half a dozen She said, “That’s Matt Edgeworth. otehrs, three or four of whom Rex In a way, you’re right. He worked recognized as of Technician rank, his way up. Quite a career.” She including Marrison, the textile big- added idly, “And I understand it wig. possibly hasn’t reached its peak. Nadine Sims had adjusted her Warren Klein, you know, the sari to her satisfaction, had or- Prime Technician of the Security dered a Double Weeping Willow FS, is past retirement age and ru- from the waiter, and now let her mored iU.” eyes rove the room. She smiled at Rex Morris snorted depreca- half a dozen difiPerent parties, nod- tion. “No effective could ever be- ded here and there. come a member of the Congress of She said dryly, “You don’t seem Prime Technicians. Even if he overpopular with Techna Klein was appointed by the other FS tonight.” heads, certainly the Supreme Tech- “I beg your pardon?” nician would veto such a farce.” She said, “Paula Klein, sitting The drinks had arrived and Na- over there with Technician Matt dine Sims idly stirred hers with a Edgeworth. Didn’t I detect a ma- swizzle stick. “There’s notliing in licious glare?” law or tradition against it,” she Rex Morris sought Paula out, said. but now she was talking in ani- Rex snorted his contempt. “Can mation with the hefty SFS Tech- you name a case in the past cen- nician seated across from her. The tury?” police official, somehow, seemed “He’s already reached Techni- out of his element in the ultra- cian rank,” she said. “Only one swank Techno class restaurant. Of step to go.” all present, he alone was unpos- Rex gave a disgusted shrug of sessed of the aristocratic aura his shoulders, didn’t bother to an- which evolves with long genera- swer her. tions of the manor born. His face She said softly, “I understand he was on the rugged side, his hair doesn’t think so highly of you, ei- even just slightly unkempt, his ges- ther.” tures not so suave as his fellow “What do you mean by that?” Technicians and Prime Techni- His attention was regained. cians at neighboring tables. She put down her swizzle stick, Rex Morris let his upper lip por- lifted the glass to her lips and 92 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

watched his face. "The gossip “Cousin of the Supreme Tech- grapevine has it that he wouldn’t nician,” Rex repeated. “I didn’t at all mind a slip on your part, know that.” one that would allow him to have Nadine swizzled her new drink. you into a Technocourt.” “Not many eligible men in that “Great Scott, why? I've never rarified altitude. Of course, the even met the lout.” son of a Hero of the Technate “You seem to be rather em- phatic about a man you’ve had no Rex grunted his disgust. “My contact with. How do you know father’s notoriety outweighs that you wouldn’t find him reeking prestige.” with compatibility if you did “I doubt it. When you get to meet?” Paula’s height anything can be for- He glared across the room at the given. For that matter, one of her Security Technician. “It seems un- grandfathers opposed the Temple. likely.” How much further can you non- “Is it because he’s with Paula conform?” Klein?” she asked. Rex Morris said impatiently, “Certainly not. Besides, I’m evi- “What’s all this got to do with that dently on Techna Klein’s unac- oaf over there being out to get ceptable list.” me?” She finished her drink and Nadine smiled at him charm- tapped on the side of the slender ingly. “As you pointed out, it’s stemmed glass with her swizzle been more than a century since stick. The waiter smoothed to the anyone born an effective reached table with two more of the same. the Congress of Prime Technicians. Nadine said idly, “You’d think It wouldn’t hurt anyone with such in a city of this size there’d be scads ambitions to marry himself to of eligible young men, but it evi- Paula Klein.” dently isn’t that simple for a girl Rex pursed his lips and whis- of Paula’s rank.” tled silently. “Oh, oh,” he said. “I He scowled his incomprehen- suppose I’d better let it be known sion at her, looking the highly that I’m not interested in the spoiled hereditary aristocrat that young lady’s charms. Otherwise I’ll he was. have him arresting me for subver- She said, “Paula’s brother and sive conversation every time I open father were both Prime Techni- my mouth to yawn.” cians. But most of all, the Su- “Then you’re tiot bewitched by preme Technician is her cousin. Techna Klein?” Nadine said. Now, really, you can’t get much He reached a hand across the higher than that, can you?” table to pat hers. “My dear Nefer- SPEAKEASY 93

titi the Second,” he told her, "re-' him to the dance floor’s edge and member? I’m a neck man. And if now stepped to the middle of the you’ll just compare hers and yours stage while his subordinate retreat- ii ed several paces. She chuckled, but darted a Rex Morris could recognize fam- glance across the room. "Actually, ily similarities to Paula Klein in she seems not at all unattractive the newcomer’s face. Warren Klein in a rather . . . well, earnest wore a gray suit, a gray greateoat sort of way.” over his shoulders like a cloak in There was a slight commotion traditional Prime Technician style. near the entrance and after a mo- He looked about the crowded ment Technician Matt Edgeworth room, his face drawn. “Possibly an rose from his table, forgetting to hour ago I was the subject of an excuse himself to Paula Klein, and assassination attempt.” made his way toward it, swiveling He waited until the uproar had his hips like a broken field runner fallen away. as he hurried between the tables. “The only sueh attempt on a Tlie big man could move fast when member of the Congress of Prime he needed to. Technicians in modern memory. There seemed to be an animat- My first reaction was that it was ed discussion at the far end of the the work of a single crackpot, pos- room whieh finally could hardly be sibly with a personal grudge. How- .” ignored by anyone present in the ever . . he drew an envelope establishment. from an inner pocket "... one of Eventually, Matt Edgeworth my aides has brought this to my made his way back through the ta- attention. It arrived in last week’s bles again and to the center of the post and was not sooner revealed dance floor. He held up his hands to me since it seemed to be noth- for quiet, his face an emotionless ing more than the raving of a men- mask. tal case. Such are not unknown in “May I have everyone’s atten- our office.” tion.” He paused, waiting for the He read the letter aloud. “Prime buzz of surprised comment to fade Technician Warren Klein: You away. "A matter of importance, are incapable of holding the office and sinee such a large percentage to which you have been appointed. of the city’s ranking officials are Consequently, unless your resigna- present . . . You are all familiar tion is announced in the immedi- with the Prime Technician of the ate future, your life is forfeit. The Security FS, Warren- Klein.” race stagnates as a result of the A man approximately ten years usurpation of position by incompe- Edgeworth’s senior had followed tents.” 94 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

I! I I Warren Klein looked up. “This gasped, “So did ... j is signed, “The Nihilists^.’’ thought it was nonsense.” The

j

A buzz went through the room speaker was Technician Marrison, : again, swelled into a minor up- now cold sober, frightened out of roar. his cups. Warren Klein held up a hand to “And I!” someone else shouted. silence them. “For those who are “I got one too.” unacquainted with the term, ni- Prime Technician Warren hilism was a 19th century revolu- Klein let his eyes go completely tionary movement which stressed around the room again. “We must the need to destroy existing eco- face reality. For the first time in nomic and social institutions to generations, the Technate is faced prepare for the establishment of a with a revolutionary movement. supposedly better order. Direct ac- The Security FS expects every tion such as assassination and ar- member of the Techno class to co- son against the members of the operate to the fullest. My men are then existing government were alerting everyone of rank in the among the methods utilized by the city. Further information and in- nihilists. These terrorists were suc- structions will be released to you cessful in killing some of the high- through your individual functional est ranking officials of the day in- sequences.” cluding Tsar Alexander Second of Russia. In brief, they were not to His uncle looked up from the be underestimated.” tell-scireen when Rex entered the Some of the Flop House’s occu- living room. pants were on their feet, their “Oh, sorry,” Rex said. “Should faces expressing emotion ranging I leave?” from complete unbelief to shock. “I wasn’t talking to anyone,” The volume of Prime Techni- the older man said. “I was looking cian Klein’s voice rose. “Prelimi- at a book over in the main library.” nary investigation indicates that “Research?” Rex said lightly. "I tonight’s assassination attempt was thought you were more the aging well and thoroughly organized. I playboy type, Uncle Bill.” escaped with my life by a small “None of your lip, youngster. margin. But this is not the most As a matter of fact, I was check- important point.” He held a mo- ing up on the nihilists.” ment of silence. “The point is that Rex said primly, “Rather con- this morning the Supreme Techni- troversial subject, isn’t it?” cian himself received a basically “Come off it, my boy, we’re in similar letter.” the seclusion of my home. And From across the room a voice certainly you couldn’t be Leon- SPEAKEASY 95 ard’s son without having heard in "That surprised me too,” Wil- your time just about anything pos- liam Morris said. “However, Edge- sible to hear.” worth explained that due to your Rex Morris dialed himself a father’s prominence he thought it drinh and slumped into a chair. only fitting that someone of higher “I suppose that’s the point. The rank check you.” pendulum has swung in the oppo- “That didn’t seem to apply the site direction. Far as I’m concerned other day when he sent that engi- if I never hear another controver- neer to pick me up for being in a sial discussion in my life I’ll be just speakeasy.” as happy.” The older man said slowly, His uncle looked at him ap- “What are you doing with a secret praisingly. “I don’t know whether compartment in your suitcase, to believe you or not. At any rate, Rex?” Before the other could an- you had callers while you were swer, he added, “Technician gone.” Edgeworth requested permission “Callers? That’s too bad. I was to go through your things. Rou- just out for a stroll.” tine, he said.” “Matt Edgeworth and one of his “Secret compartment? Oh, in men!” the alligator bag. I had that made “Edgeworth? Oh, you mean the some years ago just before going on security man. That effective type a tourist trip to the Australian who seems to have wormed his way Technate. Thought I might locate into a responsible position.” something I might want to sneak “Don’t underestimate Matt through their customs— or ours. Edgeworth, my boy. He’s capable Romantic nonsense, eh? Never and ambitious in an age when few used it. What did Edgeworth say?” of us bother to be.” “Nothing. There was nothing “Well, what’d he want, a writ- in it, of course.” ten guarantee I wouldn’t court “Well, how are they doing with Paula Klein?” the assassins? What do you call His uncle said, “The Security them?” FS is trying to run down the nihil- “Nihilists. It’s stirring up a fan- ists. Part of the program involves tastic mess. I think that the Secur- checking on all newcomers to the ity FS at first thought to suppress capital. All hotels, all recently oc- news of the affair. But it buzzed cupied apartments — that sort of through the speakeasies like a nest thing.” of hornets, and then some of the “And Edgeworth came to see gossip commentators got it into me? A Technician running er- their broadcasts. Absolutely verged rands?” on nonconformity. Must have 96 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION shocked quite a few mental old of suppressing initiative. That in- maids." competents head the country and “I would think so. These gossip that consequently progress is commentators are a waspish stifled.” bunch. I’m surprised the SFS tol- “This is getting on the contro- erates them. Which reminds me, versial side, isn’t it?” the other day you dropped a hint His uncle snorted disgust. that Nadine Sims was . . . how “When people start shooting at did you put it?” members of our class it’s about time His uncle squirmed. “She’s an we find out why, Rex. Even a fool opportunist, my boy. I had occa- protects his life. In a way, I sup- sion to check up on her once. Her pose they’re right.” family are largely junior effectives “Great Scott, Uncle Bill!” but she’s managed to work her way “Has it ever occurred to you into Techno status. She’ll probably that there is only one living Hero wind up the wife or mistress of of the Technate? Why, as recently some Technician or even Prime as when I was a boy there must Technician.” have been a dozen. Your father is

