Authentic Science Fiction Monthly, No. 67 — page 34: what you’re looking at

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

THE MAN IN BETWEEN They have no individual res- ponsibility, they go by the book, and they feel no guilt at what they do. And never forget this: it’s the customer, the small man like me and those like me, who have to pay, and pay, and keep on paying. Consolidated, like any other big business, is a poten- tial dictatorship’”’ ‘“‘That’s nonsense.” “Is it?’ How long will it be before you and the other companies begin forming price-rings? What about the - cartels and monopolies? Busi- ness doesn’t like competition, Harry, it’s bad for profits. A dictatorship doesn’t like com- petition, either. No, Harry. When a thing gets too big it goes bad. It loses the com- mon touch and thinks in terms of units instead of men and women. Consoli- dated can take over the Belt, yes, but only as far as we let i; “We?” He looked sur- prised. ““Aren’t you going to retire? Go back to Earth and enjoy your money?” 33 “Should 1?” “Why not? Isn’t that what you wanted it for?” ‘*Perhaps.”’ I stared at him. He was smiling, his eyes crinkled at the corners and, though he was dressed in ex- pensive synthsilks, he looked just the same as when I had met him in Carmodine’s bar. ‘Am [I still a fall guy, Harry?” “*Isn’t that up to you, Jim?” “Tm not so sure. One man can’t beat a system, and one man can’t beat a company. Not even with a hundred thousand credits behind him. Suppose I stay here and do what I think should be done? Would I stand a chance?” “That’s up to you, Jim.” He smiled again, and then became serious. “‘You’re right about business, Jim. Nothing that is soulless can be trusted. No company means to be that way, but to survive at all they have to be ruthless. And they grow, Jim. They can’t help but grow. Success and growth go hand in hand. The danger is that they will grow too connicloooks.com