Heinlein, Robert A – Expanded Universe

We’ve got to have unity-and that’s why we can’t ignore Brockman.”

“The thing that burns me,” McCracken said savagely, “is that it need never

have happened at all! It could have been prevented.”

“No use getting in a sweat about it,” Morgan told him. “It’s easy to see the

government’s mistakes now, but just the same I think there was an honest effort to

prevent war right up to the last. It takes all nations to keep the peace, but it

only takes one to start a war.”

“No, no, no-I don’t mean that, Captain,” McCracken answered. “I don’t mean

the War could have been prevented. I suppose it could have been-once. But everybody

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knew that another war could happen, and everybody-everybody, I say, knew that if it

came, it would start with the blasting of American cities. Every congressman, every

senator knew that a war would destroy Washington and leave the country with no

government, flopping around like a chicken with its head off. They knew-why didn’t

they do something!”

“What could they do? Washington couldn’t be protected.”

“Do? Why, they could have made plans for their own deaths! They could have

slapped through a constitutional amendment calling for an alternate president and

alternate congressmen and made it illegal for the alternates to be in target

areas-or any scheme to provide for orderly succession in case of disaster. They

could have set up secret and protected centers of government to use for storm

cellars. They could have planned the same way a father takes out life insurance for

his kids. Instead they went stumbling along, fat, dumb, and happy, and let

themselves get killed, with no provision to carry out their sworn duties after they

were dead. Theory of ‘derived authority,’ pfui! It’s not

just disastrous; it’s ridiculous! We used to be the greatest country in the

world-now look at us!”

“Take it easy, Doc,” Morgan suggested. “Hindsight is easier than foresight.”

“Hummm! I saw it coming. I quit my Washington job and took a country

practice, five years ahead of time. Why couldn’t a congressman be as bright as I

am?”

“Hmmm. . . well-you’re right. But we might just as well worry over the Dred

Scott Decision. Let’s get on with the problem. How about Brockman? Ideas?”

“What do you propose, boss?”

“I’d rather have it come from the floor.”

“Oh, quit scraping your foot, boss,” urged Ted. “We elected you to lead.”

“Okay. I propose to send somebody to backtrack on the message and locate

Brockman-smell him out and see what he’s got. I’ll consult with as many groups as we

can reach in this state and across the river, and we’ll try to manage unanimous

action. I was thinking of sending Dad and Morrie.”

Cathleen shook her head. “Even with faked registration cards and travel

permits they’d be grabbed for the Reconstruction Battalions. I’ll go.”

“In a pig’s eye,” Morgan answered. “You’d be grabbed for something a danged

sight worse. It’s got to be a man.”

“I am afraid Cathleen is right,” McCracken commented. “They shipped

twelve-year-old boys and old men who could hardly walk for the Detroit project. They

don’t care how soon the radiation gets them-it’s a plan to thin us out.”

“Are the cities still that bad?”

“From what I hear, yes. Detroit is still ‘hot’ and she was one of the first

to get it.”

“I’m going to go.” The voice was high and thin, and rarely heard in

conference.

“Now, Mother-” said Dad Carter.

“You keep out of this, Dad. The men and young women would be grabbed, but

they Won’t bother with me. All I need is a paper saying I have a permit to rejoin my

grandson, or something.”

McCracken nodded. “I can supply that.”

Morgan paused, then said suddenly, “Mrs. Carter will contact Brockman. It is

so ordered. Next order of business,” he went on briskly. “You’ve all seen the news

about St. Joe-this is what they posted in Barclay last night.” He hauled out and

held up the paper McCracken had given him. It was a printed notice, placing the City

of Barclay on probation, subject to the ability of “local authorities” to suppress

“bands of roving criminals.”