there was disgust in his voice.

"Why not?" she said mildly.

"Well, there should be _some_ standards."

Tog moved quickly, dominating with a knight several squares he couldn't
afford to lose. She looked up at him, her dark eyes sparking. "The point
of UP is to include all the planets. That way at least conflict can be
avoided and some exchange of science, industrial techniques and cultural
gains take place. And you must remember that while in power practically no
socio-economic system will admit to the fact that it could possibly change
for the better. But actually there is nothing less stable. Socio-economic
systems are almost always in a condition of flux. Planets such as Amazonia
might for a time seem so brutal in their methods as to exclude their right
to civilized intercourse with the rest. However, one of these days
there'll be a change--or one of these centuries. They all change, sooner or
later." She added softly, "Even Han."

"Han?" Ronny said.

Her voice was quiet. "Where I was born, Ronny. Colonized from China in the
very early days. In fact, I spent my childhood in a commune." She said
musingly, "The party bureaucrats thought their system an impregnable,
unchangeable one. Your move."

Ronny was fascinated. "And what happened?" He was in full retreat now, and
with nowhere to go, his pieces pinned up for the slaughter. He moved a
pawn to try and open up his queen.

"Why don't you concede?" she said. "Tommy Paine happened."

"Paine!"

"Uh-huh. It's a long story. I'll tell you about it some time." She pressed
closer with her own queen.

He stared disgustedly at the board. "Well, that's what I mean," he
muttered. "I had no idea there were so many varieties of crackpot
politico-economic systems among the UP membership."

"They're not necessarily crackpot," she protested mildly. "Just at
different stages of development."

"Not crackpot!" he said. "Here we are heading for a planet named Kropotkin
which evidently practices anarchy."

"Your move," she said. "What's wrong with anarchism?"

He glowered at her, in outraged disgust. Was it absolutely impossible for
him to say anything without her disagreement?

Tog said mildly, "The anarchistic ethic is one of the highest man has ever
developed." She added, after a moment of pretty consideration.
"Unfortunately, admittedly, it hasn't been practical to put to practice.
It will be interesting to see how they have done on Kropotkin."

"Anarchist ethic,