VIII + 

Authority of Governor-General von Schlichten + 

There was fresh intelligence from Konkrook, by the time he returned to the telecast station. Mutiny had broken out there among the laborers and native troops, who outnumbered the Terrans and their Kragan mercenaries on Gongonk Island by five thousand to five hundred and fifteen hundred respectively. The attempt to relieve JaikarkтАЩs palace had been called off before the relief-force could be sent; there was heavy and confused fighting all over the island, and most of the combat contragravity and about half the Kragan Rifles had had to be committed to defend the Company farms across the Channel, on the mainland, south of the city. There had also been an urgent call for help from Colonel Rodolfo MacKinnon, in command of Company troops at the Keegark Residency, and another from the Residency at Kwurk, one of the Free Cities on the eastern shore of Takkad Sea. + 

He called Keegark; a girl, apparently one of the civilian telecast technicians, answered. + 

тАЬWe must have help, General von Schlichten,тАЭ she told him. тАЬThe native troops, all but two hundred Kragans, have mutinied. They have everything here except Company HouseтБатАФdocks, airport, everything. WeтАЩre trying to hold out, but there are thousands of them. Our Takkad Native Infantry, soldiers of King OrgzildтАЩs army, and townspeople. They all seem to have firearms.тБатАКтБатАжтАЭ + 

тАЬWhat happened to Eric Blount and your Resident-Agent, Mr.┬аLemoyne?тАЭ + 

тАЬWe donтАЩt know. They were at the Palace, talking to King Orgzild. WeтАЩve tried to call the Palace, but we canтАЩt get through, general, we must have help.тБатАКтБатАжтАЭ + 

A call came in, a few minutes later, from Krink, five hundred miles to the northeast across the mountains; the Resident-Agent there, one Francis Xavier Shapiro, reported rioting in the city and an attempted palace-revolution against King Jonkvank, and that the Residency was under attack. By way of variety, it was the army of King Jonkvank that had mutinied; the Sixth North Uller Native Infantry and the two companies of Zirk cavalry at Krink were still loyal, along with the Kragans. + 

There was a pattern to all this. Von Schlichten stood staring at the big map, on the wall, showing the Takkad Sea area at the Equatorial Zone, and the country north of it to the pole, the area of Uller occupied by the Company. He was almost beginning to discern the underlying logic of the past half-hourтАЩs events when Keaveney, the Skilk Resident, blundered into him in a half-daze. + 

тАЬSorry, general, didnтАЩt see you.тАЭ His face was ashen, and his jowls sagged. Von Schlichten wondered if there could be another spectacle so woebegone as a back-slapping extrovert with the bottom knocked out of him. тАЬMy God, itтАЩs happening all over Uller! Not just here at Skilk; everywhere where we have a residency or a trading-station. Why, itтАЩs the end of all of us!тАЭ + 

тАЬItтАЩs not quite that bad, Mr.┬аKeaveney.тАЭ He looked at his watch. It was now nearly an hour since the native troops here at Skilk had mutinied. Insurrections like this usually succeeded or failed in the first hour. It was a little early to be certain, but he was beginning to suspect that this one hadnтАЩt succeeded. тАЬIf we all do our part, weтАЩll come out of it all right,тАЭ he told Keaveney, more cheerfully than he felt, then turned to ask Brigadier-General Mordkovitz how the fighting was going at the native-troops barracks. + 

тАЬNot badly, general. Colonel JarmanтАЩs got some contragravity up and working. They blew out all four of the Tenth N.U.N.I.тАЩs barracks; the Tenth and the Zirks are trying to defend the cavalry barracks. Some of our Kragans managed to slip around behind the cavalry stables. TheyтАЩre leading out hipposaurs, and sniping at the rear of the cavalry barracks.тАЭ + 

тАЬThatтАЩll give us some cavalry of our own; a lot of these Kragans are good riders.тБатАКтБатАж How about the repair-shops and maintenance-yard and lorry-hangars? I donтАЩt want these geeks getting hold of that equipment and using it against us.тАЭ + 

