Astounding British Edition, Vol. 9, No. 7 — page 60: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Brad found it a discomforting answer. Of course the facts were obvious! But somehow Ran’s tone suggested typical Martian double-talk, a mocking, almost derisive sham of innocent agreement. Brad tried subtly to pry something that would be specific. But the subtlety of an Earth- man was child’s play to a Martian’s teas- ing torments of verbal logic. Brad got nowhere. After half an hour of inconse- quential sparring with abstractions, Ran curled up on his cushion and went to sleep. : Early the following afternoon the cruiser grounded on the landing flat north of London. Brad and Ran chartered a robot turb which, in three minutes, took them through the public vapor germicider into the gleaming dome of the Federation capital. Unlike all the other cities, London had only one level, a carefully landscaped pattern of white marble buildings erected on the banks of the Thames. In the blaze of disastrous atomic wars that brought Earth’s medieval period to an end, the old London was leveled; on its site the new Solar capital had risen. The circular city was trisected by transparent walls which met within and above the central Assembly Hall. One third of the city was built for the Earth-people; one third for Martians; and one third for Venusians. In each section the atmosphere of the home planet was chemically reconstructed; and in each section were available the individual foods, plants and wild life which were characteristic of the three planets in the Federation. The Assembly Hall was similarly partitioned, so that representatives from the three worlds could meet and govern in physically com- fortable conditions. Both Brad and Ran were members of the Governmental Institute, classified as Diplomats. The full personnel of the Institute—which was the largest of the Agencies—was drawn in exactly equal numbers from each of the three member planets. The initial selection was made on a basis of a popular vote; but, as soon as a candidate was elected, he had to qualify for office by means of an ex- haustive education in governmental pro- cedure. The education extended over a ete ft eo gg Fed a eee ae ee At, a ee re ee Oe ee FE eee, Ee ie a Fw “ —. fe SS gO ga Sg re, ar a eee, a’ ; 2 =- —< ges SO) = a al Te es~ x F ipl kn es ~ % I a : on ~ a y 2 = ASTOUNDING SCIENCE FICTION five-year period. Annually the ranks of apprentices were thinned as much as a third by the Fitness Evaluations. The vacancies were filled by candidates of the same planetary origin, so that the species balance was always maintained. Those who eventually met the qualifications earned the initial rank of Under-secretary, serving as glorified clerks in the London office for three additional years; after passing the Final Evaluation, the Under- secretary was classed as a Diplomat. He held that rank permanently. From the Diplomats the Five-Year General Elec- tions selected, by popular vote, the three hundred Representatives who governed the Federation. The prevailing attitude in such a government was its unhurried, restrained deliberation. The quiet calmness of the Diplomat-politician was so characteristic it had become the jump-off point for half the ribald humor in the Federation. Lon- don was a haven of peace, a Delphic Oracle—in terms of the scientific method. Yet, when Brad and Ran entered the reception gallery of the Assembly Hall, they were caught in a bustle of excitement. Nothing’ in their training—nothing in governmental tradition—had prepared them for such an experience. A scurrying under-secretary stopped suddenly in front of them. “You’re the diplomats just in from the Centaurian survey?” ~ “Yes,” Brad answered. “I thought I recognized the Martian. : Have you heard the news?” “No. Don’t tell me the colony—” “One of their ambassadors is back! They’re still processing the first-contact recording up in Communications.” “What’s wrong?” “You ... you’d better judge for your- selves.” Fearing, perhaps, that his emotionality had been an unwarranted breach of cus- tom, the under-secretary quietly vanished in the moving throng. Ran and Brad ascended the broad, curving stairway to the Communications Center. There they found the Governmental Director himself —currently, an ancient Venusian who had already served four times as a represen- CONNIEOOOKs GO 4