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- The Project Gutenberg eBook of And Gone Tomorrow, by Andy Offut.
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-<pre>
-
-The Project Gutenberg EBook of And Gone Tomorrow, by Andy Offut
-
-This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most
-other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
-whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of
-the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at
-www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have
-to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook.
-
-Title: And Gone Tomorrow
-
-Author: Andy Offut
-
-Release Date: January 28, 2019 [EBook #58784]
-
-Language: English
-
-Character set encoding: ASCII
-
-*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AND GONE TOMORROW ***
-
-
-
-
-Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online
-Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
-
-
-
-
-
-
-</pre>
-
-
-<div class="figcenter">
- <img src="images/cover.jpg" width="376" height="500" alt=""/>
-</div>
-
-<hr class="chap" />
-
-<div class="titlepage">
-
-<h1>And Gone Tomorrow</h1>
-
-<p>BY ANDY OFFUT</p>
-
-<p>[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from<br />
-Worlds of If Science Fiction, December 1954.<br />
-Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that<br />
-the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]</p>
-
-</div>
-
-<hr class="tb" />
-
-<p class="ph1">THE $1000 PRIZE WINNING STORY<br />
-<i>in IF's College Science Fiction Contest</i></p>
-
-<p><i>Here is the best story submitted in answer to the theme question:
-"What Will Life in America Be Like 100 Years From Now?" ... Written by
-an undergraduate at the University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky,
-it pictures the America of 2054 as part of a world empire run by an
-Italian dictator and very similar to that of the ancient Caesars and
-the early Roman Empire. There is one language, one religion and customs
-and laws have changed to suit the times. But, basically, human nature
-hasn't changed and there is the omnipresent clash of faction against
-faction. The theme is that a dictatorship is the only perfect form of
-government. If there is a moral, it is that there is no permanent form
-of government.</i></p>
-
-<p><i>One of the requirements for entering IF's College Science Fiction
-Contest was that the contestant be a "simon pure" amateur—never
-having been published professionally. This is Andy Offut's first
-published story, and it has been accorded the same editing we give to
-professional manuscripts. No rewriting or revisions have been made. See
-November IF for complete announcement of this and the six other winners
-in this nation-wide contest.</i></p>
-
-<hr class="tb" />
-
-<p>He sat down suddenly. He stared up at the man.</p>
-
-<p>"Say it again," he muttered.</p>
-
-<p>He knew what the answer would be even before the man repeated it in
-that quiet voice.</p>
-
-<p>"This is June 3, 2054."</p>
-
-<hr class="chap" />
-
-<div class="figcenter">
- <img src="images/illus2.jpg" width="631" height="500" alt=""/>
-</div>
-
-<hr class="chap" />
-
-<p>The fellow wasn't kidding him. He was serious enough. But a couple
-of minutes ago it had been May 15, 1954. He looked at his watch and
-grunted. Less than four minutes ago it had been 1954. Reality. Now it
-was June 3, 2054. There were four steel walls. There was a steel chair.
-There were no windows.</p>
-
-<p>He tried to take it calmly. But the unbelievable horror of being
-<i>where</i> he was and <i>when</i> he was and the man calmly repeating, "This
-is June 3, 2054," screamed for release.</p>
-
-<p>"No! No! You're lying! It's impossible!" He grabbed the man's tunic and
-drew back a doubled fist. His chair went over behind him.</p>
-
-<p>Then a stiff thumb jabbed him in the short ribs and he grunted and went
-down.</p>
-
-<p>"This is June 3, 2054. You are still in Louisville, Kentucky. You are
-standing in a room adjoining the laboratory in the Time Building on
-3rd Street at Eastern Parkway. This is the receiving room. My name is
-Kevin Ilaria. You've come through time. Is that so impossible to grasp?
-You're a thinking man. Educated!"</p>
-
-<p>He looked up from the floor.</p>
-
-<p>"Well?"</p>
-
-<p>"So I'm a thinking man and an educated man. And what happens? I'm
-sapped. I'm shanghaied. I'm walking down Confederate Place to my old
-fraternity house at 1:00 in the morning. I've just had a row with
-my girl. I'm heading for the fraternity house to see who'll go down
-to Herman's and get good and drunk with me. And somebody clobbers
-me. The next thing I remember I'm sitting in a steel chair in a
-steel room without any windows. Just like this one. There's a man
-standing there. A man with watery, myopic eyes under bushy brows and
-his hair parted in the middle. He's Doctor Borley, of the University
-of Louisville Chemistry Department. There's another man with him. A
-little fellow with thick glasses and a crew cut and eyes like the slits
-between closed Venetian blinds. He's Doctor Schink, of the Psychology
-Department. They're talking about me."</p>
-
-<p>"Umn hmn. Now you're beginning to sound normal. Doctors Borley and
-Schink are our agents in 1954. Do you know where you were?"</p>
-
-<p>"I told you. In some sort of steel room without win—"</p>
-
-<p>The man made an impatient gesture with his hand. "No, I mean <i>where</i>.
-You were in a steel chamber in the Daynolds Metals Plant. It stood on
-this spot in 1954. Two people knew—know—about that room."</p>
-
-<p>"Doctor Borley and Doctor Schink?"</p>
-
-<p>"I'm glad you've calmed down. Now we can talk."</p>
-
-<p>Jay wasn't quite ready to calm down. "You stand there in that Roman
-outfit and talk about being calm. To me. To me, Jay Welch, a history
-major who took his AB from the University of Louisville in 1950. Jay
-Welch, average guy, who got into an average argument with the girl he
-pinned in 1950 and went for a walk to drown his sorrows and wound up
-one hundred years from where—when—he started. I—"</p>
-
-<p>"Then you admit you've come through Time?"</p>
-
-<p>"I may as well."</p>
-
-<p>Ilaria cursed quietly. "But you're not an average guy. You have a
-working knowledge of chemistry and biology and physics and history
-and a few arts and sociology and psychology and geopolitics and
-literature and the English language as spoken in AD 1954. You hope to
-be successful as a writer. You're Public Relations Consultant with
-Duo-Point, one of the biggest corporations in your nation in 1954."</p>
-
-<p>"Yes," Jay Welch said. "And I make good money. Even better than a bus
-driver or a steam-fitter. So?"</p>
-
-<p>"So here you are. 1954's representative to 2054." Ilaria was only a
-man. He could not keep the flourish and the Hollywood grandeur out of
-his voice.</p>
-
-<p>"Yes! And what happens tomorrow when I don't show up for work? What
-happens in a few days when people find out I've disappeared? What
-happens when they find out Julie was the last person I was with? What—"</p>
-
-<p>"You're getting yourself worked up again, Jay Welch. Don't you think
-we have thought of those things? We've brought you across one hundred
-years, Jay Welch."</p>
-
-<p>"Yes," Jay said quietly, flatly. "Yes." Then just as flatly, just as
-quietly he said, "Why?"</p>
-
-<p>"So you've remembered to wonder about that at last." Ilaria smiled.
-Jay noticed that the smile was one-sided and pulled back the left
-corner of Ilaria's mouth. He stood there and looked down at Jay Welch,
-who had forgotten that he was sitting on the floor. His tunic was
-white and there were three diamond-shaped silver pieces in a vertical
-line on each elbow-length sleeve. There was a wide blue stripe and a
-narrow silver stripe at the hem of his tunic and at his sleeves. He
-wore sandals. His belt was leather and there was a holstered pistol of
-some sort hanging at his left hip. In tiny blue script above his left
-breast pocket were the words 'Trib. Ilaria'. On the pocket was a red
-disk with the letters PR. A silver-worked blue cloak was flung over
-his shoulders. Except for the identification and the odd fabric of his
-clothes and the holstered gun he looked very like a young Roman of the
-first century.</p>
-
-<p>Ilaria's slow smile pulled back the left corner of his mouth. "Because
-you are who you are and what you are. Because you attended the
-University of Louisville and Doctors Borley and Schink knew you.
-Because they chose you. Merely because they chose you. They might've
-chosen anyone else.</p>
-
-<p>"We've your personality pretty well mapped out. We expected violence.
-That's why I'm here. I'm a psychologist and an anthropologist. I'm a
-fast-talker and I can convince people and place them at ease. I'm also
-big enough to handle you, Jay Welch."</p>
-
-<p>From his position on the floor Jay looked up at Ilaria and decided the
-man from 2054 was big enough. Jay Welch was six feet one inch tall. He
-weighed one seventy-three and wore a 40-long suit. Kevin Ilaria was
-bigger.</p>
-
-<p>Jay was forced to grin. The tall blond man was a likeable guy, at that.
-A human being.</p>
-
-<p>"Who are you?"</p>
-
-<p>"Kevin Ilaria. Doctor of Psychology. That entitles me to the silver
-band on my tunic. Also a Tribune. That entitles me to the blue stripe
-and the three silver diamonds and the gun."</p>
-
-<p>"A Tribune? In what? Of what?"</p>
-
-<p>"In the Forces. In the actual ranks, a Tribune commands 7,000 men, 250
-planes or a base, or 40 tanks. But I've never had a chance to go into
-the field. There has been no cause to fight. Meantime I'm stationed at
-Standiford Field as second-in-command. A friend of mine named Rinaldi
-fills in for me. He's a Sub-Tribune.</p>
-
-<p>"I've been specializing in the study of Time."</p>
-
-<p>"The way you say Time it sounds as though it were capitalized. Where I
-come from Time with a capital T is a magazine."</p>
-
-<p>Kevin Ilaria laughed. He reached down a hand. "Get up," he said, and,
-taking Jay's forearm, helped him to his feet.</p>
-
-<p>"Let's go," he said.</p>
-
-<p>Jay didn't bother to ask where they were going. He followed the Tribune
-out the door and into the hall. On the wall just outside the door, was
-a black box. Two squares cut into it shone with a faint white light.
-Ilaria paused and shielded the lighted areas a moment with his hand,
-and Jay saw the light go out in the room they had just left. Ilaria
-closed the door. As he turned, Jay saw the white letters PR emblazoned
-on the back of his cloak.</p>
-
-<p>"This way," he said. Jay noticed that Ilaria walked on his right, so
-that the Tribune's gun was between them.</p>
-
-<p>"The way I said Time, it <i>is</i> capitalized. It means all the Time since
-the beginning. It's a corporation, like your Duo-Point. Only much
-larger, and much less known. Our job is to learn."</p>
-
-<p>"That's a big order," Jay commented. "You learn
-by—borrowing—emissaries?"</p>
-
-<p>Ilaria laughed again. "Thanks for the phraseology, but it wouldn't
-worry me if you called it 'kidnaping' or 'shanghaiing.' You're right,
-of course. We learn by sending men from this age to other ones, and by
-pulling men from other ages to this one. Doctor Schink is our Emissary
-to 1954. His real name is Clyde Gabrinaldi. Borley is our contact
-there ... rather, then."</p>
-
-<p>"Well I'll be damned! I've gone to Clyde a lot of times for advice."</p>
-
-<p>The left corner of Ilaria's mouth pulled back as his grin widened. "Umn
-hmn. He's married, too. With a child. He's there for good."</p>
-
-<p>Jay was afraid to ask if emissaries from the past to 2054 were "there
-for good" too. He changed the subject.</p>
-
-<p>"You started to tell me before—"</p>
-
-<p>"Oh, yes. I'm to be your teacher and companion. But I'll try to give
-you a quick fill-in. Our world of 2054 is quite different from yours.
-And, we hope, in better shape. We've proved that the only way to
-maintain world peace is by world government. And the only successful
-type of government is a dictatorship."</p>
-
-<p>Jay gasped. "You mean the entire world—has reverted to <i>dictatorship</i>?"</p>
-
-<p>Ilaria laughed. "Not <i>reverted</i>. We finally accepted it as the only
-logical form of government for an entire world."</p>
-
-<p>"What happens when the dictator goes wild? He always has."</p>
-
-<p>The smile was there again. "You're not quite ready for that," Ilaria
-told him. "But, it has been taken into consideration."</p>
-
-<p>Out of the corner of his eye, Jay saw the slight puff of Ilaria's
-chest, the self-satisfied square of his shoulders, the quick set of his
-jaw. He wondered what part Tribune Kevin Ilaria played in the 'dictator
-control' this world had provided.</p>
-
-<p>"The system has worked and is working. See this?"</p>
-
-<p>They turned a corner in the corridor and faced a great domed room.
-On the far wall hung a white tapestry of something like 40 x 40 foot
-dimensions. On it, emblazoned in letters of red and yellow made to look
-like flame, were the characters PPB. In the lower right-hand corner, in
-white outlined with blue, was the same PR that Ilaria wore. Jay waited
-for the Tribune's explanation.</p>
-
-<p>"PpB stands for Pax per Bello," Ilaria explained. "Peace through War.
-That slogan was written in 1967 by Julius and adapted in 1971 as
-official."</p>
-
-<p>"Julius?"</p>
-
-<p>"Yes. The first Dictator."</p>
-
-<p>Things were beginning to click in Jay's mind.</p>
-
-<p>"I think I know what PR stands for," he said. "Pax Romana."</p>
-
-<p>As always, Ilaria smiled. "That's right," he said.</p>
-
-<hr class="tb" />
-
-<p>The command-car marked with the PR symbol pulled over and stopped.</p>
-
-<p>"What is it? Who are you?" the driver demanded.</p>
-
-<p>The Captain on the seat beside him peered into the blackness and cursed.</p>
-
-<p>The man who had waved the vehicle to a halt walked away.</p>
-
-<p>"Here!" the Captain cried. "What in blazes is going on here? Why'd you
-stop us? Centurion! Stop that man!"</p>
-
-<p>The two Centurions in the back seat looked at the Captain for a moment,
-then they both jumped out and ran after the man.</p>
-
-<p>An ellipsoidal grey thing streaked out of the darkness, landed in the
-driver's lap and thudded to the floor of the car. The Captain threw
-open his door and started to climb out. The driver bent over to see
-what it was.</p>
-
-<p>At that moment the driver, the command-car and the Captain blew up.</p>
-
-<p>The silence that followed was broken by the blast of a submachine gun
-as it struck down the two centurions.</p>
-
-<p>"Take their weapons," said a brittle voice.</p>
-
-<hr class="tb" />
-
-<p>The detachment of soldiers from the garrison at Tel Aviv stopped and
-looked around.</p>
-
-<p>"Sir, what is it?" asked a guard anxiously.</p>
-
-<p>"Terribly quiet out here; something's up," the Lieutenant muttered
-calmly.</p>
-
-<p>There were seven of them. The Lieutenant, the Centurion, and five
-legionaries. They had grown accustomed to the quiet life of garrison
-men in a calm, conquered city. When there is nothing tangible to be
-guarded, a guard's life is a dull one. The guns they carried were
-the symbol of their authority, and had never been used for any other
-purpose.</p>
-
-<p>They looked around. The dirty, once-white buildings rose close on
-either side. There was no moon. There was no sound. The darkness and
-the silence could have been cut with a knife.</p>
-
-<p>The Lieutenant grinned. He didn't feel much like grinning. He spoke. He
-didn't feel much like talking, either.</p>
-
-<p>"This darkness is thick," he said. "You could cut it with a knife. Wish
-I had a knife."</p>
-
-<p>He got a knife. The men had just started to laugh when the Lieutenant
-got it.</p>
-
-<p>Between his shoulder blades.</p>
-
-<p>As the Lieutenant toppled forward, the Centurion dodged close against
-the dirty stone wall and yelled "Spread out!"</p>
-
-<p>They killed a lot of the shadowy, green-clad attackers, but there were
-only six of them and they were cornered. When the enemy drove a tank
-into the alley and sprayed them with its mounted gun they died.</p>
-
-<p>"Take their weapons," said a quiet voice.</p>
-
-<hr class="tb" />
-
-<p>The half-track rolled to a stop.</p>
-
-<p>"Where, Sir?" the driver wanted to know.</p>
-
-<p>"Beyond that big crater over there. The sun glinted on metal. I'm sure
-of it. Didn't you see it?"</p>
-
-<p>"No, Sir." The driver craned his neck. There was nothing but barren
-rubble and bomb craters and torn, twisted metal and ruined buildings.</p>
-
-<p>"There are all sorts of old automobiles lying around out there, Sir,"
-the driver volunteered.</p>
-
-<p>"Yes, and they've been here long enough to get good and rusty," the
-Captain snapped. "This is something else."</p>
-
-<p>The driver craned his neck. There was nothing but rubble.</p>
-
-<p>Eight men in the back of the half-track leaped to their feet when they
-heard the faint clicking of KCN-H2SO4 guns and the buzz of an old gamma
-gun and the sharp bark of a very old sub machine-gun. But a grenade
-landed on the truck and another rolled under it.</p>
-
-<p>Another wreck was added to the rubble.</p>
-
-<p>"Take their weapons, if there are any left," said a quiet voice.</p>
-
-<hr class="tb" />
-
-<p>And in the more peaceful city of Louisville, Jay Welch was introduced
-to Kevin Ilaria's best friend, his adjutant at Standiford Field.</p>
-
-<p>Jay took a liking to Sub-Tribune Jason Rinaldi the moment he felt the
-fellow's firm grip.</p>
-
-<p>"Jason is adjutant," Ilaria explained. "And one of the few 'field
-soldiers' who manages to get along with Caesar's Pretorian Prefect,
-Lamberti. How he does it, I don't know. Lamberti's absolutely
-unbearable."</p>
-
-<p>"Prejudice. Middle-class prejudices," Rinaldi grinned. He was short and
-very dark with a lot of black hair.</p>
-
-<p>Ilaria's left cheek cracked into a long dimple as he smiled. "He picks
-on me because I'm a serious psychologist."</p>
-
-<p>Rinaldi laughed. "As a psychologist, Kevin, you're an excellent bridge
-player. As a soldier—"</p>
-
-<p>"Just remember who's got three bars and who has two."</p>
-
-<p>Rinaldi waved his hand and shrugged. "They pass 'em out to psych boys
-wholesale," he said, and ducked Ilaria's swing. "Slow reflexes, too,"
-he added as he turned to go.</p>
-
-<p>Ilaria stopped him at the door and murmured a few sentences.</p>
-
-<p>Jay caught something about sabotage at Standiford. Rinaldi seemed to be
-attributing it to the Commanding Officer there.</p>
-
-<p>"Nice guy," Jay said as the door closed behind Rinaldi.</p>
-
-<p>"You said it. Good officer, too. He'll root out the bird who's playing
-around out there. Can't figure out why it's being done."</p>
-
-<p>"Factions," Jay said, "—within factions."</p>
-
-<p>"Little ones always exist, I guess. Have you finished with the history
-films?"</p>
-
-<p>"I've seen them, yes. I'm still trying to digest them."</p>
-
-<p>"The language give you much trouble?"</p>
-
-<p>"Quite a bit, but I think I got most of it.</p>
-
-<p>"One man," Jay went on wonderingly. "One man. A Captain in the Italian
-Army.</p>
-
-<p>"The Communist forces in Indo-China had been driven back and
-Captain—then Major—Lollabrigida went in after them.</p>
-
-<p>"The defeat was becoming so terrible that the Kremlin dealt itself a
-playing hand rather than the dummy it had been playing. Red forces came
-piling in. Lollabrigida and his Italian troops stopped them cold. Then
-he seemed to sway. And, when the Commies pounced for the kill, they
-were trapped, pocketed, and annihilated.</p>
-
-<p>"American newspapers and commentators began to call Major Julius
-Lollabrigida 'Julius Caesar.' Italy became big overnight. The Big Three
-became Russia, the United States, and Italy. Lollabrigida appealed to
-America—sometime in there they made him a Colonel, but he was actually
-telling the Generals and the Italian government what to do—for aid in
-going ahead aggressively.</p>
-
-<p>"And America turned him down. They were still playing 'wait and see.'
-They waited. They waited too long. The Commies got tired of waiting
-around and sent a couple of jet bombers with A-bombs."</p>
-
-<p>"Now you're telling me things," Ilaria interrupted. "I'm pretty shady
-on that period myself."</p>
-
-<p>Jay shrugged. "It was after my time. All I know is what the films show.
-Two planes, each with a seven-man crew, and each carrying one atomic
-bomb, were dispatched from an airbase somewhere near Juneau." Jay
-stopped.</p>
-
-<p>"And?"</p>
-
-<p>The man from 1954 choked. It was hard to be objective about this. It
-wasn't so easy for him to pass off as the film had done.</p>
-
-<p>"And—" he hesitated.</p>
-
-<p>"It's over, Jay. It's done with. It doesn't even concern you anymore.
-It belongs to a past era."</p>
-
-<p>"One was headed for New York. The other struck farther inland ... for
-Washington. The first one was shot down by an F-117 border patrol
-plane. The other one got through. It—it levelled the capitol. Almost
-completely. The White House and the Pentagon were destroyed."</p>
-
-<p>Ilaria sat quietly and waited. Jay didn't go on.</p>
-
-<p>"Thus removing the United States of America, as such, from a prominent
-position in the world picture," Ilaria said.</p>
-
-<p>"Yes. I can't understand it. Everything just folded up. SAC
-didn't even get off the ground. And Colonel Lollabrigida, by then
-Commander-in-Chief of the UN forces, sent fifty planes, each with
-one A-bomb, over the Kremlin. One was shot down over Vladivostok,
-but the bombardier pulled the firing pin as the ship crashed and
-most of Vladivostok was destroyed. Six other planes made it to their
-destinations and dropped their loads. I can't remember the cities ...
-one was a new super airbase near Moscow. Five of the planes returned.
-None had managed to reach Moscow. Half the world was in ruins. The Pope
-begged that the War be stopped."</p>
-
-<p>Ilaria snorted. "He knew they'd hit Rome!"</p>
-
-<p>Jay looked at him. "Is that what you think?"</p>
-
-<p>Ilaria shrugged and flashed that quick, winning smile. "There are no
-other motives, are there?"</p>
-
-<p>Jay stared. What changes had taken place in religious philosophy in
-this hard-bitten world of 2054?</p>
-
-<p>Kevin Ilaria shrugged, smiling. "That's unimportant. Let's go on with
-the history lesson. Then what?"</p>
-
-<p>"Uh—oh, yes. As I remember Julius Lollabrigida, to be trite, launched
-an 'all-out offensive' against Communist forces everywhere. People were
-afraid of Russia, but they were afraid of Lollabrigida and Rome, too.
-So they joined him. Aid poured into the UN. Czechoslovakia was taken
-and Poland and Hungary and finally only the old Russia of pre World War
-II days was left. And in they went.</p>
-
-<p>"Then Lollabrigida's saboteurs exploded an atomic bomb in the heart of
-Moscow. After that it was pretty easy sledding."</p>
-
-<p>"Astounding how a nation seems to fall apart when its capitol and its
-leaders are gone," Ilaria remarked.</p>
-
-<p>"Everybody and everything folds," Jay said. "Morale dies.</p>
-
-<p>"After the demolition of Moscow and other parts of the USSR, Italy
-stood at the top. General of the Armies Julius Lollabrigida marched
-back into Italy and into Rome and into the capitol and up on a
-pedestal. He stood as Italy's utter ruler. His last name was lost and
-replaced by 'Caesar II.' He was named Dictator.</p>
-
-<p>"From mighty Rome, Caesar sent out linguists and anthropologists and
-ethnologists and psychologists and military men and others. In twenty
-years, twenty peaceful years, Italian had become the language of the
-world. A few minor uprisings in America and in Japan were smashed.
-Julius Caesar II was World Dictator of the Republic of Earth. Someone
-in America denied him and was torn to pieces by the people. Someone
-in Italy spread literature of dissension and was hunted down and
-liquidated by Caesar's personal police, the Pretoriani. And so it went.</p>
-
-<p>"Caesar adopted a prominent Air Force Colonel who became Caesar III on
-Lollabrigida's death. Each year on his birthday men were silent. No
-business was transacted. No one left his home. Except blue-and-silver
-clad soldiers, wearing PR armbands. Caesar's Pretorians. No one <i>dared</i>
-venture out.</p>
-
-<p>"During the reign of Caesar III, every person in the world changed his
-last name to an Italian one. The Ali bens and the Chicos and the Andres
-and the Fritzes and the Johns became Marianos and Roccos and Caldinis
-and Campisanos and diManos."</p>
-
-<p>There was silence for a moment.</p>
-
-<p>"The thing I can't understand," Jay mused, "is why in all these years
-there hasn't been a 'bad' Caesar, or an uprising."</p>
-
-<p>"What do you mean by 'bad' Caesar?"</p>
-
-<p>Jay shrugged. "In the first Pax Romana there was Caligula, who was
-insane. Nero, who preferred artistic diversions to politics. There was
-Galba, who didn't know what was going on. And so on. And on and on.
-Your three dictators so far seem to have done excellent jobs. They seem
-to be damned conscientious leaders."</p>
-
-<p>"When you re-create something," Ilaria told him, "you try to eliminate
-its faults."</p>
-
-<p>"Of course. But what if Caesar's son or a Caesar's adopted son goes
-bad?" Jay elucidated.</p>
-
-<p>"So far we haven't had that problem to deal with. But we're ready. Each
-time a new Dictator comes to power, one thousand top military men draw
-folded pieces of plastipaper from a 'bowl.' On twenty of these are X's.
-The others contain O's. The twenty X's are a secret organization, sworn
-to kill the Dictator if it should become necessary. When Caesar, as you
-say, 'goes bad'."</p>
-
-<p>"Brilliant!" Jay breathed. "And he—Caesar—never knows who they are?"</p>
-
-<p>"<i>No</i> one ever knows," Ilaria said. "Not even the members. They remain
-in contact, but none ever knows who the others are."</p>
-
-<p>Jay remembered Ilaria's previous mention of the system, and the
-unconscious swelling of the Tribune's chest at the time. "You're one,"
-he said.</p>
-
-<p>Ilaria was caught off guard. "I—yes," he said. "I won't ask how you
-knew."</p>
-
-<p>"A guess. Then you've been a—whatever it's called—for nine years,
-during Caesar V's reign."</p>
-
-<p>"That's right."</p>
-
-<p>"And you don't know any of the others?"</p>
-
-<p>"Only one. I found out accidentally. He—" Ilaria stopped.</p>
-
-<p>Jay shrugged. "I won't ask any more questions along that line," he
-promised. "But I still can't believe there haven't been any uprisings!"</p>
-
-<p>"None. Caesar II died of a heart attack. Caesar III had a brain tumor
-which we learned about too late. His son never had a chance to prove
-himself, other than that he was brave and foolish. He swam the Rubicon
-at its widest point, then walked to Rome in his shorts in the dead of
-winter. He died of pneumonia. Caesar V, our Dictator today, is strong
-and quiet. He holds the Empire firmly unified. But he does nothing
-extraordinary. And he is too lenient."</p>
-
-<p>"I just can't conceive of such perfection!"</p>
-
-<p>Kevin Ilaria smiled. He walked over to the window and peered out.
-"<i>You</i> couldn't. But this <i>is</i> the perfect government. Everyone
-is satisfied. One ruler. One capitol. One army. One language. One
-nationality. One world. One religion."</p>
-
-<p>"I realize—" Jay halted. "One religion?" he demanded.</p>
-
-<p>"Yes."</p>
-
-<p>"What is it?" He found himself afraid of the answer. The indications
-were there, in plain sight. He guessed it before Kevin Ilaria turned
-from the window and said:</p>
-
-<p>"Caesarism."</p>
-
-<hr class="tb" />
-
-<p>The man called Gaius Julius Caesar Imperator V turned from the window
-and rubbed his hand over his graying hair.</p>
-
-<p>"This is the first time I've ever run into anything of this sort."</p>
-
-<p>The President of the Senate shrugged. He was an old man who had been
-placed in the Senate by his father in 1980. So long ago that people
-wondered when he would die. They were tired of these old men dictating
-to their ruler, as many people before them had been tired. The rise of
-the President of the Senate to leadership of that revered group had not
-been meteoric by any means. But his maintenance of the position had
-been tenacious. He was a careful man.</p>
-
-<p>The President of the Senate shrugged. "It is. It is the first time
-anything of this sort has ever come up, Julius. Therefore it is up to
-you to set an example."</p>
-
-<p>Caesar glanced over at General Bonadella. The General nodded in
-agreement with Senator Chianti.</p>
-
-<p>"This sort of business can break up the Empire if it's allowed to
-continue, Caesar," he said, in his pompous military way. "I say death."</p>
-
-<p>Major DeCosta nodded quietly.</p>
-
-<p>"Thumbs down all around, is it?" Caesar sat down behind his desk and
-picked up the speaker of his private cable to London. He looked at the
-three men.</p>
-
-<p>"Commander in charge of Garrison C," he said.</p>
-
-<p>There was a silent moment.</p>
-
-<p>They looked up as Prefect Lamberti of the Pretorians, the Imperial
-personal bodyguard (it had progressed far beyond that. Its enrollment
-was tremendous; its power second only to the Dictator's) came in. The
-Senator nodded. The two field soldiers turned quickly away. The men of
-the field did not get along with the Pretorian dandies.</p>
-
-<p>"Commander? This is the Dictator," Caesar said unnecessarily. The
-garrison commander knew that only one person could call him on that
-line. The phone would react to no voice other than Caesar's.</p>
-
-<p>"Have you the fellow who was preaching dissension? I say one year in
-prison. You heard me. Yes, one year. What? No! No torture!" He severed
-connections and looked up at his advisers.</p>
-
-<p>Prefect Lamberti shook his head. Senator Chianti turned and stalked
-out. After a moment General Bonadella followed. The Major turned away
-to stare out the window. He shook his head.</p>
-
-<p>"del Ponta? This is the Dictator," that quiet, flat voice said behind
-him. Caesar was calling the under-chief of the Pretoriani. "I will
-speak tomorrow from the balcony. Yes. 1400. Of course. World-wide.
