Short Fiction · Chapters
Chapters explained
Chapter companions for Short Fiction by Mack Reynolds.
Chapter 1
Tourists to Terra
Captain Foren and his crew manage a luxury cruise ship for wealthy thrill-seekers, who participate in primitive wars for sport. After a tourist is injured at Troy, the Captain decides to move the ship forward in time to find safer conflicts. They arrive in 1845, then jump to 1945, only to discover they are near the site of the first atomic bomb test, forcing a panicked evacuation.
Chapter 2
Not in the Rules
Gladiator Jak Demsi, having survived the Interplanetary Meet's free-for-all, faces a tribunal of judges and diplomats who accuse him of violating the contest's code of honor. He defends his tactics—throwing the emerald to divide opponents, fleeing to choose his ground, and feigning death—as legitimate Terran customs, citing Sioux maxims, 'playing possum,' and Brooklyn pragmatism. With support from Suzi and Alger Wilde, his explanations are accepted, and he is awarded the Venusian emerald. The chapter underscores the political stakes of the Meet, where planetary dominance is decided by proxy combat.
Chapter 3
The Martians and the Coys
Maw Coy brings food to her family's moonshine still, where her simple son Lem dreams of shooting a Martin. Meanwhile, a Martian commander reports to his superior about a failed invasion attempt in Kentucky, where their advanced weapons proved useless against the primitive but fierce Earthlings. The chapter ends with Lem claiming to have killed a 'passel of Martins,' though his family dismisses him.
Chapter 4
Mercy Flight
Phil Mooney, a former space-force pilot turned independent space hauler, risks everything to rush a critically ill eight-year-old girl, Lillian Marshall, from Luna to Earth for emergency medical treatment after her parents are killed in a nuclear accident. Despite his radio appearing to malfunction, he manages to attract global attention through a newspaper chain, ultimately landing safely and securing both the child's medical care and financial future, while also benefiting from the ensuing publicity.
Chapter 5
Halftripper
The narrator, a spaceman in a Mars bar, encounters a halftripper—a victim of space cafard—and an old man named Joseph. Joseph shows compassion for the halftripper, prompting a discussion on salvation and inner peace. The bartender Sam reveals Joseph is an immortal former spacebaron who, along with his brother Micheal, caused a revolution on Calypso by refusing to let a plague-stricken ship land, unknowingly killing his own son. The chapter ends with the narrator suffering a space cafard attack and glimpsing Joseph, recognizing him as his brother Micheal.
Chapter 6
The Cosmic Bluff
Jak Dempsi, the Solar System Gladiator Champion, grapples with his inflated ego and the impending fight against a Centaurian gladiator, on which the fate of the Solar System depends. His manager warns him that his championship was a fluke and that he is in danger. Meanwhile, his fiancée Suzi breaks off their engagement, calling him a phony and a stuffed shirt. Dempsi drowns his sorrows in drink, then enters the arena heavily armed with advanced weapons, but the Centaurian proves nearly invulnerable, surviving an atomic grenade and a submachine gat barrage.
Chapter 7
Dogfight—1973
A pilot (Jerry) engages in a high-speed aerial dogfight with an enemy ace, Dmitri, but is shot down after misidentifying the enemy's aircraft model. After the simulation, he faces ribbing from a fellow pilot, Bill Dickson, and reflects on the personal costs of war.
Chapter 8
Potential Enemy
Markham Gray, a veteran journalist, is traveling from Triton to Earth when he spots an unidentified craft. The ship's captain, Roger Post, initially prepares to attack but hesitates after receiving a peaceful telepathic message from the alien vessel. Upon arrival at Earth, Post is court-martialed for failing to destroy the alien ship, with SupSpaceCom Michell arguing that any alien is a potential enemy. The chapter explores the military's paranoid logic and the philosophical dilemma of encountering other intelligences.
Chapter 9
Off Course
The chapter details the arrival of Dameri Tass, a bumbling alien collector from Carthis who mistakenly lands on Earth, believing it to be a member of the Galactic League. After a period of confusion and political wrangling, he is brought before the United Nations, where he reveals he is not an envoy but a zoo specimen collector, causing global shock and disappointment.
