Frigid Fracas Read online

beenmade. He said, his voice less brisk, "Our People's Capitalism, ourWelfare State, took the road of bringing the equivalent of the Romanludi to keep our people in a state of stupefied acceptance of the_status quo_. And as in the case of Rome, the games are bankruptingit. Our present day patrician class, our Uppers, have a tiger by thetail, Joseph Mauser, and can't let go. We need those capable andintelligent people of whom you spoke earlier, to make some basicchanges. Where are they? Nadine said that your great driving ambitionis to be jumped to Upper in caste. But even though you make it, whatwill you have on your hands but these problems that the Uppers seemunable to solve?"

  Joe said, impatiently, "Possibly you're right. What you say about thefracases becoming bigger and more expensive is true. They're alsobecoming more bloody. In the old days, a corporation or union goinginto a fracas was conscious of having a high casualty list among themercenaries. Highly trained soldiers cost money. Insurance, indemnity,pensions, all the rest of it. Consequently, you'd fight a battle ofmovement, maneuver, brainwork on the part of the officer commanding,so that practically nobody was hurt on either side. One force or theother would surrender after being caught in an impossible situation.Not any more. These days, they want blood. Plenty of blood. And theywant the Telly cameras to focus right into the middle of it."

  Joe shook his head. "But it's not my problem to solve. I've got mygoal. I'll worry about other ones when I've achieved it."

  * * * * *

  A voice behind him said superciliously, "I do believe it's the statushungry captain, ah, that is, major these days. To what do I owe thisunexpected visit, Major Mauser?"

  Joe came to his feet and faced the newcomer, Philip Holland doing thesame, somewhat more leisurely.

  Baron Balt Haer, wearing a colonel's uniform and flicking his swaggerstick along his booted leg, stood in the doorway. His voice was lazilyarrogant. "And Mr. Holland, I must say, the Middle caste seems to havetaken over the house. Well, Major Mauser? I assume you do not laborunder the illusion that you are welcome in this dwelling."

  In Category Military rank is observed whilst in uniform, even thoughneither individual is currently on active service. Joe hadautomatically come to attention. He said, stiffly, "Sir, I am callingupon your sister, Dr. Haer."

  "Indeed," Baron Haer said, his nostrils high in that attitude onceperfected by grandees of medieval Spain, landed gentry of England,Prussian Junkers. "I find that my sister, in her capacity as medicalscientist, seems to go to extreme in her research. What aspect of thelower classes is she studying in your case, major?"

  Joe flushed. "Baron Haer," he said, "we seem to have got off on thewrong foot when we participated in that fracas against ContinentalHovercraft under your father, the late Baron. I would appreciate anopportunity to start over again."

  "Would you indeed?" Balt Haer said loftily. He turned his eye toPhilip Holland, whose mouth bore the slightest suggestions ofsuppressed humor. "Unless I am mistaken, the conversation at the timeof my entry seemed to have a distinctly subversive element. Shouldn'tthis be somewhat surprising in the secretary of the administration'sforeign minister?"

  Philip Holland said crisply, "You must have intruded, um-m-m, that is,entered, at the end of a sentence, Baron Haer. We were merelydiscussing the various methods, down through the ages, that rulingclasses have utilized to perpetuate themselves in power."

  Haer obviously disbelieved him. He said, "For example?"

  "There are many examples," Holland said, reseating himself. "Forinstance, the medieval feudalistic class who dominated the ignorantand highly superstitious serfdom soon found it expedient to add totheir titles _by grace of God_, as though it was God's wish that theybe count or baron, prince or king. What serf would dare attempt theoverthrow of his lord, in the face of God's wishes?"

  "I see," Balt Haer said. "And other examples?"

  Holland shrugged. "The Chinese Mandarins utilized possibly the mostunique method of a governing class perpetuating itself ever known,certainly one of the most gentle."

  Haer was scowling at him, obviously out of his depth, as was JoeMauser for that matter.

