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recruits we'll add to the battalion, I'll undertake to face your forty
thousand Freedom Party people. The guerrilla problem will be somewhat more
severe, but we control all the food distribution in the city. With ration
cards and identity papers it should not be difficult to set up controls."
Hamner laughed. It was a bitter laugh. "You want to tell him, Ernie?"
Bradford looked confused. "Tell him what?"
Hamner laughed again. "Not doing your homework. It's in the morning report for
a couple of days ago. The Colonial Office has decided, on the advice of
BuRelock, that Hadley does not need any military weapons. The CD Marines will
be lucky to keep their rifles and bayonets. All the rest of their gear goes
out with the CD ships."
"But this is insane." Bradford protested. He turned to Falkenberg. "Why would
they do that?"
Falkenberg shrugged. "Perhaps some Freedom Party manager got to a Colonial
Office official.
I assume they are not above bribery?"
"Of course not," Bradford said. "We've got to do something!"
"If we can. I suspect it will not be easy." Falkenberg pursed his lips into a
tight line. "I hadn't counted on this. It means that if we tighten up control
through food rationing and identity documents, we face armed rebellion. How
well organized are these FP partisans, anyway?"
"Well organized and well financed," Hamner said. "And I'm not so sure about
ration cards being the answer to the guerrilla problem anyway. The CoDominium
was able to put up with a lot of sabotage because they weren't interested in
anything but the mines, but we can't live with the level of terror we have
right now in this city. Some way or other we have to restore order -
and justice, for that matter."
"Justice isn't something soldiers ordinarily deal with," Falkenberg said.
"Order's another matter. That I think we can supply."
"With a few hundred men?" Hamner's voice was incredulous. "But I like your
attitude. At least you don't sit around and whine for somebody to help you. Or
sit and think and never make up your mind."
"We will see what we can do," Falkenberg said.
"Yeah." Hamner got up and went to the door. "Well, I wanted to meet you,
Colonel. Now I
have. I've got work to do. I'd think Ernie does too, but I don't notice him
doing much of it." He didn't look at them again, but went out, leaving the
door open.
"You see," Bradford said. He closed the door gently. His smile was knowing.
"He is useless.
We'll find someone to deal with the technicians as soon as you've got
everything else under control."
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"He seemed to be right on some points," Falkenberg said. "For example, he
knows it won't be easy to get proper police protection established. I saw an
example of what goes on in Refuge on the way here, and if it's that bad all
over - "
"You'll find a way," Bradford said. He seemed certain. "You can recruit quite
a large force, you know. And a lot of the lawlessness is nothing more than
teenage street gangs. They're not loyal to anything. Freedom Party, us, the
CD, or anything else. They merely want to control the block they live on."
"Sure. But they're hardly the whole problem." "No. But you'll find a way. And
forget Hamner.
His whole group is rotten. They're not real Progressives, that's all." His
voice was emphatic, and his eyes seemed to shine. Bradford lowered his voice
and leaned forward. "Hamner used to be in
the Freedom Party, you know. He claims to have broken with them over
technology policies, but you can never trust a man like that."
"I see. Fortunately, I don't have to trust him." Bradford beamed. "Precisely.
Now let's get you started. You have a lot of work, and don't forget now,
you've already agreed to train some party troops for me."
VII
THE ESTATE WAS large, nearly five kilometers on a side, located in low hills a
day's march from the city of Refuge. There was a central house and barns, all
made of local wood that resembled oak. The buildings nestled in a wooded bowl
in the center of the estate.
"You're sure you won't need anything more?" Lieutenant Banners asked.
"No, thank you," Falkenberg said. "The few men we have with us carry their own
gear. We'll have to arrange for food and fuel when the others come, but for
now we'll make do."
"All right, sir," Banners said. "I'll go back with Mowrer and leave you the
car, then. And you've the animals. ..."
"Yes. Thank you, Lieutenant."
Banners saluted and got into the car. He started to say something else, but
Falkenberg had turned away and Banners drove off the estate.
Calvin watched him leave. "That's a curious one," he said. "Reckon he'd like
to know more about what we're doing."
Falkenberg's lips twitched into a thin smile. "I expect he would at that. You
will see to it that he learns no more than we want him to."
"Aye aye, sir. Colonel, what was that Mr. Bradford was saying about Party
troopers? We going to have many of them?"
"I think so." Falkenberg walked up the wide lawn toward the big ranch house.
Captain Fast and several of the others were waiting on the porch, and there
was a bottle of whiskey on the table.
Falkenberg poured a drink and tossed it off. "I think we'll have quite a few
Progressive Party loyalists here once we start, Calvin. I'm not looking
forward to it, but they were inevitable."
"Sir?" Captain Fast had been listening quietly.
Falkenberg gave him a half-smile. "Do you really think the governing
authorities are going to hand over a monopoly of military force to us?"
"You think they don't trust us."
"Amos, would you trust us?"
"No sir," Captain Fast said. "But we could hope."
"We will not accomplish our mission on hope, Captain. Sergeant Major."
"Sir."
"I have an errand for you later this evening. For the moment, find someone to
take me to my quarters and then see about our dinner." "Sir."
Falkenberg woke to a soft rapping on the door of his room. He opened his eyes
and put his hand on the pistol under his pillow, but made no other movement.
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The rap came again. "Yes," Falkenberg called softly.
"I'm back, Colonel," Calvin answered.
"Right, Come in." Falkenberg swung his feet out of his bunk and pulled on his
boots. He was fully dressed otherwise.
Sergeant Major Calvin came in. He was dressed in the light synthetic leather
tunic and trousers of the CD Marine battledress. The total black of a night
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