“But . . . why? Why go to all the last to gain the honor and that that bother?” was accomplished more than three “Don’t ask me. For the prestige, decades ago. Since then there has I suppose. The desire to be on top. been no service to the Technate For the sake of being able to enter performed of sufficient importance such places as the Flop House and to call for the award. Nobody rub elbows with the Technate’s bleeds about anything any more.” top mucky-mucks.” Rex Morris yawned. “I suppose Rex Morris had emptied his everything of importance has al- glass, now he stretched out full ready been discovered.” length on a couch and relaxed. “A His uncle snorted. lot of people in this town go to a Rex said with only mild inter- lot of trouble. Personally, it seems est. “What’s this bit about incom- to me this ambition bit interfers petence? Do these murderous mal- with having a normal good time.” contents actually suggest that even His uncle said, “Young fellow, the Supreme Technician is incom- it’s your type that set off these petent?” nihilists.” “They seem to suggest, my boy, “My type?” My type wouldn’t that the whole Techno class is.” set off anything. Uncle Bill,” Rex Rex grinned again and came to grinned. “No fire at all.” one elbow. “Well, Uncle Bill, I’m “That, evidently, is their point. evidently getting into an argument They think the Technate is guilty no matter how I try to stay out. SPEAKEASY 97

The truth, now. What do you position in Textiles, Entertain- know about teaching, about edu- ment, Medicine, or what-not. I’m cation?” as unqualified in one field as the His uncle blinked at him. other.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’ll let you His uncle said huffily, “You’ll know I was a good man before my have suitable engineers and ef- retirement. Why if I’d remained fectives to handle the routine work in the Educational FS another below you.” year or two I undoubtedly would “That I will, and it’s all right have been appointed Prime Tech- with me. What’s on tonight. Uncle nician.” Bill? I have half a mind to get Rex was still grinning. “You thoroughly kinked.” didn’t answer me. How good a His uncle looked at his watch. teacher were you?” “Not for me, I’m becoming pro- WiUiam Morris was indignant. gressively interested in this nihil- “I entered the EPS as a Senior En- ist thing. I think I’ll go and check gineer, an appointment suitable with some of the boys. Find out to my rank. I don’t deal with what’s being said on the higher teaching. Anyone of such or above levels.” rank is concerned with overall Rex yawned. “Well, I’ll tag policy, with planning on the higher along. I suppose I should be

. spending more levels, with , time with these “That’s what I thought.” prominent friends of yours. Soon- “Look here, my boy, education er or later one’s going to find he is more tlian just teachers and stu- needs a promising young Senior dents. Why, one of the last chief Engineer to fill out his sequence.” executives of the old United States, before his election to that office, Rather than dialing their des- was given the position of presi- tination, William Morris direw dent of one of the country’s largest the car’s manual control and pro- universities. When the news re- ceeded to drive the vehicle as porters interviewed him he ad- through they were on an unroaded mitted he’d had no former connec- area in the country. tion with education and that he’d “Isn’t that a little on the dan- have to be ‘briefed’ on the subject.” gerous side. Uncle Bill,” Rex pro- “Well,” Rex said, tired of the tested mildly. “There’s a lot of conversation, “I suppose that’s traffic in this part of town.” what these nihilists are complain- His uncle muttered something ing about. Here I am, for instance. ambiguous about the Security FS One of these days someone will getting excited over the nihilists, appoint me to a Senior Engineer and Rex gave it up. 98 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

They crossed town through the The technician said to William distribution and entertainment Morris, “Here’s a point that you centers and emerged in a residen- possibly have an opinion on. We’re tial area. William Morris pulled up discussing the motivation of tliese to a curb, dismissed the car and so-called nihilists.” then led his nephew for a block or “Yes,” the monk said heavily. two on foot, to the younger man’s He was an obese, florid faced man surprise. They entered a large with a small, almost pouting apartment building and took one mouth. “The race has never been of the elevators to an upper floor. so happy as today, under the Tech- The elevator opened into a nate. What do they expect? What small reception hall. A voice said, do tliey want?” “Welcome Technician Morris. William Morris said tentative- Who is your guest;” ly, “What do you mean when you “My nephew, Techno Rex Mor- say tire race is happy?” ris,” Uncle Bill said impatiently. “Well, isn’t that obvious?” the “I vouch for him, of course.” monk said. “Past social systems Rex said, mystified. “What is have always had their underprivil- this, a private club?” eged minorities, or majorities, for “Don’t be naive,” his uncle told that matter. Even as late as the him. “Come along.” A door opened middle of the 20th century we had before them and they proceeded large elements of the population into a large room in which a party even in the United States and seemed to be going on. At least, Canada who were ill housed, ill a considerable number of persons clothed, ill fed, lacking in proper stood, or sat about, drinks in hand medical care and in opportunity in the usual cocktail party wise. for adequate education. Today, no Several of them called out to Wil- such elements remain. Everyone liam Morris as he and Rex pro- has all the needs for happy exist- gressed toward the nearest auto- ence.” bar. Uncle Bill said, “All the needs There was a small group around for existence, possibly, even the bar and William Morris healthy existence. But what is growled out a humorous protest to happiness? Are we actually any them before they made way and let happier now than before?” him dial two drinks. He intro- The monk pouted at him. “I duced the group to Rex, two of don’t seem to follow you. How can them were senior engineers, one a anybody be happy if he lacks the technician and two others unas- basic necessities?” signed Technos like Rex himself, “If what seems to be your defi- a sixth was a Temple monk. nition of happiness applies, then —

SPEAKEASY 99 in the old days there was no hap- a lasting happiness just isn’t in the piness at all among the poverty cards. The word is meaningless, striken, while the rich must have loosely used, like love. What is spent their time beaming at each love? You love your mother, your other with joy. And the billion- wife, your country, and you love aires, of course, would be hard apple pie. Ridiculous! The word put from jumping with pure glee.” means nothing.” One of the senior engineers, “If here is no such thing as hap- who’d been sipping at a highball piness,” the monk said dryly, “The through the discussion thus far, race has certainly been seeking a now said, “Wait a minute, here. will-o’-the-wisp for a long time.” You’re not giving us that old jazz The senior engineer was more about the negros happily strum- heated. “You eitiher haven’t said ming away at their banjos on the enough, or you just don’t know levee while the plantation owners what you’re talking about.” miserably lived in their luxury in Uncle Bill dialed himself an- the mansion on the hill?” other drink, waited for it before One of the unassigned Technos going on. “The original question also leapt into the fray. “Yes, just was whether our culture is happier what do you mean by happiness?” now that we’ve achieved all the William Morris grinned at essentials for everyone. To illus- them. “That’s a good question. trate my point, let’s go back a bit Actually, I don’t think there is any furtlier in history to 1776 when such thing.” He nodded his head the American revolutionists were at the monk. “That's the ultimate promising Life, Liberty and the foolishness of a religion that Pursuit of Happiness to their un- promises either a heaven or hell decided fellow subjects of King eternal happiness or eternal sor- George. As has been pointed out row and pain. Neither is possible, such thinkers as Jefferson and neither makes sense, both are con- Madison didn’t make the mistake trasts and you can’t have the one of promising happiness but mere- without the other.” ly the opportunity to pursue it. I “Now just a minute,” the senior have a sneaking suspicion that engineer protested. “You mean they themselves labored under no happiness just isn’t possible? misapprehsnsions about the possi- .” That’s ridiculous, all of us . . bility of it being realized. Two “No, now listen,” Unele Bill in- hundred years later a second terrupted. “I don’t contend that American revolution evolved and pleasure, contentment, even ec- once again happiness was prom- stacy, aren’t possible for compara- ised once cradle to the grave tively short periods at a time. But abundance was achieved for every- 100 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION one. Very well, I ask you, are we more often has prestige in the com- all happy?” munity, whether or not he deserves “We’re a damn sight nearer to it it. He has a better chance of being than ever before. What could these adjusted to the world as he finds it. so-called nihilists even pretend to Surely life is better with all these ofFer that would improve things?” things. But they don’t assure this one of the unassigned Technos elusive thing happiness.” said. Uncle BiU finished his drink Uncle Bill shrugged. “I’ve never and came to a conclusion. “How- talked to one of them. Perhaps in- ever, so far as I can learn about tellectual stimulation. Perhaps these nihilists, based on the threat- they’re tired of sitting aroimd belt- ening letters they’ve been writing, ing booze the way we do most of they aren’t dealing with happiness the time.” at all. They seem to think our cul- The Senior Engineer was more ture is stagnating imder a hier- irritated than ever. “What is that archal social system and they want supposed to mean?” to set it into motion again by some Uncle BiU’s tone took on an basic changes.” edge of exasperation too. “I’m not “What changes?” the monk contending that the former half pouted. starved farmer on a quarter acre “Search me,” Uncle Bill of land in India lived a desirable shrugged. He turned to say some- hfe, nor a worker in a textile mill thing to his nephew and found in 19th century England. Before that Rex Morris had taken off. man can realize himself it’s self 'The younger Morris was on the evident that he needs life’s neces- other side of the room, taking in a sities. What I have been trying to conversation at a table. It was put over is that happiness is not even more heated than the one the point. Largely man leads a in which his uncle was engaged. rather monotonous existence, day A thin young engineer was by day. Sometimes his days are lit snapping, “What do you mean by temporary pleasure, even ec- democracy failed? We’ve never stacy, somtimes depressed by trag- bothered to try it. Certainly not edy, pain, sorrow. These things since primitive society. Since then can happen to either rich or poor. we’ve periodically played lip serv- “The important thing is that the ice to it, and that’s about all. Dem- man who has all hfe’s necessities ocracy in Athens? Bosh! Sure, the in abundance can lead a more full Athenian citizen had it, but for life. His health is more often good, every citizen there was a flock of he has lesisure to pursue hobbies slaves who had no word in the or studies or physical pleasures, he government at all. The United SPEAKEASY 101