-That's right. Oh, I suppose about a quarter 'til."</p>
-
-<p>The man who ruled the world stood up and stared at Major DeCosta's
-back. At forty-one, Caesar was a gaunt man with stooped shoulders and
-sad lines running from his nostrils to the corners of his mouth. His
-forehead was lined and re-lined, and the keen brown eyes were dulled
-with years of decisions and hard work.</p>
-
-<p>He was tired.</p>
-
-<p>They called him the Hound because his face bore the same sad, quiet
-look worn by those dogs. And they called him weak because he let
-offenders off too easily.</p>
-
-<p>DeCosta turned around. The young Major met his Chief's gaze.</p>
-
-<p>"Well?" The voice of the Dictator was quiet and calm.</p>
-
-<p>DeCosta's eyes flickered. He straightened militarily. He shrugged.</p>
-
-<p>"It is not for me to say, Sir."</p>
-
-<p>A slow smile spread over those weary features. "And you, Farouk?"</p>
-
-<p>Lamberti stretched out his arm and balled his fist with the thumb
-extended and pointing down. "You know me, Caesar."</p>
-
-<p>"I do. Even my best friend disagrees with my decisions now, after all
-these years of elbow-rubbing.</p>
-
-<p>"You are usually more out-spoken, Major DeCosta. Have you nothing more
-to say?"</p>
-
-<p>DeCosta's reply was slow in coming but rapid in delivery. "I am around
-Caesar much of late," he rapped out. His back was stiff and military as
-he strode out of the Dictator's office.</p>
-
-<p>Prefect Lamberti's gloved hand dropped to the butt of his gun, but
-Caesar shook his head in gentle negation.</p>
-
-<p>Julius Caesar Imperator V gazed sadly at the closed door.</p>
-
-<hr class="tb" />
-
-<p>Jay had given up trying to reason with Ilaria about God. The
-man was intelligent as well as brilliant—there's a tremendous
-difference—about everything else, but he was stubbornly obstinate
-to Jay's arguments. At least in Jay's terminology he was stubbornly
-obstinate. All faith is stubborn obstinacy. Kevin Ilaria's faith was
-appalling. His arguments were beautiful. Flawless. Jay thought of his
-old friend, Father O'mare. Even that great psychologist-priest would be
-hard-put, he decided.</p>
-
-<p>So he quit. He didn't give up. He just quit.</p>
-
-<p>Can you tell a man the Earth's flat after he's been up in a jet?</p>
-
-<p>Can you talk a bullet out of pursuing its path?</p>
-
-<p>Can you reason with a Marxist?</p>
-
-<p>"If a man can conquer the greatest enemy the world has ever faced, is
-he not God? If he can turn from killing and soldiering to soothing
-and pacifying, is he not God? If he can make the world one, after
-twenty-two centuries of 'world anarchism' is he not God? If he can
-maintain the peace and keep the people happy and heal all sores is he
-not God? If he just looks at you when you call him 'God' or 'Savior'
-and smiles and say 'I?' is he not God? If he chooses the perfect man to
-continue in his place, is he not God?"</p>
-
-<p>"But that's proof! Why die? Isn't God immortal?"</p>
-
-<p>"Only God could realize that one man can't continue to reign
-indefinitely. His ideas, yes. But he must create another to carry on
-his ideas. There must be variety and diversions."</p>
-
-<p>Unshakeable. Unquestioning. Jay could never understand a person's
-sticking to the claim 'I'm a Christian' or 'I'm a Moslem' when he would
-be killed for it. Jay had always figured he'd have said to Nero's men
-'Me? Me? A filthy Christian? Not I. I love Jupiter and Juno. Step
-inside and see my altars ...'</p>
-
-<p>Now he was seeing what sturdy, rock-firm martyr faith was like.</p>
-
-<p>So he quit.</p>
-
-<p>Instead he learned about the gyro-jet cars which hugged the roads like
-lovers on a honeymoon. He watched them sprout stubby wings and breathe
-flame and soar straight up. He learned about saying 'Open' to a lock
-and having the electronic device 'recognize' him and let him in. He
-learned about personalphones which 'recognized' your voice. He learned
-about the tiny pellet of potassium cyanide and sulphuric acid with
-which the guns were loaded. The pellets struck and broke and the victim
-was dead in seconds. Very humane. No maimed or wounded. Just the dead.</p>
-
-<p>He learned about self-shaping sandals—the most comfortable and most
-sensible shoes man had ever worn—and air baths and soft-voiced
-alarm clocks which politely told you it was time to get up and about
-unbreakable ring-finger chronos and about atomic heating and flawless
-plumbing and he saw plastic, plastic, plastic.</p>
-
-<p>He learned about all of them. But his real delight was the depilatory
-cream. This, above all others, was man's greatest invention.</p>
-
-<p>"No shaving ... no silly damned socks or tight, hot shoes or tie ... no
-battery stalling or flat tires ... I guess this is paradise, Kevin!"</p>
-
-<p>"And the perfect government and the perfect religion! All one race! One
-religion! One nation! One language! One nationality! One God!" Ilaria
-added exuberantly.</p>
-
-<p>"That reminds me. How come I never see any coloreds?"</p>
-
-<p>"Haven't you? By the way, no murderous car insurance or alimony laws,
-either. And no need for them. All marriages are ideal."</p>
-
-<p>Jay was readily detoured to this new novelty.</p>
-
-<p>"Now, don't let's go too far. Identical religion and race and customs
-and ideals and opinions may lower the divorce rate a lot, but there's
-still ye olde sex angle. A couple can go together twenty years and
-break up on the wedding night. Some are hot and some are cold and some
-are slow and some are fast. The only thing you could have improved
-on, is sex education. It's astounding how many people of my time know
-nothing about the sexual part of marriage. The most important part!</p>
-
-<p>"Of course it's doing what comes naturally; but what if two people
-have been taught from different viewpoints? Or if one hasn't been
-taught at all? Some people are actually ashamed or embarrassed. There
-are intelligent people who don't even know the biological facts!
-Few—especially women, know about the pleasure and the habit-forming
-angle. That's the one thing than can break up something beautiful in
-ten minutes.</p>
-
-<p>"Education, maybe. Human nature, no."</p>
-
-<p>"Whew!"</p>
-
-<p>"Excuse me, Kevin, for launching into a Phillipic, but that's long been
-my pet peeve. Atrocious, deplorable, and all that."</p>
-
-<p>"We don't <i>usually</i> tamper with human nature, Jay. As a rule, that is.
-This is going to come as a shock to you, with your silly, 'atrocious
-and deplorable' 1954 ideas and morals.</p>
-
-<p>"A trial period. A pre-marital period of living together for a couple
-of weeks. If the couple isn't sexually suited, they either attempt to
-have it remedied by a physician or break off."</p>
-
-<p>"A shock, yes," Jay murmured, slowly shaking his head. "How did it ever
-start? Anyone who'd propound an idea like that in my time would be
-accused of being some sort of perverted sex-fiend!</p>
-
-<p>"A foolproof, flawless plan to insure happy marriages!"</p>
-
-<hr class="tb" />
-
-<p>Half across the world a door swung open and a tall dark man with
-piercing black eyes and a twin-tufted beard came in. His dark-green
-garment, faintly resembling a trench-coat, was double-breasted and
-belted and military cut. His feet were encased in plastileather boots
-which clicked as he came to attention before the desk.</p>
-
-<p>The plate on the desk read "Praefectus Praetoriani."</p>
-
-<p>"Major del Ponta, Sir."</p>
-
-<p>The man behind the desk looked up. "At ease, Major."</p>
-
-<p>Major Ali ben del Ponta relaxed and waited.</p>
-
-<p>The man behind the desk finished scanning the sheet of micro-paper,
-marked something on it with a stylo, stuck it in the pneumatube on the
-corner of his desk, and pushed the button to close his desk drawer. He
-looked up at Major Ali ben del Ponta.</p>
-
-<p>"Well?" He put his hands together, fingers touching.</p>
-
-<p>"It has begun, Prefect Lamberti. All over the world our local men are
-leading their followers in attack. Captain Abram Mazzoli has sent in
-his report from Tel Aviv. The city is in his hands. Captain Mahomet
-DiSanto's 'Raiders' have complete control of the Sahara. Captain
-Arnaldi's forces are firmly entrenched in the old Washington area of
-America. He will move northward to meet Colonel Magnani's forces from
-Canada and Commander Campisano. They—"</p>
-
-<p>"Campisano's airborne ready to roll?"</p>
-
-<p>"Yes, Sir. Arrangements have been made. The drop will be just outside
-New York."</p>
-
-<p>"Alright. Then everything has gone off as scheduled?"</p>
-
-<p>"Yes, Sir."</p>
-
-<p>Prefect Farouk Lamberti regarded his deskchron thoughtfully.</p>
-
-<p>"And Caesar will make his speech in twenty-five hours and thirty-three
-minutes?"</p>
-
-<p>Major del Ponta glanced at his own chron, which was strapped to the
-third finger of his left hand. "Yes, Sir. At 1400, tomorrow."</p>
-
-<p>"Have the twenty-foot 'visor screen activated for public showing. Mount
-it outside as we'd planned."</p>
-
-<p>"It's being taken care of, Sir. The screen is on its way to the Square.
-There will be a crowd."</p>
-
-<p>"Good. We all want to hear noble Caesar."</p>
-
-<p>Del Ponta grinned. "Yes, Sir. We all do. Especially tomorrow."</p>
-
-<p>"He doesn't know?—or suspect?"</p>
-
-<p>"He shouldn't Sir. Our men took over and began covering up at once.
-You know the atrocious condition of world communications systems. The
-Empire could fall and Rome might not hear of it for days."</p>
-
-<p>"That's what I was counting on ... that and the Disturber. The
-degeneracy of the field military is terrible. They are allowing
-themselves to get lazy and fat and careless."</p>
-
-<p>"Yes, Sir."</p>
-
-<p>"Have my car ready to drive to the Square behind Caesar's tomorrow.
-See that the covermen in the houses around the Square are doubled and
-double-checked. But when we go to the show, let's not have too great an
-exhibition of Imperial power. We don't want this thing to backfire and
-cut our own throats."</p>
-
-<p>"Yes, Sir." Del Ponta's grin widened.</p>
-
-<p>"Dismissed."</p>
-
-<p>Del Ponta came to attention, saluted and about-faced and left.</p>
-
-<p>Prefect Lamberti opened his desk drawer and took out his old service
-pistol. It was a gamma gun. He had not released any of the deadly,
-slow-acting rays from its chamber in seven years. But it was ready.</p>
-
-<p>He opened another drawer and took out a white cloak, marked across the
-back with a blue dove and the single word 'Liberacione.'</p>
-
-<p>He checked the pistol.</p>
-
-<hr class="tb" />
-
-<p>"Does the Emissary from 1954 get to meet Caesar?" Jay wanted to know.</p>
-
-<p>"Later. He's to make a speech tomorrow afternoon. It will be
-world-televised."</p>
-
-<p>"He looks very old and very tired," Jay ventured. He'd seen Caesar on
-transcriptions of old speeches and on old newsreels.</p>
-
-<p>"He's about ... forty, I think. Somewhat weak. Very lenient."</p>
-
-<p>"I would've guessed him to be a good deal older." Then "Why weak?
-Because he's lenient?"</p>
-
-<p>Ilaria smiled. "Remember, Jay, 'Pax per Bello.' Too much leniency leads
-one's subjects to be bold. Over-bold."</p>
-
-<p>"One man's opinion?"</p>
-
-<p>The Tribune shrugged. "No. Caesar doesn't get along with his advisors
-too well. They criticize him for being too ready to forgive and forget."</p>
-
-<p>The more Jay saw of this perfect world, the more he realized how cruel
-and hard people must be to maintain a paradise. If everyone is to be
-happy, someone must be unhappy.</p>
-
-<p>The trouble is, people don't like to be told "This is for your own
-good."</p>
-
-<p>Jay said so.</p>
-
-<p>"But if they're sat on hard enough," Ilaria rebutted, "they don't have
-a chance ever to try anything else which they might <i>think</i> is for
-their own good...."</p>
-
-<p>Jay nodded. Very true. As Ilaria left the room Jay went to the window
-and looked out at the Louisville of 2054. For the millionth time in the
-seven days he'd been here, he wished he had a cigarette. They had been
-outlawed as detrimental to health long ago.</p>
-
-<p>The fact that it had been seven days reminded him of something else
-left behind.</p>
-
-<p>Julie.</p>
-
-<p>"You're a fool," he finally told himself. No wonder Julie'd been on
-edge and acting what he termed 'odd' lately! She was scared. He'd been
-out of school three and a half years. He was twenty-five. He'd just
-bought a new Olds. He'd begun buying his clothes at <i>The</i> Store rather
-than a store. Hell, he should've been married long ago. His days here
-were full. There were meetings with scientists and historians and
-militarists and linguists and everyone else Kevin could think up. He
-talked and listened and discussed and lectured. But he thought of her
-every night. Every morning before he rose. At times like this, when he
-was alone for a few minutes.</p>
-
-<p>Of course it was love! He'd always thought too many people threw the
-word around too much. He'd always been afraid to use it because he
-wasn't sure of its meaning. He's used it once. And he'd been kicked in
-the teeth by the girl. He hadn't used it since.</p>
-
-<p>When was a guy ever sure?</p>
-
-<p>Hogwash! Now he knew that each man forms his own definition. True,
-too many people used the word love indiscriminately. It's mistreated.
-Kicked around. Assumed and taken off. Dragged through messes and
-scandals and law courts and through the mud. But to a man like Jay
-Welch, to a man who has been afraid—yes, afraid—to use it, it <i>must</i>
-be there when he begins thinking in those terms.</p>
-
-<p>Love. He'd had to come across one-hundred years to realize he'd found
-its meaning. To realize he'd known its meaning a long time. To realize
-that love is whatever you make it, what you, yourself, call it. You
-define it yourself. Then you apply it.</p>
-
-<p>It had been there all the time. You don't include someone in everything
-you do and everything you think without it. You don't try to change her
-and yourself. To make her perfect. To make yourself perfect with—and
-for—her without it. This business about "accepting" little faults—as
-well as big ones—, he decided, is for the birds. It's human nature to
-translate other people in terms of yourself and try to change them in
-terms of yourself. To argue and be proud and hate like hell to have
-to make up. But you don't make a project of it with everyone. Not
-unless....</p>
-
-<p>He and Julie had a lot to talk about.</p>
-
-<p>Then he remembered where he was and when he was. He thought of Doctor
-Schink. And suddenly he was scared. He remembered what Ilaria had said
-about Schink. 'He's there for good....'</p>
-
-<p>"He's never said a word about my going back!"</p>
-
-<p>"Neither have you," came Ilaria's voice, and Jay whirled around to see
-the big psychologist coming through the door.</p>
-
-<p>"We'd like to keep you here as long as possible. But not against your
-wishes, of course. You were shanghaied, not kidnaped." The left corner
-of his wide mouth pulled back in that slow, reassuring smile.</p>
-
-<p>"I stand chastised. Now I've thought of it, though, I can hardly wait."</p>
-
-<p>"The day after tomorrow? I want you to hear Caesar speak. Then I want
-to talk a good deal more."</p>
-
-<p>"Early, the day after tomorrow." Then, little-boyishly, Jay hurriedly
-added a couple of reasons. "I'm getting tired of talking and being
-questioned. I feel like a talking animal in the zoo."</p>
-
-<p>Ilaria nodded, smiling. "Julie?</p>
-
-<p>"I figured it would occur to you sooner or later. Just because you
-think a little more deeply and carefully than most men of your time
-doesn't make you immune to love. That belongs to <i>all</i> times. Good luck
-and a lot of children."</p>
-
-<p>Jay grinned. He'd met Ilaria's wife and five of his six children the
-night before. He turned to look out the window once more.</p>
-
-<p>Beautiful. The elevated streets, with gyro-cars hurtling along ... the
-sky full of more winged gyros and planes ... the streets below full of
-happy, white-faced, white-clad people....</p>
-
-<p>White-faced!</p>
-
-<p>"Kevin, you avoided my question the day before yesterday. I've been
-almost afraid to ask you again. Why no Negroes?"</p>
-
-<p>"It will be hard for you to accept, with your antiquated democratic
-ideas." Ilaria breathed a deep sigh. "Certain elements of dissension
-and unrest, Jay, are better eliminated. Coloreds have always bred both.
-People are just like that. Whites and yellows and tans and reds can get
-along, but not blacks."</p>
-
-<p>Jay had gotten along with them all his life. "In ancient Rome there
-were slaves ..." he said, trying to understand.</p>
-
-<p>"Not in this Rome. I said, better eliminated, Jay." Ilaria went to the
-window and looked down at the scene below. He explained:</p>
-
-<p>"We exterminated them."</p>
-
-<p>A hammer crashed down. A door slammed. A glass shattered. A siren
-screeched. A punch caught Jay in the solar plexus. Jay had experienced
-all these. Ilaria's flat statement was worse.</p>
-
-<p>"Exter—No! Oh, No!" He swung around to face the big psychologist.
-Ilaria's usual smile was gone. He looked solemn and very grim.</p>
-
-<p>"You weren't ready for it. I don't think we can discuss it. Just
-remember this: When you've a bunch of dogs and they all get along with
-one another except one, you don't leave them together and you don't try
-to keep them separated by a chicken-wire fence. It's too unpleasant.
-You get rid of the troublemaker."</p>
-
-<hr class="tb" />
-
-<p>During the night the rebel forces moved out of Tel Aviv and took over
-Israel. They captured the entire devastated Washington area, a series
-of ten cities ringing Rome, and hundreds of other key spots. The
-world's largest airbase at Madrid, Spain, was taken. Forces sent to the
-aid of the base defenders were met by an onslaught of their own planes.
-The troops didn't have a chance.</p>
-
-<p>Dr. Montmorency Trumperi's Wave Disturber had been outlawed in 2001.
-The plans were carefully filed away and the machine's component parts
-junked. But the Disturber suddenly reappeared on the night of June 9,
-2054, and world communications were stopped. Lamberti's scientists had
-come up with a counter-radio mechanism, of course, so that the Rebels
-were able to maintain contacts.</p>
-
-<p>Louisville was not attacked. Lamberti and his men knew about the
-emissary from the past sheltered there, and informed their fifth
-columnists at Standiford they wanted both the Man From 1954 and Tribune
-Kevin Ilaria alive.</p>
-
-<p>New York was attacked by land and air. Tokyo fell. Everywhere white
-flags with the blue Liberacione and the picture of a dove fluttered
-above smoking battlegrounds. Everywhere men were on the march.</p>
-
-<hr class="tb" />
-
-<p>When Tribune Kevin Ilaria stormed in twelve hours later, Jay noticed
-his friend was wearing his gun again. The cyanide pistol had not swung
-at his hip since the day of Jay's arrival. He was also surprised to
-note that Ilaria wore boots and carried a steel helmet under his arm.</p>
-
-<p>There was a new quality in his voice. Brittle, static. The soft tones
-of the psychologist were gone.</p>
-
-<p>Jay realized that this was Tribune Ilaria of the Forces, not Dr. Ilaria
-the psychologist.</p>
-
-<p>"You sure you want to leave here tomorrow?" he demanded curtly.</p>
-
-<p>Instantly Jay was on the defence. "I am," he said coldly.</p>
-
-<p>Ilaria's smile looked forced. "I've been authorized to offer you a
-Sub-Tribunate in the Forces."</p>
-
-<p>"What?"</p>
-
-<p>"You've had experience. None of us have. You've been in actual combat,
-in the Air Force."</p>
-
-<p>"Why? I don't—"</p>
-
-<p>"War," Ilaria said simply. "Rebellion."</p>
-
-<p>Jay stared at him. He couldn't think of anything to say.</p>
-
-<p>Ilaria turned away. "Paradise. The Iron Hand. One religion and one
-language and all that. Utterly cock-sure. But ... we were wrong.
-They've been getting ready. Training and planning. Collecting men and
-arms. They began even before the empire was established."—Jay noticed
-he said empire rather than republic—"All this time they've been
-preparing and planning and ... waiting."</p>
-
-<p>Jay was dumbfounded. "How big is it?"</p>
-
-<p>Kevin Ilaria spread his hands. "Big enough. Their attack seems to
-have been simultaneous all over the world. Something like commando or
-guerrilla tactics. Quick, quiet attacks on a small scale."</p>
-
-<p>He told Jay about the Tel Aviv incident and about Captain Spagnoletti
-and a half-track disappearing in the rubble in the Washington area and
-about intercontinental communication being shut off.</p>
-
-<p>"Bomb 'em out," Jay said, without thinking.</p>
-
-<p>"You don't bomb out fifth columnists, Jay.</p>
-
-<p>"Last night they captured London and Tokyo and two-thirds of New York
-and they captured Lollabrigida airbase in Madrid. They're wearing PR
-uniforms and some kind of new uniform they've dreamed up. Most of them
-aren't even uniformed. It's a hell of a mess."</p>
-
-<p>"How long do you think it'll take to quell the thing?"</p>
-
-<p>"I have no idea. I'm to take command at Standiford Field. Rinaldi
-solved the saboteur problem ... it was Colonel Di Orio. Rinaldi and
-some of his boys caught the Colonel and a few of <i>his</i> men in the Radio
-Room on the special 'Liberacione' wave length."</p>
-
-<p>"In irons?" Jay wanted to know.</p>
-
-<p>"No. They put up a fight. They were killed."</p>
-
-<p>"You're flying?"</p>
-
-<p>"Doubt it. I'll be one of those behind-the-scenes men. Supposed to be
-valuable. Only in a mess like this you can't tell what's behind the
-scenes and what's front line. They're liable to start on Louisville
-next."</p>
-
-<p>Ilaria hitched self-consciously at his gun-belt. He twisted his helmet
-around a couple of times before he set it gingerly on his head. He
-turned and opened the door and went out. His head came back in and said:</p>
-
-<p>"I'm not sure it's the sort of thing you quell, Jay."</p>
-
-<p>"Kevin! Wait! What'm I supposed to—"</p>
-
-<p>He was gone.</p>
-
-<p>Jay thought only a moment. Then he switched on the phone. At least
-intercom systems were still in operation. The clerk at the desk
-upstairs looked at him from the screen.</p>
-
-<p>"This is the Man From 1954," Jay said, using the name by which everyone
-called him. "Stop Tribune Ilaria as he goes out."</p>
-
-<p>In an instant Kevin's head appeared.</p>
-
-<p>"I'll go with you. Shall I get my uniform before we go to Standiford or
-after?"</p>
-
-<p>Ilaria grinned. "After," he said. "Grab the elevator and come on up."</p>
-
-<p>This isn't your fight, Jay Welch, a voice told him as he opened the
-door. You don't even belong here, Jay Welch, the voice told him as he
-ran out into the hall. You're crazy to go to bat for these monsters,
-Jay Welch, the voice told him as he pushed the elevator button. You
-fought before for a bunch of people who didn't appreciate it one
-damned bit, Jay Welch. Remember about the Iron Hand and the Negroes,
-the voice told him as the doors opened and he stepped in. Remember you
-were shanghaied, it said, as the car shot upward and the bottom of his
-stomach felt as if it had been left behind. Remember you were going
-back to Duo Point and Herman's and Joe Scaccia's restaurant and Julie
-and tie and suit and Julie and the tight shoes and Julie and personal
-freedom and Julie and Jerry, the black guy you worked with and liked
-so well and Julie and the new Olds and Julie. Tomorrow you were going
-back.</p>
-
-<p>The doors shot back. He stepped out on the roof.</p>
-
-<p>"Mister Welcci?" said the clerk. "That's Tribune Ilaria's plane over
-there."</p>
-
-<p>He pointed to the little PR ship marked with the three silver diamonds
-of a Tribune and the staff of psychology. Jay ran. Wind was whipping
-across the roof and their cloaks streamed out and fluttered. The three
-men came together.</p>
-
-<p>"This is Commander DeVito, Jay. Commander, Jay Welch, The Man From
-1954." The way Ilaria said it always made it sound capitalized.</p>
-
-<p>They shook hands. They got into the plane and shot straight up and the
-city was a blur beneath them. In less than a minute the little flier
-dropped down faster than any elevator and landed at Standiford.</p>
-
-<p>"Sergeant, Sub-Tribune Welcci needs a uniform. A—"</p>
-
-<p>"Forty long," Jay suggested, then colored. Tunic and a hundred years
-made a difference in his size. He went with the supply-sergeant, who
-gave him a correct fit the first time—times <i>have</i> changed, Jay
-grunted—and fitted him with a helmet on the second try. He felt a
-tremor as he buckled on the pellet gun. With the cloak flapping about
-his heels and the gun banging his leg and the helmet biting his ear
-he ran to the elevator and down to the room Kevin had designated.
-The Tribune and Commander DeVito and five or six other officers were
-standing around a table in the steel-walled underground room.</p>
-
-<p>Before them was a gigantic map. They looked up as Jay burst in.</p>
-
-<p>"This is The Man From 1954," Ilaria said. There were hand-shakes all
-around that reminded Jay of fraternity rush. DeVito and one of the
-others wore wings. Jay wondered if that were still a pilot's insignia.</p>
-
-<p>The red X's on the map, they told him, were places under attack. The
-blue ones were areas taken by the fast-moving rebels. He learned that
-the messenger-jet they'd sent to Rome—they were lost without their
-instantaneous push-button communications system—hadn't made it. More
-had been sent. Meanwhile they were on their own.</p>
-
-<p>The nearest major battle was at Chicago, where Cocuzzi Flight Base was
-located. Ilaria despatched Commander DeVito and something like fifty
-jet fighters to Chicago. The other man was in charge of a group of B-90
-Stratosonic bombers. They lifted their fists in stiff-armed salute and
-left.</p>
-
-<p>"The rest of the ships will remain here, ready for instant take-off.
-I'll command interception. Sub-Tribune Rinaldi will command the base in
-case I have to go up.</p>
-
-<p>"I can't understand why we haven't been jumped yet. We must assume
-they'll attack Louisville because of Standiford and the Time Building.
-They'll also be interested in you, Jay."</p>
-
-<hr class="tb" />
-
-<p>By 2:00 that afternoon Louisville had not yet been attacked. Abruptly
-at 1:59 world communications went into operation. Everyone turned on
-his television set, wondering if Caesar's talk would go on as scheduled.</p>
-
-<p>It did. There was a screaming crowd before the Capitol. On the high
-balcony stood the Dictator. At his side stood Senator Chianti and
-around them were ringed Caesar's Pretorian Guards. The city was nearly
-empty of field soldiers. They had gone out to meet the insurgents.</p>
-
-<p>"People of the Republic of Rome." The noise subsided as Caesar raised
-his hands and spoke.</p>
-
-<p>"You have all heard of the revolt now in progress against us throughout
-the Empire."</p>
-
-<p>Ilaria nodded at the Caesar's psychologically clever use of the word us.</p>
-
-<p>"With your aid, my people, we can put a quick end to this treason.
-You have seen better than half a century of peaceful, successful
-government. These traitors and conspirators would attempt to overthrow
-our government and put an end to this peace ... this Peace of Rome.</p>
-
-<p>"The world is now in a state of emergency. If you, my people, will bear
-with me through this period of crisis we will return to our world of
-peace and serenity once more."</p>
-
-<p>Cheers. Wild applause.</p>
-
-<p>"They believe him," Jay murmured.</p>
-
-<p>Ilaria looked at him. "Of course," he said.</p>
-
-<p>"For a long time our Empire has remained ..."</p>
-
-<p>Caesar's face stiffened. The deep-set, weary eyes blazed and widened.
-His hand reached out for the railing. Then he stiffened again and was
-limp as the bursting pellet of sulphuric acid and potassium cyanide
-took effect.</p>
-
-<p>Gaius Julius Caesar Imperator V fell.</p>
-
-<p>There was uproar and clamor and shrieking.</p>
-
-<p>Jay and Ilaria stood, staring, as the Pretorian Guards levelled their
-guns and became a solid, surrounding wall. The T-V cameramen were
-getting the scene of the century.</p>
-
-<hr class="chap" />
-
-<div class="figcenter">
- <img src="images/illus1.jpg" width="650" height="495" alt=""/>
-</div>
-
-<hr class="chap" />
-
-<p>"Lamberti!" Ilaria bit out.</p>
-
-<p>The Pretorian Prefect, his hands outspread, stood on the balcony over
-Caesar's body. The white cloak with Liberacione on it fluttered about
-him. A couple of Pretorians came out with an amplifier.</p>
-
-<p>"Friends, Romans, Countrymen," said Farouk Lamberti.</p>
-
-<p>"—every available long-range ship to Rome," Ilaria's brittle voice
-was hacking out orders. "Every one. Contact every other base while
-communications are still working!"</p>
-
-<p>"... a noble man. But not the man to govern Earth. No, not he nor his
-government. I bring you a new government. I, Farouk Lamberti, long his
-best friend, have done this not to him, but for him. For you. The Earth
-was not meant to be governed by a system of—"</p>
-
-<p>"Yes, I said bomb Rome."</p>
-
-<p>Sub-Tribune Rinaldi smiled. "But Kevin, my friend, we can't bomb
-Lamberti just when he's getting a good start."</p>
-
-<p>Jay looked up. Kevin Ilaria spun around. "What?"</p>
-
-<p>"Never trust old friends, Kevin. Colonel Di Orio didn't. He surprised
-us in the Radio Room and we were forced to put him out of the way. Also
-remember this: all members of the Liberacione carry gamma pistols."</p>
-
-<p>Rinaldi pulled out his gamma gun and shot Ilaria through the middle.</p>
-
-<p>Jay was horrified. He forgot where he was and when he was and what he
-was doing. All he knew was that there was a cyanide gun at his hip and
-that this man had shot Ilaria. His gun came up and sputtered.</p>
-
-<p>The pellet caught Rinaldi just under the chin and burst. Rinaldi
-collapsed.</p>
-
-<p>"Had a—gamma gun—not ... deadly. Slow-acting ... radio-activity.
