Free Armor by John Steakley Page A

that stuff. What else did they have to talk about?”
    He turned and looked at her. “They talked about you, as a matter of fact. About your athletic career. The armored. ...”
    “Olympics,” she prompted. “The Armored Olympic Trials.” “Yes. They seem to think you’re pretty good.”
    “I am. Damn good. One of the best.”
    “They think you’re the best they’ve ever seen.”
    “I probably am at that.”
    “They seem to think that you should have won that thing.
    One of them thought you’d been cheated. Were you cheated? ‘ ‘
    “I was beaten. Badly. Cheated, huh?” She laughed softly, a pleasant sound. “What a lovely thought. Felix, I was never really in it. He slaughtered me.”
    “He?”
    “Kent, Nathan Kent. You’ve probably heard of him.”
    “No, I haven’t.”
    “Really? I’m surprised. He’s quite famous. Not just on Earth, either. He’s recognized on sight on about a dozen planets, and his name is well known on about two dozen more. People care about him that aren’t even sports fans. Everybody’s Hero, he’s called.”
    “Everybody’s Hero?”
    A warrior with corporal’s markings appeared beside them.
    “What’s all this about a hero?” asked a feminine voice.
    “Who’s a hero?”
    Forest laughed. “What for, Lohman? You volunteering?” “Not a chance,” replied Lohman. She sat down on the sand in front of them.
    “Lohman, meet Felix.”
    “Howdy, Felix.”
    “How do you do?”
    “So who’s the hero?”
    “We were talking about Kent,” said Forest.
    “Oh, yeah,” responded Lohman dryly. “He’s a hero, all right. Everybody’s Hero.”
    Felix found himself drifting, wanting to be alone. But he was determined to stay and try.
    “I suppose every war needs heroes,” he offered.
    “Especially this one,” said Forest and Lohman, in unison. Then they looked at each other and laughed. Felix managed a small grin.
    “Well, we better take care of him. Can’t lose him now,” he said.
    Lohman laughed again at this, but her laughter had an edge of bitterness to it. “Lose him? How? He’ll never even see an ant.”
    Felix looked at her. “I beg your pardon?” he asked “Can’t lose him,” said Lohman sarcastically. “Not the darling of good old Earth. Hell, if something happens to Kent, the people back home are liable to figure out that we aren’t invincible like the politicians have been telling them. No. They’ll be real careful with Kent. Treat him like a newborn baby, instead of a warrior.”
    “That’s not fair, Lohman,” said Forest quickly. “He’s doing his part.”
    “Really? By staging more phony demonstrations while people are getting killed? He’s not a warrior anymore. He’s a joke.”
    “He could tear you in half with ten percent power,” said Forest evenly.
    “Sure he could,” snapped Lohman, undismayed. “He could wipe me out. But ants are the enemy. What’s he done to them? Where do you think he is right now? He’s so far away, he couldn’t see Banshee with a starprobe.” “I don’t see why it should bother you,” said Forest. “Oh yeah?” retorted Lohman. Then, suddenly, her voice became gentle. “Well, what I’d like to know is why it doesn’t bother you, Forest. You did pretty well yourself, but all it gets you is the dirty jobs. Doesn’t it bother you? Don’t you ever wonder why you’re stuck here about to die when the warrior with the best odds for survival in the Fleet will never get a bruise? Just because somebody decided he was gonna be our symbol?”
    “Somebody didn’t decide, everybody decided. Or maybe he decided it. He is the best, you know.”
    “I know,” snapped Lohman. “That’s the point.”
    “Lohman,” asked Forest patiently. “Do you really think he has any choice about where he’s sent? Do you really think he’s a coward?”
    “No, of course not. But just the same. I’d like to see him make a Drop.”
    “Suppose he did. We could all say: Lookee there, he’s just a regular warrior like the rest of us. Would you like that?” “Yes.”
    “Would you? Would you really?”
    “I said, yes,” snapped Lohman.
    “Fine,” said