He picked up his bag and hurried away. Jan wanted to look in, but was afraid to waken her. It was then that Alzbeta spoke.
“Jan? Are you there?”
“Yes, here I come.”
She was propped up on a nest of blankets the doctor had put together, a white bandage around her head. Enough light came through the uncurtained window to show her face almost as pale as the cloth.
“Jan — what happened? I remember we talked, then nothing else.”
“The Hradil set a trap for me — with you as bait. Ritterspach and some of his men. Capture me or kill me, I don’t know. Whatever they had planned misfired when you got in the way. I’m afraid I… lost my temper.”
“Is that a bad thing to do?”
“Yes, for me it is. I didn’t mean it to end that way — but Ritterspach is dead.”
She gasped at this, a stranger to violence of any kind, an& he felt her hand withdraw from his.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “Sorry that anyone had to die.”
“You didn’t mean to do it.” She said it, but she did not sound convinced.
“No, I didn’t mean to. But I would do it all over again if I had to. Exactly the same way. I’m not trying to excuse myself, just explain. He hit you and you dropped, dead for all I knew. They had the clubs, three against one, and I defended myself. It ended like that.”
“I do understand, but death by violence, it is… strange to me.”
“May it stay that way. I can’t force you to understand, or feel the way I do. Do you want me to go?”
“No!” The word burst out of her. “I said that I found it hard to understand. But that doesn’t mean that I feel any different about you. I love you, Jan, and I will always love you.”
“I hope so. I have acted irrationally, perhaps stupidly. That I did it because I love you is little excuse.” Her hands were cold in his. “I can understand if you blame me for what I did next. Putting you in this train and taking you away. We were talking about it when they attacked me. I never heard your answer.”
“Didn’t you?” She smiled for the first time. “There can be only one answer. I will obey The Hradil always. But now that she is no longer here to give orders it is not a matter of obeying or disobeying. I can love you as I have always wanted to, be with you always.”
“Jan,” the voice called from outside, then twice again before he heard it. He felt he was smiling like a fool and held her gently for a long moment, beyond words, then pulled away and stood up.
“I have to go. I can’t tell you how I feel
“I know. I’m going to sleep now. I am much better.”
“Do you want some food, something to drink?”
“Nothing. Just you. Come back as soon as you can.
The co-driver of the tank was leaning out of the hatch. “Jan, got a message,” he said. “Semenov wants to know why the stop and when we can go on?”
“Just the man I want to see. Tell him we move on as soon as I join him in his engine. Let’s go.
Ivan Semenov was still Trainmaster With the families and all their problems left behind, Jan had relinquished the lead engine to him. Any problems that came up now would probably be with the Road and he could handle them better from the lead tank. Jan climbed the ladder to the driver’s compartment and Ivan started the trains forward as soon as he had closed the door.
“What is the delay about?” Semenov asked. “Every hour is important now, as you keep saying.”
“Come into the engine room and I’ll tell you.” Jan was silent until the engineer had left and the hatch was shut. “I would like to get married.”
“I know, but that is between you and The Hradil. I can speak to her if you like, the law isn’t that exact as to which families the girl cannot marry into. A decision could be made. But it is up to The Hradil.”
“You misunderstand. You are a Family Read which means you can perform marriages. I’m asking you to do just that. Alzbeta is here, aboard a train:’
“It cannot be!”
“It certainly is. So what are you going to do?”
“The Hradil would never permit it.”
“The Hradil is not here to stop it. So think for yourself, just once. Make your own mind up. Once it is done there can be no going back. And there is nothing that evil old woman can do to you.”
“It is not that. There is the law.”
Jan spat disgustedly on the floor then rubbed the spittle into the steel plating with the sole of his boot. “That for your law. It is an invention, don’t you know that? There are no such things as Families and Family Heads on Earth, or taboos about marriage between chosen groups. Your so-called laws are works for fiction written by hireling anthropologists. Societies to order. They scratch around in the textbooks and put together bits and pieces of vanished societies and brew up one that will keep a population docile and obliging and hardworking — and stupid.”
Semenov did not know whether to be shocked or angry; he shook his head unbelievingly, a physicist with the basic laws of energy threatened.
“Why do you say these things? You can’t mean them, you’ve never said anything before.”
“Of course not. It would have been suicide. Ritterspach was a police spy — among his other endearing traits. He would have reported anything I said when the ships came, and I would be dead as soon as they found out. But with the ships not coming it doesn’t matter now. Everything’s changed. I can tell you about dear old Earth…”
“I’ll hear no more lies.”
“Truths, Semenov, for the first time in your life. Let me tell about cultures. Mankind created them. They are an artifact, invented the same way the wheel was invented. Many different ones, all working one way or another if they were to survive. But that is all a matter of history now, with just two classes left on Earth — the rulers and the ruled. And quick death for anyone who tries to change things. And this final and monolithic society has even been transported to the stars. To all the fat and wealthy worlds that mankind has discovered. But not to all of the planets — just the comfortable ones. When there is a need to occupy a really uncomfortable planet, like this one, then the tame professors are called in and given their assignment. Supply us with a stable and docile culture, because any problems would slow food production, and plenty of nourishing and cheap food is needed. A nice ignorant culture, because farmers can still be stupid and get their work done. But technical skills will be needed as well, so allowance must be made for that. So a bit here, a bit there, choose and select and balance and stir them all together and you have Beta Aurigae III. This planet. Patient factory farmers, slaving their lives away in dim stupidity—”
“Stop this, I won’t hear any more of your lies.” Semenov was shocked, numbed.
“Why should I bother to lie now? If the ships don’t come we’re all dead in any case. But until they do I intend to live like a man again, not a silent slave like the rest of you. At least you have a good excuse, you’re enslaved by stupidity, lack of knowledge. I have been enslaved by fear. My actions are being watched, I’m sure of that. As long as I stay in line, cause no trouble, I’ll be all right. I’ve been all right for years. The watchers like me here. A planet for a prison — and at the same time they can get value out of me from my skills. But they don’t need me. If I cause trouble I’m dead. Meanwhile, all of the years and money invested in my education are not going to waste. They sent me here to use those talents. With the strict instructions that I could live here in peace through the days of my years and I would not be bothered. But if I spoke one word about what life is really like off this planet, why then I would be dead. So I’m dead, Semenov, do you realize that? If the ships don’t come, I’m dead. If they come and are manned by the same people, why then you speak a word — and I am just as dead. So I deliver myself into your hands and do it for the oldest reason of all. Love. Marry us, Semenov, that’s all you have to do.”