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better man came along, he would step out, his work done. The well-worn record slipped
from its groove, and Hitler pondered the speech he held. Yes, it was good. It explained
much-why things had gone wrong in Russia, why the English invasion had failed, why the
English were doing the impossible by way of raiding the continent. He had worried about
those problems. They were not really problems, but the people might not understand, and
might lose confidence in their Führer. However, the speech would explain everything-even
Hess. Goebbels had worked for days on the psychological effects of the speech, and it was,
therefore, doubly important that it go through without a hitch. Hitler reached for an
atomizer and sprayed his throat, though that was really unnecessary. His voice was in top
shape.
It would be distressing if-.
Pfui! There would be no hitch. The speech was too important. He had made speeches
before, swayed people with the weapon of his oratory. The crucial point, of course, was the
reference to Russia and the ill-fated spring campaign. Yet Goebbels had a beautiful
explanation; it was true, too.
"It is true," Hitler said aloud.
Well, it was. And sufficiently convincing. From the Russian discussion he would go on to
Hess, and then- But the Russian question-that was vital. He must throw all his power into
the microphones at that moment. He rehearsed mentally. A pause. Then, in a
conversational voice, he would say, "At last I may tell you the truth about our Russian
campaign, and why it was a triumph of strategy for German arms-"
He'd prove it, too.
But he must not forget for a moment how vitally important this speech was, and especially
the crucial point in it. Remember. Remember. Do it exactly as rehearsed. Why, if he failed-
There was no such word.
But if he failed- No. Even if he did- But he wouldn't. He mustn't. He never had. And this
was a crisis.
Not an important one, after all, he supposed, though the people were no longer
wholeheartedly behind him. Well, what was the worst that could happen? He might be
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unable to make the speech. It would be postponed. There could be explanations. Goebbels
could take care of that. It wasn't important.
Don't think about it.
On the contrary, think about it. Rehearse again. The pause. "At last I may tell you-"
It was time.
All over Germany people were waiting for the speech. Adolf Hitler stood before the
microphones, and he was no longer worried. At the back of his mind, he created a tiny
phonograph record that said, over and over, "Russia. Russia.- Russia." It would remind
him what to do, at the right moment. Meanwhile, he launched into his speech.
It was good. It was a Hitler speech.
"Now!" said the record.
Hitler paused, taking a deep breath, throwing his head arrogantly back. He looked out at
the thousands of faces beneath his balcony. But he wasn't thinking about them. He was
thinking of the pause, and the next line; and the pause lengthened.
Important! Remember! Don't fail!
Adolf Hitler opened his mouth. Words came out. Not quite the right words.
Ten seconds later Adolf Hitler was cut off the air.
It wasn't Hitler personally who spoke to the world a few hours later. Goebbels had had a
record made, and the transcription, oddly enough, didn't mention Russia. Or any of the
vital questions that had been settled so neatly. The Führer simply couldn't talk about those
questions. It wasn't mike fright, exactly. Whenever Hitler reached the crucial point in his
speech, he turned green, gritted his teeth, and said-the wrong thing. He couldn't get over
that semantic block. The more he tried, the less he succeeded. Finally Goebbels saw what
was happening and called it off.
The world broadcast was emasculated. At the time there was considerable discussion as to
why Hitler hadn't stuck to his announced program. He'd intended to mention Russia.
Why, then- Not many people knew. But more people will know now. In fact, a lot of people
in Germany are going to know. Things get around there. Planes go over and drop leaflets,
and people whisper, and they'll remember a certain catchy German stanza that's going the
rounds.
Yeah. Maybe this particular copy of Astounding will find its way to England, and maybe an
R. A. F. pilot will drop it near Berlin, or Paris, for that matter. Word will get around. There
are lots of men on the continent who can read English.
And they'll talk.
They won't believe, at first. But they'll keep their eyes open. And there's a catchy little
rhythm they'll remember. Some day the story will reach Berlin or Berchtesgarten. Some
day it'll reach the guy with the little mustache and the big voice.
And, a little while later-days or weeks, it doesn't matter-Goebbels is going to walk into a
big room, and there he's going to see Adolf Hitler goose-stepping around and yelling:
LEFT
LEFT
LEFT a wife and SEVenteen children in
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r r
STARVing condition with NOTHing but gingerbread
LEFT-
THE IRON STANDARD
Alien races didn't have to be either friendly or unfriendly; they could
be stubbornly indifferent-with serious effect.
"So the ghost won't walk for a year-Venusian time," Thirkell said, spooning up cold beans
with a disgusted air.
Rufus Munn, the captain, looked up briefly from his task of decockroaching the soup.
"Dunno why we had to import these. A year plus four weeks, Steve. There'll be a month at
space before we hit Earth again."
Thirkell's round, pudgy face grew solemn. "What happens in the meantime? Do we starve
on cold beans?"
Munn sighed, glancing through the open, screened port of the spaceship Goodwill to
where dim figures moved in the mists outside. But he didn't answer. Barton Underhill,
supercargo and handy man, who had wangled his passage by virtue of his father's wealth,
grinned tightly and said, "What d'you expect? We don't dare use fuel. There's just enough
to get us home. So it's cold beans or nothing."
"Soon it will be nothing," Thirkell said solemnly. 'We have been spendthrifts. Wasting our
substance in riotous living."
"Riotous living!" Munn growled. 'We gave most of our grub to the Venusians."
'Well," Underhill murmured, "they fed us-for a month." [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]