Chapter 10
The Galactic Ghost
An alien spacecraft lands on Earth, telepathically announcing that the planet will be destroyed in five years and that only a thousand colonists can be saved. Global chaos ensues as nations, races, and groups vie for representation. Pierre Duclos forms the Society of Racial Preservation to ensure a fair selection process, leading to world government and rapid scientific progress. When the aliens return, Duclos confronts them, suspecting the crisis was a ruse. The alien reveals that the true threat was humanity's self-destruction, and the hoax was engineered by the Galactic Union to force unity. Duclos is left skeptical of joining a galactic organization.
Chapter 11
Happy Ending
The chapter follows the last dictator, Mr. Smith, in his solitary exile on Venus after his defeat in a solar system-wide war. He struggles with isolation, paranoia, and obsessive hatred for the native kifs (ant-like creatures) and marigee (bird-like creatures), which he projects as symbols of his enemies. His memories of power, speeches, and the war's end haunt him, while he clings to his identity as 'Number One' in the absence of any other human contact.
Chapter 12
After Some Tomorrow
In a post-apocalyptic clan society, Alan, the sole husband of the Wolf clan, faces a contentious assembly where he argues for radical social and reproductive reforms—including merging with rival clans and accepting sterile males as mates—to combat declining fertility and ensure the race's survival, while matriarch Sally and scout chief Vivian resist his interference in what they consider women's affairs.
Chapter 13
Unborn Tomorrow
Simon Pond, a private detective, is approached by an eccentric elderly client, Mr. Oyster, who wants to hire him to find time travelers and learn the secret of eternal life. Mr. Oyster believes time travelers would be found at large festivals like the Oktoberfest in Munich, where they could blend in. Simon initially refuses the lucrative offer, then reveals to his secretary Betty that he already took the case three times, traveled to the Oktoberfest, encountered hundreds of time travelers, but was repeatedly reset by the future to prevent altering the space-time continuum. He now suffers from multiple overlapping hangovers and refuses to try again.
Chapter 14
The Good Seed
Calvin Mulloy, a survey engineer on the planet Mersey, crash-lands his homemade sailplane on a small island during a flash storm. Stranded and facing rising waters, he encounters a sentient plant with whom he debates life, death, and the will to survive. After a failed attempt to escape via a drifting tree, Calvin confronts his own desperation and determination to accomplish something before the end.
Chapter 15
Summit
At a summit meeting between the leaders of two rival blocs, President James Donlevy and Marshal Vladimir Ignatov (Vovo) meet privately to negotiate. Their conversation reveals the deep economic and political dependencies on perpetual cold war, as both admit that peace would trigger depressions and internal collapse. They discuss religion, nonconformity, and the impossibility of disarmament, acknowledging that their systems are locked in a cycle of tension they cannot escape.
Chapter 16
Revolution
Paul Koslov infiltrates a revolutionary meeting in Leningrad, eavesdropping on discussions about overthrowing the Soviet regime. He debates political theory with Ana Furtseva, who explains a new system of representation based on industry rather than geography. The revolutionaries plan to use untraceable radio transmitters and assassinate top Soviet leaders, while grappling with the dilemma of maintaining nuclear weapons for defense.
Chapter 17
The Gold Watch
Seymour Pond, the last trained space pilot, retires after his mandatory six trips, leaving the Department of Space Exploration desperate. Academician Lofting Gubelin and Doctor Hans Girard-Perregaux debate how to lure him back, with Girard-Perregaux suggesting historical parallels to sailors who squandered their savings. Pond, content with his minimal Basic shares and a mini-auto-apartment, rejects their appeals.
Chapter 18
The Trap is Sprung
Si Pond, a retired space pilot, prepares for a lavish night out in Manhattan, spending his savings on luxury and entertainment. He meets Natalie Paskov, who manipulates him into gambling away his fortune. Meanwhile, Academician Lofting Gubelin and Doctor Hans Girard-Perregaux discuss societal stagnation and the need for space exploration, revealing that Natalie is an operative hired to bankrupt Si so he will return to space duty.