тАЬKormorkтАЩs outfit are trying to take back the lorry-hangars. JarmanтАЩs got a couple of airjeeps and a combat-car helping them.тАЭ + 

тАЬтАж┬аwonтАЩt be one of us left by this time tomorrow,тАЭ Keaveney was wailing, to Paula Quinton and another woman. тАЬAnd the Company is finished!тАЭ + 

тАЬWeтАЩd better get him a drink, or a cup of coffee, general,тАЭ Mordkovitz suggested. тАЬWith a knockout-drop in it.тАЭ + 

Colonel Cheng-Li, the Intelligence officer, seemed to have somewhat the same idea. He approached Keaveney and tried to quiet him. At the same time, a woman in black slacks and an orange sweaterтБатАФthe one whose pursuers had been overrun by the Kragans at the beginning of the fightingтБатАФapproached von Schlichten. + 

тАЬGeneral, King KankadтАЩs calling,тАЭ she said. тАЬHeтАЩs on the screen in booth four.тАЭ + 

тАЬRight.тАЭ To avoid any possibility of misunderstanding, he slipped his geek-speaker into his mouth before entering the booth. KankadтАЩs face was looking out of the screen at him, with Phil Yamazaki, the telecast operator at KankadтАЩs Town, standing behind him. + 

тАЬVon!тАЭ The Kragan spoke almost as though in physical pain. тАЬWhat can I do to help? I have twenty thousand of my people here who are capable of bearing arms, all with firearms, but I have transport for only five hundred. Where shall I send them?тАЭ + 

Von Schlichten thought quickly. Keegark was finished; the Residency stood in the middle of the city, surrounded by two hundred thousand of King OrgzildтАЩs troops and subjects. Since Ullerans were bisexual, the total population, less the senile, crippled, and very young, was the military potential. Sending KankadтАЩs five hundred warriors and his meager contragravity there would be the same as shoveling them into a furnace. The people at Keegark would have to be written off, like the twenty Kragans at JaikarkтАЩs palace. + 

тАЬSend them to Konkrook,тАЭ he decided. тАЬThem MтАЩzangweтАЩs in command, there; heтАЩll need help to hold the Company farms. Maybe he can find additional transport for you. IтАЩll call him.тАЭ + 

тАЬIтАЩll send off what force I can, at once,тАЭ Kankad promised. тАЬHow does it go with you at Skilk?тАЭ + 

тАЬWeтАЩre holding, so far,тАЭ he replied. тАЬPaula is with me, here; she sends her friendship.тАЭ + 

Captain Inez Malavez, the woman officer in charge of the station, put her head into the booth. + 

тАЬGeneral! Immediate-urgency message from Colonel OтАЩLeary,тАЭ she said. тАЬNative laborers from the mine-labor camp are pouring into the mine-equipment park. Colonel OтАЩLearyтАЩs used all his rockets and M.G.-ammunition trying to stop them.тАЭ + 

тАЬCall you back, later,тАЭ von Schlichten told Kankad. тАЬIтАЩll see what Them MтАЩzangwe can do about transport; get what force you can started for Konkrook at once.тАЭ + 

He left the booth, removing his geek-speaker. тАЬBarney!тАЭ he called. тАЬGeneral Mordkovitz! WhoтАЩs the ranking officer in direct contact with the Eighteenth Rifles? Major Falkenberg?тАЭ + 

тАЬThatтАЩs right.тАЭ + 

тАЬWell, tell him to get as many of his Kragans as he can spare down to the equipment-park.тАЭ He turned to Inez Malavez. тАЬYou call Jarman; tell him what OтАЩLeary reported, and tell him to get cracking on it. Tell him not to let those geeks get any of that equipment onto contragravity; knock it down as fast as they try to lift out with it. And tell him to see what he can do in the way of troop-carriers or lorries, to get FalkenbergтАЩs Rifles to the equipment-park.тБатАКтБатАж HowтАЩs business at the lorry-hangars and maintenance-yard?тАЭ + 

