Part 8 (1/2)
”Don't be an a.s.s,” Mayer snapped. ”We are granting the Genoese political freedoms as fast as they can a.s.similate them.”
Joe Chessman growled, ”But I imagine it's surprising to find just how slowly they can a.s.similate. A moment ago you said they were free to form any government they wished. Now you say you feed them what you call freedom, only so fast as they can a.s.similate it.”
”Obviously we encourage them along whatever path we think will most quickly develop their economies,” Mayer argued. ”That's what we've been sent here to do. We stimulate compet.i.tion, encourage all progress, political as well as economic.”
Plekhanov lumbered to his feet. ”Amschel, obviously nothing new has been added to our respective positions by this conference. I propose we adjourn to meet again at the end of the second decade.”
Mayer said, ”I suppose it would be futile to suggest you give up this impossible totalitarian scheme of yours and reunite the expedition.”
Plekhanov merely grunted his disgust.
Jerry Kennedy said, ”One thing. What stand have you taken on giving your planet immortality?”
”Immortality?” Watson said. ”We haven't it to give.”
”You know what I mean. It wouldn't take long to extend the life span double or triple the present.”
Amschel Mayer said, ”At this stage progress is faster with the generations closer together. A man is pressed when he knows he has only twenty or thirty years of peak efficiency. We on Earth are inclined to settle back and take life as it comes; you younger men are all past the century mark, but none have bothered to get married as yet.”
”Plenty of time for that,” Watson grinned.
”That's what I mean. But a Texcocan or Genoese feels pressed to wed in his twenties, or earlier, to get his family under way.”
”There's another element,” Plekhanov muttered. ”The more the natives progress the more nearly they'll equal our abilities. I wouldn't want anything to happen to our overall plans. As it is now, their abilities taper off at sixty and they reach senility at seventy or eighty. I think until the end we should keep it this way.”
”A cold-blooded view,” Kennedy said. ”If we extended their life expectancy, their best men would live to be of additional use to planet development.”
”But they would not have our dream,” Plekhanov rumbled. ”Such men might try to subvert us, and, just possibly, might succeed.”
”I think Leonid is right,” Mayer admitted with reluctance.
Later, in the s.p.a.ce lighter heading back for Genoa, Mayer said speculatively, ”Did you notice anything about Leonid Plekhanov?”
Kennedy was piloting. ”He seems the same irascible old curmudgeon he's always been.”
”It seems to me he's become a touch power mad. Could the pressures he's under cause his mind to slip? Obviously, all isn't peaches and cream in that attempt of his to achieve world government on Texcoco.”
”Well,” Kennedy muttered, ”all isn't peaches and cream with us, either.
The barons are far from licked, especially in the west.” He changed the subject. ”By the way, that banking deal went through in Pola. I was able to get control.”
”Fine,” Mayer chuckled. ”You must be quite the richest man in the city.
There is a certain stimulation in this financial game, Jerry, isn't there?”
”Uh huh,” Jerry told him. ”Of course, it doesn't hurt to have a marked deck.”
”Marked deck?” the other frowned.