Read Online Einstein Must Die! (Fate of Nations Book 1) by Chris Kohout - Free Book Online Page A

deep pause, though. A pacifist by nature and by training, he hated war for its ability to derail human progress. When nations chose to fight, more was lost than men. Resources that could fuel new discoveries instead went to bullets and bandages. Time that could be spent investigating the universe was instead squandered on espionage, conflict, and empty political promises.
    For a moment he thought he could change all that, but his father’s voice chastised him for such hubris. Man was a violent creature, and always would be.  
    Tesla agreed that violence was a potent ingredient in man’s makeup, but that didn’t mean it must dominate. After all, men had created the rule of law. It wasn’t always that way, but it was now. Progress was possible, even if maddeningly slow.
    Perhaps technology had an important role to play on the military stage? If nations could settle their differences with machines rather than men, wouldn’t that be a vast improvement? And didn’t he have a moral duty to further that cause, if he could?
    The pigeons were enjoying their meal, he could tell. They were single-minded creatures, and in that moment, he envied them their simplicity. No wrestling with moral dilemmas. Just enjoying their bread.
    The work would be well paid, he was sure. He could repay Mrs. Harrison’s kindness with welcome cash. And the job would be a resounding response to Edison’s smear campaign against him. In a flash he would leapfrog over the engineering jobs he’d recently begged for.  
    But he would still be working for the government, and he had rarely known governments to act honorably. Individually, a country’s leaders were typically good men. But when brought together as a collective, moral accountability had a way of fading away, like morning fog under the sunrise.
    The bread was almost gone. He tore it into three last pieces and offered it to the pigeons. They gulped the pieces down quickly, then idled about, content to keep him company even without enticement.
    He shivered, realizing the late-afternoon air was turning cool, and pulled his jacket tighter around him. The weight of his options pressed upon him, and a small frown formed on his lips.
    He ran a hand through his hair and saw a military man approaching him. Older, but walking with a deliberate grace. The man smiled as he neared, then called out.
    “You seem a man with much on his mind.” The officer grew closer, and Tesla recognized the rank insignia of colonel.
    Tesla stood. “And you must be Savannah’s father, the strategist.” He stuffed his hands into his jacket pockets to avoid another handshake.
    “That I am,” said the man. He seemed kindly, more grandfather than military officer. He noted Tesla’s reluctance to touch, and nodded his greeting instead. “I was told you come here to think. Sorry I didn’t catch you back in the Rabbit Hole. I imagine you have a lot to think about after your visit.”
    Tesla drew a deep breath and released it. “A fair assessment,” he admitted. “To be honest, I’m not sure how I feel.”
    Colonel Browning nodded sagely. “Something we have in common, as far as this venture is concerned.”
    At Tesla’s questioning look, the colonel wrapped his arms around himself. “Getting cold. My bones could do with a shot of whiskey. Don’t suppose you know a good place?”
    Tesla guessed this man already knew much about him, including where he liked to drink.  
    But the idea did have merit.

MAJOR THOMAS ARRIVES

    Major Archibald Thomas lay in his rack, unable to sleep, staring at the small cabin’s ceiling. Thankfully, the wild heaving of the ship had calmed considerably as they neared land. The captain predicted landfall today, and the men were beyond restless. They’d been crammed together at a density the ship wasn’t designed for. He’d kept them as busy as he could, cleaning and repairing the ship alongside the captain’s crew, but they yearned for solid ground again, and he mirrored the