“Yes?”
“They had never heard of machine guns. They learned about them in a very final way-for they were very brave and kept coming on. That tribe is no more, no survivors.”
“If you are trying to scare me, well. . . never mind. But you still haven’t given me evidence. After all, we are not an ignorant tribe of savages. No parallel.”
“Perhaps. Yet, after all, the machine gun of that era was only a minor improvement over the ordinary gun of the time. We have weapons which make a machine gun seem like a boy’s knife. And yet. . .”
“You are suggesting that these Hoorussians have weapons that would make our latest developments as useless as clubs. Frankly, I don’t want to believe it and I don’t. The power in the nucleus of the atom is the ultimate possible power in the universe. You know that, I know that. We’ve got it. No doubt they’ve got it, too, but we outnumber them millions to one and we are on our home grounds.”
“So the tribal chief reasoned.”
“Eh? Not the same thing.”
“Nothing ever is,” Mr. Kiku answered wearily. “I was not speculating about magic weapons beyond the concepts of our physicists; I was merely wondering what some refinement might do to a known weapon. . . some piece of tinkering already implicit in the theories. I don’t know, of course. I know nothing of such things.”
“Well, neither do I but I’ve been assured that. . . See here, Henry; I’m going to order that police action, right away.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Well? Don’t sit there frozen-faced saying ‘Yes, sir. You don’t know, do you? So why shouldn’t I do it?”
“I did not object, sir. Do you want a sealed circuit? Or do you want the base commander to report here?”
“Henry, you are without question the most irritating man in seventeen planets. I asked you why I should not do it?”
“I know of no reason, sir. I can only tell you why I did not recommend it to you.”
“Well?”
“Because I did not know. Because I had only the fears of a non-human who might be even more timid than myself, or badly misled by what appears to be almost superstitious awe. Since I did not know, I did not choose to play Russian roulette with our planet at stake. I chose to fight with words as long as possible. Do you want to give the order, sir? Or shall I take care of the details?”
“Quit badgering me.” He glared at his Under Secretary, his face red. “I suppose your next move is to threaten to resign.”
Mr. Kiku grudged a small smile. “Mr. MacClure, I never offer to resign twice in the same day.” He added, “No, I will wait until after the police action. Then, if we are both alive, I will have been proved wrong on a major matter; my resignation will be necessary. May I add, sir, that I hope you are right? I would much rather enjoy a quiet old age than to have my judgment vindicated posthumously.”
MacClure worked his mouth but did not speak. Mr. Kiku went on quetly, “May I offer a suggestion to the Secretary in my official capacity?”
“What? Of course. You are required to by law. Speak up.”
“May I urge that the attack commence in the next few minutes? We may achieve by haste what might fail by delay. BuAstro can supply us with the orbit elements of the enemy ship.” Kiku leaned toward his communicator.
It came to life before he could touch it. “Chief? Murthi here. I’ve done my best, but she . . .”
“Tell her I can’t see her!”
“Sir?”
“Uh. . . butter it on. You know how. Now shut up and don’t call me again.”
“Aye aye, sir.”
Mr. Kiku called BuAstro. “The chief ballistician, please at once. Ah, Carrier. . . seal your end; this end is sealed. And put a hush on it. All right, I want the tactical elements of the. . .”
MacClure reached out and broke the connection. “All right,” he said savagely, “you’ve outbluffed me.”
“I was not bluffing, sir.”