"Perhaps. Let's have it."
"First, I want to remind you of our circumstances," Curry said. "The
ship will never lift again and we're marooned here for centuries to
come. You know what the reaction of the Outlanders will be."
The Outlanders were the outcasts of a society that could not
tolerate individuality. Two hundred years before the complexities of
civilization had combined technocracy with integration and produced
Technogration. Technogration had abolished race, creed and color,
nations and borders, had welded all into a common mass and prohibited
all individual pursuits that did not contribute to the Common Good. The
Outlanders, refusing to come under Technograte domination, lived as
best they could in the deserts, plateaus and jungles that Technogration
could not use. The ones on the ship had been bound for Capella Five
where men accustomed to wrestling a living from hostile environments
were needed. Under such circumstances Outlanders were given certain
rights and freedoms. Until they were no longer needed. Then, again,
they became a people without a world....
"For two hundred years the Outlanders have hated Technogration and
wanted a world where they could set up their own archaic form of
society," Curry said. "Now, those down there will think their millenium
has arrived and they can refuse to recognize Technograte authority."
"I see," Thane said. "And you want my cooperation so that Technogration
won't fall by the wayside?"
"Your willingness to accept a subordinate position would give me an
intact force of both crewmen and Guardsmen." Curry's lips thinned. "But
there will be Technogration, with or without your support. There will
be no retrogression back into the Outlanders' hallowed Dark Ages."
"There is no argument--we both want Technogration," Thane said. "We
only disagree over who should be in command."
"There is a slight difference in our qualifications. Your present rank
was gained by your ability to kill and not by loyalty to Technogration."
"Yes, of course," Thane agreed. "We'll say that I'm a materialistic
opportunist while you're a noble idealist. But it's still the same
identical whip that we're both going to reach for."
"As I said, I would prefer a peaceful transfer of your Guardsmen to my
command. But my crewmen outnumber them almost two to one and they are
expendable if necessary." The thin smile came back, almost mocking in
its confidence. "You haven't much choice but to cooperate and accept a
subordinate role, have you?"
The subordinate role would be very brief; it would end with a blaster
beam in the back as soon as the Guardsmen were transferred to Curry's
command....
"Try again, Curry. I can't bite on that one."
The smile faded from Curry's face, leaving it icily cold. "That was the
only opportunity you'll ever get."
The howling sounded again in the forest and Thane said:
"We understand each other, now. But the Outlanders are unarmed and
it may require our full forces to hold off whatever is out there. I
suggest a truce until morning."
The iciness remained on Curry's face and he did not reply at once.
"Perhaps you are right. You will order your men to observe a truce for
the rest of the night."
He turned back to his camp.
Thane made the rounds where his guards patrolled with their
searchlights probing out into the darkness. All of Curry's men but two
had been added to reinforce the guard ring around the Outlander camp;
most of the crewmen along the east and south lines, leaving the more
experienced Guardsmen to patrol the two lines facing the forest.
Guardsmen and crewmen patrolled in silence, watching one another with
the calculating regard of men who knew they might soon be ordered to
kill one another. Apparently it was obvious to all of them that two
officers of equal rank was a situation that could not for long exist.
His return to his camp took him through the scattered camp fires of the
Outlanders. There were not many men to be seen; most of the survivors
were women and children whom the Outlander leader had ordered into the
safer inner compartments when the ship began breaking up.
Thane met him at the second fire; a gaunt old man with a jutting gray
beard and sharp blue eyes under bristling gray brows. He stepped out
from the fire and spoke:
"Captain Thane--I'd like to ask a question."