Read Online Sixth Column by Robert A. Heinlein - Free Book Online Page B

his error plainly enough now; it was small solace to him that it had been
    another's mistake which had resulted in the massacres-he felt symbolically
    guilty.
    But the problem remained with him. He knew now that he had been right
    when he had decided on a sixth column. A sixth column! Something which
    would conform in every superficial way to the pattern set up by the rulers, yet
    which would have in it the means of their eventual downfall. It might take
    years, but there must be no repetition of the ghastly mistake of direct action.
    He knew intuitively that somewhere in Thomas' report was the idea he
    needed. He played it back again and again, but still he couldn't get it, even
    though he now knew it by heart. "They are systematically stamping out
    everything that is typically American in culture. The schools are gone, so are
    the newspapers. It is a capital offense to print anything in English. They have
    announced the early establishment of a system of translators for all business
    correspondence into their language; in the meantime all mail must be
    approved as necessary. All meetings are forbidden except religious
    meetings."
    "I suppose that is a result of their experience in India. Keeps the slaves
    quiet." That was his own voice, sounding strange in reproduction.
    "I suppose so, sir. Isn't it an historical fact that all successful empires
    have tolerated the local religions, no matter what else they suppressed?"
    "I suppose so. Go ahead."
    "The real strength of their system, I believe, is in their method of
    registration. They apparently were all set to put it into force, and pressed
    forward on that to the exclusion of other matters. It's turned the United States
    into one big prison camp in which it is almost impossible to move or
    communicate without permission from the jailers."
    Words, words, and more words! He had played them over so many times
    that the significance was almost lost. Perhaps there was nothing in the
    report, after all-nothing but his imagination.
    He responded to a knock at the door. It was Thomas. "They asked me to
    speak to you, sir," he said diffidently.
    "What about?"
    "Well--they are all gathered in the common room. They'd like to talk with
    you."
    Another conference-and not of his choosing, this time. Well, he would
    have to go. "Tell them I will be in shortly."
    "Yes, sir."
    After Thomas had gone, he sat for a moment, then went to a drawer and
    took out his service side arm. He could smell mutiny in the very fact that
    someone had dared to call a general meeting without his permission. He
    buckled it on, then tried the slide and the change, and stood looking at it.
    Presently he unbuckled it and put it back into the drawer. It wouldn't help him
    in this mess.
    He entered, sat down in his chair at the head of the table, and waited.
    "Well?"
    Brooks glanced around to see if anyone else wished to answer, cleared
    his throat, and said, "Uh-we wanted to ask you if you had any plan for us to
    follow."
    "I do not have-as yet."
    "Then we do have!" It was Calhoun.
    "Yes, Colonel?"
    "There is no sense in hanging around here with our hands tied. We have
    the strongest weapons the world has ever seen, but they need men to
    operate them. "
    "Well?"
    "We are going to evacuate and go to South America! There we can find
    a government which will be interested in superior weapons."
    "What good will that do the United States?"
    "It's obvious. The empire undoubtedly intends to extend its sway over
    this entire hemisphere. We can interest them in a preventive war. Or perhaps
    we can raise up an army of refugees."
    "No!"
    "I am afraid you can't help yourself, Major." The tone held malicious
    satisfaction.
    He turned to Thomas. "Are you with them on this?"
    Thomas looked unhappy. "I had hoped that you would have a better
    plan, sir."
    "And you, Dr. Brooks?"
    "Well-it seems feasible. I feel much as Thomas does."
    "Graham?"
    The man gave him answer by silence. Wilkie looked up and then