The Skull by Philip K. Dick Read Free Book Online Page B

have added themselves. The local
authorities picked him up at once, of course. Apparently they were
convinced that he meant it; he was never released. He was put to death,
and his body buried secretly. It seemed that the cult was finished."
    The Speaker smiled. "Unfortunately, some of his disciples reported
seeing him after the date of his death. The rumor spread; he had
conquered death, he was divine. It took hold, grew. And here we are
today, with a First Church, obstructing all social progress, destroying
society, sowing the seeds of anarchy—"
    "But the wars," Conger said. "About them?"
    "The wars? Well, there were no more wars. It must be acknowledged that
the elimination of war was the direct result of non-violence practiced
on a general scale. But we can take a more objective view of war today.
What was so terrible about it? War had a profound selective value,
perfectly in accord with the teachings of Darwin and Mendel and others.
Without war the mass of useless, incompetent mankind, without training
or intelligence, is permitted to grow and expand unchecked. War acted to
reduce their numbers; like storms and earthquakes and droughts, it was
nature's way of eliminating the unfit.
    "Without war the lower elements of mankind have increased all out of
proportion. They threaten the educated few, those with scientific
knowledge and training, the ones equipped to direct society. They have
no regard for science or a scientific society, based on reason. And this
Movement seeks to aid and abet them. Only when scientists are in full
control can the—"
*
    He looked at his watch and then kicked the car door open. "I'll tell you
the rest as we walk."
    They crossed the dark roof. "Doubtless you now know whom those bones
belonged to, who it is that we are after. He has been dead just two
centuries, now, this ignorant man from the Middle West, this Founder.
The tragedy is that the authorities of the time acted too slowly. They
allowed him to speak, to get his message across. He was allowed to
preach, to start his cult. And once such a thing is under way, there's
no stopping it.
    "But what if he had died before he preached? What if none of his
doctrines had ever been spoken? It took only a moment for him to utter
them, that we know. They say he spoke just once, just one time.
Then
the authorities came, taking him away. He offered no resistance; the
incident was small."
    The Speaker turned to Conger.
    "Small, but we're reaping the consequences of it today."
    They went inside the building. Inside, the soldiers had already laid out
the skeleton on a table. The soldiers stood around it, their young faces
intense.
    Conger went over to the table, pushing past them. He bent down, staring
at the bones. "So these are his remains," he murmured. "The Founder. The
Church has hidden them for two centuries."
    "Quite so," the Speaker said. "But now we have them. Come along down the
hall."
    They went across the room to a door. The Speaker pushed it open.
Technicians looked up. Conger saw machinery, whirring and turning;
benches and retorts. In the center of the room was a gleaming crystal
cage.
    The Speaker handed a Slem-gun to Conger. "The important thing to
remember is that the skull must be saved and brought back—for
comparison and proof. Aim low—at the chest."
    Conger weighed the gun in his hands. "It feels good," he said. "I know
this gun—that is, I've seen them before, but I never used one."
    The Speaker nodded. "You will be instructed on the use of the gun and
the operation of the cage. You will be given all data we have on the
time and location. The exact spot was a place called Hudson's field.
About 1960 in a small community outside Denver, Colorado. And don't
forget—the only means of identification you will have will be the
skull. There are visible characteristics of the front teeth, especially
the left incisor—"
    Conger listened absently. He was watching two men in white carefully
wrapping the skull in a plastic bag. They tied it