To The Stars

It was The Hradil, standing in the doorway of the dome and using the PA system. It had to be her, the only one of the Family Heads with the sense to see that Rein was giving their game away for them — and the only one with the intelligence to react so quickly.

Rein deflated like a burst balloon, the color draining from his face. He fumbled the gun back into its holster and Jan let him leave, knowing there would be no more inadvertent help from this quarter. He would have to face The Hradil and that was never an easy thing.

“What trial was he talking about, Hradil? What did he mean I had been tried and found guilty?”

His amplified words reached out to her over the crowd, which was silent and intent now. Her voice answered the same way.

“He meant nothing. He is sick, a fever from his arm. The doctor is on his way.”

“That is good. Poor man. Then there has been no trial — I am guilty of nothing?”

The silence lengthened and he could see, even at this distance, that she wanted his death as she had wanted nothing else in her entire life. He did not move but waited like stone for her answer. It came at last.

“No… no trial!” The words were wrung from her lips.

“That’s very good. You are right, Hem is sick. Since there has been no trial and I am guilty of no crimes.” He had her now — she was committed in public. He must push the advantage. “All right, everyone, you have heard The Hradil. Now let’s get to work, the return trip starts as soon as possible”

“NO!” Her amplified voice rang out over his. “I warn you, Jan Kulozik, you have gone too far. You will be silent and obey. There will be no trip for the corn, that has been decided. You will…”

“I will not, old woman. For the good of us all it was decided that we must go for the corn. And we will.”

“I have ordered you”

She was raging now, as angry as he was, their booming voices godlike over the gaping crowd. Any appeal to law or logic was gone, any attempt to involve the spectators useless. They could not be cajoled, not now, only told. Jan reached into the turret of the tank and’ pulled out a length of cable and shook it in her direction.

“I do not take your orders. All of the tanks and engines are inoperable — and will not run again until I permit it. We are going for the corn and you cannot stop us.”

“Seize him, he is mad, kill him, I order it!”

A few people swayed forward, reluctantly, then back as Jan reached into the hatch and fed power to the fusion gun controls. The pitted bell mouth of the gun tilted up, then burst into roaring life sending a column of flame high into the air; there were screams and shouts.

The heat of fusion spoke louder than Jan ever could. The Hradil, her fingers raised like claws, leaned forward — then turned about. Rein was in her way and she pushed him aside and vanished through the door of the dome. The fiery roar died as Jan turned off the gun.

“You’ve won this one,” Ryzo said, but there was no victory in his voice. “But you must watch that one every moment now. In the end it will have to be you or her.”

“I don’t want to fight her, just change…”

“Change is defeat for her, you must never forget that. You cannot go back now, only ahead.”

Jan was suddenly weary, exhausted. “Let’s get the corn unloaded. Keep people working, so they have no time to think.”

“Ryzo,” a voice called out. “Ryzo, it’s me.” A thin, teen-aged boy climbed halfway up the tread of the tank, calling out. “Old Ledon wants to see you. Said to come at once, no waiting, very important he said.”

“My Family Head,” Ryzo said.

“It’s beginning.” Jan thought of the possible consequences. “See what he wants. But whatever he asks you to do come back here at once and let me know. He knows you’re with me, it must have to do with that.”

Ryzo jumped down and followed the boy — but the engineer Emo took his place. “I’ve come for the cables,” he said. “We’ll have to unhook the family cars first…

“No,” Jan said, almost unthinkingly, reacting by reflex. The cables, the immobilized vehicles, they were his only weapon. He had the feeling that great forces were already at work against him and he could not surrender that weapon now. “Wait a bit. Just pass the word to the others that we will meet here in… say, three hours. To go over unloading plans.”

“If you say so.

It was a long wait and Jan felt very much alone. Through the front port he could see the people moving about; ordinary enough. But not ordinary for him. He had shaken the Family Heads up, caught them off balance, won a victory. For the moment. But could he hold onto what he had gained? There was no use in speculating. He could only work to control his impatience, sit quiet and wait to find out what their next move was going to be.

“It’s not good,” Ryzo said, climbing down through the hatch.

“What do you mean?”

“Old Ledon has forbidden me to go with the trains on the second trip. Just like that.”

“He can’t stop you.”