THE ANSWER
BY GEORGE O. SMITH
Illustrated by Orban
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
Astounding Science-Fiction, February 1947.
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
Robert Hohmann smiled superciliously at the man before him. "You havenerve," he said. It might have been a compliment excepting that thetone of the words was definitely sarcastic. "You have the colossaleffrontery to come here before me and tell me what I can do and what Icannot do."
Greg Hammond said, quietly, "Shall I repeat it? You are not to attemptthe construction of the plutonium producing uranium pile."
"Or else—what?" sneered Hohmann.
"The United Nations makes no threats," said Greg. "We are not amilitary organization. We are the voice of the people—including yours,Hohmann. We merely set forth that which the people desire, and remindthem of it. If someone—you in this case—goes against the will of thepeople, it will be for the people to decide his fate."
"You do not understand," said Hohmann, "nor can I possibly penetrateyour illogic reasoning. The person is secondary to the State. Thereforeit is for the State to—"
"The State is the result of the people," returned the United Nationsrepresentative. "Were it not for the people, there could be no State."
"Were it not for the State," thundered Hohmann in a ringing voice,"people could not exist in the luxury they have. Man would still bepitted against man and brother against brother. The State combines theminto an insoluble unit."
"The United Nations combines all States into an insoluble unit,"replied Hammond.
"Which believes itself capable of telling me what I can and cannot do!"
"You, as dictator, find little trouble in telling your subjects justhow and what to do. You back up your demands with threats of death."
Hohmann smiled contentedly. "So, my bright young friend, you must admitthat your United Nations organization is no different than RobertHohmann, dictator. I issue orders which may conflict with the desiresof some of my people. You issue orders which occasionally conflict withsome of the desires of your States. Mine in this case."
"We issue orders only when the desires of a State are directed againstthe common cause," said Hammond.
"A common cause decided by people other than those who will benefitfrom my act," snapped Hohmann.
"This gets us nowhere," said Hammond with an air of finality. "You are,therefore, directed to cease in your plan to construct the plutoniumproducing uranium pile."
"The trouble with democratic organizations," said Hohmann sourly, "isthat they will go to any lengths to preserve their people. Even to thepoint of permitting, under democratic principle, the existence of anorganization directed against the democracy itself. This, they claim,shows the true strength of democracy, since if it stands even whenpermitting an outfit to bore from within against it, it is thereforestrong. A single man is worth more than the seat of government! Ha!Well, we shall start our uranium pile, and we shall produce plutonium.And by the time your democratic organization gets through arguing,voting, and deciding what to do about us—then preparing for it—andfinally acting, we can and will be unbeatable. As for you, who have thetemerity to come here with your toothless demand, you shall be hostage,a worker willing or unwilling in the initial plutonium separationplant!" Hohmann turned to the guards and said: "Remove him!"<