Dave Dryfoos

Name: Uniform of a Man
Author: Dave Dryfoos

Uniform of a Man

Summary

“Uniform of a Man”, is a work by Dave Dryfoos. It explores elements such as Chet, Agvars and Pine.

Quotes from Uniform of a Man (Dave Dryfoos)

Dave Dryfoos, Uniform of a Man

“ The Agvars—furry, savage half-men, with something of the dog and something of the ape and little of the man about them—the Agvars let him live, Chet realized, for exactly one reason: he made them feel superior.
They'd learn now! Even though the children had stopped shrieking and gone away, disgusted at his passivity, no villager's insensitive ears could yet hear the ship.
In their boastfulness, the Agvars had invited other tribes to come and look at him and poke at him and laugh at him. His presence was known over the whole planet. He'd be found, no matter where on Hedlot the spaceship landed. ”

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Source: Gutenberg

Dave Dryfoos, Uniform of a Man

“ Pine has a job to do."
"What's that, Doctor?"
"I'm going to study your Agvar friends, Mr. Barfield. Want to help?"
"Sure," Chet said. "There's nothing I'd rather do than bring you a few corpses to dissect."
"That—ah—that isn't the idea," Dr. Pine said, bending his fingers and rocking from toes to heels. "I—ah—I want to do a little anthropology—study them in the life...."
"Why?" Chet demanded. "I can tell you all about them. I can tell you what they did to me, too! They don't deserve to live! And this planet won't be safe for spacemen till they're dead. Why waste time studying them? ”

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Source: Gutenberg

Dave Dryfoos, Uniform of a Man

“ And why in the world not take for peace a risk we'd routinely accept in war?"
Why not? But why not minimize it, just the same. The Agvars, invisible but noisy, were all around them, now. At any moment the woods might rain spears.
"It would be safer with two of us," Chet said musingly. "Your knowledge of anthropology and medicine—mine of the people—"
"Barfield, you're still on the sicklist," Commander Seymour pointed out. He watched Chet's face for a long moment before adding, "Still—if you're over your sick-minded need for revenge—it's possible Dr. Pine may find you fit. It's up to him." ”

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Source: Gutenberg

Dave Dryfoos, Uniform of a Man

“ I count on killing something after we come under the Agvars' observation. That should show off our weapon-superiority—and pave the way for a feast."
"No medical stuff?" Chet asked sarcastically. "I thought Dr. Pine was supposed to cure all their ills, not give them indigestion."
"He has to get their confidence before he can treat them," Commander Seymour explained seriously. "And on a strange planet like this, he's taking quite a chance to try treatment at any time: if it fails, they're apt to accuse him of murder!" ”

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Source: Gutenberg

Dave Dryfoos, Uniform of a Man

“ Become a casualty while trying to avoid casualties? It doesn't make sense!"
Dr. Pine stared at his own hands as if to hide his shyness in them. "As to the fact-seeking," he said slowly, "well ... it's a matter of opinion. I've lost a few classmates.... Risks in research are commonplace—and accepted as worthwhile by most people....
"And—ah—peace.... You once called it appeasement, but it isn't, always. Well, look. If we fought those Agvars, somebody'd have to take a patrol into their village and capture prisoners for our Intelligence, right?"
Chet nodded dumbly. ”

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Source: Gutenberg

Dave Dryfoos, Uniform of a Man

“ When a day passed, and then two, and he felt his strength returning, Chet was sure that Dr. Pine kept him out of the wardroom and away from the other officers only as punishment. Three years a prisoner—and a prisoner still! By the time Commander Seymour came to see him again, Chet had spent hours plotting revenge.
"Barfield," the commander said, "Dr. Pine is going—alone—to the village you escaped from. He'll pretend he's you, or someone like you—whichever he can get away with. So here's your chance for a little fresh air—you can guide us to the village." ”

