Read Enemies of the System for Free Online

hostile?”
    Unmoved, Dulcifer said, “We are hostile.”
    However debatable Dulcifer’s action, the group felt encouraged. Some of them climbed back on the side of the bus. Others stood on the bank, watching for signs of movement.
    Kordan raised his arms and said in a commanding voice, “Listen to me. It is best that we form a leadership group to co-ordinate action. We should debate whether to set fire to the bus, in order to keep off the beasts until help arrives.”
    â€œThere’s food and drink and shelter in the bus,” protested one woman, a dark-faced unionist leader from Mercury Second Station.
    â€œWe’ll need to sleep in it tonight, if help does not arrive,” said another.
    â€œThat’s defeatist talk,” said a third.
    â€œSpeak according to the rules of debate,” said Kordan. “You will all get your chance. Sygiek 194 and I will hear all your points in turn, then we decide on a co-ordinated line of action. We must remain organized … Unity Breeds Immunity.”
    In the long debate that followed, everyone stated his point of view, some timidly, some defiantly. From all this, Dulcifer stood aside, arms akimbo, looking toward the river. Leaving the group about Kordan, Sygiek went over to him and said, “You are sensibly watching for danger, Vul Dulcifer. We should post look-outs before talking. The next pack of beasts may prove less timid than the last.”
    â€œThere are only so many boots to go round.”
    â€œIt is questionable wisdom to allow wild beasts on a planet with innocent holiday-makers.”
    â€œIt’s their planet.”
    â€œNot any more.”
    â€œMillia Sygiek, while your friend Kordan is making his speeches, I want to go down this embankment and look around. My belief is that these mole-like creatures undermined the road and wrecked our bus.”
    â€œDeliberately?”
    â€œThat we may be able to establish. Come down with me and see.”
    The embankment was steep. He ran down, digging his heels in as he went. As she followed him, and they slithered down to the level of the nearby river, Kordan called her name. She did not look back.
    Kordan came to the edge of the highway and called, “Where are you two going? We must not split up. Remain united!”
    She followed Dulcifer. She wondered if something in his stocky figure, his air of confidence, reminded her of the director of the crèche in which, with a thousand other infants, she had spent the tender years of infancy, following her exobirth.
    Under the low cliffs where the river had once flowed, the land was strewn with debris. Here and there, the terrain had been built up into long winding tunnels, standing over a meter high. It was hard to determine whether these odd features were natural or artificial. Between the tunnels and on top of them grew fleshy ferns which sprayed rusty spores into the air as Dulcifer and Sygiek brushed past. Several tunnels led under the embankment on which the road was built.
    Dulcifer kicked at the soil. “Here’s where the road collapsed. There’s no doubt in my mind that these tunnels are made by the mole-like animals. They would be safe in their tunnels from most other predators. They burrowed under the road and the freeway collapsed—presumably by accident, not from intent. Depends how intelligent they are. All the same …”
    He noticed her expression. “You’re looking upset. What’s the trouble?”
    She drew herself up. “Utopianist Dulcifer, I have observed how free you are at expressing opinions. You hold an ill-concealed contempt for democratic consensus opinion, that’s obvious. Then you casually order me to follow you here, as if I were some inferior—an ateptotic from Centauri, say. In my judgment, you are at least a potential deviationist, and I advise you to keep a check on your behavior.”
    While he stared at her, a bead of sweat ran down his brow,