e to the _Pedagogue_ to consult the library. I am afraid,
my dear Leonid, that your theories on industrialization are rapidly
being proven inaccurate."

"Nonsense!"

Mayer said smoothly, "In the decade past, my team's efforts have more
than tripled the Genoese industrial potential. Last week one of our
steamships crossed the second ocean. We've located petroleum and the
first wells are going down. We've introduced a dozen crops that had
disappeared through misadventure to the original colonists. And, oh yes,
our first railroad is scheduled to begin running between Bari and Ronda
next spring. There are six new universities and in the next decade I
expect fifty more."

"Very good, indeed," Plekhanov grumbled.

"Only a beginning. The breath of competition, of unharnessed enterprise
is sweeping Genoa. Feudalism crumbles. Customs, mores and traditions
that have held up progress for a century or more are now on their way
out."

Joe Chessman growled, "Some of the boys tell me you've had a few
difficulties with this crumbling feudalism thing. In fact, didn't
Buchwald barely escape with his life when the barons on your western
continent united to suppress all chartered cities?"

Mayer's thin face darkened. "Never fear, my dear Joseph, those barons
responsible for shedding the blood of western hemisphere elements of
progress will shortly pay for their crimes."

"You've got military problems too, then?" Barry Watson asked.

Mayer's eyes went to him in irritation. "Some of the free cities of
Genoa are planning measures to regain their property and rights on the
western hemisphere. This has nothing to do with my team, except, of
course, in so far as they might sell them supplies or equipment."

The lanky Watson laughed lowly, "You mean like selling them a few
quick-firing breech-loaders and trench mortars?"

Plekhanov muttered, "That'll be enough, Barry."

But Mayer's eyes had widened. "How did you know?" He whirled on
Plekhanov. "You're spying on my efforts, trying to negate my work!"

Plekhanov rumbled, "Don't be a fool, Mayer. My team has neither the time
nor interest to spy on you."

"Then how did you know--"

Barry Watson said mildly, "I was doing some investigation in the ship's
library. I ran into evidence that you people had already used the
blueprints for breech-loaders and mortars."

Jerry Kennedy came to his feet and rambled over to the messroom's bar.
"This seems to be all out spat, rather than a confe