Ronald Black said, "I fail to see why you've kept this quiet. You
needn't have given away any secrets. Meanwhile the wave of public
criticism at the government's seeming hesitancy to take action on the
discovery--that is, to rush protection to the threatened Territorial
Segments--has reached almost alarming proportions. You could have
stopped it before it began two months ago with a single announcement."
"Well, yes," Cranehart said. "There were other considerations.
Incidentally, Mr. Black, we are not unappreciative of the fact that the
news media under your own control exercised a generous restraint in the
matter."
"For which," Black said dryly, "I am now very thankful."
"As for the others," Cranehart went on, "the government has survived
periods of criticism before. That is not important. The important thing
is that the Geest War has been with us for more than a human life span
now ... and it becomes difficult for many to bear in mind that until its
conclusion no acts that might reduce our ability to prosecute it can be
tolerated."
Ronald Black said slowly, "So you've been delaying the announcement
until you could find out who was responsible for the hoax."
"We were interested," Cranehart said, "only in the important men--the
dangerous men. We don't care much who else is guilty of what. This, you
see, is a matter of expediency, not of justice." He looked for a moment
at the politely questioning, somewhat puzzled faces across the desk,
went on, "When you leave this room, each of you will be conducted to an
office where you will be given certain papers to sign. That is the first
step."
* * *
There was silence for some seconds. Ronald Black took a cigarette from a
platinum case, tapped it gently on the desk, put it to his mouth and lit
it. Cranehart went on, "It would have been impossible to unravel this
particular conspiracy if the forgery had been immediately exposed. At
that time, no one had taken any obvious action. Then, within a few
days--with the discovery apparently confirmed by our silence--normal
maneuverings in industry and finance were observed to be under way. If a
major shift in war policy was pending, if one or more key bases were to
be established in Territorial Segments previously considered beyond the
range of Geest reconnaissance and therefore secure from attack, this
would be to somebody's benefit on Earth."
"Isn't it always?" Black murmured.
"Of course. It's a normal procedure, ordinarily of no concern to
government. It can be predicted with considerable accuracy to what
group or groups the ultimate advantage in such a situation will go. But
in these past weeks, it became apparent that somebody else was winning
out ... somebody who could have won out only on the basis of careful and
extensive preparation for this very situation.
"That was abnormal, and it was the appearance of an abnormal pattern for
which we had been waiting. We find there are seven men involved. These
men will be deprived of the advantage they have gained."
Ronald Black shook his head, said, "You're making a mistake, Cranehart.
I'm signing no papers."
"Nor I," Sanford said thickly.
Cranehart rubbed the side of his nose with a fingertip, said
meditatively, "You won't be forced to. Not directly." He nodded at the
window. "On the landing flange out there is an aircar. It is possible
that this aircar will be found wrecked in the mountains some four
hundred miles north of here early tomorrow morning. Naturally, we have a
satisfactory story prepared to cover such an eventuality."