-Hardly ... burned me. Come on—we've got to ... get back to the—Time
-building."</p>
-
-<p>"Oh, no we won't. You're hurt. We—"</p>
-
-<p>"Don't argue. Sergeant! Saaarguunt!" Ilaria gasped at the exertion of
-shouting. The Centurion ran in.</p>
-
-<p>"We've got to—get to the—Time building."</p>
-
-<p>"Rinaldi shot the Tribune. Rinaldi was a traitor," Jay explained
-rapidly.</p>
-
-<p>Ilaria's gun clicked and the Centurion shuddered back and fell through
-the door. The gamma burst from his pistol hit the wall.</p>
-
-<p>"God! Is everyone a traitor?" Jay demanded of the Universe.</p>
-
-<hr class="tb" />
-
-<p>People are easily swayed. It didn't take them long to espouse the new
-cause. They were helped along in their decision by the Liberacione
-planes hovering overhead with loads of KCN-H2SO4 bombs. The whispering
-campaign Lamberti had carefully started about germ warfare helped, too.
-Those who didn't switch over rapidly were jumped by the new forces.
-Tribune Ilaria in Louisville, Kentucky, in America held out as long
-as he could. Then the bombers came. And the Tribune fled to the Time
-building.</p>
-
-<p>The building shook. A table shivered and a lamp shattered. A jet
-fighter flew close by the window and the Centurion watched fearfully as
-it flipped on one delta wing and fired a tracer burst into a PR ship.
-The defender exploded in mid-air.</p>
-
-<p>Ilaria looked twenty years older than the man who had smiled and
-welcomed Jay Welch to 2054. He and a young scientist were preparing the
-machine to send the man from 1954 back to his own time.</p>
-
-<p>"You'll have to leave the gun here, Jay." Ilaria winced as he bent over
-a set of dials.</p>
-
-<p>"I'd like to keep the uniform."</p>
-
-<p>"All right. Does that do it, Doctor?"</p>
-
-<p>The scientist nodded. He looked at Jay. "It's ready," he said.</p>
-
-<p>"This switch sets everything in motion, doesn't it?" Ilaria asked.</p>
-
-<p>"Yes. That's the final control."</p>
-
-<p>"Then ... I'll do it. I'd like ... to say something to Jay before he
-leaves."</p>
-
-<p>The scientist hesitated a moment, then shrugged and left. The Centurion
-went to the door. He was a young man and fanatically loyal.</p>
-
-<p>"You all right, Tribune?"</p>
-
-<p>Ilaria smiled. "I'm ... all right, Sergeant."</p>
-
-<p>The Centurion nodded and left.</p>
-
-<p>"Sit ... sit down in that chair, Jay, and do your best to relax."</p>
-
-<p>Jay sat down. A bomber roared overhead. There was a blast nearby.</p>
-
-<p>"What will you do now, Kevin?"</p>
-
-<p>Ilaria shrugged. "Fight 'em 'til they come in and we're sunk. Then
-I'll join 'em. Why—why die a martyr's death?"</p>
-
-<p>Of course, Jay told himself. Logical. But Kevin had been so convinced.
-So utterly sure. Now he looked and sounded like a disillusioned old man.</p>
-
-<p>"Kevin, I'm not trying to rub it in. But—"</p>
-
-<p>"I know what you're going to say. I was so sure. Paradise. I was a firm
-disciple. Convinced. I believed in all of it. I—thought it would last
-forever. The perfect government. A permanently <i>workable</i> government."</p>
-
-<p>Jay sat quietly. Ilaria reached for the switch.</p>
-
-<p>"For God's sake," came the voice of 1954, "what <i>is</i> the perfect
-workable government?"</p>
-
-<p>Ilaria closed the switch and the light blinded Jay. He felt as if
-someone had slugged him in the stomach. Slowly the machine prepared to
-send him back one-hundred years. It warmed up like a jet on a runway.</p>
-
-<p>The light faded and Jay opened his eyes. The building rocked. There was
-a terrific explosion and part of the steel wall buckled. Somewhere a
-woman screamed. A squadron of fighters hurtled past, spitting fire and
-death. A bomber fell, exploding as it crashed into a tall apartment
-building. Jay's stomach twisted and he knew he was on his way. Ilaria
-took his gun from his holster and calmly placed its ugly snout against
-his own face.</p>
-
-<p>"... the perfect workable government?" Jay's question of a moment ago
-reached his ears as he began to slip back, minute by minute, picking up
-momentum. Ilaria's reply came dimly.</p>
-
-<p>"There is none."</p>
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-<pre>
-
-
-
-
-
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+<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> + <head> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=us-ascii" /> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css" /> + <title> + The Project Gutenberg eBook of And Gone Tomorrow, by Andy Offut. + </title> + <link rel="coverpage" href="images/cover.jpg" /> + + <style type="text/css"> + +body { + margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; +} + + h1,h2 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + clear: both; +} + +p { + margin-top: .51em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .49em; +} + +hr { + width: 33%; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: 33.5%; + margin-right: 33.5%; + clear: both; +} + +hr.chap {width: 65%; margin-left: 17.5%; margin-right: 17.5%;} +hr.tb {width: 45%; margin-left: 27.5%; margin-right: 27.5%;} + +.center {text-align: center;} + +/* Images */ +.figcenter { + margin: auto; + text-align: center; +} + +div.titlepage { + text-align: center; + page-break-before: always; + page-break-after: always; +} + +div.titlepage p { + text-align: center; + text-indent: 0em; + font-weight: bold; + line-height: 1.5; + margin-top: 3em; +} + +.ph1 { text-align: center; text-indent: 0em; font-weight: bold; } +.ph1 { font-size: large; margin: .83em auto; } + + + </style> + </head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of And Gone Tomorrow, by Andy Offut + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most +other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions +whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of +the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at +www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have +to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. + +Title: And Gone Tomorrow + +Author: Andy Offut + +Release Date: January 28, 2019 [EBook #58784] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AND GONE TOMORROW *** + + + + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + +</pre> + + +<div class="figcenter"> + <img src="images/cover.jpg" width="376" height="500" alt=""/> +</div> + +<hr class="chap" /> + +<div class="titlepage"> + +<h1>And Gone Tomorrow</h1> + +<p>BY ANDY OFFUT</p> + +<p>[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from<br /> +Worlds of If Science Fiction, December 1954.<br /> +Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that<br /> +the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]</p> + +</div> + +<hr class="tb" /> + +<p class="ph1">THE $1000 PRIZE WINNING STORY<br /> +<i>in IF's College Science Fiction Contest</i></p> + +<p><i>Here is the best story submitted in answer to the theme question: +"What Will Life in America Be Like 100 Years From Now?" ... Written by +an undergraduate at the University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, +it pictures the America of 2054 as part of a world empire run by an +Italian dictator and very similar to that of the ancient Caesars and +the early Roman Empire. There is one language, one religion and customs +and laws have changed to suit the times. But, basically, human nature +hasn't changed and there is the omnipresent clash of faction against +faction. The theme is that a dictatorship is the only perfect form of +government. If there is a moral, it is that there is no permanent form +of government.</i></p> + +<p><i>One of the requirements for entering IF's College Science Fiction +Contest was that the contestant be a "simon pure" amateur—never +having been published professionally. This is Andy Offut's first +published story, and it has been accorded the same editing we give to +professional manuscripts. No rewriting or revisions have been made. See +November IF for complete announcement of this and the six other winners +in this nation-wide contest.</i></p> + +<hr class="tb" /> + +<p>He sat down suddenly. He stared up at the man.</p> + +<p>"Say it again," he muttered.</p> + +<p>He knew what the answer would be even before the man repeated it in +that quiet voice.</p> + +<p>"This is June 3, 2054."</p> + +<hr class="chap" /> + +<div class="figcenter"> + <img src="images/illus2.jpg" width="631" height="500" alt=""/> +</div> + +<hr class="chap" /> + +<p>The fellow wasn't kidding him. He was serious enough. But a couple +of minutes ago it had been May 15, 1954. He looked at his watch and +grunted. Less than four minutes ago it had been 1954. Reality. Now it +was June 3, 2054. There were four steel walls. There was a steel chair. +There were no windows.</p> + +<p>He tried to take it calmly. But the unbelievable horror of being +<i>where</i> he was and <i>when</i> he was and the man calmly repeating, "This +is June 3, 2054," screamed for release.</p> + +<p>"No! No! You're lying! It's impossible!" He grabbed the man's tunic and +drew back a doubled fist. His chair went over behind him.</p> + +<p>Then a stiff thumb jabbed him in the short ribs and he grunted and went +down.</p> + +<p>"This is June 3, 2054. You are still in Louisville, Kentucky. You are +standing in a room adjoining the laboratory in the Time Building on +3rd Street at Eastern Parkway. This is the receiving room. My name is +Kevin Ilaria. You've come through time. Is that so impossible to grasp? +You're a thinking man. Educated!"</p> + +<p>He looked up from the floor.</p> + +<p>"Well?"</p> + +<p>"So I'm a thinking man and an educated man. And what happens? I'm +sapped. I'm shanghaied. I'm walking down Confederate Place to my old +fraternity house at 1:00 in the morning. I've just had a row with +my girl. I'm heading for the fraternity house to see who'll go down +to Herman's and get good and drunk with me. And somebody clobbers +me. The next thing I remember I'm sitting in a steel chair in a +steel room without any windows. Just like this one. There's a man +standing there. A man with watery, myopic eyes under bushy brows and +his hair parted in the middle. He's Doctor Borley, of the University +of Louisville Chemistry Department. There's another man with him. A +little fellow with thick glasses and a crew cut and eyes like the slits +between closed Venetian blinds. He's Doctor Schink, of the Psychology +Department. They're talking about me."</p> + +<p>"Umn hmn. Now you're beginning to sound normal. Doctors Borley and +Schink are our agents in 1954. Do you know where you were?"</p> + +<p>"I told you. In some sort of steel room without win—"</p> + +<p>The man made an impatient gesture with his hand. "No, I mean <i>where</i>. +You were in a steel chamber in the Daynolds Metals Plant. It stood on +this spot in 1954. Two people knew—know—about that room."</p> + +<p>"Doctor Borley and Doctor Schink?"</p> + +<p>"I'm glad you've calmed down. Now we can talk."</p> + +<p>Jay wasn't quite ready to calm down. "You stand there in that Roman +outfit and talk about being calm. To me. To me, Jay Welch, a history +major who took his AB from the University of Louisville in 1950. Jay +Welch, average guy, who got into an average argument with the girl he +pinned in 1950 and went for a walk to drown his sorrows and wound up +one hundred years from where—when—he started. I—"</p> + +<p>"Then you admit you've come through Time?"</p> + +<p>"I may as well."</p> + +<p>Ilaria cursed quietly. "But you're not an average guy. You have a +working knowledge of chemistry and biology and physics and history +and a few arts and sociology and psychology and geopolitics and +literature and the English language as spoken in AD 1954. You hope to +be successful as a writer. You're Public Relations Consultant with +Duo-Point, one of the biggest corporations in your nation in 1954."</p> + +<p>"Yes," Jay Welch said. "And I make good money. Even better than a bus +driver or a steam-fitter. So?"</p> + +<p>"So here you are. 1954's representative to 2054." Ilaria was only a +man. He could not keep the flourish and the Hollywood grandeur out of +his voice.</p> + +<p>"Yes! And what happens tomorrow when I don't show up for work? What +happens in a few days when people find out I've disappeared? What +happens when they find out Julie was the last person I was with? What—"</p> + +<p>"You're getting yourself worked up again, Jay Welch. Don't you think +we have thought of those things? We've brought you across one hundred +years, Jay Welch."</p> + +<p>"Yes," Jay said quietly, flatly. "Yes." Then just as flatly, just as +quietly he said, "Why?"</p> + +<p>"So you've remembered to wonder about that at last." Ilaria smiled. +Jay noticed that the smile was one-sided and pulled back the left +corner of Ilaria's mouth. He stood there and looked down at Jay Welch, +who had forgotten that he was sitting on the floor. His tunic was +white and there were three diamond-shaped silver pieces in a vertical +line on each elbow-length sleeve. There was a wide blue stripe and a +narrow silver stripe at the hem of his tunic and at his sleeves. He +wore sandals. His belt was leather and there was a holstered pistol of +some sort hanging at his left hip. In tiny blue script above his left +breast pocket were the words 'Trib. Ilaria'. On the pocket was a red +disk with the letters PR. A silver-worked blue cloak was flung over +his shoulders. Except for the identification and the odd fabric of his +clothes and the holstered gun he looked very like a young Roman of the +first century.</p> + +<p>Ilaria's slow smile pulled back the left corner of his mouth. "Because +you are who you are and what you are. Because you attended the +University of Louisville and Doctors Borley and Schink knew you. +Because they chose you. Merely because they chose you. They might've +chosen anyone else.</p> + +<p>"We've your personality pretty well mapped out. We expected violence. +That's why I'm here. I'm a psychologist and an anthropologist. I'm a +fast-talker and I can convince people and place them at ease. I'm also +big enough to handle you, Jay Welch."</p> + +<p>From his position on the floor Jay looked up at Ilaria and decided the +man from 2054 was big enough. Jay Welch was six feet one inch tall. He +weighed one seventy-three and wore a 40-long suit. Kevin Ilaria was +bigger.</p> + +<p>Jay was forced to grin. The tall blond man was a likeable guy, at that. +A human being.</p> + +<p>"Who are you?"</p> + +<p>"Kevin Ilaria. Doctor of Psychology. That entitles me to the silver +band on my tunic. Also a Tribune. That entitles me to the blue stripe +and the three silver diamonds and the gun."</p> + +<p>"A Tribune? In what? Of what?"</p> + +<p>"In the Forces. In the actual ranks, a Tribune commands 7,000 men, 250 +planes or a base, or 40 tanks. But I've never had a chance to go into +the field. There has been no cause to fight. Meantime I'm stationed at +Standiford Field as second-in-command. A friend of mine named Rinaldi +fills in for me. He's a Sub-Tribune.</p> + +<p>"I've been specializing in the study of Time."</p> + +<p>"The way you say Time it sounds as though it were capitalized. Where I +come from Time with a capital T is a magazine."</p> + +<p>Kevin Ilaria laughed. He reached down a hand. "Get up," he said, and, +taking Jay's forearm, helped him to his feet.</p> + +<p>"Let's go," he said.</p> + +<p>Jay didn't bother to ask where they were going. He followed the Tribune +out the door and into the hall. On the wall just outside the door, was +a black box. Two squares cut into it shone with a faint white light. +Ilaria paused and shielded the lighted areas a moment with his hand, +and Jay saw the light go out in the room they had just left. Ilaria +closed the door. As he turned, Jay saw the white letters PR emblazoned +on the back of his cloak.</p> + +<p>"This way," he said. Jay noticed that Ilaria walked on his right, so +that the Tribune's gun was between them.</p> + +<p>"The way I said Time, it <i>is</i> capitalized. It means all the Time since +the beginning. It's a corporation, like your Duo-Point. Only much +larger, and much less known. Our job is to learn."</p> + +<p>"That's a big order," Jay commented. "You learn +by—borrowing—emissaries?"</p> + +<p>Ilaria laughed again. "Thanks for the phraseology, but it wouldn't +worry me if you called it 'kidnaping' or 'shanghaiing.' You're right, +of course. We learn by sending men from this age to other ones, and by +pulling men from other ages to this one. Doctor Schink is our Emissary +to 1954. His real name is Clyde Gabrinaldi. Borley is our contact +there ... rather, then."</p> + +<p>"Well I'll be damned! I've gone to Clyde a lot of times for advice."</p> + +<p>The left corner of Ilaria's mouth pulled back as his grin widened. "Umn +hmn. He's married, too. With a child. He's there for good."</p> + +<p>Jay was afraid to ask if emissaries from the past to 2054 were "there +for good" too. He changed the subject.</p> + +<p>"You started to tell me before—"</p> + +<p>"Oh, yes. I'm to be your teacher and companion. But I'll try to give +you a quick fill-in. Our world of 2054 is quite different from yours. +And, we hope, in better shape. We've proved that the only way to +maintain world peace is by world government. And the only successful +type of government is a dictatorship."</p> + +<p>Jay gasped. "You mean the entire world—has reverted to <i>dictatorship</i>?"</p> + +<p>Ilaria laughed. "Not <i>reverted</i>. We finally accepted it as the only +logical form of government for an entire world."</p> + +<p>"What happens when the dictator goes wild? He always has."</p> + +<p>The smile was there again. "You're not quite ready for that," Ilaria +told him. "But, it has been taken into consideration."</p> + +<p>Out of the corner of his eye, Jay saw the slight puff of Ilaria's +chest, the self-satisfied square of his shoulders, the quick set of his +jaw. He wondered what part Tribune Kevin Ilaria played in the 'dictator +control' this world had provided.</p> + +<p>"The system has worked and is working. See this?"</p> + +<p>They turned a corner in the corridor and faced a great domed room. +On the far wall hung a white tapestry of something like 40 x 40 foot +dimensions. On it, emblazoned in letters of red and yellow made to look +like flame, were the characters PPB. In the lower right-hand corner, in +white outlined with blue, was the same PR that Ilaria wore. Jay waited +for the Tribune's explanation.</p> + +<p>"PpB stands for Pax per Bello," Ilaria explained. "Peace through War. +That slogan was written in 1967 by Julius and adapted in 1971 as +official."</p> + +<p>"Julius?"</p> + +<p>"Yes. The first Dictator."</p> + +<p>Things were beginning to click in Jay's mind.</p> + +<p>"I think I know what PR stands for," he said. "Pax Romana."</p> + +<p>As always, Ilaria smiled. "That's right," he said.</p> + +<hr class="tb" /> + +<p>The command-car marked with the PR symbol pulled over and stopped.</p> + +<p>"What is it? Who are you?" the driver demanded.</p> + +<p>The Captain on the seat beside him peered into the blackness and cursed.</p> + +<p>The man who had waved the vehicle to a halt walked away.</p> + +<p>"Here!" the Captain cried. "What in blazes is going on here? Why'd you +stop us? Centurion! Stop that man!"</p> + +<p>The two Centurions in the back seat looked at the Captain for a moment, +then they both jumped out and ran after the man.</p> + +<p>An ellipsoidal grey thing streaked out of the darkness, landed in the +driver's lap and thudded to the floor of the car. The Captain threw +open his door and started to climb out. The driver bent over to see +what it was.</p> + +<p>At that moment the driver, the command-car and the Captain blew up.</p> + +<p>The silence that followed was broken by the blast of a submachine gun +as it struck down the two centurions.</p> + +<p>"Take their weapons," said a brittle voice.</p> + +<hr class="tb" /> + +<p>The detachment of soldiers from the garrison at Tel Aviv stopped and +looked around.</p> + +<p>"Sir, what is it?" asked a guard anxiously.</p> + +<p>"Terribly quiet out here; something's up," the Lieutenant muttered +calmly.</p> + +<p>There were seven of them. The Lieutenant, the Centurion, and five +legionaries. They had grown accustomed to the quiet life of garrison +men in a calm, conquered city. When there is nothing tangible to be +guarded, a guard's life is a dull one. The guns they carried were +the symbol of their authority, and had never been used for any other +purpose.</p> + +<p>They looked around. The dirty, once-white buildings rose close on +either side. There was no moon. There was no sound. The darkness and +the silence could have been cut with a knife.</p> + +<p>The Lieutenant grinned. He didn't feel much like grinning. He spoke. He +didn't feel much like talking, either.</p> + +<p>"This darkness is thick," he said. "You could cut it with a knife. Wish +I had a knife."</p> + +<p>He got a knife. The men had just started to laugh when the Lieutenant +got it.</p> + +<p>Between his shoulder blades.</p> + +<p>As the Lieutenant toppled forward, the Centurion dodged close against +the dirty stone wall and yelled "Spread out!"</p> + +<p>They killed a lot of the shadowy, green-clad attackers, but there were +only six of them and they were cornered. When the enemy drove a tank +into the alley and sprayed them with its mounted gun they died.</p> + +<p>"Take their weapons," said a quiet voice.</p> + +<hr class="tb" /> + +<p>The half-track rolled to a stop.</p> + +<p>"Where, Sir?" the driver wanted to know.</p> + +<p>"Beyond that big crater over there. The sun glinted on metal. I'm sure +of it. Didn't you see it?"</p> + +<p>"No, Sir." The driver craned his neck. There was nothing but barren +rubble and bomb craters and torn, twisted metal and ruined buildings.</p> + +<p>"There are all sorts of old automobiles lying around out there, Sir," +the driver volunteered.</p> + +<p>"Yes, and they've been here long enough to get good and rusty," the +Captain snapped. "This is something else."</p> + +<p>The driver craned his neck. There was nothing but rubble.</p> + +<p>Eight men in the back of the half-track leaped to their feet when they +heard the faint clicking of KCN-H2SO4 guns and the buzz of an old gamma +gun and the sharp bark of a very old sub machine-gun. But a grenade +landed on the truck and another rolled under it.</p> + +<p>Another wreck was added to the rubble.</p> + +<p>"Take their weapons, if there are any left," said a quiet voice.</p> + +<hr class="tb" /> + +<p>And in the more peaceful city of Louisville, Jay Welch was introduced +to Kevin Ilaria's best friend, his adjutant at Standiford Field.</p> + +<p>Jay took a liking to Sub-Tribune Jason Rinaldi the moment he felt the +fellow's firm grip.</p> + +<p>"Jason is adjutant," Ilaria explained. "And one of the few 'field +soldiers' who manages to get along with Caesar's Pretorian Prefect, +Lamberti. How he does it, I don't know. Lamberti's absolutely +unbearable."</p> + +<p>"Prejudice. Middle-class prejudices," Rinaldi grinned. He was short and +very dark with a lot of black hair.</p> + +<p>Ilaria's left cheek cracked into a long dimple as he smiled. "He picks +on me because I'm a serious psychologist."</p> + +<p>Rinaldi laughed. "As a psychologist, Kevin, you're an excellent bridge +player. As a soldier—"</p> + +<p>"Just remember who's got three bars and who has two."</p> + +<p>Rinaldi waved his hand and shrugged. "They pass 'em out to psych boys +wholesale," he said, and ducked Ilaria's swing. "Slow reflexes, too," +he added as he turned to go.</p> + +<p>Ilaria stopped him at the door and murmured a few sentences.</p> + +<p>Jay caught something about sabotage at Standiford. Rinaldi seemed to be +attributing it to the Commanding Officer there.</p> + +<p>"Nice guy," Jay said as the door closed behind Rinaldi.</p> + +<p>"You said it. Good officer, too. He'll root out the bird who's playing +around out there. Can't figure out why it's being done."</p> + +<p>"Factions," Jay said, "—within factions."</p> + +<p>"Little ones always exist, I guess. Have you finished with the history +films?"</p> + +<p>"I've seen them, yes. I'm still trying to digest them."</p> + +<p>"The language give you much trouble?"</p> + +<p>"Quite a bit, but I think I got most of it.</p> + +<p>"One man," Jay went on wonderingly. "One man. A Captain in the Italian +Army.</p> + +<p>"The Communist forces in Indo-China had been driven back and +Captain—then Major—Lollabrigida went in after them.</p> + +<p>"The defeat was becoming so terrible that the Kremlin dealt itself a +playing hand rather than the dummy it had been playing. Red forces came +piling in. Lollabrigida and his Italian troops stopped them cold. Then +he seemed to sway. And, when the Commies pounced for the kill, they +were trapped, pocketed, and annihilated.</p> + +<p>"American newspapers and commentators began to call Major Julius +Lollabrigida 'Julius Caesar.' Italy became big overnight. The Big Three +became Russia, the United States, and Italy. Lollabrigida appealed to +America—sometime in there they made him a Colonel, but he was actually +telling the Generals and the Italian government what to do—for aid in +going ahead aggressively.</p> + +<p>"And America turned him down. They were still playing 'wait and see.' +They waited. They waited too long. The Commies got tired of waiting +around and sent a couple of jet bombers with A-bombs."</p> + +<p>"Now you're telling me things," Ilaria interrupted. "I'm pretty shady +on that period myself."</p> + +<p>Jay shrugged. "It was after my time. All I know is what the films show. +Two planes, each with a seven-man crew, and each carrying one atomic +bomb, were dispatched from an airbase somewhere near Juneau." Jay +stopped.</p> + +<p>"And?"</p> + +<p>The man from 1954 choked. It was hard to be objective about this. It +wasn't so easy for him to pass off as the film had done.</p> + +<p>"And—" he hesitated.</p> + +<p>"It's over, Jay. It's done with. It doesn't even concern you anymore. +It belongs to a past era."</p> + +<p>"One was headed for New York. The other struck farther inland ... for +Washington. The first one was shot down by an F-117 border patrol +plane. The other one got through. It—it levelled the capitol. Almost +completely. The White House and the Pentagon were destroyed."</p> + +<p>Ilaria sat quietly and waited. Jay didn't go on.</p> + +<p>"Thus removing the United States of America, as such, from a prominent +position in the world picture," Ilaria said.</p> + +<p>"Yes. I can't understand it. Everything just folded up. SAC +didn't even get off the ground. And Colonel Lollabrigida, by then +Commander-in-Chief of the UN forces, sent fifty planes, each with +one A-bomb, over the Kremlin. One was shot down over Vladivostok, +but the bombardier pulled the firing pin as the ship crashed and +most of Vladivostok was destroyed. Six other planes made it to their +destinations and dropped their loads. I can't remember the cities ... +one was a new super airbase near Moscow. Five of the planes returned. +None had managed to reach Moscow. Half the world was in ruins. The Pope +begged that the War be stopped."</p> + +<p>Ilaria snorted. "He knew they'd hit Rome!"</p> + +<p>Jay looked at him. "Is that what you think?"</p> + +<p>Ilaria shrugged and flashed that quick, winning smile. "There are no +other motives, are there?"</p> + +<p>Jay stared. What changes had taken place in religious philosophy in +this hard-bitten world of 2054?</p> + +<p>Kevin Ilaria shrugged, smiling. "That's unimportant. Let's go on with +the history lesson. Then what?"</p> + +<p>"Uh—oh, yes. As I remember Julius Lollabrigida, to be trite, launched +an 'all-out offensive' against Communist forces everywhere. People were +afraid of Russia, but they were afraid of Lollabrigida and Rome, too. +So they joined him. Aid poured into the UN. Czechoslovakia was taken +and Poland and Hungary and finally only the old Russia of pre World War +II days was left. And in they went.</p> + +<p>"Then Lollabrigida's saboteurs exploded an atomic bomb in the heart of +Moscow. After that it was pretty easy sledding."</p> + +<p>"Astounding how a nation seems to fall apart when its capitol and its +leaders are gone," Ilaria remarked.</p> + +<p>"Everybody and everything folds," Jay said. "Morale dies.</p> + +<p>"After the demolition of Moscow and other parts of the USSR, Italy +stood at the top. General of the Armies Julius Lollabrigida marched +back into Italy and into Rome and into the capitol and up on a +pedestal. He stood as Italy's utter ruler. His last name was lost and +replaced by 'Caesar II.' He was named Dictator.</p> + +<p>"From mighty Rome, Caesar sent out linguists and anthropologists and +ethnologists and psychologists and military men and others. In twenty +years, twenty peaceful years, Italian had become the language of the +world. A few minor uprisings in America and in Japan were smashed. +Julius Caesar II was World Dictator of the Republic of Earth. Someone +in America denied him and was torn to pieces by the people. Someone +in Italy spread literature of dissension and was hunted down and +liquidated by Caesar's personal police, the Pretoriani. And so it went.</p> + +<p>"Caesar adopted a prominent Air Force Colonel who became Caesar III on +Lollabrigida's death. Each year on his birthday men were silent. No +business was transacted. No one left his home. Except blue-and-silver +clad soldiers, wearing PR armbands. Caesar's Pretorians. No one <i>dared</i> +venture out.</p> + +<p>"During the reign of Caesar III, every person in the world changed his +last name to an Italian one. The Ali bens and the Chicos and the Andres +and the Fritzes and the Johns became Marianos and Roccos and Caldinis +and Campisanos and diManos."</p> + +<p>There was silence for a moment.</p> + +<p>"The thing I can't understand," Jay mused, "is why in all these years +there hasn't been a 'bad' Caesar, or an uprising."</p> + +<p>"What do you mean by 'bad' Caesar?"</p> + +<p>Jay shrugged. "In the first Pax Romana there was Caligula, who was +insane. Nero, who preferred artistic diversions to politics. There was +Galba, who didn't know what was going on. And so on. And on and on. +Your three dictators so far seem to have done excellent jobs. They seem +to be damned conscientious leaders."</p> + +<p>"When you re-create something," Ilaria told him, "you try to eliminate +its faults."</p> + +<p>"Of course. But what if Caesar's son or a Caesar's adopted son goes +bad?" Jay elucidated.</p> + +<p>"So far we haven't had that problem to deal with. But we're ready. Each +time a new Dictator comes to power, one thousand top military men draw +folded pieces of plastipaper from a 'bowl.' On twenty of these are X's. +The others contain O's. The twenty X's are a secret organization, sworn +to kill the Dictator if it should become necessary. When Caesar, as you +say, 'goes bad'."</p> + +<p>"Brilliant!" Jay breathed. "And he—Caesar—never knows who they are?"</p> + +<p>"<i>No</i> one ever knows," Ilaria said. "Not even the members. They remain +in contact, but none ever knows who the others are."</p> + +<p>Jay remembered Ilaria's previous mention of the system, and the +unconscious swelling of the Tribune's chest at the time. "You're one," +he said.</p> + +<p>Ilaria was caught off guard. "I—yes," he said. "I won't ask how you +knew."</p> + +<p>"A guess. Then you've been a—whatever it's called—for nine years, +during Caesar V's reign."</p> + +<p>"That's right."</p> + +<p>"And you don't know any of the others?"</p> + +<p>"Only one. I found out accidentally. He—" Ilaria stopped.</p> + +<p>Jay shrugged. "I won't ask any more questions along that line," he +promised. "But I still can't believe there haven't been any uprisings!"</p> + +<p>"None. Caesar II died of a heart attack. Caesar III had a brain tumor +which we learned about too late. His son never had a chance to prove +himself, other than that he was brave and foolish. He swam the Rubicon +at its widest point, then walked to Rome in his shorts in the dead of +winter. He died of pneumonia. Caesar V, our Dictator today, is strong +and quiet. He holds the Empire firmly unified. But he does nothing +extraordinary. And he is too lenient."</p> + +<p>"I just can't conceive of such perfection!"</p> + +<p>Kevin Ilaria smiled. He walked over to the window and peered out. +"<i>You</i> couldn't. But this <i>is</i> the perfect government. Everyone +is satisfied. One ruler. One capitol. One army. One language. One +nationality. One world. One religion."</p> + +<p>"I realize—" Jay halted. "One religion?" he demanded.</p> + +<p>"Yes."</p> + +<p>"What is it?" He found himself afraid of the answer. The indications +were there, in plain sight. He guessed it before Kevin Ilaria turned +from the window and said:</p> + +<p>"Caesarism."</p> + +<hr class="tb" /> + +<p>The man called Gaius Julius Caesar Imperator V turned from the window +and rubbed his hand over his graying hair.</p> + +<p>"This is the first time I've ever run into anything of this sort."</p> + +<p>The President of the Senate shrugged. He was an old man who had been +placed in the Senate by his father in 1980. So long ago that people +wondered when he would die. They were tired of these old men dictating +to their ruler, as many people before them had been tired. The rise of +the President of the Senate to leadership of that revered group had not +been meteoric by any means. But his maintenance of the position had +been tenacious. He was a careful man.</p> + +<p>The President of the Senate shrugged. "It is. It is the first time +anything of this sort has ever come up, Julius. Therefore it is up to +you to set an example."</p> + +<p>Caesar glanced over at General Bonadella. The General nodded in +agreement with Senator Chianti.</p> + +<p>"This sort of business can break up the Empire if it's allowed to +continue, Caesar," he said, in his pompous military way. "I say death."</p> + +<p>Major DeCosta nodded quietly.</p> + +<p>"Thumbs down all around, is it?" Caesar sat down behind his desk and +picked up the speaker of his private cable to London. He looked at the +three men.</p> + +<p>"Commander in charge of Garrison C," he said.</p> + +<p>There was a silent moment.</p> + +<p>They looked up as Prefect Lamberti of the Pretorians, the Imperial +personal bodyguard (it had progressed far beyond that. Its enrollment +was tremendous; its power second only to the Dictator's) came in. The +Senator nodded. The two field soldiers turned quickly away. The men of +the field did not get along with the Pretorian dandies.</p> + +<p>"Commander? This is the Dictator," Caesar said unnecessarily. The +garrison commander knew that only one person could call him on that +line. The phone would react to no voice other than Caesar's.</p> + +<p>"Have you the fellow who was preaching dissension? I say one year in +prison. You heard me. Yes, one year. What? No! No torture!" He severed +connections and looked up at his advisers.</p> + +<p>Prefect Lamberti shook his head. Senator Chianti turned and stalked +out. After a moment General Bonadella followed. The Major turned away +to stare out the window. He shook his head.