Chapter 19
III
Freddy Soligen has a tense conversation with his teenage son Sam about caste, religion, and ambition. Freddy criticizes the complacency of People's Capitalism and explains that true upward mobility is only possible through Category Military or Category Religion, where the system can discreetly eliminate the unfit. He reveals he switched Sam from Communications to Religion to give him a chance to rise, and hints at a secret plan to improve their status. The chapter ends with the arrival of Major Joseph Mauser.
Chapter 20
IV
Joe Mauser confronts his publicist Freddy Soligen about a staged fight with a former boxing champion, expressing frustration with the publicity campaign that has made him a celebrity but not advanced his caste status. Freddy defends the tactics and insists they need a dramatic gimmick to push Joe to the top, while Joe sarcastically suggests getting killed in a burst of glory.
Chapter 21
V
Joe Mauser visits Nadine Haer at her home, where he encounters her brother Balt Haer, who is hostile and condescending. Philip Holland discusses historical cycles of ruling class self-perpetuation, comparing Roman spectacles and Chinese mandarins to contemporary society. Joe receives a summons from Marshal Stonewall Cogswell, cutting short his date with Nadine.
Chapter 22
The Marshal's Predicament
Joe Mauser visits Marshal Stonewall Cogswell, who is recruiting officers for an upcoming trial by combat between the United Miners and Carbonaceous Fuel. Cogswell reveals he is caught short of gliders and trained reconnaissance pilots, a problem exacerbated by Mauser's own innovative use of a glider in a previous fracas. Despite Mauser's initial reluctance due to personal reasons, Cogswell offers promotion incentives to sway him.
Chapter 23
VII
Joe Mauser visits Freddy Soligen's home and meets his son Sam, a novitiate in Category Religion. They debate the ethics of military and religious categories, with Joe defending mercenary combat as a chosen profession while Sam challenges him on the fate of inexperienced Rank Privates. Freddy returns and discusses Joe's need for a new spectacle to boost his popularity with the buffs, proposing a dogfight in a glider to reintroduce aerial combat.
Chapter 24
VIII
Major Joe Mauser meets Dr. Nadine Haer at the Agora Bar, where their ongoing debate over status and caste intensifies. Joe reveals he has taken another mercenary commission for Stonewall Cogswell to advance his promotion hopes, while Nadine confronts him about risking his life for status. Their conversation exposes the rigid caste barriers that prevent their love, with Joe comparing cross-caste marriage to historical racial taboos. Nadine ultimately rejects his ambition and warns she will watch the upcoming conflict, vowing to never see him again if anyone dies as a result of his actions.
Chapter 25
IX
Marshal Stonewall Cogswell briefs his staff on a battle plan that mirrors the Battle of Chancellorsville, but with a strategic reversal of feints and attacks. He assigns Major Joe Mauser to monitor a crucial defile and orders his artillery chief to develop camouflage and anti-aircraft measures against enemy gliders.
Chapter 26
The Glider Gambit
Joe Mauser and Freddy Soligen prepare for a reconnaissance mission in a sailplane during a fracas, smuggling a machine gun past neutral observers. Joe must evade enemy glider pilots to deliver a critical message to Marshal Cogswell about Jack Altshuler's cavalry, culminating in a desperate crash landing.
Chapter 27
XI
Joe Mauser, recovering in a military rest home, receives a visit from Stonewall Cogswell, who informs him of the International Disarmament Commission's harsh ruling against him for mounting a gun on an aircraft. Joe is stripped of rank, forbidden from the Category Military, and heavily fined. Cogswell, who was reduced in rank and fined due to his Upper caste status and Freddy Soligen's testimony, offers to pay Joe's hospital bills, but Joe refuses.
Chapter 28
XII
Freddy Soligen returns home after the crash and the subsequent courts-martial, only to discover that his son Sam has switched categories and enlisted as an infantryman in the Chrysler-Ford fracas, inspired by his father's Telly coverage and the allure of becoming a famous mercenary like Joe Mauser.
Chapter 29
Combat
Hank Kuran, under the alias Henry Stevenson, joins a Progressive Tours trip to the Soviet Union to make contact with the Galactic Confederation. He meets fellow American Charity Moore and engages in ideological debates with other tourists, all while the alien presence dominates shipboard conversation. In Leningrad, Hank observes Soviet prosperity and maintains a guarded distance from his fellow travelers.
