The Project Gutenberg EBook of Expediter, by Dallas McCord Reynolds

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Title: Expediter

Author: Dallas McCord Reynolds

Illustrator: George Schelling

Release Date: January 9, 2010 [EBook #30902]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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Transcriber's Note:

This etext was produced from Analog Science Fact & Fiction May 1963.
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright
on this publication was renewed.

EXPEDITER

His assignment was to get things done;
he definitely did so.
Not quite the things intended, perhaps,
but definitely done.

by MACK REYNOLDS

ILLUSTRATED BY GEORGE SCHELLING

* * * * *

The knock at the door came in the middle of the night, as Josip Pekic
had always thought it would. He had been but four years of age when
the knock had come that first time and the three large men had given
his father a matter of only minutes to dress and accompany them. He
could barely remember his father.

The days of the police state were over, so they told you. The cult of
the personality was a thing of the past. The long series of five-year
plans and seven-year plans were over and all the goals had been
achieved. The new constitution guaranteed personal liberties. No
longer were you subject to police brutality at the merest whim. So
they told you.

But fears die hard, particularly when they are largely of the
subconscious. And he had always, deep within, expected the knock.

[Illustration]

He was not mistaken. The rap came again, abrupt, impatient. Josip
Pekic allowed himself but one chill of apprehension, then rolled from
his bed, squared slightly stooped shoulders, and made his way to the
door. He flicked on the light and opened up, even as the burly, empty
faced zombi there was preparing to po