States? Ha! once again. Our an- gave such democratic institutions cestors talked a good case of dem- as we did have their death blow.” ocracy but that was about it. In Rex Morris whistled quietly be- its early days in the eighteenth and tween his teeth. He looked about nineteenth centuries there were the room, covetly. There were pos- property and educational require- sibly seventy-five people, few of ments that disenfranchised a ma- them lower in rank than Senior jority of the population. For that Engineer, and no effective present matter, until after the first world at all. war women couldn’t vote at all. He saw someone he recognized, I won’t even mention the discrim- went over and said, “I understand ination against negro and other that you and I are waging a feud.” minority groups that lasted right Paula Klein said coldly, “Did up until the founding of the Tech- you ever hear the term stool pi- nate. But above all, real democ- geon, Techno Morris?” Her bru- racy was impossible as long as you nette beauty flashed in her dis- had economic autocracy. How can dain. a man freely exercise his vote “Don’t think so,” Rex said. “It when he is economically depend- doesn’t sound so good.” ent upon someone else?” “My brother didn’t appreciate “I don’t get that,” somebody the fact that you reported I’d taken said. you to an effective class speak- “What could be more obvious? easy.” If you’re dependent upon someone “Look,” he explained, “you had else for your food, clothing and already told me that the SFS en- shelter, you aren’t free. A child, gineer in front of the place recog- dependent upon his parents, isn’t nized you. Great Scott, he even free. The family is a dictatorship, saluted! And, besides, the fact a benevolent one but still a dicta- that some spy turned me in was an torship. Neither is a man who sells indication that everyone there had his time to another free, not when been spotted. There was no pos- his basic needs of fife are dependent sible way for me to have defended on the selling. So I ask the ques- you.” tion again. How can you have a She frowned at him. political democracy when you He said urgently, “If I’d been have an economic autocracy? brought into a Technocourt the When the means of production are whole thing would have been made owned and operated by and for a pubhc. As it was, we both escaped minority? We never gave real dem- that embarassment.” ocracy a chance, and then, when “Well,” she sighed, “I can’t ex- we established the Technate, we actly agree with your reasoning. 102 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

but you do put some sort of light She looked at him as though he on it.” was mad. “Where did you think He grinned at her. “How about you were? Where did you imagine a drink?” your uncle had brought you? Did “You forget, I’m the one person you think that only the effectives

in a million that doesn’t slug it went to speakeasies?” down these days. How in the world “Great Scott,” Rex Morris blurt- did you ever get in here, Rex?” ed, “I thought it was, well, sort of “Oh, Uncle Bill brought me. a club. I did think they were talk- He’s making a point of introducing ing rather loosely, but then I’m me to his friends. I’m in no hurry from the sticks and this is the cap- for an appointment but I suppose ital city.” the sooner I put in my ten years, She shook her head at him cyni- the sooner I can retire and live cally. “The son of Leonard Mor- life the way it should he lived.” ris.” “And how is that? Do you have “Stop saying that! I’m sick of .” some particular hobby or . . being the son of somebody.” “Ummm, that I have. Wine, “I wonder how he feels about women and song. Not necessarily you,” she said. Paula Klein turned in that order. Which brings to on her heel and walked off. mind that I saw you at the Flop Rex Morris stared after her for a House the night before last. You do brief moment, then turned himself go to spots other than speakeasies, and made his way to the reception then. How about taking pity on a haU by which he and his uncle had stranger and devoting an evening entered earlier. Doors opened be- to exploring the town?” fore him and he had ho difficulty Her face was expressionless. getting to the ground floor. “I’m afraid that spending time He walked down the street and with you. Techno Morris, is some- to the nearest public tell-screen. what of a hazard. Suppose one of He stood before it and said, “Tech- the security men here this after- nician Matt Edgeworth.” A voice noon reports our presence? I’m said, “Carried out,” and there was afraid in your rush to alibi yourself a pause.

I might wind up . . An enginer in Security FS uni- “Security men?” Rex said. form appeared on the screen and She said bitterly, “Did you said, “What was the subject of think it was effective class speak- your call to the Technician easies only that they cover?” please?” Rex Morris said blankly, “You Rex Morris rasped, “I wish to mean this is a speakeasy and that report an openly operating speak- there are Security FS men here?” easy.” SPEAKEASY 103

“Oh?” the other said. “I can take awhile, reflectively, then shifted that information.” his shoulders and went back to Rex Morris rapped, “I’d rather the street. There was a Transport report the matter to Technician FS box on the corner and he sum- Edgeworth.” moned a car. “Why? I’m afraid Technician He spent the next quarter of an Edgeworth is busy.” hour driving up and down the “Well, tell him Techno Rex main streets haphazardly. It be- Morris wants to talk with him.” came obvious, eventually, that he He added bitterly, “The son of wasn’t being followed, or, if so, Hero of the Technate Leonard by someone so accomplished that Morris.” he wasn’t to be detected. The security officer’s eyes wid- He headed for another part of ened. “Sorry, Techno Morris. I town, to a residential section large- had no idea of your identity. Im- ly devoted to effective class apart- mediately.” ments. He dismissed the car a full His face was replaced by a half mile from his destination and scowling Matt Edgeworth. “Yes,” walked from that point. His gray. he said. “What can I do for you Techno class suit made him some- Techno Morris?” what conspicuous in this vicinity Rex said, “Others seem to be but not to any dangerous extent. continually dragging me into these He looked up and down the street confounded speakeasies. This time before entering the building of his I thought I’d report directly to you destination. before someone else did.” On the third floor he let himself “Indeed. Where were you taken, into a small flat, began stripping and by whom?” off his clothes. He made his way Rex gave him the address and to the autobar and looked down at the floor number. The other it for a minute, then shook his seemed unimpressed. “And just head. He’d had two drinks at the who took you into this place?” speakeasy, and under the circum- “I’d ... I’d rather not say.” stances that was enough. The Matt Edgeworth looked at him. drinking pace he’d had to assume Rex Morris cleared his throat. as a supposed hve-it-up lad in this “My uncle. Technician William city had been far and beyond his Morris.” usual intake and he didn’t appre- “I see,” Edgeworth said. “The ciate it in view of his present posi- matter will be taken care of. Tech- tion. no Morris.” The tell-screen went Dressed in effective class garb, blank. Rex went to a closet, opened it, Rex Morris stared at it for pushed aside various standard arti- 104 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

cles of clothing to reveal a small His uncle growled, “I’m begin- chest. This involved a key. He ning to wonder if we haven’t been opened it and stared down at two on an even keel for too damn long. or three handguns, half a dozen But right now, that isn’t the point. grenades, and a sawed-off shotgun. The point is that after I’d taken .” He thought about it for a moment, you into that club . . finally selected a grenade, then “That speakeasy!” “. closed and locked the chest. . . yesterday, you left and reported it to the Security FS.” Rex Morris was late in coming “What did you expect me to do? down to breakfast in the morning I’m a loyal Techno!” but his uncle was waiting for him. William Morris stared at him The older man said, his voice for a long moment. He shook his dangerously low, “You didn’t both- head. “The second generation. The er to say goodbye when you left me son of Leonard Morris, the non- yesterday.” conformist.” “No, I didn’t,” Rex said. “I Rex Morris said heatedly, “I wanted to talk to you about that.” told you where I stood. I’m not “And I to you. Start talking.” interested in being the son of

“Well, frankly . . .w’ell, Great Leonard Morris. All I want to do Scott Uncle Bill, do you think you is take my rightful position in the ought to be going into places like Technate. Get a decent appoint- that? Not to speak of taking me. ment, put in my ten years of serv- I don’t even have an appointment ice, then retire and devote myself yet. I’ll never get a decent one if to enjoying life. That’s all I want.” word goes around I’m carrying on His uncle said flatly, “You’re old Dad’s non-conformist ways.” enough to make your own deci-

