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Hitler stared at him incredulously. Radiation? Genetic dis
Suddenly, the spell broke. Industrial pollution of the planet! a woman near the back shrieked, rising.
She was wearing an EARTH FIRST button on a black leotard painted with a white skeleton. Your war
brought about the decline of Europe. Unchecked capitalist greed in the postwar U.S.A. resulted in
You call yourself National Socialists, a man in a black opera cape yelled out. People were on their feet
all around the room by now. But you destroyed socialism! If it hadn t been for your treachery in 1941,
Russia would have ruled the world.
That s not true! a voice called from near where Kunz was sitting. If they hadn t rallied against the
Nazis, the Soviets would have disintegrated. Stalin was a lunatic. Hitler saved Communism.
But you destroyed Germany, on the eve of what should have been its era of greatness, a man in a
kaiser helmet and trenchcoat shouted out.
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Voices were shouting from all sides.
Mass murderer! What about the camps?
Nazism was to blame for the rock cult and drugs!
It caused pornography, teenage pregnancies, and evolution!
. . . belief in astrology and the paranormal . . .
And liberals and gays and AIDS!
Hitler smiled tolerantly and raised his arms in an appeal for order. Slowly the hubbub subsided. My
dear people . . . really, this is all most bewildering. I know we do have some outstanding ideological
differences to resolve, but it is my firm belief that the Western civilization that has arisen in Europe is
about to enter its golden age of prosperity and culture. With confidence in reason and the creative
potential of the human mind, we have it within our power as a species to eliminate universally and
permanently the evils of hunger, disease, poverty, oppression, and ignorance that have plagued humanity
for as long as humanity has existed. To let you into a secret, we have some scientists working on rocket
propulsion for vehicles which, they tell me, might one day enable us to leave this planet entirely. And as
for the political differences between ourselves and our Russian neighbors, well, I know there have been
problems in the past. But those problems stemmed from shortages of resources, and in the new age I see
coming, with new technologies that will end such shortages, I am optimistic that eventually, with better
education and as tensions relax, we will come to see . . .
As Hitler spoke on, the atmosphere around the room changed. One by one, those of the audience who
were on their feet sat down. Many of them exchanged puzzled looks. Something was very wrong. Was
this the fiend who had gone down as one of the arch-villains of history?
I must confess to being somewhat bemused, Kunz heard the English voice whisper behind him. He
seems to be quite a decent sort of chap, really.
Yeah, the Brooklyn voice breathed in reply. Dis ain t de way I hoid it. Dat guy s okay.
Kunz frowned, trying to make sense of the situation. He d seen the newsreels and read the speeches. He
recalled Magus s warnings about Hitler s cunning, and the skillful way he deceived his opponents to lull
them into a false sense of security. Then it came to him suddenly that it was all a trap. He looked around
at the rows of placid faces, some nodding unconsciously as they listened. They were falling for it, all of
them soaking it up.
But not Time Commando Kunz!
He looked away, and saw that the policeman who had quietened the pair behind was still standing a
mere couple of feet from Kunz s seat. The policeman s arms were folded, and he was off guard as he
listened. He was wearing a belt over his greatcoat, and hanging from the belt on the side nearest to Kunz
was a revolver in a holster. The flap of the holster was unfastened. Kunz looked furtively around.
Everyone s attention was on what Hitler was saying. And then Kunz s hand was reaching out stealthily
toward the butt of the revolver. He was aware of it in a strangely detached kind of way, as if his arm had
initiated the motion of its own accord, with the rest of him a spectator. And before he had fully realized it
he was on his feet and leveling the gun between both hands. He was dimly aware of voices shouting and
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heads turning in alarm, and then Hitler was staring straight at him through the sights, white-faced and
openmouthed. . . . He didn t remember firing, or the blow on the back of his head after the third shot.
* * *
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