</p> + +<p>"del Ponta? This is the Dictator," that quiet, flat voice said behind +him. Caesar was calling the under-chief of the Pretoriani. "I will +speak tomorrow from the balcony. Yes. 1400. Of course. World-wide. +That's right. Oh, I suppose about a quarter 'til."</p> + +<p>The man who ruled the world stood up and stared at Major DeCosta's +back. At forty-one, Caesar was a gaunt man with stooped shoulders and +sad lines running from his nostrils to the corners of his mouth. His +forehead was lined and re-lined, and the keen brown eyes were dulled +with years of decisions and hard work.</p> + +<p>He was tired.</p> + +<p>They called him the Hound because his face bore the same sad, quiet +look worn by those dogs. And they called him weak because he let +offenders off too easily.</p> + +<p>DeCosta turned around. The young Major met his Chief's gaze.</p> + +<p>"Well?" The voice of the Dictator was quiet and calm.</p> + +<p>DeCosta's eyes flickered. He straightened militarily. He shrugged.</p> + +<p>"It is not for me to say, Sir."</p> + +<p>A slow smile spread over those weary features. "And you, Farouk?"</p> + +<p>Lamberti stretched out his arm and balled his fist with the thumb +extended and pointing down. "You know me, Caesar."</p> + +<p>"I do. Even my best friend disagrees with my decisions now, after all +these years of elbow-rubbing.</p> + +<p>"You are usually more out-spoken, Major DeCosta. Have you nothing more +to say?"</p> + +<p>DeCosta's reply was slow in coming but rapid in delivery. "I am around +Caesar much of late," he rapped out. His back was stiff and military as +he strode out of the Dictator's office.</p> + +<p>Prefect Lamberti's gloved hand dropped to the butt of his gun, but +Caesar shook his head in gentle negation.</p> + +<p>Julius Caesar Imperator V gazed sadly at the closed door.</p> + +<hr class="tb" /> + +<p>Jay had given up trying to reason with Ilaria about God. The +man was intelligent as well as brilliant—there's a tremendous +difference—about everything else, but he was stubbornly obstinate +to Jay's arguments. At least in Jay's terminology he was stubbornly +obstinate. All faith is stubborn obstinacy. Kevin Ilaria's faith was +appalling. His arguments were beautiful. Flawless. Jay thought of his +old friend, Father O'mare. Even that great psychologist-priest would be +hard-put, he decided.</p> + +<p>So he quit. He didn't give up. He just quit.</p> + +<p>Can you tell a man the Earth's flat after he's been up in a jet?</p> + +<p>Can you talk a bullet out of pursuing its path?</p> + +<p>Can you reason with a Marxist?</p> + +<p>"If a man can conquer the greatest enemy the world has ever faced, is +he not God? If he can turn from killing and soldiering to soothing +and pacifying, is he not God? If he can make the world one, after +twenty-two centuries of 'world anarchism' is he not God? If he can +maintain the peace and keep the people happy and heal all sores is he +not God? If he just looks at you when you call him 'God' or 'Savior' +and smiles and say 'I?' is he not God? If he chooses the perfect man to +continue in his place, is he not God?"</p> + +<p>"But that's proof! Why die? Isn't God immortal?"</p> + +<p>"Only God could realize that one man can't continue to reign +indefinitely. His ideas, yes. But he must create another to carry on +his ideas. There must be variety and diversions."</p> + +<p>Unshakeable. Unquestioning. Jay could never understand a person's +sticking to the claim 'I'm a Christian' or 'I'm a Moslem' when he would +be killed for it. Jay had always figured he'd have said to Nero's men +'Me? Me? A filthy Christian? Not I. I love Jupiter and Juno. Step +inside and see my altars ...'</p> + +<p>Now he was seeing what sturdy, rock-firm martyr faith was like.</p> + +<p>So he quit.</p> + +<p>Instead he learned about the gyro-jet cars which hugged the roads like +lovers on a honeymoon. He watched them sprout stubby wings and breathe +flame and soar straight up. He learned about saying 'Open' to a lock +and having the electronic device 'recognize' him and let him in. He +learned about personalphones which 'recognized' your voice. He learned +about the tiny pellet of potassium cyanide and sulphuric acid with +which the guns were loaded. The pellets struck and broke and the victim +was dead in seconds. Very humane. No maimed or wounded. Just the dead.</p> + +<p>He learned about self-shaping sandals—the most comfortable and most +sensible shoes man had ever worn—and air baths and soft-voiced +alarm clocks which politely told you it was time to get up and about +unbreakable ring-finger chronos and about atomic heating and flawless +plumbing and he saw plastic, plastic, plastic.</p> + +<p>He learned about all of them. But his real delight was the depilatory +cream. This, above all others, was man's greatest invention.</p> + +<p>"No shaving ... no silly damned socks or tight, hot shoes or tie ... no +battery stalling or flat tires ... I guess this is paradise, Kevin!"</p> + +<p>"And the perfect government and the perfect religion! All one race! One +religion! One nation! One language! One nationality! One God!" Ilaria +added exuberantly.</p> + +<p>"That reminds me. How come I never see any coloreds?"</p> + +<p>"Haven't you? By the way, no murderous car insurance or alimony laws, +either. And no need for them. All marriages are ideal."</p> + +<p>Jay was readily detoured to this new novelty.</p> + +<p>"Now, don't let's go too far. Identical religion and race and customs +and ideals and opinions may lower the divorce rate a lot, but there's +still ye olde sex angle. A couple can go together twenty years and +break up on the wedding night. Some are hot and some are cold and some +are slow and some are fast. The only thing you could have improved +on, is sex education. It's astounding how many people of my time know +nothing about the sexual part of marriage. The most important part!</p> + +<p>"Of course it's doing what comes naturally; but what if two people +have been taught from different viewpoints? Or if one hasn't been +taught at all? Some people are actually ashamed or embarrassed. There +are intelligent people who don't even know the biological facts! +Few—especially women, know about the pleasure and the habit-forming +angle. That's the one thing than can break up something beautiful in +ten minutes.</p> + +<p>"Education, maybe. Human nature, no."</p> + +<p>"Whew!"</p> + +<p>"Excuse me, Kevin, for launching into a Phillipic, but that's long been +my pet peeve. Atrocious, deplorable, and all that."</p> + +<p>"We don't <i>usually</i> tamper with human nature, Jay. As a rule, that is. +This is going to come as a shock to you, with your silly, 'atrocious +and deplorable' 1954 ideas and morals.</p> + +<p>"A trial period. A pre-marital period of living together for a couple +of weeks. If the couple isn't sexually suited, they either attempt to +have it remedied by a physician or break off."</p> + +<p>"A shock, yes," Jay murmured, slowly shaking his head. "How did it ever +start? Anyone who'd propound an idea like that in my time would be +accused of being some sort of perverted sex-fiend!</p> + +<p>"A foolproof, flawless plan to insure happy marriages!"</p> + +<hr class="tb" /> + +<p>Half across the world a door swung open and a tall dark man with +piercing black eyes and a twin-tufted beard came in. His dark-green +garment, faintly resembling a trench-coat, was double-breasted and +belted and military cut. His feet were encased in plastileather boots +which clicked as he came to attention before the desk.</p> + +<p>The plate on the desk read "Praefectus Praetoriani."</p> + +<p>"Major del Ponta, Sir."</p> + +<p>The man behind the desk looked up. "At ease, Major."</p> + +<p>Major Ali ben del Ponta relaxed and waited.</p> + +<p>The man behind the desk finished scanning the sheet of micro-paper, +marked something on it with a stylo, stuck it in the pneumatube on the +corner of his desk, and pushed the button to close his desk drawer. He +looked up at Major Ali ben del Ponta.</p> + +<p>"Well?" He put his hands together, fingers touching.</p> + +<p>"It has begun, Prefect Lamberti. All over the world our local men are +leading their followers in attack. Captain Abram Mazzoli has sent in +his report from Tel Aviv. The city is in his hands. Captain Mahomet +DiSanto's 'Raiders' have complete control of the Sahara. Captain +Arnaldi's forces are firmly entrenched in the old Washington area of +America. He will move northward to meet Colonel Magnani's forces from +Canada and Commander Campisano. They—"</p> + +<p>"Campisano's airborne ready to roll?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, Sir. Arrangements have been made. The drop will be just outside +New York."</p> + +<p>"Alright. Then everything has gone off as scheduled?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, Sir."</p> + +<p>Prefect Farouk Lamberti regarded his deskchron thoughtfully.</p> + +<p>"And Caesar will make his speech in twenty-five hours and thirty-three +minutes?"</p> + +<p>Major del Ponta glanced at his own chron, which was strapped to the +third finger of his left hand. "Yes, Sir. At 1400, tomorrow."</p> + +<p>"Have the twenty-foot 'visor screen activated for public showing. Mount +it outside as we'd planned."</p> + +<p>"It's being taken care of, Sir. The screen is on its way to the Square. +There will be a crowd."</p> + +<p>"Good. We all want to hear noble Caesar."</p> + +<p>Del Ponta grinned. "Yes, Sir. We all do. Especially tomorrow."</p> + +<p>"He doesn't know?—or suspect?"</p> + +<p>"He shouldn't Sir. Our men took over and began covering up at once. +You know the atrocious condition of world communications systems. The +Empire could fall and Rome might not hear of it for days."</p> + +<p>"That's what I was counting on ... that and the Disturber. The +degeneracy of the field military is terrible. They are allowing +themselves to get lazy and fat and careless."</p> + +<p>"Yes, Sir."</p> + +<p>"Have my car ready to drive to the Square behind Caesar's tomorrow. +See that the covermen in the houses around the Square are doubled and +double-checked. But when we go to the show, let's not have too great an +exhibition of Imperial power. We don't want this thing to backfire and +cut our own throats."</p> + +<p>"Yes, Sir." Del Ponta's grin widened.</p> + +<p>"Dismissed."</p> + +<p>Del Ponta came to attention, saluted and about-faced and left.</p> + +<p>Prefect Lamberti opened his desk drawer and took out his old service +pistol. It was a gamma gun. He had not released any of the deadly, +slow-acting rays from its chamber in seven years. But it was ready.</p> + +<p>He opened another drawer and took out a white cloak, marked across the +back with a blue dove and the single word 'Liberacione.'</p> + +<p>He checked the pistol.</p> + +<hr class="tb" /> + +<p>"Does the Emissary from 1954 get to meet Caesar?" Jay wanted to know.</p> + +<p>"Later. He's to make a speech tomorrow afternoon. It will be +world-televised."</p> + +<p>"He looks very old and very tired," Jay ventured. He'd seen Caesar on +transcriptions of old speeches and on old newsreels.</p> + +<p>"He's about ... forty, I think. Somewhat weak. Very lenient."</p> + +<p>"I would've guessed him to be a good deal older." Then "Why weak? +Because he's lenient?"</p> + +<p>Ilaria smiled. "Remember, Jay, 'Pax per Bello.' Too much leniency leads +one's subjects to be bold. Over-bold."</p> + +<p>"One man's opinion?"</p> + +<p>The Tribune shrugged. "No. Caesar doesn't get along with his advisors +too well. They criticize him for being too ready to forgive and forget."</p> + +<p>The more Jay saw of this perfect world, the more he realized how cruel +and hard people must be to maintain a paradise. If everyone is to be +happy, someone must be unhappy.</p> + +<p>The trouble is, people don't like to be told "This is for your own +good."</p> + +<p>Jay said so.</p> + +<p>"But if they're sat on hard enough," Ilaria rebutted, "they don't have +a chance ever to try anything else which they might <i>think</i> is for +their own good...."</p> + +<p>Jay nodded. Very true. As Ilaria left the room Jay went to the window +and looked out at the Louisville of 2054. For the millionth time in the +seven days he'd been here, he wished he had a cigarette. They had been +outlawed as detrimental to health long ago.</p> + +<p>The fact that it had been seven days reminded him of something else +left behind.</p> + +<p>Julie.</p> + +<p>"You're a fool," he finally told himself. No wonder Julie'd been on +edge and acting what he termed 'odd' lately! She was scared. He'd been +out of school three and a half years. He was twenty-five. He'd just +bought a new Olds. He'd begun buying his clothes at <i>The</i> Store rather +than a store. Hell, he should've been married long ago. His days here +were full. There were meetings with scientists and historians and +militarists and linguists and everyone else Kevin could think up. He +talked and listened and discussed and lectured. But he thought of her +every night. Every morning before he rose. At times like this, when he +was alone for a few minutes.</p> + +<p>Of course it was love! He'd always thought too many people threw the +word around too much. He'd always been afraid to use it because he +wasn't sure of its meaning. He's used it once. And he'd been kicked in +the teeth by the girl. He hadn't used it since.</p> + +<p>When was a guy ever sure?</p> + +<p>Hogwash! Now he knew that each man forms his own definition. True, +too many people used the word love indiscriminately. It's mistreated. +Kicked around. Assumed and taken off. Dragged through messes and +scandals and law courts and through the mud. But to a man like Jay +Welch, to a man who has been afraid—yes, afraid—to use it, it <i>must</i> +be there when he begins thinking in those terms.</p> + +<p>Love. He'd had to come across one-hundred years to realize he'd found +its meaning. To realize he'd known its meaning a long time. To realize +that love is whatever you make it, what you, yourself, call it. You +define it yourself. Then you apply it.</p> + +<p>It had been there all the time. You don't include someone in everything +you do and everything you think without it. You don't try to change her +and yourself. To make her perfect. To make yourself perfect with—and +for—her without it. This business about "accepting" little faults—as +well as big ones—, he decided, is for the birds. It's human nature to +translate other people in terms of yourself and try to change them in +terms of yourself. To argue and be proud and hate like hell to have +to make up. But you don't make a project of it with everyone. Not +unless....</p> + +<p>He and Julie had a lot to talk about.</p> + +<p>Then he remembered where he was and when he was. He thought of Doctor +Schink. And suddenly he was scared. He remembered what Ilaria had said +about Schink. 'He's there for good....'</p> + +<p>"He's never said a word about my going back!"</p> + +<p>"Neither have you," came Ilaria's voice, and Jay whirled around to see +the big psychologist coming through the door.</p> + +<p>"We'd like to keep you here as long as possible. But not against your +wishes, of course. You were shanghaied, not kidnaped." The left corner +of his wide mouth pulled back in that slow, reassuring smile.</p> + +<p>"I stand chastised. Now I've thought of it, though, I can hardly wait."</p> + +<p>"The day after tomorrow? I want you to hear Caesar speak. Then I want +to talk a good deal more."</p> + +<p>"Early, the day after tomorrow." Then, little-boyishly, Jay hurriedly +added a couple of reasons. "I'm getting tired of talking and being +questioned. I feel like a talking animal in the zoo."</p> + +<p>Ilaria nodded, smiling. "Julie?</p> + +<p>"I figured it would occur to you sooner or later. Just because you +think a little more deeply and carefully than most men of your time +doesn't make you immune to love. That belongs to <i>all</i> times. Good luck +and a lot of children."</p> + +<p>Jay grinned. He'd met Ilaria's wife and five of his six children the +night before. He turned to look out the window once more.</p> + +<p>Beautiful. The elevated streets, with gyro-cars hurtling along ... the +sky full of more winged gyros and planes ... the streets below full of +happy, white-faced, white-clad people....</p> + +<p>White-faced!</p> + +<p>"Kevin, you avoided my question the day before yesterday. I've been +almost afraid to ask you again. Why no Negroes?"</p> + +<p>"It will be hard for you to accept, with your antiquated democratic +ideas." Ilaria breathed a deep sigh. "Certain elements of dissension +and unrest, Jay, are better eliminated. Coloreds have always bred both. +People are just like that. Whites and yellows and tans and reds can get +along, but not blacks."</p> + +<p>Jay had gotten along with them all his life. "In ancient Rome there +were slaves ..." he said, trying to understand.</p> + +<p>"Not in this Rome. I said, better eliminated, Jay." Ilaria went to the +window and looked down at the scene below. He explained:</p> + +<p>"We exterminated them."</p> + +<p>A hammer crashed down. A door slammed. A glass shattered. A siren +screeched. A punch caught Jay in the solar plexus. Jay had experienced +all these. Ilaria's flat statement was worse.</p> + +<p>"Exter—No! Oh, No!" He swung around to face the big psychologist. +Ilaria's usual smile was gone. He looked solemn and very grim.</p> + +<p>"You weren't ready for it. I don't think we can discuss it. Just +remember this: When you've a bunch of dogs and they all get along with +one another except one, you don't leave them together and you don't try +to keep them separated by a chicken-wire fence. It's too unpleasant. +You get rid of the troublemaker."</p> + +<hr class="tb" /> + +<p>During the night the rebel forces moved out of Tel Aviv and took over +Israel. They captured the entire devastated Washington area, a series +of ten cities ringing Rome, and hundreds of other key spots. The +world's largest airbase at Madrid, Spain, was taken. Forces sent to the +aid of the base defenders were met by an onslaught of their own planes. +The troops didn't have a chance.</p> + +<p>Dr. Montmorency Trumperi's Wave Disturber had been outlawed in 2001. +The plans were carefully filed away and the machine's component parts +junked. But the Disturber suddenly reappeared on the night of June 9, +2054, and world communications were stopped. Lamberti's scientists had +come up with a counter-radio mechanism, of course, so that the Rebels +were able to maintain contacts.</p> + +<p>Louisville was not attacked. Lamberti and his men knew about the +emissary from the past sheltered there, and informed their fifth +columnists at Standiford they wanted both the Man From 1954 and Tribune +Kevin Ilaria alive.</p> + +<p>New York was attacked by land and air. Tokyo fell. Everywhere white +flags with the blue Liberacione and the picture of a dove fluttered +above smoking battlegrounds. Everywhere men were on the march.</p> + +<hr class="tb" /> + +<p>When Tribune Kevin Ilaria stormed in twelve hours later, Jay noticed +his friend was wearing his gun again. The cyanide pistol had not swung +at his hip since the day of Jay's arrival. He was also surprised to +note that Ilaria wore boots and carried a steel helmet under his arm.</p> + +<p>There was a new quality in his voice. Brittle, static. The soft tones +of the psychologist were gone.</p> + +<p>Jay realized that this was Tribune Ilaria of the Forces, not Dr. Ilaria +the psychologist.</p> + +<p>"You sure you want to leave here tomorrow?" he demanded curtly.</p> + +<p>Instantly Jay was on the defence. "I am," he said coldly.</p> + +<p>Ilaria's smile looked forced. "I've been authorized to offer you a +Sub-Tribunate in the Forces."</p> + +<p>"What?"</p> + +<p>"You've had experience. None of us have. You've been in actual combat, +in the Air Force."</p> + +<p>"Why? I don't—"</p> + +<p>"War," Ilaria said simply. "Rebellion."</p> + +<p>Jay stared at him. He couldn't think of anything to say.</p> + +<p>Ilaria turned away. "Paradise. The Iron Hand. One religion and one +language and all that. Utterly cock-sure. But ... we were wrong. +They've been getting ready. Training and planning. Collecting men and +arms. They began even before the empire was established."—Jay noticed +he said empire rather than republic—"All this time they've been +preparing and planning and ... waiting."</p> + +<p>Jay was dumbfounded. "How big is it?"</p> + +<p>Kevin Ilaria spread his hands. "Big enough. Their attack seems to +have been simultaneous all over the world. Something like commando or +guerrilla tactics. Quick, quiet attacks on a small scale."</p> + +<p>He told Jay about the Tel Aviv incident and about Captain Spagnoletti +and a half-track disappearing in the rubble in the Washington area and +about intercontinental communication being shut off.</p> + +<p>"Bomb 'em out," Jay said, without thinking.</p> + +<p>"You don't bomb out fifth columnists, Jay.</p> + +<p>"Last night they captured London and Tokyo and two-thirds of New York +and they captured Lollabrigida airbase in Madrid. They're wearing PR +uniforms and some kind of new uniform they've dreamed up. Most of them +aren't even uniformed. It's a hell of a mess."</p> + +<p>"How long do you think it'll take to quell the thing?"</p> + +<p>"I have no idea. I'm to take command at Standiford Field. Rinaldi +solved the saboteur problem ... it was Colonel Di Orio. Rinaldi and +some of his boys caught the Colonel and a few of <i>his</i> men in the Radio +Room on the special 'Liberacione' wave length."</p> + +<p>"In irons?" Jay wanted to know.</p> + +<p>"No. They put up a fight. They were killed."</p> + +<p>"You're flying?"</p> + +<p>"Doubt it. I'll be one of those behind-the-scenes men. Supposed to be +valuable. Only in a mess like this you can't tell what's behind the +scenes and what's front line. They're liable to start on Louisville +next."</p> + +<p>Ilaria hitched self-consciously at his gun-belt. He twisted his helmet +around a couple of times before he set it gingerly on his head. He +turned and opened the door and went out. His head came back in and said:</p> + +<p>"I'm not sure it's the sort of thing you quell, Jay."</p> + +<p>"Kevin! Wait! What'm I supposed to—"</p> + +<p>He was gone.</p> + +<p>Jay thought only a moment. Then he switched on the phone. At least +intercom systems were still in operation. The clerk at the desk +upstairs looked at him from the screen.</p> + +<p>"This is the Man From 1954," Jay said, using the name by which everyone +called him. "Stop Tribune Ilaria as he goes out."</p> + +<p>In an instant Kevin's head appeared.</p> + +<p>"I'll go with you. Shall I get my uniform before we go to Standiford or +after?"</p> + +<p>Ilaria grinned. "After," he said. "Grab the elevator and come on up."</p> + +<p>This isn't your fight, Jay Welch, a voice told him as he opened the +door. You don't even belong here, Jay Welch, the voice told him as he +ran out into the hall. You're crazy to go to bat for these monsters, +Jay Welch, the voice told him as he pushed the elevator button. You +fought before for a bunch of people who didn't appreciate it one +damned bit, Jay Welch. Remember about the Iron Hand and the Negroes, +the voice told him as the doors opened and he stepped in. Remember you +were shanghaied, it said, as the car shot upward and the bottom of his +stomach felt as if it had been left behind. Remember you were going +back to Duo Point and Herman's and Joe Scaccia's restaurant and Julie +and tie and suit and Julie and the tight shoes and Julie and personal +freedom and Julie and Jerry, the black guy you worked with and liked +so well and Julie and the new Olds and Julie. Tomorrow you were going +back.</p> + +<p>The doors shot back. He stepped out on the roof.</p> + +<p>"Mister Welcci?" said the clerk. "That's Tribune Ilaria's plane over +there."</p> + +<p>He pointed to the little PR ship marked with the three silver diamonds +of a Tribune and the staff of psychology. Jay ran. Wind was whipping +across the roof and their cloaks streamed out and fluttered. The three +men came together.</p> + +<p>"This is Commander DeVito, Jay. Commander, Jay Welch, The Man From +1954." The way Ilaria said it always made it sound capitalized.</p> + +<p>They shook hands. They got into the plane and shot straight up and the +city was a blur beneath them. In less than a minute the little flier +dropped down faster than any elevator and landed at Standiford.</p> + +<p>"Sergeant, Sub-Tribune Welcci needs a uniform. A—"</p> + +<p>"Forty long," Jay suggested, then colored. Tunic and a hundred years +made a difference in his size. He went with the supply-sergeant, who +gave him a correct fit the first time—times <i>have</i> changed, Jay +grunted—and fitted him with a helmet on the second try. He felt a +tremor as he buckled on the pellet gun. With the cloak flapping about +his heels and the gun banging his leg and the helmet biting his ear +he ran to the elevator and down to the room Kevin had designated. +The Tribune and Commander DeVito and five or six other officers were +standing around a table in the steel-walled underground room.</p> + +<p>Before them was a gigantic map. They looked up as Jay burst in.</p> + +<p>"This is The Man From 1954," Ilaria said. There were hand-shakes all +around that reminded Jay of fraternity rush. DeVito and one of the +others wore wings. Jay wondered if that were still a pilot's insignia.</p> + +<p>The red X's on the map, they told him, were places under attack. The +blue ones were areas taken by the fast-moving rebels. He learned that +the messenger-jet they'd sent to Rome—they were lost without their +instantaneous push-button communications system—hadn't made it. More +had been sent. Meanwhile they were on their own.</p> + +<p>The nearest major battle was at Chicago, where Cocuzzi Flight Base was +located. Ilaria despatched Commander DeVito and something like fifty +jet fighters to Chicago. The other man was in charge of a group of B-90 +Stratosonic bombers. They lifted their fists in stiff-armed salute and +left.</p> + +<p>"The rest of the ships will remain here, ready for instant take-off. +I'll command interception. Sub-Tribune Rinaldi will command the base in +case I have to go up.</p> + +<p>"I can't understand why we haven't been jumped yet. We must assume +they'll attack Louisville because of Standiford and the Time Building. +They'll also be interested in you, Jay."</p> + +<hr class="tb" /> + +<p>By 2:00 that afternoon Louisville had not yet been attacked. Abruptly +at 1:59 world communications went into operation. Everyone turned on +his television set, wondering if Caesar's talk would go on as scheduled.</p> + +<p>It did. There was a screaming crowd before the Capitol. On the high +balcony stood the Dictator. At his side stood Senator Chianti and +around them were ringed Caesar's Pretorian Guards. The city was nearly +empty of field soldiers. They had gone out to meet the insurgents.</p> + +<p>"People of the Republic of Rome." The noise subsided as Caesar raised +his hands and spoke.</p> + +<p>"You have all heard of the revolt now in progress against us throughout +the Empire."</p> + +<p>Ilaria nodded at the Caesar's psychologically clever use of the word us.</p> + +<p>"With your aid, my people, we can put a quick end to this treason. +You have seen better than half a century of peaceful, successful +government. These traitors and conspirators would attempt to overthrow +our government and put an end to this peace ... this Peace of Rome.</p> + +<p>"The world is now in a state of emergency. If you, my people, will bear +with me through this period of crisis we will return to our world of +peace and serenity once more."</p> + +<p>Cheers. Wild applause.</p> + +<p>"They believe him," Jay murmured.</p> + +<p>Ilaria looked at him. "Of course," he said.</p> + +<p>"For a long time our Empire has remained ..."</p> + +<p>Caesar's face stiffened. The deep-set, weary eyes blazed and widened. +His hand reached out for the railing. Then he stiffened again and was +limp as the bursting pellet of sulphuric acid and potassium cyanide +took effect.</p> + +<p>Gaius Julius Caesar Imperator V fell.</p> + +<p>There was uproar and clamor and shrieking.</p> + +<p>Jay and Ilaria stood, staring, as the Pretorian Guards levelled their +guns and became a solid, surrounding wall. The T-V cameramen were +getting the scene of the century.</p> + +<hr class="chap" /> + +<div class="figcenter"> + <img src="images/illus1.jpg" width="650" height="495" alt=""/> +</div> + +<hr class="chap" /> + +<p>"Lamberti!" Ilaria bit out.</p> + +<p>The Pretorian Prefect, his hands outspread, stood on the balcony over +Caesar's body. The white cloak with Liberacione on it fluttered about +him. A couple of Pretorians came out with an amplifier.</p> + +<p>"Friends, Romans, Countrymen," said Farouk Lamberti.</p> + +<p>"—every available long-range ship to Rome," Ilaria's brittle voice +was hacking out orders. "Every one. Contact every other base while +communications are still working!"</p> + +<p>"... a noble man. But not the man to govern Earth. No, not he nor his +government. I bring you a new government. I, Farouk Lamberti, long his +best friend, have done this not to him, but for him. For you. The Earth +was not meant to be governed by a system of—"</p> + +<p>"Yes, I said bomb Rome."</p> + +<p>Sub-Tribune Rinaldi smiled. "But Kevin, my friend, we can't bomb +Lamberti just when he's getting a good start."</p> + +<p>Jay looked up. Kevin Ilaria spun around. "What?"</p> + +<p>"Never trust old friends, Kevin. Colonel Di Orio didn't. He surprised +us in the Radio Room and we were forced to put him out of the way. Also +remember this: all members of the Liberacione carry gamma pistols."</p> + +<p>Rinaldi pulled out his gamma gun and shot Ilaria through the middle.</p> + +<p>Jay was horrified. He forgot where he was and when he was and what he +was doing. All he knew was that there was a cyanide gun at his hip and +that this man had shot Ilaria. His gun came up and sputtered.</p> + +<p>The pellet caught Rinaldi just under the chin and burst. Rinaldi +collapsed.</p> + +<p>"Had a—gamma gun—not ... deadly. Slow-acting ... radio-activity. +Hardly ... burned me. Come on—we've got to ... get back to the—Time +building."</p> + +<p>"Oh, no we won't. You're hurt. We—"</p> + +<p>"Don't argue. Sergeant! Saaarguunt!" Ilaria gasped at the exertion of +shouting. The Centurion ran in.</p> + +<p>"We've got to—get to the—Time building."</p> + +<p>"Rinaldi shot the Tribune. Rinaldi was a traitor," Jay explained +rapidly.</p> + +<p>Ilaria's gun clicked and the Centurion shuddered back and fell through +the door. The gamma burst from his pistol hit the wall.</p> + +<p>"God! Is everyone a traitor?" Jay demanded of the Universe.</p> + +<hr class="tb" /> + +<p>People are easily swayed. It didn't take them long to espouse the new +cause. They were helped along in their decision by the Liberacione +planes hovering overhead with loads of KCN-H2SO4 bombs. The whispering +campaign Lamberti had carefully started about germ warfare helped, too. +Those who didn't switch over rapidly were jumped by the new forces. +Tribune Ilaria in Louisville, Kentucky, in America held out as long +as he could. Then the bombers came. And the Tribune fled to the Time +building.</p> + +<p>The building shook. A table shivered and a lamp shattered. A jet +fighter flew close by the window and the Centurion watched fearfully as +it flipped on one delta wing and fired a tracer burst into a PR ship. +The defender exploded in mid-air.</p> + +<p>Ilaria looked twenty years older than the man who had smiled and +welcomed Jay Welch to 2054. He and a young scientist were preparing the +machine to send the man from 1954 back to his own time.</p> + +<p>"You'll have to leave the gun here, Jay." Ilaria winced as he bent over +a set of dials.</p> + +<p>"I'd like to keep the uniform."</p> + +<p>"All right. Does that do it, Doctor?"</p> + +<p>The scientist nodded. He looked at Jay. "It's ready," he said.</p> + +<p>"This switch sets everything in motion, doesn't it?" Ilaria asked.</p> + +<p>"Yes. That's the final control."</p> + +<p>"Then ... I'll do it. I'd like ... to say something to Jay before he +leaves."</p> + +<p>The scientist hesitated a moment, then shrugged and left. The Centurion +went to the door. He was a young man and fanatically loyal.</p> + +<p>"You all right, Tribune?"</p> + +<p>Ilaria smiled. "I'm ... all right, Sergeant."</p> + +<p>The Centurion nodded and left.</p> + +<p>"Sit ... sit down in that chair, Jay, and do your best to relax."</p> + +<p>Jay sat down. A bomber roared overhead. There was a blast nearby.</p> + +<p>"What will you do now, Kevin?"</p> + +<p>Ilaria shrugged. "Fight 'em 'til they come in and we're sunk. Then +I'll join 'em. Why—why die a martyr's death?"</p> + +<p>Of course, Jay told himself. Logical. But Kevin had been so convinced. +So utterly sure. Now he looked and sounded like a disillusioned old man.</p> + +<p>"Kevin, I'm not trying to rub it in. But—"</p> + +<p>"I know what you're going to say. I was so sure. Paradise. I was a firm +disciple. Convinced. I believed in all of it. I—thought it would last +forever. The perfect government. A permanently <i>workable</i> government."</p> + +<p>Jay sat quietly. Ilaria reached for the switch.</p> + +<p>"For God's sake," came the voice of 1954, "what <i>is</i> the perfect +workable government?"</p> + +<p>Ilaria closed the switch and the light blinded Jay. He felt as if +someone had slugged him in the stomach. Slowly the machine prepared to +send him back one-hundred years. It warmed up like a jet on a runway.</p> + +<p>The light faded and Jay opened his eyes. The building rocked. There was +a terrific explosion and part of the steel wall buckled. Somewhere a +woman screamed. A squadron of fighters hurtled past, spitting fire and +death. A bomber fell, exploding as it crashed into a tall apartment +building. Jay's stomach twisted and he knew he was on his way. Ilaria +took his gun from his holster and calmly placed its ugly snout against +his own face.</p> + +<p>"... the perfect workable government?" Jay's question of a moment ago +reached his ears as he began to slip back, minute by minute, picking up +momentum. Ilaria's reply came dimly.</p> + +<p>"There is none."</p> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of And Gone Tomorrow, by Andy Offut + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AND GONE TOMORROW *** + +***** This file should be named 58784-h.htm or 58784-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/5/8/7/8/58784/ + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will +be renamed. + +Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright +law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, +so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United +States without permission and without paying copyright +royalties. 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-
-This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most
-other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
-whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of
-the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at
-www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have
-to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook.