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Source: Gutenberg

Dave Dryfoos, Uniform of a Man

“ Pine again! Pine found him good enough to imitate, it seemed, but not good enough to put on duty.
Suddenly Chet saw the possibilities. So Pine was going to impersonate him? Then Pine would be taken for an escaped sacrifice, a prisoner who'd killed a witch-doctor!
Tell him? Huh. Let him find out the hard way! Then even he, yellow as he was, would want revenge on the Agvars. If he survived their welcome....
"I'll be glad to go, sir," Chet said.
They brought him fatigues, not a dress uniform. But fatigues and shoes—even tight ones—were clothing, at least. And clothing would change his appearance. ”

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Source: Gutenberg

Dave Dryfoos, Uniform of a Man

“ But as he rose from the cot, Chet rose with him, and found himself at attention. They eyed each other.
"Relax," Dr. Pine suggested. "Please sit down—both of you."
Commander Seymour obeyed his subordinate. But Chet, still standing, still angry, turned hotly on the doctor.
"I can't just sit and let you talk about rewarding the Agvars for torturing me!" he cried. "We don't have to appease them—they can't fight. You don't have to be afraid—"
"That'll do, Barfield!" Commander Seymour was on his feet again, and his tone was sharp. It quieted Chet instantly. ”

[↩︎]

Source: Gutenberg

Dave Dryfoos, Uniform of a Man

“ Chet couldn't be sure.
He listened for his own voice. The woods were quiet. His breathing seemed strangely loud. He held it—and heard the Agvars moving in the woods. Rustling, scraping, crackling—grunting their guttural dialog. Crashing! Threatening them!
"Let's go back!" he urged, trying to sound casual. But his trail was blocked.
"Stick around," Dr. Pine suggested easily. "You—ah—you haven't said anything we didn't know. We're going right ahead."
"But why?" Once more Chet was hotly incredulous. "To risk your life for a few stray facts? ”

[↩︎]

Source: Gutenberg

Dave Dryfoos, Uniform of a Man

“ And Seymour might listen to reason. After all, he was a practical man, a leader. And Pine was yellow!
"What's Pine after, sir?" Chet asked over his shoulder. "Why take these risks you've mentioned?"
"Well, partly for safety: if we kill any Agvars, we're likely to have to kill them all, or have the survivors to contend with indefinitely. That might cost us some casualties.... And of course there's the research angle, but that's out of my line."
"What's the matter with punishment, sir—discipline? You use discipline on your crew—why not on their enemies?" ”

[↩︎]

Source: Gutenberg

Dave Dryfoos, Uniform of a Man

“ Learning to eat whatever he could get, training himself to breathe the local atmosphere in the special rhythm its composition required, accepting degradations too cruel for a captive animal, avoiding the resistance that would have brought merciful murder.... ”

[↩︎]

Source: Gutenberg

Dave Dryfoos, Uniform of a Man

“ The Agvars don't."
"Kill them, sir! That they'll understand!"
"No!" Commander Seymour spoke sharply. "If they don't fight back, that's cold-blooded slaughter. If they do, it's war. I don't hold with butchery, Barfield, and I certainly won't risk casualties just to give you a cheap feeling of satisfaction!"
He couldn't escape. Commander Seymour, looking from over Chet's shoulder like a walking sneer, stuck close. But he gave the impression of following a man who smelled bad.
Was he? Chet wondered.
Wondering, he unconsciously hung his head, slowed—stopped. Dr. Pine caught up. ”

[↩︎]

Source: Gutenberg

Dave Dryfoos, Uniform of a Man

“ He and Commander Seymour, faintly breathless from the trying need to regulate their respiration consciously, looked at Chet questioningly.
Again they were sizing him up. Suddenly Chet wished he could go back to that first interview in the sickbay, and change all the things he'd said.
"We can't go on!" he blurted. "You don't know what you're getting into, Doctor!"
"Oh?" said Dr. Pine agreeably. "I know more than you think, young feller." He smiled encouragingly.
"That—that I've killed a witch-doctor? That you may be taken for a murderer?" ”

Dave Dryfoos

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Quotes from Uniform of a Man (Dave Dryfoos)

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