After all, you're
paying for it."

* * * * *

Mark squirmed uncomfortably.

"I'll tell you how all this started," Penelope said, popping open a can
of high-content protein. "Back before you were born there were insurance
companies. At first they were started to insure your life, and--"

"Your life!" Mark frowned. "How--"

"Never mind. Also, they insured you against loss by fire. Then it was
loss by collision of vehicles--you've never seen an auto, of course--and
so on. Finally they got to insuring you against hurting yourself when
you slipped on a cake of soap in the bathtub, and then they insured
against a suit for damages by someone who might stub his toe and fall
down and break a leg on your sidewalk. Follow me?"

"I think so," said Mark doubtfully.

"Well, there were all kinds of lawsuits. Two men would be in an
accident. Both hurt. Their insurance companies would sue each other.
Suppose A knocked over a ladder and B fell down on top of him. B's fall
broke A's arm and it broke his own leg. A could sue B for breaking his
arm. B could sue A for making him fall. Well, suppose A was insured by
company X, and B was insured by company Y. A and B filed claims against
each other's companies, and everybody went to court."

"You mean they didn't agree on damages?" Mark asked incredulously.

"Exactly." Penelope cut off the top of a bottle of enzymes. "It was
pretty dumb. But pretty soon the companies got wise. They formed working
agreements.

"When two companies carried insurance on two persons involved in an
accident, the companies just presented their claims to each other, and
the one with the biggest claim against him paid the difference, while
each company paid off the claim of the one it represented. You can see
what eventually happened."

She punched a button and a dinette table popped out of the wall.

"Companies insured people for more and more types of damage, even
against being insulted or against a claim for damages for being
insulted. The big companies eliminated the small ones, and it was just a
matter of bookkeeping among those that were left. Eventually the
government took it over."

"But look," said Mark, "I don't see--"

"Don't rush me." Penelope put a can into the container-dissolver and
punched the button that set out the plates and silverware on the tiny
table. "You see, pretty soon everybody was insured for everything
possible. People were collecting right a