'Better luck next time!'
I smiled and waited until the cheers and shouts had died down.
'Thanks guys, it is nice to be appreciated. Now I have to ask you to help. Our dear general, cagal-kopf Zennor, plans to shoot down some unarmed civilians tomorrow. These are the people who have helped you and your buddies escape, who have extended friendship to us all - and a happy home here if we want it. Now we have to help them. And I am going to tell you how.
'We are going to take these guns that we have been trained to use and aim that at Zennor and his mob and threaten to waste them if they pull any triggers. It will be a standoff - and we might not get away with it. But it is something that we have to do.'
I felt a little ashamed of adding the macho emotional argument, but I had no choice. It wasn't the world's greatest idea and it had more holes in it than a carload of doughnuts. But it was the only plan in town.
They argued and shouted a lot but in the end a majority voted for it. The minority could see no way to leave with dignity - I said the macho appeal - so reluctantly went along with the plan. The locals led us by back routes into the buildings facing the square and we lay on our guns and slept. I was sure that a number would disappear during the night. I only hoped that enough would be left in the morning to give me a little firepower backup.
At the first light of dawn I was aware of figures moving about in the square outside. I shoved a teddy bear aside a bit so I could see through the curtains of the toy store where I was hiding. The troops were beginning to arrive.
And the prisoners, ten of them, handcuffed and bound, being unloaded from a truck. As it grew lighter I saw that every soldier was an officer or a noncom. Of course - Zennor couldn't trust privates to do his dirty work! They were probably all locked up and under guard back on the base.
Zennor himself stalked from the municipal building and stood in the middle of the square. Just as I heard the rumble of wheels and powerful motors as the heavy gun units rolled up. I hadn't counted on this.
I hadn't counted either on Zennor drawing his pistol and shooting out the toy store window.
'Come out of there, diGriz - it's all up!' he shouted, and blew away a teddy bear.
Did I have a choice? I opened the door and stepped out in the street. Looked at all the guns aimed at the windows where my rebellious soldiers were hidden. Looked at the wicked smile of triumph on Zennor's face.
'I'm a general, remember? Did you really think that your ridiculous maneuver would succeed? My agent has reported to me every detail of your stupid plans. Would you like to meet him?'
One of the deserters emerged from a doorway at Zennor's signal and walked toward us. He wore tinted glasses and a large moustache; I had seen him at a distance before. Now I was seeing him up close as he pulled off the moustache and threw away the glasses. 'Corporal Gow,' I sighed.
'Broken to private now! Because I let you escape. They would have shot me too if I hadn't been rich enough to pay the bribes. But my downfall is now your downfall. Those other privates, verminous swine, they knew I had been a corporal, wouldn't talk to me. But I could tell something was wrong. When they deserted I instantly reported to the general. At his direction I walked through the city - and was encouraged to desert by the treacherous natives. I did, and General Zennor received complete reports.'
'You're a rat!'
'No insults, spy. My rank has been restored by the good general. And you are in the cagal.'
'You are indeed,' Zennor agreed. And aimed his gun between my eyes. 'You've failed and failed badly. Let that be your last thought as you die. This is the end of you!'
Chapter 30
Well, yes. This was just about the lowest low moment I had ever experienced. In a life that had been, unhappily, quite filled with low moments. I mean, really. Here was this murderous general leering away at me and fondling the hair trigger of his pistol. Behind him were his potbellied troops looking down the barrels of their cannon. While on all sides my disarmed army was being kicked out of hiding and forced at gunpoint into the square. There can't be many moments lower than this.
'You are not going to get away with this, Zennor,' I said. Which was pretty feeble but about all I could think of at the moment.
'Oh yes I am, little man.' He raised the gun and pointed it between my eyes and caressed the trigger. Then lowered it. 'But I don't want it to be too easy for you. Before I blow you away, you are going to watch me shoot every one of these treacherous deserters. They had the effrontery to attempt to raise their weapons in rebellion against me. They will die for this mistake. Then I am going to shoot the ten prisoners, just as I promised. Then, and only then, will I kill you.'
'Not if I kill you first,' I growled and felt my lips curl back from my teeth. I had nothing to lose. I raised my hands and stalked toward him. And he ran!
Not far. Just to the nearest prisoner, a grandmotherly woman with gray hair. He pulled her away from the others and thrust the muzzle of his gun against her head.
'Go ahead, diGriz. Take one more step toward me and I pull the trigger. Do you doubt me?'
Doubt him? Never. I did not take the step. The world was coming to an end and there was nothing I could do about it. They had the guns: we had nothing.
It was then, at the darkest moment, through the blackness of my thoughts I became aware of the shuffling of many feet. I turned to look just as Zennor did.
Around the corner came a solid mass of people, filling the street from side to side, an endless number of them. Leading the front rank was Stirner - and Neebe!
'No, don't, go back!' I shouted. Neebe smiled sweetly at me. And kept walking at Stirner's side. Zennor had his gun aimed at Stirner now - who appeared completely indifferent to it. Stirner stopped and called out loudly.
'All of you men with weapons - put them down. We will not hurt you for that is not our way…'
'One more word and I will kill you!' Zennor roared. Stirner turned to him, his face cold as death.
'I believe you will,' he said. 'Until this moment I really did not believe it possible that a human being could kill another. After seeing you I believe it.'
'Good, then you will…'
'Be quiet. I will do just what I came here to do. I will take your weapon. If you kill me, someone else will take your weapon from you. If he fails another will try. Eventually it will be empty, discharged and will be taken from you. You cannot win. Those who follow you cannot win. It is all over.'
'It is not!' Zennor shouted. There was spittle on his lips now, a look of insanity in his eyes. He pushed the woman captive away and ground his gun into Stirner's body. 'No one has the guts to do that. When I blow your blood all over them they will turn and run. My men will fire a volley and the survivors will flee in panic. That is what I will do and you cannot stop me…'
I dived for him hands outstretched. He pushed Stirner against me and lashed the pistol barrel across my head, aimed it at me, tightened his finger on the trigger.
'Are you volunteering, diGriz? Good. Then you shall be first.'
A shadow drifted across the square and an amplified voice boomed against our eardrums. 'The war is over. Lower your weapons.'
Filling the sky was the biggest spacer I had ever seen, bristling with guns - and all pointed down at Zennor's troops. The Navy had arrived! But a little too late.
'Never!' Zennor cried. 'Gunners, fire! Kill the captives! Shoot down that ship!'
Nor was I forgotten. He ground the pistol barrel into my temple and pulled the trigger. The gun did not fire.
I saw his knuckle whiten with the strain - but the trigger would not move. His face went ashen as he realized what was happening. I lashed out and knocked the pistol aside.
Then, from way down on the ground, I brought up a punch that I think I had been saving for all of my life. Up, faster and faster it went, until my fist caught him full on the jaw. Lifted him into the air, dropped him unconscious to the ground. I rubbed my sore knuckles and realized that I was grinning like a fool.
'Your weapons will not work!' the voice from the sky boomed once again, and even through the echoes and
