nd the program is carefully planned so you can study
it secondhand. The important thing is to develop the abstract viewpoint,
since any attempt to prejudge results can only mean disaster. And it has
been proved many times that a man with a certain interest will make many
unwitting errors to shape an observation or experiment in favor of his
interest. No, we could have none of that here.

"We are following the proper study of mankind and we must do that by
keeping personally on the outside, to preserve our perspective. When you
understand that, you understand many small things about the university.
Why we give only resident student scholarships at a young age, and why
the out-of-the-way location here in the Dolomites. You will also see the
reason why the campus bookstore stocks all of the books published, but
never has an adequate supply of newspapers. The agreed policy has been
to see that you all mature with the long view. Then--hopefully--you will
be immune to short-term political interests after you leave.

"This policy has worked well in turning out men with the correct
attitude towards their work. It has also turned out a fair number of
self-centered, egocentric horrors."

* * * * *

Neel flushed. "Do you mean that I--"

"No, I don't mean you. If I did, I would say so. Your worst fault--if
you can call it a fault, since it is the very thing we have been trying
to bring about--is that you have a very provincial attitude towards the
universe. Now is the time to re-examine some of those ideas. Firstly,
what do you think the attitude of the UN is towards Societics?"

There was no easy answer, Neel could see traps ready for anything he
said. His words were hesitant. "I can't say I've really ever thought
about it. I imagine the UN would be in favor of it, since we make their
job of world government that much easier--"

"No such thing," Abravanel said, tempering the sharpness of his words
with a smile. "To put it in the simplest language, they hate our guts.
They wish I had never formulated Societics, and at the same time they
are very glad I did. They are in the position of the man who caught the
tiger by the tail. The man enjoys watching the tiger eat all of his
enemies, but as each one is consumed his worry grows greater. What will
happen when the last one is gone? Will the tiger then turn and eat him?

"Well--we are the UN's tiger. Societics came along just at the time it
was sor