Ray Bradbury

“ When disturbed the confetti had a curious habit of jumping like tiddle-de-winks or jumping beans. Sensitive little things. I dare say it'll be some weeks before Vienna is clean. That is what I have done to the Tri-Union. The World Organization forbids an attack. Was this an attack, sir? Confetti on the wind? Eh?"
"The World Organization forbids war!" cried the President.
"This is not war." Crossley leaned forward, tapped the desk earnestly. "Suppose we dropped confetti every day, causing the Tri-Union population to pluck and curry their lawns 365 days a year? ”

“ Crossley yawned. "There is no law against dropping waste paper," he said, quietly.
"You attacked the people of the Tri-Union states!"
"No one injured," said Crossley, calmly. "No explosions, no bruises, no fatalities. Did anybody even get a piece of confetti in his eye? The answer is no. A two letter word."
Crossley lit a cigarette. "Fifty thousand housefraus and one hundred thousand children swept sidewalks. Men flooded employment offices in Vienna for street sweeper jobs. But, ah, that clever, devilish confetti! ”

“ The silence in the room was touched only by Crossley's ragged breathing. He tried to lift himself, shivered, fell back.
"Best of all, there will be no evidence of what we have done to you," said Krauss. "Certain hormones and molecular impurities were put into your body. No analysis now or after death would reveal them. Your health will simply fail. We will not be held responsible. ”

“ At nightfall, the last little boy had emptied himself of his brackish contents, the last little girl plucked bawling from a poison ivy nest, the last sardine dispatched, the last beer bottle left a foamy vacuum. ”

“ He employed the men. This was his own private war.
"Ha!" Mr. Crossley laughed quite obviously.
The radio cut in on him. "Crossley?"
Crossley answered. "Speaking."
"This is the President, Crossley." The voice was sharp, and it fairly heated the interior of the ship. "Turn back, in the name of common sense. What are you up to! I'll seize your company!"
"This can't wait, Mr. President. We've been sweating it out for months. The Tri-Union won't admit it's setting up a fascistic skeleton in Europe, we can't find any proof they are, but there are rumors. We've got to get it out in the open. ”

“ Krauss gloated, listening.
Crossley said, "Courage, Mr. President. Use the croquet hoops."
"Croquet hoops?" Krauss seized Crossley's arm.
"Invisible croquet hoops," Crossley smiled.
"No." Krauss triumphed. "People will stumble, be hurt, even killed by them. The Word Org would stop you!"
"Oh," said Crossley. His face fell. "Look, Mr. President. About those hoops. Forget them. ”

“ He made plans for war using confetti, toothpaste tubes that refused to function, a chemical that dulled razors with the first scrape, and—mmm, let me see....
His young son, age twelve, was doing his homework in the next room.
"Oblivious to that awful music," said Crossley in admiration. "Kids are marvels, can concentrate anywhere." He crept up on his son, looked over his shoulder. ”

“ People can stand radios, confetti, gum and mosquitoes, but they won't take baldness or turning yellow. It was unthinkable!"
Edith ran to meet him as he landed. The radio still hung in the garden, drifting, singing. ”