unregistered. We can get you meat — some, anyhow. And we’ll split our
rations with you. They’ve got us on 1800 calories now, but we can share it.
Something can be done through the black market, too. There are ways.”
Benz made a contemptuous sound. Morgan looked at him.
“Speak up, Joe. What’s on your mind?”
“I will. It’s not a plan; it’s a disorderly retreat. A year from now we’ll
be twice as hungry and no further along — and they’ll be better dug in and
stronger. Where does it get us?”
Morgan shook his head. “You’ve got it wrong. Even if we hadn’t had it
forced on us, we would have been moving into this stage anyhow. The Free
Companies have got to quit drawing attention to themselves. Once the food
problem is solved we’ve got to build up our strength and weapons. We’ve got
to have organization and weapons — nationwide organization and guns,
knives, and hand grenades. We’ve got to turn this mine into a factory.
There are people down in Barclay who can use the stuff we can make here —
but we can’t risk letting Barclay be blasted in the meantime. Easy does
it.”
“Ed Morgan, you’re kidding yourself and you know it.”
“How?”
“How? Look, you sold me the idea of staying on the dodge and joining up — ”
“You volunteered.”
“Okay, I volunteered. It was all because you were so filled with fire and
vinegar about how we would throw the enemy back into the ocean. You talked
about France and Poland and how the Filipinos kept on fighting after they
were occupied. You sold me a bill of goods. But there was something you
didn’t tell me — ”
“Go on.”
“There never was an underground that freed its own country. All of them had
to be pulled out of the soup by an invasion from outside. Nobody is going
to pull us out.
There was silence after this remark. The statement had too much truth in
it, but it was truth that no member of the Company could afford to think
about. Young Morrie broke it. “Captain?”
“Yes, Morrie.” Being a fighting man, Morrie was therefore a citizen and a
voter.
“How can Joe be so sure he knows what he’s talking about? History doesn’t
repeat. Anyhow, maybe we will get some help. England, maybe — or even the
Russians.”
Benz snorted. “Listen to the punk! Look, kid, England was smashed like we
were, only worse — and Russia, too. Grow up; quit daydreaming.”
The boy looked at him doggedly. “You don’t know that. We only know what
they chose to tell us. And there aren’t enough of them to hold down the
whole world, everybody, everywhere. We never managed to lick the Yaquis, or
the Moros. And they can’t lick us unless we let them. I’ve read some
history too.”
Benz shrugged. “Okay, okay. Now we can all sing My Country ‘Tis of Thee and
recite the Scout oath. That ought to make Morrie happy-”
“Take it easy, Joe!”
“We have free speech here, don’t we? What I want to know is, How long does
this go on? I’m getting tired of competing with coyotes for the privilege
of eating jackrabbits. You know I’ve fought with the best of them. I’ve
gone on the raids. Well, haven’t I? Haven’t I? You can’t call me yellow.”
“You’ve been on some raids,” Morgan conceded.
“All right. I’d go along indefinitely if I could see some sensible plan.
That’s why I ask, ‘How long does this go on?” When do we move? Next spring?
Next year?”
Morgan gestured impatiently. “How do I know? It may be next spring; it may
be ten years. The Poles waited three hundred years.”
“That tears it,” Benz said slowly. “I was hoping you could offer some
reasonable plan. Wait and arm ourselves — that’s a pretty picture! Homemade
hand grenades against atom bombs! Why don’t you quit kidding yourselves?
We’re licked!” He hitched at his belt. “The rest of you can do as you
please — I’m through.”
Morgan shrugged. “If a man won’t fight, I can’t make him. You’re assigned
noncombatant duties. Turn in your gun. Report to Cathleen.”