Robert Asprin – Tambu

“It’ll sure make recruiting a lot easier if the new people don’t have to admit to any past indiscretions.” Ramona admitted. “Even though God knows what we’ll get as a result. It’s a little like the old French Foreign Legion.”

“It’s not a bad parallel. I don’t really care what the crew did before they joined, as long as they toe the line once they’re under my command.”

“Discipline could be a problem,” Ramona observed thoughtfully. “You know what would really be effective?”

“What’s that?”

“If we made you into a real mystery figure. An omnipresent power with no face.” Her voice grew more excited as she warmed to the idea. “You know how superstitious crewmen are. You could become a kind of a boogey-man. It could work against the ships we’ll be fighting as well as within our own force.” “And just how would we accomplish that?” “Hell, we’ve got a good start already! My crew is already spooked by the way you popped up out of nowhere and blitzed our ship before they could even get a shot off. All we have to do is keep you out of sight, and they’ll do the rest. Sound doesn’t travel through space, but rumors do. The myth will grow on its own. All we have to do is give it room.”

“It won’t work.” Tambu shook his head. “The one thing I do insist on is meeting each person who’s going to serve under me. I have to know who and what I’m commanding if we’re going to be effective.”

“Do it over a viewscreen. If you keep your sending camera off, you can talk to them and observe them to your heart’s content, and all they’ll see is a blank screen. As a matter of fact, that would help to build the mystery. Everyone would form their own impression, which means they’ll talk about you among themselves trying to get confirmation.” “I’ll have to think about it.”