Mynor opened his mouth, closed it again. No man but would prolong his
youth. Of a sudden he felt old, old.
Plekhanov turned back to Taller. "Most of the progress we have to offer
is beyond your capacity to understand. We'll give you freedom from want.
Health. We'll give you advances in every art. We'll eventually free
every citizen from drudgery, educate him, give him the opportunity to
enjoy intellectual curiosity. We'll open the stars to him. All these
things the coming of the State will eventually mean to you."
Tula's Khan was not impressed. "This you tell us, man from First Earth.
But to achieve these you plan to change every phase of our lives and we
are happy with ... Tula ... the way it is. I say this to you. There are
but eight of you and many, many of us. We do not want your ... State.
Return from whence you came."
Plekhanov shook his massive head at the other. "Whether or not _you_
want these changes they will be made. If you fail to co-operate, we will
find someone who will. I suggest you make the most of it."
Taller arose from the squat stool upon which he'd been seated. "I have
listened and I do not like what you have said. I am Khan of all the
People. Now leave in peace, or I shall order my warriors ..."
"Joe," Plekhanov said flatly. "Watson!"
Joe Chessman took his heavy gun from its holster and triggered it twice.
The roar of the explosions reverberated thunderously in the confined
space, deafening all, and terrifying the Tulans. Bright red colored the
robes the Khan wore, colored them without beauty. Bright red splattered
the floor.
Leonid Plekhanov stared at his second in command, wet his thick lips.
"Joe," he sputtered. "I hadn't ... I didn't expect you to be so ...
hasty."
Joe Chessman growled, "We've got to let them know where we stand, right
now, or they'll never hold still for us. Cover the doors, Watson,
Roberts." He motioned to the others with his head. "Cogswell, Hawkins,
Stevens, get to those windows and watch."
Taller was a crumbled heap on the floor. The other Texcocans stared at
his body in shocked horror.
All except Reif.
Reif bent down over his father's body for a moment, and then looked up,
his lips white, at Plekhanov. "He is dead."