The Moon Is Down by John Steinbeck Read Free Book Online Page A

Mr. Corell?”
    And Corell said, “I have a right to be here!”
    Lanser repeated sharply, “Will you leave us now, Mr. Corell? Do you outrank me?”
    â€œWell, no, sir.”
    â€œPlease go, Mr. Corell,” said Colonel Lanser.
    And Corell looked at the Mayor angrily, and then he turned and went quickly out of the doorway. Doctor Winter chuckled and said, “That’s good enough for a paragraph in my history.” Colonel Lanser glanced sharply at him but he did not speak.
    Now the door on the right opened, and straw-haired red-eyed Annie put an angry face into the doorway. “There’s soldiers on the back porch, Madame,” she said. “Just standing there.”
    â€œThey won’t come in,” Colonel Lanser said. “It’s only military procedure.”
    Madame said icily, “Annie, if you have anything to say, let Joseph bring the message.”
    â€œI didn’t know but they’d try to get in,” Annie said. “They smelled the coffee.”
    â€œAnnie!”
    â€œYes, Madame,” and she withdrew.
    The colonel said, “May I sit down?” And he explained, “We have been a long time without sleep.”
    The Mayor seemed to start out of sleep himself. “Yes,” he said, “of course, sit down!”
    The colonel looked at Madame and she seated herself and he settled tiredly into a chair. Mayor Orden stood, still half dreaming.
    The colonel began, “We want to get along as well as we can. You see, sir, this is more like a business venture than anything else. We need the coal mine here and the fishing. We will try to get along with just as little friction as possible.”
    The Mayor said, “I have had no news. What about the rest of the country?”
    â€œAll taken,” said the colonel. “It was well planned.”
    â€œWas there no resistance anywhere?”
    The colonel looked at him compassionately. “I wish there had not been. Yes, there was some resistance, but it only caused bloodshed. We had planned very carefully.”
    Orden stuck to his point. “But there was resistance?”
    â€œYes, but it was foolish to resist. Just as here, it was destroyed instantly. It was sad and foolish to resist.”
    Doctor Winter caught some of the Mayor’s anxiousness about the point. “Yes,” he said, “foolish, but they resisted?”
    And Colonel Lanser replied, “Only a few and they are gone. The people as a whole are quiet.”
    Doctor Winter said, “The people don’t know yet what has happened.”
    â€œThey are discovering,” said Lanser. “They won’t be foolish again.” He cleared his throat and his voice became brisk. “Now, sir, I must get to business. I’m really very tired, but before I can sleep I must make my arrangements.” He sat forward in his chair. “I am more engineer than soldier. This whole thing is more an engineering job than conquest. The coal must come out of the ground and be shipped. We have technicians, but the local people will continue to work the mine. Is that clear? We do not wish to be harsh.”
    And Orden said, “Yes, that’s clear enough. But suppose the people do not want to work the mine?”
    The colonel said, “I hope they will want to, because they must. We must have the coal.”
    â€œBut if they don’t?”
    â€œThey must. They are an orderly people. They don’t want trouble.” He waited for the Mayor’s reply and none came. “Is that not so, sir?” the colonel asked.
    Mayor Orden twisted his chain. “I don’t know, sir. They are orderly under their own government. I don’t know how they would be under yours. It is untouched ground, you see. We have built our government over four hundred years.”
    The colonel said quickly, “We know that, and so we are going to keep your government. You will still be the Mayor, you will give