The Hungarian shrugged. "The Proletarian Paradise maintains two
armies, major. One of veterans, for defense against potential foreign
foes, and named the Glorious Invincible Red Army--"
"Or, the Red Army, for short," one of the lieutenants murmured dryly.
"... And the other composed of less experienced proletarians and their
techno-intellectual, and sometimes even Party, officers. This is our
Pink Army."
"Wait a moment," Joe said. "What's a proletarian?"
The lieutenant who had protested the Sov officer's summation of the
reasons for the West-world fracases, laughed dryly.
Kossuth stared at Joe. "You _are_ poorly founded in the background of
the Sov-world, major."
Joe said, "Deliberately, Colonel Kossuth. When I learned of my
assignment, I deliberately avoided cramming unsifted information. I
decided it would be more desirable to get my information at the
source, uncontaminated by our own West-world propaganda."
[Illustration]
One of the stiff-necked twins, both of whom Joe was beginning to find
a bit _too_ stereotyped West-world adherents, said, "Sir, I must
protest. The West does not utilize propaganda."
"Of course not," Kossuth said, taking his turn at a dry tone. He said
to Joe, "I admire your decision. Obviously, a correct one. Major, a
proletarian is, well, you could say, ah--"
"A Low-Lower," Andersen or Dickson said.
"Not exactly," the Sov protested. "Let us put it this way. Marx once
wrote that when true Socialism had arrived, the formula would be from
each according to his abilities and to each according to his needs.
Unhappily, due to the fact that the Proletarian Paradise is surrounded
by potential enemies, we have not as yet established this formula.
Instead, it is now from each according to his abilities and to each
according to his contribution. Consequently, the most useful members
of our society are drawn into the ranks of the Party, and,
contributing the most, are most highly rewarded. The Party consists of
somewhat less than one per cent of the population."
"And is for all practical purposes, hereditary," Anderson or Dickson
said.
Kossuth, in indignation, parroted, unknowingly, the lieutenant's
earlier words. "That, sir, is simply not true."
Joe said, soothing over the ruffled waters, "And the ... what did you
call them ... techno-intellectuals?"
"They are the second most useful members of society. Our technicians,
scientists--although many of these are members of the Party, of
course--teachers, artists, Pink and Red Army officers, and so forth."
Max looked around from the front seat. "Well, gee, that sounds just
about like Uppers, Middles and Lowers to me."
Joe Mauser cleared his throat and said to the Hungarian who was
glaring at Max. "And the Pink Army?"
But Kossuth bit out to Max, "Don't be silly, my man. There are no
classes in the Proletarian Paradise."
"Yeah," Max said, "and back in the West-world we got People's
Capitalism and the people own the corporations. Yeah."
"That'll be all, Max," Joe said, getting in before the two lieutenants
could snap something at the fiesty little man. Joe had already decided
that the lieutenants were both Uppers, and was somewhat surprised at
their lowly rank.
Kossuth brought his attention back to Joe. "We're almost to our
destination, Major Mauser. However, briefly, some of the more recent
additions to the Sov-world, particularly in the more backward areas of
southern Asia, have not quite adjusted to the glories of the
Proletarian Paradise."
Both of the lieutenants chuckled softly.
Kossuth said, "So it is found necessary to dispatch punitive
expeditions against them. A current such expedition is in the Kunlun
Mountains in that area once known as Sinkiang to the north, Tibet to
the south. Kirghiz and Kazakhs nomads in the region persist in
rejecting the Party and its program. The Pink Army is in the process
of eliminating these reactionary elements."
Joe was puzzled. He said, "You mean, in all these years you haven't
been able to clean up such small elements of enemies?"
Kossuth said stuffily, "My dear major, please recall that we are
limited to the use of weapons pre-1900 in accord with the Universal
Disarmament Pact. To be blunt, it is quite evident that foreign
elements smuggle weapons into Tibet and other points where rebellion
flares, so that on some occasions our Pink Army is confronted with
enemies better armed than themselves. These bandits, of course, are
not under the jurisdiction of the International Commission and while
we are limited, they are not."
"Besides," one of the lieutenants said, "They don't want to clean them
up. If they did, the Sov equivalent of the fracas buff wouldn't be
able to spend his time at the Telly watching the progress of the
Glorious Pink Army against the reactionary foe."
Joe, under his breath, parroted the words of the Sov officer. "That,
sir, is simply not true."
Max, who had largely been staring bug-eyed out the window at the
passing scene, said, "Hey, the car's stopping. Is this it?"