Mercenary Read online

  V

  By the time they had returned to quarters, there was a message waitingfor Captain Mauser. He was to report to the officer commandingreconnaissance.

  Joe redressed in the Haer kilts and proceeded to headquarters.

  The officer commanding reconnaissance turned out to be none other thanBalt Haer, natty as ever, and, as ever, arrogantly tapping his swaggerstick against his leg.

  "Zen! Captain," he complained. "Where have you been? Off on a trankkick? We've got to get organized."

  Joe Mauser snapped him a salute. "No, sir. I rented an aircraft to scoutout the terrain over which we'll be fighting."

  "Indeed. And what were your impressions, captain?" There was an overtonewhich suggested that it made little difference what impressions acaptain of cavalry might have gained.

  Joe shrugged. "Largely mountains, hills, woods. Good reconnaissance isgoing to make the difference in this one. And in the fracas itselfcavalry is going to be more important than either artillery or infantry.A Nathan Forrest fracas, sir. A matter of getting there fustest with themostest."

  Balt Haer said amusedly. "Thanks for your opinion, captain. Fortunately,our staff has already come largely to the same conclusions. Undoubtedly,they'll be glad to hear your wide experience bears them out."

  Joe said evenly, "It's a rather obvious conclusion, of course." He tookthis as it came, having been through it before. The dilettante amateur'sdislike of the old pro. The amateur in command who knew full well he wasless capable than many of those below him in rank.

  "Of course, captain," Balt Haer flicked his swagger stick against hisleg. "But to the point. Your squadron is to be deployed as scouts undermy overall command. You've had cavalry experience, I assume."

  "Yes, sir. In various fracases over the past fifteen years."

  "Very well. Now then, to get to the reason I have summoned you.Yesterday in my father's office you intimated that you had somegrandiose scheme which would bring victory to the Haer colors. But then,on some thin excuse, refused to divulge just what the scheme might be."

  Joe Mauser looked at him unblinkingly.

  Balt Haer said: "Now I'd like to have your opinion on just how VacuumTube Transport can extract itself from what would seem a poor positionat best."

  In all there were four others in the office, two women clerksfluttering away at typers, and two of Balt Haer's junior officers. Theyseemed only mildly interested in the conversation between Balt and Joe.

  Joe wet his lips carefully. The Haer scion was his commanding officer.He said, "Sir, what I had in mind is a new gimmick. At this stage, if Itold anybody and it leaked, it'd never be effective, not even this firsttime."

  Haer observed him coldly. "And you think me incapable of keeping yoursecret, ah, _gimmick_, I believe is the idiomatic term you used."

  Joe Mauser's eyes shifted around the room, taking in the other four, whowere now looking at him.

  Bait Haer rapped, "These members of my staff are all trusted Haeremployees, Captain Mauser. They are not fly-by-night freelancers hiredfor a week or two."

  Joe said, "Yes, sir. But it's been my experience that one person canhold a secret. It's twice as hard for two, and from there on it's adecreasing probability in a geometric ratio."

  The younger Haer's stick rapped the side of his leg, impatiently."Suppose I inform you that this is a command, captain? I have littleconfidence in a supposed gimmick that will rescue our forces fromdisaster and I rather dislike the idea of a captain of one of mysquadrons dashing about with such a bee in his bonnet when he should beobeying my commands."

  Joe kept his voice respectful. "Then, sir, I'd request that we take thematter to the Commander in Chief, your father."

  "Indeed!"

  Joe said, "Sir, I've been working on this a long time. I can't afford torisk throwing the idea away."

  Bait Haer glared at him. "Very well, captain. I'll call your bluff, comealong." He turned on his heel and headed from the room.

  Joe Mauser shrugged in resignation and followed him.

