theorize and organize well enough, but I do not have the mantle of destiny that you so obviously possess, my good Feric. I have the ability to rule, but you have the power to inspire."
Feric pondered Bogel's words, perhaps with more depth than the fellow had intended. Bogel was clever enough, but his major weakness was that he thought himself cleverer still. The inner meaning of his words was clear: he intended Feric to lead while he ruled behind the scenes.
But he had misread one of the great lessons of history. A man might rule without being a true leader, but no true leader need fear domination by such a lesser being. Knowing this, Feric knew that Bogel would always be his vassal and never the reverse; thus the fellow could never be other than useful to him, and even in the midst of this transparent scheming, he was put at ease.
"You are offering me the leadership of your party, Seph Bogel?" Feric said with a certain calculated incredulity. "I whom you met in a tavern only this afternoon? This makes me somewhat skeptical of the troop you are calling
. upon me to lead!"
Bogel laughed, and sipped at his wine. 'To tell you the truth, your skepticism is justified," he admitted. "The 44
Human Renaissance Party boasts no more than three hundred names on its roles."
"You ask me to lead a joke! Unless, of course, your membership represents the elite of the nation."
"Frankly," Bogel said, "the Party members are for the most part simple workers, farmers, and craftsmen, with a few military and police officers thrown in."
"This is outrageous!" Feric declared, truely puzzled at the tack of Bogel's admissions. The man asked him to lead this party, and then as much as admitted that the whole thing was a pallid farce.
But Bogel suddenly became intensely earnest. "Consider the true situation. Today Heldon is in the hands of men to whom the Great War is a dim memory, who would sell out our genetic purity to appease the desires of the slothful lumpenproletariat for a life of indolent ease, to whom the borders of Heldon are lines on a political map, not the front trenches of a genetic holy war. Most of the populace slumbers under these misconceptions; the fanatic idealism that built our great citadel of genetic purity through centuries of iron determination and heroic struggle is fading into squalid individualism. Moreover, the so-called best elements of society are willfully blind to the danger.
Only a handful of men, many of them simple folk responding out of deepest racial instinct, see the situation for what it is. Does this not make your blood boil?"
Bogel's face gleamed with passion, and the synthetic torchlight on his features turned his visage into a mask of righteous anger that struck sparks in the core of Feric's soul.
"Indeed it does!" Feric exclaimed. "But what does that have to do with the fate of your little party?"
"Consider someone like myself," Bogel said with uncon-cealed bitterness, "who sees the deadly danger menacing Heldon, and who therefore determines to devote his life to carrying out his racial duty. And who can accomplish nothing more than the building of a tiny party with no more than three hundred members! Would that not make your blood boil?"
Feric was deeply moved; although he had judged Bogel's personal ambitions correctly, he had underestimated the strength of the man's idealism. Personal ambition and fanatic idealism were the mightiest of allies when yoked together in the service of a cause that was just. Bogel would be a magnificent servant indeed.
45
"I see your point," Feric said simply.
"Together we can mold the course of history!" Bogel exclaimed passionately. "We both understand the danger, we both argee that Heldon Jnust be ruled by men of iron conviction and utter ruthlessness who know what must he done to annihilate the Doms and subdue the quasi-men and who will not shrink from doing it. I have built the nucleous of a national organization, which I now lay at your feet. Will you
Feric pondered Bogel's words, perhaps with more depth than the fellow had intended. Bogel was clever enough, but his major weakness was that he thought himself cleverer still. The inner meaning of his words was clear: he intended Feric to lead while he ruled behind the scenes.
But he had misread one of the great lessons of history. A man might rule without being a true leader, but no true leader need fear domination by such a lesser being. Knowing this, Feric knew that Bogel would always be his vassal and never the reverse; thus the fellow could never be other than useful to him, and even in the midst of this transparent scheming, he was put at ease.
"You are offering me the leadership of your party, Seph Bogel?" Feric said with a certain calculated incredulity. "I whom you met in a tavern only this afternoon? This makes me somewhat skeptical of the troop you are calling
. upon me to lead!"
Bogel laughed, and sipped at his wine. 'To tell you the truth, your skepticism is justified," he admitted. "The 44
Human Renaissance Party boasts no more than three hundred names on its roles."
"You ask me to lead a joke! Unless, of course, your membership represents the elite of the nation."
"Frankly," Bogel said, "the Party members are for the most part simple workers, farmers, and craftsmen, with a few military and police officers thrown in."
"This is outrageous!" Feric declared, truely puzzled at the tack of Bogel's admissions. The man asked him to lead this party, and then as much as admitted that the whole thing was a pallid farce.
But Bogel suddenly became intensely earnest. "Consider the true situation. Today Heldon is in the hands of men to whom the Great War is a dim memory, who would sell out our genetic purity to appease the desires of the slothful lumpenproletariat for a life of indolent ease, to whom the borders of Heldon are lines on a political map, not the front trenches of a genetic holy war. Most of the populace slumbers under these misconceptions; the fanatic idealism that built our great citadel of genetic purity through centuries of iron determination and heroic struggle is fading into squalid individualism. Moreover, the so-called best elements of society are willfully blind to the danger.
Only a handful of men, many of them simple folk responding out of deepest racial instinct, see the situation for what it is. Does this not make your blood boil?"
Bogel's face gleamed with passion, and the synthetic torchlight on his features turned his visage into a mask of righteous anger that struck sparks in the core of Feric's soul.
"Indeed it does!" Feric exclaimed. "But what does that have to do with the fate of your little party?"
"Consider someone like myself," Bogel said with uncon-cealed bitterness, "who sees the deadly danger menacing Heldon, and who therefore determines to devote his life to carrying out his racial duty. And who can accomplish nothing more than the building of a tiny party with no more than three hundred members! Would that not make your blood boil?"
Feric was deeply moved; although he had judged Bogel's personal ambitions correctly, he had underestimated the strength of the man's idealism. Personal ambition and fanatic idealism were the mightiest of allies when yoked together in the service of a cause that was just. Bogel would be a magnificent servant indeed.
45
"I see your point," Feric said simply.
"Together we can mold the course of history!" Bogel exclaimed passionately. "We both understand the danger, we both argee that Heldon Jnust be ruled by men of iron conviction and utter ruthlessness who know what must he done to annihilate the Doms and subdue the quasi-men and who will not shrink from doing it. I have built the nucleous of a national organization, which I now lay at your feet. Will you
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