His permanent military rank the Haers had no way to alter, but they were
short enough of competent officers that they gave him an acting rating
and pay scale of major and command of a squadron of cavalry. Joe Mauser
wasn't interested in a cavalry command this fracas, but he said nothing.
Immediately, he had to size up the situation; it wasn't time as yet to
reveal the big scheme. And, meanwhile, they could use him to whip the
Rank Privates into shape.
He had left the offices of Baron Haer to go through the red tape
involved in being signed up on a temporary basis in the Vacuum Tube
Transport forces, and reentered the confusion of the outer offices where
the Lowers were being processed and given medicals. He reentered in time
to run into a Telly team which was doing a live broadcast.
Joe Mauser remembered the news reporter who headed the team. He'd run
into him two or three times in fracases. As a matter of fact, although
Joe held the standard Military Category prejudices against Telly, he had
a basic respect for this particular newsman. On the occasions he'd seen
him before, the fellow was hot in the midst of the action even when
things were in the dill. He took as many chances as did the average
combatant, and you can't ask for more than that.
The other knew him, too, of course. It was part of his job to be able to
spot the celebrities and near celebrities. He zeroed in on Joe now,
making flicks of his hand to direct the cameras. Joe, of course, was
fully aware of the value of Telly and was glad to co-operate.
"Captain! Captain Mauser, isn't it? Joe Mauser who held out for four
days in the swamps of Louisiana with a single company while his ranking
officers reformed behind him."
That was one way of putting it, but both Joe and the newscaster who had
covered the debacle knew the reality of the situation. When the front
had collapsed, his commanders--of Upper caste, of course--had hauled
out, leaving him to fight a delaying action while they mended their
fences with the enemy, coming to the best terms possible. Yes, that had
been the United Oil versus Allied Petroleum fracas, and Joe had emerged
with little either in glory or pelf.
The average fracas fan wasn't on an intellectual level to appreciate
anything other than victory. The good guys win, the bad guys
lose--that's obvious, isn't it? Not one out of ten Telly followers of
the fracases was interested in a well-conducted retreat or holding
action. They wanted blood, lots of it, and they identified with the
winning side.
Joe Mauser wasn't particularly bitter about this aspect. It was part of
his way of life. In fact, his pet peeve was the _real_ buff. The type,
man or woman, who could remember every fracas you'd ever been in, every
time you'd copped one, and how long you'd been in the hospital. Fans who
could remember, even better than you could, every time the situation had
pickled on you and you'd had to fight your way out as best you could.
They'd tell you about it, their eyes gleaming, sometimes a slightest
trickle of spittle at the sides of their mouths. They usually wanted an
autograph, or a souvenir such as a uniform button.
Now Joe said to the Telly reporter, "That's right, Captain Mauser.
Acting major, in this fracas, ah--"
"Freddy. Freddy Soligen. You remember me, captain--"
"Of course I do, Freddy. We've been in the dill, side by side, more than
once, and even when I was too scared to use my side arm, you'd be
scanning away with your camera."
"Ha ha, listen to the captain, folks. I hope my boss is tuned in. But
seriously, Captain Mauser, what do you think the chances of Vacuum Tube
Transport are in this fracas?"
Joe looked into the camera lens, earnestly. "The best, of course, or I
wouldn't have signed up with Baron Haer, Freddy. Justice triumphs, and
anybody who is familiar with the issues in this fracas, knows that Baron
Haer is on the side of true right."
Freddy said, holding any sarcasm he must have felt, "What would you say
the issues were, captain?"
"The basic North American free enterprise right to compete. Hovercraft
has held a near monopoly in transport to Fairbanks. Vacuum Tube
Transport wishes to lower costs and bring the consumers of Fairbanks
better service through running a vacuum tube to that area. What could be
more in the traditions of the West-world? Continental Hovercraft stands
in the way and it is they who have demanded of the Category Military
Department a trial by arms. On the face of it, justice is on the side of
Baron Haer."
Freddy Soligen said into the camera, "Well, all you good people of the
Telly world, that's an able summation the captain has made, but it
certainly doesn't jibe with the words of Baron Zwerdling we heard this
morning, does it? However, justice triumphs and we'll see what the field
of combat will have to offer. Thank you, thank you very much, Captain
Mauser. All of us, all of us tuned in today, hope that you personally
will run into no dill in this fracas."
"Thanks, Freddy. Thanks all," Joe said into the camera, before turning
away. He wasn't particularly keen about this part of the job, but you
couldn't underrate the importance of pleasing the buffs. In the long run
it was your career, your chances for promotion both in military rank and
ultimately in caste. It was the way the fans took you up, boosted you,
idolized you, worshipped you if you really made it. He, Joe Mauser, was
only a minor celebrity, he appreciated every chance he had to be
interviewed by such a popular reporter as Freddy Soligen.
* * * * *
Even as he turned, he spotted the four men with whom he'd had his spat
earlier. The little fellow was still to the fore. Evidently, the others
had decided the one place extra that he represented wasn't worth the
trouble he'd put in their way defending it.
On an impulse he stepped up to the small man who began a grin of
recognition, a grin that transformed his feisty face. A revelation of
an inner warmth beyond average in a world which had lost much of its
human warmth.
[Illustration]