user?"

Joe came to his feet and faced the newcomer, Philip Holland doing the
same, somewhat more leisurely.

Baron Balt Haer, wearing a colonel's uniform and flicking his swagger
stick along his booted leg, stood in the doorway. His voice was lazily
arrogant. "And Mr. Holland, I must say, the Middle caste seems to have
taken over the house. Well, Major Mauser? I assume you do not labor
under the illusion that you are welcome in this dwelling."

In Category Military rank is observed whilst in uniform, even though
neither individual is currently on active service. Joe had
automatically come to attention. He said, stiffly, "Sir, I am calling
upon your sister, Dr. Haer."

"Indeed," Baron Haer said, his nostrils high in that attitude once
perfected by grandees of medieval Spain, landed gentry of England,
Prussian Junkers. "I find that my sister, in her capacity as medical
scientist, seems to go to extreme in her research. What aspect of the
lower classes is she studying in your case, major?"

Joe flushed. "Baron Haer," he said, "we seem to have got off on the
wrong foot when we participated in that fracas against Continental
Hovercraft under your father, the late Baron. I would appreciate an
opportunity to start over again."

"Would you indeed?" Balt Haer said loftily. He turned his eye to
Philip Holland, whose mouth bore the slightest suggestions of
suppressed humor. "Unless I am mistaken, the conversation at the time
of my entry seemed to have a distinctly subversive element. Shouldn't
this be somewhat surprising in the secretary of the administration's
foreign minister?"

Philip Holland said crisply, "You must have intruded, um-m-m, that is,
entered, at the end of a sentence, Baron Haer. We were merely
discussing the various methods, down through the ages, that ruling
classes have utilized to perpetuate themselves in power."

Haer obviously disbelieved him. He said, "For example?"

"There are many examples," Holland said, reseating himself. "For
instance, the medieval feudalistic class who dominated the ignorant
and highly superstitious serfdom soon found it expedient to add to
their titles _by grace of God_, as though it was God's wish that they
be count or baron, prince or king. What serf would dare attempt the
overthrow of his lord, in the face of God's wishes?"

"I see," Balt Haer said. "And other examples?"

Holland shrugged. "The Chinese Mandarins utilized possibly the most
unique method of a governin