Blacksword Read online

  Blacksword

  Andrew J. Offutt

  Being a live-wire political scientist, he needed just a single good connection...to get high-voltage power out of a hot lead!

  DICTATOR desires employment, preferably permanent, in similar capacity . Will accept opportunity to establish own circumstances. Seven years experience. Last position terminated at request of populace. Box 702, GBS Network.

  DICTATOR wanted, immediate opening. Highest remuneration and fringe benefits; comfortable Earth-type environment. Tactical knowledge and experience absolutely essential. Highest references required. Box 91, GBS Network.

  STEP ONE

  THE hotel clerk shook his head obstinately. “I’m sorry, sir. Mr. Blacksword is an honored guest, a friend of the management. In view of the circumstances surrounding—” he hesitated—“the termination of his recent position, and the enmity toward him from several sources, I am afraid we must refuse—”

  The little man scrawled on a sheet of hotel stationery. “Would you please have this sent up to Mr. Blacksword? He’ll understand, I think.”

  The clerk regarded the paper dubiously. “Just ‘Box 91’?”

  The little man nodded.

  The clerk’s eyes went over the little man’s shoulder and he turned. Two men stood a couple of feet behind him. They were big fellows, both wearing guns. Union bodyguards, then.

  One took the piece of stationery. “I’ll take this up to Mr. Blacksword myself. You will please remain here.”

  The little man bowed and the fellow strode to the elevator. His companion stood very still, his eyes on the little man.

  “You needn’t stare,” the little man said. “I won’t run away. I also haven’t any bombs, guns, poisons, or whatever. I assume you have a permit for your gun? May I see it?”

  The fellow reached inside his jacket and handed the little man a leather case.

  “Ummm...Protectors Union, Local 110. Assigned to Mr. G. P. Blacksword. Thank you.” The little man handed back the credentials and turned away, ignoring the bodyguard.

  The light on the house phone winked and the clerk flipped it on.

  “Blacksword talking. Frisk him and send him up.”

  “All right, Mr. Blacksword,” said the clerk.

  The little man smiled angelically and raised his arms to shoulder level. The protector patted him thoroughly.

  “Clean,” he said, and the little man took the elevator up.

  The bodyguard went with him. They met the second protector in the corridor and they flanked him as he approached the door to Blacksword’s room. They were duly scanned by winking lights and the door opened.

  G. Paul Blacksword sat in a chair smoking a cigar. “Come in,” he said around it, and the little man went in.

  Blacksword touched the stud on the arm of the chair and the door closed. The little man turned and saw that the protectors had not come in.

  “Alone?” he asked.

  “I’m not a psycho,” Blacksword told him. “Just cautious.” He grinned around the cigar. “You know who I am,” he pointed out, “so I’m one play behind.”

  “Keplar. A. J. Keplar.”

  Blacksword inclined his head without rising. “Representing?”

  “Troy.”

  Blacksword raised his brows. “Troy!” He turned his head to one side with a twist of his mouth. “Well! Please sit down, Mr. Keplar. You’ll pardon me for not rising...I’m sure you’re aware I have a bad leg.”

  STEP TWO

  THE man generally referred to as the Black Sword blew white clouds of cigar smoke at the ceiling. “How is it that Troy finds herself so suddenly in need of a dictator, Mr. Keplar?”

  “Mr. Blacksword—”

  “People don’t call me mister,” Blacksword interrupted. “Just Blacksword. Some commentator had a brainstorm once and my name became two words. It has a lovely romantic ring which the news services like. Pardon me for interrupting, but as long as I’ve done so, will you join me in a drink?”

  “I think not, Mr. —pardon me—Blacksword. But please feel free to have one yourself.”

  Blacksword grinned. His finger had already dialed a scotch-on-the-rocks. The servo began making noises and the glass popped out on the tray. Blacksword picked it up negligently.

