Short Fiction, Mack Reynolds [best book reader txt] 📗

“Two hundred dollars?” Twombly twisted his face. “They can’t transport them from China for that.”

“Here we go again,” Hank sighed. “They also can’t sell pressure cookers for a dollar apiece, nor cameras with f.2 lenses for five bucks. Not to speak of the fact that the Czechs can’t sell shoes for fifty cents a pair and, of course, the Russkies can’t sell premium gasoline for five cents a gallon.”

Twombly muttered, “They undercut our prices faster than we can vote through new subsidies. Where’s it going to end Henry?”

“I don’t know. Perhaps we should have thought a lot more about it ten or fifteen years ago when the best men our universities could turn out went into advertising, show business and sales⁠—while the best men the Russkies and Chinese could turn out were going into science and industry.” As a man who worked in the field Hank Kuran occasionally got bitter about these things, and didn’t mind this opportunity of sounding off at the chief.

Hank added, “The height of achievement over there is to be elected to the Academy of Sciences. Our young people call scientists eggheads, and their height of achievement is to become a TV singer or a movie star.”

Morton Twombly shot his best field man a quick glance. “You sound as though you need a vacation, Henry.”

Henry Kuran laughed. “Don’t mind me, chief. I got into a hassle with the Hungarians last week and I’m in a bad frame of mind.”

Twombly said, “Well, we didn’t bring you back to Washington for a trade conference.”

“I gathered that from your wire. What am I here for?”

Twombly pushed his chair back and came to his feet. It occurred to Hank Kuran that his chief had aged considerably since the forming of this department nearly ten years ago. The thought went through his mind, a general in the cold war. A general who’s been in action for a decade, has never won more than a skirmish and is currently in full retreat.

Morton Twombly said, “I’m not sure I know. Come along.”

They left the office by a back door and Hank was in unknown territory. Silently his chief led him through busy corridors, each one identical to the last, each sterile and cold in spite of the bustling. They came to a marine-guarded door, were passed through, once again obviously expected.

The inner office contained but one desk occupied by a youthfully brisk army major. He gave Hank a one-two of the eyes and said, “Mr. Hennessey is expecting you, sir. This is Mr. Kuran?”

“That’s correct,” Twombly said. “I won’t be needed.” He turned to Hank Kuran. “I’ll see you later, Henry.” He shook hands.

Hank frowned at him. “You sound as though I’m being sent off to Siberia, or something.”

The major looked up sharply, “What was that?”

Twombly made a motion with his hand, negatively. “Nothing. A joke. I’ll see you later, Henry.” He turned and left.

The major opened another door and ushered Hank into a room two or three times the size of Twombly’s office. Hank formed a silent whistle and then suddenly knew where he was. This was the sanctum sanctorum of Sheridan Hennessey. Sheridan Hennessey, right arm, hatchetman, alter ego, one man brain trust⁠—of two presidents in succession.

And there he was, seated in a heavy armchair. Hank had known of his illness, that the other had only recently risen from his hospital bed and against doctor’s orders. But somehow he hadn’t expected to see him this wasted. TV and newsreel cameramen had been kind.

However, the waste had not as yet extended to either eyes or voice. Sheridan Hennessey bit out, “That’ll be all, Roy,” and the major left them.

“Sit down,” Hennessey said. “You’re Henry Kuran. That’s not a Russian name is it?”

Hank found a chair. “It was Kuranchov. My father Americanized it when he was married.” He added, “About once every six months some Department of Justice or C.I.A. joker runs into the fact that my name was originally Russian and I’m investigated all over again.”

Hennessey said, “But your Russian is perfect?”

“Yes, sir. My mother was English-Irish, but we lived in a community with quite a few Russian born emigrants. I learned the language.”

“Good, Mr. Kuran, how would you like to die for your country?”

Hank Kuran looked at him for a long moment. He said slowly, “I’m thirty-two years old, healthy and reasonably adjusted and happy. I’d hate it.”

The sick man snorted. “That’s exactly the right answer. I don’t trust heroes. Now, how much have you heard about the extraterrestrials?”

“I beg your pardon?”

“You haven’t heard the news broadcasts the past couple of days? How the devil could you have missed them?” Hennessey was scowling sourly at him.

Hank Kuran didn’t know what the other was talking about. “Two days ago I was in the town of Machu Picchu in the Andes trying to peddle some mining equipment to the Peruvians. Peddle it, hell. I was practically trying to give it away, but it was still even-steven that the Hungarians would undersell me. Then I got a hurry-up wire from Morton Twombly to return to Washington soonest. I flew here in an Air Force jet. I haven’t heard any news for two days or more.”

“I’ll have the major get you all the material we have to date and you can read it on the plane to England.”

“Plane to England?” Hank said blankly. “Look, I’m in the Department of Economic Development of Neutral Nations, specializing in South America. What would I be doing in England?” He had an uneasy feeling of being crowded, and a suspicion that this was far from the first time Sheridan Hennessey had ridden roughshod over subordinates.

“First step on the way to Moscow,” Hennessey snapped. “The major will give you details later. Let me brief you. The extraterrestrials landed a couple of days ago on Red Square in some sort of spaceship. Our Russkie friends clamped down a censorship on news. No photos at all as yet and all news releases have come from Tass.”

Hank Kuran was bug-eying