George Washington Jefferson the 1st had neatly shifted the blame for
the Holocaust onto the Mutes and - even more incredible still - the
nine-hundred year war of retribution waged by the soldier-citizens of
the Federation against the Plainfolk and their southern cousins in the
name of racial purity was being led by a carefully-bred selection of
super-straights!
Were it not for the scale of suffering involved the idea would have
been absurd - laughable even. But it also presented Steve with an
exciting opportunity - and a difficult choice. He could either try and
escape with Clearwater and her child and face all the hassle and
uncertainty that joining up with Cadillac and Roz would entail or... he
could stay where he was and ride the wire.
All the way to the top ....
This was no longer a case of them and us; the outgunned underdog
fighting a ruthless and vastly more powerful opponent. It was Mute
against Mute - except that one side held all the cards, and had the
soldier-citizens of the Federation to fight its battles.
Steve was forced to admire the First Family's duplicity.
One could not ignore the fact they were a ruthless bunch, with the
killer-instinct of the D'Troit, but they were also extremely smart
cookies. Always one step ahead of the game - and that was exactly the
way Steve liked to play it.
If he grasped this opportunity wholeheartedly, allied himself to the
First Family body and soul, he could have the best of both worlds. He
could have power and freedom, the space to breathe and all the hi-tech
gadgetry that made life easier. And he might even get to grind
Cadillac's nose in the dust.
But there was more to it than just besting his rival. As he developed
these ideas in his mind, Steve saw an even grander opportunity ahead.
If he managed to manoeuvre his way into the highest reaches of the
Family, he might be able to halt the present policy of extermination.
Instead of setting Tracker against Mute, the First Family could use
their manipulative skills in a positive way, making it possible for the
Mutes to be accepted for what they really were fellow human beings.
None of this could happen overnight, but gradually, rigidly-held
attitudes could soften, bringing about an eventual reconciliation in
which both parties accepted each other's right to exist side-by-side in
the blue-sky world.
It was not an impossible dream, but Steve knew he could never persuade