  * * * * *

  The old Baron wasn't much happier about Joe Mauser's secrets than washis son. It had only been the day before that he had taken Joe on, butalready he had seemed to have aged in appearance. Evidently, each hourthat went by made it increasingly clear just how perilous a position hehad assumed. Vacuum Tube Transport had elbowed, buffaloed, bluffed andedged itself up to the outskirts of the really big time. The Baron'sability, his aggressiveness, his flair, his political pull, had allhelped, but now the chips were down. He was up against one of thebiggies, and this particular biggy was tired of ambitious little VacuumTube Transport.

  He listened to his son's words, listened to Joe's defense.

  He said, looking at Joe, "If I understand this, you have some schemewhich you think will bring victory in spite of what seems a disastroussituation."

  "Yes, sir."

  The two Haers looked at him, one impatiently, the other in weariness.

  Joe said, "I'm gambling everything on this, sir. I'm no Rank Private inhis first fracas. I deserve to be given some leeway."

  Balt Haer snorted. "Gambling everything! What in Zen would _you_ have togamble, captain? The whole Haer family fortunes are tied up. Hovercraftis out for blood. They won't be satisfied with a token victory and anegotiated compromise. They'll devastate us. Thousands of mercenarieskilled, with all that means in indemnities; millions upon million inexpensive military equipment, most of which we've had to hire and willhave to recompensate for. Can you imagine the value of our stock afterStonewall Cogswell has finished with us? Why, every two by four truckingoutfit in North America will be challenging us, and we won't have theforces to meet a minor skirmish."

  Joe reached into an inner pocket and laid a sheaf of documents on thedesk of Baron Malcolm Haer. The Baron scowled down at them.

  Joe said simply, "I've been accumulating stock since before I waseighteen and I've taken good care of my portfolio in spite of taxes andthe various other pitfalls which make the accumulation of capitalpractically impossible. Yesterday, I sold all of my portfolio I waslegally allowed to sell and converted to Vacuum Tube Transport." Headded, dryly, "Getting it at an excellent rate, by the way."

  Balt Haer mulled through the papers, unbelievingly. "Zen!" heejaculated. "The fool really did it. He's sunk a small fortune into ourstock."

  Baron Haer growled at his son, "You seem considerably more convinced ofour defeat than the captain, here. Perhaps I should reverse yourpositions of command."

  His son grunted, but said nothing.

  Old Malcolm Haer's eyes came back to Joe. "Admittedly, I thought you onthe romantic side yesterday, with your hints of some scheme which wouldlead us out of the wilderness, so to speak. Now I wonder if you mightnot really have something. Very well, I respect your claimed need forsecrecy. Espionage is not exactly an antiquated military field."

  "Thank you, sir."

  But the Baron was still staring at him. "However, there's more to itthan that. Why not take this great scheme to Marshal Cogswell? Andyesterday you mentioned that the Telly sets of the nation would be tunedin on this fracas, and obviously you are correct. The question becomes,what of it?"

  The fat was in the fire now. Joe Mauser avoided the haughty stare ofyoung Balt Haer and addressed himself to the older man. "You havepolitical pull, sir. Oh, I know you don't make and break presidents. Youcouldn't even pull enough wires to keep Hovercraft from making this adivisional magnitude fracas--but you have pull enough for my needs."

  Baron Haer leaned back in his chair, his barrel-like body causing thatarticle of furniture to creak. He crossed his hands over his stomach."And what are your needs, Captain Mauser?"

  Joe said evenly, "If I can bring this off, I'll be a fracas buffcelebrity. I don't have any illusions about the fickleness of the Tellyfans, but for a day or two I'll be on top. If at the same time I hadyour all out support, pulling what strings you could reach--"

  "Why then, you'd be promoted to Up
per, wouldn't you, captain?" Balt Haerfinished for him, amusement in his voice.

  "That's what I'm gambling on," Joe said evenly.

  The younger Haer grinned at his father superciliously. "So our captainsays he will defeat Stonewall Cogswell in return for you sponsoring hisbecoming a member of the nation's elite."

