Part 31 (2/2)
Toward noon, a telecast went out froths Conn, half asleep in a chair in the co e who had become one of the leaders of the colony, appear in the screen The next moment, he was fully awake, shocked by Macquarte's words:
”This is not a threat; this is a soleenocidal weapons of ainst the world of our birth But whether we do or not rests solely with you
”We came here with a dream of a better world, a world of happiness and plenty for all We have been working, on Koshchei, to build such a world on Poictesone, ill have nothing to live for--except revenge And ill take that revenge, make no mistake
”We have the weapons hich to take it Remember, this was a Federation naval base and naval arsenal during the War Here the Federation Navy built their super-or, and Baphomet, and hundreds of these weapons are here We have the Once they are launched, with the robo-pilots set for targets on Poictesme, you will have a hundred and sixty hours, at the most, to live
”We will launch them immediately if there is another attack made upon Force Co in Storisende, or if Rodney Maxwell is killed, noyou, earnestly and prayerfully, not to force us to do this dreadful thing We speak to each one of you, for each one of you holds the fate of the planet in his own hands”
The i from one to another of the people in the roohtened
”They wouldn't do it, would they?” Lorenzo Menardes was asking ”Conn, you know those people They wouldn't really?”
”Don't depend on it, Lorenzo,” Klem Zareff said ”It's hard for a lot of people to shoot so off aa lot of dials and then pushi+ng a button”
”I' about whether they'd do it or not,” Conn said ”What I' about is how ooda cessation of fighting The newscasts, repeating the ultimatum from Koshchei, told of fewer and fewer disorders in the city or elsewhere; byhad stopped
By that time, too, Rodney Maxas on-screen He was, Conn noticed, wearing his pistols again
”What happened?” he asked ”They let you out on bail?”
Maxwell shook his head ”Charges dise me with in the first place But they haven't let uns”
”Yes, but they still have me penned up here at the Executive Palace; they're practically keeping me in the safe I wish our people on Koshchei hadn't mentioned me in their ultimatum; Jake Vyckhoven's afraid to let me run around loose for fear so in Jake did one good thing, though
He ordered the Stock Exchange closed, and declared a five-day bank holiday By that ti, and then the market'll be safe”
Conn si what kind of taps there ; he couldn't risk telling him about Shanlee, or about the last computation which Merlin had ht talk the you come out here?”
”I can try”
Flora arrived at Force Command that afternoon
”I would have come sooner,” she said, ”but Mother's had a co; she's in the hospital I ith her until just an hour and a half ago She's still unconscious”
”You er?”
”I don't know They think she's all right, except for the shock It was the Travis statement that did it”