Chapter 30
Medal of Honor
Don Mathers, holder of the Galactic Medal of Honor, confronts the moral burden of his undeserved decoration. He rejects a bribe from a corrupt corporation, kills Max Rostoff in self-defense, and confesses his fraud to the President, who refuses to revoke the medal for the sake of human morale.
Chapter 31
I'm a Stranger Here Myself
The narrator, calling himself Rupert, sits at the Café de Paris in Tangier and meets Paul, a fellow expatriate. They discuss the possibility of aliens secretly living on Earth, disguised as humans. The conversation ranges from flying saucers to the idea of a Galactic League, and the narrator reveals that Tangier, with its cosmopolitan and indifferent populace, would be the perfect hiding place for an alien. The chapter ends with both men revealing to each other that they are, in fact, aliens from Aldebaran and Deneb, each with their own motives for being on Earth.
Chapter 32
Gun for Hire
Professional assassin Joe Prantera is transported from his own era to a future utopia where crime and violence have been eliminated. Two citizens, Lawrence Reston-Farrell and Warren Brett-James, recruit him to assassinate a dangerous atavistic figure named Howard Temple-Tracy, as they themselves are incapable of taking a life. Joe grapples with the alienness of the future and the moral implications of his mission.
Chapter 33
Freedom
Colonel Ilya Simonov confronts the erosion of Party ideology and growing dissent within the Soviet Complex. After a tense encounter with a defiant biologist in Prague, Simonov reports to his superior Kliment Blagonravov about underground movements. In a dramatic turn, Simonov kills Blagonravov to protect his friends and destroy incriminating reports, then escapes the Ministry.
Chapter 34
Ultima Thule
Ronny Bronston returns to Earth disillusioned after discovering that the elusive revolutionary Tommy Paine is actually a front for Section G, the organization he works for. Commissioner Metaxa and Sid Jakes explain the true purpose of Section G: to secretly guide the social evolution of member planets, nudging them toward progress while maintaining the fiction of Tommy Paine to justify their interventions. Ronny is paired with Tog Lee Chang Chu for his first real assignment and ultimately accepts his role, requesting to work with her.
Chapter 35
Farmer
Joe Mauser, a former soldier turned farmer, reflects on his life and the societal structures that have shaped his identity. He grapples with his place in a world divided by class and power, contemplating rebellion and the cyclical nature of history.
Chapter 36
The Gold Watch
Seymour Pond, the last trained space pilot, retires after his mandatory six trips, leaving the Department of Space Exploration desperate. Academician Lofting Gubelin and Doctor Hans Girard-Perregaux debate how to lure him back, with Girard-Perregaux suggesting historical parallels to sailors who squandered their savings. Pond, content with his minimal Basic shares and a mini-auto-apartment, rejects their appeals.
Chapter 37
The Trap is Sprung
Si Pond, a retired space pilot, prepares for a lavish night out in Manhattan, spending his savings on luxury and entertainment. He meets Natalie Paskov, who manipulates him into gambling away his fortune. Meanwhile, Academician Lofting Gubelin and Doctor Hans Girard-Perregaux discuss societal stagnation and the need for space exploration, revealing that Natalie is an operative hired to bankrupt Si so he will return to space duty.
Chapter 38
III
Freddy Soligen has a tense conversation with his teenage son Sam about caste, religion, and ambition. Freddy criticizes the complacency of People's Capitalism and explains that true upward mobility is only possible through Category Military or Category Religion, where the system can discreetly eliminate the unfit. He reveals he switched Sam from Communications to Religion to give him a chance to rise, and hints at a secret plan to improve their status. The chapter ends with the arrival of Major Joseph Mauser.
Chapter 39
IV
Joe Mauser confronts his publicist Freddy Soligen about a staged fight with a former boxing champion, expressing frustration with the publicity campaign that has made him a celebrity but not advanced his caste status. Freddy defends the tactics and insists they need a dramatic gimmick to push Joe to the top, while Joe sarcastically suggests getting killed in a burst of glory.
