n
Mars--the whole system fall apart--break up into independent states. And
when that happens, there's trouble--customs barriers, jealousies,
individual armies and navies, and then, ultimately, a space war. It's
more than just friendship, Sinclair, it's the smallest crack in the
solid front of the Solar Alliance, but it's a crack that _can_ be opened
further if we don't stop it now."

Sinclair was impressed. "Very well, Major, I'll tell you everything I
know about them. And you're right, it is hard to talk about your
friends. I've grown up here in the Venusian jungle. I helped my father
clear this land where the house is built. Most of the men in the
Nationalists are friends of mine, but"--he sighed--"you're right, I
can't allow this to happen to the Solar Alliance."

"Allow what to happen?" asked Connel.

"Just what you said, about Venus becoming an independent state."

"Tell me all you know," said Connel.

"The group began to form about three years ago. Al Sharkey came over
here one night and said a group of the planters were getting together
every so often to exchange information about crops and farming
conditions. I went a few times, we all did, on this part of Venus. At
first it was fun. We even had picnics and barn dances every three or
four weeks. Then one night someone suggested we come dressed in old
costumes--the type worn by our forefathers who founded Venus."

Connel nodded.

"Well, one thing led to another," continued Sinclair. "They started
talking about the great history of our planet, and complaining about
paying taxes to support the Solar Alliance. Instead of opening up new
colonies like the one out on Pluto, we should develop our own planet.
We stopped dancing, the women stopped coming, and then one night we
elected a president. Al Sharkey. The first thing he did was order all
members to attend meetings in the dress of our forefathers. He gave the
organization a name, the Venusian Nationalists. Right after that, I
stopped going. I got tired of listening to speeches about the wonderful
planet we live on, and how terrible it was to be governed by men on
Earth, millions of miles away."

"Didn't they consider that they had equal representation in the Solar
Alliance Chamber?" asked Connel.

"No, Major. There wasn't anything you could say to any of them. If you
tried to reason with them, they called you a--a--" Sinclair stopped and
turned away.

"What did they call you?" demanded Connel, getting