“Leave your father out of it. I sions, and I’d be the last to rally don’t agree with some of his ex- to the cause of nonconformism. I treme views, but Leonard was al- stop in at a speakeasy once in a ways a man." blue moon, just for amusement, “I don’t like the way you say that just to see what goes on. Neverthe- I’ve got a right to my own opin- less, I don’t want anyone in my ions and one of them is that the home who turns me in to the Se- Technate shouldn’t allow these curity FS in a panic because he’s cesspools of uncontrolled contro- afraid his reputation might be versy. Why, there was even a Tem- tarnished by association with such ple monk there yesterday. How as me. No thank you.” can the Technate remain on an Rex flushed. “Does that mean even keel, when every institution .?” we have is being attacked?” “It does indeed. Explain it to SPEAKEASY 105 your father, however you wish.” calls, then turned to him again. “I’ll get my things and leave im- She gave him an address, an apart- mediately.” ment number. “Take your time, Rex.” He packed his things into his In his room, before packing, three bags, placed them in the Rex Morris stood before the tell- servo compartment of the room, screen and said, “Housing Func- turned to the tell-screen again and tional Sequence.” said, “Have the firings in the servo A voice said, “Carried out,” and dehvered to this address.” He a second later a desk faded in, looked down at the paper on which behind it a junior effective. She he’d noted his new apartment looked at him and smiled. number and read it off. Rex said, “I’m Rex Morris, un- A voice said, “Carried out.” assigned Techno, Serial One- Rex left, not bothering to look 224A-1326, waiting an appoint- up his uncle for a final farewell. A ment in this city. I would like an rueful smile was very faint on his adequate single apartment.” He face. added, “In a part of town suited to my rank, of course.” He went to Nadine Sims apart- “Of course,” she said. “Serial ment that afternoon without call- One, you said. May I have the ing her in advance, other, of rest of that again, please?” She course, than requesting her apart- dialed the full identification code ment of the elevator robo. When on an instrument on her desk and he stepped into her reception a card slid into view of a smaller room, however, she was awaiting screen before her. him, a questioning smile on her Impressed, she said, “Techno face, fi/vo glasses in her hands. Morris, could I suggest that you “Surprise, surprise,” she said. stay at one of the better hotels until “I wasn’t expecting you.” She of- you have found adequate quar- fered one of the glasses. ters? We’U assign an effective to "If this is a John Brown’s Body, your needs at once. He will be no thanks,” Rex said to her. “You .” able to devote full time to . . worked that particular wile on me Rex said impatiently, “I’m not the other night. Was I kinked be- that difficult to please. I’d like a fore the evening was through!” place to go to immediately. Some- “You were? Heavens, all that thing that is available this morn- uproar about the nihilists sobered ing. If I’m unsatisfied I’ll check me up. Anyway, this is a Rattle- with you later.” snake, you said you went for them “Very well.” She went through in your part of the Technate.” various other motions, made two “That I did,” Rex said, follow- 106 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION ing her into the living room. "My the most popular men in town. what a memory the girl has.” You’ll never get into such spots as “The better to spider you into the Techno-Casino and the Flop my web.” House if you’ve antagonized him.” "Ah, ha, so that’s the pitch.” He finished off his drink, dialed She made him comfortable in a another from the chair, while say- deep chair which sported a built in ing, “Well, consider him antago- autobar and hookah, sat across nized. I don’t care. I wish people from him and eyed him quizzical- would stop sucking me into situa- ly. “You’re making for quite a bit tions in which I’m not interest- of gossip these days, my lad from ed.” He said sourly, “Am I the only the wild west.” object of gossip in town these He sighed and tried the drink. days, what else is going on?” “Oh? Well, that’s just what I don’t “You come under the head of want but it doesn’t seem to do me light news,” she said, her voice any good.” less enthusiastic now. "The big She laughed at him, shook her item is the progress of the nihihst head. “If you don’t want gossip, gang. Evidently they’re stronger I’d suggest you not pull such ca- than was first thou^t. Stronger pers as reporting to the SFS a and more vicious. They made an speakeasy in which your uncle and attempt on the Supreme Bishop of half his friends are having a grand the Temple, last night.” old time arguing about the most “The Supreme Bishop!” Rex controversial subjects imaginable.” Morris’ eyes widened in disbelief. He stared at her. "How in the "A bomb,” she said. “His Seren- world did you know that?” ity escaped, but one of his retainer She chuckled at him, shook her monks was hit by a flying frag- head again. “Rex, you have no idea ment.” how gossip ridden a capital city “Killed?” Rex said quickly. can be. The whole matter was “Well, no, barely wounded.” probably on the air half an hour Rex Morris shook his head. after it happened, cleverly hidden "And people think it’s strange I’m in hints and innuendoes, of so indignant about the speakeas- course.” ies. No wonder outfits like the He grunted. “Well, did any of nihilists develop with half the the commentators mention the people in town saying the most fact that Uncle Bill politely boot- controversial things possible. Talk ed me out of his house today?” about them and sooner or later Her eyes were suddenly nar- you start doing them— that’s what row. “Oh, no. You don’t mean per- I say.” manently? Your uncle is one of “Do you?” Nadine Sims SPEAKEASY 107 yawned. “Well, to what do I owe he twisted his mouth in silent this pleasant visit, Techno Mor- thought. Was he pushing things ris?” too fast? For the first time since He looked up at her, surprised. his arrival in the capital he wished "I beg your pardon?” he had someone with whom to con- “I have plans for this evening. sult. Well, forget about it. That

I wondered if it was anything spe- was a luxury beyond him. cial you came to see me about.” He walked toward the center of He came to his feet suddenly. the city, turning several corners in “I get it.” the process, making a point of tra- She stood too, put her drink versing several streets with little down on a handy table, and traffic either car or pedestrian. It stepped over to him. “Now, don't was obvious that he wasn’t being be silly. I simply have an appoint- followed. ment.” He summoned a car, threw it “Of course you do. Someone, I onto manual control and headed assume, who’ll take you to the for the section of town he’d been Hush Puppy Room, the Casino, or in the day before. Once again he the Flop House— or one of the dismissed the vehicle half a mile or other prestige joints where effec- so from his destination and fin- tives on the make usually aren’t ished the trip by foot. Safety, Rex allowed.” Morris had decided long ago, was Her hand came up and smacked a matter of taking infinite pains. him fiercely across the lower face. He walked up to the small ef- She raised the other hand for an- fective class apartment, let himself other swing, and he caught it in and sank into an easy chair. He roughly. He grinned sourly down dialed himself a weak Irish and into her eyes. “Truth hurts, eh?” soda and sat sipping it while he he growled. thought. “You soft headed, soft living The drink tasted terrible. He snob,” she snarled. went into the kitchenette and

“How you go on,” he said, drop- poured the balance of it into the ping her hand. He turned on his sink, then went back into the liv- heel and headed for the door. ing room and stood in its center “Don’t bother to come back,” trying to come to a decision. she snapped. One evening was as good as an- He grinned over his shoulder at other. He strode with quick deci- her. “The sea is loaded with fish sion to the closet, opened it and like you, sweetie.” pushed the clothing impatiently to one side, fishing the key from his At the curb before her house pocket to open the hidden chest. 108 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

He opened it, stared down at done is on me alone. Forget about his smaU arsenal. Leonard Morris.” A voice behind him said, "Ah, “It’s all right with me. I always our nihilist inspects his weapons.” did think he was overrated. A cou- Rex Morris’ hand dipped quick- ple of years work in a laboratory ly into the chest, emerged with a and he’s a tin hero for tlie rest of short barrelled Parabellum. He his life.” twirled, the gun at the ready. The Parabellum was trained at Matt Edgeworth stood at the the other’s belt buckle. Rex Morris door, his thumbs tucked into the said tightly, “You seem to have a comers of his uniform jacket pock- lot of confidence for someone ets. His rugged face wore a cyni- who’s covered. Is there any parti- cal twist. He ignored the other’s cular reason?” gun, closed the door behind him, Matt Edgeworth said sourly, made his way to the middle of the “How long do you think you could room and lowered his bulk into a have continued narrowly missing chair next to the autobar. He your supposed victims before leaned forward and dialed himself someone caught on that this gen- a drink. While Rex watched him, eration’s breed of assassins hasn’t still unbelieving, the bar delivered the guts to really kill anybody?” a long glass of a dark brew. Rex Morris’ jaw tightened and “Stout,” Matt Edgeworth told the finger on the trigger of the gun him. “Very proletarian, eh? Some- whitened. times I think I’m the last of the Matt Edgeworth came to his proletarians.” He chuckled, looked feet. His riglit hand darted out down at the marks of technician with surprising speed considering rank on his Security FS uniform. the man’s size and chopped at the Rex Morris walked back, con- other wrist. The gun fell to the fronting the other, said tightly, “I floor. Edgeworth sat down again, suppose your men are knee deep said conversationally, “Was it about the place.” loaded? Have a seat, old man. “To the contrary,” Edgeworth Drink?” said easily. “I came alone. Why Rex glared at him, dialed an- should I share the prestige of hav- other Irish whiskey, without soda ing captured the notorious nihi- this time, and sank into the chair list? Especially since said' desper- opposite his unwanted guest. ate criminal is also the son of an “How’d you find me?” he growled. overly publicized Hero of the Edgeworth shrugged? “You Technate.” know,” he said conversationally, “You can leave my father out of “that’s a popular fancy that seems this, Edgeworth. Anything I’ve to have come down through the SPEAKEASY 109 centuries. The mistaken belief “No accomplices, eh?” that the police are on the stupid “None.” side. Believe me. Techno Morris, “Well, we’ll find out about that they aren’t.” He began to enumer- later,” Edgeworth said, nodding ate on his lingers. “One, you’re the his head. “For instance. I’m inter- son of the controversial Leonard ested in how you got the use of Morris, so obviously we’d keep two effective elass apartments, track of you. Two, the nihilist let- this one and the one from which ters began appearing after your ar- you took a shot at Warren Klein. rival. Three, you were just a little But tell me, just what did you too precious in the way you avoid- have in mind?” ed anything controversial. Four, “Tell me something first,” Rex the night of the so-called assassi- growled. “How did you find me nation attempt on Warren Klein, here?” something happened to one of the Edgeworth grinned his con- agents who were trailing you; he tempt. “Dip you hand into your was doped at his post. You have jacket pocket. I don’t know if it an alibi for the time involved would be the right or left one.” which is something I don’t quite Mystified, Rex plunged hiS' understand, however it doesn’t ex- hands into his pockets. One of plain the doped agent. Five, you them came out with a button sized were just too much of a heel in object he didn’t recognize. exposing both Paula Klein and “Transmitter,” Edgeworth your uncle when they did a bit of grinned at him. “Why follow you innocent attending of speakeasies. about the streets when you’ve been

