United States or Eritrea ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
What happened to Amschel Mayer?" Peter MacDonald, who, with Buchwald, was for the first time attending one of the decade-end conferences, had been hardly recognized in his new girth by the Texcocan team. But his added weight had evidently done nothing to his keenness of mind. He said smoothly, "Our good Amschel is under arrest. Imprisoned, in fact." He shook his head, his double chin wobbling.
Barry Watson, Natt Roberts, Dick Hawkins, of the Texcocan team. Martin Gunther, Peter MacDonald, Fredric Buchwald, of the Genoese. The gathering wasn't so large as the one before. Only Taller and the scientist Wiss attended from Texcoco; only Baron Leonar and the son of Honorable Russ from Genoa. From the beginning they stared with hostility across the conference table.
With the exception of a few additional delegates composed of high-ranking Texcocan and Genoese political and scientific heads, the line-up at the end of forty years was the same as ten years earlier except for the absence of Jerry Kennedy. Extra tables had been set up, and chairs to accommodate the added numbers.
"Sounds like a rather bloody program especially if Barry Watson, here, winds up with eight women," Martin Gunther said. Watson started to say something but Chessman held up a restraining hand. "The Texcocan State is too strong to be resisted, Gunther. It is mostly a matter of getting around to the more remote peoples. As soon as we bring in a new tribe, we convert it into a commune." "Commune!"
Gunther was flushed but he snapped, "Go ahead then, but don't think any of we Genoese are being taken in." Watson said, "True enough, it took us a time to unite our people ..." "Time and blood," Peter MacDonald muttered. "... But once underway the Texcocan State has moved on in a progression unknown in any of the Genoese nations.
The Texcocan group consisted of Barry Watson, Dick Hawkins and Natt Roberts to one side of him, Generalissimo Taller and six highly bemedaled Texcocans on the other. Before taking a seat Barry Watson barked, "Where's Amschel Mayer? I've got some important points to cover with him." "Take it easy," Kennedy slurred. "For that matter, where's Joe Chessman?" Watson glared at the other.
His red-rimmed eyes went around them again, thoughtfully. "We should be able to dig up a few local chieftains and some of the Security Police heads." They shook their heads. "It has to be somebody big," Natt Roberts said thickly, "a few of my Security Police won't do it." Joe Chessman's eyes went to Reif. "The Khan is the highest ranking Texcocan of all," he said, finally.
Joe Chessman thought about that. He looked to Barry Watson again. Watson said, "The whole Texcocan State is about to topple. Not only do we have to give them immediate reform, but we're going to have to blame the past hardships and mistakes on somebody. Somebody has to take the rap, be thrown to the wolves. If not, maybe we'll all wind up taking the blame." "Ah," Chessman said.
We on Earth are inclined to settle back and take life as it comes; you younger men are all past the century mark, but none have bothered to get married as yet." "Plenty of time for that," Watson grinned. "That's what I mean. But a Texcocan or Genoese feels pressed to wed in his twenties, or earlier, to get his family under way." "There's another element," Plekhanov muttered.
They must be insane. They've broken off contact with me, are amassing personal fortunes in the eastern hemisphere." Hawkins laughed abruptly. "Free competition," he said. Chessman growled, "Let's halt this bickering and get to business. First let me introduce Reif, Texcocan State Army Chief of Staff and his son Taller.
Word Of The Day