The Leader Page 5

I then had thecivilian placed in a separate cell, but he continued to raveincoherently until I had the regimental surgeon give him an injection toquiet him. He sank into drugged sleep with foam about his lips.

  He looked remarkably like The Leader. I have never seen such aresemblance! But he was not The Leader or we would have known him.

  There was no disturbance outside the residence. The doubled guards andthe mounted machine guns were not needed.

  I am, Herr Professor, (Et cetera.)

  * * * * *

  Letter, with enclosure, from Professor Albrecht Aigen, Brunn University,to Dr. Karl Thurn, University of Laibach.

  My dear Karl:

  Because of past sharing in my research, you will realize what theenclosed means. It is part of the report of the physicians who examinedThe Leader three days after his confinement in a military prison. He hadrecovered much of his self-control. He spoke with precision. He appearedeven calm, though he was confused in some matters. The doctors addressedhim as "My Leader" because he refused to reply otherwise.

  (Enclosure)

  _Dr. Kundmann_: But, My Leader, we do not understand what has happened!You were terribly disturbed. You were even ... even confused in yourbehavior! Can you tell us what took place?

  _The Leader_: I suffered a great danger and a temporary damage. Thatvillain Schweeringen--I shot him. It was a mistake. I should have hadhim worked over--at length!

  _Dr. Messner_: My Leader, will you be so good as to tell us the natureof the danger and the damage?

  _The Leader_: Schweeringen probably told someone what he would proposeto me. It was his conviction that because of my special gifts I couldcause anyone, not only to obey me, but to pour out to me, directly, hisinmost thoughts and memories. Of course this is true. The danger wasthat of the contact of my mind with an inferior one. But I allowedSchweeringen to persuade me that I should risk even this for the serviceof my people. Therefore I contacted the mind of Prime Minister Winston,so I could know every scheme and every plan he might have or know toexist to injure my people. I intended, however, to cause him to becomeloyal to me--though I would later have had him shot. Schweeringen hadbetrayed me, though. When I made contact with Winston's mind, it was notonly inferior, but diseased! There was a contagion which temporarilyaffected the delicate balance of my intuition. For a short time I couldnot know, as ordinarily, what was best for my people.

  (End of Enclosure)

  You will see, my dear Karl, what took place. To you and to me thisexplains everything. In the background of my research and yourinformation it is clear. Fortunately, The Leader's mind was unstable.The strain and shock of so unparalleled experience as complete knowledgeof another brain's contents destroyed his rationality. He became insane.Insane, he no longer had the psi gifts by which he had seized anddegraded our nation. He ceased to be The Leader.

  But you will see that this must be hidden! Another monster like TheLeader, or Napoleon--perhaps even lesser monsters--could attempt thesame feat. But they might be less unstable! They might be able to invadethe mind of any human being, anywhere, and drain it of any secret orimpress upon it any desire or command, however revolting. You see, Karl,why this must never become known! It must be hidden forever.

  * * * * *

  Letter from Dr. Karl Thurn, University of Laibach, to Professor AlbrechtAigen, Brunn University.

  My dear friend:

  I am relieved! I feared for your judgment. I thought that perhapsoverwork and frustration had set up an anxiety-block to make you ceaseyour work. But you are quite right. Your analysis is brilliant. And nowthat you have pointed it out, unquestionably a man with The Leader's psipowers could force another man's brain to transmit all its contents tohim.

  But consider the consequences! Consider the conditions of such an event.One's brain is designed to work within one's own skull, dealing withsensory messages and the like. Very occasionally it acts outside,shifting crumbs of cheese and confusing computers--and securing candy.But even when one's will controls outside actions, it does not fuse withthe outside brain or thing. It molds or moves the recipient mind, butthere is never a sharing of memory. You have explained why.

  Consider what must happen if a brain of limited power and essentiallyemotional operation is linked to another and more powerful one. Assumefor a moment that my she-dog had linked her brain to yours, evenmomentarily. Do you realize that she would not have gotten yourmemories, much less your power to reason? She would not even haveacquired your knowledge of the meaning of words! When a bright lightshines in your eyes, you see nothing else. When thunder rolls in yourears, you do not hear the ticking of a clock. When you suffer pain, youdo not notice a feather's tickle. If my she-dog had linked her mind toyours, she would have experienced something which is knowledge morefirmly fixed and more continuously known than anything else in yourconscious life. This overwhelmingly strong conviction would have been sopowerful and so positive that it would be imprinted--branded--burnedinto every cell of her brain. She could never get it out.

  But in receiving this overwhelming experience she would not get yourmemories or power to reason or even your personality. She would haveexperienced only your identity. She would have received only theconviction that she was yourself! She would have been like those poorlunatics who believe that they are Napoleon, though they have nothing ofNapoleon in them but the conviction of identity. They do not know whenhe was born or have more than the vaguest notion of what he did, butthey try to act as who he was--according to their own ideas of howNapoleon would act in their situation. This is how my she-dog would havebehaved.

  I am relieved. You have explained everything. Your letter gave me thesuspicion. I secured a transcript of the Herr Doctor's report formyself. My suspicion became a certainty. You will find the clue in thereport. Consider: The Leader had had the experience I imagined for myshe-dog. He had linked his mind with a stronger one and a greaterpersonality--if it must be said, a greater man. For a moment The Leaderknew what that man knew most certainly, with most profound conviction,with most positive knowledge. It was burned into his brain. He couldnever get it out. He did not secure that other man's memories orknowledge or ability. He was blinded, deafened, dazed by theoverwhelming conviction that, the other man had of his own identity. Itwould not be possible for him to get anything else from a stronger mindand a greater person. Nor could anyone else succeed where he failed, myfriend! There is no danger of any man seizing the world by seizing theminds of all his fellows! One who tries will meet the fate of TheLeader.

  You realize what that fate was, of course. He suddenly ceased to be themonster who could cast a spell of blind adoration for himself. He ceasedto be The Leader! So the doctors gave him truth-serum so he would nottry to conceal anything from them. The result is in the transcript onthe third page beyond the place you quoted to me. There the doctorsasked The Leader who he was. Read his answer, my friend! It proveseverything! He said:

  "I am Prime Minister Winston."

  THE END

  Transcriber's Note:

  This etext was produced from _Astounding Science Fiction_ February 1960. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed. Minor spelling and typographical errors have been corrected without note.