Part 19 (2/2)
”They are uniting, and swiftly. Remember the Naturalists?”
Harry nodded, slowly. ”I was one, once. Or thought I was.”
”You were a liberal. I'm talking about the _new_ Naturalists. The ones bent on actual revolution.”
”Revolution?”
”That's the word. And that's the situation. It's coming to a head, fast.”
”And how will we prevent it?”
”I don't know.” Harry's son stared up at him. ”Most of us believe it's too late to prevent it. Our immediate problem will be survival. The Naturalists want control for themselves. The Yardsticks intend to destroy the power of the older generation. And we feel that if matters come to a head soon, the government itself may turn on us, too.
They'll have to.”
”In other words,” said Harry, ”we stand alone.”
”Fall alone, more likely,” Wade corrected.
”How many of us are there?”
”About six hundred,” said Harry's son. ”Located in private homes throughout this eastern area. If there's violence, we don't have a chance of controlling the situation.”
”But we can survive. As I see it, that's our only salvation at the moment--to somehow survive the coming conflict. Then, perhaps, we can find a way to function as Leffingwell planned.”
”We'll never survive here. They'll use every conceivable weapon.”
”But since there's no open break with the government yet, we could still presumably arrange for transportation facilities.”
”To where?”
”Some spot in which we could weather the storm. What about Leffingwell's old hideout?”
”The units are still standing.” Harry's son nodded. ”Yes, that's a possibility. But what about food?”
”Grizek.”
”What?”
”Friend of mine,” Harry told him. ”Look, we're going to have to work fast. And yet we've got to do it in a way that won't attract any attention; not even from the government. I suggest we set up an organizing committee and make plans.” He frowned. ”How much time do you think we have--a year or so?”
”Six months,” his son hazarded.
”Four, at most,” Wade said. ”Haven't you been getting the full reports on those riots? Pretty soon they'll declare a state of national emergency and then n.o.body will be going anywhere.”
”All right.” Harry Collins grinned. ”We'll do it in four months.”
Actually, as it worked out, they did it in just a day or so under three.
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