Chapter 40
V
Joe Mauser visits Nadine Haer at her home, where he encounters her brother Balt Haer, who is hostile and condescending. Philip Holland discusses historical cycles of ruling class self-perpetuation, comparing Roman spectacles and Chinese mandarins to contemporary society. Joe receives a summons from Marshal Stonewall Cogswell, cutting short his date with Nadine.
Chapter 41
Status Quo
Larry Woolford investigates the Movement, a revolutionary group challenging the social-label system, and interviews Professor Voss about status labels and their societal impact. He learns of Frank Nostrand's absurd records, receives a call from LaVerne Polk about the Movement's activation, and discusses revolutionary theory with his boss, who dismisses the Movement's secrecy. Woolford resumes his vacation, leaving Susan Self's case to Secret Service.
Chapter 42
Mercenary
Joe Mauser, a professional soldier, signs up for a high-tech vacuum tube transport system to reach a new war zone, highlighting the commodification of warfare and the alienation of the mercenary.
Chapter 43
The Gold Watch
Seymour Pond, the last trained space pilot, retires after his mandatory six trips, leaving the Department of Space Exploration desperate. Academician Lofting Gubelin and Doctor Hans Girard-Perregaux debate how to lure him back, with Girard-Perregaux suggesting historical parallels to sailors who squandered their savings. Pond, content with his minimal Basic shares and a mini-auto-apartment, rejects their appeals.
Chapter 44
The Trap is Sprung
Si Pond, a retired space pilot, prepares for a lavish night out in Manhattan, spending his savings on luxury and entertainment. He meets Natalie Paskov, who manipulates him into gambling away his fortune. Meanwhile, Academician Lofting Gubelin and Doctor Hans Girard-Perregaux discuss societal stagnation and the need for space exploration, revealing that Natalie is an operative hired to bankrupt Si so he will return to space duty.
Chapter 45
III
Freddy Soligen has a tense conversation with his teenage son Sam about caste, religion, and ambition. Freddy criticizes the complacency of People's Capitalism and explains that true upward mobility is only possible through Category Military or Category Religion, where the system can discreetly eliminate the unfit. He reveals he switched Sam from Communications to Religion to give him a chance to rise, and hints at a secret plan to improve their status. The chapter ends with the arrival of Major Joseph Mauser.
Chapter 46
IV
Joe Mauser confronts his publicist Freddy Soligen about a staged fight with a former boxing champion, expressing frustration with the publicity campaign that has made him a celebrity but not advanced his caste status. Freddy defends the tactics and insists they need a dramatic gimmick to push Joe to the top, while Joe sarcastically suggests getting killed in a burst of glory.
Chapter 47
V
Joe Mauser visits Nadine Haer at her home, where he encounters her brother Balt Haer, who is hostile and condescending. Philip Holland discusses historical cycles of ruling class self-perpetuation, comparing Roman spectacles and Chinese mandarins to contemporary society. Joe receives a summons from Marshal Stonewall Cogswell, cutting short his date with Nadine.
Chapter 48
The Marshal's Predicament
Joe Mauser visits Marshal Stonewall Cogswell, who is recruiting officers for an upcoming trial by combat between the United Miners and Carbonaceous Fuel. Cogswell reveals he is caught short of gliders and trained reconnaissance pilots, a problem exacerbated by Mauser's own innovative use of a glider in a previous fracas. Despite Mauser's initial reluctance due to personal reasons, Cogswell offers promotion incentives to sway him.
Chapter 49
VII
Joe Mauser visits Freddy Soligen's home and meets his son Sam, a novitiate in Category Religion. They debate the ethics of military and religious categories, with Joe defending mercenary combat as a chosen profession while Sam challenges him on the fate of inexperienced Rank Privates. Freddy returns and discusses Joe's need for a new spectacle to boost his popularity with the buffs, proposing a dogfight in a glider to reintroduce aerial combat.
Chapter 50
VIII
Major Joe Mauser meets Dr. Nadine Haer at the Agora Bar, where their ongoing debate over status and caste intensifies. Joe reveals he has taken another mercenary commission for Stonewall Cogswell to advance his promotion hopes, while Nadine confronts him about risking his life for status. Their conversation exposes the rigid caste barriers that prevent their love, with Joe comparing cross-caste marriage to historical racial taboos. Nadine ultimately rejects his ambition and warns she will watch the upcoming conflict, vowing to never see him again if anyone dies as a result of his actions.
