The Leader Read online

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  THE LEADER

  By MURRAY LEINSTER

  _The trouble with being a Superman, with Super powers, and knowing it, is it's so easy to overlook the unpleasant possibility of a super-superman!_

  Illustrated by van Dongen

  ... The career of The Leader remains one of the mysteries of history. This man, illegitimate and uneducated, hysterical and superstitious, gathered about him a crowded following of those who had been discontented, but whom he turned into fanatics. Apparently by pure force of personality he seized without resistance the government of one of the world's great nations. So much is unlikely enough. But as the ruler of a civilized country he imposed upon its people the absolute despotism of a primitive sultanate. He honeycombed its society with spies. He imprisoned, tortured, and executed without trial or check. And while all this went on he received the most impassioned loyalty of his subjects! Morality was abandoned at his command with as much alacrity as common sense. He himself was subject to the grossest superstitions. He listened to astrologers and fortunetellers--and executed them when they foretold disaster. But it is not enough to be amazed at the man himself. The great mystery is that people of the Twentieth Century, trained in science and technically advanced, should join in this orgy of what seems mere madness ...

  _Concise History of Europe._ Blaisdell.

  * * * * *

  Letter from Professor Albrecht Aigen, University of Brunn, to the HerrGeneral Johann von Steppberg, retired.

  My dear General von Steppberg:

  It is with reluctance that I intrude upon your retirement, but at therequest of the Government I have undertaken a scientific examination ofthe causes which brought about The Leader's rise to power, theextraordinary popularity of his regime, the impassioned loyalty he wasable to evoke, and the astounding final developments.

  If you can communicate to me any memories of The Leader which may aid inunderstanding this most bewildering period of our history, I assure youthat it will be appreciated by myself, by the authorities who wish theinvestigation made, and I dare to hope by posterity.

  I am, my dear general, (Et cetera.)

  * * * * *

  Letter from General Johann von Steppberg (Retired) to Professor AlbrechtAigen, University of Brunn.

  Herr Professor:

  The official yearbooks of the army contain the record of my militarycareer. I have nothing to add to that information. You say theauthorities wish more. I refuse it. If they threaten my pension, I willrenounce it. If they propose other pressures, I will leave the country.In short, I refuse to discuss in any manner the subject of your recentcommunication.

  I am, Herr Professor, (Et cetera.)

  * * * * *

  Letter from Professor Albrecht Aigen to Dr. Karl Thurn, Professor ofPsychology at University of Laibach.

  My dear Karl:

  I hope your psionic research goes better than my official project! Mybusiness goes nowhere! I have written to generals, ministers, and allkinds of persons who held high office under The Leader. Each and everyone refuses to discuss The Leader or his own experiences under him. Why?Surely no one would blame them now! We have had to agree to pretend thatno one did anything improper under The Leader, or else that what anyonedid was proper at the time. So why should the nabobs of that incredibleperiod refuse to discuss what they should know better than anyone else?I am almost reduced to asking the aid of the astrologers and soothsayersThe Leader listened to. Actually, I must make a note to do so in soberearnest. At least they had their own viewpoint of events.

  Speaking of viewpoints, I have had some hope of clarifying The Leader'scareer by comparing it with that of Prime Minister Winston, in power inhis country when The Leader ruled ours. His career is splendidlydocumented. There is astonishingly little documentation about The Leaderas a person, however. That is one of the difficulties of my task. Evenworse, those who should know him best lock their lips while those--

  Here is an unsolicited letter from the janitor of a building in which aformer Minister of Education now has his law offices. I have manyletters equally preposterous....

  * * * * *

  Enclosure in letter to Dr. Karl Thurn, University of Laibach.

  Herr Professor:

  I am the janitor of the building in which Herr Former Minister ofEducation Werfen has his offices. In cleaning there I saw a lettercrumpled into a ball and thrown into a corner. I learned in the time ofThe Leader that angry actions often mean evil intentions, so I read theletter to see if the police should be notified. It was a letter from youin which you asked Herr Former Minister of Education Werfen for hismemories of The Leader.

  I remember The Leader, Herr Professor. He was the most holy man who everlived, if indeed he was only a man. Once I passed the open door of anoffice in the building I then worked in. I looked in the door--it wasthe office of the then-struggling Party The Leader had founded--and Isaw The Leader sitting in a chair, thinking. There was golden lightabout his head, Herr Professor. I have told this to other people andthey do not believe me. There were shadowy other beings in the room. Isaw, very faintly, great white wings. But the other beings were stillbecause The Leader was thinking and did not wish to be disturbed. Iassure you that this is true, Herr Professor. The Leader was the holiestof men--if he was only a man.

  I am most respectfully, Herr Professor, (Et cetera.)

  * * * * *

  Letter from Fraulein Lise Grauer, nurse, in the city of Bludenz, toProfessor Aigen at Brunn University.

  Most respected Herr Professor:

  I write this at the request of the Herr Former Police Inspector Grieg,to whom you directed a letter shortly before his death. The Herr FormerPolice Inspector had been ill for some time. I was his nurse. I hadcared for him for months and did many small services for him, such aswriting letters at his direction.

  When your letter came he read it and went into a black mood of deep andbitter recollection. He would not speak for hours, and I had greatdifficulty in getting him to take his medicines. Just before his bedtimehe called me and said sardonically;

  "Lise, write to this Herr Professor for me. Say to him that I was once adecent man. When The Leader took power, I received orders that I wouldnot accept. I submitted my resignation. Then I received orders to cometo The Leader. I obeyed these orders because my resignation was not yetaccepted. I was received in his office. I entered it with respect anddefiance--respect because he was admitted to be the ruler of our nation;defiance because I would not obey such orders as had been sent me in hisname.

  "The Leader spoke to me, kindly, and as he spoke all my views changed.It suddenly seemed that I had been absurd to refuse the orders sent me.They seemed right and reasonable and even more lenient than would havebeen justified.... I left The Leader in a state in which I could notpossibly fail to do anything he wished. From that moment I obeyed hisorders. I was promoted. Eventually, as you know, I was in command of theNeusatz prison camp. And you know what orders I carried out there!"

  I wept, Herr Professor, because the Herr Grieg's eyes were terrible tolook at. He was a gentle and kindly man, Herr Professor! I was hisnurse, and he was a good patient and a good man in every way. I hadheard of the things that were done at Neusatz, but I could not believethat my patient had commanded them. Now, in his eyes I saw that heremembered them and that the memory was intolerable. He said verybitterly:

&n
bsp; "Tell the Herr Professor that I can tell him nothing more. I have noother memories that would be of service to him. I have resolved, anyhow,to get rid even of these. I have kept them too long. Say to him that hisletter has decided me."

  I did not understand what he meant, Herr Professor. I helped him preparefor the night, and when he seemed to be resting quietly I retired,myself. I was wakened by a very loud noise. I went to see what was thematter. The Herr Former Police Inspector Grieg had managed to get out ofhis bed and across the room to a bureau. He opened a drawer and took outa revolver. He made his way back to his bed. He blew out his brains.

  I called the police, and after investigation they instructed me to carryout his request, which I do.

  Herr Professor, I do not myself remember the times of The Leader, butthey must have been very terrible. If the Herr Former Police InspectorGrieg was actually in command of the Neusatz prison camp, and didactually order the things done there,--I cannot understand it, HerrProfessor! Because he was a good and kindly man! If you write of him, Ibeg that you will mention that he was a