-
-Title: And Gone Tomorrow
-
-Author: Andy Offut
-
-Release Date: January 28, 2019 [EBook #58784]
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-Language: English
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-Character set encoding: ASCII
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-*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AND GONE TOMORROW ***
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-Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online
-Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
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-
-
- And Gone Tomorrow
-
- BY ANDY OFFUT
-
- [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
- Worlds of If Science Fiction, December 1954.
- Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
- the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
-
- * * * * *
-
- THE $1000 PRIZE WINNING STORY
- in IF's College Science Fiction Contest
-
-_Here is the best story submitted in answer to the theme question:
-"What Will Life in America Be Like 100 Years From Now?" ... Written by
-an undergraduate at the University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky,
-it pictures the America of 2054 as part of a world empire run by an
-Italian dictator and very similar to that of the ancient Caesars and
-the early Roman Empire. There is one language, one religion and customs
-and laws have changed to suit the times. But, basically, human nature
-hasn't changed and there is the omnipresent clash of faction against
-faction. The theme is that a dictatorship is the only perfect form of
-government. If there is a moral, it is that there is no permanent form
-of government._
-
-_One of the requirements for entering IF's College Science Fiction
-Contest was that the contestant be a "simon pure" amateur--never
-having been published professionally. This is Andy Offut's first
-published story, and it has been accorded the same editing we give to
-professional manuscripts. No rewriting or revisions have been made. See
-November IF for complete announcement of this and the six other winners
-in this nation-wide contest._
-
- * * * * *
-
-He sat down suddenly. He stared up at the man.
-
-"Say it again," he muttered.
-
-He knew what the answer would be even before the man repeated it in
-that quiet voice.
-
-"This is June 3, 2054."
-
-The fellow wasn't kidding him. He was serious enough. But a couple
-of minutes ago it had been May 15, 1954. He looked at his watch and
-grunted. Less than four minutes ago it had been 1954. Reality. Now it
-was June 3, 2054. There were four steel walls. There was a steel chair.
-There were no windows.
-
-He tried to take it calmly. But the unbelievable horror of being
-_where_ he was and _when_ he was and the man calmly repeating, "This
-is June 3, 2054," screamed for release.
-
-"No! No! You're lying! It's impossible!" He grabbed the man's tunic and
-drew back a doubled fist. His chair went over behind him.
-
-Then a stiff thumb jabbed him in the short ribs and he grunted and went
-down.
-
-"This is June 3, 2054. You are still in Louisville, Kentucky. You are
-standing in a room adjoining the laboratory in the Time Building on
-3rd Street at Eastern Parkway. This is the receiving room. My name is
-Kevin Ilaria. You've come through time. Is that so impossible to grasp?
-You're a thinking man. Educated!"
-
-He looked up from the floor.
-
-"Well?"
-
-"So I'm a thinking man and an educated man. And what happens? I'm
-sapped. I'm shanghaied. I'm walking down Confederate Place to my old
-fraternity house at 1:00 in the morning. I've just had a row with
-my girl. I'm heading for the fraternity house to see who'll go down
-to Herman's and get good and drunk with me. And somebody clobbers
-me. The next thing I remember I'm sitting in a steel chair in a
-steel room without any windows. Just like this one. There's a man
-standing there. A man with watery, myopic eyes under bushy brows and
-his hair parted in the middle. He's Doctor Borley, of the University
-of Louisville Chemistry Department. There's another man with him. A
-little fellow with thick glasses and a crew cut and eyes like the slits
-between closed Venetian blinds. He's Doctor Schink, of the Psychology
-Department. They're talking about me."
-
-"Umn hmn. Now you're beginning to sound normal. Doctors Borley and
-Schink are our agents in 1954. Do you know where you were?"
-
-"I told you. In some sort of steel room without win--"
-
-The man made an impatient gesture with his hand. "No, I mean _where_.
-You were in a steel chamber in the Daynolds Metals Plant. It stood on
-this spot in 1954. Two people knew--know--about that room."
-
-"Doctor Borley and Doctor Schink?"
-
-"I'm glad you've calmed down. Now we can talk."
-
-Jay wasn't quite ready to calm down. "You stand there in that Roman
-outfit and talk about being calm. To me. To me, Jay Welch, a history
-major who took his AB from the University of Louisville in 1950. Jay
-Welch, average guy, who got into an average argument with the girl he
-pinned in 1950 and went for a walk to drown his sorrows and wound up
-one hundred years from where--when--he started. I--"
-
-"Then you admit you've come through Time?"
-
-"I may as well."
-
-Ilaria cursed quietly. "But you're not an average guy. You have a
-working knowledge of chemistry and biology and physics and history
-and a few arts and sociology and psychology and geopolitics and
-literature and the English language as spoken in AD 1954. You hope to
-be successful as a writer. You're Public Relations Consultant with
-Duo-Point, one of the biggest corporations in your nation in 1954."
-
-"Yes," Jay Welch said. "And I make good money. Even better than a bus
-driver or a steam-fitter. So?"
-
-"So here you are. 1954's representative to 2054." Ilaria was only a
-man. He could not keep the flourish and the Hollywood grandeur out of
-his voice.
-
-"Yes! And what happens tomorrow when I don't show up for work? What
-happens in a few days when people find out I've disappeared? What
-happens when they find out Julie was the last person I was with? What--"
-
-"You're getting yourself worked up again, Jay Welch. Don't you think
-we have thought of those things? We've brought you across one hundred
-years, Jay Welch."
-
-"Yes," Jay said quietly, flatly. "Yes." Then just as flatly, just as
-quietly he said, "Why?"
-
-"So you've remembered to wonder about that at last." Ilaria smiled.
-Jay noticed that the smile was one-sided and pulled back the left
-corner of Ilaria's mouth. He stood there and looked down at Jay Welch,
-who had forgotten that he was sitting on the floor. His tunic was
-white and there were three diamond-shaped silver pieces in a vertical
-line on each elbow-length sleeve. There was a wide blue stripe and a
-narrow silver stripe at the hem of his tunic and at his sleeves. He
-wore sandals. His belt was leather and there was a holstered pistol of
-some sort hanging at his left hip. In tiny blue script above his left
-breast pocket were the words 'Trib. Ilaria'. On the pocket was a red
-disk with the letters PR. A silver-worked blue cloak was flung over
-his shoulders. Except for the identification and the odd fabric of his
-clothes and the holstered gun he looked very like a young Roman of the
-first century.
-
-Ilaria's slow smile pulled back the left corner of his mouth. "Because
-you are who you are and what you are. Because you attended the
-University of Louisville and Doctors Borley and Schink knew you.
-Because they chose you. Merely because they chose you. They might've
-chosen anyone else.
-
-"We've your personality pretty well mapped out. We expected violence.
-That's why I'm here. I'm a psychologist and an anthropologist. I'm a
-fast-talker and I can convince people and place them at ease. I'm also
-big enough to handle you, Jay Welch."
-
-From his position on the floor Jay looked up at Ilaria and decided the
-man from 2054 was big enough. Jay Welch was six feet one inch tall. He
-weighed one seventy-three and wore a 40-long suit. Kevin Ilaria was
-bigger.
-
-Jay was forced to grin. The tall blond man was a likeable guy, at that.
-A human being.
-
-"Who are you?"
-
-"Kevin Ilaria. Doctor of Psychology. That entitles me to the silver
-band on my tunic. Also a Tribune. That entitles me to the blue stripe
-and the three silver diamonds and the gun."
-
-"A Tribune? In what? Of what?"
-
-"In the Forces. In the actual ranks, a Tribune commands 7,000 men, 250
-planes or a base, or 40 tanks. But I've never had a chance to go into
-the field. There has been no cause to fight. Meantime I'm stationed at
-Standiford Field as second-in-command. A friend of mine named Rinaldi
-fills in for me. He's a Sub-Tribune.
-
-"I've been specializing in the study of Time."
-
-"The way you say Time it sounds as though it were capitalized. Where I
-come from Time with a capital T is a magazine."
-
-Kevin Ilaria laughed. He reached down a hand. "Get up," he said, and,
-taking Jay's forearm, helped him to his feet.
-
-"Let's go," he said.
-
-Jay didn't bother to ask where they were going. He followed the Tribune
-out the door and into the hall. On the wall just outside the door, was
-a black box. Two squares cut into it shone with a faint white light.
-Ilaria paused and shielded the lighted areas a moment with his hand,
-and Jay saw the light go out in the room they had just left. Ilaria
-closed the door. As he turned, Jay saw the white letters PR emblazoned
-on the back of his cloak.
-
-"This way," he said. Jay noticed that Ilaria walked on his right, so
-that the Tribune's gun was between them.
-
-"The way I said Time, it _is_ capitalized. It means all the Time since
-the beginning. It's a corporation, like your Duo-Point. Only much
-larger, and much less known. Our job is to learn."
-
-"That's a big order," Jay commented. "You learn
-by--borrowing--emissaries?"
-
-Ilaria laughed again. "Thanks for the phraseology, but it wouldn't
-worry me if you called it 'kidnaping' or 'shanghaiing.' You're right,
-of course. We learn by sending men from this age to other ones, and by
-pulling men from other ages to this one. Doctor Schink is our Emissary
-to 1954. His real name is Clyde Gabrinaldi. Borley is our contact
-there ... rather, then."
-
-"Well I'll be damned! I've gone to Clyde a lot of times for advice."
-
-The left corner of Ilaria's mouth pulled back as his grin widened. "Umn
-hmn. He's married, too. With a child. He's there for good."
-
-Jay was afraid to ask if emissaries from the past to 2054 were "there
-for good" too. He changed the subject.
-
-"You started to tell me before--"
-
-"Oh, yes. I'm to be your teacher and companion. But I'll try to give
-you a quick fill-in. Our world of 2054 is quite different from yours.
-And, we hope, in better shape. We've proved that the only way to
-maintain world peace is by world government. And the only successful
-type of government is a dictatorship."
-
-Jay gasped. "You mean the entire world--has reverted to _dictatorship_?"
-
-Ilaria laughed. "Not _reverted_. We finally accepted it as the only
-logical form of government for an entire world."
-
-"What happens when the dictator goes wild? He always has."
-
-The smile was there again. "You're not quite ready for that," Ilaria
-told him. "But, it has been taken into consideration."
-
-Out of the corner of his eye, Jay saw the slight puff of Ilaria's
-chest, the self-satisfied square of his shoulders, the quick set of his
-jaw. He wondered what part Tribune Kevin Ilaria played in the 'dictator
-control' this world had provided.
-
-"The system has worked and is working. See this?"
-
-They turned a corner in the corridor and faced a great domed room.
-On the far wall hung a white tapestry of something like 40 x 40 foot
-dimensions. On it, emblazoned in letters of red and yellow made to look
-like flame, were the characters PPB. In the lower right-hand corner, in
-white outlined with blue, was the same PR that Ilaria wore. Jay waited
-for the Tribune's explanation.
-
-"PpB stands for Pax per Bello," Ilaria explained. "Peace through War.
-That slogan was written in 1967 by Julius and adapted in 1971 as
-official."
-
-"Julius?"
-
-"Yes. The first Dictator."
-
-Things were beginning to click in Jay's mind.
-
-"I think I know what PR stands for," he said. "Pax Romana."
-
-As always, Ilaria smiled. "That's right," he said.
-
- * * * * *
-
-The command-car marked with the PR symbol pulled over and stopped.
-
-"What is it? Who are you?" the driver demanded.
-
-The Captain on the seat beside him peered into the blackness and cursed.
-
-The man who had waved the vehicle to a halt walked away.
-
-"Here!" the Captain cried. "What in blazes is going on here? Why'd you
-stop us? Centurion! Stop that man!"
-
-The two Centurions in the back seat looked at the Captain for a moment,
-then they both jumped out and ran after the man.
-
-An ellipsoidal grey thing streaked out of the darkness, landed in the
-driver's lap and thudded to the floor of the car. The Captain threw
-open his door and started to climb out. The driver bent over to see
-what it was.
-
-At that moment the driver, the command-car and the Captain blew up.
-
-The silence that followed was broken by the blast of a submachine gun
-as it struck down the two centurions.
-
-"Take their weapons," said a brittle voice.
-
- * * * * *
-
-The detachment of soldiers from the garrison at Tel Aviv stopped and
-looked around.
-
-"Sir, what is it?" asked a guard anxiously.
-
-"Terribly quiet out here; something's up," the Lieutenant muttered
-calmly.
-
-There were seven of them. The Lieutenant, the Centurion, and five
-legionaries. They had grown accustomed to the quiet life of garrison
-men in a calm, conquered city. When there is nothing tangible to be
-guarded, a guard's life is a dull one. The guns they carried were
-the symbol of their authority, and had never been used for any other
-purpose.
-
-They looked around. The dirty, once-white buildings rose close on
-either side. There was no moon. There was no sound. The darkness and
-the silence could have been cut with a knife.
-
-The Lieutenant grinned. He didn't feel much like grinning. He spoke. He
-didn't feel much like talking, either.
-
-"This darkness is thick," he said. "You could cut it with a knife. Wish
-I had a knife."
-
-He got a knife. The men had just started to laugh when the Lieutenant
-got it.
-
-Between his shoulder blades.
-
-As the Lieutenant toppled forward, the Centurion dodged close against
-the dirty stone wall and yelled "Spread out!"
-
-They killed a lot of the shadowy, green-clad attackers, but there were
-only six of them and they were cornered. When the enemy drove a tank
-into the alley and sprayed them with its mounted gun they died.
-
-"Take their weapons," said a quiet voice.
-
- * * * * *
-
-The half-track rolled to a stop.
-
-"Where, Sir?" the driver wanted to know.
-
-"Beyond that big crater over there. The sun glinted on metal. I'm sure
-of it. Didn't you see it?"
-
-"No, Sir." The driver craned his neck. There was nothing but barren
-rubble and bomb craters and torn, twisted metal and ruined buildings.
-
-"There are all sorts of old automobiles lying around out there, Sir,"
-the driver volunteered.
-
-"Yes, and they've been here long enough to get good and rusty," the
-Captain snapped. "This is something else."
-
-The driver craned his neck. There was nothing but rubble.
-
-Eight men in the back of the half-track leaped to their feet when they
-heard the faint clicking of KCN-H2SO4 guns and the buzz of an old gamma
-gun and the sharp bark of a very old sub machine-gun. But a grenade
-landed on the truck and another rolled under it.
-
-Another wreck was added to the rubble.
-
-"Take their weapons, if there are any left," said a quiet voice.
-
- * * * * *
-
-And in the more peaceful city of Louisville, Jay Welch was introduced
-to Kevin Ilaria's best friend, his adjutant at Standiford Field.
-
-Jay took a liking to Sub-Tribune Jason Rinaldi the moment he felt the
-fellow's firm grip.
-
-"Jason is adjutant," Ilaria explained. "And one of the few 'field
-soldiers' who manages to get along with Caesar's Pretorian Prefect,
-Lamberti. How he does it, I don't know. Lamberti's absolutely
-unbearable."
-
-"Prejudice. Middle-class prejudices," Rinaldi grinned. He was short and
-very dark with a lot of black hair.
-
-Ilaria's left cheek cracked into a long dimple as he smiled. "He picks
-on me because I'm a serious psychologist."
-
-Rinaldi laughed. "As a psychologist, Kevin, you're an excellent bridge
-player. As a soldier--"
-
-"Just remember who's got three bars and who has two."
-
-Rinaldi waved his hand and shrugged. "They pass 'em out to psych boys
-wholesale," he said, and ducked Ilaria's swing. "Slow reflexes, too,"
-he added as he turned to go.
-
-Ilaria stopped him at the door and murmured a few sentences.
-
-Jay caught something about sabotage at Standiford. Rinaldi seemed to be
-attributing it to the Commanding Officer there.
-
-"Nice guy," Jay said as the door closed behind Rinaldi.
-
-"You said it. Good officer, too. He'll root out the bird who's playing
-around out there. Can't figure out why it's being done."
-
-"Factions," Jay said, "--within factions."
-
-"Little ones always exist, I guess. Have you finished with the history
-films?"
-
-"I've seen them, yes. I'm still trying to digest them."
-
-"The language give you much trouble?"
-
-"Quite a bit, but I think I got most of it.
-
-"One man," Jay went on wonderingly. "One man. A Captain in the Italian
-Army.
-
-"The Communist forces in Indo-China had been driven back and
-Captain--then Major--Lollabrigida went in after them.
-
-"The defeat was becoming so terrible that the Kremlin dealt itself a
-playing hand rather than the dummy it had been playing. Red forces came
-piling in. Lollabrigida and his Italian troops stopped them cold. Then
-he seemed to sway. And, when the Commies pounced for the kill, they
-were trapped, pocketed, and annihilated.
-
-"American newspapers and commentators began to call Major Julius
-Lollabrigida 'Julius Caesar.' Italy became big overnight. The Big Three
-became Russia, the United States, and Italy. Lollabrigida appealed to
-America--sometime in there they made him a Colonel, but he was actually
-telling the Generals and the Italian government what to do--for aid in
-going ahead aggressively.
-
-"And America turned him down. They were still playing 'wait and see.'
-They waited. They waited too long. The Commies got tired of waiting
-around and sent a couple of jet bombers with A-bombs."
-
-"Now you're telling me things," Ilaria interrupted. "I'm pretty shady
-on that period myself."
-
-Jay shrugged. "It was after my time. All I know is what the films show.
-Two planes, each with a seven-man crew, and each carrying one atomic
-bomb, were dispatched from an airbase somewhere near Juneau." Jay
-stopped.
-
-"And?"
-
-The man from 1954 choked. It was hard to be objective about this. It
-wasn't so easy for him to pass off as the film had done.
-
-"And--" he hesitated.
-
-"It's over, Jay. It's done with. It doesn't even concern you anymore.
-It belongs to a past era."
-
-"One was headed for New York. The other struck farther inland ... for
-Washington. The first one was shot down by an F-117 border patrol
-plane. The other one got through. It--it levelled the capitol. Almost
-completely. The White House and the Pentagon were destroyed."
-
-Ilaria sat quietly and waited. Jay didn't go on.
-
-"Thus removing the United States of America, as such, from a prominent
-position in the world picture," Ilaria said.
-
-"Yes. I can't understand it. Everything just folded up. SAC
-didn't even get off the ground. And Colonel Lollabrigida, by then
-Commander-in-Chief of the UN forces, sent fifty planes, each with
-one A-bomb, over the Kremlin. One was shot down over Vladivostok,
-but the bombardier pulled the firing pin as the ship crashed and
-most of Vladivostok was destroyed. Six other planes made it to their
-destinations and dropped their loads. I can't remember the cities ...
-one was a new super airbase near Moscow. Five of the planes returned.
-None had managed to reach Moscow. Half the world was in ruins. The Pope
-begged that the War be stopped."
-
-Ilaria snorted. "He knew they'd hit Rome!"
-
-Jay looked at him. "Is that what you think?"
-
-Ilaria shrugged and flashed that quick, winning smile. "There are no
-other motives, are there?"
-
-Jay stared. What changes had taken place in religious philosophy in
-this hard-bitten world of 2054?
-
-Kevin Ilaria shrugged, smiling. "That's unimportant. Let's go on with
-the history lesson. Then what?"
-
-"Uh--oh, yes. As I remember Julius Lollabrigida, to be trite, launched
-an 'all-out offensive' against Communist forces everywhere. People were
-afraid of Russia, but they were afraid of Lollabrigida and Rome, too.
-So they joined him. Aid poured into the UN. Czechoslovakia was taken
-and Poland and Hungary and finally only the old Russia of pre World War
-II days was left. And in they went.
-
-"Then Lollabrigida's saboteurs exploded an atomic bomb in the heart of
-Moscow. After that it was pretty easy sledding."
-
-"Astounding how a nation seems to fall apart when its capitol and its
-leaders are gone," Ilaria remarked.
-
-"Everybody and everything folds," Jay said. "Morale dies.
-
-"After the demolition of Moscow and other parts of the USSR, Italy
-stood at the top. General of the Armies Julius Lollabrigida marched
-back into Italy and into Rome and into the capitol and up on a
-pedestal. He stood as Italy's utter ruler. His last name was lost and
-replaced by 'Caesar II.' He was named Dictator.
-
-"From mighty Rome, Caesar sent out linguists and anthropologists and
-ethnologists and psychologists and military men and others. In twenty
-years, twenty peaceful years, Italian had become the language of the
-world. A few minor uprisings in America and in Japan were smashed.
-Julius Caesar II was World Dictator of the Republic of Earth. Someone
-in America denied him and was torn to pieces by the people. Someone
-in Italy spread literature of dissension and was hunted down and
-liquidated by Caesar's personal police, the Pretoriani. And so it went.
-
-"Caesar adopted a prominent Air Force Colonel who became Caesar III on
-Lollabrigida's death. Each year on his birthday men were silent. No
-business was transacted. No one left his home. Except blue-and-silver
-clad soldiers, wearing PR armbands. Caesar's Pretorians. No one _dared_
-venture out.
-
-"During the reign of Caesar III, every person in the world changed his
-last name to an Italian one. The Ali bens and the Chicos and the Andres
-and the Fritzes and the Johns became Marianos and Roccos and Caldinis
-and Campisanos and diManos."
-
-There was silence for a moment.
-
-"The thing I can't understand," Jay mused, "is why in all these years
-there hasn't been a 'bad' Caesar, or an uprising."
-
-"What do you mean by 'bad' Caesar?"
-
-Jay shrugged. "In the first Pax Romana there was Caligula, who was
-insane. Nero, who preferred artistic diversions to politics. There was
-Galba, who didn't know what was going on. And so on. And on and on.
-Your three dictators so far seem to have done excellent jobs. They seem
-to be damned conscientious leaders."
-
-"When you re-create something," Ilaria told him, "you try to eliminate
-its faults."
-
-"Of course. But what if Caesar's son or a Caesar's adopted son goes
-bad?" Jay elucidated.
-
-"So far we haven't had that problem to deal with. But we're ready. Each
-time a new Dictator comes to power, one thousand top military men draw
-folded pieces of plastipaper from a 'bowl.' On twenty of these are X's.
