ric Wars back again."

"The standard revolutionary argument," said Berg patiently, "is that the
rebels aren't trying to overthrow the nation at all, but simply to
restore constitutional and libertarian government. It's common
knowledge that they have help and some subsidies from outside, but it's
contended that these are merely countries tired of a world dominated by
an American dictatorship and, being small Latin-American and European
states, couldn't possibly think of conquering us. Surely you've seen
subversive literature."

"Well, yes. Can't help finding their pamphlets. All over the place.
And--" Lancaster closed his mouth. No, damned if he was going to admit
that he knew three co-workers who listened to rebel propaganda
broadcasts. Those were silly, harmless kids--why get them in trouble,
maybe get them sent to camp?

* * * * *

"You probably don't appreciate the hold that kind of argument has on all
too many intellectuals--and a lot of the common herd, too," said Berg.
"Naturally you wouldn't--if your attitude has always been unsympathetic,
these people aren't going to confide their thoughts to you. And then
there are bought men, and spies smuggled in, and--oh, I needn't
elaborate. It's enough to say that we've been thoroughly infiltrated,
and that most of their agents have absolutely impeccable dossiers. We
can't give neoscop to everybody, you know--Security has to rely on spot
checks and the testing of key personnel. Only when organizations get as
big as they are today, there's apt to be no real key man, and a few
spies strategically placed in the lower echelons can pick-up a hell of a
lot of information. Then there are the colonists out on the planets--our
hold on them has always necessarily been loose, because of
transportation and communication difficulties if nothing else. And, as I
say, foreign powers. A little country like Switzerland or Denmark or
Venezuela can't do much by itself, but an undercover international
pooling of resources.... Anyway, we have reason to believe in the
existence of a large, well financed, well organized underground, with
trained fighting men, big secret weapons dumps, and saboteurs ready for
the word 'go'--to say nothing of a restless population and any number of
covert sympathizers who'd follow if the initial uprising had good
results."

"Or bad, depending on whose viewpoint you take," grinned the one-armed
man.

Lancaster put his elbows o