Astounding British Edition, Volume 8, No. 11 — page 9: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE SPECTER GENERAL ese | Colonel Harris shook his head. “You're one of our official family now, son, and you might as well get used to our squabbles. This particular one has been going on be- tween Colonel Blick and me for years. He has no patience with some of our old cus- toms.” He turned to Blick. “Have you, colonel?” “You're right, I haven’t!”” growled Blick. “And that’s why I’m going to change some of them as soon as I get the chance. The sooner we stop this Tech School nonsense -and put the recruits to work in the fields where they belong, the better off we'll all be. Why should a plowman or a hunter have to know how to read wiring diagrams or set tubes. It’s nonsense, superstitious nonsense. You!” he said stabbing his finger into the chest of the startled lieutenant. “You! Dixon! You spent fourteen years in the Tech Schools just like I did when I was a recruit. What for?” “To learn maintenance, of course,” said Kurt. “What’s maintenance?” demanded Blick. “Taking stuff apart and putting it back together and polishing jet bores with micro- planes and putting plates in alignment and checking the meters when we’re through to see the job was done right. Then there’s class work in Direc calculus and sub- electronics and— “That’s enough!” interrupted Blick. “And now that you’ve learned all that, what you do with it?” urt looked at him in surprise. “Do with it?” he echoed. “You don’t do any- thing with it. You just learn it because regulations say you should.” “And this,” said Blick, turning to Colonel Harris, “is one of your prize products. Fourteen of his best years poured down the drain and he doesn’t even know what for!” He paused and then said in an arrogant voice, “I’m here for a showdown, Harris!” “Yes?” said the colonel mildly. “I demand that the Tech Schools be closed at once and the recruits released for work details. If you want to keep your command, you'll issue that order. The oe is behind me on this!” Colonel Harris rose slowly to his feet. Kurt waited for the thunder to roll, but strangely enough it didn’t. It almost seemed to him that there was an expression of concealed amusement playing across the colonel’s face. “Some day, just for once,” he said, “I ae “ = ~ wish somebody around here would do something that hasn’t been done before.” “What do you méan by that?” demanded Blick. “Nothing,” said the colonel. “You know,” he continued conversationally, “a long time ago I walked into my C.O.’s and made the same demands and the same threats that you're making now. I didn’t get very far, though—just as you aren’t going to— because I overlooked the little matter of the Inspector General’s annual visit. He’s due in from Imperial Headquarters Saturday night, isn’t he Blick?” “You know he is!” growled the other. “Aren’t worried, are you? It occurs to me that the LG. might take a dim view of your new order.” “I don’t think he'll mind,” said Blick with a nasty grin. “Now will you issue the order to close the Tech Schools or won’t you?” “Of course not!” said the colonel brusquely. “That’s final?” Colonel Harris just nodded. “All right,” barked Blick, “you asked for it!” There was an ugly look on his face as he barked, “Kane! Simons! Arnett! The rest of you! Get in here!” The door to Harris’ office swung slowly open and revealed a group of officers stand- sheepishly in the anteroom, “Come in, gentlemen,’ said Colonel Harris. They came slowly forward and grouped themselves just inside the door. “T'm taking over!” roared Blick. “This garrison has needed a house cleaning for a long time and I’m just the man to do it!” “How about the rest of you?” asked the colonel. “Beg pardon, sir,” said one hesitantly, “but we think Colonel Blick’s probably right. I’m afraid we’re going to have to confine you for a few days. Just until after the IL.G.’s visit,” he added apologetically. “And what do you think the LG. will say to all this?” “Colonel Blick says we don’t have to worry about that,” said the officer. “He’s going to take care of everything.” A look of sudden anxiety played across Harris’ face and for the first time he seemed on the verge of losing his composure. “How?” he demanded, his voice betray- ing his concern. CoOpmMiclooolkSse@