American library books Β» Other Β» Short Fiction by Mack Reynolds (ready to read books .TXT) πŸ“•

Read book online Β«Short Fiction by Mack Reynolds (ready to read books .TXT) πŸ“•Β».   Author   -   Mack Reynolds



1 ... 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 ... 280
Go to page:
the Galactic Medal of Honor, Lieutenant?”

Don Mathers laughed. β€œHow would you?” he said.

Demming scowled. β€œI am not jesting, Lieutenant Mathers. I never jest. Obviously, I am not of the military. It would be quite impossible for me to gain such an award. But you are the pilot of a Scout.”

β€œAnd I’ve got just about as much chance of winning the Medal of Honor as I have of giving birth to triplets.”

The transportation magnate wiggled a disgustingly fat finger at him, β€œI’ll arrange for that part of it.”

Don Mathers goggled him. He blurted finally, β€œLike hell you will. There’s not enough money in the system to fiddle with the awarding of the Medal of Honor. There comes a point, Demming, where even your dough can’t carry the load.”

Demming settled back in his chair, closed his eyes and grunted, β€œTell him.”

Max Rostoff took up the ball. β€œA few days ago, Mr. Demming and I flew in from Io on one of the Interplanetary Lines freighters. As you probably know, they are completely automated. We were alone in the craft.”

β€œSo?” Without invitation, Don Mathers leaned forward and dialed himself another tequila. He made it a double this time. A feeling of excitement was growing within him, and the drinks he’d had earlier had worn away. Something very big, very, very big, was developing. He hadn’t the vaguest idea what.

β€œLieutenant, how would you like to capture a Kraden light cruiser? If I’m not incorrect, probably Miro class.”

Don laughed nervously, not knowing what the other was at but still feeling the growing excitement. He said, β€œIn all the history of the war between our species, we’ve never captured a Kraden ship intact. It’d help a lot if we could.”

β€œThis one isn’t exactly intact, but nearly so.”

Don looked from Rostoff to Demming, and then back. β€œWhat in the hell are you talking about?”

β€œIn your sector,” Rostoff said, β€œwe ran into a derelict Miro class cruiser. The crew⁠—repulsive creatures⁠—were all dead. Some thirty of them. Mr. Demming and I assumed that the craft had been hit during one of the actions between our fleet and theirs and that somehow both sides had failed to recover the wreckage. At any rate, today it is floating, abandoned of all life, in your sector.” Rostoff added softly, β€œOne has to approach quite close before any signs of battle are evident. The ship looks intact.”

Demming opened his eyes again and said, β€œAnd you’re going to capture it.”

Don Mathers bolted his tequila, licked a final drop from the edge of his lip. β€œAnd why should that rate the most difficult decoration to achieve that we’ve ever instituted?”

β€œBecause,” Rostoff told him, his tone grating mockery, β€œyou’re going to radio in reporting a Miro class Kraden cruiser. We assume your superiors will order you to stand off, that help is coming, that your tiny Scout isn’t large enough to do anything more than to keep the enemy under observation until a squadron arrives. But you will radio back that they are escaping and that you plan to attack. When your reinforcements arrive, Lieutenant, you will have conquered the Kraden, single-handed, against odds of⁠—what would you say, fifty to one?”

Don Mathers’ mouth was dry, his palms moist. He said, β€œA One Man Scout against a Miro class cruiser? At least fifty to one, Mr. Rostoff. At least.”

Demming grunted. β€œThere would be little doubt of you getting the Galactic Medal of Honor, Lieutenant, especially since Colin Casey is dead and there isn’t a living bearer of the award. Max, another drink for the Lieutenant.”

Don said, β€œLook. Why? I think you might be right about getting the award. But why, and why me, and what’s your percentage?”

Demming muttered, β€œNow we get to the point.” He settled back in his chair again and closed his eyes while his secretary took over.

Max Rostoff leaned forward, his wolfish face very serious. β€œLieutenant, the exploitation of the Jupiter satellites is in its earliest stages. There is every reason to believe that the new sources of radioactives on Callisto alone may mean the needed power edge that can give us the victory over the Kradens. Whether or not that is so, someone is going to make literally billions out of this new frontier.”

β€œI still don’t seeβ β€Šβ β€¦β€

β€œLieutenant Mathers,” Rostoff said patiently, β€œthe bearer of the Galactic Medal of Honor is above law. He carries with him an unalienable prestige of such magnitude thatβ β€Šβ β€¦ Well, let me use an example. Suppose a bearer of the Medal of Honor formed a stock corporation to exploit the pitchblende of Callisto. How difficult would it be for him to dispose of the stock?”

Demming grunted. β€œAnd suppose there were a few, ah, crossed wires in the manipulation of the corporation’s business?” He sighed deeply. β€œBelieve me, Lieutenant Mathers, there are an incredible number of laws which have accumulated down through the centuries to hamper the business man. It is a continual fight to be able to carry on at all. The ability to do no legal wrong would be priceless in the development of a new frontier.” He sighed again, so deeply as to make his bulk quiver. β€œPriceless.”

Rostoff laid it on the line, his face a leer. β€œWe are offering you a three-way partnership, Mathers. You, with your Medal of Honor, are our front man. Mr. Demming supplies the initial capital to get underway. And Iβ β€Šβ β€¦β€ He twisted his mouth with evil self-satisfaction. β€œI was present when the Kraden ship was discovered, so I’ll have to be cut in. I’ll supply the brains.”

Demming grunted his disgust, but added nothing.

Don Mathers said slowly, looking down at the empty glass he was twirling in his fingers, β€œLook, we’re up to our necks in a war to the death with the Kradens. In the long run it’s either us or them. At a time like this you’re suggesting that we fake an action that will eventually enable us to milk the new satellites to the tune of billions.”

Demming grunted meaninglessly.

Don said, β€œThe theory is that all men, all of us, ought to have our

1 ... 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 ... 280
Go to page:

Free e-book: Β«Short Fiction by Mack Reynolds (ready to read books .TXT) πŸ“•Β»   -   read online now on website american library books (americanlibrarybooks.com)

Comments (0)

There are no comments yet. You can be the first!
Add a comment
πŸ“š Book genres: