The Earth delegation had taken over a suite in the Party Hotel,
grandest and most expensive on Itra. Usually it was reserved for high
Party members.
Shamar and Ge-Ge presented themselves at the desk. Shamar wrote out a
note in English. "Deliver this to the Earthmen," he instructed.
Shamar and Ge-Ge retired to await results. Less than five minutes
passed; the bell hop returned. "Sir and Madam," he said respectfully,
"come with me."
When he entered the suite, he felt the personality of Shamar the Worker
drop from him into memory.
"Captain Shaeffer! Captain Shaeffer! Oh, what a magnificent job! I'm
Gene Gibson from the new Department of Extra-Terrestrial Affairs. Who's
this?"
"This is my fiancee."
"Good heavens, man, you intend to marry a _native_?" The man stepped
back, shocked.
Capt. Shaeffer turned to Ge-Ge and performed bilingual introductions.
They moved from the hallway to the sitting room and arranged themselves
on the furniture.
"I must say, Captain Shaeffer, that your success on Itra has surpassed
our wildest expectations. The first inkling we had was when, out of
the blue, as it were, there was your face looking out at us from the
TV screen! You should have been there for our celebration that night!
You'd been on Itra just a little over two months! You're going down in
history as one of the greatest heroes of all time!"
Capt. Shaeffer said, "I think it would be best if Ge-Ge and I were to
board your ship immediately. Her life may be in danger. Some old-line
Party men might resent her role in the revolution. Actually, she had
more to do with it than I did."
"Oh, now, I'm sure you must be exaggerating a bit on that, Captain
Shaeffer. Her life in danger? Surely, now! Speaking frankly,
Captain--and mind you, I have no personal objection at all; this is
none of my business. But she is, after all, an _Itraian_. You know
these mixed marriages--"
"I don't give a damn what you personally think," Capt. Shaeffer said.
"Is that understood once and for all? She goes."
"Of course. I was just--now don't get huffy. Of course she goes. Just
as you wish, Captain."
The angry exchange over an unknown but fearfully expected issue caused
Ge-Ge to blink back tears.
* * * * *
A week later, Gene Gibson came for the first time to visit them. Capt.
Shaeffer inquired as to progress.
"Well, Captain, things are progressing. We are establishing a
government which will be more responsive to the will of the people
of Itra. We've had several very pleasant, informal chats with the
Party Leader, himself. Really a wonderful man. Once he got all the
facts--which were kept from him the first time we landed--he strikes
me as being quite responsible. I think we may have misjudged him. I'm
not too sure but what he isn't just the exact man to head up the new
government. We've discussed a few details on trade agreements and, I
must say, he's been very reasonable."
Capt. Shaeffer said nothing.
"Yes," Gene Gibson said, "he's really an exceptional individual.
A wealth of administrative experience. A fine grasp of practical
politics. I don't regard him as a typical Itraian at all. He feels
that, with us backing him, we can get this whole mess straightened out
in a few months."
"Mess?"
"Well, you must admit, I think, Captain Shaeffer, that you
did--well--make negotiations extremely difficult, in view of the, ah,
present temper of the populace.
"You see, Earth would like to have a stable and responsible government.
A government, that is, which can see larger issues in perspective.
Not one which must devote its full time to coping with a group of
unpatriotic anarchists running loose in the streets."
"What's he saying?" Ge-Ge asked.
"As it is now," Gene Gibson continued, "we do have several rather
difficult problems. I think we'll probably have to quarantine Itra
for a few months until the Party Leader himself can form a stable
organizational structure. Somehow news of our trade discussions have
leaked out and for some reason has resulted in a general work stoppage.
So you see? By God, I'll just come right out and say it: Shaeffer,
you've left us one hell of a mess!"
With that, Gene Gibson departed.
"What did he say?" Ge-Ge asked meekly. But Shaeffer only shook his head.
The following day, the ship's captain came to pay a courtesy call.
"A very neat piece of work, Merle. Your new assignment just came in, by
the way, on the space radio."
"New assignment? Ge-Ge and I are on our way back to Earth."
"No, you're not. We're to drop you off at Midway for transhipment to
Folger's Hill. It's a new planet. You're to be Earth representative to
the people of Folger's Hill. The first shipload of colonists arrived
about a month ago."
"I see," Capt. Shaeffer said.
"The salary's good," the ship's captain said.
"Suppose I don't want to go?"
"I've got orders to leave you at Midway. I'd want to go if I were you.
They want you out of the way for a little while. You can't fight it.
You've been appointed a General in the Defense Forces, so you're now
under military law--and it's an order."