-The others contain O's. The twenty X's are a secret organization, sworn
-to kill the Dictator if it should become necessary. When Caesar, as you
-say, 'goes bad'."
-
-"Brilliant!" Jay breathed. "And he--Caesar--never knows who they are?"
-
-"_No_ one ever knows," Ilaria said. "Not even the members. They remain
-in contact, but none ever knows who the others are."
-
-Jay remembered Ilaria's previous mention of the system, and the
-unconscious swelling of the Tribune's chest at the time. "You're one,"
-he said.
-
-Ilaria was caught off guard. "I--yes," he said. "I won't ask how you
-knew."
-
-"A guess. Then you've been a--whatever it's called--for nine years,
-during Caesar V's reign."
-
-"That's right."
-
-"And you don't know any of the others?"
-
-"Only one. I found out accidentally. He--" Ilaria stopped.
-
-Jay shrugged. "I won't ask any more questions along that line," he
-promised. "But I still can't believe there haven't been any uprisings!"
-
-"None. Caesar II died of a heart attack. Caesar III had a brain tumor
-which we learned about too late. His son never had a chance to prove
-himself, other than that he was brave and foolish. He swam the Rubicon
-at its widest point, then walked to Rome in his shorts in the dead of
-winter. He died of pneumonia. Caesar V, our Dictator today, is strong
-and quiet. He holds the Empire firmly unified. But he does nothing
-extraordinary. And he is too lenient."
-
-"I just can't conceive of such perfection!"
-
-Kevin Ilaria smiled. He walked over to the window and peered out.
-"_You_ couldn't. But this _is_ the perfect government. Everyone
-is satisfied. One ruler. One capitol. One army. One language. One
-nationality. One world. One religion."
-
-"I realize--" Jay halted. "One religion?" he demanded.
-
-"Yes."
-
-"What is it?" He found himself afraid of the answer. The indications
-were there, in plain sight. He guessed it before Kevin Ilaria turned
-from the window and said:
-
-"Caesarism."
-
- * * * * *
-
-The man called Gaius Julius Caesar Imperator V turned from the window
-and rubbed his hand over his graying hair.
-
-"This is the first time I've ever run into anything of this sort."
-
-The President of the Senate shrugged. He was an old man who had been
-placed in the Senate by his father in 1980. So long ago that people
-wondered when he would die. They were tired of these old men dictating
-to their ruler, as many people before them had been tired. The rise of
-the President of the Senate to leadership of that revered group had not
-been meteoric by any means. But his maintenance of the position had
-been tenacious. He was a careful man.
-
-The President of the Senate shrugged. "It is. It is the first time
-anything of this sort has ever come up, Julius. Therefore it is up to
-you to set an example."
-
-Caesar glanced over at General Bonadella. The General nodded in
-agreement with Senator Chianti.
-
-"This sort of business can break up the Empire if it's allowed to
-continue, Caesar," he said, in his pompous military way. "I say death."
-
-Major DeCosta nodded quietly.
-
-"Thumbs down all around, is it?" Caesar sat down behind his desk and
-picked up the speaker of his private cable to London. He looked at the
-three men.
-
-"Commander in charge of Garrison C," he said.
-
-There was a silent moment.
-
-They looked up as Prefect Lamberti of the Pretorians, the Imperial
-personal bodyguard (it had progressed far beyond that. Its enrollment
-was tremendous; its power second only to the Dictator's) came in. The
-Senator nodded. The two field soldiers turned quickly away. The men of
-the field did not get along with the Pretorian dandies.
-
-"Commander? This is the Dictator," Caesar said unnecessarily. The
-garrison commander knew that only one person could call him on that
-line. The phone would react to no voice other than Caesar's.
-
-"Have you the fellow who was preaching dissension? I say one year in
-prison. You heard me. Yes, one year. What? No! No torture!" He severed
-connections and looked up at his advisers.
-
-Prefect Lamberti shook his head. Senator Chianti turned and stalked
-out. After a moment General Bonadella followed. The Major turned away
-to stare out the window. He shook his head.
-
-"del Ponta? This is the Dictator," that quiet, flat voice said behind
-him. Caesar was calling the under-chief of the Pretoriani. "I will
-speak tomorrow from the balcony. Yes. 1400. Of course. World-wide.
-That's right. Oh, I suppose about a quarter 'til."
-
-The man who ruled the world stood up and stared at Major DeCosta's
-back. At forty-one, Caesar was a gaunt man with stooped shoulders and
-sad lines running from his nostrils to the corners of his mouth. His
-forehead was lined and re-lined, and the keen brown eyes were dulled
-with years of decisions and hard work.
-
-He was tired.
-
-They called him the Hound because his face bore the same sad, quiet
-look worn by those dogs. And they called him weak because he let
-offenders off too easily.
-
-DeCosta turned around. The young Major met his Chief's gaze.
-
-"Well?" The voice of the Dictator was quiet and calm.
-
-DeCosta's eyes flickered. He straightened militarily. He shrugged.
-
-"It is not for me to say, Sir."
-
-A slow smile spread over those weary features. "And you, Farouk?"
-
-Lamberti stretched out his arm and balled his fist with the thumb
-extended and pointing down. "You know me, Caesar."
-
-"I do. Even my best friend disagrees with my decisions now, after all
-these years of elbow-rubbing.
-
-"You are usually more out-spoken, Major DeCosta. Have you nothing more
-to say?"
-
-DeCosta's reply was slow in coming but rapid in delivery. "I am around
-Caesar much of late," he rapped out. His back was stiff and military as
-he strode out of the Dictator's office.
-
-Prefect Lamberti's gloved hand dropped to the butt of his gun, but
-Caesar shook his head in gentle negation.
-
-Julius Caesar Imperator V gazed sadly at the closed door.
-
- * * * * *
-
-Jay had given up trying to reason with Ilaria about God. The
-man was intelligent as well as brilliant--there's a tremendous
-difference--about everything else, but he was stubbornly obstinate
-to Jay's arguments. At least in Jay's terminology he was stubbornly
-obstinate. All faith is stubborn obstinacy. Kevin Ilaria's faith was
-appalling. His arguments were beautiful. Flawless. Jay thought of his
-old friend, Father O'mare. Even that great psychologist-priest would be
-hard-put, he decided.
-
-So he quit. He didn't give up. He just quit.
-
-Can you tell a man the Earth's flat after he's been up in a jet?
-
-Can you talk a bullet out of pursuing its path?
-
-Can you reason with a Marxist?
-
-"If a man can conquer the greatest enemy the world has ever faced, is
-he not God? If he can turn from killing and soldiering to soothing
-and pacifying, is he not God? If he can make the world one, after
-twenty-two centuries of 'world anarchism' is he not God? If he can
-maintain the peace and keep the people happy and heal all sores is he
-not God? If he just looks at you when you call him 'God' or 'Savior'
-and smiles and say 'I?' is he not God? If he chooses the perfect man to
-continue in his place, is he not God?"
-
-"But that's proof! Why die? Isn't God immortal?"
-
-"Only God could realize that one man can't continue to reign
-indefinitely. His ideas, yes. But he must create another to carry on
-his ideas. There must be variety and diversions."
-
-Unshakeable. Unquestioning. Jay could never understand a person's
-sticking to the claim 'I'm a Christian' or 'I'm a Moslem' when he would
-be killed for it. Jay had always figured he'd have said to Nero's men
-'Me? Me? A filthy Christian? Not I. I love Jupiter and Juno. Step
-inside and see my altars ...'
-
-Now he was seeing what sturdy, rock-firm martyr faith was like.
-
-So he quit.
-
-Instead he learned about the gyro-jet cars which hugged the roads like
-lovers on a honeymoon. He watched them sprout stubby wings and breathe
-flame and soar straight up. He learned about saying 'Open' to a lock
-and having the electronic device 'recognize' him and let him in. He
-learned about personalphones which 'recognized' your voice. He learned
-about the tiny pellet of potassium cyanide and sulphuric acid with
-which the guns were loaded. The pellets struck and broke and the victim
-was dead in seconds. Very humane. No maimed or wounded. Just the dead.
-
-He learned about self-shaping sandals--the most comfortable and most
-sensible shoes man had ever worn--and air baths and soft-voiced
-alarm clocks which politely told you it was time to get up and about
-unbreakable ring-finger chronos and about atomic heating and flawless
-plumbing and he saw plastic, plastic, plastic.
-
-He learned about all of them. But his real delight was the depilatory
-cream. This, above all others, was man's greatest invention.
-
-"No shaving ... no silly damned socks or tight, hot shoes or tie ... no
-battery stalling or flat tires ... I guess this is paradise, Kevin!"
-
-"And the perfect government and the perfect religion! All one race! One
-religion! One nation! One language! One nationality! One God!" Ilaria
-added exuberantly.
-
-"That reminds me. How come I never see any coloreds?"
-
-"Haven't you? By the way, no murderous car insurance or alimony laws,
-either. And no need for them. All marriages are ideal."
-
-Jay was readily detoured to this new novelty.
-
-"Now, don't let's go too far. Identical religion and race and customs
-and ideals and opinions may lower the divorce rate a lot, but there's
-still ye olde sex angle. A couple can go together twenty years and
-break up on the wedding night. Some are hot and some are cold and some
-are slow and some are fast. The only thing you could have improved
-on, is sex education. It's astounding how many people of my time know
-nothing about the sexual part of marriage. The most important part!
-
-"Of course it's doing what comes naturally; but what if two people
-have been taught from different viewpoints? Or if one hasn't been
-taught at all? Some people are actually ashamed or embarrassed. There
-are intelligent people who don't even know the biological facts!
-Few--especially women, know about the pleasure and the habit-forming
-angle. That's the one thing than can break up something beautiful in
-ten minutes.
-
-"Education, maybe. Human nature, no."
-
-"Whew!"
-
-"Excuse me, Kevin, for launching into a Phillipic, but that's long been
-my pet peeve. Atrocious, deplorable, and all that."
-
-"We don't _usually_ tamper with human nature, Jay. As a rule, that is.
-This is going to come as a shock to you, with your silly, 'atrocious
-and deplorable' 1954 ideas and morals.
-
-"A trial period. A pre-marital period of living together for a couple
-of weeks. If the couple isn't sexually suited, they either attempt to
-have it remedied by a physician or break off."
-
-"A shock, yes," Jay murmured, slowly shaking his head. "How did it ever
-start? Anyone who'd propound an idea like that in my time would be
-accused of being some sort of perverted sex-fiend!
-
-"A foolproof, flawless plan to insure happy marriages!"
-
- * * * * *
-
-Half across the world a door swung open and a tall dark man with
-piercing black eyes and a twin-tufted beard came in. His dark-green
-garment, faintly resembling a trench-coat, was double-breasted and
-belted and military cut. His feet were encased in plastileather boots
-which clicked as he came to attention before the desk.
-
-The plate on the desk read "Praefectus Praetoriani."
-
-"Major del Ponta, Sir."
-
-The man behind the desk looked up. "At ease, Major."
-
-Major Ali ben del Ponta relaxed and waited.
-
-The man behind the desk finished scanning the sheet of micro-paper,
-marked something on it with a stylo, stuck it in the pneumatube on the
-corner of his desk, and pushed the button to close his desk drawer. He
-looked up at Major Ali ben del Ponta.
-
-"Well?" He put his hands together, fingers touching.
-
-"It has begun, Prefect Lamberti. All over the world our local men are
-leading their followers in attack. Captain Abram Mazzoli has sent in
-his report from Tel Aviv. The city is in his hands. Captain Mahomet
-DiSanto's 'Raiders' have complete control of the Sahara. Captain
-Arnaldi's forces are firmly entrenched in the old Washington area of
-America. He will move northward to meet Colonel Magnani's forces from
-Canada and Commander Campisano. They--"
-
-"Campisano's airborne ready to roll?"
-
-"Yes, Sir. Arrangements have been made. The drop will be just outside
-New York."
-
-"Alright. Then everything has gone off as scheduled?"
-
-"Yes, Sir."
-
-Prefect Farouk Lamberti regarded his deskchron thoughtfully.
-
-"And Caesar will make his speech in twenty-five hours and thirty-three
-minutes?"
-
-Major del Ponta glanced at his own chron, which was strapped to the
-third finger of his left hand. "Yes, Sir. At 1400, tomorrow."
-
-"Have the twenty-foot 'visor screen activated for public showing. Mount
-it outside as we'd planned."
-
-"It's being taken care of, Sir. The screen is on its way to the Square.
-There will be a crowd."
-
-"Good. We all want to hear noble Caesar."
-
-Del Ponta grinned. "Yes, Sir. We all do. Especially tomorrow."
-
-"He doesn't know?--or suspect?"
-
-"He shouldn't Sir. Our men took over and began covering up at once.
-You know the atrocious condition of world communications systems. The
-Empire could fall and Rome might not hear of it for days."
-
-"That's what I was counting on ... that and the Disturber. The
-degeneracy of the field military is terrible. They are allowing
-themselves to get lazy and fat and careless."
-
-"Yes, Sir."
-
-"Have my car ready to drive to the Square behind Caesar's tomorrow.
-See that the covermen in the houses around the Square are doubled and
-double-checked. But when we go to the show, let's not have too great an
-exhibition of Imperial power. We don't want this thing to backfire and
-cut our own throats."
-
-"Yes, Sir." Del Ponta's grin widened.
-
-"Dismissed."
-
-Del Ponta came to attention, saluted and about-faced and left.
-
-Prefect Lamberti opened his desk drawer and took out his old service
-pistol. It was a gamma gun. He had not released any of the deadly,
-slow-acting rays from its chamber in seven years. But it was ready.
-
-He opened another drawer and took out a white cloak, marked across the
-back with a blue dove and the single word 'Liberacione.'
-
-He checked the pistol.
-
- * * * * *
-
-"Does the Emissary from 1954 get to meet Caesar?" Jay wanted to know.
-
-"Later. He's to make a speech tomorrow afternoon. It will be
-world-televised."
-
-"He looks very old and very tired," Jay ventured. He'd seen Caesar on
-transcriptions of old speeches and on old newsreels.
-
-"He's about ... forty, I think. Somewhat weak. Very lenient."
-
-"I would've guessed him to be a good deal older." Then "Why weak?
-Because he's lenient?"
-
-Ilaria smiled. "Remember, Jay, 'Pax per Bello.' Too much leniency leads
-one's subjects to be bold. Over-bold."
-
-"One man's opinion?"
-
-The Tribune shrugged. "No. Caesar doesn't get along with his advisors
-too well. They criticize him for being too ready to forgive and forget."
-
-The more Jay saw of this perfect world, the more he realized how cruel
-and hard people must be to maintain a paradise. If everyone is to be
-happy, someone must be unhappy.
-
-The trouble is, people don't like to be told "This is for your own
-good."
-
-Jay said so.
-
-"But if they're sat on hard enough," Ilaria rebutted, "they don't have
-a chance ever to try anything else which they might _think_ is for
-their own good...."
-
-Jay nodded. Very true. As Ilaria left the room Jay went to the window
-and looked out at the Louisville of 2054. For the millionth time in the
-seven days he'd been here, he wished he had a cigarette. They had been
-outlawed as detrimental to health long ago.
-
-The fact that it had been seven days reminded him of something else
-left behind.
-
-Julie.
-
-"You're a fool," he finally told himself. No wonder Julie'd been on
-edge and acting what he termed 'odd' lately! She was scared. He'd been
-out of school three and a half years. He was twenty-five. He'd just
-bought a new Olds. He'd begun buying his clothes at _The_ Store rather
-than a store. Hell, he should've been married long ago. His days here
-were full. There were meetings with scientists and historians and
-militarists and linguists and everyone else Kevin could think up. He
-talked and listened and discussed and lectured. But he thought of her
-every night. Every morning before he rose. At times like this, when he
-was alone for a few minutes.
-
-Of course it was love! He'd always thought too many people threw the
-word around too much. He'd always been afraid to use it because he
-wasn't sure of its meaning. He's used it once. And he'd been kicked in
-the teeth by the girl. He hadn't used it since.
-
-When was a guy ever sure?
-
-Hogwash! Now he knew that each man forms his own definition. True,
-too many people used the word love indiscriminately. It's mistreated.
-Kicked around. Assumed and taken off. Dragged through messes and
-scandals and law courts and through the mud. But to a man like Jay
-Welch, to a man who has been afraid--yes, afraid--to use it, it _must_
-be there when he begins thinking in those terms.
-
-Love. He'd had to come across one-hundred years to realize he'd found
-its meaning. To realize he'd known its meaning a long time. To realize
-that love is whatever you make it, what you, yourself, call it. You
-define it yourself. Then you apply it.
-
-It had been there all the time. You don't include someone in everything
-you do and everything you think without it. You don't try to change her
-and yourself. To make her perfect. To make yourself perfect with--and
-for--her without it. This business about "accepting" little faults--as
-well as big ones--, he decided, is for the birds. It's human nature to
-translate other people in terms of yourself and try to change them in
-terms of yourself. To argue and be proud and hate like hell to have
-to make up. But you don't make a project of it with everyone. Not
-unless....
-
-He and Julie had a lot to talk about.
-
-Then he remembered where he was and when he was. He thought of Doctor
-Schink. And suddenly he was scared. He remembered what Ilaria had said
-about Schink. 'He's there for good....'
-
-"He's never said a word about my going back!"
-
-"Neither have you," came Ilaria's voice, and Jay whirled around to see
-the big psychologist coming through the door.
-
-"We'd like to keep you here as long as possible. But not against your
-wishes, of course. You were shanghaied, not kidnaped." The left corner
-of his wide mouth pulled back in that slow, reassuring smile.
-
-"I stand chastised. Now I've thought of it, though, I can hardly wait."
-
-"The day after tomorrow? I want you to hear Caesar speak. Then I want
-to talk a good deal more."
-
-"Early, the day after tomorrow." Then, little-boyishly, Jay hurriedly
-added a couple of reasons. "I'm getting tired of talking and being
-questioned. I feel like a talking animal in the zoo."
-
-Ilaria nodded, smiling. "Julie?
-
-"I figured it would occur to you sooner or later. Just because you
-think a little more deeply and carefully than most men of your time
-doesn't make you immune to love. That belongs to _all_ times. Good luck
-and a lot of children."
-
-Jay grinned. He'd met Ilaria's wife and five of his six children the
-night before. He turned to look out the window once more.
-
-Beautiful. The elevated streets, with gyro-cars hurtling along ... the
-sky full of more winged gyros and planes ... the streets below full of
-happy, white-faced, white-clad people....
-
-White-faced!
-
-"Kevin, you avoided my question the day before yesterday. I've been
-almost afraid to ask you again. Why no Negroes?"
-
-"It will be hard for you to accept, with your antiquated democratic
-ideas." Ilaria breathed a deep sigh. "Certain elements of dissension
-and unrest, Jay, are better eliminated. Coloreds have always bred both.
-People are just like that. Whites and yellows and tans and reds can get
-along, but not blacks."
-
-Jay had gotten along with them all his life. "In ancient Rome there
-were slaves ..." he said, trying to understand.
-
-"Not in this Rome. I said, better eliminated, Jay." Ilaria went to the
-window and looked down at the scene below. He explained:
-
-"We exterminated them."
-
-A hammer crashed down. A door slammed. A glass shattered. A siren
-screeched. A punch caught Jay in the solar plexus. Jay had experienced
-all these. Ilaria's flat statement was worse.
-
-"Exter--No! Oh, No!" He swung around to face the big psychologist.
-Ilaria's usual smile was gone. He looked solemn and very grim.
-
-"You weren't ready for it. I don't think we can discuss it. Just
-remember this: When you've a bunch of dogs and they all get along with
-one another except one, you don't leave them together and you don't try
-to keep them separated by a chicken-wire fence. It's too unpleasant.
-You get rid of the troublemaker."
-
- * * * * *
-
-During the night the rebel forces moved out of Tel Aviv and took over
-Israel. They captured the entire devastated Washington area, a series
-of ten cities ringing Rome, and hundreds of other key spots. The
-world's largest airbase at Madrid, Spain, was taken. Forces sent to the
-aid of the base defenders were met by an onslaught of their own planes.
-The troops didn't have a chance.
-
-Dr. Montmorency Trumperi's Wave Disturber had been outlawed in 2001.
-The plans were carefully filed away and the machine's component parts
-junked. But the Disturber suddenly reappeared on the night of June 9,
-2054, and world communications were stopped. Lamberti's scientists had
-come up with a counter-radio mechanism, of course, so that the Rebels
-were able to maintain contacts.
-
-Louisville was not attacked. Lamberti and his men knew about the
-emissary from the past sheltered there, and informed their fifth
-columnists at Standiford they wanted both the Man From 1954 and Tribune
-Kevin Ilaria alive.
-
-New York was attacked by land and air. Tokyo fell. Everywhere white
-flags with the blue Liberacione and the picture of a dove fluttered
-above smoking battlegrounds. Everywhere men were on the march.
-
- * * * * *
-
-When Tribune Kevin Ilaria stormed in twelve hours later, Jay noticed
-his friend was wearing his gun again. The cyanide pistol had not swung
-at his hip since the day of Jay's arrival. He was also surprised to
-note that Ilaria wore boots and carried a steel helmet under his arm.
-
-There was a new quality in his voice. Brittle, static. The soft tones
-of the psychologist were gone.
-
-Jay realized that this was Tribune Ilaria of the Forces, not Dr. Ilaria
-the psychologist.
-
-"You sure you want to leave here tomorrow?" he demanded curtly.
-
-Instantly Jay was on the defence. "I am," he said coldly.
-
-Ilaria's smile looked forced. "I've been authorized to offer you a
-Sub-Tribunate in the Forces."
-
-"What?"
-
-"You've had experience. None of us have. You've been in actual combat,
-in the Air Force."
-
-"Why? I don't--"
-
-"War," Ilaria said simply. "Rebellion."
-
-Jay stared at him. He couldn't think of anything to say.
-
-Ilaria turned away. "Paradise. The Iron Hand. One religion and one
-language and all that. Utterly cock-sure. But ... we were wrong.
-They've been getting ready. Training and planning. Collecting men and
-arms. They began even before the empire was established."--Jay noticed
-he said empire rather than republic--"All this time they've been
-preparing and planning and ... waiting."
-
-Jay was dumbfounded. "How big is it?"
-
-Kevin Ilaria spread his hands. "Big enough. Their attack seems to
-have been simultaneous all over the world. Something like commando or
-guerrilla tactics. Quick, quiet attacks on a small scale."
-
-He told Jay about the Tel Aviv incident and about Captain Spagnoletti
-and a half-track disappearing in the rubble in the Washington area and
-about intercontinental communication being shut off.
-
-"Bomb 'em out," Jay said, without thinking.
-
-"You don't bomb out fifth columnists, Jay.
-
-"Last night they captured London and Tokyo and two-thirds of New York
-and they captured Lollabrigida airbase in Madrid. They're wearing PR
-uniforms and some kind of new uniform they've dreamed up. Most of them
-aren't even uniformed. It's a hell of a mess."
-
-"How long do you think it'll take to quell the thing?"
-
-"I have no idea. I'm to take command at Standiford Field. Rinaldi
-solved the saboteur problem ... it was Colonel Di Orio. Rinaldi and
-some of his boys caught the Colonel and a few of _his_ men in the Radio
-Room on the special 'Liberacione' wave length."
-
-"In irons?" Jay wanted to know.
-
-"No. They put up a fight. They were killed."
-
-"You're flying?"
-
-"Doubt it. I'll be one of those behind-the-scenes men. Supposed to be
-valuable. Only in a mess like this you can't tell what's behind the
-scenes and what's front line. They're liable to start on Louisville
-next."
-
-Ilaria hitched self-consciously at his gun-belt. He twisted his helmet
-around a couple of times before he set it gingerly on his head. He
-turned and opened the door and went out. His head came back in and said:
-
-"I'm not sure it's the sort of thing you quell, Jay."
-
-"Kevin! Wait! What'm I supposed to--"
-
-He was gone.
-
-Jay thought only a moment. Then he switched on the phone. At least
-intercom systems were still in operation. The clerk at the desk
-upstairs looked at him from the screen.
-
-"This is the Man From 1954," Jay said, using the name by which everyone
-called him. "Stop Tribune Ilaria as he goes out."
-
-In an instant Kevin's head appeared.
-
-"I'll go with you. Shall I get my uniform before we go to Standiford or
-after?"
-
-Ilaria grinned. "After," he said. "Grab the elevator and come on up."
-
-This isn't your fight, Jay Welch, a voice told him as he opened the
-door. You don't even belong here, Jay Welch, the voice told him as he
-ran out into the hall. You're crazy to go to bat for these monsters,
-Jay Welch, the voice told him as he pushed the elevator button. You
-fought before for a bunch of people who didn't appreciate it one
-damned bit, Jay Welch. Remember about the Iron Hand and the Negroes,
-the voice told him as the doors opened and he stepped in. Remember you
-were shanghaied, it said, as the car shot upward and the bottom of his
-stomach felt as if it had been left behind. Remember you were going
-back to Duo Point and Herman's and Joe Scaccia's restaurant and Julie
-and tie and suit and Julie and the tight shoes and Julie and personal
-freedom and Julie and Jerry, the black guy you worked with and liked
-so well and Julie and the new Olds and Julie. Tomorrow you were going
-back.
-
-The doors shot back. He stepped out on the roof.
-
-"Mister Welcci?" said the clerk. "That's Tribune Ilaria's plane over
-there."
-
-He pointed to the little PR ship marked with the three silver diamonds
-of a Tribune and the staff of psychology. Jay ran. Wind was whipping
-across the roof and their cloaks streamed out and fluttered. The three
-men came together.
-
-"This is Commander DeVito, Jay. Commander, Jay Welch, The Man From
-1954." The way Ilaria said it always made it sound capitalized.
-
-They shook hands. They got into the plane and shot straight up and the
-city was a blur beneath them. In less than a minute the little flier
-dropped down faster than any elevator and landed at Standiford.
-
-"Sergeant, Sub-Tribune Welcci needs a uniform. A--"
-
-"Forty long," Jay suggested, then colored. Tunic and a hundred years
-made a difference in his size. He went with the supply-sergeant, who
-gave him a correct fit the first time--times _have_ changed, Jay
-grunted--and fitted him with a helmet on the second try. He felt a
-tremor as he buckled on the pellet gun. With the cloak flapping about
-his heels and the gun banging his leg and the helmet biting his ear
-he ran to the elevator and down to the room Kevin had designated.
-The Tribune and Commander DeVito and five or six other officers were
-standing around a table in the steel-walled underground room.
-
-Before them was a gigantic map. They looked up as Jay burst in.
-
-"This is The Man From 1954," Ilaria said. There were hand-shakes all
-around that reminded Jay of fraternity rush. DeVito and one of the
-others wore wings. Jay wondered if that were still a pilot's insignia.
-
-The red X's on the map, they told him, were places under attack. The
-blue ones were areas taken by the fast-moving rebels. He learned that
-the messenger-jet they'd sent to Rome--they were lost without their
-instantaneous push-button communications system--hadn't made it. More
-had been sent. Meanwhile they were on their own.
-
-The nearest major battle was at Chicago, where Cocuzzi Flight Base was
-located. Ilaria despatched Commander DeVito and something like fifty
-jet fighters to Chicago. The other man was in charge of a group of B-90
-Stratosonic bombers. They lifted their fists in stiff-armed salute and
-left.
-
-"The rest of the ships will remain here, ready for instant take-off.
-I'll command interception. Sub-Tribune Rinaldi will command the base in
-case I have to go up.
-
-"I can't understand why we haven't been jumped yet. We must assume
-they'll attack Louisville because of Standiford and the Time Building.
-They'll also be interested in you, Jay."
-
- * * * * *
-
-By 2:00 that afternoon Louisville had not yet been attacked. Abruptly
-at 1:59 world communications went into operation. Everyone turned on
-his television set, wondering if Caesar's talk would go on as scheduled.
-
-It did. There was a screaming crowd before the Capitol. On the high
-balcony stood the Dictator. At his side stood Senator Chianti and
-around them were ringed Caesar's Pretorian Guards. The city was nearly
-empty of field soldiers. They had gone out to meet the insurgents.
-
-"People of the Republic of Rome." The noise subsided as Caesar raised
-his hands and spoke.
-
-"You have all heard of the revolt now in progress against us throughout
-the Empire."
-
-Ilaria nodded at the Caesar's psychologically clever use of the word us.
-
-"With your aid, my people, we can put a quick end to this treason.
-You have seen better than half a century of peaceful, successful
-government. These traitors and conspirators would attempt to overthrow
-our government and put an end to this peace ... this Peace of Rome.
-
-"The world is now in a state of emergency. If you, my people, will bear
-with me through this period of crisis we will return to our world of
-peace and serenity once more."
-
-Cheers. Wild applause.
-
-"They believe him," Jay murmured.
-
-Ilaria looked at him. "Of course," he said.
-
-"For a long time our Empire has remained ..."
-
-Caesar's face stiffened. The deep-set, weary eyes blazed and widened.
-His hand reached out for the railing. Then he stiffened again and was
-limp as the bursting pellet of sulphuric acid and potassium cyanide
-took effect.
-
-Gaius Julius Caesar Imperator V fell.
-
-There was uproar and clamor and shrieking.
-
-Jay and Ilaria stood, staring, as the Pretorian Guards levelled their
-guns and became a solid, surrounding wall. The T-V cameramen were
-getting the scene of the century.
-
-"Lamberti!" Ilaria bit out.