  * * * * *

  "Good Heavens, is the supposed cream of the nation now selected on nohigher a level than this?" There was sarcasm in the words.

  The three men turned. It was the girl Joe had bumped into the daybefore. The Haers didn't seem surprised at her entrance.

  "Nadine," the older man growled. "Captain Joseph Mauser who has beengiven a commission in our forces."

  Joe went through the routine of a Middle of officer's rank beingintroduced to a lady of Upper caste. She smiled at him, somewhatmockingly, and failed to make standard response.

  Nadine Haer said, "I repeat, what is this service the captain can renderthe house of Haer so important that pressure should be brought to raisehim to Upper caste? It would seem unlikely that he is a noted scientist,an outstanding artist, a great teacher--"

  Joe said, uncomfortably, "They say the military is a science, too."

  Her expression was almost as haughty as that of her brother. "Do they? Ihave never thought so."

  "Really, Nadine," her father grumbled. "This is hardly your affair."

  "No? In a few days I shall be repairing the damage you have allowed,indeed sponsored, to be committed upon the bodies of possibly thousandsof now healthy human beings."

  Balt said nastily, "Nobody asked you to join the medical staff, Nadine.You could have stayed in your laboratory, figuring out new methods ofpreventing the human race from replenishing itself."

  The girl was obviously not the type to redden, but her anger wasmanifest. She spun on her brother. "If the race continues its presentmaniac course, possibly more effective methods of birth control _are_the most important development we could make. Even to the ultimatediscovery of preventing all future conception."

  Joe caught himself in mid-chuckle.

  But not in time. She spun on him in his turn. "Look at yourself in thatsilly skirt. A professional soldier! A killer! In my opinion the mostuseless occupation ever devised by man. Parasite on the best and usefulmembers of society. Destroyer by trade!"

  Joe began to open his mouth, but she overrode him. "Yes, yes. I know.I've read all the nonsense that has accumulated down through the agesabout the need for, the glory of, the sacrifice of the professionalsoldier. How they defend their country. How they give all for the commongood. Zen! What nonsense."

  Balt Haer was smirking sourly at her. "The theory today is, Nadine, oldthing, that professionals such as the captain are gathering experiencein case a serious fracas with the Sovs ever develops. Meanwhile histraining is kept at a fine edge fighting in our inter-corporation,inter-union, or union-corporation fracases that develop in our privateenterprise society."

  She laughed her scorn. "And what a theory! Limited to the weapons whichprevailed before 1900. If there was ever real conflict between theSov-world and our own, does anyone really believe either would stick tosuch arms? Why, aircraft, armored vehicles, yes, and nuclear weapons androckets, would be in overnight use."

  Joe was fascinated by her furious attack. He said, "Then, what would yousay was the purpose of the fracases, Miss--"

  "Circuses," she snorted. "The old Roman games, all over again, and ahundred times worse. Blood and guts sadism. The quest of a frustratedperson for satisfaction in another's pain. Our Lowers of today are asuseless and frustrated as the Roman proletariat and potentially they'rejust as dangerous as the mob that once dominated Rome. Automation, thesecond industrial revolution, has eliminated for all practical purposesthe need for their labor. So we give them bread and circuses. And everyyear that goes by the circuses must be increasingly sadistic, death onan increasing scale, or they aren't satisfied. Once it was enough tohave fictional mayhem, cowboys and Indians, gangsters, or G.I.s versusthe Nazis, Japs or Commies, but that's passed. Now we need _real_ bloodand guts."

  Baron Haer snapped finally, "All right, Nadine. We've heard this lecturebefore. I doubt if the captain is interested, particularly since youdon't seem to be able to get beyond the protesting stage and have yet tocome up with an answer."

  "I have an answer!"

  "Ah?" Balt Haer raised his eyebrows, mockingly.

  "Yes! Overthrow this silly status society. Resume the road to progress.Put our people to useful endeavor, instead of sitting in front of theirTelly sets, taking trank pills to put them in a happy daze and watchingsadistic fracases to keep them in thrills, and their minds from theircondition."

