The Helpful Hand of God Read online

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  Transcriber's Note:

  This etext was produced from Analog Science Fact & Fiction December 1961. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.

  the helpful hand of

  god

  ... Can be very helpful indeed. But of course, it's long been known that God helps those who wisely help themselves....

  BY TOM GODWIN

  ILLUSTRATED BY BARBERIS

  * * * * *

  (From "Vogarian Revised Encyclopedia":

  _SAINTS: Golden Saints, properly, Yellow Saints, a term of contemptapplied by the Vogarian State Press to members of the Church Of TheGolden Rule because of their opposition to the war then being plannedagainst Alkoria. See CHURCHES._

  _CHURCH, GOLDEN RULE, OF THE: A group of reactionary fanatics whoresisted State control and advocated social chaos through "IndividualFreedom." They were liquidated in the Unity Purge but for two-thousandof the more able-bodied, who were sentenced to the moon mines of BelenNine. The prison ship never arrived there and it is assumed that thecondemned Saints somehow overpowered the guards and escaped to someremote section of the galaxy.)_

  Kane had observed Commander Y'Nor's bird-of-prey profile with detachedinterest as Y'Nor jerked his head around to glare again at thechronometer on the farther wall of the cruiser's command room.

  "What's keeping Dalon?" Y'Nor demanded, transferring his glare toKane. "Did you assure him that I have all day to waste?"

  "He should be here any minute, sir," Kane answered.

  "I didn't find the Saints, after others had failed for sixty years, tothen sit and wait. The situation on Vogar was already very criticalwhen we left." Y'Nor scowled at the chronometer again. "Every hour wewaste waiting here will delay our return to Vogar by an hour--Ipresume you realize that?

  "It does sound like a logical theory," Kane agreed.

  Y'Nor's face darkened dangerously. "You will--"

  Quick, hard-heeled footsteps sounded in the corridor outside. Theguard officer, Dalon, stepped through the doorway and saluted; hiseyes like ice under his pale brows and his uniform seeming to bristlewith weapons.

  "The native is here, sir," he said to Y'Nor.

  He turned, and made a commanding gesture. The leader of the Saintsappeared; the man whose resistance Y'Nor would have to break.

  A frail, white-bearded old man, scuffed uncertainly into the room instraw sandals, his faded blue eyes peering nearsightedly toward Y'Nor.

  "Go to the commander's desk," Dalon ordered in his metallic tones.

  The old man obeyed and stopped before Y'Nor's desk, his hands claspedtogether as though to hide their trembling.

  "You are Brenn," Y'Nor said, "and you hold, I believe, the impressivetitles of Chief Executive of the Council Of Provinces and SupremeElder of the Churches Of The Golden Rule?"

  "Yes, sir." There was a faint quaver in old Brenn's voice. "I welcomeyou to our world, sir, and offer you our friendship."

  "I understand you can produce Elusium X fuel?"

  "Yes, sir. Our Dr. Larue told me the process is within our ability.We--" He hesitated. "We know you haven't enough fuel to return toVogar."

  Y'Nor stiffened in his chair. "What makes you think that?"

  "It requires a great deal of fuel to get through the Whirlpool starcluster--and even sixty years ago, the Elusium ores of Vogar werealmost exhausted."

  Y'Nor smiled thinly. "That reminds me--you would be one of the Saintswho murdered their guards and stole a ship to get here."

  "We killed no guards, sir. In fact, all of them eventually joined ourchurch."

  "Where is the ship?"

  "We had to cut it up for our start in mechanization."

  "I presume you know you will pay for it?"

  "It was taking us to our deaths in the radium mines--but we will paywhatever you ask."

  "The first installment will be one thousand units of fuel, to beproduced with the greatest speed possible."

  "Yes, sir. But in return"--the old man stood a little straighter andan underlying resolve was suddenly revealed--"you must recognize us asa free race."

  "Free? A colony founded by escaped criminals?"

  "That is not true! We committed no crime, harmed no living thing...."

  The hard, cold words of Y'Nor cut off his protest:

  "This world it now a Vogarian possession. Every man, woman, and childupon it is a prisoner of the Vogarian State. There will be noresistance. This cruiser's disintegrators can destroy a town withinseconds, your race within hours. Do you understand what I mean?"

  The visible portion of old Brenn's face turned pale. He spoke at lastin the bitter tones of frightened, stubborn determination:

  "I offered you our friendship; I hoped you would accept, for we are apeaceful race. I should have known that you came only to persecute andenslave us. But the hand of God will reach down to help us and--"

  Y'Nor laughed, a raucous sound like the harsh caw of the Vogarianvulture, and held up a hairy fist.

  "This, old man, is the hand for you to center your prayers around. Iwant full-scale fuel production commenced within twenty-four hours. Ifthis is done, and if you continue to unquestioningly obey all mycommands, I will for that long defer your punishment as an escapedcriminal. If this is not done, I will destroy a town exactlytwenty-five hours from now--and as many more as may be necessary. Andyou will be publicly executed as a condemned criminal and an enemy ofthe Vogarian State."

  Y'Nor turned to Dalon. "Take him away."

  * * * * *

  "Scared sheep," Y'Nor said when Brenn was gone. "Tomorrow he'll saythat he prayed and his god told him what to do--which will be to savehis neck by doing as I command."

  "I don't know--" Kane said doubtfully. "I think you're wrong about hisconscience folding so easily."

  "_You_ think?" Y'Nor asked. "Perhaps I should remind you that theability to think is usually characteristic of commanders rather thansub-ensigns. You will not be asked to try to think beyond the smallextent required to comprehend simple commands."

  Kane sighed with weary resignation. An unexpected encounter with anAlkorian battleship had sent the Vogarian cruiser fleeing through theunexplored Whirlpool star cluster--Y'Nor and Kane the two survivingcommissioned officers--with results of negative value to those mostaffected: the world of the Saint had been accidentally discovered andhe, Kane, had risen from sub-ensign to the shakily temporary positionof second-in-command.

  Y'Nor spoke again:

  "Since Vogarian commanders do not go out and mingle with the nativesof a subject world, you will act as my representative. I'll let Brennsweat until tomorrow, then you will go see him. In that, and in allsubsequent contacts with the natives, you will keep in mind the factthat I shall hold you personally responsible for any failure of myprogram."

  * * * * *

  The next afternoon, two hours before the deadline, Kane went out intothe sweet spring air of the world the Saints had named Sanctuary.

  It was a virgin world, rich in the resources needed by Vogar, withtwenty thousand Saints as the primary labor supply. It was also, hethought, a green and beautiful world; almost a familiar world. Thecruiser stood at the upper edge of the town and in the late afternoonsun the little white and brown houses were touched with gold, halfhidden in the deep azure shadows of the tall trees and flowering vinesthat bordered the gently curving streets.

  Re
stlessness stirred within him as he looked at them. It was likegoing back in time to the Lost Islands, that isolated little region ofVogar that had eluded collectivization until the year he was sixteen.It had been at the same time of year, in the spring, that the StateUnity forces had landed. The Lost Island villages had been drowsing inthe sun that afternoon, as this town was drowsing now--

  He forced the memories from his mind, and the futile restlessness theybrought, and went on past a golden-spired church to a small cottagethat was almost hidden in a garden of flowers and giant silver ferns.

  Brenn met him at the door, his manner very courteous, his eyesdark-shadowed with weariness as though he had not slept for manyhours, and invited him