about anything
Ronny managed to say, he could have been attracted to her to the detriment
of the job. She was a good traveler, few people are; she was an
ultra-efficient assistant; she was a joy to look at; and she never
intruded. But, Great Guns, the woman could bicker.

The two of them were studying in the ship's luxurious lounge when Ronny
looked up and said, "Do you have any idea why those six agents were sent
to Avalon?"

"No," she said.

He indicated the booklet he was reading. "From what I can see here, it
sounds like one of the most advanced planets in the UP. They've made some
of the most useful advances in industrial techniques of the past century."

"Oh, I don't know," Tog mused. "I haven't much regard for Industrial
Feudalism myself. It starts off with a bang, but tends to go sterile."

"Industrial feudalism," he said indignantly. "What do you mean? The
government is a constitutional monarchy with the king merely a powerless
symbol. The standard of living is high. Elections are honest and
democratic. They've got a three-party system...."

"Which is largely phony," Tog interrupted. "You've got to do some reading
between the lines, especially when the books you're reading are turned out
by the industrial feudalistic publishing companies in Avalon."

"What's this industrial feudalism, you keep talking about? Avalon has a
system of free enterprise."

"A gobbledygook term," Tog said, irritatingly. "Industrial feudalism is a
socio-economic system that develops when industrial wealth is concentrated
into the hands of a comparatively few families. It finally gets to the
point of a closed circle all but impossible to break into. These
industrial feudalistic families become so powerful that only in rare
instances can anyone lift himself into their society. They dominate every
field, including the so-called labor unions, which amount to one of the
biggest businesses of all. With their unlimited resources they even own
every means of dispensing information."

"You mean," Ronny argued, "that on Avalon you can't start up a newspaper
of your own and say whatever you wish?"

"Certainly you can, theoretically. If you have the resources.
Unfortunately, such enterprises become increasingly expensive to start. Or
you could start a radio, TV or Tri-Di station--if you had the resources.
However, even if you overcame all your handicaps and your newspaper or
broadcasting station became a success, the industrial feudalist