"The size of our expedition is limited. We could hardly do everything
at once. The Soviet complex, as you call it, is the largest government
and the most advanced on Earth. Obviously, this was our first stop."
His eyes went to Hank's. "You're an American. Do you know why you have
fallen behind in the march of progress?"
"I'm not sure we have," Hank said flatly. "Do you mean in comparison
with the Soviet complex?"
"Exactly. And if you don't realize it, then you've blinded yourself.
You've fallen behind in a score of fields because a decade or so ago,
in your years between 1957 and 1960, you made a disastrous decision.
In alarm at Russian progress, you adopted a campaign of combating
Russian science. You began educating your young people to combat
Russian progress."
"We had to!"
The alien grunted. "To the contrary, what you should have done was try
to excel Russian science, technology and industry. Had you done that
you might have continued to be the world's leading nation, until, at
least, some sort of world unity had been achieved. By deciding to
_combat_ Russian progress you became a retarding force, a deliberate
drag on the development of your species, seeking to cripple and
restrain rather than to grow and develop. The way to win a race is not
to trip up your opponent, but to run faster and harder than he."
Hank stared at him.
The space alien came to his feet. "I am busy. Your missions, I
assume, have been successfully completed. You have seen one of our
group. Melodramatically, you have warned us against your enemy. Your
superiors should be gratified. And now I shall summon a guide to
return you to your hotels."
A great deal went out of Hank Kuran. Until now the tenseness had been
greater than he had ever remembered in life. Now he was limp. In
response, he nodded.
Loo sighed, returned the weapon which he had until now held in his
hand to a shoulder holster. "Yes," he said, meaninglessly. He turned
and looked at Hank Kuran wryly. "I have spent the better part of my
life learning to be an ultra-efficient security operative. I suspect
that my job has just become obsolete."
"I have an idea that perhaps mine is too," Hank said.
* * * * *
In the morning, the Progressive Tours group was scheduled to visit a
co-operative farm, specializing in poultry, on the outskirts of
Moscow. While the bus was loading Hank stopped off at the Grand
Hotel's Intourist desk.
"Can I send a cable to the United States?"
The chipper Intourist girl said "But of course." She handed him a
form.
He wrote quickly:
SHERIDAN HENNESSEY
WASHINGTON, D. C.