Edward Maret by Robert I Katz

Author:Robert I Katz [Katz, Robert I]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Amazon: B01MPVXLOI
Publisher: Willowgate Press
Published: 2016-10-21T23:00:00+00:00

Philip wiped his sweaty palms on his pants as he hurried down the hallway. He tried to control his breathing and failed. The back of his neck tingled and his legs were so unsteady they could barely carry him. His racing heart thumped so hard in his chest that he thought it would explode and he would drop dead in the hallway. Dead of guilt.

“Hide this in Edward’s rooms,” Vincent had said, and he handed the piece of paper over the table to Philip.

Philip looked at it. It was a list of names. Some of them he recognized. Most were unknown to him. Buried neatly in the center was that of Edward Maret.

“What is this?”

Vincent grimaced. “The war is almost over, Philip. Johnny’s come marching home, if you know what I mean.”

“No, actually,” said Philip, and warily shook his head. “I haven’t the faintest idea what you mean.”

“That is a list of Irredentist collaborators.”

Philip’s eyes flickered down to the paper in his hand and then back to Vincent’s complacent face. “I don’t understand,” he said frostily.

“The government has promised amnesty to those who give themselves up. This afternoon, I filled out the necessary papers.” And Vincent shook his head regretfully. “It’s really too bad, you know. The genetically superior should run things. The present system is absurd. It’s inefficient; it can’t respond to crises. The economy lurches from recession to recession. The defense forces need to be rebuilt and the Kliya are lurking on the frontier, licking their whiskers and waiting for us to fail.” He shook his head again. “So stupid.” Then he held his hands up in a gesture of resignation. “But we’ve lost. Nothing left to do but try to put the best face on it.” He grimaced and drained his glass in a gulp, still shaking his head.

Philip stared uncertainly at the list and swallowed. “And this…?”

“Well, the amnesty only applies to those who give themselves up. Anyone who doesn’t, will be presumed to still harbor traitorous feelings and to be planning further aggressive acts against society.

“And, of course, amnesty only applies to the little people. Like me. The ringleaders won’t be so easily forgiven.”

“The people on this list—how many have given themselves up?”

Vincent gave a nasty little laugh. “So far as I know, none of them. The government supposition is correct, you see. Many of the hold-outs still are planning traitorous acts.” Vincent laughed again and shook his head in amazement. “They’re crazy, but you have to admire their commitment.”

Philip looked again at the list and grimaced. “You say you were one of ‘the little people.’ How did you get this?”

“Oh, I’ve known for quite a while that the revolt was not going to make it. Anybody with a brain could see it—at least anybody on the inside could. These people—they mean what they say, but most of them are not exactly the practical sort, more philosophers than men of action.” Vincent shook his head. “I’ve been keeping names ever since I realized. You never know when you might need something like that.

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