-
-The Pretorian Prefect, his hands outspread, stood on the balcony over
-Caesar's body. The white cloak with Liberacione on it fluttered about
-him. A couple of Pretorians came out with an amplifier.
-
-"Friends, Romans, Countrymen," said Farouk Lamberti.
-
-"--every available long-range ship to Rome," Ilaria's brittle voice
-was hacking out orders. "Every one. Contact every other base while
-communications are still working!"
-
-"... a noble man. But not the man to govern Earth. No, not he nor his
-government. I bring you a new government. I, Farouk Lamberti, long his
-best friend, have done this not to him, but for him. For you. The Earth
-was not meant to be governed by a system of--"
-
-"Yes, I said bomb Rome."
-
-Sub-Tribune Rinaldi smiled. "But Kevin, my friend, we can't bomb
-Lamberti just when he's getting a good start."
-
-Jay looked up. Kevin Ilaria spun around. "What?"
-
-"Never trust old friends, Kevin. Colonel Di Orio didn't. He surprised
-us in the Radio Room and we were forced to put him out of the way. Also
-remember this: all members of the Liberacione carry gamma pistols."
-
-Rinaldi pulled out his gamma gun and shot Ilaria through the middle.
-
-Jay was horrified. He forgot where he was and when he was and what he
-was doing. All he knew was that there was a cyanide gun at his hip and
-that this man had shot Ilaria. His gun came up and sputtered.
-
-The pellet caught Rinaldi just under the chin and burst. Rinaldi
-collapsed.
-
-"Had a--gamma gun--not ... deadly. Slow-acting ... radio-activity.
-Hardly ... burned me. Come on--we've got to ... get back to the--Time
-building."
-
-"Oh, no we won't. You're hurt. We--"
-
-"Don't argue. Sergeant! Saaarguunt!" Ilaria gasped at the exertion of
-shouting. The Centurion ran in.
-
-"We've got to--get to the--Time building."
-
-"Rinaldi shot the Tribune. Rinaldi was a traitor," Jay explained
-rapidly.
-
-Ilaria's gun clicked and the Centurion shuddered back and fell through
-the door. The gamma burst from his pistol hit the wall.
-
-"God! Is everyone a traitor?" Jay demanded of the Universe.
-
- * * * * *
-
-People are easily swayed. It didn't take them long to espouse the new
-cause. They were helped along in their decision by the Liberacione
-planes hovering overhead with loads of KCN-H2SO4 bombs. The whispering
-campaign Lamberti had carefully started about germ warfare helped, too.
-Those who didn't switch over rapidly were jumped by the new forces.
-Tribune Ilaria in Louisville, Kentucky, in America held out as long
-as he could. Then the bombers came. And the Tribune fled to the Time
-building.
-
-The building shook. A table shivered and a lamp shattered. A jet
-fighter flew close by the window and the Centurion watched fearfully as
-it flipped on one delta wing and fired a tracer burst into a PR ship.
-The defender exploded in mid-air.
-
-Ilaria looked twenty years older than the man who had smiled and
-welcomed Jay Welch to 2054. He and a young scientist were preparing the
-machine to send the man from 1954 back to his own time.
-
-"You'll have to leave the gun here, Jay." Ilaria winced as he bent over
-a set of dials.
-
-"I'd like to keep the uniform."
-
-"All right. Does that do it, Doctor?"
-
-The scientist nodded. He looked at Jay. "It's ready," he said.
-
-"This switch sets everything in motion, doesn't it?" Ilaria asked.
-
-"Yes. That's the final control."
-
-"Then ... I'll do it. I'd like ... to say something to Jay before he
-leaves."
-
-The scientist hesitated a moment, then shrugged and left. The Centurion
-went to the door. He was a young man and fanatically loyal.
-
-"You all right, Tribune?"
-
-Ilaria smiled. "I'm ... all right, Sergeant."
-
-The Centurion nodded and left.
-
-"Sit ... sit down in that chair, Jay, and do your best to relax."
-
-Jay sat down. A bomber roared overhead. There was a blast nearby.
-
-"What will you do now, Kevin?"
-
-Ilaria shrugged. "Fight 'em 'til they come in and we're sunk. Then
-I'll join 'em. Why--why die a martyr's death?"
-
-Of course, Jay told himself. Logical. But Kevin had been so convinced.
-So utterly sure. Now he looked and sounded like a disillusioned old man.
-
-"Kevin, I'm not trying to rub it in. But--"
-
-"I know what you're going to say. I was so sure. Paradise. I was a firm
-disciple. Convinced. I believed in all of it. I--thought it would last
-forever. The perfect government. A permanently _workable_ government."
-
-Jay sat quietly. Ilaria reached for the switch.
-
-"For God's sake," came the voice of 1954, "what _is_ the perfect
-workable government?"
-
-Ilaria closed the switch and the light blinded Jay. He felt as if
-someone had slugged him in the stomach. Slowly the machine prepared to
-send him back one-hundred years. It warmed up like a jet on a runway.
-
-The light faded and Jay opened his eyes. The building rocked. There was
-a terrific explosion and part of the steel wall buckled. Somewhere a
-woman screamed. A squadron of fighters hurtled past, spitting fire and
-death. A bomber fell, exploding as it crashed into a tall apartment
-building. Jay's stomach twisted and he knew he was on his way. Ilaria
-took his gun from his holster and calmly placed its ugly snout against
-his own face.
-
-"... the perfect workable government?" Jay's question of a moment ago
-reached his ears as he began to slip back, minute by minute, picking up
-momentum. Ilaria's reply came dimly.
-
-"There is none."
-
-
-
-
-
-End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of And Gone Tomorrow, by Andy Offut
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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of And Gone Tomorrow, by Andy Offut + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most +other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions +whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of +the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at +www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have +to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. + +Title: And Gone Tomorrow + +Author: Andy Offut + +Release Date: January 28, 2019 [EBook #58784] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AND GONE TOMORROW *** + + + + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + + + + + And Gone Tomorrow + + BY ANDY OFFUT + + [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from + Worlds of If Science Fiction, December 1954. + Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that + the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] + + * * * * * + + THE $1000 PRIZE WINNING STORY + in IF's College Science Fiction Contest + +_Here is the best story submitted in answer to the theme question: +"What Will Life in America Be Like 100 Years From Now?" ... Written by +an undergraduate at the University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, +it pictures the America of 2054 as part of a world empire run by an +Italian dictator and very similar to that of the ancient Caesars and +the early Roman Empire. There is one language, one religion and customs +and laws have changed to suit the times. But, basically, human nature +hasn't changed and there is the omnipresent clash of faction against +faction. The theme is that a dictatorship is the only perfect form of +government. If there is a moral, it is that there is no permanent form +of government._ + +_One of the requirements for entering IF's College Science Fiction +Contest was that the contestant be a "simon pure" amateur--never +having been published professionally. This is Andy Offut's first +published story, and it has been accorded the same editing we give to +professional manuscripts. No rewriting or revisions have been made. See +November IF for complete announcement of this and the six other winners +in this nation-wide contest._ + + * * * * * + +He sat down suddenly. He stared up at the man. + +"Say it again," he muttered. + +He knew what the answer would be even before the man repeated it in +that quiet voice. + +"This is June 3, 2054." + +The fellow wasn't kidding him. He was serious enough. But a couple +of minutes ago it had been May 15, 1954. He looked at his watch and +grunted. Less than four minutes ago it had been 1954. Reality. Now it +was June 3, 2054. There were four steel walls. There was a steel chair. +There were no windows. + +He tried to take it calmly. But the unbelievable horror of being +_where_ he was and _when_ he was and the man calmly repeating, "This +is June 3, 2054," screamed for release. + +"No! No! You're lying! It's impossible!" He grabbed the man's tunic and +drew back a doubled fist. His chair went over behind him. + +Then a stiff thumb jabbed him in the short ribs and he grunted and went +down. + +"This is June 3, 2054. You are still in Louisville, Kentucky. You are +standing in a room adjoining the laboratory in the Time Building on +3rd Street at Eastern Parkway. This is the receiving room. My name is +Kevin Ilaria. You've come through time. Is that so impossible to grasp? +You're a thinking man. Educated!" + +He looked up from the floor. + +"Well?" + +"So I'm a thinking man and an educated man. And what happens? I'm +sapped. I'm shanghaied. I'm walking down Confederate Place to my old +fraternity house at 1:00 in the morning. I've just had a row with +my girl. I'm heading for the fraternity house to see who'll go down +to Herman's and get good and drunk with me. And somebody clobbers +me. The next thing I remember I'm sitting in a steel chair in a +steel room without any windows. Just like this one. There's a man +standing there. A man with watery, myopic eyes under bushy brows and +his hair parted in the middle. He's Doctor Borley, of the University +of Louisville Chemistry Department. There's another man with him. A +little fellow with thick glasses and a crew cut and eyes like the slits +between closed Venetian blinds. He's Doctor Schink, of the Psychology +Department. They're talking about me." + +"Umn hmn. Now you're beginning to sound normal. Doctors Borley and +Schink are our agents in 1954. Do you know where you were?" + +"I told you. In some sort of steel room without win--" + +The man made an impatient gesture with his hand. "No, I mean _where_. +You were in a steel chamber in the Daynolds Metals Plant. It stood on +this spot in 1954. Two people knew--know--about that room." + +"Doctor Borley and Doctor Schink?" + +"I'm glad you've calmed down. Now we can talk." + +Jay wasn't quite ready to calm down. "You stand there in that Roman +outfit and talk about being calm. To me. To me, Jay Welch, a history +major who took his AB from the University of Louisville in 1950. Jay +Welch, average guy, who got into an average argument with the girl he +pinned in 1950 and went for a walk to drown his sorrows and wound up +one hundred years from where--when--he started. I--" + +"Then you admit you've come through Time?" + +"I may as well." + +Ilaria cursed quietly. "But you're not an average guy. You have a +working knowledge of chemistry and biology and physics and history +and a few arts and sociology and psychology and geopolitics and +literature and the English language as spoken in AD 1954. You hope to +be successful as a writer. You're Public Relations Consultant with +Duo-Point, one of the biggest corporations in your nation in 1954." + +"Yes," Jay Welch said. "And I make good money. Even better than a bus +driver or a steam-fitter. So?" + +"So here you are. 1954's representative to 2054." Ilaria was only a +man. He could not keep the flourish and the Hollywood grandeur out of +his voice. + +"Yes! And what happens tomorrow when I don't show up for work? What +happens in a few days when people find out I've disappeared? What +happens when they find out Julie was the last person I was with? What--" + +"You're getting yourself worked up again, Jay Welch. Don't you think +we have thought of those things? We've brought you across one hundred +years, Jay Welch." + +"Yes," Jay said quietly, flatly. "Yes." Then just as flatly, just as +quietly he said, "Why?" + +"So you've remembered to wonder about that at last." Ilaria smiled. +Jay noticed that the smile was one-sided and pulled back the left +corner of Ilaria's mouth. He stood there and looked down at Jay Welch, +who had forgotten that he was sitting on the floor. His tunic was +white and there were three diamond-shaped silver pieces in a vertical +line on each elbow-length sleeve. There was a wide blue stripe and a +narrow silver stripe at the hem of his tunic and at his sleeves. He +wore sandals. His belt was leather and there was a holstered pistol of +some sort hanging at his left hip. In tiny blue script above his left +breast pocket were the words 'Trib. Ilaria'. On the pocket was a red +disk with the letters PR. A silver-worked blue cloak was flung over +his shoulders. Except for the identification and the odd fabric of his +clothes and the holstered gun he looked very like a young Roman of the +first century. + +Ilaria's slow smile pulled back the left corner of his mouth. "Because +you are who you are and what you are. Because you attended the +University of Louisville and Doctors Borley and Schink knew you. +Because they chose you. Merely because they chose you. They might've +chosen anyone else. + +"We've your personality pretty well mapped out. We expected violence. +That's why I'm here. I'm a psychologist and an anthropologist. I'm a +fast-talker and I can convince people and place them at ease. I'm also +big enough to handle you, Jay Welch." + +From his position on the floor Jay looked up at Ilaria and decided the +man from 2054 was big enough. Jay Welch was six feet one inch tall. He +weighed one seventy-three and wore a 40-long suit. Kevin Ilaria was +bigger. + +Jay was forced to grin. The tall blond man was a likeable guy, at that. +A human being. + +"Who are you?" + +"Kevin Ilaria. Doctor of Psychology. That entitles me to the silver +band on my tunic. Also a Tribune. That entitles me to the blue stripe +and the three silver diamonds and the gun." + +"A Tribune? In what? Of what?" + +"In the Forces. In the actual ranks, a Tribune commands 7,000 men, 250 +planes or a base, or 40 tanks. But I've never had a chance to go into +the field. There has been no cause to fight. Meantime I'm stationed at +Standiford Field as second-in-command. A friend of mine named Rinaldi +fills in for me. He's a Sub-Tribune. + +"I've been specializing in the study of Time." + +"The way you say Time it sounds as though it were capitalized. Where I +come from Time with a capital T is a magazine." + +Kevin Ilaria laughed. He reached down a hand. "Get up," he said, and, +taking Jay's forearm, helped him to his feet. + +"Let's go," he said. + +Jay didn't bother to ask where they were going. He followed the Tribune +out the door and into the hall. On the wall just outside the door, was +a black box. Two squares cut into it shone with a faint white light. +Ilaria paused and shielded the lighted areas a moment with his hand, +and Jay saw the light go out in the room they had just left. Ilaria +closed the door. As he turned, Jay saw the white letters PR emblazoned +on the back of his cloak. + +"This way," he said. Jay noticed that Ilaria walked on his right, so +that the Tribune's gun was between them. + +"The way I said Time, it _is_ capitalized. It means all the Time since +the beginning. It's a corporation, like your Duo-Point. Only much +larger, and much less known. Our job is to learn." + +"That's a big order," Jay commented. "You learn +by--borrowing--emissaries?" + +Ilaria laughed again. "Thanks for the phraseology, but it wouldn't +worry me if you called it 'kidnaping' or 'shanghaiing.' You're right, +of course. We learn by sending men from this age to other ones, and by +pulling men from other ages to this one. Doctor Schink is our Emissary +to 1954. His real name is Clyde Gabrinaldi. Borley is our contact +there ... rather, then." + +"Well I'll be damned! I've gone to Clyde a lot of times for advice." + +The left corner of Ilaria's mouth pulled back as his grin widened. "Umn +hmn. He's married, too. With a child. He's there for good." + +Jay was afraid to ask if emissaries from the past to 2054 were "there +for good" too. He changed the subject. + +"You started to tell me before--" + +"Oh, yes. I'm to be your teacher and companion. But I'll try to give +you a quick fill-in. Our world of 2054 is quite different from yours. +And, we hope, in better shape. We've proved that the only way to +maintain world peace is by world government. And the only successful +type of government is a dictatorship." + +Jay gasped. "You mean the entire world--has reverted to _dictatorship_?" + +Ilaria laughed. "Not _reverted_. We finally accepted it as the only +logical form of government for an entire world." + +"What happens when the dictator goes wild? He always has." + +The smile was there again. "You're not quite ready for that," Ilaria +told him. "But, it has been taken into consideration." + +Out of the corner of his eye, Jay saw the slight puff of Ilaria's +chest, the self-satisfied square of his shoulders, the quick set of his +jaw. He wondered what part Tribune Kevin Ilaria played in the 'dictator +control' this world had provided. + +"The system has worked and is working. See this?" + +They turned a corner in the corridor and faced a great domed room. +On the far wall hung a white tapestry of something like 40 x 40 foot +dimensions. On it, emblazoned in letters of red and yellow made to look +like flame, were the characters PPB. In the lower right-hand corner, in +white outlined with blue, was the same PR that Ilaria wore. Jay waited +for the Tribune's explanation. + +"PpB stands for Pax per Bello," Ilaria explained. "Peace through War. +That slogan was written in 1967 by Julius and adapted in 1971 as +official." + +"Julius?" + +"Yes. The first Dictator." + +Things were beginning to click in Jay's mind. + +"I think I know what PR stands for," he said. "Pax Romana." + +As always, Ilaria smiled. "That's right," he said. + + * * * * * + +The command-car marked with the PR symbol pulled over and stopped. + +"What is it? Who are you?" the driver demanded. + +The Captain on the seat beside him peered into the blackness and cursed. + +The man who had waved the vehicle to a halt walked away. + +"Here!" the Captain cried. "What in blazes is going on here? Why'd you +stop us? Centurion! Stop that man!" + +The two Centurions in the back seat looked at the Captain for a moment, +then they both jumped out and ran after the man. + +An ellipsoidal grey thing streaked out of the darkness, landed in the +driver's lap and thudded to the floor of the car. The Captain threw +open his door and started to climb out. The driver bent over to see +what it was. + +At that moment the driver, the command-car and the Captain blew up. + +The silence that followed was broken by the blast of a submachine gun +as it struck down the two centurions. + +"Take their weapons," said a brittle voice. + + * * * * * + +The detachment of soldiers from the garrison at Tel Aviv stopped and +looked around. + +"Sir, what is it?" asked a guard anxiously. + +"Terribly quiet out here; something's up," the Lieutenant muttered +calmly. + +There were seven of them. The Lieutenant, the Centurion, and five +legionaries. They had grown accustomed to the quiet life of garrison +men in a calm, conquered city. When there is nothing tangible to be +guarded, a guard's life is a dull one. The guns they carried were +the symbol of their authority, and had never been used for any other +purpose. + +They looked around. The dirty, once-white buildings rose close on +either side. There was no moon. There was no sound. The darkness and +the silence could have been cut with a knife. + +The Lieutenant grinned. He didn't feel much like grinning. He spoke. He +didn't feel much like talking, either. + +"This darkness is thick," he said. "You could cut it with a knife. Wish +I had a knife." + +He got a knife. The men had just started to laugh when the Lieutenant +got it. + +Between his shoulder blades. + +As the Lieutenant toppled forward, the Centurion dodged close against +the dirty stone wall and yelled "Spread out!" + +They killed a lot of the shadowy, green-clad attackers, but there were +only six of them and they were cornered. When the enemy drove a tank +into the alley and sprayed them with its mounted gun they died. + +"Take their weapons," said a quiet voice. + + * * * * * + +The half-track rolled to a stop. + +"Where, Sir?" the driver wanted to know. + +"Beyond that big crater over there. The sun glinted on metal. I'm sure +of it. Didn't you see it?" + +"No, Sir." The driver craned his neck. There was nothing but barren +rubble and bomb craters and torn, twisted metal and ruined buildings. + +"There are all sorts of old automobiles lying around out there, Sir," +the driver volunteered. + +"Yes, and they've been here long enough to get good and rusty," the +Captain snapped. "This is something else." + +The driver craned his neck. There was nothing but rubble. + +Eight men in the back of the half-track leaped to their feet when they +heard the faint clicking of KCN-H2SO4 guns and the buzz of an old gamma +gun and the sharp bark of a very old sub machine-gun. But a grenade +landed on the truck and another rolled under it. + +Another wreck was added to the rubble. + +"Take their weapons, if there are any left," said a quiet voice. + + * * * * * + +And in the more peaceful city of Louisville, Jay Welch was introduced +to Kevin Ilaria's best friend, his adjutant at Standiford Field. + +Jay took a liking to Sub-Tribune Jason Rinaldi the moment he felt the +fellow's firm grip. + +"Jason is adjutant," Ilaria explained. "And one of the few 'field +soldiers' who manages to get along with Caesar's Pretorian Prefect, +Lamberti. How he does it, I don't know. Lamberti's absolutely +unbearable." + +"Prejudice. Middle-class prejudices," Rinaldi grinned. He was short and +very dark with a lot of black hair. + +Ilaria's left cheek cracked into a long dimple as he smiled. "He picks +on me because I'm a serious psychologist." + +Rinaldi laughed. "As a psychologist, Kevin, you're an excellent bridge +player. As a soldier--" + +"Just remember who's got three bars and who has two." + +Rinaldi waved his hand and shrugged. "They pass 'em out to psych boys +wholesale," he said, and ducked Ilaria's swing. "Slow reflexes, too," +he added as he turned to go. + +Ilaria stopped him at the door and murmured a few sentences. + +Jay caught something about sabotage at Standiford. Rinaldi seemed to be +attributing it to the Commanding Officer there. + +"Nice guy," Jay said as the door closed behind Rinaldi. + +"You said it. Good officer, too. He'll root out the bird who's playing +around out there. Can't figure out why it's being done." + +"Factions," Jay said, "--within factions." + +"Little ones always exist, I guess. Have you finished with the history +films?" + +"I've seen them, yes. I'm still trying to digest them." + +"The language give you much trouble?" + +"Quite a bit, but I think I got most of it. + +"One man," Jay went on wonderingly. "One man. A Captain in the Italian +Army. + +"The Communist forces in Indo-China had been driven back and +Captain--then Major--Lollabrigida went in after them. + +"The defeat was becoming so terrible that the Kremlin dealt itself a +playing hand rather than the dummy it had been playing. Red forces came +piling in. Lollabrigida and his Italian troops stopped them cold. Then +he seemed to sway. And, when the Commies pounced for the kill, they +were trapped, pocketed, and annihilated. + +"American newspapers and commentators began to call Major Julius +Lollabrigida 'Julius Caesar.' Italy became big overnight. The Big Three +became Russia, the United States, and Italy. Lollabrigida appealed to +America--sometime in there they made him a Colonel, but he was actually +telling the Generals and the Italian government what to do--for aid in +going ahead aggressively. + +"And America turned him down. They were still playing 'wait and see.' +They waited. They waited too long. The Commies got tired of waiting +around and sent a couple of jet bombers with A-bombs." + +"Now you're telling me things," Ilaria interrupted. "I'm pretty shady +on that period myself." + +Jay shrugged. "It was after my time. All I know is what the films show. +Two planes, each with a seven-man crew, and each carrying one atomic +bomb, were dispatched from an airbase somewhere near Juneau." Jay +stopped. + +"And?" + +The man from 1954 choked. It was hard to be objective about this. It +wasn't so easy for him to pass off as the film had done. + +"And--" he hesitated. + +"It's over, Jay. It's done with. It doesn't even concern you anymore. +It belongs to a past era." + +"One was headed for New York. The other struck farther inland ... for +Washington. The first one was shot down by an F-117 border patrol +plane. The other one got through. It--it levelled the capitol. Almost +completely. The White House and the Pentagon were destroyed." + +Ilaria sat quietly and waited. Jay didn't go on. + +"Thus removing the United States of America, as such, from a prominent +position in the world picture," Ilaria said. + +"Yes. I can't understand it. Everything just folded up. SAC +didn't even get off the ground. And Colonel Lollabrigida, by then +Commander-in-Chief of the UN forces, sent fifty planes, each with +one A-bomb, over the Kremlin. One was shot down over Vladivostok, +but the bombardier pulled the firing pin as the ship crashed and +most of Vladivostok was destroyed. Six other planes made it to their +destinations and dropped their loads. I can't remember the cities ... +one was a new super airbase near Moscow. Five of the planes returned. +None had managed to reach Moscow. Half the world was in ruins. The Pope +begged that the War be stopped." + +Ilaria snorted. "He knew they'd hit Rome!" + +Jay looked at him. "Is that what you think?" + +Ilaria shrugged and flashed that quick, winning smile. "There are no +other motives, are there?" + +Jay stared. What changes had taken place in religious philosophy in +this hard-bitten world of 2054? + +Kevin Ilaria shrugged, smiling. "That's unimportant. Let's go on with +the history lesson. Then what?" + +"Uh--oh, yes. As I remember Julius Lollabrigida, to be trite, launched +an 'all-out offensive' against Communist forces everywhere. People were +afraid of Russia, but they were afraid of Lollabrigida and Rome, too. +So they joined him. Aid poured into the UN. Czechoslovakia was taken +and Poland and Hungary and finally only the old Russia of pre World War +II days was left. And in they went. + +"Then Lollabrigida's saboteurs exploded an atomic bomb in the heart of +Moscow. After that it was pretty easy sledding." + +"Astounding how a nation seems to fall apart when its capitol and its +leaders are gone," Ilaria remarked. + +"Everybody and everything folds," Jay said. "Morale dies. + +"After the demolition of Moscow and other parts of the USSR, Italy +stood at the top. General of the Armies Julius Lollabrigida marched +back into Italy and into Rome and into the capitol and up on a +pedestal. He stood as Italy's utter ruler. His last name was lost and +replaced by 'Caesar II.' He was named Dictator. + +"From mighty Rome, Caesar sent out linguists and anthropologists and +ethnologists and psychologists and military men and others. In twenty +years, twenty peaceful years, Italian had become the language of the +world. A few minor uprisings in America and in Japan were smashed. +Julius Caesar II was World Dictator of the Republic of Earth. Someone +in America denied him and was torn to pieces by the people. Someone +in Italy spread literature of dissension and was hunted down and +liquidated by Caesar's personal police, the Pretoriani. And so it went. + +"Caesar adopted a prominent Air Force Colonel who became Caesar III on +Lollabrigida's death. Each year on his birthday men were silent. No +business was transacted. No one left his home. Except blue-and-silver +clad soldiers, wearing PR armbands. Caesar's Pretorians. No one _dared_ +venture out. + +"During the reign of Caesar III, every person in the world changed his +last name to an Italian one. The Ali bens and the Chicos and the Andres +and the Fritzes and the Johns became Marianos and Roccos and Caldinis +and Campisanos and diManos." + +There was silence for a moment. + +"The thing I can't understand," Jay mused, "is why in all these years +there hasn't been a 'bad' Caesar, or an uprising." + +"What do you mean by 'bad' Caesar?" + +Jay shrugged. "In the first Pax Romana there was Caligula, who was +insane. Nero, who preferred artistic diversions to politics. There was +Galba, who didn't know what was going on. And so on. And on and on. +Your three dictators so far seem to have done excellent jobs. They seem +to be damned conscientious leaders." + +"When you re-create something," Ilaria told him, "you try to eliminate +its faults." + +"Of course. But what if Caesar's son or a Caesar's adopted son goes +bad?" Jay elucidated. + +"So far we haven't had that problem to deal with. But we're ready. Each +time a new Dictator comes to power, one thousand top military men draw +folded pieces of plastipaper from a 'bowl.' On twenty of these are X's. +The others contain O's. The twenty X's are a secret organization, sworn +to kill the Dictator if it should become necessary. When Caesar, as you +say, 'goes bad'." + +"Brilliant!" Jay breathed. "And he--Caesar--never knows who they are?" + +"_No_ one ever knows," Ilaria said. "Not even the members. They remain +in contact, but none ever knows who the others are." + +Jay remembered Ilaria's previous mention of the system, and the +unconscious swelling of the Tribune's chest at the time. "You're one," +he said. + +Ilaria was caught off guard. "I--yes," he said. "I won't ask how you +knew." + +"A guess. Then you've been a--whatever it's called--for nine years, +during Caesar V's reign." + +"That's right." + +"And you don't know any of the others?" + +"Only one. I found out accidentally. He--" Ilaria stopped. + +Jay shrugged. "I won't ask any more questions along that line," he +promised. "But I still can't believe there haven't been any uprisings!" + +"None. Caesar II died of a heart attack. Caesar III had a brain tumor +which we learned about too late. His son never had a chance to prove +himself, other than that he was brave and foolish. He swam the Rubicon +at its widest point, then walked to Rome in his shorts in the dead of +winter. He died of pneumonia. Caesar V, our Dictator today, is strong +and quiet. He holds the Empire firmly unified. But he does nothing +extraordinary. And he is too lenient." + +"I just can't conceive of such perfection!" + +Kevin Ilaria smiled. He walked over to the window and peered out. +"_You_ couldn't. But this _is_ the perfect government. Everyone +is satisfied. One ruler. One capitol. One army. One language. One +nationality. One world. One religion." + +"I realize--" Jay halted. "One religion?" he demanded. + +"Yes." + +"What is it?" He found himself afraid of the answer. The indications +were there, in plain sight. He guessed it before Kevin Ilaria turned +from the window and said: + +"Caesarism." + + * * * * * + +The man called Gaius Julius Caesar Imperator V turned from the window +and rubbed his hand over his graying hair. + +"This is the first time I've ever run into anything of this sort." + +The President of the Senate shrugged. He was an old man who had been +placed in the Senate by his father in 1980. So long ago that people +wondered when he would die. They were tired of these old men dictating +to their ruler, as many people before them had been tired. The rise of +the President of the Senate to leadership of that revered group had not +been meteoric by any means. But his maintenance of the position had +been tenacious. He was a careful man. + +The President of the Senate shrugged. "It is. It is the first time +anything of this sort has ever come up, Julius. Therefore it is up to +you to set an example." + +Caesar glanced over at General Bonadella. The General nodded in +agreement with Senator Chianti. + +"This sort of business can break up the Empire if it's allowed to +continue, Caesar," he said, in his pompous military way. "I say death." + +Major DeCosta nodded quietly. + +"Thumbs down all around, is it?" Caesar sat down behind his desk and +picked up the speaker of his private cable to London. He looked at the +three men. + +"Commander in charge of Garrison C," he said. + +There was a silent moment. + +They looked up as Prefect Lamberti of the Pretorians, the Imperial +personal bodyguard (it had progressed far beyond that. Its enrollment +was tremendous; its power second only to the Dictator's) came in. The +Senator nodded. The two field soldiers turned quickly away. The men of +the field did not get along with the Pretorian dandies. + +"Commander? This is the Dictator," Caesar said unnecessarily. The +garrison commander knew that only one person could call him on that +line. The phone would react to no voice other than Caesar's. + +"Have you the fellow who was preaching dissension? I say one year in +prison. You heard me. Yes, one year. What? No! No torture!" He severed +connections and looked up at his advisers. + +Prefect