тАЬKormorkтАЩs still working on that,тАЭ the girl captain told him. тАЬNothing definite, yet.тАЭ + 

In one corner of the big room, somebody had thumbtacked a ten-foot-square map of the Company area to the floor. Paula Quinton and Mrs.┬аJules Keaveney were on their knees beside it, pushing out handfuls of little pink and white pills that somebody had brought in two bottles from the dispensary across the road, each using a billiard-bridge. The girl in the orange sweater had a handful of scribbled notes, and was telling them where to push the pills. There were other objects on the map, tooтБатАФpistol-cartridges, and cigarettes, and foil-wrapped food-concentrate wafers. Paula, seeing him, straightened. + 

тАЬThe pink are ours, general,тАЭ she said. тАЬThe white are the geeks.тАЭ Von Schlichten suppressed a grin; that was the second time heтАЩd heard her use that word, this evening. тАЬThe cigarettes are airjeeps, the cartridges are combat-cars, and the wafers are lorries or troop-carriers.тАЭ + 

тАЬNot exactly regulation map-markers, but IтАЩve seen stranger things used.тБатАКтБатАж Captain Malavez!тАЭ + 

тАЬYes, sir?тАЭ The girl captain, rushing past, her hands full of teleprint-sheets, stopped in mid-stride. + 

тАЬWhat we need,тАЭ he told her, тАЬis a big TV-screen, and a pickup mounted on some sort of a contragravity vehicle at about two to five thousand feet directly overhead, to give us an image of the whole area. Can do?тАЭ + 

тАЬCan try, sir. We have an eight-foot circular screen that ought to do all right for two thousand feet. IтАЩll implement that at once.тАЭ + 

Going into a temporarily idle telecast booth, he called Konkrook. First he spoke to a civilian who chewed a dead cigar, and then he got Themistocles MтАЩzangwe on the screen. + 

тАЬHow is it, now?тАЭ he asked. + 

тАЬGetting a little better,тАЭ the Graeco-African replied. тАЬHalf an hour ago, we were shooting geeks out the windows, here; now we have them contained between the spaceport and the native-troops and labor barracks, and down the east side of the island to the farms. We have the wire around the farms on the island electrified, and weтАЩre using almost all our combat contragravity to keep the farms on the mainland clear.тАЭ He hesitated for a moment. тАЬDid you hear about Eric and Lemoyne?тАЭ + 

Von Schlichten shook his head. + 

тАЬWe just got a call from Rodolfo MacKinnon. He took a couple of prisoners and made them talk. The whole party that were at OrgzildтАЩs palace were massacred. Some of them were lucky enough to get killed fighting. The geeks took Eric and Hendrik alive; rolled them in a puddle of thermoconcentrate fuel and set fire to them. When we can spare the contragravity, weтАЩre going to drop something on the Kee-geek embassy, over in town.тАЭ + 

тАЬWell, that was what I wanted to call you aboutтБатАФcontragravity.тАЭ He told MтАЩzangwe about King KankadтАЩs offer. тАЬHis crowd ought to be coming in in a couple of hours. What can you scrape up to send to KankadтАЩs Town to airlift Kragans in?тАЭ + 

тАЬWell, we have three hundred-and-fifty-foot gun-cutters, one 90┬аmm gun apiece. The Elmoran, the Gaucho, and the Bushranger. But theyтАЩre not much as transports, and we need them here pretty badly. Then, we have five fertilizer and charcoal scows, and a lot of heavy transport lorries, and two one-eighty-foot pickup boats.тАЭ + 

тАЬHow about the Piet Joubert?тАЭ von Schlichten asked. тАЬShe was due in Konkrook from the east about 13:00 today, wasnтАЩt she?тАЭ + 

