“The King and the High Council reluctantly decided that we had to take this burden on ourselves. We’re too close to the stars, Dana, to risk crippling ourselves now. Poland hasn’t initiated a war against
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WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE . ..
anyone in hundreds of years. The same cannot be said of any other world power, including yours. A critical vacuum has been filled.”
“The old story,” she spat. “Everyone has only the betterment of mankind on their minds. The rationale of every conqueror since the pharaohs. Why should you be any different?”
He shook his head. She’d never see, never understand. Nor would the Russians, or Chinese, or Ken-yans. They’d never understand and they’d always be jealous and there was nothing that could be done about it, nothing at all—except press on.
He turned away, shut out her screaming and insults.
It was something that couldn’t be explained, something in the fabric of the people themselves. He’d wanted to show her. The reason why Poland was the most powerful country on Earth, why no other country could ever hope to equal the Republic.
The Poles were a gentle people, the only ones.
174
Wolfstroker
Anyone who thinks telekinesis, telepathy, and thought-control are merely science-fictional inventions has never attended a decent-sized rock concert. It’s almost a certainty John W. Campbell never did, because his psi-oriented stories in Analog would never have been the same.
This is one of those stories where several seemingly unrelated elements suddenly fall into place for the writer, and you have that supreme thrill of abruptly shouting to yourself, “Jesus, where did that come from!? I didn’t think up that, did I? Oh boy ohboyohboy … I wonder what happens next?”