Six . . . Do we really need a six? planted with a nice little broad- For that matter, we have a seven, casting station that can notify me eight, nine and ten.” just where you are, just any time

Rex Morris grunted his disgust, at all? The moral of the story is "An amateur doing a profession- not to get too close to a girl.” al’s job,” he said bitterly in self “Nadine!” Rex grunted. deprecation. “Shall we go? I sup- The other raised his heavy eye- pose I’m under arrest.” brows. “Please. You mean Senior “Oh, not yet,” the Security Engineer of the Security FS, Na- Technician said easily, “Let’s talk dine Sims. Let’s have correct titles awhile. Where did you get your here, Techno Morris.” Edgeworth arsenal? The rifle, these guns you turned back to the autobar and re- have here, the grenades?” filled his glass. “Now, once again, “Mostly out of private gun eol- why? Just what did you have in lections around Taos,” Rex said. “I mind with all this masquerade pretended to be a collector.” and phony heroics?” 110 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

“The overthrow of the Teeh- “Nothing at all.” nate!” Rex snapped back. Matt Edgeworth thought about Technician Edgeworth stared that for awhile. “I think perhaps at him for a moment, then began things would be better if he did.” to laugh. “All by yourself, you he mused. pipsqueak? The overthrow of the Rex Morris stared at him, un- Technate! How, in the name of comprehending. Veblen? By almost shooting a few Matt Edgeworth said slowly, “I upper rank Technos?” think the nihilist threat would be Rex Morris took a deep breath more impressive if we revealed and stared down at the floor. “An that a Hero of the Technate was .” amateur . . he repeated. He involved. Who knows? Perhaps looked up at the other. “No,” he we’ll find that a few other notables said. “I didn’t expect to do it all —your uncle, perhaps— are also myself. All I hoped to accomplish in it.” was to set people to thinking again. Rex Morris snorted his con- Give them a shot in the arm, a tempt. “You’ll have a hard time mental jolt. A realization that it proving that in a Technocourt. was possible that the Technate Once I appear I’ll teU the whole wasn’t necessarily the best of all story, and I can prove every point. possible worlds and that it might I did it all myself.” be worth considering alternatives.” “Uh huh,” the other said “I don’t seem to follow your rea- thoughtfully. “And such a trial soning.” would give you the opportunity to Rex shrugged his despair. make your little speech. To make "We’ve been in a rut for genera- a martyr of yourself. A little hero tions. Whatever happened to such all of your own. In fact, there’s ambitions as the conquest of space, nothing you’d like better than such as the improvement of the race by a trial, is there. Techno Morris?” controlled genetics, as the even- Rex said nothing; tual attainment of . . . the God- Edgeworth twisted his face in head? At first the Technate seemed his characteristic grimace. “Well, to be a step in advance, but it don’t count too much on having bogged down into a rut like that one;” the Egyptians were in for millen- Rex looked up sharply, “Just nia. I hoped to Start a controversy, what do you mean by that?” to start people to thinking, to make “I mean,” the other said coldly, them afraid, to . . . well, stir “that you have precious little things up.” chance. Techno Morris, of ever “Your father had nothing to do getting into court. I’m afraid that with this crackpot idea, eh?” we’ll be confronted with the need —

SPEAKEASY 111 of, ah, eliminating you, perhaps Technicians. Once there —who whilst you make your third assas- knows? The Prime Technician of sination attempt. Come to think the Security FS is no minor role. of it, possibly after you’ve made We’ve never had a Supreme Tech- your attempt. Who knows, this nician from this Functional Se- time you might even be successful quence, but why not set the prece- in another attempt on Warren dent?” Klein.” "You?" Rex laughed at him. Rex shook his head in lack of “You become Supreme Techni- understanding. “I don’t see what cian? On the ambitious side, are- motivates you,” he said. n’t you Edgeworth?” Matt Edgeworth slipped a Edgeworth glowered at him, handgun from an underarm hol- bleakly. “There’ve been ambitious ster and trained it on the other. He men come to the top before. said, “Some of the things you’ve Techno Morris, and the hierarchy said are correct. A change is called is the ideal governmental form to for. Sooner or later it’ll be made expedite the matter. As an effec- I assume. But after me, if there is tive born, you probably look on me anything I can do about it. You’re as lacking in education, but, be- playing with revolution. Techno heve me. I’ve looked into this Morris. Do you know what that particular subject. You ever hear can mean? Have you ever seen pic- of Atahualpa?” tures from the old days of former Rex scowled at him. “The last dictators, police agents, even mi- of the Incas.” nor officials, hanging by their “That’s right. Remember what heels from lampposts? Do you happened to the Incas? Their so- know what volcanos can be stirred cial system was a primitive equiva- up by social forces once unleashed? lent of our Technate, with the No thank you. After me the del- Inca at the very top, instead of a uge, perhaps, but if there’s any- Supreme Technician. When Fran- thing I can do about it, not untU cisco Pizarro landed, all he had to after me." do was kidnap, and later kill, Ata- He was warming to his subject. hualpa, and the whole machinery “Right now the Technate is lax, of government fell into his hands. partly because you hereditary A few score strong, ambitious men Technos are too spineless, too soft. seized a quarter of all South Amer- We need a stronger Security FS. ica.” He grunted his contempt. Fine, I’m willing to provide it. “Do you think wishy-washy milk- With this feather in my cap, the sops like Warren Klein, and such crushing of the nihilists. I’ll be hereditary Technos, are going to slated for the Congress of Prime stand in the way of men, like me?” 112 fantasy AND SCIENCE FICTION

There was a fanatical note in his der the heavier man’s blows, but he voice now that Rex Morris hadn’t shook his head for clarity. He made noticed before. a supreme effort, grabbed at the Rex said, “You really hate us other desperately, rubbed his index Technos by birth, don’t you Edge- finger and thumb over Matt Edge- worth?” worth’s naked hand. “I got to my position the hard He groaned, “All right. I’ve had way,” the other said. '“The way the it.” Technate was originally meant to Matt Edgeworth came to his run.” feet, gave the other a quick kick in Rex Morris said, “And I sup- the ribs in disgust. “That was a pose if you got to the top — and I fool trick,” he snarled. “I’ve got assume you have a gang you’d take fifty pounds on you and the train- along with you —then the old sys- ing of a Security effective. An- tem of nepotism and favoritism other couple of minutes and you’d wouldn’t continue, eh? Your son have been enjoying a set of broken .” would never get further than ef- bones. Techno . . fective rank, unless he really qual- The big Security official’s voice ified, eh?” suddenly fell away. His eyes “We’ll see about that when the glazed. He froze in his standing time comes,” Edgeworth said flat- position. ly. “Let’s go now.” Rex Morris stood up, allowed Rex began to turn, as though himself another brief groan for the heading for the door, then he took sake of heavy blows taken. He a deep breath spun and plunged looked at the stricken Edgeworth, toward the Security man. muttered, “Thanks Dad, although I Breath whooshed from Matt doubt if you ever figured on that Edgeworth’s massive body as the instant anesthetic discovery of smaller man’s arms went around yours ever being used for this pur- his waist. The gun clattered to the pose.” floor and the two men fell atop it. He hurried to the bathroom, Edgeworth’s roar held more of washed his fingers quickly. It took disgust than rage. “Why you pip- time, but it was possible for the squeak!” He pounded short jabs paralyzing drug to seep through into Morris’ ribs, began rolling even the heaviest skin. He returned atop the other crushingly. to the living room, moving rapidly. Morris’ mouth worked in a si- He took up Matt Edgeworth’s hand lent prayer to some unbelieved in weapon and stuffed it into his belt. diety, as he managed to squirm his He felt the other over and emerged right hand into his jacket pocket. with a wallet. Inside was an iden- He was rapidly losing control up- tification card for a Security FS SPEAKEASY 113

Technician. Rex Morris hesitated He wasn’t going to be able to momentarily, then brought forth use Transport FS cars, once the his own identity card and switched pursuit got under way. Security with the other. would be able to monitor every one He had about twelve minutes to in the city, but for now he felt go, he figured, before Edgeworth still safe. He dismissed the car snapped out of the coma. For a half a block from his destination long moment he stared at the se- and proceeded to the effective curity man, even got to the point class speakeasy on foot. of taking the gun out again and He found even less difficulty in thumbing back the safety release. entering than he had expected. He But no. A life time’s condition- stood before the tell-screen and a ing isn’t to be fluffed away that voice said, “You are recognized quickly. He pushed the weapon Techno Morris. You may enter.’’ back into his belt and hurriedly He pushed into the speakeasy left the room. rooms beyond, and a few heads In ten minutes, the search went up at his entrance. He would be under way. He was in the forced himself to take it easy and clutch, now. He was on the run. drifted to a table where an ani- There are few places to which mated discussion was taking place. to run in a completely integrated He made himself listen, his facial society. expression registering interest. Rex recognized one or two of There had been something that the debaters from his former visit. Edgeworth had said. It hadn’t One was the heavy-set junior ef- struck a spark by itself, but it had fective who had been railing combined with other combustible against motherhood the last time. material. Possibly, just possibly, Now he was saying, “It’s an anti- Rex Morris had time to check. To quated institution. It fitted the what end, he wasn’t sure. conditions that applied a thousand Before the apartment house in years ago, possibly even a couple which he’d established his ineffec- of centuries ago but now it hangs tual hideout, he trotted to the clos- on through sheer inertia.’’ est Transport FS call box and sum- From the side of his mouth, Rex moned a car. He made no effort said to the man standing next to to use the manual controls, they him, “What’re they discussing?” were slower than robo guidance of “Marriage,” the other said, turn- the vehicle. He dialed the enter- ing back to the debaters. tainment area of town that Paula “This is how it sums up,” the Klein had taken him to several speaker said. “To quote an old jin- days before. gle: 114 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

