Robert Cole Todd . Space Services by C. D. Moulton

Author:C. D. Moulton
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: C. D. Moulton
Published: 2022-07-29T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter seven

Things were really hectic for a few days as scandal after scandal rocked the senate and the old military establishment. Todd was interviewed everywhere he went. He soon was longing to be aboard "The First Attempt" and away from Earth, but knew the time was critical. If meaningful changes were to be made in the way the people on this planet acted the time was now. In a few weeks or months the old ways would be back in full force unless protections were thought of and added.

President Greta Krause was forced to declare the government in jeopardy and to declare rule by decree. Todd watched her on the television and wondered if she was sincere or if she was merely another clever politician.

Clever wasn't the thing to be in this day and age. It would get you by last month, but now was the time to realize that the careful, methodical coyote often made a meal of the clever fox.

Pwester was having the constant cup of coffee with him in his rooms. McGrew and Ella were there with him. Ella was the one who made the comparison of the fox and the coyote while McGrew, who was leaning back in an overstuffed chair with his hands behind his head and his feet on the low magazine table, watched a small spider spin a web on the overhead light fixture. He spoke as though to himself.

"A long long time ago my Papa used to say to beware of clever people because they'll always get themselves in trouble in the end. If you're with them, no matter how much they pretend to be your friend, they'll try to switch the trouble to you.

"Clever people are always on some kind of weird ego trip. They confuse cleverness with intelligence. They always think they're smarter than those around them. Think they're smart enough to trick or fool their way out of anything they do. Manipulative, he called them.

"Intelligent ain't as quick as clever usually, but it's surer. In the long run intelligence always wins, then the clever ones sit back and lick their wounds like a burned monkey wondering how it all happened. Never occurs to them it ain't smart to fool with a hot stove in the first place.

"Intelligent will figure out things and modify their actions to include what they can't change and that alone will often change things. Clever never stops trying to figure some angle, so nothing ever changes. People aren't...."

The phone buzzed and Todd picked it up.

"Commander Robert Todd?" a voice asked.

"Yes, who wants to know?" Todd asked.

"Please hold for a moment."

"No way!" Todd snapped. "I call you, I'll hold! You call me you'd better be ready to talk!"

He hung up.

"What was that about?" Pwester asked.

"Some idiot calls and says `please hold!'" Todd cried. "Where do these jerks get this? You don't call someone and put them on hold! What rock did that stupid broad crawl out from under?"

The phone buzzed again and Pwester grabbed it before Todd could reach it.

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