Chapter 51
IX
Marshal Stonewall Cogswell briefs his staff on a battle plan that mirrors the Battle of Chancellorsville, but with a strategic reversal of feints and attacks. He assigns Major Joe Mauser to monitor a crucial defile and orders his artillery chief to develop camouflage and anti-aircraft measures against enemy gliders.
Chapter 52
The Glider Gambit
Joe Mauser and Freddy Soligen prepare for a reconnaissance mission in a sailplane during a fracas, smuggling a machine gun past neutral observers. Joe must evade enemy glider pilots to deliver a critical message to Marshal Cogswell about Jack Altshuler's cavalry, culminating in a desperate crash landing.
Chapter 53
XI
Joe Mauser, recovering in a military rest home, receives a visit from Stonewall Cogswell, who informs him of the International Disarmament Commission's harsh ruling against him for mounting a gun on an aircraft. Joe is stripped of rank, forbidden from the Category Military, and heavily fined. Cogswell, who was reduced in rank and fined due to his Upper caste status and Freddy Soligen's testimony, offers to pay Joe's hospital bills, but Joe refuses.
Chapter 54
Subversive
Frank Tracy, an agent of the Bureau of Economic Subversion, investigates and shuts down Freer Enterprises, an organization that sells unbranded, cheap goods to undermine the US economy. He interrogates its leaders, including Adam Moncure and Frederic Flowers, who openly advocate for collapsing the current economic system of planned obsolescence and wasteful advertising. Tracy's team raids their headquarters near Woodstock, Illinois, to stop the spread of their subversive operations.
Chapter 55
The Common Man
Don Crowley reveals his plan to form the Common Man Party, funded by insider trading and supported by shady political operatives. He coerces Dr. Braun, Ross Wooley, and Patricia O'Gara into producing more of their invisibility serum, then volunteers to be the test subject. After experiencing invisibility, he returns and a heated debate ensues among the three scientists about whether the discovery should be released to the public, with Patricia arguing that the common man cannot be trusted with such power.
Chapter 56
Frigid Fracas
Joe Mauser scouts the frozen terrain of the Aztec plateau, observing the alien ship and the chaotic, multi-national Earth teams preparing for battle. He notes the lack of discipline, the primitive weapons, and the overwhelming spectacle of the event, reflecting on the absurdity and violence of the situation.
Chapter 57
The Gold Watch
Seymour Pond, the last trained space pilot, retires after his mandatory six trips, leaving the Department of Space Exploration desperate. Academician Lofting Gubelin and Doctor Hans Girard-Perregaux debate how to lure him back, with Girard-Perregaux suggesting historical parallels to sailors who squandered their savings. Pond, content with his minimal Basic shares and a mini-auto-apartment, rejects their appeals.
Chapter 58
The Trap is Sprung
Si Pond, a retired space pilot, prepares for a lavish night out in Manhattan, spending his savings on luxury and entertainment. He meets Natalie Paskov, who manipulates him into gambling away his fortune. Meanwhile, Academician Lofting Gubelin and Doctor Hans Girard-Perregaux discuss societal stagnation and the need for space exploration, revealing that Natalie is an operative hired to bankrupt Si so he will return to space duty.
Chapter 59
III
Freddy Soligen has a tense conversation with his teenage son Sam about caste, religion, and ambition. Freddy criticizes the complacency of People's Capitalism and explains that true upward mobility is only possible through Category Military or Category Religion, where the system can discreetly eliminate the unfit. He reveals he switched Sam from Communications to Religion to give him a chance to rise, and hints at a secret plan to improve their status. The chapter ends with the arrival of Major Joseph Mauser.
Chapter 60
IV
Joe Mauser confronts his publicist Freddy Soligen about a staged fight with a former boxing champion, expressing frustration with the publicity campaign that has made him a celebrity but not advanced his caste status. Freddy defends the tactics and insists they need a dramatic gimmick to push Joe to the top, while Joe sarcastically suggests getting killed in a burst of glory.
