The Traitors (short story)

The Traitors was the twelfth story in the Bernice Summerfield anthology Life During Wartime. It was written by Jonathan Morris.

Summary
Officer Radek has just arrived on the Collection. He is assigned by Mushtaq Anson to get friendly with curator Mesa in order to learn the location of the blade of Galandar.

Radek and Mesa gradually fall in love, though they know their relationship is illegal.

One evening on the way home from the museum, Mesa is confronted by a figure with a gun. She realises he is from the Resistance. He calls her names and threatens her because of her relationship with Radek. He clubs her with the gun, calling it a friendly warning.

Mesa tries to pass her injury off as an accident, but Radek is not fooled. He tells her that he was ordered to become friendly with her to retrieve the blade of Galandar, because he wants to be honest with her. The Axis will protect her as long as he's still pretending to try to get information from her. In return, Mesa tells Radek that the blade has no special powers, and that it is in the possession of Bernice Summerfield. Now they are both traitors, as they have betrayed their people.

Radek is patrolling the lower sections of the museum when a bomb goes off. It is mostly confined to the research section. Another Axis soldier informs Radek that no one has been hurt, that only the curator was killed.

Enraged, Radek shoots the soldier and several others. He is arrested and put in a cell.

In his cell, he is visited by Benny. She gives him the blade, telling him that he can use it to bargain for his freedom. He refuses, saying he can't be helped.

Characters

 * Bernice Summerfield
 * Mushtaq Anson
 * Officer Radek
 * Mesa

Continuity

 * Radek compares their relationship to that of Bernard Moskof and Ms Jones. (PROSE: The Garden of Whispers)