"Oh, come off it, Barry," Kennedy laughed. "Just because you're in a
position to push these people around doesn't make you the prize stud on
Texcoco."
Watson elbowed Dick Hawkins to one side in his attempt to get around the
table at the other.
Chessman rapped, "Watson! That's enough. Knock it off or I'll have you
under arrest." The Texcocan team head turned abruptly to Mayer and
Kennedy. "Let's stop this nonsense. We've come to compare progress.
Let's begin."
The three members of the Genoese team glared back in antagonism, but
then Gunther said grudgingly, "He's right. There is no longer amiability
between us, so let's forget about it. Perhaps when the fifty years is
up, things will be different. Now let's merely be businesslike."
"Well," Mayer said, "our report is that progress accelerates. Our
industrial potential expands at a rate that surprises even us. In the
near future we'll introduce the internal combustion engine. Our
universities still multiply and are turning out technicians, engineers,
scientists at an ever-quickening speed. In several nations illiteracy is
practically unknown and per capita production increases almost
everywhere." Mayer paused in satisfaction, as though awaiting the others
to attempt to top his report.
Joe Chessman said sourly, "Ah, almost everywhere per capita production
increases. Why _almost_?"
Mayer snapped, "Obviously, in a system of free competition, all cannot
progress at once. Some go under."
"Whole nations?"
"Temporarily whole nations can receive setbacks as a result of defeat in
war, or perhaps due to lack of natural resources. Some nations progress
faster than others."
Chessman said, "The whole Texcocan State is one great unit. Everywhere
the gross product increases. Within the foreseeable future the standard
of living will be excellent."
Jerry Kennedy, an alcoholic lisp in his voice now, said, "You mean
you've accomplished a planet-wide government?"
"Well, no. Not as yet," Chessman's sullen voice had an element of
chagrin in it. "However, there are no strong elements left that oppose
us. We are now pacifying the more remote areas."
"Sounds like a rather bloody program--especially if Barry Watson, here,
winds up with eight women," Martin Gunther said.
Watson started to say something but Chessman held up a restraining hand.
"The Texcocan State is too strong to be resisted, Gunther. It is mostly
a matter of getting around to the more remote peoples. As soon as we
bring in a new tribe, we convert it into a commune."
"Commune!" Kennedy blurted.
Joe Chessman raised his thick eyebrows at the other. "The most
efficient socio-economic unit at this stage of development. Tribal
society is perfectly adapted to fit into such a plan. The principal
difference between a tribe and a commune is that under the commune you
have the advantage of a State above in a position to give you the
benefit of mass industries, schools, medical assistance. In return, of
course, for a certain amount of taxes, military levies and so forth."
Martin Gunther said softly, "I recall reading of the commune system as a
student, but I fail to remember the supposed advantages."
Chessman growled, "They're obvious. You have a unit of tens of thousands
of persons. Instead of living in individual houses, each with a man
working while the woman cooks and takes care of the home, all live in
community houses and take their meals in messhalls. The children are
cared for by trained nurses. During the season all physically capable
adults go out en masse to work the fields. When the harvest has been
taken in, the farmer does not hole up for the winter but is occupied in
local industrial projects, or in road or dam building. The commune's
labor is never idle."
Kennedy shuddered involuntarily.
Chessman looked at him coldly. "It means quick progress. Meanwhile, we
go through each commune and from earliest youth, locate those members
who are suited to higher studies. We bring them into State schools where
they get as much education as they can assimilate--more than is
available in commune schools. These are the Texcocans we are training in
the sciences."
"The march to the anthill," Amschel Mayer muttered.
Chessman eyed him scornfully. "You amuse me, old man. You with your talk
of building an economy with a system of free competition. Our Texcocans
are sacrificing today but their children will live in abundance. Even
today, no one starves, no one goes without shelter nor medical care."
Chessman twisted his mouth wryly. "We have found that hungry, cold or
sick people cannot work efficiently."
He stared challengingly at the Genoese leader. "Can you honestly say
that there are no starving people in Genoa? No inadequately housed, no
sick without hope of adequate medicine? Do you have economic setbacks in
which poorly planned production goes amuck and depressions follow with
mass unemployment?"
"Nevertheless," Mayer said with unwonted calm, "our society is still far
ahead of yours. A mere handful of your bureaucracy and military chiefs
enjoy the good things of life. There are tens of thousands on Genoa who
have them. Free competition has its weaknesses, perhaps, but it provides
a greater good for a greater number of persons."
Joe Chessman came to his feet. "We'll see," he said stolidly. "In ten
years, Mayer, we'll consider the position of both planets once again."
"Ten years it is," Mayer snapped back at him.
Jerry Kennedy saluted with his glass. "Cheers," he said.
* * * * *
On the return to Genoa Amschel Mayer said to Kennedy, "Are you sober
enough to assimilate something serious?"
"Sure, chief, of course."
"Hm-m-m. Well then, begin taking the steps necessary for us to place a
few men on Texcoco in the way of, ah, intelligence agents."
"You mean some of our team?" Kennedy said, startled.
"No, of course not. We can't spare them, and, besides, there'd be too
big a chance of recognition and exposure. Some of our more trusted
Genoese. Make the monetary reward enough to attract their services." He
looked at his lieutenants significantly. "I think you'll agree that it
might not be a bad idea to keep our eyes on the developments on
Texcoco."
* * * * *
On the way back to Texcoco, Barry Watson said to his chief, "What do you
think of putting some security men on Genoa, just to keep tabs?"
"Why?"
Watson looked at his fingers, nibbled at a hangnail. "It just seems to
me it wouldn't hurt any."
Chessman snorted.
Dick Hawkins said, "I think Barry's right. They can bear watching.
Besides in another decade or so they'll realize we're going to beat
them. Mayer's ego isn't going to take that. He'd go to just about any
extreme to keep from losing face back on Earth."
Natt Roberts said worriedly, "I think they're right, Joe. Certainly it
wouldn't hurt to have a few Security men over there. My department could
train them and we'd ferry them over in this space boat."
"I'll make the decisions," Chessman growled at them. "I'll think about
this. It's just possible that you're right though."
Behind them, Reif looked thoughtfully at his teen-age son.