MтАЩzangwe swore. тАЬShe got in, all right. But the geeks boarded her at the dock, within twenty minutes after things started. They tried to lift out with her, and the Channel Battery shot her down into Konkrook Channel, off the Fifty Sixth Street docks.тАЭ + 

тАЬWell, you couldnтАЩt let the geeks have her, to use against us. What do you hear from the other ships?тАЭ + 

тАЬProcyonтАЩs at Grank; we havenтАЩt had any reports of any kind from there, which doesnтАЩt look so good. The Northern Lights is at Grank, too. The Oom Paul Kruger should have been at Bwork, in the east, when the gun went off. And the Jan Smuts and the Christiaan De┬аWett were both at Keegark; we can assume Orgzild has both of them.тАЭ + 

тАЬAll right. IтАЩm sending Aldebaran to KankadтАЩs, to pick up more reinforcements for you.тАЭ + 

тАЬWe can use them! And with Aldebaran, we ought to be able to take the offensive against the city by this time tomorrow. Anything else?тАЭ + 

тАЬNot at the moment. IтАЩll see about getting Aldebaran sent off, now.тАЭ + 

Leaving the booth, he heard, above the clatter of communications-machines and hubbub of voices, Jules Keaveney arguing contentiously. Evidently Colonel Cheng-LiтАЩs efforts to drag the Resident out of his despondency had been an excessive success. + 

тАЬBut itтАЩs crazy! Not just here; everywhere on Uller!тАЭ Keaveney was saying. тАЬHow did they do it? They have no telecast equipment.тАЭ + 

тАЬYou have me stopped, Jules,тАЭ Mordkovitz was replying. тАЬI know a lot of rich geeks have receiving sets, but no sending sets.тАЭ + 

The pattern that had been tantalizing von Schlichten took visible shape in his mind. For a moment, he shelved the matter of the Aldebaran. + 

тАЬThey didnтАЩt need sending equipment, Barney,тАЭ he said. тАЬThey used ours.тАЭ + 

тАЬWhat do you mean?тАЭ Keaveney challenged. + 

тАЬLook what happened. Sid Harrington was poisoned in Konkrook. The news, of course, was sent out at once, as the geeks knew it would be, to every residency and trading-station on Uller, and that was the signal theyтАЩd agreed upon, probably months in advance. All they had to do was have that geek servant put poison in HarringtonтАЩs whiskey, and we did the rest.тАЭ + 

тАЬWell, what was our intelligence doingтБатАФsleeping?тАЭ Keaveney demanded angrily. + 

тАЬNo, they were writing reports for your civil administration blokes to stuff in the wastebasket, and being called mailed-fist-and-rattling-saber alarmists for their pains.тАЭ He turned away from Keaveney. тАЬBarney, whereтАЩs Dirk Prinsloo?тАЭ + 

тАЬAboard his ship. He hitched a ride to the airport with Jarman, when he was here picking up aircrews.тАЭ + 

тАЬCall him. Tell him to take the Aldebaran to KankadтАЩs Town, at once; as soon as he arrives there, which ought to be about 11:00, heтАЩs to pick up all the Kragans he can pack aboard and take them to Konkrook. From then on, heтАЩll be under Them MтАЩzangweтАЩs orders.тАЭ + 

тАЬTo Konkrook?тАЭ Keaveney fairly howled. тАЬAre you nuts? DonтАЩt you think we need reinforcements here, too?тАЭ + 

тАЬYes, I do. IтАЩm going to try to get them,тАЭ von Schlichten told him. тАЬNow pipe down and get out of peopleтАЩs way.тАЭ + 

He crossed the room, to where two Kragans, a male sergeant, and the ubiquitous girl in the orange sweater were struggling to get a big circular TV-screen up, then turned to look at the situation-map. A girl tech-sergeant was keeping Paula Quinton and Mrs.┬аJules Keaveney informed. + 