  “Troy has been a dictatorship for thirty-one years, Blacksword,” said Keplar. “For the last seventeen years, it was under Colonel Hines, who seized power in the conventional manner, a military coup. As you may be aware from the newscasts, he died very suddenly two weeks ago. The council finds that no man on Troy is capable of taking his place. So we placed our ad.”

  “Died very suddenly, hm? How was that?”

  Keplar shrugged. “Rather an unromantic end for a man of Hines’ stature, I’m afraid. He suffered a heart attack.”

  “I see. Proceed.”

  “That about sums it up, sir. After casting about for two weeks, we of the council found no acceptable successor. It goes without saying that there were numerous candidates. One, Major General Farris, attempted to seize power. He was forestalled by the council and subsequently murdered by his own men.”

  “The council stopped him, you say?”

  The little man nodded. “According to TAI law, a dictatorship having a secondary control council, when without a dictator, is in the hands of the council until a replacement is found for the dictator.” Blacksword nodded and sipped noisily at his scotch.

  “We decided to advertise,” Keplar went on. “When your ad coincidentally appeared at the same time, we were curious and wrote. When we received your rather—uh—laconic reply, we decided to take the chance of contacting you. We had requested references, of course, but naturally we are familiar with your background.”

  “Thank you,” said Blacksword. “Recognition is very flattering, especially when one finds oneself out of a job.”

  BLACKSWORD sipped scotch, puffed cloudily on the cigar, and regarded Keplar. “But you’re a damned liar, Keplar. I happen to know the full story. Item: Troy is on the brink of war. Item: The council felt that this Major General Farris would make a better commander in wartime than Hines. So you murdered Hines. Or had him murdered. When Major General Farris tried to take command, he was killed by the army, which remained loyal to Hines. Item: You want me very badly and placed your ad immediately after you learned of mine.

  “Naturally, the true circumstances are not widely known,” Blacksword went on. “The people of Troy, for instance, aren’t aware of the illegal intervention of the Trojan Council. For your information, you were rather sloppy, and I’m sure TAI shares my knowledge. But they are inclined not to take action, provided the situation is cleared up satisfactorily. They wouldn’t accomplish anything by arresting the council en masse. I’m not sure of this, of course. I have little dealings with Terra Alta Imperata. I’m merely assuming their agents are nearly as competent as mine.” He smiled lazily. “Although not as well paid.

  “Come, Keplar,” Blacksword concluded. “You didn’t think I’d swallow your tale, did you? Hell’s bells, I have spies and sources that make your council and its machinations look like a Boy Scout troop.”

  Blacksword stuck the cigar back in his mouth, raised one eyebrow in the characteristic mannerism witnessed by trillions on the video. He glared amusedly at the little man from Troy.

  Keplar sighed and spread his hands. “A test, of course. We deliberately concocted the story I told you. If you were the man we wanted, we were sure you would know it to be a fabrication.”

  “You’re still lying!” said Blacksword. “Smoothly, though, and my compliments for that. I admire a man who thinks on his feet—a prime requisite for salesmen, dictators and diplomats.”

  Blacksword regarded the ceiling reminiscently. “As you no doubt know, I was a salesman when I first went to Alsace. A twenty-thousand-a-year salesman. I was good at thinking on my feet, reading and studying were my hobby—I can quote you chapter and verse of Napoleon and Caesar and Lee and Arthenburg. By being a good salesman and thinking on my feet and with the aid of my hobby, I took over Alsace when they decided to try a dictatorship. I ruled as absolute dictator for seven years. Then the Alsacians decided on a democracy—the idiots!—and, according to TAI law, I resigned. I left the planet. Unfortunately some fool fanatic took a shot at me. So at present I’m not only out of a job, I’m out one good leg.”

  Blacksword looked back at Keplar, puffed and grinned. “My apologies. I hadn’t intended to give a personal history. It’s natural enough, I suppose. A man can’t be a dictator—or even a good salesman—without being something of an egotist.” He looked squarely into Keplar’s eyes. “Just as he can’t be a diplomat without being an expert liar. I think you’ll admit the truth of both statements, Keplar. Your story was no test. You underestimated me. You thought I might not want to talk about Troy if I knew what really happened to your last ruler. And naturally you don’t want the story to get out If someone—someone, Keplar—mentioned publicly that Hines was assassinated by agents of the Trojan Council, TAI would have to make use of its knowledge and prosecute.”

