Page 41 - Unlikely Stories 4

La Force de Frappe

that we must retain tactical and strategic superiority on the continent;
and that means maintaining our nuclear forces. The logic is
inescapable.”
“What! You, a military man, lecturing me on logic? You are no
longer dealing with a dilettante from the more presentable fringes of
the idle rich. I am a doctor of philosophy with thirty years of teaching
and writing at the Sorbonne. I have dissected and deconstructed your
position a dozen times. It is untenable.”
“Then tell me, Monsieur, upon what do you base any alternative?”
The general’s eyes glittered like rhinestones. “I am not ignorant of your
background. Did you suppose I would come unprepared to this
meeting, where I must argue for preparedness? I have read your works.
They are, in my opinion, a terrible pastiche of our great rationalist
tradition, ending in a solipsistic relativism of no use to anyone.”
Pierre Laroche jumped to his feet. “This is outrageous!” He glared at
Marteau. “I cannot believe you have any comprehension of the higher
analysis.”
Marteau shrugged.
“Very well. The sum total of your life’s work, all the books and
articles and lectures my intelligence officers were able to gather
together, boils down to this maxim: ‘I think therefore I’ll wager I’m in
the best of all possible worlds, none of which have any value otherwise,
and even this one is only worth what I think.’ The circularity is
obvious.”
Laroche collapsed in his chair.
“How did you arrive at that? Never mind. It is a gross
oversimplification of my ideas. Solipsistic? Impossible!”
The general’s eyes narrowed.
“Not at all impossible, Monsieur. I too have been trained in logic.
And it is absolute, despite the claims of those who seek advancement in
universities by destroying the intellectual edifices of the past. In the
military we can allow ourselves no such luxury. If the perversion of
logic leaves you with no standards but the subjective, you are ripe for
any sort of anarchistic nonsense. Do you understand what I am
saying?”
Marteau had buried his head in his hands. He looked up, real pain in
his face. “Yes, I understand, General. You have brought the battle to
the enemy’s territory, fighting me with my own weapons. The choice is
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