“He was smuggled onto the artifical satellite that houses the UP Embassy, and from there returned by regular spaceship.”
“Who smuggled him aboard the satellite?”
“The Sons of Liberty.”
“The Sons of Liberty! Who in the name of the Goddess are the Sons of Liberty?”
“An underground organization of men.”
“An underground organization of men! Don’t be ridiculous.”
That last had come from the background somewhere. It was not a voice Ronny had heard before.
“Quiet,” an authoritative speaker said.
The questioning continued. “What is the purpose of this underground organization?”
“To overthrow the present government.”
“How?”
“I do not know.”
“Do you know the names of any of the members?”
“Yes. Sarpedon, Zeke, Teucer, Damon.”
“What are their
“I do not know.”
“Who is Zeke?”
Ronny Broston remained silent.
“Where did you learn Zeke’s name?”
“At the underground drop at Number 35 Hiliopolis Street.”
“How did you know this address?”
“It was given to me by Sarpedon.”
“Did he give you any other addresses here on Amazonia?”
“No.”
“When were you at the underground drop on Heliopolis Street?”
“Last night.”
He could hear the major’s voice in the background. “Artimis! He was under guard and in bed.”
Somebody else snapped, “I assume you were the guard, Major Oreithyia? You realize it’s impossible for him to lie.”
“Silence,” the authoritive voice rapped.
“Who else did you meet at the underground drop?”
“Teucer.”
“Who is Teucer?”
“A Lybian refugee.”
“Lybian refugee! What do you mean by Lybian refugee?”
“A man who fled Lybia and sought sanctuary in Paphlagonia.”
“Sanctuary? Sanctuary with whom?”
“With the Paphlagonian Sons of Liberty.”
Someone blurted, “Is there a Lybian Sons of Liberty?”
“Yes.”
There was another lengthy silence and muttering in the further parts of the room.
Finally, “Who else did you meet at the Heliopolis address?”
“Nobody.”
“Where did you meet Damon?”
He remained silent.
“How did you learn Damon’s name?”
“Zeke told it to me.”
“What did Zeke tell you about Damon?”
“He is the head of the Sons of Liberty.”
“How many followers are there of this fantastic organization?”
“Tens of thousands of members and half the male population as inactive sympathizers.”
“Ridiculous!” said the voice from the background which had been shushed before.
“Confound it, shut up, Penthesileia,” the authoritive voice said. “Go back to this Section G organization, Hippo.”
The original inquisitor’s voice said, “What is Section G?”
“A department of the Bureau of Investigation of the Department of Justice.”
“But what is its purpose?”
“To help overthrow the politico-economic systems of planets on which progress is being held up by restrictive governments.”
There was a shocked hush. Someone muttered, “The rumors we heard were correct.”
“But that is in direct conflict with Articles One and Two of the United Planets Charter.”
Ronny Bronston said nothing.
“Were you sent to Amazonia to help the Sons of Liberty overthrow the present socioeconomic system.”
“No.”
“Why were you sent to Amazonia?”
“To investigate the situation and discover if the present socioeconomic system was holding up progress.”
“Have you come to any conclusion?”
“Yes.”
“What is it?”
“That the present socioeconomic system is holding up progress by preventing half the population from utilizing its full abilities.”
“If you made this report, would Section G then take measures to subvert our government?”
“It is most probable.”
“Are there any other Section G operatives on Amazonia?”
“It is improbable. If there were, I would most likely have been informed.”
They squabbled some more in the background.
Finally the demanding voice came again. “Why does the Department of Justice concern itself with the internal affairs of member planets of United Planets?”
“It wishes to institute socioeconomic systems which will lead to the fastest progress of which the planet is capable.”
“Progress in which sense?”
“Scientific progress, industrial progress, progress in education, in freeing the individual from any restriction that prevents him from realizing his abilities.”
The voice had an impatient edge. “Why does the Department of Justice think it its business to force its version of progress upon sovereign member planets of UP?”
“It believes such progress is necessary to prepare the human race for its eventual confrontation with the aliens.”
“What aliens?”
“The intelligent aliens first discovered by the Space Forces over a century ago.”
“Discovered
“A space scout came upon a derelict which had obviously been crisped in an interplanetary fight. Its pilot was small but obviously intelligent. The craft was more sophisticated than any we are capable of building.”
“Why were not the member planets immediately informed of this?”
“The UP heads decided that the human race must go into all-out preparation for the eventual confrontation with the aliens. Even though the aliens may be peaceful, the stronger the human race the better bargaining position it will be in, whatever the issues that arise upon our two life forms meeting.”
The authoritive voice which had, thus far, done none of the questioning, said, “But why were the member
