The Worlds Of Robert A Heinlein

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The Worlds Of Robert A Heinlein Page 20

by Robert A. Heinlein

was still on duty. I first heard about it from my secretary when I returned

  to my office, and at once hurried into Manning's office.

  There was a curious unreality to that meeting. It seemed to me that we had

  slipped back to that day when I returned from England, the day that Estelle

  Karst died. He looked up. "Hello John," he said.

  I put my hand on his shoulder. "Don't take it so hard, chief," was all I

  could think of to say.

  Forty-eight hours later came the message from the newly sworn-in President

  for Manning to report to him. I took it in to him, an official dispatch

  which I decoded. Manning read it, face impassive.

  "Are you going, chief?" I asked.

  "Eh? Why, certainly."

  I went back into my office, and got my topcoat, gloves, and brief case.

  Manning looked up when I came back in. "Never mind, John," he said. "You're

  not going." I guess I must have looked stubborn, for he added, "You're not

  to go because there is work to do here. Wait a minute."

  He went to his safe, twiddled the dials, opened it and removed a sealed

  envelope which he threw on the desk between us. "Here are your orders. Get

  busy."

  He went out as I was opening them. I read them through and got busy. There

  was little enough time.

  The new president received Manning standing and in the company of several

  of his bodyguard and intimates. Manning recognized the senator who had led

  the movement to use the Patrol to recover expropriated holdings in South

  America and Rhodesia, as well as the chairman of the committee on aviation

  with whom he had had several unsatisfactory conferences in an attempt to

  work out a modus operandi for reinstituting commercial airlines.

  "You're prompt, I see," said the President. "Good."

  Manning bowed.

  "We might as well come straight to the point," the Chief Executive went on.

  "There are going to be some changes of policy in the administration. I want

  your resignation."

  "I am sorry to have to refuse, sir."

  'Well see about that. In the meantime, Colonel Manning, your are relieved

  from duty."

  "Mr. Commissioner Manning, if you please."

  The new President shrugged. "One or the other, as you please. You are

  relieved, either way."

  '1 am sorry to disagree again. My appointment is for life."

  "That's enough," was the answer. "This is the United States of America.

  There can be no higher authority. You are under arrest"

  I can visualize Manning staring steadily at him for a long moment, then

  answering slowly, "You are physically able to arrest me, I will concede,

  but I advise you to wait a few minutes." He stepped to the window. "Look up

  into the sky."

  Six bombers of the Peace Commission patrolled over the Capitol. "None of

  those pilots are American born," Manning added slowly. "If you confine me,

  none of us here in this room will live out the day."

  There were incidents thereafter, such as the unfortunate affair at Fort

  Benning three days later, and the outbreak in the wing of the Patrol based

  in Lisbon and its resultant wholesale dismissals, but for practical

  purposes, that was all there was to the coup d' etat.

  Manning was the undisputed military dictator of the world.

  Whether or not any man as universally hated as Manning can perfect the

  Patrol he envisioned, make it self-perpetuating and trustworthy, I don't

  know, and�because of that week of waiting in a buried English hangar�I

  won't be here to find out. Manning's heart disease makes the outcome even

  more uncertain�he may last another twenty years; he may keel over dead

  tomorrow�and there is no one to take his place. I've set this down partly

  to occupy the short time I have left and partly to show there is another

  side to any story, even world dominion.

  Not that I would like the outcome, either way. If there is anything to this

  survival-after-death business, I am going to look up the man who invented

  the bow and arrow and take him apart with my bare hands. For myself, I

  can't be happy in a world where any man, or group of men, has the power of

  death over you and me, our neighbors, every human, every animal, every

  living thing. I don't like anyone to have that kind of power.

  And neither does Manning.

 

 

 


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