Invisible man - Ralph Ellison [203]
I sat up at the thought and there must have been an odd expression on my face, for Hambro, who was resting his elbows upon the arms of his chair and touching his fingertips together, raised his eyebrows as though expecting me to continue. Then he said, "The disciplined members will understand."
I pulled Tarp's leg chain from my pocket and slipped it over my knuckles. He didn't notice. "Don't you realize that we have only a handful of disciplined members left? Today the funeral brought out hundreds who'll drop away as soon as they see we're not following through. And now we're being attacked on the streets. Can't you understand? Other groups are circulating petitions, Ras is calling for violence. The committee is mistaken if they think this is going to die down."
He shrugged. "It's a risk which we must take. All of us must sacrifice for the good of the whole. Change is achieved through sacrifice. We follow the laws of reality, so we make sacrifices."
"But the community is demanding equality of sacrifice," I said. "We've never asked for special treatment."
"It isn't that simple, Brother," he said. "We have to protect our gains. It's inevitable that some must make greater sacrifices than others . . ."
"That 'some' being my people . . ."
"In this instance, yes."
"So the weak must sacrifice for the strong? Is that it, Brother?"
"No, a part of the whole is sacrificed -- and will continue to be until a new society is formed."
"I don't get it," I said. "I just don't get it. We work our hearts out trying to get the people to follow us and just when they do, just when they see their relationship to events, we drop them. I don't see it."
Hambro smiled remotely. "We don't have to worry about the aggressiveness of the Negroes. Not during the new period or any other. In fact, we now have to slow them down for their own good. It's a scientific necessity."
I looked at him, at the long, bony, almost Lincolnesque face. I might have liked him, I thought, he seems to be a really kind and sincere man and yet he can say this to me . . .
"So you really believe that," I said quietly.
"With all my integrity," he said.
For a second I thought I'd laugh. Or let fly with Tarp's link. Integrity! He talks to me of integrity! I described a circle in the air. I'd tried to build my integrity upon the role of Brotherhood and now it had changed to water, air. What was integrity? What did it have to do with a world in which Rinehart was possible and successful?
"But what's changed?" I said. "Wasn't I brought in to arouse their aggressiveness?" My voice fell sad, hopeless.
"For that particular period," Hambro said, leaning a little forward. "Only for that period."
"And what will happen now?" I said.
He blew a smoke ring, the blue-gray circle rising up boiling within its own jetting form, hovering for an instant then disintegrating into a weaving strand.
"Cheer up!" he said. "We shall progress. Only now they must be brought along more slowly . . ."
How would he look through the green lenses? I thought, saying, "Are you sure you're not saying that they must be held back?"
He chuckled. "Now, listen," he said. "Don't stretch me on a rack of dialectic. I'm a brother."
"You mean the brakes must be put on the old wheel of history," I said. "Or is it the little wheels within the wheel?"
His face sobered. "I mean only that they must be brought along more slowly. They can't be allowed to upset the tempo of the master plan. Timing is all important. Besides, you still have a job to do, only now it will be more educational."
"And what about the shooting?"
"Those who are dissatisfied will drop away and those who remain you'll teach . . ."
"I don't think I can," I said.
"Why? It's just as important."
"Because they are against us; besides, I'd feel like Rinehart . . ." It slipped out and he looked at me.
"Like who?"
"Like a charlatan," I said.
Hambro laughed. "I thought you had learned about that, Brother."
I looted at him quickly. "Learned what?"
"That it's impossible not to take advantage of the people."
"That's Rinehartism -- cynicism .