Nightfall: and other stories by Isaac Asimov

Author:Isaac Asimov
Format: mobi, epub, pdf
Tags: Science fiction, American, General, Fiction
ISBN: 9780385081047
Publisher: Doubleday
Published: 1969-03-15T06:00:00+00:00

The police captain said, “I’ll ask you to come without trouble, Mr. Altmayer. The Secretary of Defense would like to see you.”

“I am coming, sir.” A stunned frustration was only now beginning to overwhelm him.

Geoffrey Stock and Richard Altmayer faced one another for the first time in almost a quarter of a century, there in the Defense Secretary’s private office. It was a rather straitlaced office: a desk, an armchair, and two additional chairs. All were a dull brown in color, the chairs being topped by brown foamite which yielded to the body enough for comfort, not enough for luxury. There was a micro-viewer on the desk and a little cabinet big enough to hold several dozen opto-spools. On the wall opposite the desk was a trimensional view of the old Dauntless, the Secretary’s first command.

Stock said, “It is a little ridiculous meeting like this after so many years. I find I am sorry.”

“Sorry about what, Jeff?” Altmayer tried to force a smile, “I am sorry about nothing but that you tricked me with those robots.”

“You were not difficult to trick,” said Stock, “and it was an excellent opportunity to break your party. I’m sure it will be quite discredited after this. The pacifist tries to force war; the apostle of gentleness tries assassination.”

“War against the true enemy,” said Altmayer sadly. “But you are right. It is a sign of desperation that this was forced on me.” --Then, “How did you know my plans?”

“You still overestimate humanity, Dick. In any conspiracy the weakest points are the people that compose it. You had twenty-five co-conspirators. Didn’t it occur to you that at least one of them might be an informer, or even an employee of mine?”

A dull red burned slowly on Altmayer’s high cheekbones. “Which one?” he said.

“Sorry. We may have to use him again.”

Altmayer sat back in his chair wearily. “What have you gained?”

“What have you gained? You are as impractical now as on that last day I saw you; the day you decided to go to jail rather than report for induction. You haven’t changed.”

Altmayer shook his head, “The truth doesn’t change.”

Stock said impatiently, “If it is truth, why does it always fail? Your stay in jail accomplished nothing. The war went on. Not one life was saved. Since then, you’ve started a political party; and every cause it has backed has failed. Your conspiracy has failed. You’re nearly fifty, Dick, and what have you accomplished? Nothing.”

Altmayer said, “And you went to war, rose to command a ship, then to a place in the Cabinet. They say you will be the next Coordinator. You’ve accomplished a great deal. Yet success and failure do not exist in themselves. Success in what? Success in working the ruin of humanity. Failure in what? In saving it? I wouldn’t change places with you. Jeff, remember this. In a good cause, there are no failures; there are only delayed successes.”

“Even if you are executed for this day’s work?”

“Even if I am executed. There will be someone else to carry on, and his success will be my success.

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