‘But there are lives at stake, for Christ’s sake! We have people dying in thousands!’
Ivor Glantz stood up. ‘Dr. Petrie,’ he said, ‘I know people are dying but it’s no use. What you forget is that Washington, right at this moment, is being inundated with theories and ideas and schemes for stopping the plague. Some of them good, some of them mediocre, and some of them totally crazy. Unless we can substantiate this theory with figures, it’s going to wind up in some minor scientist’s in-basket, and it probably won’t see the light of day until the tricentennial, if there’s anybody left alive to dig it up.’
‘You sound pretty cynical,’ Dr. Petrie said.
Ivor Glantz nodded. ‘I am cynical. If you think that big business is a cut-throat game, you ought to try science. It’s a second-rate scramble for recognition, and honors, and as much money as you can milk out of as many foundations as possible. That’s why we have to waste our time here working out thousands of figures, and letting millions of Americans die.’
Kenneth Garunisch poked his head around the door. ‘Is this a private harangue or can anyone join in?’
Ivor Glantz grinned tiredly. ‘Hi, Mr. Garunisch. I was just sounding off about scientific ethics. You’ve met Dr. Petrie?’
‘Sure. Listen, Professor – do you think we can get some of our neighbors together for a council of war? Jack the super says there are people outside on the streets, trying to break their way in. I think we ought to work out some plan of defense.’
Ivor Glantz sighed. ‘Mr. Garunisch,’ he said, ‘I have to do a month’s work in a couple of days. I don’t think I have time for councils of war. I don’t need defense, I need a first-class assistant bacteriologist.’
Kenneth Garunisch pulled a face. ‘I don’t think I’m going to be able to oblige you there. Professor. But let’s say you’re busy. I’ll ask Herbert Gaines and that Bloofer guy. If I need your help – can I call on you?’
‘Surely. Now, if you gentlemen will excuse me, it’s back to the slide-rule.’
Four
At five that afternoon, in Kenneth Garunisch’s mock-Colonial apartment, the residents of the sixteenth and seventeenth floors of Concorde Tower held a council of war. They were going to talk about self-protection, food and survival, and then their elected representative was going to speak to a meeting of representatives from all the other occupied floors. Mrs. Garunisch had made some rather clumsy cold-beef sandwiches, because her cook Beth had been out on the streets last night, and although Mrs. Garunisch didn’t know it, Beth was lying dead and posthumously raped in a side doorway of Macy’s.
Herbert Gaines was there, incongruously dressed in a yellow safari suit, and looking nervous. Nicholas sat beside him, in a sailor sweater and jeans and rope sandals, as sullen as ever. Adelaide sat possessively close to Dr. Petrie on the big floral settee, and Esmeralda sat by herself, elegant and cool in a white pleated 1930’s suit. Prickles was allowed to sit in the corner, drinking coke and reading a picture book. Mr. and Mrs. Blaufoot hadn’t shown up, and it didn’t look as if they were going to.
Kenneth Garunisch had appointed himself chairman. He had a louder and harsher voice than anyone else. He sat in his biggest armchair, with a beer and a pack of cigarettes, and he formally declared the meeting open.
Herbert Gaines immediately raised his hand to speak.
‘Mr. Garunisch,’ he said, ‘I do believe we’re all wasting our time. The time we should have acted was days ago, when we were first threatened by this epidemic. Instead – in spite of my own personal warnings – everybody sat back and let it happen.’
Kenneth Garunisch sucked at his cigarette. ‘With all respect, Mr. Gaines, I don’t think that two or three racialist speeches on television could have done anybody any good. In fact, I contend that last night’s looting and rioting can be pretty largely laid at your door. You, and your right-wing pressure group. Preaching intolerance isn’t going to get us any place at all.’
‘I don’t think that locking ourselves away in this ivory tower is particularly tolerant,’ retorted Gaines. ‘Perhaps we ought to be more democratic about it, and invite all those plague-ridden people in.’
‘Plague is nothing to do with democracy!’ snapped Garunisch. ‘The only thing we can afford to consider here is our own survival!’
‘I’m afraid I agree with that,’ said Dr. Petrie. ‘I’ve seen what the plague has done, all the way from Florida, through Georgia and Alabama and the Carolinas, and there is no way that any of us can let ourselves come into contact with people who might have contracted it. We have to keep those street-level doors closed at all costs, and if we can’t do that, we’re going to have to build second-line defenses on the stairs.’
‘This is absurd,’ said Herbert Gaines. ‘We’re making the same mistake we made last week. We sat on our butts and let it happen. If you ask me, the only possible answer is to get out there and drive those people away. If necessary, kill them.’
Nicholas looked up. ‘Herbert,’ he said quietly. ‘You can’t mean that.’
Herbert Gaines turned on his youthful lover with a set, angry face. ‘Maybe I wouldn’t have meant it before, but what the hell does it matter? If you preach speeches at people, they go off mindlessly and slaughter each other. If you don’t preach speeches, they’re so careless and stupid that they might smother themselves in their own excrement and die of disease.’
Dr. Petrie said, ‘Mr. Gaines—’
Herbert Gaines waved him into silence. ‘Just listen to me for a moment,’ he said hotly. ‘When I made those political speeches last week, I didn’t believe a single word I was saying. Not one word. I stood up there and I mouthed