тАЬStart pushing geeks out of the Fifth Zirk Cavalry barracks,тАЭ the sergeant was saying. тАЬThe one at the north end, and the one next to it; theyтАЩre both on fire, now.тАЭ She tossed a slip into the wastebasket beside her and glanced at the next slip. тАЬAnd more pink pills back of the barracks and stables, and move them a little to the northwest; Kragans as skirmishers, to intercept geeks trying to slip away from the cavalry barracks.тАЭ + 

тАЬThough why we want to do that, I donтАЩt know,тАЭ Mrs.┬аKeaveney said, pushing out a handful of pink pills with her billiard-bridge. тАЬLet them go, and good riddance!тАЭ + 

тАЬI never did like this bridge-of-silver-for-a-fleeing-enemy idea,тАЭ Paula Quinton said, evicting token-mutineers from the two northern barracks. тАЬThereтАЩs usually two-way traffic on bridges. Kill them here and we wonтАЩt have to worry about keeping them out.тАЭ + 

Of course, it was easy to be bloodthirsty about pink pills and white pills. Once, on a three-monthsтАЩ reaction-drive voyage from Yggdrasill to Loki, he had taught a couple of professors of extraterrestrial zoology to play kriegspiel, and before the end of the trip, he was being horrified by the callous disregard they showed for casualties. But little Paula had the right idea; dead enemies donтАЩt hit back. + 

A young Kragan with his lower left arm in a sling and a daub of antiseptic plaster over the back of his head came up and gave him a radioprint slip. Guido Karamessinis, the Resident-Agent at Grank, had reported, at last. The city, he said, was quiet, but King YoorkerkтАЩs troops had seized the Company airport and docks, taken the Procyon and the Northern Lights and put guards aboard them, and were surrounding the Residency. He wanted to know what to do. + 

Von Schlichten managed to get him on the screen, after a while. + 

тАЬIt looks as though YoorkerkтАЩs trying to play both sides at once,тАЭ he told the Grank Resident. тАЬIf the rebellionтАЩs put down, heтАЩll come forward as your friend and protector; if weтАЩre wiped out elsewhere, heтАЩll yell тАШZnidd suddabit!тАЩ and swamp you. DonтАЩt antagonize him; we canтАЩt afford to fight this war on any more fronts than we are now. WeтАЩll try to do something to get you unfrozen, before long.тАЭ + 

He called Krink again. A girl with red-gold hair and a dusting of freckles across her nose answered. + 

тАЬHow are you making out?тАЭ he asked. + 

тАЬSo far, fine, general. WeтАЩre in complete control of the Company area, and all our native troops, not just the Kragans, are with us. JonkvankтАЩs pushed the mutineers out of his palace, and weтАЩre keeping open a couple of streets between there and here. We airlifted all our Kragans and half the Sixth N.U.N.I. to the Palace, and we have the Zirks patrolling the streets on тАЩsaurback. Now, we have our lorries and troop-carriers out picking up elements of JonkvankтАЩs loyal troops outside town.тАЭ + 

тАЬWhoтАЩs doing the rioting, then?тАЭ + 

She named three of JonkvankтАЩs regiments. тАЬAnd the city hoodlums, and priests from the temples of one sect that followed Rakkeed, and Skilkan fifth columnists. Mr.┬аShapiro can give you the details. Shall I call him?тАЭ + 

тАЬNever mind. HeтАЩs probably busy, heтАЩs not as easy on the eyes as you are, and youтАЩre doing all right.тБатАКтБатАж How long do you think itтАЩd take, with the equipment you have, to airlift all of JonkvankтАЩs loyal troops into the city?тАЭ + 

тАЬNot before this time tomorrow.тАЭ + 

тАЬAll right. Are you in radio communication with Jonkvank now?тАЭ + 

тАЬFull telecast, audiovisual,тАЭ the girl replied. тАЬJust a minute, general.тАЭ + 

