since this morning
when Menalaus and Aldebaran Three were admitted. Have two planets dropped
out?"

"Look," he said, "let's stop bickering. What's the word on New Delos?"

"Did you ever read Frazer's 'Golden Bough'?" she said.

"No."

"You should. At any rate, New Delos is a theocracy. A priesthood elite
rules it. A God-King, who is immortal, holds absolute authority. The
strongest of superstition plus an efficient inquisition, keeps the people
under control."

"Sounds terrible," Ronny growled.

"Why? Possibly the government is extremely efficient and under it the
planet progressing at a rate in advance of UP averages."

He stared at her in surprise.

She said, "Would you rather be ruled by the personal, arbitrary whims of
supremely wise men, or by laws formulated by a mob?"

It stopped him momentarily. In all his adult years, he couldn't remember
ever meeting an intelligent, educated person who had been opposed to the
democratic theory.

"Wait a minute, now," he said. "Who decides that they're supremely wise
men who are doing this arbitrary ruling? Let any group come to power, by
whatever means, and they'll soon tell you they're an elite. But let's get
back to New Delos, from what you've said so far, the people are held in a
condition of slavery."

"What's wrong with slavery?" Tog said mildly.

He all but glared at her. "Are you kidding?"

"I seldom jest," Tog said primly. "Under the proper conditions, slavery
can be the most suitable system for a people."

"Under _what_ conditions!"

"Have you forgotten your Earth history to the point where Egypt, Greece
and Rome mean nothing to you? Man made some of his outstanding progress
under slavery. And do you contend that man's lot is necessarily miserable
given slavery? As far back as Aesop we know of slaves who have reached the
heights in their society. Slaves sometimes could and did become the
virtual rulers in ancient countries." She shrugged prettily. "The
prejudices which you hold today, on Earth, do not necessarily apply to all
time, nor to all places."

He said, impatiently, "Look, Tog, we can go into this further, later.
Let's get back to New Delos. What happened?"

Tog said, "The very foundation of their theocracy is the belief on the
part of the populace that the God-King is immortal. No man conspires
against his Deity. Supervisor Jakes informed me that it is understood by
UP Intelligence, that about once every twenty years the priesthood
sec