Chapter 61
V
Joe Mauser visits Nadine Haer at her home, where he encounters her brother Balt Haer, who is hostile and condescending. Philip Holland discusses historical cycles of ruling class self-perpetuation, comparing Roman spectacles and Chinese mandarins to contemporary society. Joe receives a summons from Marshal Stonewall Cogswell, cutting short his date with Nadine.
Chapter 62
The Marshal's Predicament
Joe Mauser visits Marshal Stonewall Cogswell, who is recruiting officers for an upcoming trial by combat between the United Miners and Carbonaceous Fuel. Cogswell reveals he is caught short of gliders and trained reconnaissance pilots, a problem exacerbated by Mauser's own innovative use of a glider in a previous fracas. Despite Mauser's initial reluctance due to personal reasons, Cogswell offers promotion incentives to sway him.
Chapter 63
VII
Joe Mauser visits Freddy Soligen's home and meets his son Sam, a novitiate in Category Religion. They debate the ethics of military and religious categories, with Joe defending mercenary combat as a chosen profession while Sam challenges him on the fate of inexperienced Rank Privates. Freddy returns and discusses Joe's need for a new spectacle to boost his popularity with the buffs, proposing a dogfight in a glider to reintroduce aerial combat.
Chapter 64
VIII
Major Joe Mauser meets Dr. Nadine Haer at the Agora Bar, where their ongoing debate over status and caste intensifies. Joe reveals he has taken another mercenary commission for Stonewall Cogswell to advance his promotion hopes, while Nadine confronts him about risking his life for status. Their conversation exposes the rigid caste barriers that prevent their love, with Joe comparing cross-caste marriage to historical racial taboos. Nadine ultimately rejects his ambition and warns she will watch the upcoming conflict, vowing to never see him again if anyone dies as a result of his actions.
Chapter 65
IX
Marshal Stonewall Cogswell briefs his staff on a battle plan that mirrors the Battle of Chancellorsville, but with a strategic reversal of feints and attacks. He assigns Major Joe Mauser to monitor a crucial defile and orders his artillery chief to develop camouflage and anti-aircraft measures against enemy gliders.
Chapter 66
The Glider Gambit
Joe Mauser and Freddy Soligen prepare for a reconnaissance mission in a sailplane during a fracas, smuggling a machine gun past neutral observers. Joe must evade enemy glider pilots to deliver a critical message to Marshal Cogswell about Jack Altshuler's cavalry, culminating in a desperate crash landing.
Chapter 67
XI
Joe Mauser, recovering in a military rest home, receives a visit from Stonewall Cogswell, who informs him of the International Disarmament Commission's harsh ruling against him for mounting a gun on an aircraft. Joe is stripped of rank, forbidden from the Category Military, and heavily fined. Cogswell, who was reduced in rank and fined due to his Upper caste status and Freddy Soligen's testimony, offers to pay Joe's hospital bills, but Joe refuses.
Chapter 68
XII
Freddy Soligen returns home after the crash and the subsequent courts-martial, only to discover that his son Sam has switched categories and enlisted as an infantryman in the Chrysler-Ford fracas, inspired by his father's Telly coverage and the allure of becoming a famous mercenary like Joe Mauser.
Chapter 69
XIII
Joe Mauser, recovering from injuries on auto-crutches, receives a visit from Nadine Haer. She brings flowers and candy, and they discuss his expulsion from the Category Military and the ruling against gliders that also affected her brother Balt. Joe reflects on the addictive nature of violence as spectacle, and finally asks Nadine how they might change the rules of their status-driven world.
Chapter 70
XIV
Nadine Haer drives Joe Mauser to a government building, where they meet Philip Holland and Frank Hodgson. Joe is recruited into a secret organization aiming to change the socioeconomic system. His first assignment is to go to Budapest to gather intelligence on the Sov-world, particularly regarding an underground movement in Siberia led by a Tuvinian fanatic advocating a return to pre-industrial ways.