  Joe had figured on keeping out of the controversy with this firebrand,but now, really interested, he said, "Progress to where?"

  She must have caught in his tone that he wasn't needling. She frowned athim. "I don't know man's goal, if there is one. I'm not even sure it'simportant. It's the road that counts. The endeavor. The dream. Theeffort expended to make a world a better place than it was at the timeof your birth."

  Balt Haer said mockingly, "That's the trouble with you, Sis. Here we'vereached Utopia and you don't admit it."

  "Utopia!"

  "Certainly. Take a poll. You'll find nineteen people out of twenty happywith things just the way they are. They have full tummies and security,lots of leisure and trank pills to make matters seem even rosier thanthey are--and they're rather rosy already."

  "Then what's the necessity of this endless succession of bloodyfracases, covered to the most minute bloody detail on the Telly?"

  Baron Haer cut things short. "We've hashed and rehashed this before,Nadine and now we're too busy to debate further." He turned to JoeMauser. "Very well, captain, you have my pledge. I wish I felt asoptimistic as you seem to be about your prospects. That will be all fornow, captain."

  Joe saluted and executed an about face.

  * * * * *

  In the outer offices, when he had closed the door behind him, he rolledhis eyes upward in mute thanks to whatever powers might be. He hadsomehow gained the enmity of Balt, his immediate superior, but he'dalso gained the support of Baron Haer himself, which countedconsiderably more.

  He considered for a moment, Nadine Haer's words. She was obviously amalcontent, but, on the other hand, her opinions of his chosenprofession weren't too different than his own. However, given thisvictory, this upgrading in caste, and Joe Mauser would be in a positionto retire.

  The door opened and shut behind him and he half turned.

  Nadine Haer, evidently still caught up in the hot words between herselfand her relatives, glared at him. All of which stressed the beauty hehad noticed the day before. She was an almost unbelievably pretty girl,particularly when flushed with anger.

  It occurred to him with a blowlike suddenness that, if his caste wasraised to Upper, he would be in a position to woo such as Nadine Haer.

  He looked into her furious face and said, "I was intrigued, Miss Haer,with what you had to say, and I'd like to discuss some of your points. Iwonder if I could have the pleasure of your company at some nearbyrefreshment--"

  "My, how formal an invitation, captain. I suppose you had in mindsitting and flipping back a few trank pills."

  Joe looked at her. "I don't believe I've had a trank in the past twentyyears, Miss Haer. Even as a boy, I didn't particularly take to having mysenses dulled with drug-induced pleasure."

  Some of her fury was abating, but she was still critical of theprofessional mercenary. Her eyes went up and down his uniform in scorn."You seem to make pretenses of being cultivated, captain. Then why yourchosen profession?"

  He'd had the answer to that for long years. He said now, simply, "I toldyou I was born a Lower. Given that, little counts until I fight my wayout of it. Had I been born in a feudalist society, I would haveattempted to batter myself into the nobility. Under classicalcapitalism, I would have done my utm
ost to accumulate a fortune, enoughto reach an effective position in society. Now, under People'sCapitalism ..."

  She snorted, "Industrial Feudalism would be the better term."

  "... I realize I can't even start to fulfill myself until I am a memberof the Upper caste."

  Her eyes had narrowed, and the anger was largely gone. "But you chosethe military field in which to better yourself?"

  "Government propaganda to the contrary, it is practically impossible toraise yourself in other fields. I didn't build this world, possibly Idon't even approve of it, but since I'm in it I have no recourse but tofollow its rules."

  Her eyebrows arched. "Why not try to change the rules?"

  Joe blinked at her.

  Nadine Haer said, "Let's look up that refreshment you were talkingabout. In fact, there's a small coffee bar around the corner where it'dbe possible for one of Baron Haer's brood to have a cup with one of herfather's officers of Middle caste."