Alec said diffidently, “Captain Thomas?”
“Yes?”
“Why don’t you call up Major Ardmore and see what he thinks?”
“Because there is no reason to. If I have to ask him to make up my mind for me I’m no good on this job. I’ve just one thing more to add: you are too soft and mush-headed for this job. You apparently think that the United States can win this war without anyone getting hurt you don’t even have the guts to watch a traitor die. I had hoped to turn this command over to you shortly; instead I am shipping you back to the Citadel tomorrow with a report to the commander-in-chief that you are utterly unfit to be trusted with work in the face of the enemy. In the meantime you will carry out orders. Help me lug that hulk into the bathroom. ”
Howe’s mouth quivered, but he said nothing. The two carried the unconscious man into the adjoining room. Before the temple was “consecrated” Thomas had had a partition knocked out between the janitor’s toilet and the space adjoining and in that space had had an old-fashioned bath tub installed. They dumped him in the tub.
Howe wet his lips. “Why in the tub?”
“Because it will be a bloody mess.”
“You aren’t going to use your staff?”
“No, it would take me an hour to disassemble it and take out the suppressor circuit for the white-man band of frequencies. And I’m not sure I could get it back together right. Give me that straight razor of yours and get out.”
Howe got the razor and came back. He did not hand it over. “You ever butchered a hog?” he inquired.
“No.”
“Then I know more about how to do it.” Stooping, he lifted Johnson’s chin. The man breathed heavily and grunted. Howe made one quick slash and the man’s throat was cut. He dropped the head, stood up and stared at the spreading red stream. He spat in it, then stepped to the wash stand and cleaned his razor.
Jeff said, “I guess I spoke too hastily, Alec.”
Alec did not look up. “No,” he said slowly, “not a bit too hastily. I guess it takes some time to get used to the notion of war.”
“Yeah, I guess so. Well, let’s dispose of this thing.”
Despite a very short night Jeff Thomas was up unusually early as he wanted to report to Ardmore before the morning service. Ardmore listened carefully to the account, then said, “I’ll send Scheer down to install a shield on the basement door. Some such rig will be standard for ail temple installations from now on. How about Howe? Do you want to send him back?”
“No,” Thomas decided, “I think he’s over the hump now. He’s squeamish by nature, but he’s got plenty of moral courage. Damn it, boss, we’ve got to trust somebody.”
“Are you willing to turn the temple over to him?”
“Well…yes, I am — now. Why?”
“Because I want you to move on to Salt Lake City practically at once. I lay awake most of the night thinking over what you told me yesterday.
You stirred me up, Jeff; I had been getting fat and sloppy in my thinking. How many potential recruits have you got now?”
“Thirteen, now that Johnson is out of it. Not all of them candidates for ‘priesthood,’ of course.”
“I want you to send them all here, at once.”
“But, boss, I haven’t examined them.”
“I’m making a radical revision in procedure. We’ll cut out examination under drugs except at the Citadel. You haven’t the facilities to do it gracefully. I’m assigning Brooks to it; he will do all of it from now on and I will pass on the ones who get by his elimination. From now on the ‘priests’ will have the prime duty of locating likely candidates and sending them in to the mother temple.”
Thomas thought about it. “How about characters like Johnson? We sure don’t want his type penetrating into the Citadel.”
“I’ve anticipated that — and that’s why the examinations will be held here. A candidate will be doped before he goes to bed, but he won’t know it. He will be given a hypo, roused, and examined during the night. If he passes, well and good. If he doesn’t then he never will know he has been examined under drugs but he will be allowed to think that he has passed. “