Higamous hogamous, woman’s “It no longer applies,” the monogamous plump speaker said reasonably. Hogamous higamous, man is “Neither woman nor child de- polygamous pends any longer on the father as a provider. Society takes care of “That’s the way it is in nature. both. Nor is the inheritance of It’s a man’s instinct to impregnate property of a great deal of impor- as many females of the species as tance aside from family keepsakes he can. Keeps the race going. It’s and such. The institution of mar- a woman’s to secure herself a pro- riage is antiquated and so are such tector and provider to care of her corollaries of it as a woman's vir- and her infant during the period ginity and prohibitions against she’s incapacitated. That keeps adultery.” the race going too. Very good. In “So what do you propose as an primitive clan society it was pretty alternative?” Rex Morris’ neighbor well figured out. The community asked sceptically. as a whole took care of all its mem- “Complete promiscuity,” the bers, and society was a matriarchy other told him, his voice indicat- in which the women made the ing nothing was more obvious. rules and regulations. However, “Let two— or more, for that mat- with the coming of metal tools ter —people live together just so and weapons —which women long as they’re happy together. weren’t capable of using to the ex- Then let them split, as soon as one, tent men were— and of privately or both, are no longer satisfied.” owned property, the matriarchy “Fine,” said somebody else, gave way to tlie patriarchy, and “but how do you keep any record women took a back seat. Man, of children at all? How do you now head of his own individual know who belongs to who? Who family, wanted to make sure the your father is, who your relatives children he supported were his are?” own, wanted to make sure his “Go back to the matriarchal sys- property descended to his sons. So tem. Take your mother’s name in- what did he inven\ in the way of stead of your father’s,” tire junior insurance? Virginity and adultery. effective said reasonably. “It al- In entering marriage, women were ways has been a wise man who forced to have the one, to refrain knows his own father anyway. But from the other. And that’s the ba- everybody knows his mother.” sis of marriage as we know it still “Great Scott,” Rex Morris mut- today.” tered imder his breath. He had “Well, what’s wrong with it?” stopped being of any interest at all somebody demanded. to anyone in the room, so he saim- SPEAKEASY 115 tered. on, trying to remember the tion of the Technate, my rank route over which Paula had taken holds here. We don’t put up with him on the day of the raid. speakeasies where I’m from and It wasn’t too big a problem, one this whole atmosphere disgusts room led off the other and he fi- me. I’m arresting you and taking nally found himself in the corridor you in. And this time, Mike, you which led to the small office and won’t be released after a usual rou- the senior effective known as tine.” Mike. He didn’t bother to an- The other’s expression of sur- nounce himself at the door but prise had turned to disgust. pushed his way through. “Listen,” he said, “why don’t The florid faced effective looked you do a little thinking before up from the desk, scowled for a jumping into something you don’t moment in lack of recognition. know anything about. I’m telling Then he said, “Rex Morris, Paula you, you wouldn’t have me down Klein’s friend. How’d you make at headquarters for ten minutes. out the other day?” Do you think a place like this could Rex found a chair on the other operate for a single day without side of the desk and sat down in it. connections, without protection?” “What interests me,” he said cold- Rex Morris let his face register ly, “is how you made out.” disbelief and then suspicion. Mike scowled again, in puzzle- “You’re lying. What you’re sug- ment over the tone of voice. “Oh, gesting is that higher-ups are pro-

I got released after the usual rou- tecting this . . . this nonconform- tine.” ist, controversial hotbed.” “What usual routine?” Rex said Mike looked at him in open softly. wonderment. “And you’re the son The other stared at him for a of Leonard Morris, eh? The guy long moment. He said finally, who got such a name for sounding “What did you want. Techno off. How things can change.” He Morris?” leaned forward and his voice got

. Rex Morris brought from his harder. “Look here. Technician. pocket the orange colored iden- Things might be different out tity card he’d taken from Matt west, but here in the capital we’ve Edgeworth. He held it up negli- got protection. Plenty of it. You gently knowing that at the dis- know who I’d go to if somebody tance involved neither name nor with your rank gave me any guff?” identity photo could be made out. Rex said softly, “No, who?” “The name is Technician Morris,” Mike told him. he said, "and although my ap- Rex stared for a long, unbeliev- pointment is in the western sec- ing moment. Then he said, “Then —

116 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

why the raid the other day? Where Even as the photographs were was your protection then?” showing. Matt Edgeworth’s voice Mike spread his hands. “Atmos- went on, urgently. “Patriotic citi- phere. Who’d want to come to a zens are urged to stand firm speakeasy if it wasn’t forbidden, against this menace. Indications illegal, under the table? Makes it are that high ranking names are romantic, I suppose.” involved in the nihilistic conspi- On the wall the tell-screen lit up racy. No one’s life or position is and Matt Edgeworth’s grim face safe until the plot has been com- looked out upon them. Momenta- pletely exposed and dealt with.” rily startled, Rex Morris at first The fat was in the fire now. thought it a personal call, rather When the broadcast ended, Rex than a general city-wide broadcast. sighed and brought the gun from Edgeworth bit out, “We of the his pocket and trained it on Mike Security FS have flushed one of who was watching him nervously. the nihilists who have been com- “Stand up,” Rex said. mitting acts of violence including Mike stood, his hands raised. .” assassination. This dangerous “Now look here . . he began. criminal is still at large, after “Quiet,” Rex told him, “and pos- fighting his way out of a trap. He sibly I won’t have to kill you.” .” is desperate and armed. All secur- “Look, I gotta wife and . . ity ranks are ordered to fire first and “I’ll keep that in mind,” Rex upon sight. The nihilist mentality said, “Now turn your back.” is such that he may attempt to take Mike paled. “You’re not gon- .” his own life, upon threat of cap- na . . ture by blowing himself up with "Turn around,” Rex snapped. his captors. He is known to be in When the other did, he clipped the possession of bombs. I repeat, him with the butt of the gun on fire first and upon sight. All citi- the back of the head. The senior zens belonging to other functional effective collapsed forward to the sequences, upon sighting this man, floor. should immediately report him to Rex Morris turned his eyes up the nearest Security officer. The briefly in another short prayer following photos are of the crimi- to whatever diety agnostics call nal Rex Morris.” upon in stress — this time that the The screen began flashing mov- man wasn’t seriously hurt. He had ing shots of Rex, taken from dif- no time to check. He opened the erent angles and from varying dis- door to the closet, fumbled around tances. Rex wondered briefly where to find the door by which he and Edgeworth had been able to dig Paula Klein had escaped during -them up so quickly. the • other day’s raid. He pushed SPEAKEASY 117

through it and into the narrow cor- He reasoned that at this stage, ridor beyond. In moments he was comparatively few pedestrians on the street. would have seen the broadcast He summoned a car as quickly Matt Edgeworth had made. He as possible, knocked out its tell- had no doubt that after it had been screen with the butt of his gun, repeated a few score times over threw it onto manual control and the next hours that everyone in the made his way across the city. city would be a potential danger He wasn’t up on the abilities of to him, but not quite yet. the Security FS. He knew they He found the apartment house had of recent years had little op- he wanted. Took the appropriate portunity to exercise the ultra- elevator to the top floor. At the door measures they probably had at of Lizzy Mihm’s residence he their command. It had been a long pushed the little black button as time since crime, political or oth- he’d seen his uncle do the day of erwise, had been a major item. He the cocktail party. He realized •was hoping the SFS was rusty. glumly that this was one of the That the sort of dragnet that must few places in town he dare visit. be part of their arsenal would take Had he announced himself in the time, the more the better, to put ordinary manner, and had Lizzy into operation. However, he was Mihm seen that broadcast, as she

aghast at the speed witli which almost surely had . . . Edgeworth had got on the air. The door opened and the hefty, On top of the urgency under short statured Lizzy was beaming

which he was operating, his mind at him. “Why . . . Rex. William’s was awhirl. He couldn’t reconcile dear, dear nephew from the west.” the developments of the past few As the door opened, Rex Morris hours with lifetime beliefs and ex- had slid his right foot forward to periences. He was in far over his block its closing, but on the face head. of things, Lizzy Mihm hadn’t seen He pulled down a wide boule- Matt Edgeworth’s broadcast. He vard near the river, left the air wondered why. The Security tech- cushion car and took to his feet. nician had been able to utilize the The broken tell-screen was going emergency facilities to go on every to be automatically reported to the tell-screen in the area, whether or Transport FS and possibly Secur- not it was turned on, and whether ity was already monitoring aU or not it had been in use at the cars. It behooved him to get out time for some other purpose. How- of the vicinity with as much speed ever, there was no point in ques- as he could manage without at- tioning good fortune. tracting attention. “Do come in,” Lizzy was saying. 118 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

She had a beefy, several ringed "Jack? Why of course, my dear, hand on his sleeve as she led him dear boy. Jack was . . she gig- into one of her living rooms. She gled here . . . “why Jack was one giggled archly, “I don’t beheve I of my boy friends. Before I met had the chance to tell you before Freddy, of course.” She put a fin- that your father used to be one of ger to her lips and thought a mo- my best beaux back before I met ment. “Jack was just before I met Freddy.” your lovely, lovely father.” “Freddy?” Rex said blankly. Rex winced. He had never “My husband. I’m afraid your heard his father so misaptly de- father was much too . . . well, scribed. He said, “Uh . . . Eliza- disputatious for little me. Graci- beth, it’s very important for me to ous, the terrible reputation he did talk to the Supreme Technician.” bring on himself.” She blinked at him. "Oh, dear. They were in the living room. It is?” She looked at her watch. Lizzy Mihm bustled about like a “Well, you mean today?” chickless biddy hen, insisting on “Just as soon as possible.” He getting a pillow to stuff behind made his voice very earnest, not him in the already overstuffed that it took much of an effort. chair. She bustled some more at She put a hefty hand to her the autobar, brought him a long mouth, went “Tch, tch, tch.” drink of doubtful ingredients. He said urgently, “This is very Finally she wound up across important, Elizabeth.” from him, her face beaming. “Of course, my dear, dear boy, “Now what is it, Rex? —now you I believe you. You look quite like must call me Elizabeth. A young your father in his most urgent man doesn’t call on a, well, practi- mood. Let me see, I suppose cally middle-aged, woman like me there’s just nothing for it. We’ll unless he has something important have to break in on his dinner. in mind. Now does he?” He’ll never be at his oflfice this Silently he thanked her for al- time of day.” lowing him to get to the point He stared at her. ‘Tou mean without unseeming haste. you know John McFarlane well