He put in his geek-speaker. The screen exploded into multicolored light, then cleared. Within a few minutes, a saurian Ulleran face was looking out of it at himтБатАФa harsh-lined, elderly face, with an old scar, quartz-crusted, along one side. + 

тАЬYour Majesty,тАЭ von Schlichten greeted him. + 

Jonkvank pronounced something intended to correspond to von SchlichtenтАЩs name. тАЬWe have image-met under sad circumstances, general,тАЭ he said. + 

тАЬSad for both of us, King Jonkvank; we must help one another. I am told that your soldiers in Krink have risen against you, and that your loyal troops are far from the city.тАЭ + 

тАЬYes. That was the work of my War Minister, Hurkkurk, who was in the pay of King Firkked of Skilk, may Jeels devour him alive! I have HurkkurkтАЩs head here somewhere, if you want to see it, but that will not bring my loyal soldiers to Krink any sooner.тАЭ + 

тАЬDead traitorsтАЩ heads do not interest me, King Jonkvank,тАЭ von Schlichten replied, in what he estimated that the Krinkan king would interpret as a tone of cold-blooded cruelty. тАЬThere are too many traitorsтАЩ heads still on traitorsтАЩ shoulders.тБатАКтБатАж What regiments are loyal to you, and where are they now?тАЭ + 

Jonkvank began naming regiments and locating them, all at minor provincial towns at least a hundred miles from Krink. + 

тАЬHurkkurk did his work well; IтАЩm afraid you killed him too mercifully,тАЭ von Schlichten said. тАЬWell, IтАЩm sending the Northern Star to Krink. She can only bring in one regiment at a trip, the way theyтАЩre scattered; which one do you want first?тАЭ + 

JonkvankтАЩs mouth, until now compressed grimly, parted in a gleaming smile. He made an exclamation of pleasure which sounded rather like a boy running along a picket fence with a stick. + 

тАЬGood, general! Good!тАЭ he cried. тАЬThe first should be the regiment Murderers, at Furnk; they all have rifles like your soldiers. Have them brought to the Great Square, at the Palace here. And then, the regiment Fear-Makers, at Jeelznidd, and the regiment Corpse-Reapers, at.тБатАКтБатАжтАЭ + 

тАЬLet that go until the Murderers are in,тАЭ von Schlichten advised. тАЬTheyтАЩre at Furnk, you say? IтАЩll send the Northern Star there, directly.тАЭ + 

тАЬOh, good, general! I will not soon forget this! And as soon as the work is finished here, I will send soldiers to help you at Skilk. There shall be a great pile of the heads of those who had part in this wickedness, both here and there!тАЭ + 

тАЬGood. Now, if you will pardon me, IтАЩll go to give the necessary orders.тБатАКтБатАжтАЭ + 

As he left the booth, he saw Hideyoshi OтАЩLeary in front of the situation-map, and hailed him. + 

тАЬHarry and Hassan are getting the car re-ammoed; they dropped me off here. Want to come up with us and see the show?тАЭ + 

тАЬNo, I want you to go to Krink, as soon as Harry brings the car here again.тАЭ He told OтАЩLeary what he intended doing. тАЬYouтАЩll probably have to go around ahead of the Star and alert these regiments. And as soon as things stabilize at Krink, prod Jonkvank into airlifting troops here. YouтАЩre authorized, in my name, to promise Jonkvank that he can assume political control at Skilk, after weтАЩve stuffed FirkkedтАЩs head in the dustbin.тАЭ + 

Jules Keaveney, who always seemed to be where he wasnтАЩt wanted, heard that and fairly screamed. + 

тАЬGeneral von Schlichten! That is a political decision! You have no authority to make promises like that; that is a matter for the Governor-General, at least!тАЭ + 

