millions of credits a year if it were adopted. But nobody wanted it. He'd tried to force its use, he was in trouble, and now he could complain justly enough, but despite his grandfather he was not the happiest man he knew. The ambassador received him with a cordial wave of the hand. "Things move fast," he said cheerfully. "You weren't here half an hour before there was a police captain at the gate. He explained that an excessively dangerous criminal had escaped jail and been seen to climb the Embassy wall. He offered very generously to bring some men in and capture you and take you away—with my permission, of course. He was shocked when I declined." "I can understand that," said Hoddan. "By the way," said the ambassador. "Young men like yourself— Is there a girl involved in this?" Hoddan considered. "A girl's father," he acknowledged, "is the real complainant against me." "Does he complain," asked the ambassador, "because you want to marry her, or because you don't?" "Neither," Hoddan told him. "She hasn't quite decided that I'm worth defying her rich father for." "Good!" said the ambassador. "It can't be too bad a mess while a woman is being really practical. I've checked your story. Allowing for differences of viewpoint, it agrees with the official version. I've ruled that you are a political refugee, and so entitled to sanctuary in the Embassy. And that's that." "Thank you, sir," said Hoddan. "There's no question about the crime," observed the ambassador, "or that it is primarily political. You proposed to improve a technical process in a society which considers itself beyond improvement. If you'd succeeded, the idea of change would have spread, people now poor would have gotten rich, people now rich would have gotten poor, and you'd have done what all governments are established to prevent. So you'll never be able to walk the streets of this planet again in safety. You've scared people." "Yes, sir," said Hoddan. "It's been an unpleasant surprise to them, to be scared." The ambassador
Prev.
Back
Top