John Brunner – Jagged Orbit

“Darl, didn’t you say the designation of System C weapons was supposed to be secret?”

Lenigo was looking uncomfortable. He muttered, “Acto Anthony. But wait till the brother’s finished talking.”

Diablo swallowed hard. He hadn’t expected to make this kind of impact. He said, “Concurrently with the release of the System C production model, which will be early next year, news of it will be released to the blanks. Output is planned on a level to supply both markets, but the blank one is the more important because the blanks will be paying more. While you’re still training the operators, the Gottschalks’ propaganda will foment such terror in blank cities that adjacent knee enclaves will almost certainly be stormed and sacked, which of course is what the Gottschalks need to maximize their sales potential.”

“Ah, hell, baby!” Lenigo said. “You’re exaggerating!”

Diablo said softly, “Am I? Brother Mehmet, who fed you the idea of blackmailing Morton into the country?”

Mehmet abd’Allah looked sheepish. He said, “If you’re that well-informed.”

“I’m even better informed than you think I am,” Diclaimed boldly. Even though he wasn’t entirely conof the truth of what he was saying, the fact of saying it was curiously reassuring to his mind. “Who is it who’s planning to take out the Iron Mountain databanks? I know someone is, and what’s more the Gottschalks know it too, because they’re building a brand-new data-processing complex in Nevada. Have yon stopped to think what will happen if the Gottschalks are the only major corporation who still have their business records, their credit ratings, the rest of all that?”

“Sure we have!” Lenigo exclaimed. “That’s why it’s a priority on our list, Though,” he added on a lower note, “I am kind of upset to find out that you know it’s pro

“I’m not the only one,” Diablo said. “Know who told me about it? Matthew Flamen.”

Rosaleen Lincolnson jumped to her feet “That’s im

Next to her, Dr. Barrie Ellison reached out a calming hand. He said, “Flamen does have computers, darl. And you can’t keep a major project entirely watertight.”

“This one isn’t just leaking,” Diablo said. “It’s sinking.” He swung around and took a pace towards Lenigo, leaning over him. “In fact, as far as I’m concerned, it’s sunk. Hear me, Brother Morton? I wouldn’t touch this idea of yours with a ten-foot pole. It stinks of honky conning. You been conned, you been tricked and your strings been pulled till you danced all pretty for the people!”

Lenigo, raging, tried to rise; Diablo shoved him back in his deep soft chair with a flat palm.

“You stay put and listen, man! Back home you may have a great image-building team, but here you a Johnfresh off the farm with kookaburrs in your nappy pate! You can scare those damnfool honkies out there playing tin soldiers with their lasers and grenades, but no handkerchiefhead demagogue gone make this nigger tall in and march over the cliff!” He was breathing so violently his voice was growing shrill.

“You want to be told how you been conned? I tell you, down to dates and times! Anthony Gottschalk figures he’ll have rolled up enough of the monos and junior pollies to unseat Marcantonio by spring next year. He figures he can use your phoney reputation as an organigenius to whip up hate among the blanks and make the System C weapons the-the Voortrekker in the field. For my sake-for the sake of my black hide? You make me laugh till I spew, darl! You run out of credit in Washington, doc: what happens? They keep right on whipping up hate, lying to make out that you’re stockthe arms, and next thing the blanks come down and there won’t be anyone alive enough in Washington to use a gun! Fact, doc?”

Barrie Ellison said nothing, but swallowed very hard.

“You like the idea of being used as a front for Gottsales promotion? You welcome to it, broze an’ sis!” Unconsciously Diablo’s accent was thickening tothe coarse Gullah/Jamaican/Creole of the southern enclaves, and he knew it and kept right on going, lethis emotions direct his tongue. “All mah lahf Ah been mah own man, baybuh! Ah not gwine lay mah skin on de lahn foh a stupid knot-heid wid an oversahz mouf! Yoh done tole de folks yoh got secrets, yoh got plans, yoh got ahdeas! Ah say shit. Ah say you done been tuhned inta honky front an’ Ah quit heah an’ now!”

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