тАЬWell, as of now, and until a successor to Sid Harrington can be sent here from Terra, IтАЩm Governor-General,тАЭ von Schlichten told him, mentally thanking Keaveney for reminding him of the necessity for such a step. тАЬCaptain Malavez! You will send out an all-station telecast, immediately: Military Commander-in-Chief Carlos von Schlichten, being informed of the deaths of both Governor-General Harrington and Lieutenant-Governor Blount, assumes the duties of Governor-General, as of 00:01 today.тАЭ He turned to Keaveney. тАЬDoes that satisfy you?тАЭ he asked. + 

тАЬNo, it doesnтАЩt. You have no authority to assume a civil position of any sort, let alone the very highest position.тБатАКтБатАжтАЭ + 

Von Schlichten unbuttoned his holster and took out his authority, letting Keaveney look into the muzzle of it. + 

тАЬHere it is,тАЭ he said. тАЬIf youтАЩre wise, donтАЩt make me appeal to it.тАЭ + 

Keaveney shrugged. тАЬI canтАЩt argue with that,тАЭ he said. тАЬBut I donтАЩt fancy the Uller Company is going to be impressed by it.тАЭ + 

тАЬThe Uller Company,тАЭ von Schlichten replied, тАЬis six and a half parsecs away. It takes a ship six months to get from here to Terra, and another six months to get back. A radio message takes a little over twenty-one years, each way.тАЭ He holstered the pistol again. тАЬYou were bitching about how we needed reinforcements, a while ago. Well, hereтАЩs where we have to reverse Clausewitz and use politics as an extension by other means of war.тАЭ + 

тАЬThat brings up another question, general,тАЭ one of KeaveneyтАЩs subordinates said. тАЬCan we hold out long enough for help to get here from Terra?тАЭ + 

тАЬBy the time help could reach us from Terra,тАЭ von Schlichten replied, тАЬweтАЩll either have this revolt crushed, or there wonтАЩt be a live Terran left on Uller.тАЭ He felt a brief sadistic pleasure as he watched KeaveneyтАЩs face sag in horror. тАЬWhat do you think weтАЩll live on, for a year?тАЭ he asked. тАЬOn this planet, thereтАЩs not more than a three monthsтАЩ supply of any sort of food a human can eat. And the ships thatтАЩll be coming in until word of our plight can get to Terra wonтАЩt bring enough to keep us going. We need the farms and livestock and the animal-tissue culture plant at Konkrook, and the farms at Krink and on the plateau back of Skilk, and we need peace and native labor to work them.тАЭ + 

Nobody seemed to have anything to say after that, for a while. Then Keaveney suggested that the next ship was due in from Niflheim in three months, and that it could be used to evacuate all the Terrans on Uller. + 

тАЬAnd IтАЩll personally shoot any able-bodied Terran who tries to board that ship,тАЭ von Schlichten promised. тАЬGet this through your heads, all of you. We are going to break this rebellion, and we are going to hold Uller for the Company and the Terran Federation.тАЭ He looked around him. тАЬNow, get back to work, all of you,тАЭ he told the group that had formed around him and Keaveney. тАЬMiss Quinton, you just heard me order my adjutant, Colonel OтАЩLeary, on detached duty to Krink. I want you to take over for him. YouтАЩll have rank and authority as colonel for the duration of this war.тАЭ + 

She was thunderstruck. тАЬBut I know absolutely nothing about military matters. There must be a hundred people here who are better qualified than I am.тБатАКтБатАжтАЭ + 

тАЬThere are, and they all have jobs, and IтАЩd have to find replacements for them, and replacements for the replacements. You wonтАЩt leave any vacancy to be filled. And youтАЩll learn, fast enough.тАЭ He went over to the situation-map again, and looked at the arrangement of pink and white pills. тАЬFirst of all, I want you to call Jarman, at the military airport, and have an airjeep and driver sent around here for me. IтАЩm going up and have a look around. Barney, keep the show going while IтАЩm out, and tell Colonel Quinton what itтАЩs all about.тАЭ + 