t that he was not used to the messages his semicircular canals
were sending his brain when he moved his head under low gee.

"Exactly," he said after a moment's pause. "I have 'stat copies of a
part of that correspondence. To be specific, the correspondence between
your office and the Workers' Union Safety Control Board, and between
your office and the Workingman's Compensation Insurance Corporation."

"I see. Well, then, you're fully aware of what our trouble is, Mr.
Tarnhorst. I'm glad to see that an official of the insurance company is
taking an interest in our troubles."

Tarnhorst's head twitched, as though he were going to shake his head and
had thought better of it a fraction of a second too late. It didn't
matter. The fluid in his inner ears sloshed anyway.

"I am not here in my capacity as an officer of the Workingman's
Compensation Insurance Corporation," he said carefully. "I am here as a
representative of the People's Congress."

Alhamid's face showed a mild surprise which he did not feel. "I'm
honored, of course, Mr. Tarnhorst," he said, "but you must understand
that I am not an official of the government of Pallas."

Tarnhorst's ascetic face betrayed nothing. "Since you have no unified
government out here," he said, "I cannot, of course, presume to deal
with you in a governmental capacity. I have spoken to the Governor of
Pallas, however, and he assures me that you are the man to speak to."

"If it's about the industrial death rate," Alhamid agreed, "then he's
perfectly correct. But if you're here as a governmental representative
of Earth, I don't understand--"

"Please, Mr. Alhamid," Tarnhorst interrupted with a touch of irritation
in his voice. "This is not my first trip to the Belt, nor my first
attempt to deal with the official workings of the Confederated Cities."

Alhamid nodded gently. It was, as a matter of fact, Mr. Tarnhorst's
second trip beyond the Martian orbit, the first having taken place some
three years before. But the complaint was common enough; Earth, with its
strong centralized government, simply could not understand the
functioning of the Belt Confederacy. A man like Tarnhorst apparently
couldn't distinguish between _government_ and _business_. Knowing that,
Alhamid could confidently predict what the general sense of Tarnhorst's
next sentence would be.

"I am well aware," said Tarnhorst, "that the Belt Companies not only
have the various governors under their collective thumb