er said impatiently, "Don't read something into our
organization that isn't here. We don't exist for your benefit, but our
own."

"But you wish to overthrow the Soviets and establish a democratic--"

Georgi was waggling an impatient hand. "That word democratic has been
so misused this past half century that it's become all but
meaningless. Look here, we wish to overthrow the present Soviet
government, but that doesn't mean we expect to establish one modeled
to yours. We're Russians. Our problems are Russian ones. Most of them
you aren't familiar with--any more than we're familiar with your
American ones."

"However, you want to destroy the Soviets," Hank pursued.

"Yes," Georgi growled, "but that doesn't necessarily mean that we wish
_you_ to win this cold war, as the term goes. That is, just because
we're opposed to the Soviet government doesn't mean we like yours. But
you make a point. If the Galactic Confederation gives all-out support
to the Soviet bureaucracy it might strengthen it to the point where
they could remain in office indefinitely."

* * * * *

Hank pressed the advantage. "Right. You'd never overthrow them then."

"On the other hand," Georgi muttered uncomfortably, "we're not
interested in giving you Americans an opportunity that would enable
you to collapse the whole fabric of this country and its allies."

"Look here," Hank said. "In the States we seem to know surprisingly
little about your movement. Just what _do_ you expect to accomplish?"

"To make it brief, we wish to enjoy the product of the sacrifices of
the past fifty years. If you recall your Marx"--he twisted his face
here in wry amusement--"the idea was that the State was to wither away
once Socialism was established. Instead of withering away, it has
become increasingly strong. This was explained by the early Bolsheviks
in a fairly reasonable manner. Socialism presupposes a highly
industrialized economy. It's not possible in a primitive nor even a
feudalistic society. So our Communist bureaucracy remained in the
saddle through a period of transition. The task was to industrialize
the Soviet countries in a matter of decades where it had taken the
Capitalist nations a century or two."

Georgi shrugged. "I've never heard of a governing class giving up its
once acquired power of its own accord, no matter how incompetent they
might be."

Hank said, "I wouldn't call the Soviet government incompetent."