overcome his increasing nervousness, “I may find out that all five of the people are innocent. And even on your terms, I may be able to prove that one or two or three of them deserve to be spared.”
“I can assure you,” Hutt said, “that there is almost no hope of that. They have been accused and that is just about enough. I don’t say that means that they are all equally guilty—but I do say that it means that they are no longer—” he paused, “—useful.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Hutt,” Archer said, “I can’t go along with that. I can’t accept a blanket indictment. They’re five different, individual people I know and I’ve worked with, with five different histories, five different crimes or five different alibis.”
“Once again,” Hutt said, “let me go back to the premise that you keep avoiding. The premise that we are at war. In a war, actions are approximate, not individual. When we dropped bombs on Berlin, we did not carefully pick out SS colonels and members of the Nazi diplomatic corps as our targets. We dropped them on Germans, because Germans were, in general, our enemies. We never managed to kill Hitler, did we, although we killed thousands and thousands of women, children, and old men who were, I suppose, by peaceful standards, quite innocent. Become modern,” Hutt said cheerfully. “Learn to be approximate.”
“That’s a disease,” Archer said. “I prefer not to be infected.”
“Perhaps you’re right,” said Hutt. “But remember that it’s a disease that the Communists started. Not us.”
“I’m also opposed to the theory,” Archer said, “that one must always embrace the enemy’s sickness. Look, Mr. Hutt, maybe we’re just wasting each other’s time …”
“Oh, no,” Hutt whispered hastily, “I’ve found this most interesting. We never have gotten a chance to really talk seriously about things, Archer. And I must confess I’m not as sure as I sound. And this little conversation has helped clarify quite a few matters for me. I hope it has done as much for you. And for O’Neill.”
“I was out late last night,” O’Neill mumbled, in his corner. “I’m sleepy. Nothing is clear to me except that I must go to bed early tonight.”
Hutt chuckled, indulging his lieutenant. “Perhaps,” he said gently to Archer, “perhaps we may have to resign ourselves to an unhappy fact. Perhaps we live in a time in which there are no correct solutions to any problem. Perhaps every act we make must turn out to be wrong. You might find some comfort in that, Archer. I do. If you’re resigned in advance to knowing that you can’t act correctly, no matter what you do, maybe you will be relieved of some of the burden of responsibility.”
“I have not yet reached that austere height,” Archer said, “and I doubt that you honestly feel that you have, too.”
Hutt nodded. “You’re right. Not yet. Not yet.”
“I have to ask you one thing, Mr. Hutt. And I expect an honest answer.” Archer saw Hutt’s face stiffen at this, but he continued bluntly. “I want to know if anything can change your mind about any of these people. If I can prove that some of them are not Communists or fellow-travelers, and are, in fact, anti-Communist, would you still say they have to be fired?”
“As I said before,” Hutt said, “I don’t believe you’ll be able to prove that.”
“If I can prove it, will it make any difference in the way you act?”
“It’s all so conditional, Archer …”
“Because,” Archer said, interrupting, “if not, I’d rather know it now.”
“Why?”
“Because I’ll quit now. This afternoon.” He felt his hands begin to shake and despised himself for the fluttering weakness. He stared coldly at Hutt. Hutt leaned back in his chair, looking at the ceiling, the cigarette holder at a jaunty angle in the corner of his mouth, the well-made suit creasing easily across his shoulders.
“There’s no need to do that,” Hutt whispered finally,
“I can assure you,” Hutt said, “that there is almost no hope of that. They have been accused and that is just about enough. I don’t say that means that they are all equally guilty—but I do say that it means that they are no longer—” he paused, “—useful.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Hutt,” Archer said, “I can’t go along with that. I can’t accept a blanket indictment. They’re five different, individual people I know and I’ve worked with, with five different histories, five different crimes or five different alibis.”
“Once again,” Hutt said, “let me go back to the premise that you keep avoiding. The premise that we are at war. In a war, actions are approximate, not individual. When we dropped bombs on Berlin, we did not carefully pick out SS colonels and members of the Nazi diplomatic corps as our targets. We dropped them on Germans, because Germans were, in general, our enemies. We never managed to kill Hitler, did we, although we killed thousands and thousands of women, children, and old men who were, I suppose, by peaceful standards, quite innocent. Become modern,” Hutt said cheerfully. “Learn to be approximate.”
“That’s a disease,” Archer said. “I prefer not to be infected.”
“Perhaps you’re right,” said Hutt. “But remember that it’s a disease that the Communists started. Not us.”
“I’m also opposed to the theory,” Archer said, “that one must always embrace the enemy’s sickness. Look, Mr. Hutt, maybe we’re just wasting each other’s time …”
“Oh, no,” Hutt whispered hastily, “I’ve found this most interesting. We never have gotten a chance to really talk seriously about things, Archer. And I must confess I’m not as sure as I sound. And this little conversation has helped clarify quite a few matters for me. I hope it has done as much for you. And for O’Neill.”
“I was out late last night,” O’Neill mumbled, in his corner. “I’m sleepy. Nothing is clear to me except that I must go to bed early tonight.”
Hutt chuckled, indulging his lieutenant. “Perhaps,” he said gently to Archer, “perhaps we may have to resign ourselves to an unhappy fact. Perhaps we live in a time in which there are no correct solutions to any problem. Perhaps every act we make must turn out to be wrong. You might find some comfort in that, Archer. I do. If you’re resigned in advance to knowing that you can’t act correctly, no matter what you do, maybe you will be relieved of some of the burden of responsibility.”
“I have not yet reached that austere height,” Archer said, “and I doubt that you honestly feel that you have, too.”
Hutt nodded. “You’re right. Not yet. Not yet.”
“I have to ask you one thing, Mr. Hutt. And I expect an honest answer.” Archer saw Hutt’s face stiffen at this, but he continued bluntly. “I want to know if anything can change your mind about any of these people. If I can prove that some of them are not Communists or fellow-travelers, and are, in fact, anti-Communist, would you still say they have to be fired?”
“As I said before,” Hutt said, “I don’t believe you’ll be able to prove that.”
“If I can prove it, will it make any difference in the way you act?”
“It’s all so conditional, Archer …”
“Because,” Archer said, interrupting, “if not, I’d rather know it now.”
“Why?”
“Because I’ll quit now. This afternoon.” He felt his hands begin to shake and despised himself for the fluttering weakness. He stared coldly at Hutt. Hutt leaned back in his chair, looking at the ceiling, the cigarette holder at a jaunty angle in the corner of his mouth, the well-made suit creasing easily across his shoulders.
“There’s no need to do that,” Hutt whispered finally,
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