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The moment I feel that you are not acting for the best interests of Keroth, I will act not only to protect myself, but to protect my people." "That's fair enough," MacMaine said. "But how about the others?" "I cannot speak for my fellow officers only for myself." Then Tallis' voice became cold. "Just keep your hands clean, Sepastian, and all will be well.
Since VanDeusen was the senior officer at the table, the others listened respectfully as he talked, only inserting a word now and then to show that they were listening. MacMaine was thinking deeply about something else entirely, but VanDeusen's influence intruded a little. MacMaine was wondering what it was that bothered him about General Tallis, the Kerothi prisoner.
Besides, it never entered anyone's mind that there could be anything wrong. If there was a war on, apparently no one had been told about it yet. MacMaine thought, Was I ever that stubbornly blind? Not quite, I guess, or I'd never have seen what is happening. But he knew he hadn't been too much more perceptive than those around him.
Watching the positions on the screens carefully, MacMaine called out a series of numbers in an unhurried voice and watched as the orders, relayed by the Kerothi staff, changed the position of parts of the Kerothi fleet. Then, as the computer-led Earth fleet jockeyed to compensate for the change in the Kerothi deployment, MacMaine called out more orders.
"One weapon or whatever you want to call it. Practical invisibility. But that's enough. An invisible man with a knife is more deadly than a dozen ordinary men with modern armament. Are you sure you know nothing of this, General MacMaine?" Before MacMaine could answer, Tallis said, "Don't be ridiculous, Hokotan!
MacMaine glanced again at his watch. It was time. He reached inside his blouse and took out a fully loaded handgun. For an instant, the alien officer's eyes widened, and he stiffened as if he were ready to die in an attempt to disarm the Earthman. Then he saw that MacMaine wasn't holding it by the butt; his hand was clasped around the middle of the weapon.
Again, his intuitive ability to see pattern gave him the answer long before he could have reasoned it out. They will know, he thought, but they will never be sure they know. I will be immortal. And my name will live forever, although no Earthman will ever again use the surname MacMaine or the given name Sebastian. He shook his head to clear it. No use thinking like that now.
Our officers will certainly come closer to feeling that you are one of us." "I am one of you from this moment," MacMaine said. "I never intend to see Earth again, except, perhaps, from space when we fight the final battle of the war." "That may be a hard battle," Tallis said. "Maybe," MacMaine said thoughtfully.
It came as a slight shock when the realization hit MacMaine that his liking for the general was exactly why he was uncomfortable around him. Dammit, a man isn't supposed to like his enemy and most especially when that enemy does and says things that one would despise in a friend. Come to think of it, though, did he, MacMaine, actually have any friends?
"What'd he say?" MacMaine asked, just to keep his oar in. "Ahhh, nothing serious, I guess," said VanDeusen, around a mouthful of steak. "Said we were all clogged up with paper work, makin' reports on tests, things like that. Said, why don't we figure out something to pop those Carrot-skins outa the sky. So I said to him, 'Look, Lootenant, I said, 'you got your job to do, I got mine.
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