  The ex-dictator of the planet Alsace leaned forward and pointed with his cigar. “I think we fully understand each other now. Shall we discuss terms?”

  Keplar sighed. “Let’s,” he said.

  STEP THREE

  THE major picked up the report. It was stamped “Terra Alta Imperata: top secret,” and sealed. He poked the packet into an unsealer, waited for the foolproof seal to open, and took out the report marked “troy: blacksword.”

  Page one summed
up the recent death of Troy’s dictator, the unsuccessful attempt by Farris to gain control, and Farris’ murder by the army. There was a brief summary of what TAI knew to be the actual circumstances in the situation.

  The major turned to page two, read a moment, then flicked the button on his intercom. “Come in here a few minutes, Jack.”

  The young lieutenant entered and shut the door. He saw the top secret seal and locked the door.

  “Sit down. I want you to hear this. Light up if you want.”

  This reading of reports aloud to his adjutant was a habit of the major’s. He felt both of them gained a more thorough understanding than by scanning and digesting the reports individually.

  “First a quick refresher on the general situation,” the major said. “Here’s one that’s been boiled down to the bone. It’s been abridged and digested—umm—seven times.”

  The lieutenant grinned and turned his face quickly away.

  “‘A brief summary of the Troy—Macedon situation,”’ the major read. “‘There are five planets in the Hellenic system. They are called Troy, Macedon, Monos, Deutoros and Tritos. Troy and Macedon, the innermost two, are fully inhabited. Monos, Deutoros and Tritos have never been colonized, although Monos is able to support human life.

  “‘Tensions exist between Troy and Macedon for the following basic reasons:

  “‘(1) They use different governmental systems, Troy being a dictatorship while Macedon is a parliamentary monarchy.

  “‘(2) They have never been able to reach a mutually acceptable mutual trade agreement.

  “‘(3 ) They have been unable to reach a mutually acceptable agreement for exploiting the remaining three worlds of their system.

  “‘They have consistently declined TAI offers of aid and/or mediation.

  “‘TAI is thus forced to maintain a strict non-intervention policy with regard to the Hellenic system.’”

  The major discarded the sheet. “Now to current events,” he said. He read through the first page of the report and looked up. “We know that on March 13 Troy advertised for a dictator, identifying themselves only by a GBS box number. At the same time Blacksword advertised for employment. A seeming coincidence—but we also know that Troy placed their ad after they saw Blacksword’s.”

  “In other words, they wanted him,” the lieutenant said.

  WITH a nod, the major returned to the report. “‘On March 22 A. J. Keplar, Vice-Presidor of the Trojan Secondary Control Council, arrived on Luna. He proceeded at once to the Hotel Starlight and was subsequently admitted to the room occupied by G. P. Blacksword, recently resigned dictator of the planet Alsace, now a democracy.

  “‘Blacksword and Keplar remained in conference for two hours and thirty-seven minutes. At the end of that time, Blacksword checked out, and he and Keplar, accompanied by two armed guards from the Protectors Union, took a taxi to the port. All four boarded the Trojan ship Ilium, but after a few minutes the protectors came out again and left, carrying their gunbelts. Obviously they had been discharged.’” The major looked up with a wry face. “Obviously,” he said drily. “This agent loves detail. Clock-and-dagger stuff goes to your head sometimes. Ummm... ‘The Ilium was immediately cleared and blasted away for Troy. Report ends.’”

  He picked up another.

  “‘The Ilium landed on Troy on March 24. A. J. Keplar, Vice-Presidor—’ etc., etc., etc. Here: ‘On March 26 G. Paul Blacksword assumed office as dictator of Troy. His first act was to accuse Council Presidor Wood of high treason. Wood and a hired assassin were turned over to TAI as the murderers of the ex-dictator of Troy. In his formal charge Blacksword stated that no one else on the planet was implicated in Hines’ murder. Wood and the assassin were returned to Earth under guard.’”