“Techna Mihm . . enough to intrude . . . uh, that “Elizabeth, now!” is, visit him, well, just any time,”

“Well, yes . . . Elizabeth. Un- He had been thinking only in cle Bill said something the other terms of a tell-screen conversation. day that just came to mind a little She fluttered at him. “Rex, do while ago. He said that on occa- let me tell you a secret. Men with sion you’ve entertained the Su- ranks such as Jack’s aren’t nearly preme Technician here.” so busy as everj^one supposes. I SPEAKEASY 119 know you’ll think this is just aw- Rex murmured something and fully controversial of me, but these climbed in beside her. He doubted days such offices are mostly, well, if the TFS had many cars of this figurehead positions. And some- antiquity on hand. In fact, he sus- times I suspect that’s been true — pected it was an old electro model, now you’ll think this just awful of although he’d never seen one be- me— practically all through his- fore. tory. When a position gets so big Lizzy Mihm dialed the palace that one man simply can’t handle of tlie Supreme Technician and it —why then one man simply settled back to her gushing chatter stops handling it. No matter if his while the car dodged into traffic. job is king, president, or supreme She must have had private coordi- technician.” nates, Rex decided, when the ve- He didn’t know if he quite fol- hicle went through the guarded lowed that or not. He said, “Well, entry gates without pause. Four then . . uniformed sentries snapped to at- “Wait just a moment until I get tention at the ancient vehicle’s ap- into something, well, more flatter- proach, .” ing. You see, Rexie . . Lizzy Mihm giggled. “They all Rex Morris inwardly winced know my car,” she said happily. again. “Now that’s one value of having

. . . JackisstiHoneof my dear- your own, all your very own.” est boy friends. Now that Freddy Rex had mental fingers crossed. has passed away of course.” She This was all going unbelievably swept from the room, giggling well. Impossibly, unbelievably archly over her shoulder. well. After a day of repeated blows “Great Scott,” Rex muttered which had crumpled plans years softly. in the making, this was coming Lizzy Mihm was evidently one much too easily. of the few persons still in town They buzzed past the front por- who bothered to have a privately tico, so famous in newscasts, and owned limousine. She flutteringly proceeded to the rear of the build- explained as they stepped into it ing. Lizzy bustled from the car, ex- in the servo-term in the basement plaining some of the workings of of her building that she was just the palace as she went and hardly too nervous to go about the trouble waiting for Rex. of dialing a Transport FS garage “It’s all such a bother, you and having one sent when she know, ’’she said. “Poor Jack. He’d wished to go somewhere. just love to spend his time, all of “Fm just always in such a hur- his time, I suspect, fishing off Yu- ry,” she twittered. catan. But all this bother. He has 120 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION to shake somebody’s hand. Or give table, were possibly thirty-five or somebody an award. Or have a forty men and women. Of them, telecast made of him greeting some Rex had met three or four person- committee. You’ll never believe ally at one time or another. Most me, but he puts in a full three of the others he recognized from hour day, four day week, like any- news casts, publicity shots, articles body else.” in popular periodicals. There was Which seemed to negate her a hush as the newcomers entered. earlier claim that John McFarlane Lizzy Mihm said incisively, was only a figurehead, Rex de- "May I introduce Rex Morris our cided. . . currently most notorious citizen of She swept up the four or five Technate?” steps of a rear entrance, fluttered A tall, thin man who’d been a cheerful welcome to the armed standing to one side, glass in hand Security engineer there and hus- at the autobar, was the first to tled into the interior. The SFS raise his voice about the resulting man evidently didn’t particularly hum of conversation. It was John notice Rex. Lizzy Mihm was as at McFarlane, Supreme Technician home as she had earlier implied of the Technate of North Amer- and evidently anyone with her ica. was automatically in. He raised his glass in a half sa- Chattering, she led him down lute to Rex Morris. “We were won- a short hallway to a door, once dering how to get hold of you,” he again guarded, this time by two said. “Welcome to the ultimate Security officers of senior engineer speakeasy.” rank. Lizzy beamed at them, said, “Hello, Morton. And how are you “Speakeasy?” Rex Morris said. Ernest? Is your dear, dear wife His eyes went around the room any better?” uncomprehendingly. Ernest mumbled something in From half way down the table return as he opened the door for Warren Klein, dressed in his gray her. uniform of Prime Technician of Lizzy Mihm swept through, the Security FS, said dryly, “And. Rex trailing behind. even here, you see, we have police. He had expected the personal Thanks for missing me the other apartments of the Supreme Tech- night, Morris, but next time, nician, John McFarlane. please, don’t make it quite so Instead, he was in a moderately close.” large conference room. Rex Morris’ eyes went from the Confronting him, most of them Security chief to the Supreme seated about a heavy mahogany Technician and then to Lizzy SPEAKEASY 121

Mihm. Somehow she looked differ- methods were somewhat more en- ent, her fluttery aspects a thing of thusiastic, let us say.” the past. Rex Morris caught hold of him- Supreme Technician McFar- self enough to blurt indignantly. lane took mercy on him. “My efforts were ultimately aimed “Sit down, Rex,” he said. at ending the Technate!” “We’ve gathered for the purpose of “Ummm,” John McFarlane meeting you after receiving a call nodded, “so are ours.” from Elizabeth that you were on Rex Morris stared at him. Abso- die way. We’ll have individual in- lutely nothing made sense. troductions Itaer. Now let it suffice “Let’s have some background,” for me to say that with one or two an overweight, elderly man clad- in unavoidable absentations, we have robes said from across the table. present the Congress of Prime With a shock Rex Morris realized Technicians and a dozen or more it was the Supreme Bishop of the retired holders of the same rank. Temple. .” Plus . . and he bowed his head “Yes, obviously,” McFarlane “. here to Elizabeth Mihm . . va- nodded. He turned to Rex again. rious other honored members of “I don’t know to what extent this — speakeasy.” you’ve studied the history of revo- An easy, unhurried stranger in lution down through the ages. the garb of a Prime Technician Even a comparatively brief exami- brought Rex a drink from the au- nation of the subject reveals that tobar, ushered him to one of the the modern revolutionary finds table’s empty chairs. himself in a unique position. You The room had fallen silent now. do consider yourself a revolution- Most of its occupants were staring ist, of course?” at the newcomer with open but “I suppose so,” Rex said defi- friendly curiosity. Most of them antly. He kept his eyes on the drifted to the conference table older man’s face. and took seats. “In tire past,” the Supreme The Supreme Technician took Technician went on, “revolutions his place at the table’s head. He were accomplished by dissatisfied, said, “First of all, let us thank you enraged masses, contrary to some for your efforts.” popular belief that would put them “My efforts?” Rex Morris re- at the door of small groups of mal- peated inanely. contents.” He pursed his lips. “Yes. You see, they were di- “There are any number of exam- rected to a most worthy end and ples. Jefferson, Madison, Franklin, one we pursue ourselves.” He Washington and the other so- cleared his throat. “Although your called Revolutionary Forefa- 122 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION thers, found themselves hard put Rex Morris sank back into his to run fast enough to stay out in chair. He wished he had more front of the revolting colonists. time for thought. He was being Robespierre, Danton and Marat pushed confusingly fast. were pushed by the mob into their “There’s another element here,” feudalism destroying stands. More McFarlane said thoughtfully, recent is the Russian example. “that possibly you’ve never consid- Lenin and Zinoviev were in Swit- ered. When fundamental changes zerland when the Soviets began to begin to take place in a social sys- form, Trotsky was in New York tem, those who inaugurate them and Stalin, a third stringer at that are not always spared the ultimate time, was in exile in Siberia. They results. Using the Russian exam- had to move fast to get back to ple again, we have the elements Petrograd and take over the reins who originally precipitated the re- thrown to them.” volt against the Czar. I am speak- He shrugged. “I suppose the ing of Kerensky, who represented point is made. To get to our own the liberal Social Democrats who times, we find a unique situation. wished to abolish feudalism and There is no downtrodden mass of establish a government based on dissatisfied slaves, serfs or prole- Western lines. But the revolution tarians. A fundamental change in got out of hand, once it began to our society is demanded by histo- move, and Kerensky found himself rical necessity but the overwhelm- a fugitive and his government as ing majority of our population are much in the discard as was that at present content with institu- of the Czar.” tions as they are.” “I don’t get your point,” Rex “This doesn’t make sense,” Rex said, although be was beginning Morris said bitterly. “If you, your- to. selves, are opposed to this form of McFarlane said dryly, “Once in government, why not resign? Un- control of a governmental system, der the Technate our culture is it is not always easy to relinquish stagnating like never before in it safely, even though you so de- modern history.” sire. While we of the Congress of McFarlane nodded. “Correct. Prime Technicians subscribe to But resign to what end? Would the belief that the Technate must our resignations abolish the Tech- go, we are not anxious to sacrifice nate? Obviously not. There are a ourselves, physically, in the going. thousand, a million, others willing Your own pseudo-nihihstic meas- to step into our positions.” He ures were actually not meant to twisted his mouth wryly. “Matt do more than startle our people Edgeworth is an example.” into movement— but the next rev- SPEAKEASY 123 olutionist who comes along might “Dad!” be of more ambitious designs.” The old boy grinned at him. “I Rex thought about that. wish you’d discussed your project The Prime Technician of the with me a bit before you took off, Entertainment FS, seated at the boy. On a hurry up call, I just other end of tlie long table, said, came in from Taos on the rocket.”

