Hunched forward in his chair, Father Fields said, "All right, Barris. You came here to do business. What's your deal?" Raising his head he said hoarsely, "What do you have to offer me?"
Barris said, "I know where the fortress is. I've been to it. Dill took me there. I can find it again. Without me, you'll never find it. At least, not in time; not before Vulcan 3 has developed such far-reaching offensive weapons that nothing will remain of life above ground."
"You don't think we'll find it?" Fields said.
"In fifteen months," Barris said, "you've failed to. Do you think you will in the next two weeks?"
Presently Father Fields said, "More like two years. We started looking from the very start." He shrugged. "Well, Director. What do you want in exchange?"
"Plenty," Barris said grimly. "I'll try to outline it as briefly as I can."
After Barris had finished, Father Fields was silent. "You want a lot," he said finally.
"That's right."
"It's incredible, you dictating terms to me. How many in your group?"
"Five or six."
Fields shook his head. "And there are millions of us, all over the world." From his pocket he produced a much-folded map; spreading it out on the counter he said, "We've taken over in America, in Eastern Europe, in all of Asia and Africa. It seemed only a question of time before we had the rest. We've been winning so steadily." He clenched his fist around a coffee mug on the counter and then suddenly grabbed it up and hurled it to the floor. The brown coffee oozed thickly out.
"Even if you did have sufficient time on your side," Barris said, "I doubt if you could ultimately have defeated Unity. It's hopeless to imagine that a grass-roots revolutionary movement can overthrow a modern bureaucratic system that's backed up with modern technology and elaborate industrial organization. A hundred years ago, your Movement might have worked. But times have changed. Government is a science conducted by trained experts."
Studying him with animosity, Fields said, "To win, you have to be on the inside."
"You have to know someone on the inside," Barris said. "And you do; you know me. I can get you in, where you will be able to attack the main trunk, not merely the branches."
"And the trunk," Fields said, "is Vulcan 3. Give us credit for knowing that, at least. That thing has always been our target." He let out his breath raggedly. "All right, Barris; I agree to your terms."
Barris felt himself relax. But he kept his expression under control. "Fine," he said.
"You're surprised, aren't you?" Fields said.
"No," he said. "Relieved. I thought possibly you might fail to see how precarious your position is."
Bringing forth a pocket watch, Fields examined it. "What do you want for the attack on the fortress? Weapons are still in short supply with us. We're mainly oriented around man power."
"There are weapons back at Geneva."
"How about transportation?"
"We have three high-speed military cruisers; they'll do." Barris wrote rapidly on a piece of paper. "A small concentrated attack by skillful men-experts hitting at the vital center. A hundred well-chosen men will do. Everything depends on the first ten minutes in the fortress; if we succeed, it'll be right away. There will be no second chance."
Fields gazed at him intently. "Barris, do you really think we have a chance? Can we really get to Vulcan 3?" His grease-stained hands twisted. "For years I've thought of nothing else. Smashing that satanic mass of parts and tubes-"
"We'll get to him," Barris said.
Fields collected the men that Barris needed. They were loaded into the cruiser, and Barris at once headed back toward Geneva, Fields accompanying him.
Halfway across the Atlantic they passed an immense swarm of hammers streaking toward helpless, undefended North America. These were quite large, almost as large as the cruiser. They moved with incredible speed, disappearing almost at once. A few minutes later a new horde appeared, these like slender needles. They ignored the ship and followed the first group over the horizon.
"New types," Barris said. "He's wasting no time."
The Unity Control Building was still in friendly hands. They landed on the roof and hurried down the ramps into the building. On orders from Fields, the Healers had ceased attacking. But now hammers swarmed constantly overhead, diving down and twisting agilely to avoid the roof guns. Half of the main structure was in ruins, but the guns fired on, bringing down the hammers when they came too close.
"It's a losing battle," Daily muttered. "We're short on ammunition. There seem to be an endless number of the damn things."
Barris worked rapidly. He supplied his attack force with the best weapons available, supplies stored in the vaults below the Control Building. From the five Directors he selected Pegler and Chai, and a hundred of the best-trained troops.
I'm going along," Fields said. "If the attack fails I don't want to stay alive. If it succeeds I want to be part of it."
Barris carefully uncrated a manually operated fission bomb. "This is for him." He weighed the bomb in the palm of his hand; it was no larger than an onion. "My assumption is that they'll admit me and possibly Chai and Pegler. We can probably persuade them that we're coming over to rejoin Unity. At least we'll be able to get part of the distance in."
"Anyhow you hope so," Fields said curtly.
At sunset, Barris loaded the three cruisers with the men and equipment. The roof guns sent up a heavy barrage to cover their take-off. Hammers in action nearby at once began following the ships as they rose into the sky.
"We'll have to shake them," Barris said. He gave quick orders. The three cruisers shot off in different directions, dividing up rapidly. A few hammers tagged them awhile and then gave up.
"I'm clear," Chai in the second cruiser reported.
"Clear," Pegler in the third said.
Barris glanced at the older man beside him. Behind them the ship was crowded with tense, silent soldiers, loaded down with weapons, squatting nervously in a mass as the ship raced through the darkness. "Here we go," Barris said. He swung the ship in a wide arc. Into the communications speaker he ordered, "We'll re-form for the attack. I'll lead. You two come behind."
"Are we close?" Fields asked, a queer expression on his face.
"Very." Barris studied the ship's controls. "We should be over it in a moment. Get set."
Barris dived. Pegler's ship whipped through the darkness behind him, lashing toward the ground below; Chai's ship shot off to the right and headed directly over the fortress.
Hammers rose in vast swarms and moved toward Chai's ship, separating and engulfing it.
"Hang on," Barris gasped.
"The ground rose; landing brakes screamed. The ship hit, spinning and crashing among the trees and boulders.
"Out!" Barris ordered, pulling himself to his feet and throwing the hatch release. The hatches slid back and the men poured out, dragging their equipment into the cold night darkness.
Above them in the sky, Chai's shop fought with the hammers; it twisted and rolled, firing rapidly. More hammers rose from the fortress, great black clouds that swiftly gained altitude. Pegler's ship was landing. It roared over them and crashed against the side of a hill a few hundred yards from the other defense wall of the fortress.
The heavy guns of the fortress were beginning to open up. A vast fountain of white burst loose, showering rocks and debris on Barris and Fields as they climbed out of their ship.
"Hurry," Barris said. "Get the bores going."
The men were assembling two gopher bores. The first had already whined into action. More tactical atomic shells from the fortress struck near them; the night was lit up with explosions.