Lamberti shook his head. Senator Chianti turned and stalked +out. After a moment General Bonadella followed. The Major turned away +to stare out the window. He shook his head. + +"del Ponta? This is the Dictator," that quiet, flat voice said behind +him. Caesar was calling the under-chief of the Pretoriani. "I will +speak tomorrow from the balcony. Yes. 1400. Of course. World-wide. +That's right. Oh, I suppose about a quarter 'til." + +The man who ruled the world stood up and stared at Major DeCosta's +back. At forty-one, Caesar was a gaunt man with stooped shoulders and +sad lines running from his nostrils to the corners of his mouth. His +forehead was lined and re-lined, and the keen brown eyes were dulled +with years of decisions and hard work. + +He was tired. + +They called him the Hound because his face bore the same sad, quiet +look worn by those dogs. And they called him weak because he let +offenders off too easily. + +DeCosta turned around. The young Major met his Chief's gaze. + +"Well?" The voice of the Dictator was quiet and calm. + +DeCosta's eyes flickered. He straightened militarily. He shrugged. + +"It is not for me to say, Sir." + +A slow smile spread over those weary features. "And you, Farouk?" + +Lamberti stretched out his arm and balled his fist with the thumb +extended and pointing down. "You know me, Caesar." + +"I do. Even my best friend disagrees with my decisions now, after all +these years of elbow-rubbing. + +"You are usually more out-spoken, Major DeCosta. Have you nothing more +to say?" + +DeCosta's reply was slow in coming but rapid in delivery. "I am around +Caesar much of late," he rapped out. His back was stiff and military as +he strode out of the Dictator's office. + +Prefect Lamberti's gloved hand dropped to the butt of his gun, but +Caesar shook his head in gentle negation. + +Julius Caesar Imperator V gazed sadly at the closed door. + + * * * * * + +Jay had given up trying to reason with Ilaria about God. The +man was intelligent as well as brilliant--there's a tremendous +difference--about everything else, but he was stubbornly obstinate +to Jay's arguments. At least in Jay's terminology he was stubbornly +obstinate. All faith is stubborn obstinacy. Kevin Ilaria's faith was +appalling. His arguments were beautiful. Flawless. Jay thought of his +old friend, Father O'mare. Even that great psychologist-priest would be +hard-put, he decided. + +So he quit. He didn't give up. He just quit. + +Can you tell a man the Earth's flat after he's been up in a jet? + +Can you talk a bullet out of pursuing its path? + +Can you reason with a Marxist? + +"If a man can conquer the greatest enemy the world has ever faced, is +he not God? If he can turn from killing and soldiering to soothing +and pacifying, is he not God? If he can make the world one, after +twenty-two centuries of 'world anarchism' is he not God? If he can +maintain the peace and keep the people happy and heal all sores is he +not God? If he just looks at you when you call him 'God' or 'Savior' +and smiles and say 'I?' is he not God? If he chooses the perfect man to +continue in his place, is he not God?" + +"But that's proof! Why die? Isn't God immortal?" + +"Only God could realize that one man can't continue to reign +indefinitely. His ideas, yes. But he must create another to carry on +his ideas. There must be variety and diversions." + +Unshakeable. Unquestioning. Jay could never understand a person's +sticking to the claim 'I'm a Christian' or 'I'm a Moslem' when he would +be killed for it. Jay had always figured he'd have said to Nero's men +'Me? Me? A filthy Christian? Not I. I love Jupiter and Juno. Step +inside and see my altars ...' + +Now he was seeing what sturdy, rock-firm martyr faith was like. + +So he quit. + +Instead he learned about the gyro-jet cars which hugged the roads like +lovers on a honeymoon. He watched them sprout stubby wings and breathe +flame and soar straight up. He learned about saying 'Open' to a lock +and having the electronic device 'recognize' him and let him in. He +learned about personalphones which 'recognized' your voice. He learned +about the tiny pellet of potassium cyanide and sulphuric acid with +which the guns were loaded. The pellets struck and broke and the victim +was dead in seconds. Very humane. No maimed or wounded. Just the dead. + +He learned about self-shaping sandals--the most comfortable and most +sensible shoes man had ever worn--and air baths and soft-voiced +alarm clocks which politely told you it was time to get up and about +unbreakable ring-finger chronos and about atomic heating and flawless +plumbing and he saw plastic, plastic, plastic. + +He learned about all of them. But his real delight was the depilatory +cream. This, above all others, was man's greatest invention. + +"No shaving ... no silly damned socks or tight, hot shoes or tie ... no +battery stalling or flat tires ... I guess this is paradise, Kevin!" + +"And the perfect government and the perfect religion! All one race! One +religion! One nation! One language! One nationality! One God!" Ilaria +added exuberantly. + +"That reminds me. How come I never see any coloreds?" + +"Haven't you? By the way, no murderous car insurance or alimony laws, +either. And no need for them. All marriages are ideal." + +Jay was readily detoured to this new novelty. + +"Now, don't let's go too far. Identical religion and race and customs +and ideals and opinions may lower the divorce rate a lot, but there's +still ye olde sex angle. A couple can go together twenty years and +break up on the wedding night. Some are hot and some are cold and some +are slow and some are fast. The only thing you could have improved +on, is sex education. It's astounding how many people of my time know +nothing about the sexual part of marriage. The most important part! + +"Of course it's doing what comes naturally; but what if two people +have been taught from different viewpoints? Or if one hasn't been +taught at all? Some people are actually ashamed or embarrassed. There +are intelligent people who don't even know the biological facts! +Few--especially women, know about the pleasure and the habit-forming +angle. That's the one thing than can break up something beautiful in +ten minutes. + +"Education, maybe. Human nature, no." + +"Whew!" + +"Excuse me, Kevin, for launching into a Phillipic, but that's long been +my pet peeve. Atrocious, deplorable, and all that." + +"We don't _usually_ tamper with human nature, Jay. As a rule, that is. +This is going to come as a shock to you, with your silly, 'atrocious +and deplorable' 1954 ideas and morals. + +"A trial period. A pre-marital period of living together for a couple +of weeks. If the couple isn't sexually suited, they either attempt to +have it remedied by a physician or break off." + +"A shock, yes," Jay murmured, slowly shaking his head. "How did it ever +start? Anyone who'd propound an idea like that in my time would be +accused of being some sort of perverted sex-fiend! + +"A foolproof, flawless plan to insure happy marriages!" + + * * * * * + +Half across the world a door swung open and a tall dark man with +piercing black eyes and a twin-tufted beard came in. His dark-green +garment, faintly resembling a trench-coat, was double-breasted and +belted and military cut. His feet were encased in plastileather boots +which clicked as he came to attention before the desk. + +The plate on the desk read "Praefectus Praetoriani." + +"Major del Ponta, Sir." + +The man behind the desk looked up. "At ease, Major." + +Major Ali ben del Ponta relaxed and waited. + +The man behind the desk finished scanning the sheet of micro-paper, +marked something on it with a stylo, stuck it in the pneumatube on the +corner of his desk, and pushed the button to close his desk drawer. He +looked up at Major Ali ben del Ponta. + +"Well?" He put his hands together, fingers touching. + +"It has begun, Prefect Lamberti. All over the world our local men are +leading their followers in attack. Captain Abram Mazzoli has sent in +his report from Tel Aviv. The city is in his hands. Captain Mahomet +DiSanto's 'Raiders' have complete control of the Sahara. Captain +Arnaldi's forces are firmly entrenched in the old Washington area of +America. He will move northward to meet Colonel Magnani's forces from +Canada and Commander Campisano. They--" + +"Campisano's airborne ready to roll?" + +"Yes, Sir. Arrangements have been made. The drop will be just outside +New York." + +"Alright. Then everything has gone off as scheduled?" + +"Yes, Sir." + +Prefect Farouk Lamberti regarded his deskchron thoughtfully. + +"And Caesar will make his speech in twenty-five hours and thirty-three +minutes?" + +Major del Ponta glanced at his own chron, which was strapped to the +third finger of his left hand. "Yes, Sir. At 1400, tomorrow." + +"Have the twenty-foot 'visor screen activated for public showing. Mount +it outside as we'd planned." + +"It's being taken care of, Sir. The screen is on its way to the Square. +There will be a crowd." + +"Good. We all want to hear noble Caesar." + +Del Ponta grinned. "Yes, Sir. We all do. Especially tomorrow." + +"He doesn't know?--or suspect?" + +"He shouldn't Sir. Our men took over and began covering up at once. +You know the atrocious condition of world communications systems. The +Empire could fall and Rome might not hear of it for days." + +"That's what I was counting on ... that and the Disturber. The +degeneracy of the field military is terrible. They are allowing +themselves to get lazy and fat and careless." + +"Yes, Sir." + +"Have my car ready to drive to the Square behind Caesar's tomorrow. +See that the covermen in the houses around the Square are doubled and +double-checked. But when we go to the show, let's not have too great an +exhibition of Imperial power. We don't want this thing to backfire and +cut our own throats." + +"Yes, Sir." Del Ponta's grin widened. + +"Dismissed." + +Del Ponta came to attention, saluted and about-faced and left. + +Prefect Lamberti opened his desk drawer and took out his old service +pistol. It was a gamma gun. He had not released any of the deadly, +slow-acting rays from its chamber in seven years. But it was ready. + +He opened another drawer and took out a white cloak, marked across the +back with a blue dove and the single word 'Liberacione.' + +He checked the pistol. + + * * * * * + +"Does the Emissary from 1954 get to meet Caesar?" Jay wanted to know. + +"Later. He's to make a speech tomorrow afternoon. It will be +world-televised." + +"He looks very old and very tired," Jay ventured. He'd seen Caesar on +transcriptions of old speeches and on old newsreels. + +"He's about ... forty, I think. Somewhat weak. Very lenient." + +"I would've guessed him to be a good deal older." Then "Why weak? +Because he's lenient?" + +Ilaria smiled. "Remember, Jay, 'Pax per Bello.' Too much leniency leads +one's subjects to be bold. Over-bold." + +"One man's opinion?" + +The Tribune shrugged. "No. Caesar doesn't get along with his advisors +too well. They criticize him for being too ready to forgive and forget." + +The more Jay saw of this perfect world, the more he realized how cruel +and hard people must be to maintain a paradise. If everyone is to be +happy, someone must be unhappy. + +The trouble is, people don't like to be told "This is for your own +good." + +Jay said so. + +"But if they're sat on hard enough," Ilaria rebutted, "they don't have +a chance ever to try anything else which they might _think_ is for +their own good...." + +Jay nodded. Very true. As Ilaria left the room Jay went to the window +and looked out at the Louisville of 2054. For the millionth time in the +seven days he'd been here, he wished he had a cigarette. They had been +outlawed as detrimental to health long ago. + +The fact that it had been seven days reminded him of something else +left behind. + +Julie. + +"You're a fool," he finally told himself. No wonder Julie'd been on +edge and acting what he termed 'odd' lately! She was scared. He'd been +out of school three and a half years. He was twenty-five. He'd just +bought a new Olds. He'd begun buying his clothes at _The_ Store rather +than a store. Hell, he should've been married long ago. His days here +were full. There were meetings with scientists and historians and +militarists and linguists and everyone else Kevin could think up. He +talked and listened and discussed and lectured. But he thought of her +every night. Every morning before he rose. At times like this, when he +was alone for a few minutes. + +Of course it was love! He'd always thought too many people threw the +word around too much. He'd always been afraid to use it because he +wasn't sure of its meaning. He's used it once. And he'd been kicked in +the teeth by the girl. He hadn't used it since. + +When was a guy ever sure? + +Hogwash! Now he knew that each man forms his own definition. True, +too many people used the word love indiscriminately. It's mistreated. +Kicked around. Assumed and taken off. Dragged through messes and +scandals and law courts and through the mud. But to a man like Jay +Welch, to a man who has been afraid--yes, afraid--to use it, it _must_ +be there when he begins thinking in those terms. + +Love. He'd had to come across one-hundred years to realize he'd found +its meaning. To realize he'd known its meaning a long time. To realize +that love is whatever you make it, what you, yourself, call it. You +define it yourself. Then you apply it. + +It had been there all the time. You don't include someone in everything +you do and everything you think without it. You don't try to change her +and yourself. To make her perfect. To make yourself perfect with--and +for--her without it. This business about "accepting" little faults--as +well as big ones--, he decided, is for the birds. It's human nature to +translate other people in terms of yourself and try to change them in +terms of yourself. To argue and be proud and hate like hell to have +to make up. But you don't make a project of it with everyone. Not +unless.... + +He and Julie had a lot to talk about. + +Then he remembered where he was and when he was. He thought of Doctor +Schink. And suddenly he was scared. He remembered what Ilaria had said +about Schink. 'He's there for good....' + +"He's never said a word about my going back!" + +"Neither have you," came Ilaria's voice, and Jay whirled around to see +the big psychologist coming through the door. + +"We'd like to keep you here as long as possible. But not against your +wishes, of course. You were shanghaied, not kidnaped." The left corner +of his wide mouth pulled back in that slow, reassuring smile. + +"I stand chastised. Now I've thought of it, though, I can hardly wait." + +"The day after tomorrow? I want you to hear Caesar speak. Then I want +to talk a good deal more." + +"Early, the day after tomorrow." Then, little-boyishly, Jay hurriedly +added a couple of reasons. "I'm getting tired of talking and being +questioned. I feel like a talking animal in the zoo." + +Ilaria nodded, smiling. "Julie? + +"I figured it would occur to you sooner or later. Just because you +think a little more deeply and carefully than most men of your time +doesn't make you immune to love. That belongs to _all_ times. Good luck +and a lot of children." + +Jay grinned. He'd met Ilaria's wife and five of his six children the +night before. He turned to look out the window once more. + +Beautiful. The elevated streets, with gyro-cars hurtling along ... the +sky full of more winged gyros and planes ... the streets below full of +happy, white-faced, white-clad people.... + +White-faced! + +"Kevin, you avoided my question the day before yesterday. I've been +almost afraid to ask you again. Why no Negroes?" + +"It will be hard for you to accept, with your antiquated democratic +ideas." Ilaria breathed a deep sigh. "Certain elements of dissension +and unrest, Jay, are better eliminated. Coloreds have always bred both. +People are just like that. Whites and yellows and tans and reds can get +along, but not blacks." + +Jay had gotten along with them all his life. "In ancient Rome there +were slaves ..." he said, trying to understand. + +"Not in this Rome. I said, better eliminated, Jay." Ilaria went to the +window and looked down at the scene below. He explained: + +"We exterminated them." + +A hammer crashed down. A door slammed. A glass shattered. A siren +screeched. A punch caught Jay in the solar plexus. Jay had experienced +all these. Ilaria's flat statement was worse. + +"Exter--No! Oh, No!" He swung around to face the big psychologist. +Ilaria's usual smile was gone. He looked solemn and very grim. + +"You weren't ready for it. I don't think we can discuss it. Just +remember this: When you've a bunch of dogs and they all get along with +one another except one, you don't leave them together and you don't try +to keep them separated by a chicken-wire fence. It's too unpleasant. +You get rid of the troublemaker." + + * * * * * + +During the night the rebel forces moved out of Tel Aviv and took over +Israel. They captured the entire devastated Washington area, a series +of ten cities ringing Rome, and hundreds of other key spots. The +world's largest airbase at Madrid, Spain, was taken. Forces sent to the +aid of the base defenders were met by an onslaught of their own planes. +The troops didn't have a chance. + +Dr. Montmorency Trumperi's Wave Disturber had been outlawed in 2001. +The plans were carefully filed away and the machine's component parts +junked. But the Disturber suddenly reappeared on the night of June 9, +2054, and world communications were stopped. Lamberti's scientists had +come up with a counter-radio mechanism, of course, so that the Rebels +were able to maintain contacts. + +Louisville was not attacked. Lamberti and his men knew about the +emissary from the past sheltered there, and informed their fifth +columnists at Standiford they wanted both the Man From 1954 and Tribune +Kevin Ilaria alive. + +New York was attacked by land and air. Tokyo fell. Everywhere white +flags with the blue Liberacione and the picture of a dove fluttered +above smoking battlegrounds. Everywhere men were on the march. + + * * * * * + +When Tribune Kevin Ilaria stormed in twelve hours later, Jay noticed +his friend was wearing his gun again. The cyanide pistol had not swung +at his hip since the day of Jay's arrival. He was also surprised to +note that Ilaria wore boots and carried a steel helmet under his arm. + +There was a new quality in his voice. Brittle, static. The soft tones +of the psychologist were gone. + +Jay realized that this was Tribune Ilaria of the Forces, not Dr. Ilaria +the psychologist. + +"You sure you want to leave here tomorrow?" he demanded curtly. + +Instantly Jay was on the defence. "I am," he said coldly. + +Ilaria's smile looked forced. "I've been authorized to offer you a +Sub-Tribunate in the Forces." + +"What?" + +"You've had experience. None of us have. You've been in actual combat, +in the Air Force." + +"Why? I don't--" + +"War," Ilaria said simply. "Rebellion." + +Jay stared at him. He couldn't think of anything to say. + +Ilaria turned away. "Paradise. The Iron Hand. One religion and one +language and all that. Utterly cock-sure. But ... we were wrong. +They've been getting ready. Training and planning. Collecting men and +arms. They began even before the empire was established."--Jay noticed +he said empire rather than republic--"All this time they've been +preparing and planning and ... waiting." + +Jay was dumbfounded. "How big is it?" + +Kevin Ilaria spread his hands. "Big enough. Their attack seems to +have been simultaneous all over the world. Something like commando or +guerrilla tactics. Quick, quiet attacks on a small scale." + +He told Jay about the Tel Aviv incident and about Captain Spagnoletti +and a half-track disappearing in the rubble in the Washington area and +about intercontinental communication being shut off. + +"Bomb 'em out," Jay said, without thinking. + +"You don't bomb out fifth columnists, Jay. + +"Last night they captured London and Tokyo and two-thirds of New York +and they captured Lollabrigida airbase in Madrid. They're wearing PR +uniforms and some kind of new uniform they've dreamed up. Most of them +aren't even uniformed. It's a hell of a mess." + +"How long do you think it'll take to quell the thing?" + +"I have no idea. I'm to take command at Standiford Field. Rinaldi +solved the saboteur problem ... it was Colonel Di Orio. Rinaldi and +some of his boys caught the Colonel and a few of _his_ men in the Radio +Room on the special 'Liberacione' wave length." + +"In irons?" Jay wanted to know. + +"No. They put up a fight. They were killed." + +"You're flying?" + +"Doubt it. I'll be one of those behind-the-scenes men. Supposed to be +valuable. Only in a mess like this you can't tell what's behind the +scenes and what's front line. They're liable to start on Louisville +next." + +Ilaria hitched self-consciously at his gun-belt. He twisted his helmet +around a couple of times before he set it gingerly on his head. He +turned and opened the door and went out. His head came back in and said: + +"I'm not sure it's the sort of thing you quell, Jay." + +"Kevin! Wait! What'm I supposed to--" + +He was gone. + +Jay thought only a moment. Then he switched on the phone. At least +intercom systems were still in operation. The clerk at the desk +upstairs looked at him from the screen. + +"This is the Man From 1954," Jay said, using the name by which everyone +called him. "Stop Tribune Ilaria as he goes out." + +In an instant Kevin's head appeared. + +"I'll go with you. Shall I get my uniform before we go to Standiford or +after?" + +Ilaria grinned. "After," he said. "Grab the elevator and come on up." + +This isn't your fight, Jay Welch, a voice told him as he opened the +door. You don't even belong here, Jay Welch, the voice told him as he +ran out into the hall. You're crazy to go to bat for these monsters, +Jay Welch, the voice told him as he pushed the elevator button. You +fought before for a bunch of people who didn't appreciate it one +damned bit, Jay Welch. Remember about the Iron Hand and the Negroes, +the voice told him as the doors opened and he stepped in. Remember you +were shanghaied, it said, as the car shot upward and the bottom of his +stomach felt as if it had been left behind. Remember you were going +back to Duo Point and Herman's and Joe Scaccia's restaurant and Julie +and tie and suit and Julie and the tight shoes and Julie and personal +freedom and Julie and Jerry, the black guy you worked with and liked +so well and Julie and the new Olds and Julie. Tomorrow you were going +back. + +The doors shot back. He stepped out on the roof. + +"Mister Welcci?" said the clerk. "That's Tribune Ilaria's plane over +there." + +He pointed to the little PR ship marked with the three silver diamonds +of a Tribune and the staff of psychology. Jay ran. Wind was whipping +across the roof and their cloaks streamed out and fluttered. The three +men came together. + +"This is Commander DeVito, Jay. Commander, Jay Welch, The Man From +1954." The way Ilaria said it always made it sound capitalized. + +They shook hands. They got into the plane and shot straight up and the +city was a blur beneath them. In less than a minute the little flier +dropped down faster than any elevator and landed at Standiford. + +"Sergeant, Sub-Tribune Welcci needs a uniform. A--" + +"Forty long," Jay suggested, then colored. Tunic and a hundred years +made a difference in his size. He went with the supply-sergeant, who +gave him a correct fit the first time--times _have_ changed, Jay +grunted--and fitted him with a helmet on the second try. He felt a +tremor as he buckled on the pellet gun. With the cloak flapping about +his heels and the gun banging his leg and the helmet biting his ear +he ran to the elevator and down to the room Kevin had designated. +The Tribune and Commander DeVito and five or six other officers were +standing around a table in the steel-walled underground room. + +Before them was a gigantic map. They looked up as Jay burst in. + +"This is The Man From 1954," Ilaria said. There were hand-shakes all +around that reminded Jay of fraternity rush. DeVito and one of the +others wore wings. Jay wondered if that were still a pilot's insignia. + +The red X's on the map, they told him, were places under attack. The +blue ones were areas taken by the fast-moving rebels. He learned that +the messenger-jet they'd sent to Rome--they were lost without their +instantaneous push-button communications system--hadn't made it. More +had been sent. Meanwhile they were on their own. + +The nearest major battle was at Chicago, where Cocuzzi Flight Base was +located. Ilaria despatched Commander DeVito and something like fifty +jet fighters to Chicago. The other man was in charge of a group of B-90 +Stratosonic bombers. They lifted their fists in stiff-armed salute and +left. + +"The rest of the ships will remain here, ready for instant take-off. +I'll command interception. Sub-Tribune Rinaldi will command the base in +case I have to go up. + +"I can't understand why we haven't been jumped yet. We must assume +they'll attack Louisville because of Standiford and the Time Building. +They'll also be interested in you, Jay." + + * * * * * + +By 2:00 that afternoon Louisville had not yet been attacked. Abruptly +at 1:59 world communications went into operation. Everyone turned on +his television set, wondering if Caesar's talk would go on as scheduled. + +It did. There was a screaming crowd before the Capitol. On the high +balcony stood the Dictator. At his side stood Senator Chianti and +around them were ringed Caesar's Pretorian Guards. The city was nearly +empty of field soldiers. They had gone out to meet the insurgents. + +"People of the Republic of Rome." The noise subsided as Caesar raised +his hands and spoke. + +"You have all heard of the revolt now in progress against us throughout +the Empire." + +Ilaria nodded at the Caesar's psychologically clever use of the word us. + +"With your aid, my people, we can put a quick end to this treason. +You have seen better than half a century of peaceful, successful +government. These traitors and conspirators would attempt to overthrow +our government and put an end to this peace ... this Peace of Rome. + +"The world is now in a state of emergency. If you, my people, will bear +with me through this period of crisis we will return to our world of +peace and serenity once more." + +Cheers. Wild applause. + +"They believe him," Jay murmured. + +Ilaria looked at him. "Of course," he said. + +"For a long time our Empire has remained ..." + +Caesar's face stiffened. The deep-set, weary eyes blazed and widened. +His hand reached out for the railing. Then he stiffened again and was +limp as the bursting pellet of sulphuric acid and potassium cyanide +took effect. + +Gaius Julius Caesar Imperator V fell. + +There was uproar and clamor and shrieking. + +Jay and Ilaria stood, staring, as the Pretorian Guards levelled their +guns and became a solid, surrounding wall. The T-V cameramen were +getting the scene of the century. + +"Lamberti!" Ilaria bit out. + +The Pretorian Prefect, his hands outspread, stood on the balcony over +Caesar's body. The white cloak with Liberacione on it fluttered about +him. A couple of Pretorians came out with an amplifier. + +"Friends, Romans, Countrymen," said Farouk Lamberti. + +"--every available long-range ship to Rome," Ilaria's brittle voice +was hacking out orders. "Every one. Contact every other base while +communications are still working!" + +"... a noble man. But not the man to govern Earth. No, not he nor his +government. I bring you a new government. I, Farouk Lamberti, long his +best friend, have done this not to him, but for him. For you. The Earth +was not meant to be governed by a system of--" + +"Yes, I said bomb Rome." + +Sub-Tribune Rinaldi smiled. "But Kevin, my friend, we can't bomb +Lamberti just when he's getting a good start." + +Jay looked up. Kevin Ilaria spun around. "What?" + +"Never trust old friends, Kevin. Colonel Di Orio didn't. He surprised +us in the Radio Room and we were forced to put him out of the way. Also +remember this: all members of the Liberacione carry gamma pistols." + +Rinaldi pulled out his gamma gun and shot Ilaria through the middle. + +Jay was horrified. He forgot where he was and when he was and what he +was doing. All he knew was that there was a cyanide gun at his hip and +that this man had shot Ilaria. His gun came up and sputtered. + +The pellet caught Rinaldi just under the chin and burst. Rinaldi +collapsed. + +"Had a--gamma gun--not ... deadly. Slow-acting ... radio-activity. +Hardly ... burned me. Come on--we've got to ... get back to the--Time +building." + +"Oh, no we won't. You're hurt. We--" + +"Don't argue. Sergeant! Saaarguunt!" Ilaria gasped at the exertion of +shouting. The Centurion ran in. + +"We've got to--get to the--Time building." + +"Rinaldi shot the Tribune. Rinaldi was a traitor," Jay explained +rapidly. + +Ilaria's gun clicked and the Centurion shuddered back and fell through +the door. The gamma burst from his pistol hit the wall. + +"God! Is everyone a traitor?" Jay demanded of the Universe. + + * * * * * + +People are easily swayed. It didn't take them long to espouse the new +cause. They were helped along in their decision by the Liberacione +planes hovering overhead with loads of KCN-H2SO4 bombs. The whispering +campaign Lamberti had carefully started about germ warfare helped, too. +Those who didn't switch over rapidly were jumped by the new forces. +Tribune Ilaria in Louisville, Kentucky, in America held out as long +as he could. Then the bombers came. And the Tribune fled to the Time +building. + +The building shook. A table shivered and a lamp shattered. A jet +fighter flew close by the window and the Centurion watched fearfully as +it flipped on one delta wing and fired a tracer burst into a PR ship. +The defender exploded in mid-air. + +Ilaria looked twenty years older than the man who had smiled and +welcomed Jay Welch to 2054. He and a young scientist were preparing the +machine to send the man from 1954 back to his own time. + +"You'll have to leave the gun here, Jay." Ilaria winced as he bent over +a set of dials. + +"I'd like to keep the uniform." + +"All right. Does that do it, Doctor?" + +The scientist nodded. He looked at Jay. "It's ready," he said. + +"This switch sets everything in motion, doesn't it?" Ilaria asked. + +"Yes. That's the final control." + +"Then ... I'll do it. I'd like ... to say something to Jay before he +leaves." + +The scientist hesitated a moment, then shrugged and left. The Centurion +went to the door. He was a young man and fanatically loyal. + +"You all right, Tribune?" + +Ilaria smiled. "I'm ... all right, Sergeant." + +The Centurion nodded and left. + +"Sit ... sit down in that chair, Jay, and do your best to relax." + +Jay sat down. A bomber roared overhead. There was a blast nearby. + +"What will you do now, Kevin?" + +Ilaria shrugged. "Fight 'em 'til they come in and we're sunk. Then +I'll join 'em. Why--why die a martyr's death?" + +Of course, Jay told himself. Logical. But Kevin had been so convinced. +So utterly sure. Now he looked and sounded like a disillusioned old man. + +"Kevin, I'm not trying to rub it in. But--" + +"I know what you're going to say. I was so sure. Paradise. I was a firm +disciple. Convinced. I believed in all of it. I--thought it would last +forever. The perfect government. A permanently _workable_ government." + +Jay sat quietly. Ilaria reached for the switch. + +"For God's sake," came the voice of 1954, "what _is_ the perfect +workable government?" + +Ilaria closed the switch and the light blinded Jay. He felt as if +someone had slugged him in the stomach. Slowly the machine prepared to +send him back one-hundred years. It warmed up like a jet on a runway. + +The light faded and Jay opened his eyes. The building rocked. There was +a terrific explosion and part of the steel wall buckled. Somewhere a +woman screamed. A squadron of fighters hurtled past, spitting fire and +death. A bomber fell, exploding as it crashed into a tall apartment +building. Jay's stomach twisted and he knew he was on his way. Ilaria +took his gun from his holster and calmly placed its ugly snout against +his own face. + +"... the perfect workable government?" Jay's question of a moment ago +reached his ears as he began to slip back, minute by minute, picking up +momentum. Ilaria's reply came dimly. + +"There is none." + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of And Gone Tomorrow, by Andy Offut + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AND GONE TOMORROW *** + +***** This file should be named 58784.txt or 58784.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/5/8/7/8/58784/ + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will +be renamed. + +Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright +law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, +so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United +States without permission and without paying copyright +royalties. 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