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Updated: June 23, 2025
Joseph Mauser spotted the recruiting line-up from two or three blocks down the street, shortly after driving into Kingston. The local offices of Vacuum Tube Transport, undoubtedly. Baron Haer would be doing his recruiting for the fracas with Continental Hovercraft there if for no other reason than to save on rents. The Baron was watching pennies on this one and that was bad.
The receptionist said, "Good afternoon, Dr. Haer. Mr. Holland is expecting you." It came to Joe now Philip Holland, secretary to Harlow Mannerheim, the Minister of Foreign Affairs. He had met the man a few months ago at Nadine's home in that swank section of Greater Washington once known as Baltimore. But he had no idea what Nadine had in mind bringing him here.
Balt Haer mulled through the papers, unbelievingly. "Zen!" he ejaculated. "The fool really did it. He's sunk a small fortune into our stock." Baron Haer growled at his son, "You seem considerably more convinced of our defeat than the captain, here. Perhaps I should reverse your positions of command." His son grunted, but said nothing. Old Malcolm Haer's eyes came back to Joe.
What in Zen would you have to gamble, captain? The whole Haer family fortunes are tied up. Hovercraft is out for blood. They won't be satisfied with a token victory and a negotiated compromise. They'll devastate us.
He was going to pilot the airplane himself and old Stonewall Cogswell would have been surprised at what Joe Mauser was looking for. By the time they had returned to quarters, there was a message waiting for Captain Mauser. He was to report to the officer commanding reconnaissance. Joe redressed in the Haer kilts and proceeded to headquarters.
He wanted to say something such as, "Oh no," but not even that could he utter. Haer was bitter. "I assume I know why you are here, major. You have come for your pound of flesh, undoubtedly. Even in these hours of our grief " "I ... I didn't know. Please believe ..." "... You are so constituted that your ambition has no decency.
"However, there's more to it than that. Why not take this great scheme to Marshal Cogswell? And yesterday you mentioned that the Telly sets of the nation would be tuned in on this fracas, and obviously you are correct. The question becomes, what of it?" The fat was in the fire now. Joe Mauser avoided the haughty stare of young Balt Haer and addressed himself to the older man.
Joe said, "Sir, I've been working on this a long time. I can't afford to risk throwing the idea away." Bait Haer glared at him. "Very well, captain. I'll call your bluff, come along." He turned on his heel and headed from the room. Joe Mauser shrugged in resignation and followed him. The old Baron wasn't much happier about Joe Mauser's secrets than was his son.
The Sov military observer clucked his tongue. "An indication of a declining society." Balt Haer turned on him. "And is it any different in your world?" he said sneeringly. "Is it merely coincidence that the best positions in the Sov-world are held by Party members, and that it is all but impossible for anyone not born of Party member parents to become one?
In fact, there's a small coffee bar around the corner where it'd be possible for one of Baron Haer's brood to have a cup with one of her father's officers of Middle caste." The following morning, hands on the pillow beneath his head, Joe Mauser stared up at the ceiling of his room and rehashed his session with Nadine Haer.
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