Chapter 71
Chapter XV: The Proletarian Paradise
Joe Mauser is introduced to Lieutenant Bela Kossuth of the Sov-world's Pink Army. During a ride to a banquet, Kossuth explains the Sov-world's class structure, the role of the Pink Army, and the ongoing punitive expeditions against rebellious nomads. Max Mainz's presence as a Lower-born friend challenges the Sov officers' assumptions, and Joe begins to see parallels between the West-world's fracas system and the Sov-world's military operations.
Chapter 72
XVI
Joseph Mauser, ostensibly a military attaché at the West-world Embassy in Budapest but secretly on a mission for Philip Holland, settles into embassy life while Nadine Haer enthusiastically embraces local Hungarian culture, cuisine, and fashion. Joe struggles with his romantic relationship with Nadine, who keeps him at arm's length despite her earlier promise to marry him. Through his servant Max Mainz's social aggressiveness, Joe begins to make inroads into understanding the Sov-world.
Chapter 73
XVII
Joe Mauser and Max Mainz visit a cabaret in Buda called the Bécsikapu, where they encounter three Soviet officers. A confrontation escalates when Joe throws wine at one officer and knocks out another, leading to a hasty escape through a rear door.
Chapter 74
XVIII
Joe Mauser is challenged to a duel by Sándor Rákóczi, a renowned swordsman and marksman, after a nightclub altercation. General Armstrong and Nadine Haer reveal that the duel is likely a political frame-up to eliminate Joe, who is secretly part of a revolutionary cell. Despite warnings, Joe insists on accepting the challenge, choosing Bowie knives as the weapon.
Chapter 75
XIX
Joe Mauser receives two Bowie knives for his upcoming duel with Sándor Rákóczi, selecting one with a James Black stamp. Nadine Haer pleads with him to flee to London, but Joe refuses, arguing that the organization's mission and prestige depend on his staying. Their emotional confrontation ends with Nadine storming out in fury.
Chapter 76
XX
Joe Mauser engages in a formal duel with the Hungarian Sov officer Sándor Rákóczi, a televised spectacle. Despite being outmatched in speed and agility, Joe uses a thrown Bowie knife to wound his opponent fatally, winning the duel but sustaining injuries himself.
Chapter 77
XXI
Recovering from his duel with Captain Rákóczi, Joe Mauser is visited by General Armstrong and later by Lieutenant Colonel Bela Kossuth. Armstrong confirms Rákóczi's death and reveals that the Party knows of Mauser's mission, restricting his future operations. Kossuth, in a candid conversation, explains the self-perpetuating nature of the Party and the stagnation of the Sov-world, hinting at deeper intrigues.
Chapter 78
XXII
Joe Mauser returns to Greater Washington with Nadine Haer and Max Mainz after being expelled from the Sov-world. He reports to Phil Holland and Frank Hodgson, revealing that the Sov-world has its own underground revolutionary organization, represented by Colonel Lajos Arpád. Joe explains that both West and Sov-worlds face similar caste system problems, and he proposes that the two underground groups collaborate. He also proposes marriage to Nadine, who accepts.
Chapter 79
Spaceman on a Spree
Joe Mauser, a professional soldier in a future stratified society, is recruited by the Vacuum Tube Transport Company for a high-stakes war game on an alien planet. He navigates a complex social hierarchy, confronts the commodification of violence, and prepares for a conflict that blurs the lines between sport, spectacle, and survival.
Chapter 80
The Gold Watch
Seymour Pond, the last trained space pilot, retires after his mandatory six trips, leaving the Department of Space Exploration desperate. Academician Lofting Gubelin and Doctor Hans Girard-Perregaux debate how to lure him back, with Girard-Perregaux suggesting historical parallels to sailors who squandered their savings. Pond, content with his minimal Basic shares and a mini-auto-apartment, rejects their appeals.
Chapter 81
The Trap is Sprung
Si Pond, a retired space pilot, prepares for a lavish night out in Manhattan, spending his savings on luxury and entertainment. He meets Natalie Paskov, who manipulates him into gambling away his fortune. Meanwhile, Academician Lofting Gubelin and Doctor Hans Girard-Perregaux discuss societal stagnation and the need for space exploration, revealing that Natalie is an operative hired to bankrupt Si so he will return to space duty.
