“That’s one way of puttin’ it, friend. But it’s the only way of dealing with these people. They’re born bandits. They don’t work. Or anyway, just enough to barely get by. They spend full time stealing from each other. They’ll spend a week sitting behind a rock on a hillside, waiting to get a potshot at their neighbor, when they oughta be out plowing or whatever.”
“But… my son, this was their town.”
The warrant was contemptuous. “They couldn’t get it into rough their empty skulls that we were going to be based here if they wanted it that way or not. We had to flame down half the clannsmen the first day. The rest took to the hills. For a while we let the women and kids stay, but you couldn’t even trust them. Finally, we cut the houses down, except for the one we’re in, and sent the rest of them packing.”
“But where do they live now?”
Venizelou shrugged. “Up in the hills somewheres, I guess. From time to time they pull some trick. Used to come especially at night. Guess they didn’t know our detectors can see as well at night as day. But we still can’t get any distance from the base without running the chance of being cut off or sniped at.”
Sublieutenant Marsten returned. “All right,” he said. “I called New Sidon City. The skimmer was coming out today, anyway with stores. A supply of soma is being sent. Come on into the longhouse. You must be hungry.” Silently, the five followed him.
Warrant Venizelou slung his weapon back over his shoulder and brought up the rear.
Inside the commandeered longhouse, the sublieutenant led them to the living quarters and gave instructions to one of the enlisted men to get food and drink for the visitors. The acolytes quietly took seats, but the orange robed monk was obviously intrigued, in a horrified way, with the military establishment. The former clann longhouse had been converted into a barracks and military spick and span was the order.
The sublieutenant, somewhat proud of his first command, was not averse to showing him around, and the follower of Krishna was properly impressed by such devices as the autostove and properly shocked by the weapons.
He said, gentle reproof in his voice, “My son, before I took my soma, upon the urging of the Guru Mark, I, too, was a clannsman, a raider. But my weapons were simple affairs, a claidheammor, a skean, a carbine. But these terrible things…” He gestured at the warrant’s short hand weapon.
The sublieutenant grunted. “Fires a limited range laser beam. Actually, weapons aren’t as sophisticated as all that. No reason to be, I suppose. They haven’t progressed to any degree beyond the point they were at way back when world government was first established on Mother Earth. By the time the League of Planets was formed, everybody took a dim view of further development of arms, and it’s now against the League Canons. I suppose if ever man ran into another intelligent life form in the galaxy, especially an aggressive one, we’d go back to research, but as it is.”
“Laser beam?” the guru said.
“Ummm!” The other tapped the pistol at his hip. “This is the smallest size. It will cut a man or horse in two at a thousand yards. The warrant’s gun, there, triples that range and more. The rifles up on the roof will cut through a spaceship just as easily, and the range is all but infinite. The laser’s by far the superior of any projectile weapon ever devised.”
The guru shuddered and in protest murmured, “My son, my son.”
Marsten shrugged. “If this planet is ever to be developed, we’ve got to curb these bandits. And the only thing they understand is force. They’d rather raid than eat. We’ve got nearly as many soldiers on this planet as there are men in the mines. And if anything, we could use more. Sink a mine shaft, and friend, you’d better have a military post right next to it, or you’ll wake up some morning with all your technicians and laborers dead and everything portable stolen.”
The guru said in puzzlement, “But my son, what is it that motivates you? You come from a far world to thus aid in the pacification of Caledonia. But why? Why do you feel it urgent to do so? The followers of the path of Lord Krishna who came from worlds beyond, I can understand, for verily the word of the final Avatara of Vishnu must be spread. But you have not taken your soma and thee do not proselytize.”
Warrant Venizelou chuckled.
Marsten glared at him in irritation but said to the monk, “Actually, the warrant is right. We’re motivated by personal gain, actually. You see, we come from the planet Sidon. It’s one of the frontier worlds, and the socioeconomic system is free enterprise, each man for himself and the devil take the hindmost.”
“I do not understand, my son.”
Marsten looked at his wrist chronometer. He scowled and said, “That skimmer should be coming in. Warrant, take a look at the detector, focus it on long range.”
Warrant Venizelou left the room, and the sublieutenant looked back at the monk. He returned to his subject. “In a society based on money, guru, if you’re not born with it, then you’d best devote your efforts to acquiring it as quickly as you can, because life can be pretty basic without an adequate supply. I was born with precious little. When the opportunity presented itself to come to Caledonia at triple the usual pay of a soldier and the possibilities of bonuses, I took it.”
The guru was aghast. “But my son, you mean you fight for pay? You harm your fellowman for personal gain? Verily, my son, it is time you took your soma, turned your back on crass materialism and walked the path of Lord Krishna. The sublieutenant sighed. “Yes, I know. However, there is a girl back on Sidon and a business I can buy into. Besides, this planet needs opening up, needs to be civilized, and if I didn’t do it, somebody else would. United Interplanetary Mining has the concessions and so far has been able to satisfy the League authorities that all is legal and aboveboard here on Caledonia.” The sublieutenant chuckled sourly. “It’s fairly easy to convince authorities that are so far away that it takes a year and more to get a message back, but I’ve got a sneaking suspicion that if a representative ever came through here the fur would fly.”
“I don’t understand, my son.”
Marsten grinned. “The League’s got some pretty rugged rules pertaining to the development of one planet by another, when both are populated. United Interplanetary Mining has a reputation for cutting corners. I don’t really know if the League of Planets is even aware that Sidon military forces are on Caledonia.”
The warrant came back in and said, “I’ve got the skimmer on the detector, sir. I imagine it’ll be in in a matter of minutes.”
The sublieutenant came to his feet. “All right, Warrant. Let’s go. I hope to Krishna they brought a ration of nip. The men are going around the bend in this Krishna forsaken post.”
Warrant Venizelou said, “Yes, sir. However, if they have brought a few bottles, we’re going to have to be sure that we get hinged only two or three at a time. That’s all these raiders need, is for us all to be smashed at once.” The monk trailed along behind them, saying, “I am always fascinated to see one of the vehicles that travels through the air. Verily, the Lord Krishna works miracles beyond belief for you who come from the far stars.” They strolled out to a cleared space that had probably once been the small town’s public square. The sublieutenant was followed by the warrant, the orange robed guru and two of the enlisted men who were off-duty. They stood at the side of the square and stared off into the north.
Shortly a speck appeared and began to grow larger.
The sublieutenant said, “We used to use groundcars, hovercraft, but some of these clansmen are getting slick. Not in this vicinity, as yet, knock on wood. But the Highland Confederation raiders have captured some laser small arms and have flamed down several of our vehicles.”