  The major looked up. “Now we happen to know, Jack, that the decision to murder Hines was voted upon by the entire council and carried unanimously. The arrest of Wood and the assassin was Blacksword’s way of gaining the favor of the people of Troy. On the other hand, he had no wish to replace the entire council.”

  “Clever fellow,” the lieutenant drawled.

  The major smiled. “That’s the very mildest way of putting it, Jack. TAI has decided to accept Wood and let the matter drop. We haven’t any particular desire to arrest the entire council, either. Besides, if we did that now, we’d have to take Blacksword as well.”

  “But we have something on him,” the lieutenant said, “for future reference.”

  The major nodded and resumed reading. “‘At the same time, Blacksword advised the council of his personal preference for Keplar as Presidor. The council accordingly voted Keplar into office.’”

  “Sounds like a deal,” said the lieutenant.

  “Of course. A private deal between Blacksword and Keplar, aside from the council’s contract with Blacksword,” the major said. “‘Blacksword immediately closeted himself in an all-night session with Troy’s general staff. On March 28 Blacksword, Keplar, and Foreign Minister Cole spaced to the planet Macedon aboard the Ilium. Reports ends.’”

  THE major began a new page.

  “‘On Macedon, Blacksword, Keplar, and Cole met with Macedon’s King Robert and his diplomatic staff. The meetings lasted three days. At the end of this time, the Trojan delegation returned to Troy. Immediately after their departure, King Robert called for a meeting of the Macedonian general staff. Opinion: War between Macedon and Troy immediately imminent. Report ends.’”

  The major flipped to a new page. “‘In a world-televised speech on April 6, Dictator Blacksword informed Troy that Macedon remained “insolently adamant” in its demands, and that he might be “forced to call on you, the people of Troy, to lend us your loyal sons to protect our planet against the Macedonian aggressors.” The speech was followed by hotly anti-Macedon demonstrations all over Troy. Opinion: Immediate war between Troy and Macedon.’”

  “So it’s war,” the lieutenant commented.

  “Hell, we’ve known that for eight years. But Blacksword’s presence changes things. The probability factor of Macedon’s emerging victorious was 83 on 20 March. On 8 April, it had dropped to 60. As of today, it’s minus 10—60-40 in favor of Blacksword’s winning. Of course that’s our computer. Macedon still ranks higher on the news services—but they don’t have the information we do.”

  The lieutenant whistled. “One man.”

  “One man. He’s that good. He gets things done, even though his methods may not be the most humane or popular. Witness Alsace. He whipped them into a power, but they were so shocked by his methods that they voted themselves a democracy.”

  The lieutenant nodded. “What do we do?”

  “We—I’ll reserve my answer for a moment, Jack, until I hear your opinion. What would you say?”

  The lieutenant considered the problem, weighing the factors carefully in his mind. “The differences are strictly between Troy and Macedon...no other worlds are involved...no conceivable immediate danger to TAI...both are grade-C planets...I’d say we do nothing. TAI has no grounds for intervention unless Blacksword—no, he’s too smart. We do nothing.” He looked questioningly at his superior, read the verification of his decision in the major’s eyes.

  “Correct. This is none of our business. We let them have their war. But we do a little more than nothing. We watch. As always, TAI sits back and watches.” The major initialed the report. “Seal this and forward it to headquarters, Jack. By the way, are you and Alice doing anything Friday night? How about some bridge over at our place?”

  STEP FOUR

  AT least ten feet long and five feet wide, the desk was empty of paper or books or letter opener.

  There was a calendar on it and a cigar box and two ashtrays and a visual communicator. In one corner was a panel of buttons. The desk and the big swivel chair behind it gave the impression of bigness—bigness and power.

  The man behind the desk was big, too, and it was obvious he wielded vast power, just as it was obvious he was accustomed to power and knew how to wield it.