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“Your servant,” MacKi
“Hardly,” Ackoff said. “Have you any idea of how many man-hours of pla
“Informal but official,” Boyd warned. “Colonel, you and Freelady Graham have been charged with interfering with the orderly development of a primitive world, to wit, Makassar.”
“But we didn’t interfere,” Mary protested.
Ackoff waved impatiently. “Don’t be nonsensical, There’s always interference when an advanced people move among primitives.”
“I see,” MacKi
“Pronouns,” Dudley Boyd said.
“I beg your pardon?”
“Wrong pronouns,” Boyd said. “You said ‘you,’ meaning us, and that’s not true. You’ve been arrested by Navy orders, not ours.”
“Makassar is under Navy jurisdiction,” Ackoff explained. “There is no civil government there. Captain Greenaugh is within his rights, and he could try you by court martial. You would then have the right to appeal to civil authority, which is to say, to me. We’re trying to save time by dealing directly with you.”
“But what did we do?” Mary asked.
“Captain Greenaugh is still building his case,” Ackoff said. “But as it happens, I can put one precise specification to his charge. Horse collars.”
“Horse collars?” MacKi
Ackoff laughed. “Trivia? Colonel, the horse collar effectively ended slavery on Earth in pre-atomic times. I see you don’t understand.
“Consider that if you harness a horse by fastening a strap around its neck, the poor beast can’t pull very hard because when it pulls it strangles itself. Improperly hitched horses can do about five times as much work as a man. But a horse eats five times as much as a man. Given the choice between a horse and a slave there isn’t much in it.
“But. Add the rigid horse collar so the load goes on the shoulders, and the horse can do ten times as much work as a man — and it still eats only five times as much. Horses are then clearly preferable to humans for heavy work. Prior to the invention of horse collars there were as many slaves as free people on Earth. Afterwards, slavery became fairly rare and only imposed on people thought inferior. And I see I am indulging my tendency to lecture.
“My point is simple. I know from the reports — from your own admissions — that you introduced rigid horse collars. Probably a lot of other seemingly minor i
“And you can’t say you weren’t warned,” Boyd said. “Captain Greenaugh is adamant on that point. He warned you himself.”
“But—” Graham protested.
Nathan shook his head. “They’ve obviously got more to say. Let’s hear them out.”
“A good attitude,” Ackoff said. “Colonel, you know very little of Imperial politics. I can be certain of this, because it’s true of everyone on this planet. That’s going to change, of course. Once Prince Samual becomes an actual member world, there’ll be travel and trade. And intrigue. I doubt that King David and Lord Dougal have any suspicion of what’s in store for them, of how hard it will be for them to maintain control here when new technology begins to flow unrestricted.
“Have you any place in that struggle?”
“Not much,” MacKi
“Discerning,” Ackoff said. “And actually — the situation is more complicated than I described it.” He pointed upward, out the arched window above his desk. “Out there in Trans-Coalsack Sector they’ve discovered aliens. The fleet’s being sent there. Sparta’s attention will inevitably follow. There won’t be a lot to spare for Samual. My staff will remain, and we will bring in our intelligence people, but this will be, after all, a rather minor provincial world for some time to come. You two have won King David the right to a measure of independence, and he’ll have to endure the consequences.”
“I don’t see where we come in,” MacKi
“Think upon it,” Boyd said. “The contest for power on this planet is hardly over. You two will shortly be the best-known people on Prince Samual’s World. You ca
“That’s not my game,” Nathan said.
“It is tempting, “Mary said. “We could-”
“To be blunt,” Boyd said, “you can work with Dougal or be killed; and it will be difficult to fit into Dougal’s plans. Also, understand that there’s no way we could protect you even if we wanted to. Pardon the interruption, but were I you I would think of few less tempting alternatives.”
“Nor could we allow you to raise an army of your former soldiers for protection,” Ackoff said. “We will not permit a civil war on this planet.”
“You’re working up to something,” MacKi
Ackoff nodded. “You are admirably direct. But then you’re a soldier, not a diplomat. There is one other point of background you ought to be quite certain of. Captain Greenaugh does not like you.”
Mary Graham laughed. “We hadn’t expected him to.”
“The matter is serious,” Dr. Boyd said. “The Navy has great influence, and Captain Greenaugh is adamant. Someone must be punished — visibly punished — to assuage his embarrassment.”
“And we’re elected,” Mary said.
“It seems that way,” Boyd said.
“The Navy arrest warrant is quite genuine,” Ackoff said carefully. “It ca
“Why?” MacKi
“No one would win,” Ackoff said. “Your King David would defend you, but I doubt his heart would be in it. He’d want us to win, and thereby prove that we are tyrants. We, on the other hand, would prefer to lose the case and thus demonstrate the fairness of Imperial justice. If Greenaugh insists on a court martial, then you will appeal. If we grant that appeal, Greenaugh will insist the case be opened at a higher level. A waste of time all around, with no profit for anyone — and unpleasant for you in the bargain. Fortunately, there is an alternative. You can plead guilty and ask for Imperial clemency.”
“Why should we do that?” Mary asked.
“Because we would then determine the sentence, which would be permanent exile.”
“Exile?” Nathan said.
“Yes. To Makassar.”
“Makassar?” MacKi
“Simple, actually,” Boyd said. “If you accept voluntary exile on Makassar, Greenaugh will be satisfied. You made fools of the Navy, and you paid for it. But of course there are side benefits. You will also be removed as a factor in this world’s politics.” The First Secretary examined his fingertips. “That makes our task just a bit easier.”
“And Makassar could benefit as well,” Ackoff added.
“If we can’t give much attention to Prince Samual’s World, what have we to spare for that place? A world of no importance. But there are nearly a million people there, people as human as you and I.”
“You really want us to go back?” Graham asked incredulously.
“Precisely, “Boyd said.
“You impressed the churchmen,” Ackoff said. “And now that you are a citizen of a classified world, it would be legal for you to hold an official appointment. As, say, civil advisor to the Archbishop. His memorandum makes it clear that he would welcome your assistance.”
“You could do a lot of good,” Boyd said. “No one will govern Makassar for a long time. Certainly not with the resources we can spare. But Makassar will inevitably fall into Prince Samual’s sphere of influence, and someone must see that the ITA doesn’t absolutely plunder that unfortunate world until it is capable of protecting itself. “You might make a difference in their development.”