“And before iti was all over, you Rex Morris was on his feet. “I yourself, Rex Morris, and possibly . . . I thought you’d suffered the members of your family, might enough. I wanted any possible find themselves lined up against consequences to be on me alone.” a handy wall.” His father chuckled. “Well, at And Rex thought about that for least we know where you stand. a moment. I’ve never been really sure, which He blurted suddenly, “Why, all is the prime reason I never told these years, have you persecuted you about the existence of this .” my father? From what you’re say- . . . speakeasy, club . . he ing, you feel much the same as he chuckled again, and looked around “. does.” at the room’s occupants . . or

“Exactly the same,” the Su- what would you call it, an under- preme Bishop said agreeably. ground cell?” John McFarlane said, “Who in Everyone laughed. Leonard the whole land was better suited Morris had the ability to lighten than Leonard Morris to defy our the mood. The Prime Technician conventions, sneer at our fear of who had been seated next to Rex controversial subjects, our con- relinquished his chair to the noted forming, our horror at the very scientist and found another. idea of any change in the status John McFarlane came around quo? As our sole surviving Hero the table to shake hands, exchange of the Technate he is untoucha- a dozen words with the older Mor- ble. Leonard was the spark that ris, and then resumed his place. enabled a thousand speakeasies to “Let us proceed,” he said. “To open their doors, who set a mil- sum up, our impetuous young lion nonconforming tongues to friend Rex Morris is of the opinion wagging. It’s at least a step.” that under the Technate man The door by which Rex Morris stagnates. We agree. Friend Rex, and Elizabeth Mihm had entered on his own initiative, arrived at fifteen minutes earlier, opened be- the conclusion that sparks must be hind them. Rex’s eyes went to it, struck to bring the average citizen. and then widened. Techno, Engineer or Effective, “Hello, son,” the newcomer out of his mental rut and be made said. to realize that the present hierar- —

124 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION chical governmental form must must do your share of the Tech- not be permanent. We agree. nate’s work. You have ten years of Thus far, we have been somewhat your life to devote to society.” hesitant in our efiEorts. We have He glared at her. “Prime Tech- tolerated, indeed, have secretly nician! Why, I don’t know any- encouraged, the speakeasy where thing about the Security Func- anyone can become as controver- tional Sequence.” He cased his sial as he wishes and where the eyes wildly around the table. “Are most extreme ideas can be ex- you all mad?” pressed. We have encouraged the John McFarlane said seriously, growth of the so-caUed gossip “We have effectives and we have news commentators, who in the engineers who can handle details name of humor and entertainment most efficiently. What we need, snipe at our institutions. Obvi- Rex Morris, is a man of principle ously, however, this is not enough. and ideal to sit with us here at the We must increase our efforts and highest level— and plan the end- attract new and aggressive blood.” ing of our social system. You fill He looked about the table. “Per- the qualifications. The other ob- haps a motion is in order.” hgations of your office can be Prime Technician Warren learned.” Klein came to his feet. “I make a “And I’d be over all such secur- motion that upon my resignation. ity officials as, well. Matt Edge- Techno Rex Morris be appointed worth?” Prime Technician of the Security Warren Klein said slowly, FS.” A wan smile touched his pale “Don’t underestimate the value of lips. “And while I’m standing, I our Matt Edgeworths. At least might as well tender my resigna- such men have ambition, drive, tion, something I’ve looked for- courage and—dreams. It is pos- ward to for several years.” sibly of such types that the new Rex Morris was on his feet society will be formed.” again. “Great Scott!” he blurted. “\iVffiat new society?” Rex said Elizabeth Mihm was looking on desperately. “You’re throwing him amusedly. Even in aU the tur- these punches faster than I can moil of his thoughts, he found assimilate them. What do you time to wonder how he could ever have in mind for the future? What have thought her less than cool, will the new government look efficient and hard headed. She like?” said, “But Rex, dear boy, you His father looked at him came to our city— didn’t you? strangely. “We’re the ruling class, looking for an appointment. son. Radical social change, peace- You’ve reached the age when you ful or otherwise, doesn’t come SPEAKEASY 125 about from the top down. No mat- ly as he could Rex got Warren ter how weary those on top might Klein aside. The former security be. It comes from the bottom up.” head, seeing the younger man’s “You mean you don’t know?” confusion, chuckled and said,

The Supreme Bishop said gent- “Don’t worry about it. I’ll stick ly, “Within our own group here, around for awhile showing you we have a half dozen theories. Un- the ropes. You’U have little trou- doubtedly, within the speakeasies ble.” and wherever else men exchange Rex said, “Fine, but look, ideas, new ones will be proposed. there’s something immediate. It remains to be seen what our There’s a call out by Matt Edge- people as a whole will ultimately worth for any Security FS man turn to.” to shoot me on sight.” Rex Morris sat back in his chair Klein pursed his lips and nod- still once again. He said, as ded. “That’s right. I’d forgotten. I though talking to himself, “I came didn’t catch the thing myself. I’ll here to confront the Supreme get on the phone and put things Technician. To tell him that the right.” government was corrupt. To warn Rex said worriedly, “He put it him of Matt Edgeworth. To warn on every screen in this part of the him that Warren Klein himself country and worded it in such a was tolerating the speakeasies. To way that anyone with a gun would throw up to him that the Technate start firing immediately. And an- was rotten from within and de- other thing. You can’t get any mand that changes be allowed. more ambitious than Edgeworth That and similar things I came to and he’s not going to take kindly shout at him. And what do I wind to my being put above him, par- .?” up with . . ticularly in view of the fact that John McFarlane said to his as- he sounded off with some of his sembled Prime Technicians, “If opportunistic ambitions to me.” there are no objections, the motion “I see. Hmmm, yes. Matt was of Warren Klein will be passed always on the impetuous side.” and Rex Morris be appointed Warren Klein hesitated, then Prime Technician of Security.” called to the Supreme Technician The meeting broke up into who was standing nearby talking smaller groups who took their to Elizabeth Mihm, in light tones. turns in shaking hands with their “John, could we speak to you?” new member of Congress. Each He explained the situation and spoke a few words. Each offered John McFarlane nodded and said their congratulations. easily, “No problem. We’ll go over His mind still awhirl, as quick- to the Security FS building and 126 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION you, Warren, can introduce me on per which housed the Security FS. a Technate-wide broadcast. I’ll The car slammed to a sudden say a few words, announce that a halt, and for a few whirlwind great mistake has been made. spht moments life for Rex Morris We’ll lay the onus on the shoul- became brief snatches of impres- ders of our ambitious Technician sions . . . Matt Edgeworth with Edgeworth, remove him from his some strange, large-calibered position, and bring the whole weapon cuddled in his arms, matter to a quick close.” standing spread-legged in the “Obviously the thing to do,” street ... a squad of Security Warren Klein agreed. “I’ll order Junior Engineers and Senior Ef- up your car, sir.” fectives behind him, all heavily They retraced the route by armed, all large, brutal looking which Elizabeth Mihm had types . . . the chauffeur jumping brought Rex to the Supreme from the car and snatching for a Technician’s palace, hardly more bolstered hand weapon, and then than an hour before, stepping into crumbling, cut almost completely

John McFarlane’s chauffeur dri- in half . . . something hlack be- ven limosine at the back door, ing thrown toward the car, even as and then driving around to the Rex and Warren Klein tried to front portico and hence to the climh out through the door on the street. The three of them sat in the far side from Edgeworth and his back, and to Rex’s jumbled mind men, but being handicapped by the conversation seemed idiotically the bloody, inert body of die Su- light in view of the great moment preme Technician . . . of the situation. Life simply was And then a great, searing, not moving fast enough for him. world of yellow and orange flame He was burning with eagerness to and a unique, unbearable, all en- get this confounded matter over compassing pain . . . with, and to get into really deep, And then it was all over and it significant conversations with ev- could be left to others to accom- erybody from his father to the plish a revolution, peaceful or oth- Supreme Bishop of the Temple. erwise, against the Technate of They whipped out the entry North America. Rex Morris no gates and headed for the skyscra- longer cared.

Answers— ‘Do You Know Your Elements?”—p. 64 a-7, b-6, c-10, d-1, e-9, f-11, g-4, h-2, i-5, j-8, k-3 EDITORIAL

From time to time we have been accused of writing the letters we from time to time quote on this page. Such a base canard deserves no denial and so we move briskly on to an item bearing the postmark of a small town in the Pennsylvania Dutch country. “Sir; in regards to your editorial in November magazine, it finally makes me take up my pen and write you. I have been a long time reader of this type of magazine dabled a bit with Amaz- ing and Wierd Tales but became a steady reader with Astonding by what ever its name was then and the late and lamented Un- known. ^ But of late you have been following the purple cow over the hiU under the bridge down the creek behind the mill. The green monkeys howel in the green sunlight by the dark of the moon. Tf Make sense so do most of your stories of late. I read for relaxation I dont care wheteher its Science fiction or fantasey. I want it to hang to gether and for at least while I am reading it to sell me to make me believe that it might be. I dont care for the trend with you and some of your compeditors this modern thing, these wanderings like modern art, these excersices in word pictures of nothing. They may be wonderfull to some people but not to me, I still buy out of habit but I am not going to continue to throw fourty cents worth of paper away that I have got ten cents worth of reading out of much longer.” This, we submit, is Criticism, and if we could write as cogently and colorfully ourself we would double both our rates and our audience. Meanwhile, we will try to take these words to heart. Purple cows, stay away from our door. In our introduction to Robert Sheckley’s THE JOURNEY OF JOENES (October and November, 1962), we quoted Mr. Anthony Boucher’s words from his introduction to Mr. Sheckley’s short story THE MON- STERS (March, 1953), “It is hard to befieve that someone so completely human could report so concisely, yet so thoroughly, the essentials of an alien race’s mores and psychology as Mr. Sheckley does.” Promptly from Indiana demands Mr. Sam Stuart, Jr., “How does Anthony know this? What is his criterion? Tell me, what does Anthony really look hke?” Well, we’ll tell you, Sam—he looks pert, oracular, and mellow, like a man who can rise to any occasion—including that created by your question (which we neatly sidestep) — and we look forward to his reply.

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