3600 01 THIS LEGEND–REFUSAL: DEATH
3600 02 VISUAL–DEAD CAT
3600 03 THIS LEGEND–OBEY THE KEY
3600 04 THIS LEGEND–OBEY, OBEY, OBEY
3600 05 VISUAL–WOMAN LICKING PENIS
3600 06 THIS LEGEND–SUBMISSION: LIFE
3600 0? THIS LEGEND–OBEY THE KEY
3600 08 VISUAL–EJACULATION ON WOMAN’S THIGH
3600 09 THIS LEGEND–OBEY THE KEY
3600 10 THIS LEGEND–LIFE, LIFE, LIFE
“That pace is maintained straight through to the end of the film,” Salsbury said. “During the last fifteen minutes, while all of this sex and death input continues, the concept of the key-lock code phrases is also introduced and implanted permanently in the viewer’s deep subconscious mind.”
“That’s all there is to it?”
“Thanks to the drug that primes them for the subliminals- yes, that’s all there is to it.”
“And they don’t realize they’ve seen any of it.”
“If they did know, the program would have no effect on them. It has to speak solely to the subconscious in order to pass the natural reasoning ability of the conscious mind.”
Klinger pulled the command chair away from the console and sat down. His left hand was curled in his lap. It was so matted with black hair that it reminded Salsbury of a sewer rat. The general petted it with his other hand while he considered the print-outs he had just seen. At last he said, “Our three mercenaries. When did they complete the third stage of the program?”
“Thirty days ago. I’ve been observing them and testing their submissiveness for the past few weeks.”
“Any of them react at all as Kingman did?”
“They all had bad dreams,” Saisbury said. “Probably about what they had seen on the rheostatic screen. None of them could recall. Furthermore, they all had severe night chills and mild nausea. But they lived.”
“Encountered any other problems?”
“None.”
“No weak spots in the program? No moments when they refused to obey you?”
“None at all, so far. In a few minutes, after we’ve put them to the ultimate test, we’ll know whether or not we have absolute control of them. If not, I’ll start over. If we do-champagne.”
Klinger sighed. “I suppose this is something we have to know. I suppose this last test is entirely necessary.”
“Entirely.”
“I don’t like it.”
“Weren’t you an officer in Vietnam?”
“What’s that got to do with this?”
“You’ve sent men to die before.”
Grimacing, Klinger said, “But always with honor. Always with honor. And there’s sure as hell no honor in what’s going to happen here.”
Honor, Salsbury thought acidly. You’re as big an idiot as Leonard. There isn’t any heaven, and there’s no such thing as honor. All that counts is getting what you want. You know that and I know that and even Leonard, when he’s humbled Over his fruit cup at a White House prayer breakfast with Billy Graham and the President, knows that-but I’m the only one of us who will admit it to himself.
Getting to his feet, Klinger said, “Okay. Let’s finish this. Where are they?”
“In the next room. Waiting.”
“They know what they’re going to do?”
“No.” Salsbury went to his desk, thumbed a button on the intercom, and spoke into the wire grid. “Rossner, Holbrook, and Picard. Come in now. We’re ready for you.”
A few seconds later the door opened, and three men filed inside.
“Co to the center of the room,” Salsbury said.
They did as he directed.
“You’ve already opened them with the code phrase?” Klinger asked.
“Before you came.”
The first of them, in spite of the fact that he was in his late thirties or early forties, looked like a dangerous street-corner punk. Slim but hard and wiry. Five feet ten. Dark complexion. Dark brown hair combed straight back and graying at the temples. A way of standing with his feet apart and most of his weight on his toes so that he was always prepared to move and move quickly. His face was pinched, his eyes a bit too close together, his lips thin and grayish-pink above a pointed chin.
“This is Rossner,” Salsbury told Klinger. “Glenn Rossner. American. He’s been a free-lance soldier for sixteen years.”
“Hello,” Rossner said.
“None of you is to speak unless spoken to,” Salsbury said. “Is that understood?”