“You’re a hard man, Kulozik, I can see that,” he said. “I’ll just have to talk to you. You have a point. It’s been a busy morning. I guess you have as much of a right to the fruits of the rebellion as anyone. Not that we have very much. Let’s go find your wife, who will probably want to see you, and have something to drink and talk it over.”
“Agreed!”
Alzbeta was beyond words, still not believing what had happened. She buried her face in his shoulder, holding him to her, crying and not realizing why.
“It’s all right,” Jan said. “All over. Things are not going to be the way they used to be — they are going to be far better. Now make some tea for our guest and I’ll tell you why.”
He dug out a bottle of his alcohol distillate and poured some into the cups, hoping the tea would ameliorate the taste. Debhu’s eyes widened when he sipped some.
“It takes getting used to,” Jan said. “Shall we drink then? To sanity and a peaceful future.”
“Yes, I’ll drink to that. But I would also like to know what your rebellion means.”
“No rebellion,” Jan said, draining his cup and setting it down. “Just give and take. Equality. The people here are now no longer economic slaves and that will have to end. They will have to work for their freedom — and they have started already. They’ll keep supplying all the food you need. But they want something in return.”
“We haven’t much to give. There has been a lot of destruction, more than I wanted to admit in public. Chaos. We’ll be centuries rebuilding.”
“All we need is simple equality and what goes with it. The Elders’ rule will have to be ended. Not at once; it is the only system they know and nothing would work without it. But it will break down of its own accord. We want full contact with the rest of the Commonwealth — the rest of the planets. I want these people to see democracy at work and compare it to economic slavery. I want the children educated off-world. Not all of them, just the best. They’ll bring back intelligence and ideas, then everything will have to change for the better. The Elders will not be able to resist forever.”
“You’re asking a lot…”
“I’m asking very little. But it must begin at once. Just a few children to be g in with, this trip. We’ll probably have to tear them away from their parents. But they’ll learn, like it or not, and will eventually understand why this had to be done. It will be hard for them, for all of us, because I am sure that education and information is as restricted on the outer planets as it is on Earth. But the facts are there. They will just have to be uncovered and understood. All of us must have free access to the heritage of Earth from which we have been deprived. On this world it will eventually mean the end of a stultifying culture that has been forced upon these people. The food we have been supplying has economic power, so we should have some return for our labors. The future must be different. The people here have played their lives out like puppets. Real enough to them perhaps, but just things on strings to the puppet masters on Earth. The Hradil was the tool they used to make sure that there was no deviation from the empty roles everyone had been selected to play. We were nothing to them, less than machines, unimportant and replaceable parts of a great organic machine built to supply cheap and tasteless food for poor men’s dinners. But no more. We’ll supply the food, but we want human status in return.”
Debhu sipped at his fortified tea, then nodded.
“Well why not. You’re not asking for much in the material way now, and that is what counts. Since we have very little to offer. But we’ll take the children, find schools for them.”
“No. I’ll take care of that. I’m going with you.”
“You can’t!” Alzbeta shouted, a cry of pain. He took her hands.
“It will only be for a little while. I’ll return, I promise you. But out there now, in the turmoil, no one really cares about us. I’ll have to fight for everything we receive. I know what this planet needs and I’ll get it. Though I’m sure not one person out of a hundred here will appreciate it. I’ll take their children away for education, introduce change, supply treasonous thoughts, and they are not going to love me for it.”
“You’ll go away and never come back,” she said, so quietly he could barely hear her.
“Don’t believe that for a second,” Jan said. “My life is here with you. On this strange twilight-and-fire world. Earth is part of my past. I love you, and I have my friends here, and with some changes life could be most enjoyable. I’m only going now because there is no one else for the job. I’ll try to be back before our son is born. But I can’t promise that. But I will be back before the trains leave again, because I’ll be bringing the supplies and replacements that will make that possible.” He looked over at Debhu. “I don’t imagine you brought pile rods or anything else we have to have?”
“Not really. There was chaos, you know. And the need for food was desperate. Most of the things on the manifests for this planet are of Earth manufacture.”
“See what I mean, Alzbeta? We are going to have to take care of ourselves now and I am going to have to start it all by myself. But it will work. People will always have to eat.”
There was a rising rumble of braking jets from above.
The ships had arrived. Alzbeta stood and put the teapot on the tray.
“I’ll make some more tea. I’m sorry if I doubted you, acted foolishly. I know that you will come back. You always wanted things to change here, everything. And maybe they will. No, I’m sure they will. But after the changes — will we be happy?”
“Very,” he said, and her smile answered his.
The teacups rattled in their saucers as the roaring rose and rose until conversation was impossible.
The ships had come at last.
Book Three - STARWORLD
One
The battered freighter had been on fusion drive ever since it had passed the orbit of Mars. It was pointed at Earth, or rather at the place where the Earth would be in a few hours time. All of its electronic apparatus had been either shut down or was operating at the absolute minimum output — behind heavy shielding. The closer they came to Earth the greater their chance of detection. And their instant destruction.
“We’re taking the war to them,” the political commander said. Before the revolution he had been a professor of economics at a small university on a distant planet; the emergency had changed everything.
“You don’t have to convince me,” Blakeney said. “I was on the committee that ordered this attack. And I’m not happy with the discrimination target program.
“I’m not trying to convince. I’m just enjoying the thought. I had family on Teoranta…”
“They’re gone,” Blakeney said. “The planet’s gone. You have to forget them.”
“No. I want to remember them. As far as I am concerned this attack is being launched in their memory. And in memory of all the others savaged and destroyed by Earth down through the centuries. We’re fighting back at last. Taking the war to them.”
“I’m still concerned about the software.”
“You worry too much. One single bomb has to be dropped on Australia. How can you miss an island that big, an entire continent?”
“I’ll tell you exactly how. When we release the scout ship it will have our velocity and will accelerate from that basic speed. The computer cannot make a mistake because there will be time for only a single pass. Do you realize what the closing velocity will be? Tremendous!” He took out his calculator and began punching in figures. The ship’s commander raised his hand.