Free Murray Leinster by The Best of Murray Leinster (1976) Page A

interested tone. ‘It produces a condition under which the human body and the entire series of diplococci can live together. It does not produce the relationship. That requires the organisms, too. It merely makes the relationship possible. We have had practically no diplococci infections in our country for years back. Such diseases happen to be very rare among us. But the inoculation makes it possible for any of our inoculated citizens to establish a truly symbiotic relationship in case he encounters them. It is like the adjustment of intestinal flora and colon bacilli to us. They do not harm us, and we do not harm them. You follow the reasoning?’
    General Vladek’s voice was quite inhuman. ‘How were my men infected?’ he demanded. His voice cracked. ‘Tell me, how were my men infected? My medical corps says—’
    ‘We did not infect them,’ said Surgeon General Mors calmly. ‘We infected only our own population. On the morning of your invasion we spread the infection in the drinking water, in the food. We infected our own people - who could not be harmed by it - and then I came to you and warned you to keep your soldiers aloof from our people. I also advised you to get your troops out of our country for their own safety, but you would not believe me. Because you see’ - his tone was absolutely commonplace - ‘every citizen of our country is now a carrier of the plague of which your soldiers die. A carrier. Not suffering from it, but able to give it to anyone not immunized against it. You have heard of typhoid carriers. We are a nation of carriers, bearers of the plague which is destroying your army.’
    General Vladek looked like an image of frozen, despairing rage. His face was gray. His cheek twitched. He had led an invading army triumphandy into this province.
    Then without one shot being fired, his army had ceased to be an army, and a sentry lay dead on the street before his headquarters.
    ‘We did not like to do it,’ said Surgeon General Mors, heavily. ‘But we had to defend ourselves. The soil of our nation is now deadly to your troops. If you murdered and burned every citizen of our country, our land would still be fatal to your men and to the settlers who might follow them. You cannot make use of Kantolia. You cannot make use of any of the rest of our country. And the loot you have sent back has spread infection in your cities. Couriers have carried it back and transmitted it before they died. The quislings you sent to your country to be rewarded for betraying their own - they were carriers, too. The plague must rage horribly in your nation. Other countries will close their frontiers in quarantine, if they have not already done so. Your nation is destroyed unless you let us save it. I beg that you will give us the power.’ Then Surgeon General Mors said very wearily: ‘I hope you will surrender your army, General Vladek. Your men, as our prisoners, will become our patients and we will cure them. Otherwise they will die. Permit us, and we will check the epidemic you created in your own country by invading us. We did not defend ourselves without knowing our weapon thoroughly. But you will have to give us the power to rescue you. You and your nation must surrender without conditions….’
    General Vladek stood up. He rang a bell. An officer and soldiers entered.
    ‘Take him out,’ panted General Vladek hoarsely. Then his voice rose to a scream. ‘Take him out and kill him!’
    The officer moved. Then there was a clatter. A rifle had dropped to the floor. One of the soldiers staggered. He reeled against one of the steel filing cases and clung there desperately. Sweat poured out on his face; he was ashen white. He knew, of course, what was the matter. He sobbed. He was already a dead man, though he still moved and breathed. Great tears welled out of his eyes.
    The other soldiers wavered - and fled.
    Surgeon General Mors stood beside a pigsty and argued patiently with a peasant who so far had