"there's nothing to tax. The state owns all the property, and if the
Imperial Constitution and the Space Navy let them, the State would own
all the people, too. Don't tell me about Aditya. First big-ship command
I had was the old _Invictus_, 374, and she was based on Aditya for four
years, and I'd sooner have spent that time in orbit around Niffelheim."

Now Paul remembered who he was; old Admiral--now
Prince-Counselor--Gaklar. He and Prince-Counselor Dorflay would get
along famously. The Lord Marshal of Durendal was replying to some
objection somebody had made:

[Illustration]

"No, nothing of the sort. We hold the view that every civil or political
right implies a civil or political obligation. The citizen has a right
to protection from the Realm, for instance; he therefore has the
obligation to defend the Realm. And his right to participate in the
government of the Realm includes his obligation to support the Realm
financially. Well, we tax only property; if a nonworker acquires taxable
property, he has to go to work to earn the taxes. I might add that our
nonworkers are very careful to avoid acquiring taxable property."

"But if they don't have votes to sell, what do they live on?" a
Counselor asked in bewilderment.

"The nobility supports them; the landowners, the trading barons, the
industrial lords. The more nonworking adherents they have, the greater
their prestige." And the more rifles they could muster when they
quarreled with their fellow nobles, of course. "Beside, if we didn't do
that, they'd turn brigand, and it costs less to support them than to
have to hunt them out of the brush and hang them."

"On Aditya, brigandage does not exist."

"On Aditya, all the brigands belong to the Secret Police, only on Aditya
they don't call them Secret Police, they call them Servants of the
People, Ninth Category."

A shadow passed quickly over the pavilion, and then another. He glanced
up quickly, to see two long black troop carriers, emblazoned with the
Sun and Cogwheel and armored fist of Security, pass back of the Octagon
Tower and let down on the north landing stage. A third followed. He rose
quickly.

"Please remain seated, gentlemen, and continue with the luncheon. If you
will excuse me for a moment, I'll be back directly." I hope, he added
mentally.

* * * * *

Captain-General Dorflay, surrounded by a dozen officers, Thoran and
human, had arrived on the lower terrace