Industrial Revolution Page 8

can't come right out and say that, but you can let the situationdevelop naturally.

  "Only ... here the Sword is, obviously bound to grow rich and expandin every direction. If we're allowed to develop, to reinvest ourprofits, we'll become the nucleus of independent asterite enterprise.If, on the other hand, we're wiped out by an unfortunate accident,there's no nucleus; and a small change in the banking laws is allthat's needed to prevent others from getting started. Q.E.D."

  "I daresay Hulse does think he's doing his patriotic duty," saidBlades. "He wants to guarantee North America our natural resources--inthe long run, maybe, our allegiance. If he has to commit sabotage, toobad, but it won't cost him any sleep."

  "No!" Ellen almost screamed.

  Chung sagged in his chair. "We're very neatly trapped," he said likean old man. "I don't see any way out. Think you can get to work now,Mike? You can assign group leaders for the evacuation--"

  Blades jumped erect. "I can fight!" he growled.

  "With what? Can openers?"

  "You mean you're going to lie down and let them break us?"

  Avis came back. She thrust the bottle into Blades' hands as he pacedthe room. "Here you are," she said in a distant voice.

  He held it out toward Ellen. "Have some," he invited.

  "Not with you ... you subversive!"

  Avis brightened noticeably, took the bottle and raised it. "Thenhere's to victory," she said, drank, and passed it to Blades.

  He started to gulp; but the wine was too noble, and he found himselfsavoring its course down his throat. _Why,_ he thought vaguely, _dopeople always speak with scorn about Dutch courage? The Dutch havereal guts. They fought themselves free of Spain and free of the oceanitself; when the French or Germans came, they made the enemy sea theirally_--

  The bottle fell from his grasp. In the weak acceleration, it hadn'thit the floor when Avis rescued it. "Gimme that, you bigbutterfingers," she exclaimed. Her free hand clasped his arm."Whatever happens, Mike," she said to him, "we're not quitting."

  Still Blades stared beyond her. His fists clenched and unclenched. Thenoise of his breathing filled the room. Chung looked around inbewilderment; Ellen watched with waxing horror; Avis' eyes kindled.

  "Holy smoking seegars," Blades whispered at last. "I really think wecan swing it."

  Captain Janichevski recoiled. "You're out of your skull!"

  "Probably," said Blades. "Fun, huh?"

  "You can't do this."

  "We can try."

  "Do you know what you're talking about? Insurrection, that's what.Quite likely piracy. Even if your scheme worked, you'd spend the nextten years in Rehab--at least."

  "Maybe, provided the matter ever came to trial. But it won't."

  "That's what you think. You're asking me to compound the felony, andmisappropriate the property of my owners to boot." Janichevski shookhis head. "Sorry, Mike. I'm sorry as hell about this mess. But I won'tbe party to making it worse."

  "In other words," Blades replied, "you'd rather be party to sabotage.I'm proposing an act of legitimate self-defense."

  "_If_ there actually is a conspiracy to destroy the Station."

  "Adam, you're a spaceman. You know how the Navy operates. Can youswallow that story about a missile getting loose by accident?"

  Janichevski bit his lip. The sounds from outside filled the captain'scabin, voices, footfalls, whirr of machines and clash of doors, as the_Pallas Castle_ readied for departure. Blades waited.

  "You may be right," said Janichevski at length, wretchedly. "Thoughwhy Hulse should jeopardize his career--"

  "He's not. There's a scapegoat groomed back home, you can be sure.Like some company that'll be debarred from military contracts for awhile ... and get nice fat orders in other fields. I've kicked aroundthe System enough to know how that works."

  "If you're wrong, though ... if this is an honest blunder ... then yourisk committing treason."

  "Yeah. I'll take the chance."

  "Not I. No. I've got a family to support," Janichevski said.

  Blades regarded him bleakly. "If the Essjays get away with this stunt,what kind of life will your family be leading, ten years from now?It's not simply that we'll be high-class peons in the Belt. But tiedhand and foot to a shortsighted government, how much progress will webe able to make? Other countries have colonies out here too, remember,and some of them are already giving their people a freer hand thanwe've got. Do you want the Asians, or the Russians, or even theEuropeans, to take over the asteroids?"

  "I can't make policy."

  "In other words, mama knows best. Believe, obey, anything put out bysome bureaucrat who never set foot beyond Luna. Is that your idea ofcitizenship?"

  "You're putting a mighty fine gloss on bailing yourself out!"Janichevski flared.

  "Sure, I'm no idealist. But neither am I a slave," Blades hesitated."We've been friends too long, Adam, for me to try bribing you. But ifworst comes to worst, we'll cover for you ... somehow ... and ifcontrariwise we win, then we'll soon be hiring captains for our ownships and you'll get the best offer any spaceman ever got."

  "No. Scram. I've work to do."

  Blades braced himself. "I didn't want to say this. But I've alreadyinformed a number of my men. They're as mad as I am. They're waitingin the terminal. A monkey wrench or a laser torch makes a pretty fairweapon. We can take over by force. That'll leave you legally in theclear. But with so many witnesses around, you'll have to prefercharges against us later on."

  Janichevski began to sweat.

  "We'll be sent up," said Blades. "But it will still have been worthit."

  "Is it really that important to you?"

  "Yes. I admit I'm no crusader. But this is a matter of principle."

  Janichevski stared at the big red-haired man for a long while.Suddenly he stiffened. "O.K. On that account, and no other, I'll goalong with you."

  Blades wobbled on his feet, near collapse with relief. "Good man!" hecroaked.

  "But I will not have any of my officers or crew involved."

  Blades rallied and answered briskly, "You needn't. Just issue ordersthat my boys are to have access to the scoopships. They can installthe equipment, jockey the boats over to the full balloons, and evencouple them on."

  Janichevski's fears had vanished once he made his decision, but now acertain doubt registered. "That's a pretty skilled job."

  "These are pretty skilled men. It isn't much of a maneuver, not likemaking a Jovian sky dive."

  "Well, O.K., I'll take your word for their ability. But suppose the_Altair_ spots those boats moving around?"

  "She's already several hundred kilometers off, and getting fartheraway, running a search curve which I'm betting my liberty--and myhonor; I certainly don't want to hurt my own country's Navy--I'mbetting that search curve is guaranteed not to find the missile intime. They'll spot the _Pallas_ as you depart--oh, yes, our peoplewill be aboard as per orders--but no finer detail will show in socasual an observation."

  "Again, I'll take your word. What else can I do to help?"

  "Nothing you weren't doing before. Leave the piratics to us. I'dbetter get back." Blades extended his hand. "I haven't got the wordsto thank you, Adam."

  Janichevski accepted the shake. "No reason for thanks. You dragoonedme." A grin crossed his face. "I must confess though, I'm not sorryyou did."

  * * * * *

  Blades left. He found his gang in the terminal, two dozen engineersand rockjacks clumped tautly together.

  "What's the word?" Carlos Odonaju shouted.

  "Clear track," Blades said. "Go right aboard."

  "Good. Fine. I always wanted to do something vicious and destructive,"Odonaju laughed.

  "The idea is to prevent destruction," Blades reminded him, andproceeded toward the office.

  Avis met him in Corridor Four. Her freckled countenance was distortedby a scowl. "Hey, Mike, wait a minute," she said, low and hurriedly."Have you seen La Ziska?"

  "The leftenant? Why, no. I left he
r with you, remember, hoping youcould calm her down."

  "Uh-huh. She was incandescent mad. Called us a pack of banditsand--But then she started crying. Seemed to break down completely. Itook her to your cabin and went back to help Jimmy. Only, when Ichecked there a minute ago,