Read Online One Was Stubbron by L. Ron Hubbard - Free Book Online Page B

and had declared himself master of Russia and the world. The United States was now addressed in uncompromising fashion by Slavinsky and ordered to do two things.
    One, immediately to prepare a land, sea and air attack on Russia—one city in the United States or one city in Russia to pay for the first use of atom bombs by either—in order to secure the government of that nation to Slavinsky. And two, to send instantly a long list of needed supplies by one of the spaceships known to be ready in the United States. Angel knew that he was to be interested in “two.”
    â€œThis situation,” said the president, “is unparalleled.” And with that understatement, continued, “Unless we comply we will lose all our cities and still have to obey. We are insufficiently decentralized to avoid these orders.
    â€œHumiliated or not, we must proceed to save ourselves. Slavinsky holds the moon and is armed with plentiful atom rockets. And he who holds the moon, we learn too late, controls all the Earth below.
    â€œWe are asking you,” he continued, “to take the supplies to the moon. We have secretly loaded a spaceship with the required items and need only one officer and two men as crew.
    â€œThe reason we send you at all is to ensure the arrival of the supplies in case of breakage on the way and, more important, in the hope that Slavinsky will let you go and you can bring back data which, if accurate enough, may possibly aide us to destroy Slavinsky and his men.”
    â€œMr. President,” said the secretary of state, “we have chosen this man not for valor but for reliability. I think it was our intention that whoever we sent should attempt no heroics which would anger Slavinsky. I think Lieutenant May should be so warned.”
    â€œYes, yes,” said the president. “This is of the utmost importance. You are only to return if Slavinsky permits it. You are to attempt no heroics. For if you failed in them we would pay the price. Am I understood in that, Lieutenant?”
    Angel said he was.
    â€œNow then,” said the president, “the spaceship is waiting and, when you have picked your two crewmen and Commander Dawson gives the word, you can leave. These dispatches”—and he took up a sheaf of them—“are for General Slavinsky and may be considered important only as routine diplomatic exchanges.”
    Angel took the package and stood up.
    â€œOne thing more,” said the admiral. “You will be carrying a small pilot rocket aboard. You will take the rolls from the automatic recording machines, place them in it just before you reach the moon and launch the missile back to Earth before landing. If we have enough data, though it is a forlorn hope, we may someday fight Slavinsky.”
    â€œI doubt it,” said the secretary of state, “but I won’t oppose your thirst for data, admiral.”
    They shook hands with the president and then Angel found himself back in the Cadillac, rolling through the rush-hour traffic of Washington. Soon they made it to the Fourteenth Street Bridge and went rocketing into Virginia to a secret takeoff field.
    â€œCould you get me master sergeants Whittaker and Boyd?” said Angel timidly to the general.
    â€œI’ll have them picked up on the way by the barracks,” said the general. “No word of this to anyone though.”
    â€œYes, sir,” said Angel.
    When darkness had come at the secret field Commander Dawson turned up with a briefcase full of calculations from the US Naval Observatory and began to check instruments.
    â€œTwo o’clock,” he told the general.
    â€œTwo o’clock,” said the general to Angel.
    Angel walked out of the hangar and joined Whittaker and Boyd.
    Whittaker spat reflectively into the dust. “I shore miss the brass band this time, Lootenant.”
    â€œAnd the dames,” said Boyd. “Boy, how I’d like me a drink. We got time