Read Online One and Wonder by Evan Filipek - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Evan Filipek
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blast off, now?”
“You will remain where you are,” Hudd said. “Get in touch with the inhabitants, if you can. Offer apologies and compensation for the killing. Stall for time. Find out all you can about the weapons, the military establishment, and the government of the inhabitants.” Lord gulped uneasily, nodding.
“Post a reward for Cameron.” Hudd's big mouth set hard. “My mistake, to trust him. Get hold of him. Use extreme interrogation. Make him talk, then liquidate him. He has gone too far.”
Hudd shook his head regretfully.
“Too bad,” he added. “I always liked him.”
I felt cold and ill. Hudd's loud words had struck me like numbing blows. That harsh command was no surprise to me, but it brought me a dull sickness of regret, because I had failed Cameron when he asked me to go with him.
Lord was protesting again:
“Mr. Hudd, I think we'll be attacked—”
“I'll support you,” Hudd assured him, and turned to speak to his signal officer: “Change the scramble code—we don't know who is trying to listen.”
The unseen officer on the flagship droned out a code number, repeating each digit. Our officer droned it back. The screen darkened, flickered. Then the image of Hudd came back, huge and resolute, declaring:
“Whatever happens, Victor, I intend to restore the Directorate. I am taking prompt action, to that end. The Valley Forge and the Hiroshima are proceeding to the moon. They will land a new garrison, with the necessary repairs to bring Fort America back into effectiveness. The Yorktown, the Rio Plata and the Leningrad will stand by, spaced on an orbit ten thousand miles from the earth, to relay communications and bombard any targets we discover.
“With the Great Director, I'm coming to earth.”
Lord licked his thin, colorless lips.
“You're too daring, Mr. Hudd,” he protested shrilly.
“It took audacity to establish the Directorate.” The great boom of Hudd's voice in the speaker visibly startled Lord. “It's worth audacity to restore it. I'm coming, at full thrust, to take personal command.”
Lord remained aboard the life-craft that night. His uneasy fancy must have dwelt upon the fused metal we had found beside that skeleton in the weeds and the sudden bolt that struck that tree as Cameron fled. Perhaps he thought of the two still bodies in the gully; no doubt he peopled the dark valley with vengeful enemies.
My own imagination, I know, was busy enough. Staring out into thethickening night, I felt myself die helpless spectator of stupendous forces sweeping grandly toward collision.
On one side, there was the Atomic Age itself, expressed in the rekindled might of Fort America, in the fine discipline of the task force, in sleek guided missiles, in the determined sagacity of Mr. Julian Hudd.
On the other side, there was that unknown power that had swept the old garrison from the moon and driven men from the cities and destroyed the Directorate. All I had seen of it was a piece of twisted wire, a blasted tree, and the change in Jim Cameron. But that was enough—I waited for the fireworks.
After dark, Captain Doyle volunteered to go back to the house.
“Mr. Hudd wants us to get in touch with the inhabitants,” he reminded Lord. “And we saw some kind of telephone.” With evident reluctance, Lord agreed.
“If you contact anybody, call for the government,” he ordered. “Offer a reward for Cameron.” His sleepy eyes glittered cunningly. “If anybody mentions those two dead peasants, we're holding them—alive—for Cameron's return.”
Doyle went down through the valves, accompanied by the signal officer to help him work the strange radiophone. They were lost in the pale moonlight among the young apple trees. They didn't come back.
After an hour, Lord sent me after them, with one of his gunmen for escort. Soft lights came on of themselves, when I opened the door. I tried to call Doyle's name, and found that my voice had gone to a grating whisper. Walking
“You will remain where you are,” Hudd said. “Get in touch with the inhabitants, if you can. Offer apologies and compensation for the killing. Stall for time. Find out all you can about the weapons, the military establishment, and the government of the inhabitants.” Lord gulped uneasily, nodding.
“Post a reward for Cameron.” Hudd's big mouth set hard. “My mistake, to trust him. Get hold of him. Use extreme interrogation. Make him talk, then liquidate him. He has gone too far.”
Hudd shook his head regretfully.
“Too bad,” he added. “I always liked him.”
I felt cold and ill. Hudd's loud words had struck me like numbing blows. That harsh command was no surprise to me, but it brought me a dull sickness of regret, because I had failed Cameron when he asked me to go with him.
Lord was protesting again:
“Mr. Hudd, I think we'll be attacked—”
“I'll support you,” Hudd assured him, and turned to speak to his signal officer: “Change the scramble code—we don't know who is trying to listen.”
The unseen officer on the flagship droned out a code number, repeating each digit. Our officer droned it back. The screen darkened, flickered. Then the image of Hudd came back, huge and resolute, declaring:
“Whatever happens, Victor, I intend to restore the Directorate. I am taking prompt action, to that end. The Valley Forge and the Hiroshima are proceeding to the moon. They will land a new garrison, with the necessary repairs to bring Fort America back into effectiveness. The Yorktown, the Rio Plata and the Leningrad will stand by, spaced on an orbit ten thousand miles from the earth, to relay communications and bombard any targets we discover.
“With the Great Director, I'm coming to earth.”
Lord licked his thin, colorless lips.
“You're too daring, Mr. Hudd,” he protested shrilly.
“It took audacity to establish the Directorate.” The great boom of Hudd's voice in the speaker visibly startled Lord. “It's worth audacity to restore it. I'm coming, at full thrust, to take personal command.”
Lord remained aboard the life-craft that night. His uneasy fancy must have dwelt upon the fused metal we had found beside that skeleton in the weeds and the sudden bolt that struck that tree as Cameron fled. Perhaps he thought of the two still bodies in the gully; no doubt he peopled the dark valley with vengeful enemies.
My own imagination, I know, was busy enough. Staring out into thethickening night, I felt myself die helpless spectator of stupendous forces sweeping grandly toward collision.
On one side, there was the Atomic Age itself, expressed in the rekindled might of Fort America, in the fine discipline of the task force, in sleek guided missiles, in the determined sagacity of Mr. Julian Hudd.
On the other side, there was that unknown power that had swept the old garrison from the moon and driven men from the cities and destroyed the Directorate. All I had seen of it was a piece of twisted wire, a blasted tree, and the change in Jim Cameron. But that was enough—I waited for the fireworks.
After dark, Captain Doyle volunteered to go back to the house.
“Mr. Hudd wants us to get in touch with the inhabitants,” he reminded Lord. “And we saw some kind of telephone.” With evident reluctance, Lord agreed.
“If you contact anybody, call for the government,” he ordered. “Offer a reward for Cameron.” His sleepy eyes glittered cunningly. “If anybody mentions those two dead peasants, we're holding them—alive—for Cameron's return.”
Doyle went down through the valves, accompanied by the signal officer to help him work the strange radiophone. They were lost in the pale moonlight among the young apple trees. They didn't come back.
After an hour, Lord sent me after them, with one of his gunmen for escort. Soft lights came on of themselves, when I opened the door. I tried to call Doyle's name, and found that my voice had gone to a grating whisper. Walking
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