  Holland said crisply, "The mandarins devised a written language socomplicated that it took at least ten years to master reading andwriting, thus assuring that only the very well-to-do could afford toeducate their sons. When invaded, as so often China has been invaded,only the mandarins were in the position to serve the conquerors bycarrying on the paperwork so vital to any advanced society. So, stillin control of the machinery of government, they continued toperpetuate themselves, and shortly--as history is reckoned--we foundthe conquerors assimilated and the mandarins still in power."

  Balt Haer said impatiently, "I seem to be under the impression thatyou were speaking of more current times, when I entered, Mr. Holland."

  From the door, Nadine said, "Good heavens, Balt, are you badgering myguests again?"

  The three men faced her.

  Balt said nastily, "I am astonished that you persist in bringingmembers of the lower orders into my home, Nadine."

  "Our home, Balt. In fact, if you must bring up such matters beforeoutsiders, you will recall that you converted your portion of thefamily estate into continental Hovercraft stock, shortly before fathermet Baron Zwerdling's forces in the recent fracas. No wonder youdislike Major Mauser. Through his efforts, our company won, ratherthan losing as you had expected."

  Her brother, who could have been only slightly her senior, wasobviously enraged. "Are you suggesting that I am not welcome to stayin this, our family home, simply because the property is in yourname?"

  "Not at all," she sighed. "You are always at home here, Balt, I simplydemand that you exercise common courtesy to my guests."

  He turned and walked stiff kneed from the room.

  * * * * *

  "Sorry," Joe said to Nadine.

  "Why?" she said simply. "The fact of the matter is that Balt and I arecontinually at each other. He is quite the active member of the NathanHale society."

  Joe frowned his ignorance and looked at Holland.

  Holland chuckled. "An ultra-conservative--reactionary might be thebetter term--organization devoted to witch hunting and such in itsefforts to maintain the _status quo_, major. Once again, historyrepeats itself. Such groups invariably evolve when basic changethreatens a socio-economic system." He looked at Nadine. "I must begoing, my dear. My, how charming you look. If this is the customarygarb whilst going a-gliding, I shall have to take up the sport."

  "Why Phil, inane words of flattery from serious old you?"

  Joe squirmed inwardly, wondering again upon what basis was thefriendship of Nadine Haer and Philip Holland.

  The butler entered and said, "A call for Major Mauser, if you please."

  Only Max Mainz, his batman during his last fracas and now permanentlyattached to Joe, knew that he might be found at this address. Joe saidto Nadine, "Would you pardon me for a moment? I assume it's somethingimportant, or I wouldn't be disturbed."

  She said, demurely, "Undoubtedly one of the feminine members of a JoeMauser buff club."

  He snorted amusement and followed the butler to the library and thetele-screen.

  Max Mainz's face loomed in the viewing screen. As soon as Joeappeared, he said, "Major, sir, the marshal's been trying to get holdof you ever since you left the hotel."

  "The marshal?" Joe scowled.

  "Marshal Cogswell. That one they call Stonewall Cogswell. And when hewants somebody, he really wants 'em, and I got a feeling it's a goodidea to come on the double."

  Joe laughed. "Stonewall Cogswell's a tough one all right, Max."

  "You ain't just a countin' down, major, sir. He says when I get holdof you to come on over to his headquarters soonest."

  "All right, Max, thanks." Joe flicked the set off.

  Actually, Max was right. You didn't ignore a summons from MarshalCogswell. Not if you were in the Category Military and ambitious. Thedate with Nadine was off. And just when he
was beginning to detectsigns of her meeting him on his own level.

  VI

  It was the common practice among Category Military mercenaries ofhighest rank to maintain skeleton staffs between those periods whenthey were under hire by corporations or unions. That of MarshalStonewall Cogswell was one of the most complete, he habitually keepingupward of a hundred officers in his private uniform. It paid off, forwith such a skeleton force of highly skilled professionals as a cadre,the marshal could enlist veterans for his rank and file and whiptogether a trained fighting force in a fantastically short period.

  And nothing was so of the essence as time, in the present